Sharing out a list like this is an inherently narcissistic undertaking. Assuming that just because I enjoy these albums others should not only trust me, but end up liking them too is pretty damn egocentric. Thinking about this and then being unable to come up with a unifying theme for my collection, I began to worry. Reading back through previous years' and seeing a more clear and coherent unifying connection brought along some self-doubt. Though I knew I had listened to plenty of music, there seemed to be an unidentifiable problem. Why was I was having trouble organizing, ranking and even sitting down to write this, something that had never been an issue in the past?
Thankfully, a good buddy who moved away a few years back, swung by for an afternoon in the midst of my mini-funk. We did an abbreviated version of what we always do; drink a little beer and listen to music. As he left, we shared just how nice it was to be able to partake in such an important/rare event again, allowing us each to borrow and steal from the other.
And that's when it clicked; that's what this is, a curated collection of what others have allowed me to steal and bring into my world. Almost 50% of these 22 albums are just that; borrowed/stolen/acquired due to the shared joy of loving music and wanting to pass it along to those others that feel the same way. Without the musical recommendations of friends, this list would be much smaller, much less diverse and frankly, much, much worse. So, not only will I rely on these fellas for the music itself, but also for the ranking system too. Below is a collection of ranked tiers (thanks Murn) that helped me to pare down the 50+ new albums I tried to work my way through in 2018. Cheers to my musical friends for all you did to help make this list what it was and as a result, my year, so much better.
And that's when it clicked; that's what this is, a curated collection of what others have allowed me to steal and bring into my world. Almost 50% of these 22 albums are just that; borrowed/stolen/acquired due to the shared joy of loving music and wanting to pass it along to those others that feel the same way. Without the musical recommendations of friends, this list would be much smaller, much less diverse and frankly, much, much worse. So, not only will I rely on these fellas for the music itself, but also for the ranking system too. Below is a collection of ranked tiers (thanks Murn) that helped me to pare down the 50+ new albums I tried to work my way through in 2018. Cheers to my musical friends for all you did to help make this list what it was and as a result, my year, so much better.
Tier 1- Best looked upon as those albums that had great tracks, standout moments and yet never delivered consistently enough to make their way into a constant rotation.
22. Jim James - Uniform Distortion
Might as well start out with one I know is going to disappoint a few people. Every listen, I end up wanting to like this album a lot more than I really do, which would be more insulting if I didn't actually enjoy it. But I (kinda) do. Jim is an artist, both with MMJ and solo, who hasn't managed to fit his musical pieces into my mosaic in the right pattern just yet. Always enjoyable, filled with straightforward rock, ample guitar solos and excellent harmonies, there's no reason this isn't able to dig in deep with me. Every time I put it on, I'm nodding, air guitaring along and never inclined to turn it off. But at the same time, it almost feels like homework for me to seek it out and put it on in the first place. Why does that happen with certain artists? He isn't the only one. My best guess is that it means that I'm just not ready yet. There will be a day where this (and everything else of his) becomes an obsession. It's just not today. Sorry fellas.
Key Tracks: Throwback, Just A Fool, Yes to Everything
21. St. Paul & The Broken Bones - Young Sick Camellia
All three singles are legitimately incredible. This band is tight, fun and just downright slamming on each. They're infectious, remarkably danceable (though you hope no one's watching) and left me salivating for the album itself. Sure that I was looking at a top album of the year guarantee, I popped it on the list and sat back to wait for the rest. Alas, unavoidably, the rest of the album did indeed come out. Of the 10 other tracks, four were interludes and from the other six, only one grabbed me in the same way. Ouch. Looking at a ratio of less than 25% "full on grab ya" songs, I couldn't rank this album nearly as high as I originally imagined it would be. Their best work is as good as it got in 2018 and I'd still pay top dollar to see these guys live, but until they can deliver a little more consistently, they're going to muddle back here a little longer.
Key Tracks: Convex, Apollo, GotItBad, LivWithoutU
20. T. Hardy Morris - Dude, The Obscure
Another attempt at making his talents work, Mr. Morris stepped away from the Dead Confederates to go solo. Honestly, if you hadn't told me that this was the frontman who wailed through walls of southern gothic noise in his previous band, I wouldn't have believed you. What a (welcome) left turn. Having discovered the DCs via their association with J Mascis, and really only coming away from that loving the song he appeared on, I wasn't a diehard follower. Straight up name recognition was the only reason I even stopped to read the review. A chill, sparse, emotional journey into the headspace of a man looking for a new way to share his talents, this was a positive step in a direction I hope he continues in. The main reason I like this so much also happens to be an issue the lead me to rank it this low; while cohesive as could be, the tracks all tend to blend together.
