Albums: Split 100 points among your top 10 albums. No less than 5 points and no more than 30 for each album.
Singles: Name your top ten singles. Rule of thumb is if you listened to it out of the context of an album at least once, it's a single. Asterisk rule: You may put an asterisk by one single to give it an extra half-point. If you don't put an asterisk by any single, the half-point will go to the first single you name unless you state your list is unranked. The asterisk doesn't have to be given to your number one single (you might decide to vote tactically.)
EPs/mini-albums: Name up to five EPs or mini-albums. Assign an average of 2 points to each of these EPs, with each entry getting no less than 1 point and no more than 5. (So if you name one EP it gets 2 points, while if you name 5 EPs you can split 10 points.) It's left to your judgment as to what counts as an EP/mini-album, but under 25 minutes is a good rule of thumb. You are encouraged to also vote for EPs in the albums poll if they have given you comparable pleasure to your favorite albums.
The year-of-impact rule applies at your discretion. If you want reissues etc. to show up on the list, vote for them.
Ballots from women and people of color are especially encouraged (but white men can vote too, you’re cool.)
Three ways to vote:
Post your ballot in this thread. If you want to plug a longer or better annotated list elsewhere, you can include a link.
Post your ballot in the voting thread in the Expert Witness Facebook group. (If you’re not in the group but want to be then message me.)
Email your ballot to bradluen@yahoo.co.nz with "Expert Witnesses Poll 2022" in the subject line.
Deadline extended: Tuesday 17th Friday 20th January at 11:59 pm in some reasonable time zone.
PREVIOUS WINNERS
2011: Frank Ocean: Nostalgia, Ultra/Frank Ocean: "American Wedding" 2012: Loudon Wainwright III: Older Than My Old Man Now/Carly Rae Jepsen, "Call Me Maybe" 2014: Wussy: Attica!/Wussy, "Teenage Wasteland" 2015: Courtney Barnett: Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit/Donnie Trumpet & the Social Experiment, "Sunday Candy" 2016: A Tribe Called Quest: We Got It from Here… Thank You 4 Your Service/Beyoncé, "Formation" 2017: Jens Lekman: Life Will See You Know/Paramore, "Hard Times" 2018: Parquet Courts: Wide Awake!/Ariana Grande, "thank u, next" 2013: Vampire Weekend, Modern Vampires of the City/Vampire Weekend, "Ya Hey" 2019: Billie Eilish: When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?/Lizzo, "Juice" 2020: Run the Jewels, RTJ4/Lil Baby, "The Bigger Picture" 2021: Olivia Rodrigo, Sour/No-No Boy, "The Best God Damn Band in Wyoming"/Kalie Shorr, I Got Here by Accident
Results for 2018-21 can be found here. Results for 2010-13 are here. Results for 2014-17 are floating around somewhere.
Social Security age white guy who values songs of resilience, courage, and even sobriety. And who always makes sure he has non-white music listed so as to prove his wokeness.
2022: I picked me a mountain and I started to climb/Now every reason has a rhyme.
Albums
1. A Beautiful Time – Willie Nelson (14)
2. Okiri – Iara Renno (14)
3. Todd Live: The Storyteller Returns – Todd Snider (12)
Generic white guy ballot here, although as a 6'4" Italian-American, I'm sure I fit some protected cuomo sapien taxonomy:
Albums
1. Harry’s House - Harry Styles (17)
2. The Linden Trees Are Still In Blossom - Jens Lekman (16)
3. Loneliest Time - Carly Rae Jepsen (15)
4. The Lakes of Zones B and C - Emperor X (14)
5. Midnights - Taylor Swift [3am Edition, but caucus with standard] (13)
6. Solidaritine - Gogol Bordello (5)
7. FEMULINE Gaymeova - Todrick Hall (5)
8. Cave World - Viagra Boys (5)
9. Three Dimensions Deep - Amber Mark (5)
10. Dirt Femme - Tove Lo (5)
Songs
1. The Anthem of the Greater McMurdo Station Chamber of Commerce - Emperor X (*)
2. TV - Billie Eilish
3. People Watching - Conan Gray
4. Could’ve, Would’ve, Should’ve - Taylor Swift
5. Closer - Mel 4Ever, Michete
6. The Highs & The Lows - Chance the Rapper, Joey Bada$$
7. XXX - Kim Petras
8. Renaissance - Cristobal Tapia De Veer (White Lotus season 2 theme song)
9. Trouble - Troye Sivan, Jay Som
10. Bleach - Isaac Dunbar
Mongo's boring ballot for albums. I stomp in the mud a lot and tend the pigs when I'm not making homemade granola that tastes like feet.
1. Emperor X - The Lakes of Zone B and C (16 pts)
2. Adeem the Artist - White Trash Revelry (16)
3. Freakons - Freakons (16)
4. Regina Spektor - Home , before and after (10)
5. Little Simz -No Thank You (9)
6. Syd - Broken Hearts Club (8)
7. Willie Nelson - A beautiful time (7)
8. Yard Act - The Overload (7)
9. Sudan Archives - Natural Brown Prom Queen (6)
10. Charlotte Adigery - Topical Dancer (5)
Mongo average white guy from dusty forgotten town in midwest singles list.
