This slideshow requires JavaScript.

I was on the road half of July and not able to search the nooks and crannies of the many music scenes making life bearable in this world where humans are supposedly safer, better educated, and healthier than they’ve ever been–I’m a science advocate, but in this revelation I’m a bit insecure. Still, 15 new records added to my list of gooduns, and five records added to my list of stellar reissues. Making waves on my chart, which is a bit loosely ordered but starting to reflect my feelings about the quality and durability of its contents:

• Kid Cudi and —–‘s project Kids See Ghosts, which excites me sonically almost every track–and very much against my will (my former Hickman High School Hip Hop Club members, should any of them read this, will be ROTFLOLing at this fact, as I scoffed at their Cudi-philism constantly–they would vaunt nothing else–during our single year of existence).
• The great West Coast punk veteran Alice Bag, whose (relatively) old memoir may be adding value to her new record.
• Subtle Degrees’ intense and madly repetitive A Dance That Empties, a jazz assault that has made my heart race pleasantly every listen.
• The ageless diva Elza Soares–calling her a Brazilian Tina Turner doesn’t even do her justice, and the music behind her will challenge and delight your ear.
• Freddie Gibbs’ Freddie. I’ve not been moved by Mr. Gibbs in the past–despite the hype and the decent beats, he’s a hip hop boor to the max–but his dedicated to keeping it brief and his flow makes me forgive the rip-off/homage to Teddy.
• The Internet’s Hive Mind: If I weren’t feeling a bit emotionally naked at present, and trusted my instincts more, this subtle, grooveful, encouraging, and seductively muted gem may have already invaded my Top 5. Syd’s a persuasive and beguiling sprite, but Steve Lacy just might be a Curtis Mayfield for the 21st century. Just might.

Anyhow, here’s my update, with stuff having moved up and down in my esteem, such as that is. In bold are the records I’ve really, really tested and tried to order, but goddam it, Heraclitus is laughing at me as I struggle:

