The 2018 end of the year music lists thread

proud to say i've been on board the botnik train for a few months now

i like the vinyl factory list, from that list i hadn't heard farao, martyn, or insolito universo, all great records

i'm moving towards just spending december only listening to 2018 releases, god there are so many good ones, at this point i'm ready to just delete all the stuff from before 2018, who needs it?

it's interesting. I also really like the Musicophilia list

kinda surprised My Trust in You by Marc Baron and Lucio Capece (Erstwhile Records) didn't make any of these lists (WIRE?) ... it's one of the best Erstwhile albums I've heard in a while.

need to hear that, going to have to make an Erstwhile order, that and the Áine O'Dwyer/Graham Lambkin record that meaulnes mentioned above sound really intriguing

um, holy shit at this inclusion from the noisey list: https://youtu.be/BtybvwLJC30

― big crime for a SPECIAL WHATEVER (voodoo chili), Friday, December 7, 2018 12:12 AM (nine hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

haha

D-40 has been going down this pedantic wormhole since, like, "Still Tippin'." Ignore.

― 5th Ward Weeaboo (Whiney G. Weingarten), Wednesday, 5 December 2018 17:39 (two days ago) Permalink

This is such a bad post. I’m not pedantic I just think it’s obnoxious when critics are exposed to a record but only pick up on it when it becomes a Social Movement. By this logic a bunch of critics should have had faneto this year

I literally saw Ella mai perform a then-released “bood up” whole opening for Kehlani in mid 2017. Her album was produced by dj mustard and had a ton of streams, this isn’t obscure

And we certainly wouldn't want to be obnoxious, would we?

god is a woman" over "no tears" or "breathin"? ok

― lowercase (eric), Thursday, December 6, 2018 9:24 AM (four minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

"god is a woman" is such a bad song

― jolene club remix (BradNelson), Thursday, December 6, 2018 10:28 AM (yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

"No Tears Left to Cry" is a victim of being released earlier in the year and/or Ariana leaning into gigantic meme status later in the year, but it's the best single by a mile

― aloha darkness my old friend (katherine), Thursday, December 6, 2018 10:57 AM (yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

I like god is a woman! At least musically, I haven’t given it much thought conceptually. But that two note guitar is such a dope hook to me, and I think the main melody is fire

No tears left to cry I kNoW was a critical smash due in part to its uk garage adjacent sound but to me it’s structurally kind of underwhelming... or maybe structurally overwhelmed... like a good idea that isn’t quite executed to its full effect ... but i guess that’s what would make it a good critical record in that the surface affect is novel in pop rn and its skeleton has a kind of unconventional shapelessness that, once it wasn’t a Huge hit, makes it feels slightly like a failure to me in some way

Thank u will obviously be the iconic single off the project and I haven’t really decided how I feel about it... that seems like a victory of concept over songcraft (god is a woman) or aesthetic (no tears)

best ariana grande track this year for my money is 'dance to this'

And we certainly wouldn't want to be obnoxious, would we?

― Matt DC, Friday, December 7, 2018 4:33 AM (four minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Oh I think it’s well established on ilx that letting your taste be overwhelmed by watching things be enjoyed online is a noble pursuit as long as it’s certain genres

agree that it's wild that boo'd up - a song released in february 2017 - is the song of 2018

This isn't a new phenomenon, Born Slippy was released in January 1995 and topped single-of-the-year lists in 1996. Real world impact matters.

thought I'd see these on more lists: OTW; anna wintour; powerglide; drip too hard

'dance to this' definitely way underrated compared to 'my my my' being the only troye sivan single to pop up on any of these lists

also none of those great Ciara singles have shown up have they?

bit of a short one here, RIP guitars

Guitar.com - Best guitar albums of 2018
https://guitar.com/features/best-guitar-albums-of-2018/

4. Robben Ford - Purple House (8/10
3. J Mascis - Elastic Days (8/10)
2. Doyle Bramhall II - Shades (8/10)
1. Boygenius – Boygenius EP (9/10)

agree that it's wild that boo'd up - a song released in february 2017 - is the song of 2018

― single bed mentality (||||||||), Friday, 7 December 2018 10:43 (fifty-nine minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

It's not wild or freaky or strange or WTF, it's the perfectly normal course of things and always has been

I like god is a woman! At least musically,

weird, i find the chorus way too ponderous. exhausting to listen to

i think “thank u next” is a really well put together song on top of being a victory for concept

i did not hear “boo’d up” until this year so it’s on my list and i wrote about it as if its year of impact was 2018, which... was it not

Guitar.com - Best guitar albums of 2018
https://guitar.com/features/best-guitar-albums-of-2018/

4. Robben Ford - Purple House (8/10
3. J Mascis - Elastic Days (8/10)
2. Doyle Bramhall II - Shades (8/10)
1. Boygenius – Boygenius EP (9/10)

ha, if this is real it's my favorite one yet

behind a paywall but look at the state of this url

The Times
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/best-albums-of-2018-from-janelle-monae-and-the-beatles-to-the-1975-and-kanye-west-6sr8jzqnf

i did not hear “boo’d up” until this year so it’s on my list and i wrote about it as if its year of impact was 2018, which... was it not

very very clearly 2018 year of impact yeah

thought I'd see these on more lists: OTW; anna wintour; powerglide; drip too hard

― single bed mentality (||||||||), Friday, December 7, 2018 5:59 AM (five hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

I really like "Anna Wintour" but it's kinda obvious why publications aren't super enthusiastic about an Azealia song, even before the whole Grimes thing

"powerglide" will be on my tracks list for sure. "anna wintour" was a late cut.

