15 Years of OMG!NYC

This weekend marks 15 years since I moved to New York and started OMG!NYC. To celebrate this occasion, I've shared a lot of music that has shaped, inspired, and soundtracked my time in the city.

Albums of 2020

Eddie Van Halen once said, "I don't love bands, I love songs." That stuck with me earlier this year after he passed and I thought a lot about the ways I process and discover music. I don't share the same sentiment as Eddie. I do love bands, but I also love songs. However, what I really love are albums. If 2020 gave us anything, it was the gift of time which has felt slow, rushed, and also suspended. However if anything, we certainly had a lot of it and I loved to spend the newfound time listening to albums. Still my favorite format of music, I love sitting down and listening to a work of art. This year I listened to over 100 new albums from 2020 alone, a lot of old Jazz (I listened to Coltrane's entire studio album discography in chronological order back in the early days of the pandemic), and finally understood Yo La Tengo. This year allowed me to push myself and make so many new musical discoveries, but I hope there is something here for everyone. The new standards in jazz from Jyoti, Nubya Garcia, Jeff Parker, and Moses Boyd, the rising hip-hop of Ka, Shabazz Palacs, and Freddie Gibbs, the return to rock of Bully, Gum Country, and Country Westerns, and the overall dominance from our reigning queens Phoebe Bridgers, Haim, Waxahatcee, and of course Fiona's modern day masterpiece. The commitment of sitting down and listening to an album is something I strive to do daily and gives me a comfort like no other. This year, that felt extra special. These are my favorite records from 2020.

Songs of 2020

At this point, there isn't much left to say about 2020 so I won't add more to what we all already know and are feeling, but will say that I am grateful that the year brought so much good music. When so much is wrong and feels hopeless, music is there to comfort and console. I appreciated all of the newfound time to discover more new music than ever this year and hope it also provided support to you as well. Here are 100 of my favorite songs from 2020.

Albums of 2019

Another difficult year in the books, but another year of incredible music as well. Even as streaming services continue to dominate and Spotify's "Wrapped" becomes a cultural staple shared on Social Media, I remain a firm believer in the art of the album. To me, it's still the best way to enjoy music and to back up my claim, I purchased over 100 records this year to enjoy off-line. However, with music more accessible than ever before, genres begin to blur and tastes become more eclectic. For me, rock still remains the core of my taste and this year once again proved that it's not dead. From the return of The Raconteurs and Duster to the best work in years from Wilco and Sunn O))), it was clear that guitars still have a voice, and a loud one at that. This year also saw the uprising of acts like Weyes Blood and Angel Olsen finally getting proper recognition, TWO new albums from Big Thief, ambient masterworks from Telefon Tel Aviv and Fennesz, and the final words from David Berman. I spent a lot of this year listening to the reissues from Stereolab, countless Neil Young records (reissues and the return of Crazy Horse), the triumphs of FKA twigs, and the surprise return of Vivian Girls. To wrap things up, I'm sharing fifty of my favorite records this year and I hope something here strikes a chord for you. Thanks for reading!

Songs of 2019

Closing out the year feels a bit nice, but a little lost in the end of the decade as well. To me, 2019 was another stellar year for music and for once, it feels like a lot of different bands and artists are making appearances on "best of" lists around the internet. For me, rock music was very much alive and well thanks to veterans like the Raconteurs and punk heroes Sleater-Kinney. I still think albums are the primary way of listening to music, but with streaming and surprises releases dominating the industry, single songs are still the best way to find new music. I listened to hundreds (maybe thousands) of songs this year and ranked 100 of my favorite below. I hope you find something fun.

Albums of the Decade | 2010 - 2019

As the decade comes to an end, I still believe that the album is a concept and one that is best suited for listening to music. Even as streaming captivated the world and changed the way we enjoy and experience music, albums still feel critical. This was the first decade in which I ranked my favorite albums each year, so compiling this list was easier than expected, but still yielded some fun surprises. Again, I stuck to one album per artist (although you'll see some people on here twice) and it was fun to remember some records that faded over time in my memory, but still sound as bright and sharp as they did the year they were released. From Deafheaven to Beyoncé, Grouper to Iceage, and Kamasi Washington to Robyn, I hope there is something here for everyone.

Thank you to everyone who has read this blog over the past ten plus years. It means the world to me.

Songs of the Decade | 2010 - 2019

It's hard to believe that it's been ten years since I ranked my favorite songs and albums of the 2010s, but here we are at the close of another decade. The past ten years have been monumental in my life and writing this blog has been a major aspect of it. This was the first full decade I lived in New York City and nine and a half of those years have been in East Williamsburg, Brooklyn. I saw the rise and fall of plenty of DIY venues and the remarkable change that has swept through the neighborhood. I went to hundreds of shows, bought hundreds of records, and listened to hundreds (if not thousands) of songs.

On this list, I was a bit more ambitious than ever before and have listed out 200 of my favorite songs from the past ten years. I was selective and only have one track per artist (exceptions include: Kanye and Jay solo as well as with Watch the Throne, Carrie Brownstein with Sleater-Kinney and Wild Flag, Thom Yorke solo and with Radiohead, Drake's guest spots, and the women of Boygenius all of whom appear solo as well) which meant choosing a single song by Beyoncé, Beach House, Kanye, Rihanna, Kendrick, and Drake was incredibly challenging. If you're asking how did I find the time to do this, well I took two months off from work and traveled the Eastern Hemisphere alone while gave way to a lot of free time and ample amounts of hours to revisit tons of songs. I hope you find something you enjoy! There's a Spotify playlist all the way at the end.

