The 2018 end of the year music lists thread

they channel a bit of Real Estate, Deerhunter for me too

I found last year's EP pleasant enough but didn't feel like I'd ever need to hear more.

Anyone who enjoyed the recent stuff even a little needs to check out the first EP, Talk Tight which now includes the fab "Write Back/Career" single. "Wither With You" is a perfectly joyous earworm, and the rest is nearly as great. It's all there - literate Go-Betweens style wit, the occasional delicacy of Felt, the manic energy of Orange Juice and the driving post-punk of Radio Birdman and early Feelies. If you download the free singles "Angeline," "Waking Up, Dirt River," "Keep It Close" and "How Long?," together they make up a solid album-length debut. Those who don't drool a little at the description probably don't need it in their lives, and it's okay. We're all gonna die anyways.

With Drift's list added to the aggregate we definitely get a good snapshot of UK record store tastes. They also offer a thorough write-up here. I lost enthusiasm for Ought and need to revisit. I'm investigating #64 Starcrawler right now. #44 Laurence Pike is pleasant, Dungen & Woods is up my alley but I hadn't listened to it much as it felt like a pretty tossed off side project, but will listen more. #31 Our Girl is promising. #15 Amen Dunes getting props. #4 Bodega -- been listening for a few weeks, still thinking about 'em. #3 Nap Eyes is decent, something I would have been into 25 years ago. #1 Dirty Projectors - I'd forgotten about this, was not into it when it came out, but it is an interesting album. I'm most excited about this:

#63 Bas Jan - Yes I Jan

Among other things I like their fresh take on late period Raincoats. Also, they released an EP just yesterday that might even be better:
https://lostmap.bandcamp.com/album/instant-nostalgia

Ooh, I love this Bas Jan!

Finally a freaking list with Amen Dunes in the top 20.

I'm surprised to see Nap Eyes so high, but it seems like the kind of list where they just list the stuff they like, which is understandable. I liked the previous Nap Eyes album pretty well, and sampled this new one when it came out, but it kind of just sounded like more of the same and I wasn't feeling the need for it at the time, probably wasn't in the right mood. It's the kind of music that takes its time and requires a bit of patience. I should probably spend more time with this one.

Musicophilia's Top 50 Albums/EPs

50 Thom Yorke - Suspiria
49 Calvin Valentine - Keep Summer Safe
48 Peaking Lights - Sea of Sand
47 Knife Knights - 1 Time Mirage
46 Jean Grae & Quelle Chris - Everything’s Fine
45 MorMor - Heaven’s Only Wishful EP
44 Mourning (A) BLKstar - The Garner Poems
43 Sons of Kemet - Your Queen is a Reptile
42 Laurie Anderson & Kronos Quartet - Landfall
41 Virginia Wing - Ecstatic Arrow

40 Small Professor - Church Jawns EP
39 Marlowe - Marlowe
38 Lithics - Mating Surfaces
37 Anderson Paak - Oxnard
36 Open Mike Eagle - What Happens When I Try to Relax EP
35 Illingsworth - You’re No Fun
34 Hilary Woods - Colt
33 Cavern of Anti-Matter - Hormone Lemonade
32 Yves Tumor - Safe In the Hands of Love
31 Witch Prophet - The Golden Octave

30 Apollo Brown & Locksmith - No Question EP
29 Kiefer - Happysad
28 Joy Postell - Diaspora EP
27 Tim Hecker - Konoyo
26 Chancha Via Circuito - Bienaventuranza
25 Moses Sumney - Black In Deep Red, 2014 EP
24 Mick Jenkins - Pieces of a Man
23 Kamaal Williams - The Return
22 Kali Uchis - Isolation
21 Georgia Anne Muldrow - Overload

20 Szun Waves - New Hymn to Freedom
19 Sam Phillips - World on Sticks
18 Makaya McCraven - Universal Beings
17 The Midnight Hour - The Midnight Hour
16 Brandon Coleman - Resistance
15 Lando Chill - Maya Maia Mayu EP
14 Kadhja Bonet - Childqueen
13 Jlin - Autobiography
12 The Internet - Hive Mind
11 Melo-Zed - Elven

10 Blood Orange - Negro Swan
09 Noname - Room 25
08 Lando Chill - Landolasso EP
07 Lotic - Power
06 Lando Chill - Black Ego
05 Neneh Cherry - Broken Politics
04 Roy Kinsey - Blackie: A Story by Roy Kinsey
03 Serpentwithfeet - Soil
02 Low - Double Negative
01 Saba - Care For Me

Here's a thread with all these albums with links to listen/cover art:

THREAD: For 20+ years, I've been mostly focused on the music of the past. Why focus on the tiny sliver that is "now" when there's an undiscovered ocean out there called "then"? But 2018 has renewed my faith in "now" music. These artists are our light when we need it most. pic.twitter.com/nEekdW9fhl

— Musicophilia (@musicophiliamix) November 22, 2018

If I could achieve anything in advocating 2018 music, it'd be to get people to listen to Lando Chill, Roy Kinsey, and Saba--all doing really incredible work and (I have the sense) not being heard/talked enough about. . .

