You guys know my rules for what constitutes a local album. If an artist has ever had more than a cup of coffee in the Tr--State area, their album basically qualifies.
Here are the Top Ten I've heard so far this year.
1. Matisyahu - Matisyahu - 7th LP from this American Hasidic Jewish hip-hop/reggae artist. He's back living in New York, in Rockland County, with a newborn infant daughter born during the pandemic. Album was produced by the Columbian musical duo Salt Cathedral.
2. Alexia Avina - A Little Older - Ethereal acoustic artist who was born in Southeast Asia and currently lives in Queens, NY. This is her 4th full-length album.
3. Pete Mancini - Killing the Old Ways - Long Island Americana artist who really comes into his on this, his 3rd solo LP. He's the former lead singer of the band Butchers Blind. A smooth and mature effort.
4. Big Thief - Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe in You - New double album by this indie folk/rock band from Brooklyn. This is their 5th LP.
5. Titanosaur - Absence - Solo metal/punk project from upstate resident (and former Long Islander) Geoff Saavedra. This is his 3rd LP under the Titansoaur banner. His other projects have included The Raygun Girls and The Orgasmobots.
6. Barrie - Barbara - Brooklyn-based American indie pop band. This is their 3rd LP.
7. Christine Sweeney - Heart in a Hurry - Debut studio LP from this Long Island bluesy pop/folk singer. She is also known from Christine Sweeney and the Dirty Stayouts.
8. Moontooth - Phototroph - Long Island "aggressive progressive" rock band. This is their 3rd LP. They remind me some of Incubus, especially vocally.
9. Steve Vai - Inviolate - 19th LP from Long Island hard rock guitarist Steve Vai.
10. Joe Satriani - The Elephants of Mars - 18th LP from Long Island hard rock guitarist Joe Satriani.
I've also got a number of other albums that I haven't heard yet either here or on the way from artists who qualify as local under my rules, including new projects from Vexes, Soccer Mommy, Regina Spektor, Mothica, Interpol, Florist and Tara Drouin. I suspect that the current Top 6 above are safe, barring another unexpected "local" release or two between now and the end of the year. I think numbers 8-10 are in serious danger of dropping off of this list. Number 7 is in a maybe-yes/maybe no spot - what's there is pretty solid, but it's as much an EP as not - there are only 7 tracks on the album.
So that's how 2022 is shaping up for me a little more than halfway through the year.
