This is our first full year with our newly expanded space and all the room to breathe that comes with it. This newly experienced openness has been reflected in so many of our interactions with you. We’ve noticed an uptick in customers asking for recommendations! We can’t express just how thrilled we are when someone asks us to talk music and share what we’ve been enjoying, as well as hear what you’ve been enjoying. With the rise of streaming music and all the new interest that came with everything being accessible through the internet, there was also a bit of a transitional period where it was a bit difficult for folks to look up from their screens. We were all discovering new music, but something had been lost in our human interactions.

Music is an art form. Art is often a reflection and expression of humanity. Humanity comes with a wide range of emotions and experiences. When we’re talking music with you, we’re speaking from lived experiences. When we give a suggestion, it’s not based on an algorithm. It’s coming from a personal place. It comes from getting to know you as an individual. We are so grateful that you’ve trusted us to be a source for something as important as music, for you. This is what this space is about. This is why we expand. We want to make space to bring in more interesting and engaging music, the kind that doesn’t always get picked up by the algorithms; We want to make space to have shared experiences, like our in-store performances, Record Store Day events and listening parties; and we want to always make space for you. 

We hope these picks and reviews speak to you and your taste as much as they speak to our own. If they do, come in and tell us about it. If they don’t, come in and talk to us about what you’ve been looking for and what you enjoyed this year. We have always said that our greatest source for new music has always been the customers. These picks are as much about sharing as they are about starting a conversation. We really look forward to getting to know you and the music you like in the following year and beyond. 

Thank you for making space in your life for music and our little record store. 

-The Stinkweeds Staff 

 

Arooj Aftab – Night Reign (Verve)

Although Aftab’s albums are often a wealth of world class musicians, pulling from jazz, classical, folk and international music with virtuosic skills, her albums still manage to stay well grounded, maintaining a humility and subtlety. Many of her songs have the sort of beautiful melancholy that you find in groups like Low or Mazzy Star. You may not speak or understand the language, but you get that she’s writing and singing from a deep place. -Kimber

 

Anna Butterss – Mighty Vertebrate (International Anthem)

“Mighty Vertebrate, along with Anna Butterss’ many other collaborations with fellow SML and ETA IVtet bandmates Jeff Parker, Josh Johnson, and Gregory Uhlmann, continue to push the boundaries of a small-scale jazz revolution. While it’s a cohesive body of work, Mighty Vertebrate, ranges in influences and sounds from 90s Chicago post-rock, to krautrock, to instrumental hip-hop. Each turn is unexpected, thrilling, and very rewarding.” -Jake

 

Melissa Carper – Borned In Ya (Mae Music)

“Melissa stretches genre boundaries on Borned In Ya, exploring more Western Swing, and jazz-inspired Americana, along with her Country and Old Time roots. She’s funny, witty, creative and probably likes her dog more than she likes you. If you lean toward lady singers who can make you tap your toes and smile through a tear or two, Melissa is the gal for you. Think Billie Holiday singing along with the Texas Playboys.” – Lindsay

 

Cola – The Gloss (Fire Talk)

“Rock music will sometimes remind us that it was a genre born of simplicity. It took existing forms of music and stripped them of all nutrition, reducing them down to a sweet caramel (I realized the irony of comparing rock music to caramel in a review for a band called Cola, as I was writing this. Unintended. But hey, if it works it works!) Cola always delivers the perfect reduction that gives it a uniquely subtle style and swagger.” – Dario

Ezra Collective – Dance, No One’s Watching (Partisan)

“Ezra Collective is a British quintet exploding onto the scene, creating frenetic, complex jazz-fusion that is visceral and joyous. Their latest record is a dance-forward romp that flows together so perfectly that its nearly hour runtime flies by. Beautiful and life affirming music – sometimes that’s the most essential genre in our modern age.” – Zach

 

Flower Festival – Age (Moone)

“Micah Dailey brings his latest efforts via his long time moniker Flower Festival, completing a musical journey that he’s been working on for nearly a decade. The songs feel as though they’ve been perfected with time; a vital album in the Phoenix music scene, but also for the experimental rock scene as a whole. We’ll always remember this album cycle very fondly, as Flower Festival played our very first in-store in the renovated store – you had to be there!” – Zach

 

Fontaines D.C. – Romance (XL)

“Angry, angular Irish sensations, Fonatines D.C. return this year and we need this more than we realized. They’ve traded in some of their indie post punk for some serious explosive rock and introspection. It took a few listens to be fully on board, but evolution is important and sometimes it can even sound good. Fontaines are still dark, aggressive and pissy, just a bit more mature.” – Lindsay

 

Friko – Where We’ve Been, Where We Go From Here (ATO)