I like that list. I find serpentwithfeet and moses sumney very pretentious but the rest of the list is very agreeable for me.

Getting a lot of album lists in here, have many best tracks lists surfaced yet? And if not, what are some of y'all favourite tracks of the year?

I mostly save my contemporary listening for the end of the year - the only albums I've listened to and liked this year are

Kero Kero Bonito - Time 'n' Place
Daphne & Celeste - Daphne & Celeste Save the World
Andrew W.K. - You're Not Alone
Julia Holter - Aviary
Mr Twin Sister - Salt

Not surprised that the only one of these that is likely to make an appearance anywhere is Julia Holter, bit annoying obviously, but would be crazy to expect any different. Still hoping to find plenty of good stuff in these lists, even if I have to wade through a load of mulch on the way.

(Listened to the new Kamasai Washington and Beach House LPs too, found both a bit dull, yes I have only heard 7 new albums this year)

xp I am also looking forward to the tracks lists, the albums lists out so far are for record shops and print magazines, both of which favour albums and have to be out more than a month before xmas.

The first three things you named will all make my list!

Sadly this thread is for the real lists done by real critics

I've mostly been listening to metal this year but there should be more Jon Hassell, Tropical Fuck Storm and Emma Ruth Rundle on these lists.

Mr Twin Sister is alright so far. I only made it through two songs of Daphne & Celeste, Kero Kero Bonito and Andrew WK each.

didn't realise there was an Emma Ruth Rundle album will check it out thxp

I was thinking that Ben LaMar Gay album would be all over these lists, but control f reveals one mention on this thread. Seriously, it's really great!

Does ILM usually have a thread for user's own year's favorites ?
Cause I'm thinking that between the generalist and specialist's lists, we might as well forget about the pretension that anyone has a global perspective. At least, the lists posted so far seem to come from such different angles (which is certainly good in itself)... And I won't pay much attention to the more consensual ones dropping at the end.
Saying this as someone trying to catch up at the moment, and finding the namedropping pretty steep.

Rolling Favorite Tracks + Albums 2018

This is as close as we get to a "keeping track" kind of ilm list. Of course, there's also an EOY poll coming up soon and you always learn about a TON of stuff during the nominations process.

xp lol yeah I'm never gonna hear 90% of these, and I'm cool w/that.

the new Jon Hassell is indeed very good! (xps)

There will be end of year polls here in January, but this is a good place to look in the meantime:

What are your top 10 2018 albums so far

Fopp. Not a sign of RBCF or any of my favourites for that matter, but a second showing for Gaz.

https://www.albumoftheyear.org/list/1025-fopps-best-albums-of-2018/2
https://www.fopp.com/bestalbums2018/

20. Daniel Avery - Song For Alpha
19. Tracey Thorn - Record
18. John Grant - Love Is Magic
17. David Byrne - American Utopia
16. Jack White - Boarding House Reach
15. Teleman - Family of Aliens
14. Gaz Coombes - World’s Strongest Man
13. Parquet Courts - Wide Awake!
12. The Breeders - All Nerve
11. Kurt Vile - Bottle It In
10. Nils Frahm - All Melody
9. Jon Hopkins - Singularity
8. First Aid Kit - Ruins
7. Janelle Monáe - Dirty Computer
6. Christine and the Queens - Chris
5. Young Fathers - Cocoa Sugar
4. Courtney Barnett - Tell Me How You Really Feel
3. Low - Double Negative
2. Idles - Joy as an Act of Resistance
1. Kamasi Washington - Heaven and Earth

Roy Kinsey just performed at the Subterranean Friday night. Maybe I'll catch him in January at Steppenwolf.

The FOPP list pushed Kamasi to the top, and Idles to #4. I like what Idles' Joe Talbot said about my top post-punk album in MOJO: "The best thing I heard all year was easily Bambara and their album Shadow On Everything. [Singer/lyricist] Reid Bateh brings this savage realism but the noir-ish depth of the music takes you away on Birthday Party-type vibes. I just love everything they do - and I think they're one of the best live acts I've ever seen. They're from Atlanta, Georgia but based in Brooklyn. They're violent and passionate, interested and interesting and good-looking, and they're much cooler than we are."

Other artist recommendations:
Kim Deal/Breeders - 1080dB single
Shabaka Hutchings - Kojey Radical, D Double E, Ghetts
Stephen Malkmus - This Is The Kit, C.C.T.V., ILL

Gary Numan - Görkem Sen
Ryley Walker - Ben LaMar Gay

An interesting simultaneous trend I’m noticing in these lists is

1) a definite move towards a more “personal”, less faux-objective generalist dilletante’s attempt to cover “everything good” and more of an attempt to create a specific relative aesthetic (and it seems like a conscious effort to make that aesthetic heterodox at the same time, rather than culturally monolithic) — this is, fwiw, my preferred way of engaging with lists

2) the second edge of that sword is there’s definitely been a backing away from populism (a dirty word in a political sense bleeding over into this one?), from “trash culture,” from poptimism, moving towards a kind of tastefulness, respectability, aesthetic conservatism, art that exists in a kind of private, undisputable space... like critics have in response to the broader cultural arguments, become more conflict-averse

This is a trend I’ve noticed over the last few years and obviously i don’t know many of the artists mentioned in the above lists so someone can tell me if I’m way way off but it feels right

^^I’ve never heard of most of the stuff on these lists, so this sounds right to me...

