2023 Annual Readers Poll: The Results

After over two and a half decades, we're miraculously still here and still conducting the longest running online interactive music poll where readers both nominate and vote. The lists aren't perfect, we'll probably be constantly adding more comments, possibly correcting errors, but until then, here we are.

This year we had a record number of entries (over 1500) and the following are what made the top lists.

Thanks again to everyone for their support, participation, and patience.

Album of the Year

1. Tim Hecker, "No Highs" (Kranky)
   "Each new Tim Hecker album these days is a bold and compelling reinvention of his aesthetic and the execution is always flawless. I genuinely did not expect to like Morse code-inspired minimalism this much." —Anthony D'Amico
   
   
2. loscil // lawrence english, "Colours Of Air" (Kranky)
   "Usually mashing together two things that I like does not yield a new third thing that I like, but this album is a rare exception. Gorgeous pieces like 'Cyan' easily stand with either artist's strongest solo work." —Anthony D'Amico
   
   
3. Mary Lattimore, "Goodbye, Hotel Arkada" (Ghostly International)
   "Mary continues to expand her sound and evolve as a composer and arranger, allowing more guests but never distracting from her core sound." —Jon Whitney
   "'Horses, Glossy on the Hill' is one of the most movingly beautiful pieces that Lattimore has ever recorded." —Anthony D'Amico
   
   
4. Caterina Barbieri, "Myuthafoo" (Light-Years)
   "A compelling sister release to Ecstatic Computation devoted to pieces that evolved and transformed as Barbieri tried out new ideas on tour." —Anthony D'Amico
   
   
5. Swans, "The Beggar" (Young God)
   "Demanding the attention of a listener for over two hours is bold, and Swans continue to do this and continue to have success with it."—Jon Whitney
   
   
6. Radian, "Distorted Rooms" (Thrill Jockey)
   "Probably the most inventive and forward-thinking project in the post-rock milieu right now. I truly do not understand why Radian is not as revered and universally beloved as Tortoise." —Anthony D'Amico
   
   
7. Slowdive, "Everything Is Alive" (Dead Oceans)
   "Shoegaze is having a moment this decade, isn't it? This is a worthy winner, and one of the tightest records of their career." — Eve McGivern
   
8. KMRU, "Dissolution Grip" (OFNOT)
9. Colleen, "Le jour et la nuit du réel" (Thrill Jockey)
10. Colin Stetson, "When we were that what wept for the sea" (52Hz)
    "This album made it abundantly clear that I have not been listening to nearly enough Colin Stetson. 'Infliction' is absolutely sublime." —Anthony D'Amico
    
    
11. Vanishing Twin, "Afternoon X" (Fire)
    "Every Vanishing Twin album boasts at least one perfect weird pop song and this one has the title track. Also "Marbles" has a wonderfully wonky groove." —Anthony D'Amico
    
    
12. O Yuki Conjugate, "A Tension Of Opposites Vols 3 & 4" (OYC Limited)
    "I'm always glad to see OYC get some love! Always carefully crafted, and a fine entry into their catalog." — Eve McGivern
    
    
13. Lea Bertucci, "Of Shadow and Substance" (Cibachrome Editions)
    "Two commissioned compositions that nudged Bertucci out of her comfort zone and into some of the finest work that she's ever recorded." —Anthony D'Amico
    
    
14. Black To Comm, "At Zeenath Parallel Heavens" (Thrill Jockey)
    "I always find Marc Richter's work interesting and unique, but his run of Thrill Jockey albums has been especially strong. Yet another wonderful and hallucinatory headphone album, but now with added antiquarian erotic innuendo." —Anthony D'Amico
    
    
15. Forest Swords, "Bolted" (Ninja Tune)
16. Yo la Tengo, "This Stupid World" (Matador)
    "I've gone through so many musical phases in my life and Yo La Tengo has continued to release cool albums throughout all of them. 'Miles Away' is pure slow-motion bliss." —Anthony D'Amico
    
    
17. PJ Harvey, "I Inside the Old Year Dying" (Partisan)
18. William Ryan Fritch, "Cohesion" (Lost Tribe Sound)
19. Oval, "Romantiq" (Thrill Jockey)
20. Klara Lewis & Nik Colk Void, "Full-On" (Alter)
    "Playful and spontaneous-sounding miniatures from two artists who are very much on the same wavelength. I especially enjoyed the duo's more 'fun' side characterized by pieces like 'Junk Funk.'" —Anthony D'Amico
    
