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Best Albums of 2018?


dawhizz
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49 minutes ago, Derek™ said:

It that edges out Foxing, I’m willing to give it an honest, undivided listen at work today.

 

It was definitely a close call.  And I doubt most, if anyone, would think it’s better than the Foxing album.  But there’s just something about it for me.  It’s so funky, dark, sexy, all those good things.  His voice is on a whole other level too in my opinion.

 

Regardless, I’m excited to hear what you think.

Edited by FiggyPud
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7 minutes ago, FiggyPud said:

 

It was definitely a close call.  And I doubt most, if anyone, would think it’s better than the Foxing album.  But there’s just something about it for me.  It’s so funky, dark, sexy, all those good things.  His voice is on a whole other level too in my opinion.

 

Regardless, I’m excited to hear what you think.

Sounds killer.  If it treats me right I’ll gladly check out Hotel Allan while I’m at it.

 

1 minute ago, Tommy said:

Completely unbiased to both Foxing/Allan and I just listened to both for the first time. Foxing was good but Allan was more my bag

This sounds great to me, too.  Foxing [probably] isn’t my AOTY, for reference, but it’s apparently the 2018 album I’ve played most – all those twists and turns give it a ton of replayability for me.  First Foxing album that’s really done anything for me, long term.

 

Stoked to check out Allan.  Sounds like it may be a breath of fresh air compared to what I’ve been listening to.

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31 minutes ago, Derek™ said:

Sounds killer.  If it treats me right I’ll gladly check out Hotel Allan while I’m at it.

 

Stoked to check out Allan.  Sounds like it may be a breath of fresh air compared to what I’ve been listening to.

 

Really hope you end up enjoying it.  He’s one of those artists where I listen to and it just blows my mind that he isn’t bigger than what he is.  I hear almost no one talk about him or even know who he is.  Hell, I made a preorder topic for “Harry Hard-On” a month or 2 ago and not a single person commented on it.

 

But yeah.  If you dig his newest album, I’d check out “Hotel Allan” next, followed by “Roadhouse 01.”  But each album is great in its own way.

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Allan Rayman is pretty fucking cool.  At least Harry Hard-On is, specifically.  First 2 tracks out of the gates were A+, and one or two immediately grabbed me on first listen as well.  That’s not to say the remainder disappointed – just feels like there is room for the album to grow and rise to the same plateau established by the instant bangers.  And that always lends itself to a respectable amount of replayability, in my books – much preferred over being smitten on the first couple of go-arounds before realizing how shallow it is.  Will gladly revisit it soon.

 

Did the vinyl not ship yet?  Asking because it’s not even listed on Discogs at the moment.  Doesn’t get much more low-key than that.

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48 minutes ago, Derek™ said:

Allan Rayman is pretty fucking cool.  At least Harry Hard-On is, specifically.  First 2 tracks out of the gates were A+, and one or two immediately grabbed me on first listen as well.  That’s not to say the remainder disappointed – just feels like there is room for the album to grow and rise to the same plateau established by the instant bangers.  And that always lends itself to a respectable amount of replayability, in my books – much preferred over being smitten on the first couple of go-arounds before realizing how shallow it is.  Will gladly revisit it soon.

 

Did the vinyl not ship yet?  Asking because it’s not even listed on Discogs at the moment.  Doesn’t get much more low-key than that.

 

Makes me so happy to hear.  Glad you enjoyed it man!

 

And no on the vinyl.  When preorders were first going up places (like Bullmoose and amazon), they had the release date as November 23rd or something like that.  But then his official web store put up preorders and said they wouldn’t ship until January.  NOW Amazon has the release date as February 15th.  So yeah... hopefully sometime in the next couple months.

 

”Roadhouse 01” is currently in stock and on vinyl at most places though.  And his first album was never pressed unfortunately.

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Favorite Albums of 2018 (this was a hard fucking list to make cause I listened to all of these a ton!)

1. Save Face - Merci

2. The Wonder Years - Sister Cities

3. Foxing - Nearer My God

4, Jeff Rosenstock - Post

5. American Pleasure Club - A Whole Fucking Lifetime Of This

6. Pianos Become The Teeth - Wait For Love

7. Brian Fallon - Sleepwalkers

8. Mewithoutyou - [Untitled] (The EP too...)

9, Drug Church  - Cheer

10. Daniel Caesar - Freudian

 

Other Albums I Loved

A Star Is Born Soundtrack 

Prince - Piano And A Microphone

Spanish Love Songs - Schmaltz

Barely March - Marely Barch

Hot Mulligan - Pilot

Donovan Wolfington - Waves

Camp Cope - How To Socialize And Make Friends

Moose Blood - I Don't Think I Can Do This Anymore

Runaway Brother - New Pocket

Tiny Moving Parts - Swell

 

 

Favorite EPs

Boygenius - Boygenius EP

Wicca Phase Springs Eternal - Corinthiax

 

Other Records I listened to a shit ton this year

Manchester Orchestra - Black Mile To The Surface

Julien Baker - Turn Out The Lights

Jeff Rosenstock - Worry. 