Key Tracks: When the Record Skips, Lit by Midnight, Purple House Blues
19. Kurt Vile - Bottle It In
As controversial a voice as I've ever come across, friends' emotions towards him range from actively despising to ignored ambivalence. For multiple albums now, his laid back, stoner with an eye to the future vibe just clicks with me though. Layered guitars, lackadaisical vocals and a simple but steady drumbeat just taps right into that J Mascis-lobe in my brain, refusing to let go. He's not afraid of letting a song linger, breathe and stretch out in a way where you can easily get lost inside it. That for me is a skill that when done right is a very pleasurable headspace to get and stay in. Whatever the real reason it resonates with me though, this is another solid output from an artist whose focus continues to sharpen, songwriting continues to improve and albums continue to deliver.
Key Tracks - Loading Zones, Bassackwards, Hysteria
22. Jim James - Uniform Distortion
Might as well start out with one I know is going to disappoint a few people. Every listen, I end up wanting to like this album a lot more than I really do, which would be more insulting if I didn't actually enjoy it. But I (kinda) do. Jim is an artist, both with MMJ and solo, who hasn't managed to fit his musical pieces into my mosaic in the right pattern just yet. Always enjoyable, filled with straightforward rock, ample guitar solos and excellent harmonies, there's no reason this isn't able to dig in deep with me. Every time I put it on, I'm nodding, air guitaring along and never inclined to turn it off. But at the same time, it almost feels like homework for me to seek it out and put it on in the first place. Why does that happen with certain artists? He isn't the only one. My best guess is that it means that I'm just not ready yet. There will be a day where this (and everything else of his) becomes an obsession. It's just not today. Sorry fellas.
Key Tracks: Throwback, Just A Fool, Yes to Everything
21. St. Paul & The Broken Bones - Young Sick Camellia
All three singles are legitimately incredible. This band is tight, fun and just downright slamming on each. They're infectious, remarkably danceable (though you hope no one's watching) and left me salivating for the album itself. Sure that I was looking at a top album of the year guarantee, I popped it on the list and sat back to wait for the rest. Alas, unavoidably, the rest of the album did indeed come out. Of the 10 other tracks, four were interludes and from the other six, only one grabbed me in the same way. Ouch. Looking at a ratio of less than 25% "full on grab ya" songs, I couldn't rank this album nearly as high as I originally imagined it would be. Their best work is as good as it got in 2018 and I'd still pay top dollar to see these guys live, but until they can deliver a little more consistently, they're going to muddle back here a little longer.
Key Tracks: Convex, Apollo, GotItBad, LivWithoutU
20. T. Hardy Morris - Dude, The Obscure
Another attempt at making his talents work, Mr. Morris stepped away from the Dead Confederates to go solo. Honestly, if you hadn't told me that this was the frontman who wailed through walls of southern gothic noise in his previous band, I wouldn't have believed you. What a (welcome) left turn. Having discovered the DCs via their association with J Mascis, and really only coming away from that loving the song he appeared on, I wasn't a diehard follower. Straight up name recognition was the only reason I even stopped to read the review. A chill, sparse, emotional journey into the headspace of a man looking for a new way to share his talents, this was a positive step in a direction I hope he continues in. The main reason I like this so much also happens to be an issue the lead me to rank it this low; while cohesive as could be, the tracks all tend to blend together.
Key Tracks: When the Record Skips, Lit by Midnight, Purple House Blues
19. Kurt Vile - Bottle It In
As controversial a voice as I've ever come across, friends' emotions towards him range from actively despising to ignored ambivalence. For multiple albums now, his laid back, stoner with an eye to the future vibe just clicks with me though. Layered guitars, lackadaisical vocals and a simple but steady drumbeat just taps right into that J Mascis-lobe in my brain, refusing to let go. He's not afraid of letting a song linger, breathe and stretch out in a way where you can easily get lost inside it. That for me is a skill that when done right is a very pleasurable headspace to get and stay in. Whatever the real reason it resonates with me though, this is another solid output from an artist whose focus continues to sharpen, songwriting continues to improve and albums continue to deliver.
Key Tracks - Loading Zones, Bassackwards, Hysteria
18. Dawes - Passwords
This felt voting someone into the Hall of Fame because they played for ton of years and compiled great counting stats. Sure they had great individual seasons (albums), but this is more about the respect for someone you've followed and appreciated for so many years. Coming off the excellent We're All Gonna Die, this album can only be seen as a letdown strictly due to the fact that I would have expected any Dawes album to be ranked much higher than this. That's not to say it's in any way a bad album. Taylor is still a remarkably gifted storyteller/lyricist and it's a collection that will surely grow on me with time (it's secretly, not overtly hooky). Though I don't think it'll ever be an all timer, knowing how much these guys deliver when you're in the flesh, my current thinking is that I'll need to hear some of these tracks live before it can possibly reach its full potential.
