WMF's Top 22 Tracks of 2022

The new year draws nigh, and here at WMF that means it is time yet again for us to celebrate some of the music releases that had the most profound impact on our lives during the past twelve months. While the current era continues to be extraordinarily challenging across the globe, it also must be said that 2022 has been an exceptional time for new music, which is something we are always eager to highlight. True to our annual tradition, we have compiled not simply a list of the track titles and links, but also exclusive information related to the creative works directly from the artists themselves.*

As always, it is our honor to formally recognize these twenty-two gems with you here, each and every one of them representing some of the most meaningful music we’ve encountered over the last year. We emphasize that our aim is for this compilation’s order to be interpreted as a flowing playlist, with no numeric ranking implied. Comprised of music that stands on its own merits, the cultural value of the following tracks could never be accurately rated, quantified, or ranked.

As in past years, the purpose of our annual tradition is not to quantify art, but rather to share a playlist that works independently as a fun, meaningful, and lasting audible document, representing another year of music that has had a profound effect on us and warrants acknowledgement. And with this customary preamble concluded, we hope you enjoy these standout tracks from 2022.


“Kno Me” Jerry Paper

Jerry Paper has long been a beloved artist here at WMF, so it’s no surprise they’ve made multiple appearances on our annual year-end Top Tracks list. 2022 brought with it yet another excellent Jerry Paper album, Free Time, and “Kno Me” was an immediate standout and staple on our playlist this year.

Jerry Paper gave these insights into “Kno Me”: “‘Kno Me’ is a rockin' song I wrote about not needing to be seen and known by others in the way I see myself; it's about not needing external validation when you have a solid understanding of who you are. I tried a lot of different ways of recording this song, some soft, some with only keys playing the chords, but ultimately settled on the rockin' style with the synth honks. Felt fun and free, just like me.”


“Don’t Hang Up on Me” Tchotchke

Tchotchke’s “Don’t Hang Up on Me” became an instant hit here at WMF HQ after Jason Falkner enthusiastically pointed us in its direction. The lead single from their self-titled debut album (produced by Brian and Michael D'Addario of The Lemon Twigs) is not only one of the most outstanding tracks we’ve encountered this year, but was also our introduction to what has swiftly become one of our favorite bands out there.

Tchotchke shared the following with WMF about the single: “‘Don't Hang Up on Me’ is a little long-distance love story. This song (like most new music released within the past 2 years) was written during the beginning of the pandemic. Eva and I wrote this song in 2 days and were able to record it a few months later with our friends Brian and Michael D'addario (The Lemon Twigs). Having to maintain relationships over the phone during the lockdown was a big inspiration.”


“Holy Hell” Eddie Chacon

Eddie Chacon is a proverbial unicorn of sorts, having a heavy-duty CV from his early days in the mainstream music industry but now also re-emerging years later stronger than ever with a finely-tuned and hard-earned unique artistic voice that feels more relevant than ever. This year marks the first inclusion of Eddie on the WMF Top Tracks list with stellar single “Holy Hell”, which we have found ourselves enjoying more and more with each listen. Though exceptional music videos are not a prerequisite for our annual list, this one (directed by Sissy Chacon) has indeed become a favorite of ours this year.

Eddie Chacon graciously shared this about “Holy Hell” with WMF: “Most of ‘Holy Hell’ was whipped up in a whirlwind session that lasted about two hours in a house John Carroll Kirby and I stayed in in Ibiza last summer. The ‘Holy Hell’ chorus line had rolling around in my head for a few weeks but it all came together when Kirb cooked up this track.”


“Doesn’t Count Here” N8NOFACE

N8NOFACE is held in especially high esteem here at WMF not only because of his irresistibably-intense synth punk gems, but also because of his seemingly indefatigable dedication to his unique creative vision. The living legend continues to impress with his brief and blistering releases, and this year’s “Doesn’t Count Here” from full-length HOMICIDE is not only an excellent example of his work in general but it has also been one of our most played and enjoyed tracks over the last several months.