I've seen Drip Too Hard on a few lists. Haven't seen OTW yet, but it'll be on mine.

know she's pretty much worn through everyone's patience by now but anna wintour slaps. guess it's probably a combo of her being too _problematic_ and the song just not cutting through

despite her impressive ability to maintain her celebrity, azealia still has one song, essentially, that anyone has ever cared about on anything approaching a wide scale, and it was her first one

aw no, i think chasing time was brilliant

on anything approaching a wide scale
seems to be the key here

AZB has lots of good songs, don't care that only one was zeitgeisty

'anything approaching' is a pretty wide range lol

-40 has been going down this pedantic wormhole since, like, "Still Tippin'." Ignore.

― 5th Ward Weeaboo (Whiney G. Weingarten), Wednesday, 5 December 2018 17:39 (two days ago) Permalink

This is such a bad post. I’m not pedantic I just think it’s obnoxious when critics are exposed to a record but only pick up on it when it becomes a Social Movement. By this logic a bunch of critics should have had faneto this year

I literally saw Ella mai perform a then-released “bood up” whole opening for Kehlani in mid 2017. Her album was produced by dj mustard and had a ton of streams, this isn’t obscure

― ILX’s bad boy (D-40), Friday, December 7, 2018 4:30 AM (ten hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

I mean, "Trip" is good enough that it doesn't matter if you've heard more than one Ella Mai song.

Last Rites's top 25 metal albums: https://yourlastrites.com/2018/12/07/best-of-2018-last-rites-combined-staff-top-25/

25. OUTRE-TOMBE – NÉCROVORTEX
24. HORRENDOUS – IDOL
23. BINAH – PHOBIATE
22. CRIPPLE BASTARDS – LA FINE CRESCA DA DENTRO
21. OKSENNUS – KOLME TOISTA
20. SLUGDGE – ESOTERIC MALACOLOGY
19. VARATHRON – PATRIARCHS OF EVIL
18. SKULMAGOT – SKULLED TO DEATH
17. URFAUST – THE CONSTELLATORY PRACTICE
16. SLEEP – THE SCIENCES
15. A FOREST OF STARS – GRAVE MOUNDS AND GRAVE MISTAKES
14. MÖRKÖ – ULVOVA TYHJYYS
13. HATE ETERNAL – ON DESOLATE SANDS
12. SATAN – CRUEL MAGIC
11. SEAR BLISS – LETTERS FROM THE EDGE
10. MESSA – FEAST FOR WATER
9. MOURNFUL CONGREGATION – THE INCUBUS OF KARMA
8. MADDER MORTEM – MARROW
7. W.A.I.L. – WISDOM THROUGH AGONY INTO ILLUMINATION AND LUNACY VOL. II
6. SOLSTICE – WHITE HORSE HILL
5. VISIGOTH – THE CONQUEROR’S OATH
4. VOIVOD – THE WAKE
3. JUDAS PRIEST – FIREPOWER
2. DECEASED – GHOSTLY WHITE
1. AMORPHIS – THE QUEEN OF TIME

Solid picks (Horrendous, Varathron, Urfaust, Messa, Mournful Congregation, Solstice, Voivod) among the stuff I've heard. I'll have to check out the rest.

I find Amorphis worship mystifying but it's a good list

Their debut is amazing but I haven't heard anything beyond that. I'll get there eventually.

Shame they got suckered in by the Judas Priest veteran act narrative.

(I kid, I kid.)

Heh, I tried but classic metal is mostly a blind spot for me, JP even more so than others.

Judas Priest rules

shout out to the metal lists, man. feels like they're covering *far* more albums / reflecting far less by consensus than any others.

Amorphis are consistently great.

Amorphis have become one of the most consistently strong metal bands today. The new album is superb.

http://remezcla.com/lists/music/the-10-best-urbano-songs-of-2018/

This list of urbano songs includes reggaeton, dembow, Latin trap, and hip-hop tracks from both the underground and the mainstream.

1. Bad Bunny - "Estamos Bien"
2. Cardi B - "I Like It" (ft. Bad Bunny & J Balvin)
3. C.Tangana - "Traicionero" (ft. Cromo X)
4. Nio García, Darell, and Casper Mágico - "Te Boté" Remix (ft. Ozuna, Bad Bunny, and Nicky Jam)
5. Mala Rodríguez - "Gitanas"

Plus 5 more

whew yes the "te boté" remix. a highlight of my year was hearing that blasting at a club (followed by becky g "mayores" lol)

OkayAfrica's Ghanaian tracks list: https://www.okayafrica.com/ghana-songs-music-best-2018-listen-stream

GuiltyBeatz x Mr Eazi x Patapaa x Pappy Kojo "Akwaaba"
Kuami Eugene "Wish Me Well"
Kwesi Arthur x M.anifest "Feels"
Shatta Wale "My Level"
Joey B x La Même Gang "Stables"
Amaarae "Fluid"
E.L "Ghana Meets Naija"
KiDi "Thunder"
Becca x Sarkodie "Nana"
Eddie Khae "Do The Dance"
La Même Gang "Stone Island"
Akwaboah x Strongman "Forget"
Efya x Mr Eazi "Mamee"
R2Bees x Wizkid "Supa"
B4Bonah x M.anifest "Devil Is A Liar (Remix)"
Juls x Kojey Radical "Normal"
Kwesi Arthur "Woara"
Sarkodie "Black Excellence"
Medikal x Kwesi Arthur x Ahtitude "How Much"
Wendy Shay "Bedroom Commando"
King Promise "Abena"
Miyaki "Anfara"
Mzvee x K "Bend Down"

Bit late on this but want to echo the praise upthread for the Eiko Ishibashi record. It's fucking gorgeous, I love it.

yeah, really nice. that and the don toliver records are the best discoveries from this year's list season

Oh I did not like Tierra Whack the first time I heard it but it’s somewhat amazing isn’t it?