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

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

Post by vacant »

Most likely top 10 for the year:

Clutch: Book of Bad Decisions
Temperance Movement: A Deeper Cut
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club: Wrong Creatures
Howlin' Rain: Alligator Bride
Alice In Chains: Rainier Fog
The Record Company: All of This Life
Magpie Salute: Highwater 1
Monster Magnet: Mindfucker
Mother Hips: Chorus
Corrosion of Conformity: No Cross, No Crown

I still have to listen to albums by J Mascis, T Hardy Morris, and Mark Lanegan/Duke Garwood that came out in 2018, so they could displace something.

Neil Young and Frank Zappa both release stellar live recordings from the Roxy.

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

Post by dogstar »

My favourites for the year. The first two are tied as my favourites, a couple of weeks ago the Low album would have been out on its own but the Kasey Musgrave record is just so good.

1 Low - Double Negative
Probably not to many people on the boards taste but this is a phenomenal piece of work. It also begs to be listened to as an album as the tracks bleed into each other and there's a growing sense of what the band are trying to achieve. For
me the highlight is Tempest which is about half way through and there's a real sense of a release of all the despair and sadness that has been building to this point. To be this far into their career and produce something like this is pretty
unique.

1 Kasey Musgrave - Golden Hour
Brilliant pop record. I thought it was a bit throw away when I first heard it but this record snuck up on me with repeated listens, in the same way as the Low record did.

3 Phosphorescent - C'est La Vie
An album full of love songs is often a recipe for meh but Matthew Houck is such a good song writer he gets away with it. Continuing where Muchacho left off in a lot of years this would have been in the number one slot.

4 White Denim Performance
Back firing on all cyclinders the new lineup seem to have found their mojo and this was so much better than Stiff.

5 Josh T Pearson Straight Hits
Concept album alert, kind of. An album where all of the songs have the word straight in the title. Veers around all over the place but I love it and the live show was really good to.

6 Tuneyards I can feel you creep into my private life
This came out really early in the year and was the album I listened to the most for the first three months of the year.

7 Jess Williamson - Cosmic Wink

8 Phil Cook - People are my drug

9 Janelle Monae- Dirty Computer

10 Alela Diane - Cusp


Other stuff I liked:

The Good, The Bad and the Queen - Merrie England
Lucero - Among the Ghosts
The 1975 - A brief enquiry into online relationships
Parquet Courts - Wide Awake
Natalie Prass - The Future and the Past
Hayley Hendryck - I need to start a garden
Laura Veirs - The Lookout
Leon III - Leon III
Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever - Hope Downs
John Prine - Tree of Forgiveness
Richard Russell - Everything is recorded
Richard Thompson - 13 Rivers
Kurt Vile - Bottle it in
Adrianne Lenker - abysskiss
Bodega - Endless Scroll
St Vincent - Masseducation
Pigs, Pigs, Pigs, Pigs, Pigs, Pigs, Pigs - King of Cowards
"Guitars talk. If you really want to write a song, ask a guitar." Neil Young

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

Post by Shakespeare »

quiet year for me on the new release front, but more due to personal choice than a dearth of great stuff coming out. most of my 2018 listening leaned towards jazz and classical, so i heard far more new-to-me albums than plain new ones. jazz and classical still exist of course, but i still feel more comfortable exploring the past in those genres. as a result, the new releases i did hear largely kept things chill, with very little on the harder rock front making an impression on me.

30 | Lump | Lump
Laura Marling has grown into a huge favorite for me in recent years. She’s made subtle tweaks to her sound but never anything quite like this turn into trippy electronica. I think it fits her through. Has the air of a one off unfortunately, but maybe it’ll leak into her next proper release.
29 | Graham Coxon | The End Of The Fucking World
Coxon’s past solo albums have left me a bit cold, never really fulfilling the promise of his Blur contributions but this has traces of all facets of his talent and it plays great outside of the show.
28 | Dick Stusso | In Heaven
Just a short and catchy sloppy country blues album. This kind of thing would have been a staple for me in the early 10’s, now it just sneaks into the list.
27 | The Nels Cline 4 | Currents, Constellations
There’s a bit of a split personality here, with this lineup trying to play straightforward and noisy in equal parts. The connections are there to explore both sides, hopefully the lineup stays together long enough to tap it (though with Wilco’s imminent return, I’m not too optimistic)
26 | Oh Pep! | I Wasn’t Only Thinking Of You
I don’t know their earlier release at all, but I gather this is the pop turn album. The songs here still feel very rooted in folky harmonies, and I don’t think the polish takes any of that away.