N8NOFACE shared the following context and background to “Doesn't Count Here” with us: “I wrote it inspired by a conversation I heard….a writer was asked ‘why do anything? If there is no hope and we are doomed, why write?’ He answered, ‘Well, I know there's no hope, but I still choose to hope.’ I felt if the world was on fire and couldn't be put out, I'd choose to play in the flames I guess. The lyrics were just a short poem I wrote and repeated for the song.”


“Call Me a Freak” Tolliver

This is Tolliver’s debut on a WMF Top Tracks playlist, and while the “Call Me a Freak” single did in fact debut back in 2021, its release as part of the exceptional Daddyland (Deluxe) album qualifies the gem for inclusion in this 2022 installment. We can’t stop listening to Tolliver here at WMF HQ these days, watching Tolliver videos, and talking Tolliver to pretty much anyone who will listen. And while we celebrate that 2022 has been a big year for Tolliver, we’ve got a strong feeling much more lies ahead in the Tolliverse.

Tolliver shared the following with WMF about “Call Me a Freak”: “‘Call me a freak’ is a freaky lil deek, tiki lil ding tang, zippy tappy two tone. It’s like, ‘you can’t hate on me baby I have already died a million deaths and all that’s left is FUNK.’ The line ‘I was born, by the river, then I pissed in it’ should be in the Smithsonian!!!!! Thank you all for listening”


“Afar” Hyd

Hyd’s music and artistic vision have affected us deeply this year, so a WMF Top Tracks list simply wouldn’t be reflective of our year without a track from their recommended debut album Clearing. We’ve had the pleasure of diving into single “Afar” numerous times in 2022, experiencing it as a standalone track, paired with its remarkable music video, and performed live. In all contexts, “Afar” has reached us emotionally in a unique and rare way.

Hyd shared these insights into “Afar” with us: “‘Afar’ is a reminder for me to look upward. In moments where I feel isolated on earth. ‘Afar’ comes in as a guardian voice whispering we are all around you. When Caroline [Poachek] and I made it we were focused on steam. Making steam sounds something that dissolves upward. A material that can no longer be seen but is felt.”


“Greatest Hits” Jockstrap

Jockstrap is another first-timer on our annual Top Tracks list with their “Greatest Hits”. The remarkable track has been uqiquitous in our world since its release, but rather than burning out on it, we’ve found ourselves enjoying the track more and more with each revisiting.

Jockstrap sent WMF this background to “Greatest Hits”: “‘Greatest Hits’ is about radios. Georgia’s flat was filled with them. I grew up listening to radio rips. We love the vibe of the radio. DAB for Georgia; digital for me.”


“Typical Music” Tim Burgess

Anyone who has spent any bit of time here in our WMF universe knows that Tim Burgess hold a special place in our hearts and history, thanks not only to his classic body of work with The Charlatans, but also very much because of his solo albums, Twitter Listening Parties, books, and eclectic music curation that has given crucial encouragement as well as exposure of underground music to an international audience.

All that said, the above credentials wouldn't suffice for an inclusion on our annual Top Tracks list if the song didn’t warrant one. The title track from Tim’s newest (double!) album Typical Music, however, has indeed been one of the releases that has had the most profound and lasting impacts on our lives in 2022, so it was a natural pick.

We received fascinating context and background info from both Tim and pioneering musician/artist/video director Kevin Godley earlier this year about “Typical Music”, and Tim shared the following with us:

“Somebody called it ‘a high octane Mariachi adventure,’ and I think that really captures the spirit of it. Another friend said it’s a surf punk sci-fi soundtrack to a film featuring herds of galloping horses, and if those descriptions don’t get you wanting to listen, you’d better check that you still have a pulse.”


“Loser” Causeway

Some tracks take some time to warm up to, while others snare your mind, heart, and soul immediately. For us here at WMF, Causeway’s “Loser” (via the ever-excellent Italians Do It Better label) belongs to the latter category, and our love for it hasn’t faded a bit since we first heard it. “Loser” has made an indelible mark on a year of great music for us, and is as clear a Top Tracks inclusion as it is crucial.

Allison Rae and Marshall Watson of Causeway shared background info to “Loser”.

