The 2018 end of the year music lists thread

xxp Also, if I see a list with one or two albums I know & like, I may be more inclined to check out the unfamiliar stuff from that list (b/c the familiar signposts are useful).

One other point is that the aggregate of lists in this thread is sort of similar to ILM as a whole — where a few things seem to be discussed a lot over the course of the year, and most of the rest only mentioned in passing (one or two posts on a “Rolling...” thread, etc.).

This one's a bit different with a few new names on this one for imago to get all excited about:

Q Magazine - Best Albums of 2018

50. The Orielles - Silver Dollar Moment
49. Manic Street Preachers - Resistance is Futile
48. Kamasi Washington - Heaven and Earth
47. The Good, The Bad & The Queen - Merrie Land
46. Cardi B - Invasion of Privacy
45. Mac Miller - Swimming
44. Panic! At the Disco - Pray for the Wicked
43. Everything is Recorded - Everything is Recorded
42. SOPHIE - Oil of Every Pearl's Un-Insides
41. Lykke Li - So Sad, So Sexy
40. Kids See Ghosts - Kids See Ghosts
39. Cat Power - Wanderer
38. Bill Ryder-Jones - Yawn
37. Beach House - 7
36. Eleanor Friedberger - Rebound
35. Julia Holter - Aviary
34. Go-Kart Mozart - Mozart's Mini-Mart
33. Shame - Songs of Praise
32. Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks - Sparkle Hard
31. Florence and the Machine - High as Hope
30. Kurt Vile - Bottle It In
29. Gaz Coombes - World's Strongest Man
28. Neko Case - Hell-On
27. Daniel Avery - Song for Alpha
26. U.S. Girls - In a Poem Unlimited
25. Father John Misty - God's Favourite Customer
24. Elvis Costello and The Imposters - Look Now
23. Tracey Thorn - Record
22. Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever - Hope Downs
21. Low - Double Negative
20. Spiritualized - And Nothing Hurt
19. Pusha T - Daytona
18. DJ Koze - Knock Knock
17. Ty Segall - Freedom's Goblin
16. Mitski - Be the Cowboy
15. Blood Orange - Negro Swan
14. Courtney Barnett - Tell Me How You Really Feel
13. Gruff Rhys - Babelsberg
12. Kacey Musgraves - Golden Hour
11. Interpol - Marauder
10. Anna Calvi - Hunter
9. Paul Weller - True Meanings
8. Janelle Monae - Dirty Computer
7. IDLES - Joy as an Act of Resistance
6. Christine and the Queens - Chris
5. Parquet Courts - Wide Awake!
4. Robyn - Honey
3. The 1975 - A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships
2. Let's Eat Grandma - I'm All Ears
1. Arctic Monkeys - Tranquillity Base Hotel & Casino

Vibe - 30 Best Albums of 2018
https://www.vibe.com/photos/best-albums-2018-list

***spoiler alert: no paul weller that one i'm afraid***

and not even gaz coombes could crack this one:

FACT - Best House & Techno of 2018
https://www.factmag.com/2018/12/18/best-house-techno-tracks-2018/

https://www.albumoftheyear.org/list/1156-the-av-clubs-20-best-albums-of-2018/

finally Ezra Furman makes a top ten

― We were never Breeting Borting (President Keyes), Tuesday, December 18, 2018 3:22 PM (four hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

trust the AV Club to turn up and make me regret hating on this thread (slightly) with that Only Love placement

Pfork's rap list is up - https://pitchfork.com/features/lists-and-guides/the-best-rap-albums-of-2018/

lotta duos

http://thequietus.com/articles/25825-the-quietus-tracks-of-2018-audiobooks-black-midi-shit-and-shine-william-doyle-aphex-twin

quietus tracks list:

50. Denzel Himself - 'Melty ft. KEYAH/BLU'
49. Virginia Wing - 'The Second Shift'
48. ILL - 'Stuck On A Loop'
47. Grouper - 'Parking Lot'
46. Janelle Monae - 'I Like That'
45. Baxter Dury, Etienne De Crécy & Delilah Holliday - 'White Coats'
44. Chromatics - 'Black Walls'
43. Bruce - 'What'
42. Julia Holter - 'I Shall Love 2'
41. Blood Orange - 'Charcoal Baby'
40. Wild Fruit Art Collective - 'Fabric'
39. Liars - 'Murdrum'
38. Donato Dozzy - 'Cleo'
37. Objekt - 'Secret Snake'
36. Underworld & Ø - 'Dexters Chalk'
35. GNOD - 'Donovan’s Daughters'
34. Ploy - 'Ramos'
33. Lonnie Holley - 'I Woke Up In A Fucked-Up America'
32. Gazelle Twin - 'Hobby Horse'
31. Riton & Kah-Lo - 'Fake ID'
30. Kasper Marott - 'Keflavik'
29. Leather Party - 'Baby It’s Alright'
28. Riko Dan - 'Hard Food'
27. Bryte - 'Hustler'
26. Calvin Harris With Dua Lipa - 'One Kiss'
25. Jonny Shitbag And The Smokes - 'Distract Me'
24. Jockstrap - 'Hayley'
23. Joy O & Ben Vince - 'Transition 2'
22. Big Joanie - 'Fall Asleep'
21. Charli XCX - 'Focus'
20. JK Flesh - 'External Transmission Stage'
19. LSDXOXO - 'Burn The Witch'
18. Unknown T - 'Homerton B'
17. Pregoblin - 'Combustion (Live)'
16. Insecure Men - 'I Don’t Wanna Dance (With My Baby)'
15. Cosey Fanni Tutti - 'Tutti'
14. SOPHIE - 'Immaterial'
13. Marie Davidson - 'Work It'
12. These New Puritans - 'Into The Fire'
11. International Teachers Of Pop - 'After Dark'
10. Real Lies - 'The Checks'
9. Välve - 'The Happening'
8. Jenny Hval - 'Spells'
7. Kali Uchis - 'After The Storm'
6. Hen Ogledd - 'Problem Child'
5. Aphex Twin - 'T69 Collapse'
4. Black Midi - 'bmbmbm'
3. William Doyle - 'Millersdale'
2. $hit And $hine - 'You Were Very High'
1. Audiobooks - 'Gothenburg'

Real Lies - 'The Checks'

this is great btw

didn’t know they had new music out!

They've got a new one on Kompakt too, "White Flowers", I love them so

For a second, I thought the Quietus list was for their top audiobooks of the year. Would've been kinda cool...

https://www.factmag.com/2018/12/19/the-50-best-singles-of-2018/

FACT singles list:

50 Ariana Grande ‘God is a Woman’
49 Krystal Klear ‘Neutron Dance’
48 Pusha T ‘The Story of Adidon’
47 RP Boo ‘Back From the Future’
46 Laksa ‘It Feels Like I've Been Here Before’
45 Ciara ‘Level Up’
44 Octavian ‘Hands’
43 Sharda ‘Chin Up’
42 Moses Sumney ‘Rank & File’
41 Key! & Kenny Beats ‘Love On Ice’
40 Kelly Moran ‘Helix’
39 Quay Dash ‘U.A.F.W.M.’
38 BADSISTA ‘Na Onda Da Babylon’
37 Jayhood ‘Lights Down Low (Zora Jones Remix)’
36 Ravyn Lenae ‘Sticky’
35 DJ Plead ‘Get In Circle’
34 Jasmine Infiniti ‘Flight at O'Hare’
33 Isabella ‘Penchant Disenchant’
32 Travis Scott ‘Sicko Mode’
31 DJ Narciso & Nuno Beats ‘Hino RS’
30 Clara! y Maoupa ‘Ruge’
29 Siete Catorce & Amazondotcom ‘Opposite Moon’
28 Oneohtrix Point Never ‘Black Snow’
27 mmph ‘Woodlawn’
26 Popcaan ‘Wine For Me’
25 Rian Treanor ‘Position B1’
24 Helena Hauff ‘Hyper-Intelligent Genetically Enriched Cyborg’
23 Nazar ‘Airstrike’ [Feat. Shannen SP]
22 Channel Tres ‘Jet Black’
21 Peggy Gou ‘It Makes You Forget (Itgehane)’
20 Sheck Wes ‘Mo Bamba’
19 Mor Elian ‘Dossgroove’
18 Lil Uzi Vert ‘New Patek’
17 Mechatok ‘Flee’
16 Batu ‘Flash React’
15 Junglepussy ‘Trader Joe’
14 Parris ‘Puro Rosaceaes’
13 JPEGMAFIA ‘Thug Tears’
12 Eris Drew ‘Hold Me (T4T Embrace Mix)’
11 Swan Meat ‘Alucard’
10 Funeral Future ‘Heute Nicht’
9 Bonaventure ‘Mentor’
8 ZULI ‘Trigger Finger’
7 Valee ‘Womp Womp’
6 Loidis ‘In the Place I Sit’
5 Ploy ‘Ramos’
4 Lechuga Zafiro ‘Aqua y Puerta’
3 object blue ‘Act Like It Then’
2 Slikback ‘Venom’
1 700 Bliss ‘Ring The Alarm’