Phoebe Bridgers - Stranger In The Alps

Frightened Rabbit - The Midnight Organ Fight

 

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I'll add my list to the mix...

 

1. Rolo Tomassi - Time Will Die and Love Will Bury It

2. Spurv - Myra

3. Elle - She

4. Tangled Thoughts of Leaving - No Tether

5. Trna - Earthcult

6. Bearings - Blue in the Dark

7. Joy - No Light Below

8. A Film in Color - They March in Endless Circles

9. Autumn Creatures - Funeral Garden

10. Cassus - Separation Anxiety

11. State Champs - Living Proof

12. Aesthesys - Achromata

13. Holy Fawn - Death Spells

14. Locomotora - Vuodet, Vuoret

15. Red Apollo - The Laurels of Serenity

Edited by omik11303
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My Top 30...

30:  Terra Pines – S/T

29:  Slow Crush – Aurora

28:  Long Distance Calling – Boundless

27:  Nothing – Dance on the Blacktop

26:  Blush Response – Hearts Grow Dull

25:  Holy Motors – Slow Sundown

24:  Florence and the Machine – High as Hope

23:  Holy Fawn – Death Spells

22:  Molly Burch – First Flower

21:  Thrice – Palms

20:  Ovlov – Tru

19:  Coastlands – The Further Still

18:  Spurv – Myra

17:  Tides of Man – Every Nothing

16:  Hannah Wicklund & The Steppin Stones – S/T

15:  Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats – Tearing at the Seams

14:  Denzel Curry – TA1300

13:  Haerts – New Compassion

12:  Muse – Simulation Theory

11:  Feed Me to the Waves – Before this Wilderness Consumes Us

10:  Wess Meets West – A Light Within the Fracture

09:  Lume – Wrung

08:  Mild Orange – Foreplay

07:  Dave Matthews Band – Come Tomorrow

06:  Manon Meurt – MMXVIII

05:  møl - JORD

04:  Heads. - Collider

03:  Murder By Death - The Other Shore

02:  Brandi Carlile - By the Way, I Forgive You

01:  Shakey Graves - Can’t Wake Up

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A very top-heavy year for me

Top 25

  1. Lucy Dacus - Historian
  2. Mitski - Be The Cowboy
  3. Snail Mail - Lush
  4. Typhoon - Offerings
  5. Night Flowers - Wild Notion
  6. Holy Fawn - Death Spells
  7. The Beths - Future Me Hates Me
  8. Beach House - 7
  9. Hop Along - Bark Your Head Off, Dog
  10. Spiritualized - And Nothing Hurt
  11. Hank Wood And The Hammerheads - Hank Wood And The Hammerheads
  12. Kacey Musgraves - Golden Hour
  13. Foxing - Nearer My God
  14. Emma Ruth Rundle - On Dark Horses
  15. Iceage - Beyondless
  16. Neko Case - Hell-On
  17. Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever - Hope Downs
  18. Ezra Furman - Transangelic Exodus
  19. Air Formation - Near Miss
  20. Courtney Barnett - Tell Me How You Really Fell
  21. Let’s Eat Grandma - I’m All Ears
  22. Nothing - Dance On The Blacktop
  23. The Vaccines - Combat Sports
  24. T. Hardy Morris - Dude, The Obscure
  25. Dott - Heart Swell

 

Honorable Mention

 

  • Anna Burch - Quit The Curse
  • Ashley McBryde - Girl Going Nowhere
  • Candace - New Ruins
  • Car Seat Headrest - Twin Fantasy
  • Caroline Rose- Loner
  • Courtney Marie Andrews - May Your Kindness Remain
  • Echo Ladies - Pink Noise
  • First Aid Kit - Ruins
  • God Is An Astronaut - Epitaph
  • H.C. McEntire - Lionheart
  • Idles - Joy As An Act Of Resistance
  • Illuminati Hotties - Kiss Yr Frenemies
  • Jonathan Wilson - Rare Birds
  • Kamasi Washington - Heaven And Earth
  • Low - Double Negative
  • Manon Meurt - MMXVIII
  • Mastersystem - Dance Music
  • Mount Eerie - Now Only
  • Nap Eyes - I’m Bad Now
  • Okkervil River - In The Rainbow Rain
  • Pusha T - Daytona
  • S. Carey - Hundred Acres
  • Slow Crush - Aurora
  • Soccer Mommy - Clean
  • Y Niwl - 5
Edited by shamrocks
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55 minutes ago, 2notepockets said:

Question for people who have top 30+'s

Do you really love the bottom 10-15 in your list? or are they just, meh I listened to this a few times wasn't bad...?