Allison: "The lyrics for ‘Loser’ were written one morning while I was getting ready for work. It’s about a desire for deviance. It’s a big ‘fuck you’ to social norms. It’s about wanting to fuck up your life and loving every minute of it. The line, “I wanna be your loser” tackles the idea that the person you are with is a reject, an outlaw to society. Everyone tells you to stay away from that loser, but you would rather be their loser with them and leave the whole world behind.

I wrote this song after a few bad ones not worthy of making the album. I sent the song to Marshall as soon as I recorded it at work - the same day I wrote it. It was a Friday. I got crickets. He usually responds fairly quickly. The whole weekend I didn’t hear a peep. I thought he hated it. So I started reworking a few lines. Then he texted me on Sunday saying that he went up to the mountains to cut down a Christmas tree and was out of service. He emailed me this shortly after ‘LOSER!!! Does not lose! I love it! Let's work on the melody, but the words are great. You did good as fuck.’I know that’s the true quote because I printed it and taped it to my desk at work.”

Marshall: “Then I played her the bass line :)”


“Evil Does It” Pearl Earl

Pearl Earl appears for the first time this year on ourl Top Tracks list, and it’s a formidable debut indeed. After having experienced Pearl Earl both live and recorded this year, the project has swiftly become one of our most-recommended, and the rather fierce “Evil Does It” was an obvious choice when curating the tracks that most affected us in 2022.

Ariel Hartley generously shared these details about “Evil Does It” with us: “I wrote this track in St. Paul, Minnesota during the height of the pandemic in my apartment bedroom. It’s funny though because I actually had written all of the different sections of the songs back in my home state of TX over several years on keys but never knew what to do with each part individually. I had the main [S]abbathy Pink Panther riff saved in my voice memos that I rediscovered one day and realized it could go with the chorus part that I had been trying to make a song out of for years. The outro section is the oldest part of all , I had been trying to find where that keyboard part belonged since I bought a microkorg 10 years ago. It’s one of the first riffs I made on keys. When I figured out how to combine everything I made a demo on GarageBand. Then I doubled up the original keyboard parts into bass lines and came up with guitar last, the original demo has a way longer weird solo section. When we went into the studio to record it, Tomas Dolas (our producer) heard it and thought it would be cool to make the drums have more of an Iggy Pop ‘Night Clubbin’ vibe so Bailey changed her drum beat on the spot and we leaned into that inspiration.

The song title itself is a play on the phrase ‘Easy Does It’. I came up with the title of the song before I ever had any lyrics. I like to write down a lot of random phrases and words in my notes on my phone and save them for future song ideas. 'Evil Does It' was one of those random ideas. The lyrics were written during the ominous period of lockdown and inspired a lot by the political climate of that time. I was also living ten minutes from where George Floyd had been killed and that summer struck a chord. The city ( but really the Twin Cities ) felt like an ant pile that had been stepped in, buzzing with anger and chaos. The lyrics are pretty straight forward. I wanted to write about the dichotomy of rich and poor and capitalism's evil grip on society, though this common parasite was nothing new then or now.

Our friend and previous collaborator, Sara Mosier, directed the music video. We first worked together over 7 years ago in Texas on our first music video ever. The video was inspired by the lyrics, using Los Angeles and Hollywood as a highlight. We shot the video over a span of 3 days and even had a choreographer help with the dance scene. Bailey stepped in to be a dancer when a dancer dropped out, marking her dance debut?! Most of the video was improvisation on the spot, like the heimlich maneuver scene. The rainbow that is captured in the palm tree reaper scene appeared right before we started filming that part which was pretty magical. I got to dance around Rodeo Drive for the first time in a reaper costume on a Sunday morning. We had a lot of fun!”


“Behaviour” Glove

While Glove’s “Behaviour” was released as a single in 2021, recommended album Boom Nights came out in 2022. Glove greatly impressed at this year’s installment of Substance, and “Behaviour” has persistently been a favorite track of ours here all year.

Rod from Glove shared the following details with us about “Behaviour”:

What inspired the track - “Tedious every day tasks and what’s expected of you.”

Anecdote or facts related to the writing - “The music and lyrics were written in two different houses. I had written the music for Behaviour months before the lyrics came along and we had moved in between. Once the lyric idea came, they were written in 20 minutes. Just one of those natural and quick ideas.”