1. Tove Lo - Grapefruit
2. Carly Rae Jepsen - Western Wind
3. Plains - Problem with it
4. Homeboy Sandman - Satellite
5. Bad Bunny - Me Porto Bonito
6. Jessie Ware - Free Yourself
7. Hailey Whitters - College Town
8. Nilufer Yanya - midnight sun
9. LCD Soundsystem - New Body Rhumba
10. Saba - One Way or Every N***a with a budget
Social Security age white guy who values songs of resilience, courage, and even sobriety. And who always makes sure he has non-white music listed so as to prove his wokeness.
2022: I picked me a mountain and I started to climb/Now every reason has a rhyme.
Albums
1. A Beautiful Time – Willie Nelson (14)
2. Okiri – Iara Renno (14)
3. Todd Live: The Storyteller Returns – Todd Snider (12)
4. Home, before and after – Regina Spektor (11)
5. Palomino – Miranda Lambert (10)
6. Ashley McBryde Presents: Lindeville – Ashley McBryde (10)
7. When The Wind Forgets Your Name – Built to Spill (8)
8. Despertar – Manel Fortia (8)
9. Welcome to Club XIII – Drive-By Truckers (8)
10. Expert In A Dying Field – The Beths (5)
Songs (or Stories, in Todd’s case)
1. I Got This – Sarah Shook and the Disarmers
2. Bonfire at Tina’s – Ashley McBryde
3. The Driver – DBTs
4. Down The Hall – Bonnie Raitt
5. Loveology – Regina Spektor
6. Kody Blu 31 – JID
7. Livin’ For The Ones – Bonnie Raitt
8. Kusaziva Kufa – Gonora Sounds
9. Endless Summer – Superchunk
10. John Prine (track 9 on Live: Return of the Storyteller) – Todd Snider
Albums
1. Harry Styles - Harry. 25
2. Miranda Lambert - Palomino. 20
3. Amanda Shires - Take It Like A Man. 15
4. Mike Marks - Feel Like Going Home. 10
5. Lizzo - Special. 5
6. Hailey Whitters - Raised. 5
7. Ashley McBryde Presents: Lindeville - Various. 5
8. Wet Leg - s/t. 5
9. Charley Crockett - Man From Waco. 5
10. Bonnie Raitt - Just Like That. 5
Songs
1. Harry Styles - As It Was
2. Lizzo - About Damn Time
3. Hailey Whitters - Everything She Ain't
4. Beyonce - Break My Soul
5. Silk Sonic - Love's Train
6. Sam Smith & Kim Petras - Unholy
7. Taylor Swift - Anti-Hero
8. Rina Sawayama - This Hell
9. Hot Chip - Down
10. Miko Marks - Feel Like Going Home
Chuck Eddy's Hexpert Witiness ballot:
ALBUMS
1. Babes Wodumo - Crown (West Ink) 14
2. Cäthe - Chill Out Punk (Träum Weiter! Germany) 12
3. Bright Dog Red - Under the Porch (Ropeadope) 11
4. The Kahil El’Zabar Quartet - A Time For Healing (Spiritmuse) 11
5. Mali Obomsawin - Sweet Tooth (Out of Your Head) 10
6. K.O.G.: Kweku T Ghana - Zone 6, Agege (Pura Viva France) 10
7. Phelimuncasi - Ama Gogela (Nyege Nyege Tapes Uganda) 10
8. Club D’Elf - You Never Know (Face Pelt) 9
9. Avalanche Kaito - Avalanche Kaito (Glitterbeat Europe) 7
10. Horsegirl - Versions of Modern Performance (Matador) 6
EPs (amended version)
1. Fulu Miziki - Ngbaka (Moshi Moshi UK) 5
2. Panic Shack - Baby Shack (Brace Yourself UK) 2
3. Edoheart - Pandemonium (Edoheart) 1
4. Metrolight - Copyright Strike (Tee Pee) 1
5. Anna Vaus - Younger Version of Myself (Longshot) 1
SINGLES
1. Jakuzi “Hiç Işık Yok”*
2. The Phasing Octopus “Nostromo”
3. Moves x Cruise “Are You Playing?”
4. Superior feat. Stove God Cooks “161”
5. King Stingray “Hey Wanhaka”
6. Isaiah Collier & the Chosen Few "Lift Every Voice”
7. Kamasi Washington “The Garden Path”
8. Bragglights “Call Your Mommy”
9. Perel “Jesus Was an Alien”
10. P-Rallel “Vibes”
I’m not on Facebook, so if this is a Facebook group only poll, please ignore the below.