looking forward to digging through this, a lot of stuff i haven't heard of

Swan Meat

Uzi Vert “new patek” is such a perfect year end list song in that it’s by a major name and it’s technically accomplished but also completely forgettable commercial flop that gives critics the sense of appreciating obvious quality ignored by the masses while championing a record no one would listen to and say was trash... I hate it

Does anyone else other than FACT use 'club music' in that way? This lumping together of diverse international scenes under one awful fake unifying genre concept? I've seen them talk about the "club genre" that seems basically designed to show off that it isn't boring old house or techno but just erases all context and difference in the process.

yes it would be better if a little clunky if they used club musics plural

i am in favour of more lists for imagined communities

Boomkat's list is out (fucked if I'm gonna copy it though)

Lots of top tens from musicians on there, too.

Many thanks for Jeff W for tipping me to the Concrete Islands site and list upthread

https://www.spin.com/featured/best-songs-2018/

spin list is excellent and probably the one that resembles my own list the most

You're welcome!

yeah good blurbs by j0rd and brad too

in addition to your great work alfred

some good stuff on there i agree

I'm still reading through it but so far, yes - great list/blurbs.

Flappy may have posted this earlier

https://www.splicetoday.com/music/splice-today-2018-music-poll?fbclid=IwAR0SCoOcXz_HDccC7O-ahD1DNFHOwCgICgFw2_uISPnZfB0aHatgU1_8NeU

Not really so much of a poll as three of us just going off about some stuff we liked.

He’s making a list
You already know
He’s gonna include Autechre and Low
Music dude is making a list

A Jim O’Rouke disc
Reissues, no doubt
A limited tape already sold out
Music dude is making a list

— Bruce Levenstein (@BruceLevenstein) December 20, 2018

^I feel personally attacked by this relatable content, etc.

hahaha

I can't get behind this Low backlash

only a music dude would know how to make that joke

this is a betrayal

XLR8R's Best of 2018: Releases and Tracks

https://www.xlr8r.com/best-of/xlr8rs-best-of-2018-releases
https://www.xlr8r.com/best-of/xlr8rs-best-of-2018-tracks

Pan African Music

Top 20 Electronic Albums: http://pan-african-music.com/electronic-2018/
Top 15 Rap Albums: http://pan-african-music.com/rap-2018/
Top 25 Reissues: http://pan-african-music.com/reeditions-2018/