Fun fact about the song - “The first two demos of the song were recorded analog on a 16 track Tascam at my house. The recording you hear today is the 3rd recording of it that was done in the studio on ProTools.”


“Sonhando Com Nosso Amor” Pearl & the Oysters

We can’t say enough about French-American duo Pearl & the Oysters, who over the last few years have created some of the music we love most here at WMF. This year was a good one indeed for P&TO, bringing not only recommended new music from the project, but also the pair’s first French-language release, “Sonhando Com Nosso Amor”.

Pearl & the Oysters had to this to say about “Sonhando Com Nosso Amor”: "This song was actually written and first demoed over 10 years ago when we were in college and had become equally obsessed with bossa nova and analog synths. It seemed natural to try to mix both of these passions and so we started recording this track with our friend + synth guru Adrien Durand of cosmic disco outfit Bon Voyage Organisation. Joachim and him were working on an EP's worth of material in the same space-bossa vein under the ODEON moniker. It was all very lofi and charming as we had a deliberately wacky approach to recording; the 'ODEON tapes' never really saw the light of day, mainly because we all got too busy furthering our main musical ventures.

We sat on these recordings for so long until finally the idea to record a p&to version of ‘Sonhando...’ started to materialize during the early months of the pandemic. Because it was to be the first p&to song with French lyrics we wanted to involve French musicians in the recording, so when came the time to add drums, we wrote to our dear friend Alexis Fugain aka Biche to ask him if he'd be into overdubbing some drum parts at his studio near Paris (Studio Claudio). He then suggested we actually do a split EP with Biche, and the rest is history! Much love to all involved in this song's crazy trajectory, from its first demo to this p&to version."


“Things Fall Apart” Primer

Primer is especially exciting and inspirational to us here at WMF. We’ve been lucky enough to see Primer perform live on a couple occasions this year, and thoroughly enjoyed 2022 album Incubator. As is the case with several albums connected to this year’s Top Track list, choosing a favorite from the the full-length was no easy task, but “Things Fall Apart” is absolutely a highlight.

Alyssa Midcalf shared this with WMF about the standout track: “‘Things Fall Apart’ was the last song finished for my record Incubator. It is also one of the oldest on the record. I started writing the song when I was a teenager and finished it in the process of recording the record. When I started the song, it was mostly inspired by books I had read because I didn’t have many lived experiences to write about at the time. But as I got older I was able to weave my own experiences into the lyrics of the song. The lyrics alternate between fiction and reality and only I know which is which.”


“Faultless Pitch” M!R!M

M!R!M is one of those artists we find ourselves constantly recommending to people when asked for listening tips. We’ve listened to album Time Traitor from start to finish several times, and while it’s a near vexing pursuit to select a favorite track from the full-length, “Faultless Pitch” undoubtedly stands out as a high point not only for the album, but also for our year of music-listening as a whole.

Jack Milwaukee aka M!R!M shed light on “Faultless Pitch” for us: “‘Faultless Pitch’ was one of the first songs I wrote to be part of my latest album Time Traitor. It sets the tone for the whole record, reflection of which is seen through the album cover as it’s a visual continuation of the single’s music video. Crimson undertones, despair, inner demons - but there are better times ahead. The song talks about finding hope in the time of turmoil. The lyrics were inspired by a poem of a Soviet-Russian dissindent poet Irina Ratushinskaya, a discovery brought to me by my girlfriend.

The main character of the video is a blindfolded person, who undertakes a dark journey within herself and is then reborn in a new form, but still damaged by the past.”


“At Dusk in the Rainy Seasons” Boys Age

Boys Age has been a part of our listening catalog for years now. Even after all this time, Boys Age ( aka Kaznary Mutow) still appears to genuinely possess an unwavering drive for composing and recording music in a way that resembles some of our favorite classic DIY artists, and yet feels increasingly rare in our age of extracurricular distractions from the music itself. “At Dusk in the Rainy Seasons” has been perpetually on standby this year for us when we needed a vibe boost, so its inclusion on our Top Tracks list was a must.