“Chicago based art-rock duo Friko overdelivers on their debut record, Where We’ve Been, Where We Go From Here. The band shows off with a HUGE sound that wears its heart on its sleeve and doesn’t overstay its welcome.” – Zach

“This record is full of noise and emotions with dynamic musical shifts from slow-burn chamber-pop to jangly slacker-rock riffs and everything in between. It’s noisy and crunchy, then soft and sweet. This is a very special debut and an instant classic. Someday I’ll find this album on my old record cabinet and immediately remember the best moments from my twenties.” – Jake

 

Helado Negro – Phasor (4AD)

Helado Negro’s latest effort is a gorgeous and warm exploration into neo-psych music, sometimes bordering on ambient but always engaging and lighthearted. It’s just so easy to listen to, and fits just about any mood. -Kimber

 

 

Hermanos Gutiérrez – Sonido Cósmico (Easy Eye)

“Ideal for late night desert drives and pensive listening. Put this one one and let Hermanos Gutierrez perform the soundtrack to your life. This was a year in need of a good instrumental record, and that was clear but how well this one sold. Otherworldly and mesmerizing without being cheesy or overly dramatic, this has been a great palate cleanser in the store.” – Lindsay

 

Michael Kiwanuka – Small Changes (Polydor)

“The “throwback” soul genre has been very present for the past 20+ years. However, I feel like some elements have been missing. Where are the Bill Withers; the Marvin Gaye’s; the Nina Simone’s; the Sade’s; the soul artists who make you lean in and listen with your whole existence? While Kiwanuka’s newest album might not resemble as much of the “throwback” trend as his past releases, given its more modern, lazy “bedroom” approach to the instrumentation, it carries a weight often not found in more modern soul, but felt so heavy in albums put out in the 60s and 70s.” – Dario

 

La Luz –  (Sub Pop)

“This is the psych/surf record you throw on the turntable when it’s been a crappy day and you’re feeling the heaviness of existing and you just need something sweet and comforting to accompany your glass of wine or cup of tea. Shana Cleveland’s melodies and lyrics so beautifully tell the story of her own struggles and reflections on motherhood, on cancer, on feeling the weight of this broken world. This album is also an excellent candidate for any sunset drive or road trip where you can sing along to Shana Cleveland reminding us all in her track Strange World, “we’ll be fine, just take your time.” – Ash 

 

Adrianne Lenker – Bright Future (4AD)

Adrianne Lenker’s stark and honest lyrics paired with her simple, barebones songwriting, yields some of the most effective and visceral indie folk of the year. It’s a must listen for fans of the Big Thief cohort as well as fans of the singer-songwriter discipline; it’s hard to deny that Lenker isn’t one of the pre-eminent songwriters of her generation. – Kimber

“Bright Future is both one of my favorite and most cherished albums of the year, and one I haven’t been able to revisit since its release – listening to it is a bit like going to therapy, but not in a bad way, just in a very powerful way. Its depictions of loss and sorrow and love and heartbreak, and yes, loss of a pet, are written and sung so beautifully, that it can be hard to spin this one back to back. It’s a real achievement in songwriting” – Zach

Lilacs and Champagne –(Temporary Residence)

“If you’re into tape-collage jammers with a somber, morose and weird side, rejoice in the return of Lilacs and Champagne. Think Oneohtrix Point Never on morphine. Lilacs and Champagne are two founding members of Grails (multi-instrumentalists Emil Amos and Alex Hall). Put it on and let your mind wander and wander.” – Lindsay 

 

Loma – How Will I Live Without A Body? (Subpop)

“We love when Loma puts out a record, and this one is probably their best yet. This trio, featuring Jonathan Meiburg of Shearwater creates all the same intensity and nuanced beauty as a Shearwater record but with the crystal clear beautiful vocals of Emily Cross. This record is for the dark and the moody, seeking to dive deeper into a headphones mix and a mood.” – Lindsay

“Loma has an elusiveness to them. With their understated sound and years between releases, there is no urgency in their music or their growth as a band. They’re like a bristlecone pine tree. They grow slowly, in a place far from the influence of other organisms. But, the result is a sound that captures an eternity in an inch of music.” – Dario

Mannequin Pussy – I Got Heaven (Epitaph)

“One of the essential punk releases of the year. Grungy, loud, sometimes shoegazey instrumentation, and breathy, pissed-the-fuck-off vocal delivery. This album rips, enough said” – Zach

Laura Marling – Patterns In Repeat (Chrysalis)