25 | Mark Lanegan | With Animals
It’s no small wonder that Lanegan is still alive at all, let alone reliably putting something out just about every year. He still hasn’t fully left his recent electronic kick behind but I think this one does the best job yet of creating interesting soundscapes that acknowledge their true purpose is to present that voice to the world.
24 | Fantastic Negrito | Please Don’t Be Dead
Always nice to hear something showing there’s new life to be squeezed out of the blues after all. Plenty of hip hop elements here but nothing too jarring. Not quite as much a straight revivalist as someone like Gary Clark Jr, he still feels perfectly situated to bring a few tired old boomers into modern music.
23 | Bat Fangs | Bat Fangs
Filled a nice void while waiting on Ex Hex LP2. Not quite as consistent on the songwriting front but its bashed out with such exuberance that the hooks surface anyway.
22 | Jon Hassell | Listening To Pictures
I got really into Last Night The Moon… early this year so a follow up surfacing a few months later was perfect timing. He has an incredible ability to make jazzy soundscapes that feel completely outside any measure of time and place. This album is comparatively glitchier but everything I loved about Moon is here as well.
21 | Yo La Tengo | There’s A Riot Goin’ On
This has that classic YLT comfort/chemistry in spades but in much more of a downer tone. Just a great band.

20 | Hatchie | Sugar & Spice
Somewhat slight debut release but she’s already got a great studio touch and generally consistent songwriting level. Feels like a project destined to crank out a few classics by the time it ends. For all the praise the Snail Mail album got this year, I found this a far more successful attempt at a similar sound.
19 | Sons Of Kemet | Your Queen Is A Reptile
I’ve been following modern jazz artists more and more each year and stuff like this is a big reason why. You can hear its influences for sure (right down to the Impulse label and album art seeming straight off a lost 70s soul jazz album) but they come out as a completely bizarre (but never difficult) melting pot.
18 | Elvis Costello & The Imposters | Look Now
I haven’t closely followed his body of work since his early prime but I have heard enough to know this finds him revitalized. The songs are pinpoint sharp as always but what really surprised me here is the vocal arrangements. Sounds like as much care went into those as the more trademark Costello elements, and the band remains a brilliant partner.
17 | Jess Williamson | Cosmic Wink
A lot of attempts to add a psychedelic touch to folk songs leave me a bit cold but this album brings together the best of both worlds from it’s opening line.
16 | Tomberlin | At Weddings
Confessional folk played so quiet and slow that it borderlines on ambient. Almost does a disservice to what her words have to say but the overall product is incredibly captivating.

15 | Gwenno | Le Kov
14 | Gulp | All Good Wishes
I won't pretend I'd know these rleases if they didn't feature contributions by two of the SFA dudes, but I do think they offer plenty beyond uber fan curiosities and they mine similar ground. In Gulp’s case, their sunny pop is given a heavier groove. Gwenno focuses on a lost language with a spacier take. Gruff Rhys appears, bringing it full circle.
13 | Soccer Mommy | Clean
12 | Caroline Says | No Fool Like An Old Fool
Might as well kill two albums with one blurb here. Both so great at writing hazy pop songs that feel like miniature symphonies, except Caroline Says does it with less punch. Both had great releases last year and didn’t reinvent themselves or anything, but with as effortless as these songs feel I wouldn’t be surprised to see both go on a couple year winning streak.
11 | Jim James | Uniform Distortion
I think at this point the dudes solo catalog has as many baffling turns as MMJ’s (though generally less successful). Eternally Even found him more focused, and the lush soul results were great, so naturally the follow up has him in southern garage trio format. The whole thing feels bashed out in exactly the time it takes to hear it, with hardly a single crisp vocal track to be found, but it’s all so giddy and fun. The kind of release that reminds you of the whole point of this dang music.

