So Help Me out with 2018 (Best of 2018 Official Thread)

[Mundane Mayhem]

I had just created a new "Favorite Records of 2018" thread, but I deleted it. I'll just add my thoughts here and revive this thread.

In no particular order:

Lucy Dacus, Historian. ("Night Shift" is probably SOTY for me)
Noname, Room 25
Phosphorescent, C'est La Vie. Classic grower. Love this record. If "Night Shift" isn't my SOTY, "C'est La Vie No. 2" is.
Tyler Childers, Live on Red Barn Radio, I & II. Feels like cheating since this isn't "new" music, but it deserves a mention.
Malkmus & Jicks, Sparkle Hard
Khruangbin, Con Todo El Mundo
Soccer Mommy, Clean
Jim James, Uniform Distortion. Better than any MMJ album since Z, IMO. *ducks*
Pusha T, Daytona
Does Town Burned Down count?

HM: Father John Misty, God's Favorite Customer. Cat Power, Wanderer. T. Hardy Morris, Dude, the Obscure. Erika Wennerstrom, Sweet Unknown. Austin Lucas, Immortal Americans. Amanda Shires, To The Sunset. The National Reserve, Motel La Grange. Colter Wall, Songs of the Plains.

Contenders that need more spins: Sarah Shook & The Disarmers, Years. Sleep, The Sciences. Aaron Lee Tasjan, Karma for Cheap. Jeff Tweedy, Warm. Parquet Courts, Wide Awake!

Things that should have grabbed me but didn't (yet): Kacey Musgraves, Earl Sweatshirt

Also loved "Before We Were Together" from Margaret Glaspy's Born Yesterday EP.

Eager to see some of your picks to tell me what I'm missing and expand my horizons.

[scotto]

Does Town Burned Down count?

Fuck yeah it does.
I had as much fun with reissues and from-the-vaults records this year as I did brand spankin' new albums. So my list is a mix of new, old, and never was before. (And I wonder if it's just a coincidence that 2018's crop of favorite albums is not unlike this year's crop of newly minted politicians: Full of strong, encouraging women?)
My baker's dozen favorite records of 2018 in purely alphabetical order:

Adam’s House Cat Town Burned Down
Courtney Barnett Tell Me How You Really Feel
The Beths Future Me Hates Me
boygenius ep
Eric Dolphy Musical Prophet (The Expanded 1963 New York Studio Sessions)
Bob Dylan More Blood, More Tracks (The Bootleg Series Vol. 14)
Father John Misty God’s Favorite Customer
Sophia Pfister Birdcage
Ty Segall Freedom’s Goblin
Sarah Shook & The Disarmers Years
Soccer Mommy Clean
Yo La Tengo There’s a Riot Goin’ On
Neil Young Roxy, Tonight’s the Night

[WarHenRecords]

BOLD denotes records that you may not have heard, but would most likely enjoy.

Records that saw a wide release to which I kept returning:
Marie/Lepanto - Tenkiller
Idris Ackamoor & The Pyramids - An Angel Fell
Phil Cook - People Are My Drug
Yo La Tengo - There’s A Riot Going On
Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks - Sparkle Hard
Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio - Close But No Cigar
Sun Ra - Of Abstract Dreams
Medeski Martin & Wood - Omnisphere
John Medeski's Mad Skillett
Kikagaku Moyo - Masana Temples
Richmond Fontaine - Don't Skip Out On Me

Some records I released that I'm pretty proud of and hope you will check out:
https://warhenrecords.bandcamp.com/
Big Air - Inner Facing, Outer Spacing
Zack Mexico - Live in The Velvet Rut
Saw Black - Water Tower
The True Loves - Famous Last Words
Beltway Recording Company - Outer Sounds From The Inner Loop
Dogwood Tales - Too Hard To Tell
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - Polygondwanaland