“Laura Marling is very much a Joni Mitchell for our generation.  She is a wonderfully poetic story-teller, with angular melodies and loping vocal lines. However, she differs greatly on subject matter on this album. Patterns In Repeat dives headfirst into motherhood, womanhood, lineage, and the passage of time. This album is totally stripped down and focuses on guitars, pianos, strings and of course, her wonderfully rich voice. I found a lot of solace listening to Laura this year, and I’m not the only one. This consistently sold, every time it was played in the shop.”   – Lindsay

 

Mount Eerie – Night Palace (P.W. Elverum & Sun, ltd)

“Night Palace is a return to form for Mount Eerie. Although sonically distinct, this record feels more akin to Microphones in 2020 in scope and ambition than it does to Now Only or A Crow Looked at Me. It’s self-indulgent and absurd and engaging; quintessential Mount Eerie and a must-listen.” -Zach

“An extensive album that plays around with many familiar subjects and styles found in previous releases from Mount Eerie and the Microphones, but utilizes a comprehensive array of new textures and themes. It may be his most diverse project yet, experimenting with styles like grindcore, electronic, and drone while remaining incredibly cohesive. Raw, poetic, and existential, Night Palace is a culmination of creative variability that Phil Elverum has garnered in his nearly 30-year career.” – Jake

 

Orkesta Akokan – Caracoles (Daptone) 

This band is the real deal. Their music pays tribute to the mid century mambo and cuban jazz and manages to capture the sound, the energy, the talent, and even the intricate arrangements of the era. This is difficult to do, considering the music made in the 1940s and 50s was created by musicians immersed in those sounds. It’s what you heard on the radio, in all the clubs, on the street corners, maybe even in your own home after family dinners. For a group of younger musicians living in today’s world, saturated with many styles and genres with constant access to it all, to put out an album like Caracoles is truly a sign of real dedication and immersion. -Kimber

 

OSEES – Sorcs 80 (Castleface)

“20 years into making fuzzed out psych sounds, John Dwyer and the OSEES shred on this spacey medley of garage, psych and punk rock sounds using samplers and smart but simple lyricism about aliens, capitalism, and rocking the hell out. And it’s even more epic when you’re listening to it live from the depths of a sweaty mosh pit of punks and freaks at 191 Toole, watching your bestie crowd surf to this psychedelic sweetness!” – Ash 

Jeff Parker ETA IVTET – The Way Out Of Easy (International Anthem)

“There seems to be a rising trend of ambient jazz and I am 100% here for it. And, who better to deliver this than a veteran of genre bending and understatement, Jeff Parker. Fans of the international anthem label will recognize Josh Johnson (saxophone) and Anna Butterss (bass), but the element that really caught my eye was drummer Jay Bellerose. I’m used to seeing his name attached to folkier projects that call for a more artistic approach to the instrumentation. But, this element lends itself perfectly to this project.” – Dario

 

Pijama Piyama – EXCLUSIVO (Pijama Piyama)

“As a vinyl DJ, record nerd, and addict of digging for and buying records, this 10 inch is the record on my shelf that I’m most proud to own and most excited to share with people. Local Phoenix musician Jonathan Saillant and his band of close friends, Pijama Piyama, present the traditional sound of cumbia but manipulate it with samplers, diverse instrumentation, and whimsical lyrics. It’s a Psych Cumbia record that resonates with a lot of people because it honors the complex sounds and influences of the Latin diaspora; it combines the traditional with the experimental. Way to go Pijama Piyama, and congrats on your first LP.” -Ash

 

Jessica Pratt – Here In The Pitch (Mexican Summer)

“This wins the award for “most listened to” album for me. It’s perfect for so many moods. Jessica Pratt writes songs in a timeless style and delivers them in a foggy haze of reverb-drenched vocals, with spacious instrumentation that resembles the old recordings where the band all played in the same room in front of a couple microphones. It’s at the same time sunny and upbeat, and dark and moody.” – Dario

“Something in the dreamlike essence of this album touches the deepest parts of your subconscious and conjures the shapes and sounds of forgotten memories, visions that are surreal and hazy, but still familiar and recognizable. This album belongs to another world, detached from the past, present, and future. Gradually, this new world simmers off the record until it surrounds you and you’re wandering around in it. The soft strum of nylon strings, distant percussion, and Pratt’s unusual vocal style make you nostalgic for a time that never existed.” -Jake

 

Previous Industries (Open Mike Eagle, STILL RIFT, and Video Dave) – Service Merchandise (Merge)