I hope that’s the trend because otherwise 2018 is the year I’m officially old.

I’ve also never heard of most of these publications or blogs or whatever... I’m assuming that Pitchfork and Rolling Stone’s lists will be more “populist” (i.e., feature albums/artists I’ve actually heard of)?

(NB – I’ve heard of Time magazine, and their list illustrates my point)

2) the second edge of that sword is there’s definitely been a backing away from populism (a dirty word in a political sense bleeding over into this one?), from “trash culture,” from poptimism, moving towards a kind of tastefulness, respectability, aesthetic conservatism, art that exists in a kind of private, undisputable space... like critics have in response to the broader cultural arguments, become more conflict-averse

― ILX’s bad boy (D-40)

i think of this in the sense that i've read about russian aestheticism, in particular the thing about being apolitical being a political act... i don't know if there's a russian world for "self-care" but things there long ago reached a point where engaging politically became both futile and immensely self-destructive. the post-hippie era in america had the same sort of disillusioned disengagement, which was roundly denounced by the political radicals at the time (before the political radicals all wound up killing themselves).

I haven't heard of many of these artists/publications, but it's been that way for a few years now. At peace with it.

I’ve also never heard of most of these publications or blogs or whatever... I’m assuming that Pitchfork and Rolling Stone’s lists will be more “populist” (i.e., feature albums/artists I’ve actually heard of)?

― my guitar friend wants his money (morrisp), Sunday, November 25, 2018 1:07 PM (forty-three minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

To be clear I’m partly looking at this through the stuff that I *do* know on these lists & all the stuff I’m seeing excluded

I’m sure mainstream mags will include more pop but i feel like there was way more consensus earlier years among these smaller pubs when it came to ie rap music (cf the year everyone decided Lil b was a genius or w/e)

There are countless bands doing what RBCF (who are good though) and Parquet Courts (who are not good) do but yeah those two have publicity and labels and money behind them so you're gonna see them on these lists and not, say, the Goon Sax or the Woolen Men or whatever.

The Parquet Courts album seemed to get a lot of positive press when it came out, but I’m wondering if list-makers will have come to their senses in the cold light of December.

This PQ album the first one of theirs where I actively felt non-plussed, and just couldn't grasp the hype at all.

That’s insane. Wide Awake is my favorite record of the year easy

I mean, it's great that you like it and others do too! (Not mad, not everything's for me obviously.) It's just not the sound I come to this band for at all. Did kinda like the first single though.

Interesting to see that people really are into the lyrical content. This record is teaching me that to some extent - at this point in my life anyway - the music has to sell me before the words register, and the music isn't getting there.

Wide Awake! is their best album, IMO.

Whatever man, you love CHVRCHES.

It'll be interesting to see if Cardi B tops a lot of album lists.

I think the lyrics sound like a Twitter feed I wouldn’t care to follow, but to each their own (per Raymond, if I liked the songs otherwise, I wouldn’t care).

(wouldn’t mind the lyrix)

Whatever man, you love CHVRCHES.

― Johnny Fever, Sunday, November 25, 2018 9:11 PM (eighteen minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Well, I'm certainly not going to deny this. They also released a very good record this year.

thanks 2 Fastnbulbous for helping me get a head start on sorting through all this stuff. it's so stressful trying to cram for the january ilm exam. this year i'm getting a head start!

parquet courts so so boring imho

I’m sure mainstream mags will include more pop but i feel like there was way more consensus earlier years among these smaller pubs when it came to ie rap music (cf the year everyone decided Lil b was a genius or w/e)

I also feel like there was a lot more rap in general on most other lists from earlier this decade. It feels like we've reached a bit of a saturation point, and the quality of music has suffered - I think rap in 2018 will be remember for everything except for the quality of music released. I made a similar point in another thread, but it really felt like this year was the first time in a while that the worst excesses that the genre is capable of (pointless deaths, beefs, too much low effort music, style over substance) pushed creativity and interesting music out of the spotlight. Undeniable that it remains the most popular pop idiom, but aside from a couple of releases, I haven't really enjoyed too much rap from this year.

eh i think there's some truth to the idea that everything feels saturated & it might take longer than usual to sort out what's really sustained from this year but there are plenty of dope projects out IMO -- they just failed to generate any real critical consensus

xpost what a silly argument

Without wanting to start handwringing about how algorithms are killing pop music or whatever, we're now at the stage where the artists that are the most popular, the most trashy, are also the ones whose careers are the most dependent on streaming. As a result they've either become less album-centric or or the albums themselves have become way too baggy and undefined. The Cardi B album felt like it struck the perfect balance there but I haven't heard too many others that have nailed it like that.