ILM’s Top 77 Albums of 2018

Simmy’s Tugela Fairy is pretty much a perfect album, quite literally. Such an incredibly warm and soothing record, and so impeccably structured too. The uptempo seven-song sequence from “Hamba Juba” through “Ngonile” is flawless, my favorite stretch on any album this year. The buildup to it includes “Ubala” (!), and there’s a lovely cooldown section too. Simply gorgeous.

yesss

It does repeat saying

Would definitely have voted for Simmy if it had come across my radar sooner

So gutted the best album of the year, by far, didn’t even place - knowing that it would have ranked even higher than Sun-El if we had done the album poll after the tracks rollout...

When can we start nominating for Album of the Decade?

I'm happy at the way the top16 looks, except for some middle bafflement for Autechre (haven't heard it), #3 (it's... alright) and obviously #1 and especially at that score (it's... average. I don't know, compared to, say, Slowdive's last album for ex. Are you serious guys ?).

That is way too much USA.

― jmm, donderdag 7 februari 2019 22:15 Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

You think?

COUNTRY BREAKDOWN, TRACKS AND ALBUMS COMBINED:

USA: 77⅓ (325⁄6 + 44½)
UK: 23 (13 + 10)
GERMANY: 7⅓ (4⅓ + 3)
AUSTRALIA: 7 (4 + 3)
CANADA: 5 (3 + 2)
SWEDEN: 4⅓ (1⅓ + 3)
SOUTH AFRICA: 4 (3 + 1)
JAPAN: 3½ (1 + 2½)
SPAIN: 3⅓ (2⅓ + 1)
NEW ZEALAND: 3 (2 + 1)
FRANCE: 2½ (1½ + 1)
IRELAND: 2 (2 + 0)
NIGERIA: 2 (1 + 1)
SOUTH KOREA: 2 (2 + 0)
COLOMBIA: 1⅓ (5⁄6 + ½ )
DENMARK: 1 (1 + 0)
ETHIOPIA 1 (0 + 1)
INDONESIA: 1 (0 + 1)
ITALY: 1 (1 + 0)
LATVIA: 1 (0 + 1)
CHILE: ½ (0 + ½)
HONDURAS: ½ (½ + 0)
PUERTO RICO: ⅓ (⅓ + 0)

Too bad U.S. Girls isn’t/aren’t actually half-Canadian. It would have denied US acts the actual, factual, absolute majority they have now…

And to really hit you over the head with the cold hard facts:

THE CONTINENTAL BREAKDOWN:

(And yes, “breakdown” is the right word)

NORTH AMERICA: 82⅓
EUROPE: 45½
OCEANIA: 10
AFRICA: 7
ASIA: 6½
LATIN AMERICA/CARIBBEAN: 2⅔

I wonder how that skews to ilx poster demographics and the country population-to-ilx poster ratio

Well, there’s your homework for tomorrow

please send me your full names, location (including address), birthdate, and social security number (if applicable_

Looking forward to 2019 when the Emily King album places somewhere in the 60s if the few superfans she has here do their jobs. :)

I wonder how that skews to ilx poster demographics and the country population-to-ilx poster ratio

I don’t think under-representation of the UK is the glaring issue here lol

wouldn't mind adding the option to include age, identified gender and country of origin/location to ballots next year; might make for some interesting conversations.

ALSO! All you folks complaining about how your favorite album came in low, maybe hang out on the listening thread and get people excited about what you're hearing in the genre you specialize in! Trying to cross pollinate here!
Listening to ILM Listen: February 2019 - Collaborative Listening Project

cool idea

thanks to all the organisers again x

Would be interesting for sure. Is ILM hiring?

I don’t think under-representation of the UK is the glaring issue here lol

Eurotrash topped the tracks list.

1975, Ella Mai, Lana Del Rey and Ariana Grande are "Eurotrash"?

https://metrouk2.files.wordpress.com/2016/06/eurotrash.png?w=748

1975, Ella Mai, Lana Del Rey and Ariana Grande are "Eurotrash"?

― Fuck the NRA (ulysses)

Aren't the 1975 and Ella Mai from UK?

We're open to offers for The 1975

We are Eurotrash for the next 59 days, please let us enjoy it.

People, how soon we forget. Peggy Gou topped the tracks list! But does living in Berlin make her eurotrash? (EZ Snappin would be right about last year though)

I agree, just wanted to point out that the over-representation of the US is probably because ILX is gringoland these days.

Excellent poll and roll-out, thank u based pollrunners!

can we please call the ballots/stats thread “Hardening positions based on miscommunication”?