“In Prince Paul’s podcast about the history of hip-hop, he discusses how hip hop was forever changed when artists couldn’t get together and cipher or sample music they love because of laws surrounding beat licensing and intellectual property etc. This album is a much appreciated return to the sounds and spirit of 90s hip hop, where MCs and artists got together in living rooms and home studios and created lyrical and beat magic. This trio of rap artists led by Open Mike Eagle co-created a mellow but introspective album of beats and references to the 80s and 90s that’ll feels like a nice trip down memory lane to songs that were “woke” and smart not because they were trying to be, but because they told the stories of what people really thought and felt and experienced at that time. It’s really good, just check it!”- Ash

 

Rosali – Bite Down (Merge) 

“We played the hell out of this record in store this year – it always seems to fit every mood. You can tell just from listening to it how much chemistry Rosali’s band had together when recording, and when they took this album out on the road. It’s an intimate, meandering listen, full of fuzzed out guitars and laid-back vocal delivery. I just keep coming back.” -Zach

 

Nala Sinephro – Endlessness (Warp)

“Endlessly listenable, gorgeous soundscapes where ambient and jazz meet. This record can easily fade into the background if you’re preoccupied, but it also rewards a more active listening experience; the more you sit with it and focus on it, the more it offers. A fiercely meditative experience” – Zach

“When you tune a single note of a piano, there are three strings. The one in the middle is the pure tone and the other two are tuned slightly lower and higher of that pure tone. This gives the note a richer tone because it mimics the dissonant nature of life and sound . Nala Sinephro’s music isn’t dissonant. But, it plays with that idea of disparate sounds and ideas that give the music the grit of life that makes it that much more engaging.”  -Dario

 

SPIRIT OF THE BEEHIVE – YOU’LL HAVE TO LOSE SOMETHING (Saddle Creek)

“Warped vocals, harsh guitar chords, disjointed samples, and frantic breakbeat percussion merge to create a hypnagogic glitch-punk psychedelia record. The architecture of this chaos feels incredibly intricate and exact, everything placed for a precise reason. Every discordant sound is there for a specific purpose. It’s melodic, harmonious, and beautiful not despite this chaos, but because of it.”- Jake

 

Tapir! – The Pilgrim, Their God, and the King of My Decrepit Mountain (Heavenly Recordings)

“Split into three acts each beginning with a brief narration from Little Wings’ Kyle Field, this album tells a fantastical story following a red bird protagonist on a pilgrimage to a heavenly mountain. During this voyage, he encounters many obstacles on his path, including mythical creatures, shipwrecks, and shadowy figures: all described using vivid lyricism, and rich fingerstyle guitar plucks set to the rhythm of an old drum machine. The story and the way it’s told are both fresh yet familiar, accessible yet obscure, and playful yet intense; and it is within those juxtapositions that this record finds itself to be a treat to any listener. It’s an impressive debut that’s as comforting as a warm sweater on a chilly day.” – Jake

 

Mary Timony – (Merge)

“Indie stalwart Mary Timony returns with her first solo album in 15 years!!!! She still brings the fantastical imagery and lyrical imagination we remember from earlier Helium albums, but with levity from decades of life experience. This album has lots of warm instrumentation and cool ass easter eggs hidden everywhere, plus production work from Dave Fridmann.  Mary is the coolest.” – Lindsay

 

Various Artists/Analog Africa – Super Disco Pirata – De Tepito Para El Mundo 1965-1980 (Analog Africa No. 39) 

“This new compilation from Analog Africa presents 23 of the grooviest, most-danceable tracks, all coming from illegally produced or pirated LPs called “pirata” LPs that were cheaply pressed and cheaply sold during the 1980s in Mexico City. Before you pass judgement on our local independent record store for praising illegally manufactured records…you should know that Analog Africa wanted to honor the rich history and impact of these records on the evolution and spread of tropical Latin music. These pirata LPs became the soundtrack to a vibrant street party and dance scene that emerged through sonideros (soundsystem operators) who gathered people in barrios throughout Mexico City where people would not have otherwise been able to access or afford this beautiful music.This compilation embodies the spirit and passion of people who loved music and dancing, but were unable to access it through traditional channels – so they made their own channels and effectively shaped the future of tropical Latin music.” – Ash

Honorable Mentions

Lupe Fiasco – Samurai (1st and 15th)
MJ Lenderman – Manning Fireworks (Anti)
Mount Kimbie – Sunset Violent (Warp)
Hurray for the Riff Raff – The Past Is Still Alive (Nonesuch)
Lutalo – The Academy (Winspear)
Morphia Slow – Early Morning Sun and Moving On (Music Sounds Records)
Zane Champion – Burma Radio (Music Sounds Records)
Kim Gordon – The Collective (Matador)
William Elliott Witmore – Silently, the Mind Breaks (Whitmore Records)
Justice – Hyperdrama (Genesis)
Jaime XX – In Waves (Young)
Caribou – Honey (Merge)