I have not found 2018 to be a good music year. There have been some outstanding records, the Marie-Lepanto debut, Great Peacock, John Calvin Abney, T. Hardy Morris, Young Valley and Bottle Rockets are all very good with Alejandro Escovedo The Crossing is by far and away the best record I've heard this but yet I feel lacking in terms of impact releases. I know I'm probably just forgetting some of the stuff I've heard but from the guy who has sometimes had a hard time whittling 40 great records down to 25 for a year end list, this year has been very disappointing. to be fair I've spent a lot of time rediscovering music this year but still. What say you 3DD?

Courtney Barnett's Tell Me How You Really Feel is by far my favorite record of the year. She's got a way of capturing the anxiety and rage we're all feeling these days, with a healthy dose of compassion added to the mix. Not to mention raging guitars. If you get the chance, her live show can't be beat either.

I expect the brand new Kurt Vile record to be very high up on my list too.

Give em a shot TC.

Clams wrote:Courtney Barnett's Tell Me How You Really Feel is by far my favorite record of the year. She's got a way of capturing the anxiety and rage we're all feeling these days, with a healthy dose of compassion added to the mix. Not to mention raging guitars. If you get the chance, her live show can't be beat either.

I expect the brand new Kurt Vile record to be very high up on my list too.

Give em a shot TC.

Thanks, Clams. I love Kurt Vile so looking forward to that. I don't know why but I've never really spent any time listening to Courtney Barnett. I need to change that.

Sticking with what I think might be in your wheelhouse, you should check out these three records:

Sparkle Hard/Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks

Peaced and Slightly Pulverized/David Nance Group

Love Jail/Dommengang

For me, it's been a great year with a bunch of excellent records - Space Gun/Guided By Voices, Hope Downs/Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever, Wide Awake!/Parquet Courts, TRU/Ovlov, This Is Glue/Salad Boys, Freedom's Goblin/Ty Segall, Tell Me How You Really Feel/Courtney Barnett, Everything's Better/One Eleven Heavy, Ethers/Ethers. I'm not sure most of those records jive where where you (or most folks here) are at musically speaking, but I love 'em.

I also have an ever-growing playlist of my favorite 2018 tracks on Spotify.

I assume you forgot Phil Cook so I am not going to suggest that one.

Then there is this one which I liked;
.

Thanks! I did forget Phil Cook. It's incredible.

cortez the killer wrote:Sticking with what I think might be in your wheelhouse, you should check out these three records:

Sparkle Hard/Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks

Peaced and Slightly Pulverized/David Nance Group

Love Jail/Dommengang

For me, it's been a great year with a bunch of excellent records - Space Gun/Guided By Voices, Hope Downs/Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever, Wide Awake!/Parquet Courts, TRU/Ovlov, This Is Glue/Salad Boys, Freedom's Goblin/Ty Segall, Tell Me How You Really Feel/Courtney Barnett, Everything's Better/One Eleven Heavy, Ethers/Ethers. I'm not sure most of those records jive where where you (or most folks here) are at musically speaking, but I love 'em.

I also have an ever-growing playlist of my favorite 2018 tracks on Spotify.

Thanks, Cortez. I'll check them out. You're the second person to recommend the Parquet Courts record to me (Uncle Rickey raves about it) but I've never heard them. Is the new one where I should start or somewhere else?

(sorry I didn't mean to send this as a PM)

I second the new Courtney Barnett record--also my fave of the year so far.
Another highlight was 6 String Drag's High Hat getting a vinyl release--it hits all the alt-country sweet spots: Late '90s, North Carolina, produced by the Twang Trust (Steve Earle and Ray Kennedy).
Other faves:
Ty Segall's Freedom's Goblin
Sarah Shook & the Disarmers, Years
And then there's Neil's Live at the Roxy

The brand new Costello is superb, same with Alejandro

Here are some 2018 releases that I like:

Jack Ladder - Blue Poles
Ron Gallo - Stardust Birthday Party
King Tuff - The Other
Erika Wennerstrom - Sweet Unknown
Wussy - What Heaven is Like
Dean Ween Group - Rock2
Sunglasses for Jaws - Thank God I've Got My Jacket
Sarah Shook & The Disarmers - Years
Marcus King Band - Carolina Confessions
Circles Around the Sun - Let it Wander
Susto - Stories
T. Hardy Morris - Dude, The Obscure
Matthew Logan Vasquez - Texas Murder Ballads
Motorcade - s/t
Thee Oh Sees - Smote Reverser
Kikagaku Moyo - Masana Temples (their albums don't do them justice - you must see them live - they are amazing)
Mien - s/t

allisonsdc wrote:Here are some 2018 releases that I like:

Jack Ladder - Blue Poles
Ron Gallo - Stardust Birthday Party
King Tuff - The Other
Erika Wennerstrom - Sweet Unknown
Wussy - What Heaven is Like
Dean Ween Group - Rock2
Sunglasses for Jaws - Thank God I've Got My Jacket
Sarah Shook & The Disarmers - Years
Marcus King Band - Carolina Confessions
Circles Around the Sun - Let it Wander
Susto - Stories
T. Hardy Morris - Dude, The Obscure
Matthew Logan Vasquez - Texas Murder Ballads
Motorcade - s/t
Thee Oh Sees - Smote Reverser
Kikagaku Moyo - Masana Temples (their albums don't do them justice - you must see them live - they are amazing)
Mien - s/t

Forgot about the Susto and Erika Wennerstrom records. We have the latter on vinyl. I’ll check out the rest.

I know my personal tastes don't always line up with the rest of the board, but here are some records I keep going back to:

Ty Segall - Freedom's Goblin
First Aid Kit - Ruins
Brandi Carlile - By the Way, I Forgive You
Jim James - Uniform Distortion
Milk Carton Kids - All the Things That I Did and All the Things That I Didn't Do
Wussy - What Heaven Is Like
Ray LaMontagne - Part of the Light
The Moondoggies - A Love Sleeps Deep
Lucius - Nudes
The Decemberists - I'll Be Your Girl

Nor sure you'll like many of these but my favourites this year are

Low - Double Negative
Phosphorescent - C'est La Vie
White Denim - Performance
David Byrne - American Utopia
Jess Williamson - Cosmic Wink
Adrianne Lenker- abysskiss
Hayley Hendricks - I need to start a graden
Janelle Monae - Dirty Computer
John Prine - Tree of Forgiveness
Laura Veirs - The Lookout
Natalie Prass - The Future and the Past
Primal Scream - Give out but don't give up (with added David Hood)
Tune-yards - I can feel you creep into my private life
Imar - Avalanche

I’m with TC. Part of the problem is 2017 was a stellar year for me.

Don't forget the new Lucero album, Among the Ghosts

pearlbeer wrote:Don't forget the new Lucero album, Among the Ghosts

I haven't enjoyed a Lucero record in years (except for the live one that was excellent) but I should check it out.

Wow, the Lucero record is excellent. It had gotten to the point that I really hadn’t even tried with their records anymore. Clearly, with this one at least, that was a mistake.

Tequila Cowboy wrote:Wow, the Lucero record is excellent. It had gotten to the point that I really hadn’t even tried with their records anymore. Clearly, with this one at least, that was a mistake.

It’s my #1 for this year. One of the few I’ve spent much time with.

Tequila Cowboy wrote:Wow, the Lucero record is excellent. It had gotten to the point that I really hadn’t even tried with their records anymore. Clearly, with this one at least, that was a mistake.

Now go back and listen to the last two Felice Brothers records

Iowan wrote:

Tequila Cowboy wrote:Wow, the Lucero record is excellent. It had gotten to the point that I really hadn’t even tried with their records anymore. Clearly, with this one at least, that was a mistake.

It’s my #1 for this year. One of the few I’ve spent much time with.

Same here. New songs compliment an already stellar live show. Plus the fanbase has grown up, no moshing.

Not sure how I forgot it but this too

Josh T Pearson - The Straight Hits

Are you going to count Dave Davies' Decade? It was recorded in the seventies, touched up this year, and released for the first time. Literally no one had heard this record since it was cut till his kid the producer/arranger dug it out of his studio archives a few months ago. 2018 or 197X?

Plus it's really, really good.

Kevin Gordon- Tilt And Shine

Iowan wrote:

Tequila Cowboy wrote:Wow, the Lucero record is excellent. It had gotten to the point that I really hadn’t even tried with their records anymore. Clearly, with this one at least, that was a mistake.

It’s my #1 for this year. One of the few I’ve spent much time with.

Yeah. Tops my list (which is rather small this year) for most played so far

scotto wrote:Another highlight was 6 String Drag's High Hat getting a vinyl release--it hits all the alt-country sweet spots: Late '90s, North Carolina, produced by the Twang Trust (Steve Earle and Ray Kennedy).

It's worth noting that 6 String Drag released a most excellent album of new material ( Top of the World) this year as well. This song from it has been getting some airplay on the new Triple A station in Raleigh.

^ Yeah, I need to check that out--love Roby and Co. and have enjoyed the few songs I've heard.

Between Neil, AHC, Petty, and the new BOTT Dylan release, most of my favorite releases this year are old.

Smitty wrote:Between Neil, AHC, Petty, and the new BOTT Dylan release, most of my favorite releases this year are old.

The Dylan set is great. Have only listened to first 4 discs and love it

Corrosion of Conformity - No Cross No Crown
Sleep - The Sciences
YOB - Our Raw Heart