Great roll out. Absolutely loved the graphics/images this year. Thank you!

A few random thoughts on today...

I think if 7 was the first Beach House album we ever heard, it'd have been in contention for AOTY. Possibly the most consistently excellent rock band of the last decade. I regret not voting for it.

MGMT album was the most shocking discovery of the year for me. I haven't liked anything they've done since the debut Time to Pretend EP. Some of this one hews too closely to Ariel Pink territory (the closer sounds like a direct rip of Round and Round to me), but the first four tracks were some of my most replayed of the year.

I'm going to have to spend a lot more time with Aviary. I completely adore Loud City Song but didn't connect with HYIMW. Feel like I never found the right context to listen to Aviary in and would inevitably turn it off after a few tracks.

Hi

Sorry for late arrival. I'll start a stats thread.

2018 Albums Poll: Thread of Stats, Ballots and High-Minded Schadenfreude

i didn't realize max tundra worked on the daphne and celeste album, i guess i need to listen to it

christ, 2018, what the fuck, why are you so awesome

also, jesus christ, the album closes with a fucking captain beefheart cover? HOW DID I GET THROUGH ALL OF 2018 WITHOUT HEARING THIS RECORD

Beak> #78

dang

I had to basically miss the rollout, but it was fun skimming through and seeing people discover Universal Beings, such a great album. I had a hunch Low would win: an unusually wide range of ilxors were absolutely swooning on the thread. I might give it a second chance but tbh I don't quite get the fuss (a thought I've had before about Low apart from a phase of digging Secret Name and maybe one other kranky era one). Also the Guardian review quote for that is super lol

Big thanks to the poll runners!

Looking forward to 2019 when the Emily King album places somewhere in the 60s if the few superfans she has here do their jobs. :)

― Johnny Fever

Hiya!

Such a great list and so much fun to follow. Thanks so much to all the pollrunners!

I didn't vote for the Low album, but I totally see why people went so crazy for it. I've never really been a fan beyond Just Like Christmas. There was something about this record though. I am shocked just how much they beat Kacey Musgraves by. Kacey would have been my preferred winner.

Can't believe a couple of people started doubting that Robyn would place. Obviously she's seen as someone who can get in these polls with whatever she puts out, but honestly I think this could be her best record. Such an odd and addictive set of songs that wasn't what I expected from her at all. It certainly rivals the original Swedish version of the S/T for me. It was my number two.

I love the Julia Holter album even if it was the first time she didn't make an album that was better than her last one. I might be on my own on that one.

Dirty Computer has become my favourite Janelle album. The first two albums needed a decent amount of trimming (the Of Montreal song, BaBopBye Ya, Dance Apocalyptic, those skits on Electric Lady). Apart from I Got The Juice (jeez Pharrell had a bad year) I enjoy the rest. I can see why some of the lyrics/her delivery might be off putting to some.

I voted for Mitski and The 1975. Great albums, although I did prefer both their 2016 efforts.

Still so happy about The Beths placement, it's the third year in a row that my number one has made that same position (Paramore last year and Shura before that).

Melody's Echo Chamber and Rae Morris making the top 100 is nice to see. Two albums that were slept on pretty much everywhere else.

I somehow ended up listening to a 2018 Lily Allen album on a three hour drive after reading a decent review from Maura and was the person to send it a solitary vote

I enjoyed the Lily Allen album a lot more than I was expecting to. Three, Family Man, Everything To Feel Something and Trigger Bang are some of the best things she's ever done.

what album won

low

thanks kitchen person!

xp- never heard it

the vladislav delay outtakes digital release, for anyone who likes his music, is great. possibly better than some released album pieces, and the circa 2014 bit irrelevant

the review that sparked my road trip https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-album-reviews/review-lily-allen-drops-subtle-truth-bombs-on-no-shame-629876/

ended up actually buying the cd at electric fetus in mpls (I bought a number of albums), which was a weird experience due to road construction. they had one entrance left against a wave of road construction mud

the long tail of music purchases against ecological experiences

I can't even remember the last time I went to the Electric Fetus there. Could be a couple of years ago now. I usually pop into the one in Duluth when I'm there but often leave empty handed. I'm more of a vinyl guy and the selection isn't always the best.

Many thanks to the poll-runners!

I've never voted in one of these previously, because I don't ordinarily think in "x of the year" terms. But I definitely heard countless great things I might never have got around to as a result of the playlists and discussion, and I'm way better informed about recent releases than I have been for at least a couple of years.

It's quite difficult to complain about Chvrches not placing when Charlie Puth sucked the credibility out of the roll-out pretty much near the beginning.