10 | Arctic Monkeys | Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino
I’ve been a pretty casual AM fan since LP2 but not invested enough to closely follow or take strong views on their career progression. Don’t think I even heard AM or Suck It! I do know enough to say this is a hard left turn but I think they absolutely nailed it. I get some griping about how it should have been a Turner solo release, but I disagree. Turners songs and charisma sell the concept for sure, but I think the rest of the band had to be on board to really take it to the next level. All sorts of small moments around this album show that they did, with Turner then feeding off that further into the persona. Not sure its turf I want the band inhabiting for multiple further releases, but as far as these kinds of deviations go it was a massive success.
9 | Nine Inch Nails | Bad Witch
I’ve been even more casual a NIN fan over the years but this is the best full album statement Ive heard from Trent. A large part of that is probably the brevity, but I find it a generally strong summary of all his strengths, with a few new touches (a Bowie croon and honkin’ sax) added to show there’s still life left even if the man is probably far too wealthy to ever sell angst again.
8 | Kadhja Bonet | Childqueen
Whole lot of ideas to this one but she manages to filter them all into extremely crisp songs. I sometimes have a hard time finding soul/r&b albums I can get into for more than a few plays but I can get lost in this one for days.
7 | Mary Halvorson | Code Girl
6 | Mary Halvorson & Bill Frisell | The Maid With The Flaxen Hair
Basically interchangeable, but I listened to Maid more recently. Mary Halvorson was a major discovery for me this year, through her ample 2018 body of work and a few scattered older releases. I can’t pretend to understand exactly what she does, just that no one makes jazz guitar sound like this. I go back and forth on whether I prefer her in small or large group format, but it really doesn’t matter. She’s a one of a kind player with a great ear for talent around her. Code Girl manages to win me over to the idea of vocals in jazz, and Maid has her teaming up with Bill Frisell, another inimitable player and major discovery for me a few years ago. It’s all covers but with two guitarists this imaginative they feel completely fresh. Hopefully not the last time they record together.

5 | The Beths | Future Me Hates Me
Seems like every year lately I find an album that mines similar turf as this one and lands about this high old my EOY list. Last year it was Alex Lahey. Extremely sharp (but never overpolished) pop punk is already the stuff for me, but add a solid lyrical bent and it’s a slam dunk.
4 | Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks | Sparkle Hard
3 | Jeff Tweedy | Warm
2 | Gruff Rhys | Babelsberg
Could put these three in any order really. Given how little I paid attention to new releases (I think in part due to my 2018’s heavy focus on classical and jazz) it makes sense that three true to form releases from some of my most trusted artists would be the ones I feel strongest about. None of these are the artists best work, they’re all far too deep into careers for that, but none of them are straight retreads either. For Gruff, the orchestral concept lead to probably his most cohesive solo album statement yet, even if I’ll likely always lean towards Candylion as his best solo release. Warm finds Tweedy open like never before, somewhat shunning his usual oblique imagery in favor of more direct language. Malkmus just remains himself. Of the three, Sparkle Hard is the one I could most confuse with his past albums, and I couldn’t care less, but he adds a few new touches to his songwriting anyway. I never want to be one of those old fogeys too tied up in the past to follow anything new, but you’d be hard pressed to find three songwriters that mean more to me than these three, and for them all to come through in one year was a treat.
1 | Kacey Musgraves | Golden Hour
A quantum leap from an already great starting point. Pageant Material didn’t explicitly hint at this direction, except that it showed her as someone who had already mastered country songwriting. She expands her palette into pop here but not in a 1989 way. It felt special from the day it came out and looks to be a rare case of near unanimous agreement on its merits as AOTY material.

Bill in CT
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Re: So Help Me out with 2018 (Best of 2018 Official Thread)

Post by Bill in CT »

I'm still playing catchup with 2018, but here are some of my favorites from last year.

Apostle of Solitude - From Gold To Ash
Brant Bjork - Mankind Woman
Ivar Bjornson & Einar Selvik - Hugsja
Black Salvation - Uncertainty Is Bliss
Corrosion of Conformity - No Cross No Crown
Dommengang - Love Jail
Evoken - Hypnagogia
Fu Manchu - Clone Of The Universe
Graveyard - Peace
Holy Fawn - Death Spells
Holy Grove - Holy Grove II
Lucero - Among The Ghosts
Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks - Sparkle Hard
J Mascis - Elastic Days
Monster Magnet - Mindfucker
Brigid Mae Power - The Two Worlds
Gwenifer Raymond - You Never Were Much Of A Dancer
Sleep - The Sciences
Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats - Wasteland
Voivod - The Wake
Ryley Walker - Deafman Glance
Wardruna - Skald
Windhand - Eternal Return
YOB - Our Raw Heart
The closer you get to the meaning
The sooner you'll know that you're dreaming

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

Post by bellevillemusic »