    
21. FACS, "Still Life In Decay" (Trouble In Mind)
22. The Necks, "Travel" (Northen Spy)
23. Godflesh, "Purge" (Avalanche)
    "With the heavy use of loops and samples, Purge sits nicely between Songs of Love and Hate and Us and Them without sounding as dated." - Creaig Dunton
    
    
24. Nonconnah, "Unicorn Family" (Was Ist Das?)
    "Nonconnah has been steadily releasing one shoegaze-damaged collage masterpiece after another lately and this is the latest one. One of my absolute favorite projects around. Characteristically transcendent." —Anthony D'Amico
    
    
25. CV & JAB, "Κλίμα (Klima)" (Editions Basilic)
    "For a second I thought this was CV Vision's monumental 2023 release. Then I woke up."—Duncan Edwards
    
    
26. Liturgy, "93696" (Thrill Jockey)
    "I don't know why they keep tagging the term black metal to Haela Hunt-Hendrix's Liturgy project when listening feels like a blast of blinding brightness not unlike footage of the atom bomb being detonated."—Jon Whitney
    
27. Blonde Redhead, "Sit Down for Dinner" (Section1)
28. emptyset, "ash" (Subtext)
    "James Ginzburg and Paul Purgas bring Bristol sound system culture right to your living room to appropriately seismic effect." —Anthony D'Amico
    
    
29. Midwife & Vyva Melinkolya, "Orbweaving" (The Flenser)
    "An excellent matching of the minds. NMP could possibly be my favorite song of the year."—Jon Whitney
    
    
30. Craven Faults, "Standers" (The Leaf Label)
    "A(nother) wonderful release from Craven Faults, showcasing what it means to be some the best kosmische available in the 21st Century." — Eve McGivern
    
    
31. Film School, "Field" (Felte)
    "This entry should have been much higher; what an incredible blend of dream pop, shoegaze, psychedelia and pop bliss. Still, I'll take it." — Eve McGivern
    
    
32. Loraine James, "Gentle Confrontation" (Hyperdub)
    "Lush, kaleidoscopically multifaceted, and emotionally resonant. Yet another gem from Loraine James." —Anthony D'Amico
    
    
33. Big Blood, "First Aid Kit" (Ba Da Bing!/Feeding Tube/dontrustheruin)
    "The hooks. This is what makes even the most gritty home recordings become some of the most loved music in our collections. They may never make it to pop radio but they bring the hooks like so few are able to do."—Jon Whitney
    
    
34. Mandy, Indiana, "i've seen a way" (Fire Talk)
    "A Manchester-based post-punk band with clattering industrial percussion, plenty of gnarled noise, and a French woman who occasionally raps? Check! And the album was partially recorded in a cave and a crypt? Check! Count me in." —Anthony D'Amico
    
    
35. ANOHNI and the Johnsons, "My Back Was A Bridge For You To Cross" (Secretly Canadian)
36. bdrmm, "I Don't Know" (Rock Action)
37. Nation of Language, "Strange Disciple" (Play It Again Sam)
    "This one instantly hooked me! I think they just get better and better. Again, would have loved to see this a lot higher on the list, but I'm glad readers liked it enough to get it within the Top 50." — Eve McGivern
    
    
38. Lea Bertucci & Lawrence English, "Chthonic" (American Dreams)
39. Laurel Halo, "Atlas" (Awe)
    "I enjoyed this understated album just fine, but I'm still perplexed by how many people were instantly hailing it as The Album of The Year when it was released." —Anthony D'Amico
    
    
40. Tristan Allen, "Tin Iso and the Dawn" (RVNG Intl.)
    "All of the beauty, melancholy, and wonder of an epic puppet romance, minus the puppets (for now). One of the year's most pleasant surprises for me." —Anthony D'Amico
    
    
41. thisquietarmy, "Hiatus" ([self-released])
42. Aidan Baker, Jana Sotzko, Melissa Guion, "Trio Not Trio - Letzte" (Gizeh)
43. Death and Vanilla, "Flicker" (Fire)
44. Zaumne, "Parfum" (sferic)
45. Kassel Jaeger, "Shifted in Dreams" (Shelter Press)
    "My first exposure to Jaeger's work stunned me." —Duncan Edwards
    