Kaz shared this background to “At Dusk in the Rainy Seasons” with WMF: “There’s a concept called Ringworld proposed by Larry Niven in old sci-if. It is an imaginary artificial celestial body. The song is about a day in the mimic of the rainy season, embedded in a system completely controlled by science. Human like myself try to live in the memories of what once was while dying today. I can never dream of today or tomorrow. For me, life is only about looking back at the past, and this song is the epitome of that.“


“I Need It” I CANT HEAR CASSANDRA

We became fast fans of I CANT HEAR CASSANDRA this year (parallel to our deep admiration for stellar project Sacred Skin, with whom Vanessa Rae Robinson of ICHC also performs), and “I Need It” was the summer anthem that remained in our lives and playlists long after summer 2022 was in the proverbial rearview mirror.

Vanessa shared this with WMF about “I Need It” and more: “If I CANT HEAR CASSANDRA were an ice cream flavor she would be corn and cheese. ‘What the f@$k is corn and cheese ice cream?’, you ask. ‘Don’t worry about it,’ she says.

But we did. It’s an unusual combination native to the Philippines, the land from which I CANT HEAR CASSANDRA originally hailed. The flavor makes complete sense if you think about it logically; milk equals cheese, corn equals …nut? The corn part was a stretch, but you get it.

ICHC is a familiar taste packaged in something you can’t concretely define. She gracefully stomps her way through the sounds of late 70’s Moroder and early 2000’s Minogue. Her debut dance track entitled ‘I Need It’ is painfully honest and horny— an unusual combination that works. And slaps. HARD.”


“Sucker” George Arthur Calendar

We were unaware of George Arthur Calendar when the year started, but we’re certainly aware now. Though GAC is clearly prolific indeed and has several recommended tracks, it’s been “Sucker” that we found ourselves constantly playing and replaying this year.

George Arthur Calendar generously shared these insights into “Sucker” and more with us: “im george arthur calendar or for my friends & friends, arturo, im from guadalajara, mexico but im currently based in chicago. 

that been said, well well, sucker’s my fist single after my 2021 album “paradox”, has a diff vibe, more dreamy, funky and flirty.

[It’s] the longest song i ever worked before actually, it took me more or less about 6 months to finish it, due [to] working on other projects but that actually helped a lot, cause even tho the main song idea was ‘fully captured’ in the fall of 2021, it wasnt 100% finished, nor music or lyrics, so when i got back into it, i literally knew what i want and how i wanted to sound for every part so it was literally finished in 2 weeks.

This song is influenced by the soft funk-pop songs of Luis Miguel (famous mexican pop singer) like very groovy tune with a busy bass and straight up drum beat, but also im letting all the lushie chorus guitar riff say those mellow, romantic & dreamy notes ring, plus also i love fucking w my juno106 and always using it w jazzy chords.

(obsessed w tha analog creamyness of that synth :P [cant get enough of it] )

the lyric just came up like butter, it was my 1st month so hooked & overheels w my current gf:), and man i was and am a sucker for jane, hehehe we develop our ‘sweet silly language’ so this song is our sweet secret convo between us two.

the video was shot in 1 day at humboldt park a block from my apartment in chicago.

i really wanted to shoot a video w color smoke bombs but with a snow background, kind of sunny snowy “beach type of day” but when we attempted doing that back in february of 2022, snowed melted in the first sunny day of the winter and then never snowed back again, so my idea changed a little bit hahaha,  and tbh i was only trying to shoot this  to be able to use those color bombs i purchase in indiana for so much$$.

it was shot w an iphone13 by my good friend and talented director./film maker Kyle Leyland, directed and edited by me.

Even tho i dnt feel this song represents my music background or style, it was what i felt sharing in that moment so thats what i like to do….

my music has always been sort of my journal and i like to experiment with what im learning everyday regarding my sonic path and by me trying to figure out what i want to say in each song/moment of my songs/days. any way, new song is on the way, later this month and new album for 2023 is almost ready.”


“Ghosted You” Plasmic

It’s possible we’ve seen Plasmic live more than any other artist this year, and have enjoyed every single set we’ve attended. We noticed along the way that Plasmic performed choice material we hadn’t heard recorded, and “Ghosted You” was among those remarkable tracks. 2022 saw the release of “Ghosted You”, and we’re excited of hear and see what other choice cuts may be on the horizon.