1. Tracy Thorn: Record
2. Nona Hendryx and Gary Lucas: The World of Captain Beefheart
3. CupcaKe: Ephorize
4. Mary Gauthier and Songwriting with Soldier: Rifles and Rosary Beads
5. Sons of Kemet: Your Queen is a Reptile
6. Janelle Monae: Dirty Computer
7. Bettye LaVette: Things Have Changed
8. JD Allen: Love Stone
9. Berry: Everything, Compromised
10. Joe McPhee: Imaginary Numbers
11. Chloe x Halle: The Kids are Alright
12. Superchunk: What A Time to Be Alive
13. The Internet: Hive Mind
14. Young Fathers: Cocoa Sugar
15. Parquet Courts: Wide Awake!
16. Sly & Robbie and Nils Petter Molvaer: Nordub
17. Orquesta Akokan: Orquesta Akokan
18. Sidi Toure: Toubalbero
19. Quelle Chris & Jean Grae: Everything’s Fine
20. No Age: Snares Like a Haircut
21. Grupo Mono Blanco: ¡Fandango! Sones Jarochos from Veracruz
22. Elza Soares: Deus É Mulher
23. John Prine: The Tree of Forgiveness
24. Zeal & Ardor: Stranger Fruit
25. Dave Holland: Uncharted Territories
26. Toni Braxton: Sex & Cigarettes
27. Nidia: Nídia É Má, Nídia É Fudida
28. Subtle Degrees: A Dance That Empties
29. Kids See Ghosts: Kids See Ghosts
30. Alice Bag: Blue Print
31. Wynton Marsalis & Friends: United We Swing–Best of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Galas
32. Jonghyun: Poet / Artist
33. Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever: Hope Downs
34. Halu Mergia: Lalu Balu
35. Jeffrey Lewis: Works by Tuli Kupferberg
36. Bombino: Deran
37. Idris Ackamoor & The Pyramids: An Angel Fell
38. Pusha T: Daytona
39. Rapsody: Laila’s Wisdom
40. Sarayah: Feel the Vibe
41. Jinx Lennon: Grow a Pair
42. Tierra Whack: Whack World
43. Lori McKenna: The Tree
44. Nas: Nasir
45. Speedy Ortiz: Twerp Verse
46. Courtney Barnett: Tell Me How You Really Feel
47. Car Seat Headrest: Twin Fantasy
48. Evan Parker, Barry Guy, and Paul Lytton: Music for David Mossman
49. Salim Washington: Dogon Revisited
50. Angelika Niescier: The Berlin Concert
51. Beats Antique: Shadowbox
52. Jon Hassell: Listening To Pictures (Pentimento, Vol. One)
53. Charge It to The Game: House with a Pool
54. JPEGMAFIA: Veteran
55. Anelis Assumpcão: Taurina
56. Various Artists: Girls Just Wanna Have Fun…and Rights!!!
57. Apolo: Live in Stockholm
58. Mdou Moctar & Elite Beat: Mdou Moctar meets Elite Beat In a Budget Dancehall
59. Willie Nelson: Last Man Standing
60. Wussy: What Heaven is Like
61. Meshell Ndegeocello: Ventriloquism
62. Freddie Gibbs: Freddie
63. Kamasi Washington: Heaven & Earth
64. Cardi B: Invasion of Privacy
65. Shopping: The Official Body
66. Young Mothers: Morose
67. The Thing: Again
68. Del McCoury Still Sings Bluegrass
69. Ebo Taylor: Yen Ara
70. Dana Murray: Negro Manifesto
71. David Murray (featuring Saul Williams): Blues for Memo
72. Shame: Songs of Praise
73. Low Cut Connie: Dirty Pictures, Pt. 2
74. Henry Threadgill: Dirt..and More Dirt
75. Hot Snakes: Jericho Sirens
76. Ceramic Dog: YRU Still Here?
77. The Coup: Soundtrack to the Film Sorry to Bother You
78. Van Morrison & Joey DeFrancesco: You’re Driving Me Crazy
79. Various Artists/Sahel Sounds: Field Recordings
80. Marc Sinan & Oğuz Büyükberber: White
81. Kendrick Lamar, et al: Black Panther—Music from and Inspired by the Film
82. Deaf Wish: Lithium Zion
83. Jay Rock: Redemption
84. MC Paul Barman: Echo Chamber
85. Kris Davis and Craig Taborn: Octopus
86. Tal National: Tantabara
87. Wilko Johnson: Blow Your Mind
88. Rodrigo Amado (with Joe McPhee): History of Nothing
89. Tony Molina: Kill the Lights
90. Rich Krueger: Life Ain’t That Long
91. Hop Along: Bark Your Head Off, Dog
92. MAST: Thelonious Sphere Monk
93. Silvana Estrada: Lo Sagrado
94. Eddie Daniels: Heart of Brazil
95. Big Freedia: Third Ward Bounce
96. Tallawit Timbouctou: Takamba WhatsApp 2018
97. Amy Rigby: The Old Guys
98. Busdriver: Electricity Is On Our Side
99. Daniel Carter: Seraphic Light
100. Dr. Michael White: Tricentennial Rag
101. Migos: Culture II
102. 03 Greedo: God Level
103. Angélique Kidjo: Remain in Light
104. Parliament: Medicaid Fraud Dogg
105. Yo La Tengo: There’s a Riot Goin’ On
106. The Carters: Everything is Love
107. The Del McCoury Band: Del McCoury Still Sings Bluegrass
108. Superorganism: Superorganism
109. Laurie Anderson and Kronos Quartet: Landfall
110. Sleep: The Sciences
111. Teyana Taylor: K.T.S.E.
112. Ibibio Sound Machine: Eyio
113. The English Beat: Here We Go Love
114. Various Artists: I Only Listen to The Mountain Goats
115. Princess Nokia: A Girl Cried Red
116. Santigold: I Don’t Want—The Gold Fire Sessions

OLD MUSIC NICELY REPACKAGED

1. Sonny Rollins: Way Out West (Deluxe Reissue)
2. Neil Young: Roxy—Tonight’s the Night
3. Erroll Garner: Nightconcert
4. Various Artists: Voices of Mississippi—Artists and Musicians Documented by William Ferris
5. Various Artists: Listen All Around: The Golden Age of Central and East African Music
6. Gary Stewart: “Baby I Need Your Loving” / “Yester-Me, Yester-You, Yester-Day”
7. Peter Brotzmann and Fred Lonberg-Holm: Ouroboros
8. Bruce Springsteen: 1978/07/07 West Hollywood, CA
9. Various Artists: Outlaws and Armadilloes
10. The Revelators: In which the Revelators perform live renditions of selections from the Billy Childish songbook
11. Against All Logic: 2012-2017
12. Grant Green: Live at Oil Can Harry’s
13. Entourage: Ceremony of Dreams—Studio Sessions & Outtakes 1972-1977
14. Kuniyuki Takahashi: Early Tape Works 1986 – 1993 Volume 1
15. Camarao: The Imaginary Soundtrack to a Brazilian Western Movie
16. Various Artists: Africa Scream Contest, Volume 2
17. Wussy: Getting Better
18. David Bowie: Santa Monica ‘72
19. Mulatu Astatke & His Ethiopian Quintet: Afro-Latin Soul, Vols. 1 & 2
20. The Beginning of the End: Funky Nassau