Best:
01 The Coral | Move Through The Dawn
02 Alejandro Escovedo | The Crossing
03 The Silver Seas | Moonlight Road
04 The Grip Weeds | Trip Around The Sun
05 Damien Jurado | The Horizon Just Laughed
06 Tony Molina | Keep The Lights On
07 Doug Paisley | Starter Home
08 Sloan | 12
09 Kacey Musgraves | The Golden Hour
10 Kyle Craft | Full Circle Night
11 Tweedy | Warm
12 6-String Drag | Top of The World
13 Shopping | The Official Body
14 Guided by Voices | Space Gun
15 Shannon Shaw | In Nashville
16 Daniel Romano | Nerveless
17 The Connection | Wish You Success
18 Neko Case | Hell-on
19 Sarah Shook | Years
20 Ryley Walker | Deafman Glance

OST:
Richmond Fontaine | Don’t Skip Out on Me
Jonny Greenwood | Phantom Thread

Light of Day:
Dave Davies | Decade (Recorded in the 70’s)

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

Post by RolanK »

I am still going trough stuff I haven't heard (or haven't listened to enough) based on what other people have on their lists; Escovedo, Wennerstrøm both great albums, also The Rock*A*Teens, find from PH´s list which is perhaps my #1 favorite this year.

Others I have enjoyed for a while:

Leon III
Phil Cook
Father John Misty
T. Hardy Morris
Janelle Monáe
Courtney Barnett
Amanda Shires
Brent Cobb
Tweedy
LBIII live at the Nick
Lucero
Superchunk
Fa-Fa-Fa-Fa-Fa

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cortez the killer
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Re: So Help Me out with 2018 (Best of 2018 Official Thread)

Post by cortez the killer »

bellevillemusic wrote:Best:
01 The Coral | Move Through The Dawn
02 Alejandro Escovedo | The Crossing
03 The Silver Seas | Moonlight Road
04 The Grip Weeds | Trip Around The Sun
05 Damien Jurado | The Horizon Just Laughed
06 Tony Molina | Keep The Lights On
07 Doug Paisley | Starter Home
08 Sloan | 12
09 Kacey Musgraves | The Golden Hour
10 Kyle Craft | Full Circle Night
11 Tweedy | Warm
12 6-String Drag | Top of The World
13 Shopping | The Official Body
14 Guided by Voices | Space Gun
15 Shannon Shaw | In Nashville
16 Daniel Romano | Nerveless
17 The Connection | Wish You Success
18 Neko Case | Hell-on
19 Sarah Shook | Years
20 Ryley Walker | Deafman Glance

OST:
Richmond Fontaine | Don’t Skip Out on Me
Jonny Greenwood | Phantom Thread

Light of Day:
Dave Davies | Decade (Recorded in the 70’s)
I wasn't aware there was a new Doug Paisley album out. I will have to check it out.

Based on your list (and past lists), if you haven't already done so, you should check out Someday Everything Will Be Fine Spider Bags and Send Flowers State Champion. I think both will be in your wheelhouse.
You are entitled to your opinion, but you are not entitled to your own facts.
- DPM

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

Post by bellevillemusic »

cortez the killer wrote:
bellevillemusic wrote:Best:
01 The Coral | Move Through The Dawn
02 Alejandro Escovedo | The Crossing
03 The Silver Seas | Moonlight Road
04 The Grip Weeds | Trip Around The Sun
05 Damien Jurado | The Horizon Just Laughed
06 Tony Molina | Keep The Lights On
07 Doug Paisley | Starter Home
08 Sloan | 12
09 Kacey Musgraves | The Golden Hour
10 Kyle Craft | Full Circle Night
11 Tweedy | Warm
12 6-String Drag | Top of The World
13 Shopping | The Official Body
14 Guided by Voices | Space Gun
15 Shannon Shaw | In Nashville
16 Daniel Romano | Nerveless
17 The Connection | Wish You Success
18 Neko Case | Hell-on
19 Sarah Shook | Years
20 Ryley Walker | Deafman Glance

OST:
Richmond Fontaine | Don’t Skip Out on Me
Jonny Greenwood | Phantom Thread

Light of Day:
Dave Davies | Decade (Recorded in the 70’s)
I wasn't aware there was a new Doug Paisley album out. I will have to check it out.

Based on your list (and past lists), if you haven't already done so, you should check out Someday Everything Will Be Fine Spider Bags and Send Flowers State Champion. I think both will be in your wheelhouse.
Thank you, Cortez. I will certainly give'em a listen.

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