Some records from Virginia artists I really liked:
Daniel Bachman - The Morning Star
Butcher Brown - AfroKuti: A Tribute to Fela
New Boss - No Breeze
Sarah White - High Flyer
The Spacebomb House Band's Library Music Series
Magic Number - Ampersand
ollen - home less

Some reissues I liked:
James Booker - The Lost Paramount Tapes
Gloria Barnes - Uptown
Mulatu Astatke & His Ethiopian Quintet - Afro Latin Soul Vol. 1 & 2
Ted Lucas - s/t
The Dharma Trio - Snoopy's Time
Neil Young – Roxy – Tonight’s the Night Live
Hiss Golden Messenger - Devotion: Songs About Rivers and Spirits and Children box set
The Glands - I Can See My House From Here box set

Some debuts I liked:
Garcia Peoples - Cosmic Cash
One Eleven Heavy - Everything’s Better
Neighbor Lady - Maybe Later
Leon III - s/t

Some compilations I liked:
Disques Debs International Vol. 1 (Strut Records)
Technicolor Paradise - Rhum Rhapsodies & Other Exotic Delights (Numero Group)
Eccentric Soul: The Saru Label (Numero Group)
Eccentric Soul: The Cash Label (Numero Group)
African Scream Contest Vol. 2: Benin 1963-1980 (Analog Africa)

Other strong offerings/stuff that I enjoyed but need to spend more time with:
Scott Hirsch - Lost Time Behind The Moon
The Dead Tongues - Unsung Passage
Richard Swift - The Hex
Ryley Walker - Deafman Glance and The Lillywhite Sessions
The Necks - Body
Low - Double Negative
Bill Frisell - Music IS
Makaya McCraven - Universal Beings

[Flea]

Any list that does not include the 50th anniversary super deluxe White Album reissue is suspect.

[tinnitus photography]

this came out last year but so what... no one on here's ever heard of this guy and i think we should. definitely the musical discovery of the year for me. this song wants me to learn how to play bass.

[scotto]

Any list that does not include the 50th anniversary super deluxe White Album reissue is suspect.

I know this blasphemy (or heresy or something), but I just can't get excited about it. I'm not a Beatles hater, I've just had my fill.

[Tequila Cowboy]

Starting to work on my list but not quite done yet. I know it probably violates someone's rules but I'm going to have to add a couple of records that don't fit the "new" criteria in The Glands and AHC.

By far and away my favorite record of the year is Alejandro Escovedo- The Crossing. Just stunning after that these will all make my list

Phil Cook- People Are My Drug
Marie/Lepanto- Tenkiller
Adam's House Cat- Town Burned Down
The Glands- I Can See My House From Here (Box Set)
T. Hardy Morris- Dude, The Obscure
Erika Wennerstrom- Sweet Unknown
John Prine- Tree of Forgiveness
Lucero- Among the Ghosts
J. Mascis- Elastic Days

There are a few more I'm going to spend a little more time with this weekend and wrap the thing up by Tuesday

[Mundane Mayhem]

this came out last year but so what... no one on here's ever heard of this guy and i think we should. definitely the musical discovery of the year for me. this song wants me to learn how to play bass.

That was super cool. Thanks for sharing.

Records that saw a wide release to which I kept returning:
Idris Ackamoor & The Pyramids - An Angel Fell
Kikagaku Moyo - Masana Temples

Dug into both of these at work today and you're 2/2. Looking forward to checking out the rest.

Some reissues I liked:
James Booker - The Lost Paramount Tapes

I wasn't really thinking about reissues in my list, but fuck, I listened to that a lot this year. So good.

[Clams]

Any list that does not include the 50th anniversary super deluxe White Album reissue is suspect.

