About the Author:
Matt DeMello is a songwriter, producer, professional AI researcher and “grand theorist” of the Salieri Records label. His latest original album is 2022’s Confetti in a Coalmine, which was hailed by former Death Cab for Cutie guitarist and Ratboys producer Chris Walla as ”nuts and I’m not sure what time of day I’m supposed to put it on, but it’s far from awful!” You can check out his latest reissue of his debut album and more at the Salieri Records bandcamp page. You can find bandcamp codes for some of the more prominent records in his discography via his GetMusic page while codes are still available.
Key:
- This list defines a “DIY” artist as “likely spends <$5,000 to release their record, has no large-outlet reviews, i.e. pitchfork, stereogum, etc.” Also please consider that this designation is totally “from vibe and online evidence” and not at all empirically verifiable.
Caveats:
- I listen to about five albums a day alongside a fairly demanding ~10h/day regular job. If something is good enough to get repeated, it ends up in the top ~70. The top 10 are played multiple times and the top 5 are played 20 – 50 times before year end, mostly because they seem to be worth the time investment but can tend to bias results toward May – October releases. Everything else left me very impressed and I can imagine myself coming back to in later years, cut off at 100 so there’s a sense of decency. I’m probably listing overall 1/5th of what I listen to all year.
- The songs lists are almost always underdeveloped and should be taken with a grain of salt approximately twice as large as whatever salt dosage you’re taking from the albums list.
- In terms of criteria, I try to go by gut instinct of what I think made the biggest impression on me personally – not just as someone who tries to make this stuff, but for more as someone who listens to it.
I think about it all the time – Charli xcx
Meet the Grahams – Kendrick Lamar
Please Please Please – Sabrina Carpenter
Fake Fans – Cheem
Do You Need a Friend – Christopher Owens
Good Luck, Babe!! – Chapell Roan
Love is Everywhere – Magdalena Bay
hit em – drew daniel
You Don’t Know the Shape I’m In – MJ Lenderman
Feel Good Forever – hey, ily!
Guess (ft. Billie Eilish) – Charli xcx
Alone – The Cure
Higher Ground – Colby T. Helms
TEXAS HOLD ‘EM – Beyonce
Nobody Loves You More – Kim Deal
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