In the meantime, Plasmic shared this info with us: “‘Ghosted You’ is a song about unrequited queer love inspired by 80s new wave and synth-pop with a modern-day twist. I love the idea of ghosting as a horror film theme, and I had heavy imagery of the movie Poltergeist on the mind while writing the track. But I also wanted to paint a picture of the two sides of ghosting, so the song cuts from the ghost’s prospective to the ghostee’s.

Though I usually self-produce my music, this time I worked with Martin Cooke, a producer who has worked with incredible artists like Death Cab for Cutie and Of Mice & Men. I loved collaborating with Martin and combining our unique recording methods and ideas. Martin’s background in engineering and percussion made him the perfect person to help me create the Kate Bush/Phil Collins vibe I wanted for this song.”


“Trust/Forget” Secret Attraction

We knew we liked “Trust/Forget” the moment we heard it here at WMF HQ, and it’s remained in our playlists (both official and unofficial) ever since. Luckily, we were also able to see Secret Attraction perform a couple times in 2022, and — for us— “Trust/Forget” captures the zeitgeist of what has been a notably successful and pivotal year for Secret Attraction.


Secret Attraction shared these insights into “Trust/Forget”: “‘Trust/Forget’ is a song that could be about falling out of love or falling in love. It's one of those songs where everything just came together naturally which almost never happens for me when recording haha I recorded the vocals in a few takes just to see what would fit and sound good. Spent the day trying to come up with new lyrics but ended up liking what I had in the end.”


“Regicide” Egg Drop Soup

We’ve recently become fans of Egg Drop Soup thanks to exceptional live shows, and have enjoyed diving into their recorded body of work ever since. EDS delivers a visceral experience that feels all-too-rare these days, and this year’s “Regicide” perfectly embodies that vibe.

Samantha Westervelt of EDS shared these insights into “Regicide” with WMF: “I wrote ‘Regicide’ in 2019 at the height of the Trump regime to vent my frustrations with the upcoming election, and our version of capitalism/the US system as a whole. The song is essentially an expression of the frustration I feel about wanting to ‘make it’ but at the same time not wanting to participate in or placate an actively violent system that doesn’t care about anyone but itself. How do we contend with the desire to be successful and the desire to fuck this shit up at the same time?”


“Terminal” Marci

Marci’s “Terminal” has been a standout for us in 2022, deftly traversing musical eras and genres without ever overstaying its welcome in one particular place. “Terminal” is one of those tracks that is almost so easy to listen to that it belies the skill and sophistication beneath its palatable surface. In any case, it’s been a favorite with us this year, and we can confirm after first-hand experience that it’s rather irresistible not only in its recorded format, but also live.

Marta Cikojevic passed along this background to “Terminal”: “This song was written while David and I were pregaming to go to a party in LA. Just recently I got to play the song live with him and my band at El Cid ~ was a nice full circle feeling.”


“I Really Love You” Active Decay

Active Decay’s debut single “I Really Love You” struck a proverbial chord with us immediately, and has been a pleasantly persistent presence in our playlist since its release. The track was a clear choice for inclusion in our year-end list, and we’re confident the strength of this debut bodes well future Active Decay releases.

Brooke Prince of Active Decay shared these details about “I Really Love You”: “The song was one of my favorites to record on the album. [It was] just one of those times where the ideas came together quickly and everyone was having fun. The moody, romantic tones already gave it so much meaning. The music is very dreamlike and visual, so writing the lyrics was effortless.

[The] ‘I Really Love You’ music video was produced and edited by Fred Joseph and Renata Polli. I was so happy that Fred wanted to work on the music video as everything he does has style and he’s amazing at capturing peoples individuality and essence.”


Thanks to all who visit our compilation, and we hope you enjoy listening to these tracks as much as we do. As special as these selections are, of course, they’re just the tip of the proverbial iceberg in a year that has given us so many fantastic releases. As always, please do feel free to visit our ever-changing WMF Faves playlist and keep checking in with WMF for updates on exciting new music beyond the confines of the mainstream. To be continued into 2023 and beyond…

*As much as possible, punctuation, spelling, special characters, and grammar remain unaltered in the spirit of presenting each artist’s vision in their own words.

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