I know this blasphemy (or heresy or something), but I just can't get excited about it. I'm not a Beatles hater, I've just had my fill.

x2

[StevieRay]

AOTY 2018

Here we are at the end of 2018 and it’s time for a list of records that caught my attention. I had a range of things in which I took refuge against the endless onslaught / shit-storm that was 2018. Some of it was vital to maintaining sanity. Generally, I refrain from live or re-issued records on my “best-of” list – and, list alphabetically by album title as I’m a complete amateur critic (can’t rank art for shit). Also, cover-records, compilations, or retrospectives, etc. aren’t here – but, might have been enjoyed and listened to in 2018. Certainly, tons of stuff I see on other lists like Aquarium Drunkard have completely escaped my attention. Also, I’m positive there were artists I discovered or heard that I thought highly of – but, didn’t get listed here b/c there’s no Long Play release this year.

Top twenty-five heavy rotation record albums (heaviest rotated in bold):

13 Rivers - Richard Thompson
Back Roads and Abandoned Motels – The Jayhawks
Bit Logic – Bottle Rockets
Bottle It In – Kurt Vile
By The Way, I Forgive You – Brandi Carlile
Chorus – The Mother Hips
Con Todo El Mundo – Khruangbin
Don't Skip Out on Me – Richmond Fontaine
Down the Road Wherever – Mark Knopfler
Elastic Days – J Mascis
God's Favorite Customer – Father John Misty
Hard Sparkle – Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks
HELL-ON – Neko Case
Look Now – Elvis Costello & The Imposters
People Are My Drug – Phil Cook
Sweet Unknown – Erika Wennerstrom
Tell Me How You Really Feel – Courtney Barnett
TENKILLER – Marie/Lepanto
The Crossing – Alejandro Escovedo with Don Antonio
The Messenger – Rhett Miller
The Thread That Keeps Us – Calexico
The Tree of Forgiveness – John Prine
Top of The World – 6 String Drag
Wide Awake! – Parquet Courts
Years – Sarah Shook & The Disarmers

[scotto]

Top of The World – 6 String Drag

Yeah, forgot about this one. Didn't spend near enough time with it, but really liked it.

[Flea]

Any list that does not include the 50th anniversary super deluxe White Album reissue is suspect.

I know this blasphemy (or heresy or something), but I just can't get excited about it. I'm not a Beatles hater, I've just had my fill.

x2

No cookies for you!

[tinnitus photography]

a collection of 2018 songs i liked.

https://open.spotify.com/user/tinnitus_ ... PiO0Fs1jFQ

[cortez the killer]

2018
1. Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks | Middle America
2. Bonny Doon | I Am Here (I Am Alive)
3. Nap Eyes | Every Time the Feeling
4. The Men | Rose on Top of the World
5. Jeff Tweedy | The Red Brick
6. Parquet Courts | Almost Had to Start a Fight/In and Out of Patience
7. Flasher | Pressure
8. Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever | Talking Straight
9. Salad Boys | Exaltation
10. The Goon Sax | Sleep EZ
11. Weller | Buck
12. The Sea and Cake | Any Day
13. Three Man Cannon | Sun Poison
14. The Blank Tapes | Paradise
15. The Number Ones | You're So Happy I Could Cry
16. RFA | Down Your Street
17. Buffalo Tom | Roman Cars
18. Superchunk | Erasure
19. The Breeders | Wait in the Car
20. Guided By Voices | Space Gun
21. Ovlov | Baby Alligator
22. Dommengang | Going Down Fast
23. Ty Segall | She
24. Marie/Lepanto | Inverness
25. David Nance Group | Amethyst
26. Jim James | No Secrets
27. T. Hardy Morris | Homemade Bliss
28. Snail Mail | Pristine
29. Courtney Barnett | Walkin’ On Eggshells
30. Spider Bags | My Heart Is a Flame in Reverse
31. Phosphorescent | New Birth in New England
32. Amanda Shires | Leave It Alone
33. Sunflower Bean | Easier Said
34. Ed Schrader's Music Beat | Riddles
35. The Limiñanas featuring Peter Hook | The Gift
36. Interpol | Stay In Touch
37. Deeper | Pink Showers
38. Moaning | Artificial
39. Shame | One Rizla
40. Iceage | Pain Killer
41. The Voidz | We're Where We Were
42. Dumb | Hard Sea
43. Sunglasses For Jaws | One Take Pusher
44. Gaz Coombes | Walk The Walk
45. Astral Swans | General Rule
46. Omni | Sunset Preacher
47. The Glands | Pleaser
48. The Cleaners From Venus | Life in a Time Machine
49. Tobin Sprout | Supersonic Chairman
50. J Mascis | See You At The Movies