Albums
Beyoncé: “Renaissance” 20
Big Thief: “Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe in You” 15
Wet Leg: “Wet Leg” 12
Taylor Swift: “Midnights (3 am edition)” 10
Mary Halvorson: “Amaryllis” 8
Little Simz: “No Thank You” 8
Plains: “I Walked with You A Ways” 8
Immanuel Wilkins: “The 7th Hand” 7
Bob Vylan: “Bob Vylan Presents the Price of Life” 6
Pink Pantheress: “to hell with it” 6
Singles
Beyoncé: “Break My Soul”
Ashley McBryde: “Brenda Put Your Bra On” *
The Beth’s: “Expert in a Dying Field”
Charlotte Adigery, Bolis Pupul: “Esperanto”
Dehd : “Bad Love”
Elvis Costello: “Magnificent Hurt”
Ethel Cain: “American Teenager”
Harry Styles: “Music for a Sushi Restaurant”
Lizzo: “About Damn Time”
Yeah Yeah Yeahs: “Burning”
Albums
1. N’Djila Wa Mudujimo, Lady Aicha & Pisco Crane’s Original Fulu Miziki Band of Kinshasa (15)
2. Renaissance, Beyonce (14)
3. Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe in You, Big Thief (13)
4. Too Much to Ask, Cheekface (12)
5. Wet Leg, Wet Leg (11)
6. Lingua Brasileira, Tom Ze (9)
7. The Boy Named If (Alive at Memphis Magnetic), Elvis Costello & the Imposters (8)
8. I Don’t Give a Fuck About This Rap Shit, Imma Just Drop Until I Don’t Feel Like It Anymore, $ilkMoney (7)
9. ¡Ay!, Lucrecia Dalt (6)
10. SOS, SZA (5)
First time top ten list maker adding some diversity to the group.
Albums
The Beth’s, Expert In A Dying Field. 15
Let’s Eat Grandma, Two Ribbons. 15
The Regrettes, Further Joy. 13
Beach Bunny, Emotional Creature. 12
Wet Leg, Wet Leg. 12
Stella Donnelly, Flood. 10
My Idea, Cry Mfer. 8
Montparnasse Musique, Archeology. 5
Carly Rae Jepsen, The Loneliest Time. 5
Ezra Furman, All of Us Flames. 5
Singles/Songs
"The Hardest Cut," Spoon (*)
"Spud Infinity," Big Thief
"Cozy," Beyonce
"The Man I'll Never Find," Lucius
"2 Be Loved," Lizzo
"The Price of Smokes," The Chats
"On the Radio," Spoon
"Shatter," Maggie Rogers
"You Don't Know Me," Leyla McCalla
"Featured Singer," Cheekface
SOS - SZA (15)
Wet Leg - Wet Leg (15)
Harry's House - Harry Styles (15)
MATA - MIA (15)
Midnights - Taylor Swift (10)
Renaissance - Beyonce (10)
A Legacy of Rentals - Craig Finn (5)
It's Almost Dry - Pusha T (5)
Dawn FM - The Weeknd (5)
Lucifer on the Sofa - Spoon (5)
Singles:
Taylor Swift - Anti-hero*
Lizzo - About Damn Time
Harry Styles - As It Was
SZA - Kill Bill
Beyonce - Break My Soul
Wet Leg - Too Late Now
Craig Finn - Messing with the Settings
Caamp - The Otter
Spoon - Wild
Carly Rae Jepsen - Western Wind
Ep's:
I just can't
ALBUMS 2022
Hook - From, Hook - 14 points
Ada Rook - Ugly Death No Redemption Angel Curse I Love You - 14 points
DJ MT7 - Pior é Nada - 13 points
DJ Travella - Mr Mixondo - 12 points
Moonchild Sanelly - Phases - 11 points
Phelimuncasi - Ama Gogela - 10 points
Bali Baby - Baliprint - 7 points
Juninho Count - Avalanches Dos Baile 2.0 - 7 points
WeFreeStrings - Love In The Form Of Sacred Outrage - 7 points
Bas Jan - Baby U Know - 5 points
SINGLES 2022
DJ Guuga - "Mostra O Que Ele Perdeu"
Zoi De Gato, Marlinho RDC, Laryssa Real - "Os Ratos Da Favela"
MC Danny & Turma da Bregadeira - "Soca Tudo"
MC Pipokinha, DJ MT7 - "Fala Fala"
A Turma da Pisadinha - "Na Onda do Berimbau"
MC Buraga, Bebll & Pétt, DJ Patrick Muniz - "Like Like Piquezin Piquezin"
MC Madan & MC Kalyu - "Fortnite Das Favelas"
MC RD, DJ Bill - "Piui Tic Tac vs Camisinh4 De Chocolate"*
Ecko Bazz - "Mmaso"
Clayton da Bagaceira, MC Mari e Matheuzinho - "No Sigilo"
EPs 2022
A Turma da Pisadinha - Rabetão Mágico - 3 points
Bragglights - End '22 - 3 points
Panic Shack - Baby Shack - 2 points
MC Madan - Terror do Multiverso - 1 point
Hyuna - Nabillera - 1 point