It's that time of year again.
This will be my one and only post of the year. I'm still going to do the big reveal countdown-style, but I'm just going to keep adding to this post, so stay tuned for more to come. As I do so, I'll share video/audio of some of my favorite songs and/or stuff by artists new to the list, but probably not much more commentary beyond that.
Also, here's a link to a 2018 Spotify playlist that I'll be building as I go.
If you're one of the few loyal enough to return to pay attention to the music I care about, thank you. I hope you had a great year and a great many to come.
Peace!
50. Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks - Sparkle Hard
49. Wussy - What Heaven is Like
48. Son Lux - Brighter Wounds
47. Death Cab for Cutie - Thank You for Today
46. Okkervil River - In the Rainbow Room
45. Pinegrove – Skylight
44. Alejandro Escovedo - The Crossing
43. Eric Bachmann - No Recover
42. Darlingside -Extralife
41. Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever – Hope Downs
2018 was a good year for Australian bands...
40. Spiritualized - And Nothing Hurt
39. Hop Along - Bark Your Head Off, Dog
38. Eleanor Friedberger – Rebound
37. Beach Slang - Everything Matters but No One is Listening (Quiet Slang)
36. Hinds - I Don’t Run
35. Wild Nothing – Indigo
34. Typhoon – Offerings
33. Neil Young - ROXY: Tonight’s the Night Live
The first of two live records by older artists in my top 50.
32. Tracyanne & Danny - Tracyanne & Danny
31. Neko Case - Hell-On
30. Natalie Prass - The Future and the Past
29. Metric - Art of Doubt
28. Phosphorescent - C’est La Vie
27. Alela Diane – Cusp
26. Loretta Lynn - Wouldn’t it Be Great
25. The Jayhawks - Back Roads and Abandoned Motels
24. Marianne Faithfull - Negative Capability
23. J Mascis - Elastic Days
22. The Essex Green - Hardly Electronic
21. Dirty Projectors - Lamp Lit Prose
Pretty sure you'll either love this song or you'll hate it.
20. Saintseneca - Pillar of Na
19. Lucy Dacus – Historian
18. Mastersystem - Dance Music
Scott Hutchison posthumously delivers the most heartbreaking lyric of the year:
I missed the summer, but didn’t care.
There will always be another, if I make it to next year.
17. Tomberlin – At Weddings
This, however, is both the saddest and most beautiful song of the year.
16. Half Waif – Lavender
15. Young Fathers - Cocoa Sugar
14. U.S. Girls - In a Poem Unlimited
13. Arctic Monkeys – Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino
12. St. Vincent – MassEducation
11. Soccer Mommy – Clean
10. Middle Kids – Lost Friends
The second of three Australian bands in my top 50 and the first of two, of course, in the top ten.
9. Nap Eyes - I’m Bad Now
One of only two male-centric acts in this year's top ten.
8. Bruce Springsteen – Springsteen on Broadway
I like Bruce, but I’m by no means a huge fan. That said, this is an amazing performance, in my opinion. If you haven’t heard it yet, and if you’re a Netflix subscriber, I suggest experiencing it that way your first time. I laughed. I cried. I fell in love with "The Wish," Springsteen's tribute to his mother. I even gained a newfound appreciation for "Dancing in the Dark."
7. Sugarland - Bigger
This one is a bit outside the norm for me, but the songs are super catchy and many of the themes hit home. Also, as I alluded to earlier, I'm a sucker for songs that are tributes to mothers.
6. Janelle Monáe – Dirty Computer
5. Camp Cope – How to Socialize & Make Friends
I believe this is the first top five finish for a band from the southern hemisphere.
4. Lori McKenna – The Tree
Every artist in my top ten so far has achieved that distinction for the first time, however two of the top three have been here before.
3. Kacey Musgraves – Golden Hour
Kacey's second top three finish in the past four years.
2. The Aces – When My Heart Felt Volcanic
This year's highest-ranking Americans and debut artists.
1. CHVRCHES – Love is Dead
The Scottish indie pop trio scores their second top three in the past four years and their first album to top my year-end list.
Happy New Year and thanks for reading!
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