[cortez the killer]

Albums:
1. Sparkle Hard/Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks
2. Space Gun/Guided by Voices
3. Tru/Ovlov
4. This Is Glue/Salad Boys
5. Hope Downs/Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever
6. Wide Awake!/Parquet Courts
7. Freedom's Goblin/Ty Segall
8. Warm/Jeff Tweedy
9. Elastic Days/J. Mascis
10. We're Not Talking/The Goon Sax
11. Love Jail/Dommengang
12. Peaced and Slightly Pulverized/David Nance Group
13. Songs of Praise/Shame
14. Beyondless/Iceage
15. I'm Bad Now/Nap Eyes
16. Deeper/Deeper
17. Tenkiller/Marie/Lepanto
18. RFA/RFA
19. To the Sunset/Amanda Shires
20. The Nude Party/The Nude Party

Favorite Reissues/Live/Old Stuff:
Double Coda/The Glands
Roxy: Tonight's the Night Live/Neil Young
Town Burned Down/Adam's House Cat

[Iowan]

1. Lucero "Among the Ghosts"
2. John Prine "The Tree of Forgiveness"
3. American Aquarium "Things Change"
4. Brandi Carlile "By The Way, I Forgive You"
5. Trampled By Turtles "Life is Good on the Open Road"
6. Wheeler Walker Jr. "WWIII"
7. Charley Crockett "Lonesome as a Shadow"
8. Courtney Barnett "Tell Me How You Really Feel"
9. Brian Fallon "Sleepwalkers"
10. Ruby Boots "Don't Talk About It"

HM: Jeff Tweedy "Warm", Sarah Shook & The Disarmers "Years", Michigan Rattlers "S/T", Blackberry Smoke "Find a Light", Cody Jinks "Lifers"

[Tequila Cowboy]

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 really liked the David Nance Group record, something akin to Neil Young through an indie lens I suppose. I didn't enjoy the Malkmus record as much as some of his others though. It has been a better year in music than I thought though. Some years I start jotting down my favorites and end up at 30-35 records, I bought less this year in terms of vinyl and have listened a little less in terms of Spotify stuff. I'm slowly catching up. The Glands and the J. Mascis are the two that have me hooked at the moment. I'll post a formal (but maybe unranked) list later today.

[tinnitus photography]

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 really liked the David Nance Group record, something akin to Neil Young through an indie lens I suppose. I didn't enjoy the Malkmus record as much as some of his others though. It has been a better year in music than I thought though. Some years I start jotting down my favorites and end up at 30-35 records, I bought less this year in terms of vinyl and have listened a little less in terms of Spotify stuff. I'm slowly catching up. The Glands and the J. Mascis are the two that have me hooked at the moment. I'll post a formal (but maybe unranked) list later today.

and what about the Dommengang record?


FINISH THE GODDAMN STORY!

[Sterling Bigmouth]

John Prine - The Tree of Forgiveness
Lucero - Among the Ghosts
Kacey Musgraves - Golden Hour
Father John Misty - God’s Favorite Customer
Amanda Shires - To the Sunset
Soccer Mommy - Clean
Pusha-T - Daytona
Colter Wall - Songs of the Plains
Vince Staples - FM!
Car Seat Headrest - Twin Fantasy (Face to Face)

So much good stuff this year, also loved the releases from Snail Mail, Joshua Hedley, Bottle Rockets, Brent Cobb, Jim James, and of course Adam’s House Cat.

