Ditto, they sound good! Marie Davidson : Working Class Woman "The fourth album from the French Canadian producer explores the claustrophobic interior life of the club in frighteningly, sometimes comically deadpan detail".
J Mascis Elastic Days is a real good listen. Easygoing, laid back songs with acoustic and electric guitar.
This is some damn good alt-country-pop-rock. Early Barenaked Ladies vibes. Only downside is one of the singers is van-fleeting Tom Petty. The Years Have It, by Gleeson
Vote away: 2018's best albums - according to Uncut magazine (50–26) 2018's best albums - according to Uncut magazine (25–1)
Great guitar interpretation of Les McCann and Eddie Harris 's most groovy songs. Superb 180 gr. vinyl excellent pressing. Tettero plays Eddie Harris & Les McCann, by Tettero
Heirs Of Hideous Secrecies, by Cadaveric Fumes This is only half of a split 7 inch, but it's pretty hard to ignore. It reminds me most of Power Trip. Some really solid riffs here.
These lists have some good albums, but it’s mostly the hot up-and-comer type bands and the old tried-and-true. Very few sleeper picks. Don’t get me wrong, some of the best albums of the year are on there. Yet, it’s easy to have a well-received album when you’re squarely on the Pitchfork blah-blogosphere radar. The albums that are getting fewer excellent reviews, but excellent nonetheless, are often where many of the gems lie. Bands that are getting short-changes there: Daughters, Anna von Hausswolf, Mid-Air Thief, Idles, Avantdale Bowling Club, Natalia Lafourcade, etc. Put any of their records against that # 36 Lemon Twigs album and get lemonade. The music magazines (not zines) will ever fail music fans because they are trying to gross revenue. Whoever has the image, the style, the gab will get promoted by them. Their motives are not pure, in contrast to those of the zine. That’s why democratic promotion of albums/bands within forums such as this and democratic rating sites from music fans with no corporate agenda - such as RateYourMusic - will be the places to go for the best. That’s my opinion, at least.
Thank god it is not mandatory listening to any of these Top lists each year. This thread/forum makes much better lists.
Do you guys think Scompton died? Another rant by me. Playing devils advocate, I like reading the reviews and lists, too. But, I have no illusions about the primary goal of the publications. Music criticism is an important part of the art scene - so I applaud the reviews and lists when they’re more or less good.
Well the posts (and votes!) there from people who don’t frequent this thread are predictably depressing ...
Barring any late additions, this is my top 18 of 2018! 1. Erika Wennerstrom - Sweet Unknown 2. The Nude Party - The Nude Party 3. Courtney Marie Andrews - May Your Kindness Remain 4. Garcia Peoples - Cosmic Cash 5. John Prine - The Tree of Forgiveness 6. Israel Nash - Lifted 7. Richmond Fontaine - Don't Skip Out On Me 8. One Eleven Heavy - Everything's Better 9. Roger Daltrey - As Long as I Have You 10. Damien Jurado - The Horizon Just Laughed 11. The Brian Jonestown Massacre - Something Else 12. Phosphorescent - C'est La Vie 13. Colter Wall - Songs of the Plains 14. Ry Cooder - The Prodigal Son 15. Wussy - What Heaven is Like 16. Sarah Shook & The Disarmers - Years 17. Bob Seger & The Last Heard - Heavy Music 18. First Aid Kit - Ruins Thanks to everyone for the recommendations, especially GuidedByJonO for the Garcia Peoples and One Eleven Heavy albums.
Just wanted to say: big Thank You for everyone participating in this thread: listened to most of the recommendations and found some really splendid stuff here Also good to know there’s some music besides White Album and Egypt Station (which I like a lot btw). Do you think we should start a new thread later with everyone’s favourite albums of the year or should we post it right here?
Unknown Mortal Orchestra 'IC-01 Hanoi' is very great. Instrumental jams: psychedelia, kraut, jazzy saxophone, dub...you name it!
Later, much later I never know how anyone can do their end of year list in November, there are still new albums coming out, let alone all the ones I’m still digesting from September...
Jon))) mentioned this album, and I’ll second that it’s tasty heavy stoner metal treesap: Ashen Blood, by Green Druid
These guys are great. They put on a good live show too. More evidence that Denver has the best metal scene.
And my Thresholder vinyl did come soon, and I've lost count of how many times I've had to move the arm back to the start, or flip and repeat, but it's a lot. Really nice album. But continuing the new albums with good DR values, finally stopped playing Ian William Craig long enough to spend some quality time with the Michael Price Tender Symmetry album, really nice neo-classical work also on Erased Tapes like some of my other favorites this year, this one taking inspiration from National Trust buildings and locations throughout the UK, with words from William Blake’s Songs of Innocence and Experience as a running theme throughout. Beautiful album, and DR 12 on the 16/44.1K download, with high res 24/96 available too ... the short closer "Shade of Dreams" below, written after the birth of his daughter. “The final piece, Shade of Dreams, is part of a group of pieces I wrote for the birth of our daughter, Emilie. It, like all the works on the album, takes its text from William Blake’s Songs of Innocence and Experience, in this case, A Cradle Song. As much as Tender Symmetry is about the past, it is firmly about the future, and all of our shared futures.” ...
Makaya McCravens new album "Universal Beings" turned up today on vinyl. I think it trumps his last full effort "In the Moment" - on my 2nd playthrough IN A DAY, its that good.