    
46. Paul St. Hilaire, "Tikiman Vol. 1" (Kynant)
    "I greatly appreciate that Paul St. Hilaire is out there valiantly trying to fill the Rhythm & Sound-sized hole in my heart single-handedly." —Anthony D'Amico
    
    
47. African Head Charge, "A Trip To Bolgatanga" (On-U Sound)
    "My vote for most addictive release this year."—Jon Whitney
    
48. Elodie, "Clarté Déserte" (La Scie Dorée)
49. Edward Ka-Spel, "A Carrington Event" ([self-released])
    "It is so easy to get overwhelmed with EKS and LPD releases but there's always a track that stands out as a future classic and my pick is "Taming the Tiger," which has been on heavy rotation since this release."—Jon Whitney
    
50. Rrose, "Please Touch" (Eaux)
51. Divide and Dissolve, "Systemic" (Invada)
52. The American Analog Set, "For Forever" ([self-released])
    "A surprise and warmly welcomed comeback, looking forward to the archive box coming soon."—Jon Whitney
    
53. Kali Malone, "Does Spring Hide Its Joy" (Ideologic Organ)
    "A two- or three-hour magnum opus of heady deep listening recorded in empty concert halls by three like-minded friends in the early days of the pandemic." —Anthony D'Amico
    
    
54. Anthony Naples, "orbs" (ANS)
55. Edward Ka-Spel, "Tease Seize....Apply" ([self-released])
56. Jonnine, "Maritz" (Idle Press)
57. 58918012, "Blue" (Syntes)
58. Bill Orcutt, "Jump On It" (Palilalia)
    "Bite-sized, reverb-marinated, chunks of high-quality, guitar lyriicism. Memorable."—Duncan Edwards
    
    
59. Water From Your Eyes, "Everyone's Crushed" (Matador)
60. Joseph Allred, "What Strange Flowers in the Shade" (Feeding Tube)
61. Cloudland Canyon, "Cloudland Canyon" (Medical)
62. Saloli, "Canyon" (Kranky)
63. Wanderwelle, "All Hands Bury The Cliffs At Sea Release" (Important)
    "A deeply upsetting subject renderred into a great lamentation. Sad as hell, though."—Duncan Edwards
    
    
64. The Drin, "Today My Friend You Drunk the Venom" (Feel It)
    "An impressively unhinged and ill-intentioned rock n' roll vision. These guys would have been a solid opening act for The Cramps' legendary mental hospital gig." —Anthony D'Amico
    
    
65. Guided By Voices, "Nowhere to Go But Up" (GBV Inc.)
66. Eluvium, "(Whirring Marvels In) Consensus Reality" (Temporary Residence)
67. Kammerflimmer Kollektief, "Schemen" (Karl)
    "This album immediately sent me down a Kammerflimmer Kollektief rabbit hole and I was quite pleased with my findings. I feel like I owe this band a heartfelt apology for sleeping on the previous two decades of their oft-killer discography." —Anthony D'Amico
    
    
68. Angel Bat Dawid, "Requiem for Jazz" (International Anthem)
    "Diamada Galás fans should be taking notice of Angel Bat Dawid. No, she doesn't sound like her one bit. However, as a composer, performer, and sound artist she has the ability to create longform epics such as this one, incorporating her incredible talents, knowledge, and ability, her experiences with spirituality, religion, and oppression, and constructing something beyond the ability to classify and conform into a single genre."—Jon Whitney
    
    
69. Niecy Blues, "Exit Simulation" (Kranky)
    "it's like everything and nothing you would expect from Kranky. The context of a deep, compelling, atmospheric otherworldly listen is nothing new to the label, but the strong roots in southern gospel, soul, and R&B is nearly uncharted territory and it comes together beautifully for my favorite debut album of the year."—Jon Whitney 
    
    
70. La Sécurité, "Stay Safe!" (Mothland)
    "Late 2023 release may have been lost in some of the shuffle, but a very engaging rock album from this Montreal quintet, full of earworms."—Jon Whitney
    
    
71. Mint Field, "Aprender a Ser" (Felte)
72. Troller, "Drain" (Relapse)
    "A lot has happened in seven years but Troller have returned with an album that didn't grab me like Grapic but has been a slow burn that has grown on me quite a bit."—Jon Whitney
    