Boomkat: Top Releases 2018

01 Eli Keszler — Stadium (2018 Special Edition) (Shelter Press)
02 TIRZAH — Devotion (Domino Recording Co)
03 Alex Zhang Hungtai — Divine Weight (2018 Special Edition) (NON Worldwide)
04 Rosalía — El Mal Querer (Sony)
05 THE CARETAKER — Everywhere At The End Of Time - Stage 4 (2018 Special Edition) (History Always Favours The Winners)
06 Kali Malone — Organ Dirges 2016 - 2017 (2018 Special Edition) (Ascetic House)
07 Shinichi Atobe — Heat (2018 Special Edition) (DDS)
08 Alvin Lucier — Criss-Cross / Hanover (BLACK TRUFFLE)
09 Kelman Duran — 13th Month (Apocalipsis)
10 Teresa Winter — What The Night is For (The Death Of Rave)
11 P.Adrix — Álbum Desconhecido (2018 Special Edition) (Príncipe)
12 Lucy Railton — Paradise 94 (2018 Special Edition) (Modern Love)
13 Chaines — The King (Slip)
14 John Bence — Kill (2018 Special Edition) (Grooming)
15 CV & JAB — Zin Taylor's Thoughts Of A Dot As It Travels A Surface (Shelter Press)
16 Nazar — Enclave EP (Hyperdub)
17 JIM O'ROURKE — Sleep Like It's Winter (Newhere Music)
18 Sarah Davachi — Gave In Rest (2018 Special Edition) (Ba Da Bing!)
19 Alanis Obomsawin — Bush Lady (Constellation)
20 Felicia Atkinson — Coyotes (Geographic North)
21 Demdike Stare — Passion (Modern Love)
22 Pendant — Make Me Know You Sweet (2018 Special Edition) (West Mineral)
23 Nozomu Matsumoto — Climatotherapy (The Death Of Rave)
24 Sarah Hennies — Embedded Environments (Blume)
25 Heather Leigh — Throne (Editions Mego)
26 Slikback — Lasakaneku (Hakuna Kulala)
27 Leslie Winer & Jay Glass Dubs — YMFEES (Bokeh Versions)
28 Julia Holter — Aviary (Domino Recording Co)
29 Lechuga Zafiro — Testigo (NAAFI)
30 Gabor Lazar — Unfold (The Death Of Rave)
31 Tashi Wada with Yoshi Wada and Friends — FRKWYS Vol. 14 - Nue (RVNG Intl.)
32 Lea Bertucci — Metal Aether (NNA Tapes)
33 Debit — Animus (NAAFI)
34 Low Jack and Clara! — Les Disques De La Bretagne (2018 Special Edition) (Editions Gravats)
35 Stine Janvin — Fake Synthetic Music (PAN)
36 Kali Malone — Cast of Mind (Hallow Ground)
37 Nadine Byrne — Dreaming Remembering (iDEAL Recordings)
38 AUTECHRE — NTS Sessions (Warp Records)
39 Sophie — OIL OF EVERY PEARL'S UN-INSIDES (Transgressive)
40 Maria W Horn — Kontrapoetik (Portals Editions)
41 RAIME — Am I Using Content Or Is Content Using Me? (Different Circles)
42 LOW — Double Negative (Sub Pop Records)
43 MARK FELL — Intra (Boomkat Editions)
44 ZULI — Terminal (UIQ)
45 Senyawa — Sujud (Sublime Frequencies)
46 Bamba Pana — Poaa (Nyege Nyege Tapes)
47 THE NECKS — Body (ReR)
48 Cucina Povera — Hilja (Night School)
49 Klein — CC (2018 Special Edition) (Howling Owl Records)
50 TIM HECKER — Konoyo (Kranky)
51 Eiko Ishibashi — The Dream My Bones Dream (Drag City Records)
52 700 Bliss (Haram and Moor Mother) — Spa 700 (Halcyon Veil / Don Giovanni)
53 Blue Chemise — Daughters Of Time (STUDENTS OF DECAY)
54 Sophia Loizou — Irregular Territories (Cosmo Rhythmatic)
55 Lolina (Inga Copeland) — The Smoke (UNKNOWN LABEL)
56 Joe Talia — Tint (BLACK TRUFFLE)
57 Kadodi — Kadodi (Nyege Nyege Tapes)
58 Ben Vince — Assimilation (Where To Now?)
59 Niagara — Apologia (Príncipe)
60 FELICIA ATKINSON & JEFRE CANTU-LEDESMA — Limpid as the Solitudes (Shelter Press)
61 Laurel Halo — Raw Silk Uncut Wood (LATENCY)
62 Yves Tumor — Safe In The Hands of Love (Warp Records)
63 SILENT SERVANT — Shadows Of Death And Desire (Hospital Productions)
64 Duppy Gun Productions — Miro Tape (Bokeh Versions)
65 JAKOB ULLMANN — Muntzers Stern Solo II (EDITION RZ)
66 Peder Mannerfelt — Daily Routine (Peder Mannerfelt Produktion)
67 Eliza McCarthy and Mica Levi — Slow Dark Green Murky Waterfall (Slip)
68 Lonnie Holley — MITH (Jagjaguwar)
69 Primitive Knot — Thee Opener Of The Way (AURORA BOREALIS)
70 uon — Untitled (West Mineral)
71 Lotic — Power (Tri Angle Records)
72 Shygirl — Cruel Practice (NUXXE)
73 ANNELIES MONSERE — Happiness Is Within Sight (STROOM)
74 Deena Abdelwahed — Khonnar (InFiné)
75 SUPERSILENT — 14 (Smalltown Supersound)
76 Maoupa Mazzocchetti — Gag Flag (Editions Gravats)
77 Ashley Paul — Lost In Shadows (Slip)
78 Wild Adoration — EP1 (New Atlantis Records)
79 CECILIA — Adoration (Halcyon Veil)
80 KTL — The Pyre: Versions Distilled To Stereo (Shelter Press)
81 Hira — Red Light Drive (Paul Institute)
82 Marie Davidson — Working Class Woman (Ninja Tune)
83 Space Afrika — Somewhere Decent To Live (2018 Special Edition) (sferic)
84 Meitei / 冥丁 — Kwaidan / 怪談 (Evening Chants)
85 Jay Glass Dubs — Plegnic (Ecstatic)
86 RS Produções — Bagdad Style (Príncipe)
87 Francis Plagne & Crys Cole — Two Words (BLACK TRUFFLE)
88 rkss — DJ Tools (UIQ)
89 DJ Nigga Fox — Crânio (Warp Records)
90 Eartheater — IRISIRI (PAN)
91 Rabit — Life After Death (Halcyon Veil)
92 Aïsha Devi — DNA Feelings (Houndstooth)
93 Lucrecia Dalt — Anticlines (RVNG Intl.)
94 Randall Dunn — Beloved (Figureight)
95 Abul Mogard — Above All Dreams (Ecstatic)
96 Rian Treanor — RAVEDIT (The Death Of Rave)
97 Various Artists — The Black Book (iDEAL Recordings)
98 Blawan — Wet Will Always Dry (Ternesc)
99 Afrodeutsche — Break Before Make (Skam Records)
100 GAS — Rausch (Kompakt)