[tinnitus photography]

some stuff i enjoyed listening to this year

https://open.spotify.com/user/tinnitus_ ... fn9mv42CmA

[Tequila Cowboy]

and what about the Dommengang record?


FINISH THE GODDAMN STORY!

Haven't gotten to that one yet.

Still trying to find the time to listen to Parquet Courts who everyone tells me I'll like but I've never heard a note from.

[cortez the killer]

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 really liked the David Nance Group record, something akin to Neil Young through an indie lens I suppose. I didn't enjoy the Malkmus record as much as some of his others though. It has been a better year in music than I thought though. Some years I start jotting down my favorites and end up at 30-35 records, I bought less this year in terms of vinyl and have listened a little less in terms of Spotify stuff. I'm slowly catching up. The Glands and the J. Mascis are the two that have me hooked at the moment. I'll post a formal (but maybe unranked) list later today.

That's an apt description of the DNG album. Certainly derivative, but with more of a 21st century indie twist.

As you can see from my rankings, I love the Malk record. Are you a Pavement fan, TC?

The Glands collection is probably my favorite thing from 2018. So fuckin' good.

I've been listening to the new Mascis a good amount lately. Another month or so with it and I'd likely rank it higher. When I saw saw Guided By Voices back in October, J. Mascis was standing right next to me. Not a man of many words, but pretty cool.

[cortez the killer]

and what about the Dommengang record?


FINISH THE GODDAMN STORY!

Haven't gotten to that one yet.

Still trying to find the time to listen to Parquet Courts who everyone tells me I'll like but I've never heard a note from.

Both worth checking out.

[cortez the killer]

1. Lucero "Among the Ghosts"
2. John Prine "The Tree of Forgiveness"
3. American Aquarium "Things Change"
4. Brandi Carlile "By The Way, I Forgive You"
5. Trampled By Turtles "Life is Good on the Open Road"
6. Wheeler Walker Jr. "WWIII"
7. Charley Crockett "Lonesome as a Shadow"
8. Courtney Barnett "Tell Me How You Really Feel"
9. Brian Fallon "Sleepwalkers"
10. Ruby Boots "Don't Talk About It"

Whiskey drenched.

[cortez the killer]

some stuff i enjoyed listening to this year

https://open.spotify.com/user/tinnitus_ ... fn9mv42CmA

Any changes from the one you posted four hours ago?

[tinnitus photography]

and what about the Dommengang record?


FINISH THE GODDAMN STORY!

Haven't gotten to that one yet.

Still trying to find the time to listen to Parquet Courts who everyone tells me I'll like but I've never heard a note from.

Dommengang is a million times better than PC (who i do like, btw).

[tinnitus photography]

some stuff i enjoyed listening to this year

https://open.spotify.com/user/tinnitus_ ... fn9mv42CmA

Any changes from the one you posted four hours ago?

probably.

[tinnitus photography]

hey guys, these songs were pretty good!
https://open.spotify.com/user/tinnitus_ ... PkDSRKvxiQ

[Zip City]

Probably the fewest new records I've bought in the last 10 years. Just not a ton that grabbed me.

Anyways, my top 10 of 2018:

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

[Iowan]

1. Lucero "Among the Ghosts"
2. John Prine "The Tree of Forgiveness"
3. American Aquarium "Things Change"
4. Brandi Carlile "By The Way, I Forgive You"
5. Trampled By Turtles "Life is Good on the Open Road"
6. Wheeler Walker Jr. "WWIII"
7. Charley Crockett "Lonesome as a Shadow"
8. Courtney Barnett "Tell Me How You Really Feel"
9. Brian Fallon "Sleepwalkers"
10. Ruby Boots "Don't Talk About It"

Whiskey drenched.

Didn’t get too far out of the ol’ wheelhouse this year. Hoping something unexpected grabs me in ‘19.