73. Benoît Pioulard, "Eidetic" (Morr)
74. Surgeon, "Crash Recoil" (Tresor)
75. Lorelle Meets The Obsolete, "Remezcla" (Sonic Cathedral)
76. Alva noto, "HYbr:ID II" (Noton)
77. Earth House Hold, "How Deep Is Your Devotion" (A Strangely Isolated Place)
    "Not just a new album, but a remastered overview of the entire lifespan of Brock Van Wey's long-running house-inspired side project. Admittedly a bit overwhelming and relentlessly soft-focus, but I absolutely loved some of these pieces." —Anthony D'Amico
    
    
78. Nicol Eltzroth Rosendorf, "Internal Return" (Negative Capability Editions)
79. Tirzah, "trip9love...???" (Domino)
80. Grand River, "All Above" (Editions Mego)
81. Merzbow, "CATalysis" (Elevator Bath)
82. BIG|BRAVE, "nature morte" (Thrill Jockey)
83. TALsounds, "Shift" (NNA Tapes)
84. A Certain Ratio, "1982" (Mute)
85. V/Z, "Suono Assente" (AD93)
86. Drop Nineteens, "Hard Light" (Wharf Cat)
    "Probably wins this year's award for Most Time Between Albums. I am very happy for their return."—Jon Whitney
    
    
87. Martyna Basta, "Slowly Forgetting, Barely Remembering" (Warm Winters)
    "I am very much a Martyna Basta fan. I preferred the more spare Diaries Beneath Fragile Glass EP to this full-length, but her hot streak remains unbroken." —Anthony D'Amico
    
    
88. Matmos, "Return to Archive" (Smithsonian Folkways)
89. Raphael Rogiń​ski, "Tal​à​n" (Instant Classic)
90. Frédéric D. Oberland, "Solstices" (Zamzamrec)
91. Shit And Shine, "2222 And Airport" (The state51 Conspiracy)
92. Ale Hop & Laura Robles, "Agua Dulce" (Buh)
    "I am always eager to hear whatever idiosyncratic mindfuckery Alejandra Cárdenas records, but teaming up with a talented Peruvian percussionist was a welcome and inspired evolution." —Anthony D'Amico
    
    
93. Piotr Kurek, "Peach Blossom" (Mondoj)
94. Nonconnah, "Shadows From The Walls Of Death" (Cruel Nature)
95. Tengger, "Tengger" (Beyond is Beyond is Beyond)
96. Ben Chasny & Rick Tomlinson, "Waves" (Voix)
97. Helen Money / Will Thomas, "Trace" (Thrill Jockey)
98. Justin Walter, "Destroyer" (Kranky)
99. JK Flesh, "π11" (Pi Electronics)
100. A Place To Bury Strangers, "See Through You Rerealized" (Dedstrange)

Single of the Year

1. The Legendary Pink Dots, "The Legendary Pink Dots' Hallowe'en Special 2023" ([self-released])
   "The Legendary Pink Dots' Christmas and Halloween singles invariably delight me every single year. A beloved underground institution that almost always captures Ka-Spel at the height of his powers." —Anthony D'Amico
   
   
2. Caterina Barbieri, "Perennial Fantas" (Light-Years)
   "I definitely did not expect 'Fantas' to keep expanding and evolving for four more years after Ecstatic Computation was released. It's the gift that keeps giving! Possibly forever!" —Anthony D'Amico
   
   
3. The Legendary Pink Dots, "The Legendary Pink Dots' Christmas Special 2023" ([self-released])
   "It is very amusing that my LPD fandom has gradually and imperceptibly evolved from 'these guys collaborated with Skinny Puppy-I should check them out!' to "Edward Ka-Spel is basically my Santa Claus now.'" —Anthony D'Amico
   
   
4. Mary Lattimore, "A Lock of His Hair Under Glass" ([self-released])
5. The Bug, "Machine I" (Pressure)
6. Bark Psychosis, "Scum" (Rolling Heads)
7. Edward Ka-Spel, "All Flags Are False" (Witch Cat)
8. Aphex twin, "Blackbox Life Recorder 21f In A Room7 F760" (Warp)
   "Enjoyable, but not nearly audacious enough to make a memorable impression." —Anthony D'Amico
   
   
9. Four Tet, "Three Drums" ([self-released])
10. Sam Prekop and John McEntire / The Soft Pink Truth, "A Yellow Robe Remixes" (Thrill Jockey)
11. A Winged Victory for the Sullen, "All Our Friends Are Vampires" (Ninja Tune)
12. The Bug, "Machine II" (Pressure)
13. Meat Beat Manifesto & DHS, "Man From Mantis" (Love Love)
14. Om, "Gebel Barkal" (Drag City)
15. James Blackshaw, "Why Keep Still?" ([self-released])
    "It is wonderful to see Blackshaw releasing new music again, even if it is only one song (for now)." —Anthony D'Amico
    