Camp Cope at #1

http://www.brooklynvegan.com/brooklynvegans-top-50-albums-of-2018/

fuck yeah

Also, mewithoutYou at 44.

that’s overrating the camp cope but still: cool list

I compiled Stereogum's Best Jazz of 2018 list (linked above), and used my monthly column for December to list 10 runners-up and 5 (actually 6) best reissues of the year:

https://www.stereogum.com/2026718/ugly-beauty-the-month-in-jazz-december-2018/franchises/ugly-beauty/

Runners-up, listed alphabetically:

The Bad Plus, Never Stop II
Amaro Freitas, Rasif
Art Hirahara, Sunward Bound
Joshua Redman/Ron Miles/Scott Colley/Brian Blade, Still Dreaming
Logan Richardson, Blues People
Javier Santiago, Phoenix
Wayne Shorter, Emanon
Thumbscrew, Ours/Theirs
Salim Washington, Dogon Revisited
Gabriel Zucker, Weighting

Reissues/Archival Releases of the Year:

Anthony Braxton, Sextet (Parker) 1993
Dave Douglas Quintet, Brazen Heart Live at Jazz Standard
Milford Graves, Bäbi
Wes Montgomery, In Paris: The Definitive ORTF Recording
Various Artists, J-Jazz: Deep Modern Jazz from Japan 1969-1984/Spiritual Jazz Vol. 8: Japan (tie)

That BV list is great except it's ordering seems pretty random and off.

I don't even know how a human or humans rank(s) 50-100 things it's just statistics or something right?

it's delusion

Fluxblog and Said the Gramophone both posted their 2018 song round-ups, which have become my annual means of catching up with all of the music that I've paid too little attention to during the rest of the year.

I always enjoy the Said the Gramophone round-up. The Mélissa Laveaux and Spice songs are the immediate discoveries for me.

enjoying digging through the said the gramophone list, it's always interesting. "Premier juin" by Lydia Képinski is a really nice find

thanks all! ILX is my secret weapon always

mine's always been a swift kick to the groin.