What's up good people??  I love sharing music with the people close to me. It brings me joy, tons of good energy, and because I'm lucky to have people in my life with great taste, it keeps my queue full of music that slaps. To pass on that goodness, I wanted to share some music I've been into lately.  Here are some things I hope you'll enjoy: A playlist I made with songs I've been loving in 2022 Four of my favorite albums from the year so far with thoughts on each. Big-Time-Music-Head, and friend-of-the-newsletter, Zack Miller, has graciously joined to add a 5th album to the mix A list of a few other things I found cool this year at the bottom Finally, I created a collaborative playlist for everyone I'm sending this to If you've got one or two songs you think the people should hear, throw 'em on! Let's see what happens, I think this will be sweet I invite you to use this however best adds to your listening. If you just hit shuffle on the playlist I made, I'll be stoked. Listen to the favorite track from each of the albums and pick one to dive into, awesome. Add a song to the collective playlist - you're a legend. Regardless, I'm excited to be sharing with you all. I hope you find something that moves you, Matt

4 Awesome Albums From This Year

Remember Your North Star Yaya Bey Genre: R&B Throughout "Remember Your North Star", Yaya Bey switches genres and delivery styles consistently. "big daddy ya" is powerful, grooving track with flows that remind me of early 00's R&B. On "reprise", one of my favorite songs of the year so far, Yaya raps with a knowing, measured pace over slow, jazzy horns. "meet me in brooklyn" and "it was just a dance" lean heavily into reggae sounds. Working through the trauma of having her mother in and out of her life, struggling to find love she can count on and more, she puts on display a kaleidoscope of states, perspectives, and emotions. What results is a picture of her experience painted with striking depth. A front to back listen blew me away. Favorite Track: "reprise" - Matt Kollada

Good and Green Again Jake Xerxes Fussell Genre: Folk This album is such a feel good listen. Jake Xerxes Fussell was a tiny desk find, and that concert is a great place to start with his music. Good and Green Again is full of folksy ballads that are anchored by sweet vocal and guitar melodies. Each song is its own quaint vignette, where more than tell a story, he creates a folk-tale-like atmosphere. The result is a beautiful, peaceful album that moves at its own pace. It encourages us to revel in the serene moments it creates. Put this on, close your eyes, 40 minutes will breeze by, and at the end you just might feel a little lighter. Favorite Track: "Carriebelle" - Matt Kollada

MORE BLACK SUPERHEROES WESTSIDE BOOGIE Genre: Rap There’s something laid back, sure-handed about the way Westside Boogie raps. He sits in the pocket with a knowing smirk and tells you how he sees it, good or bad. Throughout "More Black Superheroes", Boogie grapples with his insecurities, reflects on his “toxic” behavior in past relationships, and acknowledges his need to grow, all while sounding self-assured. He’s aware, he’s working on it, no use stressing. The production on the album is understated, leaving plenty of room for Boogie’s unique voice to drive the songs. This is as it should be - his ability to flow from melody to bars to catchy hooks keep his songs effortlessly interesting. This album was a head-bumping good time on first pass, with depth that I continued to find in each successive listen. Favorite Track "NONCHALANT (feat. Mamii)" - Matt Kollada

Dragon New Warm Mountain, I Believe in You Big Thief Genre: Indie Rock The playfully, or egregiously (depending on the level of whimsy you’ll allow), titled Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe in You, is an expansive, exploratory record, that see's Big Thief trying out a wide range of sounds. Big rock songs, hoe-downs, a genre I’ve seen called “trip-hop”, and my personal weakness, lead singer Adrianne Lenker-led ballads. It's long, but DNWMIBIY has felt more to me like a fantastic collection to be perused at your own pace, than a singular masterpiece that you have to listen to straight through. The thread running through this album, and all the band’s music, is a captivating rawness. Whether its existential silliness (Spud Infinity), melancholic longing (12,000 Lines), or giddy love (Little Things), their songs are saturated in unapologetic emotion. I like them a lot, and hope you to do. Give this one a spin and let me know if my use of “existential silliness” is justified, overly indulgent, or like the album’s title, both. Favorite Track: "Blue Lightning" - Matt Kollada

Zack Miller Picks an Album for You

Few Good Things Saba Genre: Rap Don’t let the varying, often surprisingly playful, flows fool you, Few Good Things finds Saba exploring similar themes of trauma and grief as its predecessor, albeit arising out of different circumstances. His storytelling prowess overlays a wide array of beats spanning subdued jazzy songs (ex. Come My Way, 2012) to trap leaning cuts (ex. Survivor’s Guilt, Stop That). Don’t make the same mistake Matt Kollada made (I had to bring it up Kookis, my apologies) and sleep on Saba. Too many are still doing so and he’s issued his warning: "Stop that. Stop it please" Favorite Track: "Soldier (feat. Pivot Gang)" - Zack Miller

A few other cool things: My friend, Oscar Louis, just put out a new EP called Ghost in the Apartment. It's dope, y'all should give it a listen. Here's a podcast I really enjoyed, about the physical spaces that live music, esp. jazz, are existing in our modern, post-pandemic world Here's the NYT article that inspired the chat, a great read as well As I was thinking back on music-related things in 2022, I was reminded that the Beatles documentary, Get Back, was one of the best pieces of content I've consumed in a long time. If you haven't seen it, snag a friends Disney+ account and do yourself a favor. Big Thief just put out a new Tiny Desk ^as far as I'm concerned, one of the better potential sentences in the english language