    
16. Godflesh, "Nero" (Avalanche)
17. Sun's Signature, "Sun's Signature Extended" (Partisan)
18. Eric Random & Stephen Mallinder, "Deadeye Remixed" (Emergency Hearts)
19. Strategy, "Graffiti In Space" (Community Library)
20. Letting Up Despite Great Faults, "Crumble EP" ([self-released])
21. Death and Vanilla, "Reimagined by Civilistjävel!" (Fire)
22. Drab Majesty, "An Object in Motion" (Dais)
23. Kieran Hebden & William Tyler, "Darkness, Darkness / No Services" (Psychic Hotline)
24. Mouse on Mars, "3D-LS" (Sonig)
25. Loraine James, "5 a Day" ([self-released])

Compilation of the Year

1. "Gespensterland" (Bureau B)
   "I am 100% the target demographic for a collection of supernaturally inspired German artists 'operating in the margins and intersections of folklore, experimental electronics, dreams and nightmares.' A murderers' row of fringe-dwelling visionaries like Brannten Schn​ü​re." —Anthony D'Amico
   
   
2. "When the Frog from the Well Sees the Ocean (Reports from English UFOlklore)" (Folklore Tapes)
   "Folklore Tapes steps a bit outside of their comfort zone with an eclectic and freewheeling celebration of UFO sightings, alien visitations, and their forever-altered witnesses. A characteristically wonderful and singular collection." —Anthony D'Amico
   
   
3. "Cease & Resist - Sonic Subversion & Anarcho Punk In The UK 1979-1986" (Optimo Music)
   "I really wish this had come out during my lengthy Crass phase." —Anthony D'Amico
   
   
4. "Searchlight Moonbeam" (Efficient Space)
   "Astonishing to hear 'Never Anyone Around To Hear It' by Bo Harwood and John Cassavetes."—Duncan Edwards
   "Both Time is Away and Efficient Space have proven themselves to be pretty damn infallible at digging up cool and eclectic obscurities." —Anthony D'Amico
   
   
5. "Subliminal Skull Palace II" (Utech)
   "Utech is really doing god's work with this series celebrating tripped-out Japanese guitar music. The Tatsuya Goto and Kawabata Makoto pieces on this one were especially revelatory." —Anthony D'Amico
   
   
6. "Imaginational Anthem vol. XII : I Thought I Told You - A Yorkshire Tribute to Michael Chapman" (Tompkins Square)
7. "Future Sounds of Kraut Vol. 1" (Compost)
8. "Space Funk: Afro Futurist Electro Funk in Space 1976-84 2" (Soul Jazz)
9. "XKatedral Anthology Series II" (XKatedral)
   "Sweden's XKatedral consistently releases some of the most compelling drone/'slowly evolving harmonic and timbral music' around. If you're a connoisseur, this is the vanguard." —Anthony D'Amico
   
   
10. "Kotti Island Disc – An Auditive Snapshot" (Tresor)
11. "7A19" (Sähkö Recordings)
    "I am reliably drawn to '80s cassette underground compilations like a moth to a flame. I think that probably counts more as a neurosis than a recommendation though." —Anthony D'Amico
    
    
12. "Antipodean Anomalies 2" (Left Ear)
13. "Ariwa Sounds: The Early Sessions" (Melodies International)
14. "Channel One Soundsystem: Down in the Dub Vaults" (VP)
    "Unusually quiet year for Jamaican dub compilations (presumably because Soul Jazz is busy being funky in space), but I really enjoyed this one." —Anthony D'Amico
    
    
15. "Denshi Ongaku No Bigaku (The Aesthetics of Japanese Electronic Music Vol 1 & 2)" (Cosmocities)
16. "American Dreams Diner Open 24 Hours" (American Dreams)
17. "Radigue: Dedalus / Akama" (Montagne Noire)
18. "Eccentric Boogie" (Numero Group)
19. "Pacific Breeze 3: Japanese City Pop, AOR and Boogie 1975–1987" (Light in the Attic)
20. "Ballads Of Seduction, Fertility And Ritual Slaughter" (Was Ist Das?)
21. "Contaminazioni No Wave Italiane (1980-1985)" (Spittle)
22. "The NID Tapes: Electronic Music From India 1969-1972" (The State51 Conspiracy)
23. "If You Want to Make a Lover: Palm Wine, Akan Blues & Early Guitar Highlife, Pt. I" (Death Is Not The End)
    "The singing and playing here transcends locale or genre and ends up as a mystical bottling of the square-root of charm."—Duncan Edwards
    