Albums of 2018

I spent a lot of time with music in 2018 to help escape a lot of harsh realities and enjoyed discovering so many new artists. From Sleep to Mutual Benefit, CupCakKe to Low, Leon Bridges to Grouper, there was a lot to unpack. Major releases from Kanye, the Carters, and Drake felt mediocre at best and the return of Solange and Rihanna never came to fruition. (Here's to 2019!) Neil Young dropped TWO excellent archive releases, the Beatles reissued the White Album, and a lost John Coltrane album saw the light of day. Indie Rock was rejuvenated by the likes of Snail Mail, Hop Along, Soccer Mommy, and Camp Cope while Kacey Musgraves and Lucy Dacus gave Country a new look. In all, I listened to over 100 new releases this year and these were my favorites:

Songs of 2018

2018 was a great year for discovering new music. There weren't stellar releases from big name superstars, as was the case in the past few years, so it really felt like a great year to uncover so many rising sensations. I had a really hard time narrowing down my favorite songs this year and could've easily made this list stretch beyond 100 songs, but these were the ones that kept playing in my head.

Albums of 2017

It felt hard to focus in 2017. No matter where you turned, infinite news seemed to consume our vision and at times it felt rather crippling. In dire times, music once again came through as a refuge and a platform for those needing a place to turn. The norm continued to be hurtled as old favorites returned to face ascending talents and delivered some of the best music in years. 2016 saw career defining work from some of the biggest names in the game, but 2017 belonged to new voices across the board who further pushed the boundaries and made their voices heard loud and clear. Early-aught luminaries returned, many now signed to major labels, to find a new playing ground and felt the struggle to regain their firm grip with fans, but still striking deep with longtime fans. I, personally, spent a good amount of the year falling for reissued Radiohead and Neil Young records, mourning legends, and wishing I had spent more time listening to records from Tyler, the Creator, Pallbearer, Perfume Genius, Converge and countless others. Music continues to be delivered at a rapid clip, but I still view albums as defining statements of work and these were my favorites in 2017.

Songs of 2017

2017 felt overwhelming in more ways than one and keeping up with the latest jams proved almost as difficult as believing we're actually living up a Donald Trump administration. It was an expressive year across the board that saw the return of early-aughts all-stars as well as rising new sensations. I tried my best to be as diverse as possible with this list covering acts from Pallbearer to Kamasi Washington, Mount Eerie to Carly Rae Jepsen, and Linda Perhacs to Power Trip. Narrowing down this list also felt like a real challenge this year, but I feel confident that it widely represents what I spent the year listening to and hopefully there is something that grabs your attention.

Shows of 2017

In a year of what felt like total chaos, live music felt like a mental escape from the madness of real life. These were the shows that helped me break away from polarizing political moments and be overtaken by the positivity of the masses joined together by songs.

Albums of 2017.5

In 2017, the world seems to be on a mission to self-destruct. Luckily, we have music to help distract us or aid us through these dire times. We're only half-way through this bizarre and chaotic year, but musically, we still have much to anticipate.

Guest List 2016

There's no getting around that 2016 was a rough year across the board, but it's nice to focus on the positives as well. Some of the biggest artists around released some of their best work, new bands rose to the scene, and I celebrated ten years of blogging. In some ways, friends and music seemed like two of the only things worth celebrating in 2016. Thanks to everyone who stuck around and has read this blog over the past ten years, it means the world to me.

Songs of 2016

2016 was a long, turbulent year and I'm not sad to see it go. There were times that just felt impossible and dark, but in such disapproving times, it was the music that helped to get us through. Across the spectrums of punk, trip-hop, indie-rock, industrial-techno, hip-hop, and folk, these were my favorite songs of 2016.

Albums of 2016.5

The first half of 2016 has been a rather iconic time for music. Some of our biggest stars have released some of their best work and we've mourned the losses of two giants many thought would out-live us all. 

Guest List 2015

Thanks so much for reading this year. I'm concluding 2015 with top choices from some really great people. See you all in 2016!

Albums of 2015

It's hard to reiterate just how much great music there was in 2015. From the smooth sounds of Miguel, to Kendrick's opus, pristine folk from Sufjan Steven and Joanna Newsom, supreme metal from Baroness, Sannhet, and Deafheaven, TWO Beach House records, a dreamy Deerhunter, and the stunning return of Sleater-Kinney, it really seems like there was something for everyone this year. I extended my list to forty albums this time around and still had difficulty narrowing things down in the end. These are my favorite albums of 2015.

Songs of 2015

I feel that I've made this statement before, but I truly believe 2015 has been the best year of music since I've been blogging and without a doubt, the best of this decade. In a year filled with militarized police brutality, terror across the globe, douche bag pharmecutical CEOs, and the Republican Party, it's been rather comforting to always have the music. This list could be a lot longer and featured multiple submissions from certain artists, but if I named everything, it would slightly defeat the purpose. Here are my favorite songs of 2015.

Guest List 2014

One more post of lists before the year is out. As I've said before, music is often best when shared with friends. Here are some guest year-end contributions and one final list of my own. Thanks so much for reading!