We asked KSUT staff members to pick their favorite music of the year. It wasn't an easy task! There was a cornucopia of new releases. After several days of thought and revision, we landed on what we think are some of our standouts of the past 12 months. We're sharing them here for your (and our) enjoyment. They're presented in no particular order and may include albums or songs. Our picks were played on the KSUT Music Blend and on specialty shows.
Chris Aaland (Development Director, Music Blend, and Tales of the New West host)
Charley Crockett - The Man from Waco
Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway - Crooked Tree
Town Mountain - Lines in the Levee
Stillhouse Junkies - Small Towns
Jeremy Garrett - River Wild
Christina Vane - Make Myself Me Again
Calexico - El Mirador
Sarah Borges - Together Alone
Lyle Lovett - 12th of June
Delbert McClinton - Outdated Emotion
Learn more about Tales of the New West.
Clark Adomaitis (News Reporter)
Kendrick Lamar - Count Me Out
Steve Lacy - Bad Habit
The Weeknd - Take My Breath
Denzel Curry - Walkin’
Mia Gladstone - Empathy (feat. Matt Martians)
Kaelin Ellis - Buck
Big Thief - Spud Infinity
Zack Fox - Can’t Fight the Devil
Drake and 21 Savage - Rich Flex
Dritty Pope - Colorado
Colton Ashley (Tribal Media Center Coordinator)
Himukalt - Nothing to Apologize For
WOLFCLUB - Nightwave
Wil Bolton - Verdigris
Dead Neanderthals - Fluidity
Wihtikow - âhkwacisâkahikan
Carpenter Brut - Day Stalker/Night Prowler
Uranium - We Deserve Death
Otoboke Beaver おとぼけビ~バ~ - I Am Not Maternal アイドンビリーブマイ母母性
Crisis Actor - What's a Good Cop?
Mokotron - TAWHITO
Susie B (Music Blend host)
Ben Harper - Need To Know Basis
First Aid Kit - Out Of My Head
Tedeschi Trucks - Hold That Line
Anais Mitchell - On Your Way
Bonnie Raitt - Here Comes Love Again
Florence + The Machine - My Love
Bonny Light Horseman - Someone To Weep For Me
Josh Rouse - Stick Around
Khruangbin and Leon Bridges - B-side
Vieux Farka Toure and Khruangbin - Toggo Barra
Jim Belcher (Morning Edition Host, Music Blend and Strange Brew host)
Umphrey’s McGee - So Much
North Mississippi All Stars - See the Moon
Bonobo - Shadows
Tears For Fears - The Tipping Point
Tears For Fears - Break the Man
Drive By Truckers - Welcome to Club XIII
Cristina Vane - How You Doing
Lucius - Dance Around It
Railroad Earth - Driftin’ (The Bardo)
Rodrigo y Gabriela - Weird Fishes/Arpeggi
Learn more about Strange Brew.
Robb Brantley (Business Manager, Music Blend host)
Orville Peck & Bria Salmena - All I Can Say
Metric - All Comes Crashing
Maggie Rogers - That’s Where I Am
Andrew Bird - Paint A Picture
Joy Oladokun - Fortune Favors the Bold
Taylor Rae - Windows
Tedeschi Trucks Band - Hear My Dear
Acoustic Syndicate - Man Inside
Jack Johnson - One Step Ahead
The Lindells - As They Grow
Ken Brott (Station Manager/Program Director, Music Blend and kūni Náshwa host)
Amos Lee - Dreamland
Tedeschi Trucks Band - Hear My Dear
Calexico - El Paso
Dr. John feat. Lukas Nelson - I Walk On Guilded Splinters
Vieux Farka Toure and Khruangbin - Tongo Barra
Beth Orton - Fractals
Helado Negro - Ya no estoy aqui
The Head and the Heart - Every Shade of Blue
Tears For Fears - The Tipping Point
Chancha Vía Circuito and Dirtwire - El Sultán
Learn more about kūni Náshwa.
Jill Davis (Festival Director/Membership Manager)
The Hip Abduction - Float
Goose - Hot Tea
Greensky Bluegrass - Monument
Molly Tuttle - Crooked Tree
Drive By Truckers - Welcome 2 Club XIII
Billy Strings - In the Morning Light
Sierra Ferrell - In Dreams, Years
Flogging Molly - These Times Have Got Me Drinking
My Morning Jacket - Love, Love, Love
Seratones - Good Day
Mark Duggan (Digital Content Manager, Box of Visions host)
Kennebec - Tall Tales (feat. Hemlock Ernst and Sudan Archives)
Monophonics - Sage Motel
ODESZA - Love Letter
Cat Power - Bad Religion
Nosaj Thing - Blue Hour (feat. Julianna Barwick)
Buttering Trio - Good Company
Σtella - Another Nation
always centered at night with Moby and Serpentwithfeet - on air
Vanishing Twin - The Conservation of Energy
The Reds, Pinks and Purples - Saw You at the Record Store Today
Learn more about Box of Visions.
Tami Graham (Executive Director and Music Blend host)
Joy Oladokun - Fortune Favors The Bold
Plains - Problem With It
Flatland Calvary - Mountain Song
Valerie June - Fade Into You
Byron Nicholai - Ayegnera
Sarah Shook - I Got This
Vieux Farka Toure - Lobbo
Miko Marks & The Resurrectors - One More Night
Tyler Childers - Can I Take My Hounds To Heaven?
Sonny War - No Reason
Jenny Hirt (Down Home Girl host)
Molly Tuttle and Golden Highway - Crooked Tree
Slocan Ramblers - A Mind With A Heart of Its Own
Del McCoury Band - Almost Proud
Billy Strings - Long Journey Home
Seth Mulder and Midnight Run - In Dreams I Go Back
Sister Sadie - Diane
Peter Rowan - From My Mountain Calling You
Jeremy Garrett - What’s That You’re Doin’
Infamous Stringdusters - Pearl of Carolina
Jaelee Roberts - Sad Songs
Learn more about Down Home Girl.
Stasia Lanier (Music Director/Digital Content Editor, Music Blend and San Juan Sunrise host)
Vieux Farka Toure and Khruangbin - Tongo Barra
Bonny Light Horseman - Exile
Plains - Problem With It
The Suffers - Don’t Bother Me
Allison Russell - You’re Not Alone (feat. Brandi Carlile & Sista Strings)
Sharon Von Etten - Come Back
Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway - Crooked Tree
Seratones - Good Day
Greensky Bluegrass - Monument
Cristina Vane - Colorado Skies
Learn more about San Juan Sunrise.
Rob Rawls (Broadcast Operations Manager, Music Blend and Barrelhouse Blues host)
Bonnie Raitt - Just Like That
Calexico - El Mirador
Vince Herman - Lost Lover’s Eyes
Molly Tuttle - Crooked Tree
Levon Helm and Mavis Staples - You Got To Move
Stillhouse Junkies - Colorado Bound
The Suffers - Be You
Chris Pierce - 45 Jukebox
Adia Victoria - Ain’t Killed Me Yet
Van Morrison - Streamline Train
Learn more about Barrelhouse Blues.
Mark Duggan provided digital production and editing for this story.