    
24. "Mondo Industrial: A Selection Of Rare Tape Music From The '80s & '90s" (Mafarka)
25. "ElectroDub Vol. 3 & 4" [tie] (Emergency Hearts)

Vault/Reissue of the Year

1. The Residents, "Commercial Album" (Cherry Red)
2. Bowery Electric, "Bowery Electric" (Kranky)
   "An absolutely flawless release, restored to the full tracklist plus given a bonus side of the first EP, sounding just as massive as ever."—Jon Whitney
   
   
3. Drew McDowell, "Lamina" (Dais)
4. Techno Animal, "Re-Entry (2023 Remaster)" (Relapse)
   "I was really expecting this to take first place, but I may just be biased. Beautiful job reissuing the duo's absolute masterpiece."—Creaig Dunton
   
   
5. Emeralds, "Does It Look Like I'm Here? expanded remaster" (Ghostly)
   "It was cool to get an expanded reissue of this album, but it was already pretty damn canonical." —Anthony D'Amico
   
   
6. Earth, "Earth 2 Special Low Frequency Mix" (Sub Pop)
7. Andrew Chalk, "Dreams: Scenes I - XV" (Faraway Press)
8. Moonshake, "Eva Luna" (Beggars Arkive)
   "Some aspects of Moonshake's audacious and influential debut album have not aged particularly well, but 'Little Thing' and 'Sweetheart' are still perennial favorites for me." —Anthony D'Amico
   
   
9. The Legendary Pink Dots, "Only Dreaming" ([self-released])
10. Sonic Youth, "Live in Brooklyn 2011" (Silver Current)
11. In The Nursery, "L'Esprit" (ITN Corp)
12. The Chameleons, "Script of the Bridge" (Blue Apple)
13. Arthur Russell, "Picture of Bunny Rabbit" (Audika)
    "I hope the vault of Arthur Russell continues to produce more fantastic collections like this. It's okay to vary between styles and maintain a bit of a theme for time and location of recordings. My addiction grows stronger."—Jon Whitney
    
    
14. The Legendary Pink Dots, "Come Out From The Shadows Volume 3: The 80s" ([self-released])
15. Bardo Pond, "Peel Sessions" (Fire)
16. Air Miami, "Me. Me. Me." (4AD)
17. Pan American, "In Daylight Dub" (Foam On A Wave)
18. Nurse With Wound, "The Sylvie and Babs Hi-Fi Companion" (United Dirter)
19. Fridge, "Happiness" (Temporary Residence)
20. Edward Ka-Spel, "Caste O' Graye Skreeëns" ([self-released])
21. Edward Ka-Spel, "Ghost Logik 2" ([self-released])
22. Mouse on Mars, "Bilk" (Sonig)
23. Nurse With Wound, "Brained By Falling Masonry/Cooloorta Moon" (United Dirter)
24. Nurse With Wound, "Alice The Goon (Funeral Music For Perez Prado)" (B.F.I.)
25. Big Blood & The Bleedin' Hearts, "Big Blood & The Bleedin' Hearts" (Feeding Tube)
    "One of the finest albums in Big Blood's entire discography finally got a non-CDr physical release! Pretty exciting day at the mailbox." —Anthony D'Amico

Boxed Set of the Year

1. Neutral Milk Hotel, "The Collected Works of..." (Merge)
   "Essentially just a vinyl reissue of 2011's career retrospective with some additional live material added, which is probably somewhat revelatory for more obsessive NMH fans than me. Everyone else can safely just keep listening to In The Aeroplane Over The Sea forever, as there is nothing in the vaults that rivals it." —Anthony D'Amico
   "I'm probably the only person in the world who prefers On Avery Island more, Anthony, but what do I know?"—Jon Whitney
   