 

Had plenty of albums like that this year.  But that’s why they didn’t make the list.  I listen to a lot of things in a years time.  Have about an album’s worth of a drive to/from work everyday.

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1 hour ago, 2notepockets said:

Question for people who have top 30+'s

Do you really love the bottom 10-15 in your list? or are they just, meh I listened to this a few times wasn't bad...?

I always wonder this too. I'd love to see everyone narrow it down to a top 10, otherwise it's not hard to just list a bunch of albums

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2 hours ago, 2notepockets said:

Question for people who have top 30+'s

Do you really love the bottom 10-15 in your list? or are they just, meh I listened to this a few times wasn't bad...?

Mine was a top 37 because that’s how many I legit enjoyed (more than half of each album) & gave multiple listens to.  I probably listened to 50 total but the others had 1-2 songs max I liked.

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1 hour ago, FiggyPud said:

 

Had plenty of albums like that this year.  But that’s why they didn’t make the list.  I listen to a lot of things in a years time.  Have about an album’s worth of a drive to/from work everyday.

Yeah I'm the same I listen to music all the time but to be able to fully explore 30+ albums from the same 12 month period is nigh on impossible for me... 

I do listen to a lot of extreme metal that has hour plus albums and songs lengths to match which I'm sure is sometimes harder to digest than other genres...

Not trying to have a go at anyone just posing the question :)

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11 minutes ago, mrewest said:

Mine was a top 37 because that’s how many I legit enjoyed (more than half of each album) & gave multiple listens to.  I probably listened to 50 total but the others had 1-2 songs max I liked.

Ok, I guess everyone has their own kinda 'criteria' so your bottom few are like 60% good ranging up to wall to wall bangers at the top of the list?

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28 minutes ago, 2notepockets said:

30+ albums from the same 12 month

I keep a notepad on my phone and just checked it for 2018; there were 52 albums I had on my radar.  Counting surprises, end of year lists, and recommendations that’s an easy 70-75 records for the year.  Just weighing in.

 

I also have a 30 minute commute each way and the luxury of listening to music at work, so finding time to try out new stuff or listen to releases the moment they’re released is pretty easy.  Could have something to do with it.

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That's the other thing I don't really keep track of what I've listened too either.

The list takes dedication... I posted my favourite albums in the extreme metal thread but in the interests of contributing something meaningful to this thread my favourite album released last year was Yob - Our Raw Heart

The new Sleep was also great.

As were Slugdge and Conjurer for new bands to my consciousness.

A really late contender was Acathexis (released 12/26)

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54 minutes ago, 2notepockets said:

That's the other thing I don't really keep track of what I've listened too either.

The list takes dedication... I posted my favourite albums in the extreme metal thread but in the interests of contributing something meaningful to this thread my favourite album released last year was Yob - Our Raw Heart

The new Sleep was also great.

As were Slugdge and Conjurer for new bands to my consciousness.

A really late contender was Acathexis (released 12/26)

Start early, my dude.  I created a fresh page towards the end of last year, solely to document stuff that’s confirmed to drop in 2019, and I’m sitting at 37 currently.  I use the grey tick boxes and swap them to shiny black boxes once they leak or get released.

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11 hours ago, 2notepockets said:

Question for people who have top 30+'s

Do you really love the bottom 10-15 in your list? or are they just, meh I listened to this a few times wasn't bad...?

This. 

 

There are only a handful of albums each year that I listen to over and over. The rest are good, but I wouldn’t put them on the same level. 

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12 hours ago, 2notepockets said:

Ok, I guess everyone has their own kinda 'criteria' so your bottom few are like 60% good ranging up to wall to wall bangers at the top of the list?

Yeah that’s pretty accurate.  I’d say my top 20 I can easily listen to start to finish.

 

And as Derek pointed out, I do the same thing where I keep a running list on my phone as I listen to a new album.  I keep them slotted in the order of best to worst & move stuff around when my opinions change.  I listen to a good 4+ hours of music each day at my job so I’m able to check out new stuff all the time.  It’s definitely a lot of work but I have fun with it.  Especially at the end of the year when I solidify my list & type up my thoughts on each album and post to my IG page.

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I haven't found a way to keep a list that satisfies my obsessive nature while also remaining fun and enjoyable for me as a whole person. Eventually, it becomes a task and reminds me of when I ran a blog and podcast, etc, and music became less fun. There is also something zen about accepting that I'll miss some stuff I liked in Jan/Feb but that it's OK and I don't have to remember everything.

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