   
2. The Residents, "Eskimo" (Psychofon)
3. Hawkwind, "Space Ritual: 50th Anniversary Edition" (Atomhenge)
4. Pharoah Sanders, "Pharoah" (Luaka Bop)
5. Magnolia Electric Co., "Sojourner" (Secretly Canadian)
6. A.R.Kane, "A.R.Kive" (Rocket Girl)
7. Pere Ubu, "Elitism for the People 1975 - 1978" (Fire)
8. Laraaji, "Segue To Infinity" (Numero Group)
9. [V/A], "Remix Anthology Vol. 1​-​4 2002​-​2022" (Smalltown Supersound)
   "This was my personal favorite boxed set of the year, as it was quite a treasure trove of killer songs that I had never heard before." —Anthony D'Amico
   
   
10. Acid Mothers Temple & the Melting Paraiso UFO, "Acid Motherly Love" (Riot Season)
11. Jack Dangers, "Lucky Bag" (Flexidisc)
12. [V/A], "Steven Wilson Presents: Intrigue - Progressive Sounds In UK Alternative Music 1979–89" (Burning Shed)
13. King Crimson, "Larks' Tongues in Aspic (The Complete Recording Sessions)" (Panegyric)
    "Surprisingly very little overlap between this and the 15 disc set from a decade ago, and I appreciate that it doesn't take up too much shelf space." -- Creaig Dunton
    
    
14. Laibach, "Nova Akropola / Live In Europe 1997-2020 / Live in London 1985-1987" (Cherry Red)
15. Pere Ubu, "Architecture of Language 1979 - 1982" (Fire)
16. Killing Joke, "Honor the Fire Live" (Live Here Now, Live Here Now)
17. Acid Mothers Temple & the Melting Paraiso UFO, "Vinyl Archives Volume 1" (Riot Season)
18. Duster, "Moods, Modes" (Numero Group)
19. Einstürzende Neubauten, "Phase IV - The Singles" (Potomak)
20. Celer, "Selected Self-Releases 2006-2007" (Two Acorns)
21. [V/A], "The Complete Obscure Records" (Dialogo)
    "I did not expect a retrospective of Brian Eno's hugely influential imprint to be this low in the rankings. It has admittedly been a long time since I was personally excited about anything Eno-related, but Gavin Bryars' The Sinking of the Titanic is an all-timer for me.'" —Anthony D'Amico
    "Mine didn't arrive until the new year, Anthony."—Jon Whitney
    
    
22. King Crimson, "Absent Lovers (Live in Montreal 1984)" (Discipline Global Mobile)
23. Karate, "Complete Studio Recordings" (Numero Group)
24. Luc Ferrari, "L'Œuvre Électronique" (INA GRM)
25. The New Blockaders, "Etudes de Rien" (Coherent States)

Artist of the Year

1. The Legendary Pink Dots
2. Caterina Barbieri
3. Mary Lattimore
4. Tim Hecker
5. The Bug
6. KMRU
7. Loraine James
8. Swans
9. Godflesh
10. Benoît Pioulard

Label of the Year

1. Thrill Jockey
2. Kranky
   "It comes as no surprise these two labels continue to dominate the Brainwashed Readers Poll. It is a testament to their tireless dedication to quality."—Jon Whitney
   
3. Fire
4. Drag City
5. Psychofon
6. International Anthem
7. Important
8. Room40
9. Light-Years
10. 4AD

New Artist of the Year

Derecho Rhythm Section

"It is important, for me at least, to hear Alan Sparhawk's voice on new music again, and he is not afraid to let us know exactly how he feels. Joined by his children with Mimi Parker, something special is definitely evolving. Hard to say what will become of this project in particular, but I hope to continue to hear all of them together."—Jon Whitney

Lifetime Achievement Recognition

Phill Niblock

"As a drone fan, Phill Niblock was always a bit of a living legend for me, as he and contemporaries like Éliane Radigue were instrumental in elevating the form into the realm of high art. Also, he was definitely a guy who understood and appreciated the elemental power of immersive, room-shaking vibrations. Beyond that, however, he played quite an outsized role in building and maintaining NYC's legendary avant-garde scene as the long-time director of Experimental Intermedia. I cannot think of many other people who were hip enough to book artists like Arthur Russell, Rhys Chatham, and Charlemagne Palestine as early as 1973/1974 and the list of other artists who played Niblock-curated shows in the 1970s is basically a who's who of nearly everyone who shaped the late 20th century avant-garde (Annea Lockwood, Suzanne Ciani, Catherine Christer Hennix, Laurie Spiegel, etc.). The musical landscape of 2024 would be a much bleaker place without Niblock's lifelong passion for championing groundbreaking and iconoclastic artists." —Anthony D'Amico