Key Tracks: Telescope, Mistakes We Should Have Made, Crack the Case
This felt voting someone into the Hall of Fame because they played for ton of years and compiled great counting stats. Sure they had great individual seasons (albums), but this is more about the respect for someone you've followed and appreciated for so many years. Coming off the excellent We're All Gonna Die, this album can only be seen as a letdown strictly due to the fact that I would have expected any Dawes album to be ranked much higher than this. That's not to say it's in any way a bad album. Taylor is still a remarkably gifted storyteller/lyricist and it's a collection that will surely grow on me with time (it's secretly, not overtly hooky). Though I don't think it'll ever be an all timer, knowing how much these guys deliver when you're in the flesh, my current thinking is that I'll need to hear some of these tracks live before it can possibly reach its full potential.
Key Tracks: Telescope, Mistakes We Should Have Made, Crack the Case
Tier 2 - Albums that got multiple spins, delivered from top to bottom and didn't require any skipping around to find certain tracks.
17. Bonny Doon - Longwave
Having just read through lists of the past, I predicted that the next time these guys put out an album it would be much higher on my list. I'd like to amend that statement. It's going to be basically the same exact prediction, but for NEXT album... Recorded in only a couple weeks in a cabin in Michigan, the formula is practically a mirror image. A couple absolutely stellar songs buoy what is a perfectly fine, yet seemingly unfinished/rushed remaining collection of tracks. Rooted in my unexplainable connection to the leader singers voice (I swear it's a family voice. Is that a thing? I'm not sure that's a thing), there's a visceral connection that anchors me to their sound when they do it right. Perfect, melodious slacker-ish rock in the vein of mellow Pavement meets low-key full band live instrumentation of Wilco with the only thing holding them back being consistency. Producing two of my favorite songs of the year on the same album, while incredible, only makes me salivate to think what could happen if they ever had a record that they really devoted the necessary time to.
Key Tracks: A Lotta Things, I Am Here (I'm Alive), Saw a Light
16. Rolling Coastal Blackouts Fever - Hope Downs
Sometimes, it's just good to know that there are new bands out there that still want to just make straight forward Australian rock and roll. After two EPs, this was their first full length release and it's a good ol' fashioned blast of propulsive drum beats combined with bitingly sharp guitars that seem to mimic the path of a cardiac monitor. Like a mixture of the rebirth of mid 2000s British rock bands and the 80s new wave vocals, it's hard not to get caught up in the catchiness. There's nothing complicated here. Just sit back, drop the needle, find the groove with them and nod your way through this excellent debut.
Key Tracks: An Air Conditioned Man, Mainland, Talking Straight
15. Charles Watson - Now That I'm A River
With another strong assist from Jake, a buddy not involved in this just yet (hopefully someday) who has consistently given me recommendations that end up on these end of the year lists, I end up with the next three artists. The first, is an idyllic dabbling in the psychedelic calm. Never in much of a hurry, the album rides along a peacefully slow undulating fog. Cutting through is a beautifully overdubbed vocal and sneaky grooves that take you a good 30 seconds to realize you're even undulating to. This one is on the rise after not getting my full attention until mid December. Bonus points to Mr. Watson for sending along an autographed vinyl and then communicating about it directly with us on Christmas day.
Key Tracks: Now That' I'm A River, Voices Carry Through the Mist, Abandoned Buick
With another strong assist from Jake, a buddy not involved in this just yet (hopefully someday) who has consistently given me recommendations that end up on these end of the year lists, I end up with the next three artists. The first, is an idyllic dabbling in the psychedelic calm. Never in much of a hurry, the album rides along a peacefully slow undulating fog. Cutting through is a beautifully overdubbed vocal and sneaky grooves that take you a good 30 seconds to realize you're even undulating to. This one is on the rise after not getting my full attention until mid December. Bonus points to Mr. Watson for sending along an autographed vinyl and then communicating about it directly with us on Christmas day.
Key Tracks: Now That' I'm A River, Voices Carry Through the Mist, Abandoned Buick
14. Sam Evian - You, Forever
The second is the sophomore album from a lesser known artist who has delivered two straight excellent performances, 2016's Premium and now this. Very much in the same vein as the previous entry in this list, you can see what the musical honey hole is for my man Jake. A little more focused and varied than his last release, You, Forever breezes by in 39 minutes consistency delivering infectious vibes dotted with lovely female backing vocals. Like the half second between walking and running, it manages to be on the cusp of a tempo above chill. The production is syrupy sweet and the lyrics are insightfully fun to go back and sift through. Being lucky enough to catch someone early in their career, this work is a great sign things to come.
Key Tracks: IDGAF, Where Did You Go?, Country, You Forever
13. Courtney Barnett - Tell Me How You Really Feel
The last in the Trio of Jacob falls to the lone female artist to make the list (insert my wife and sister yelling at me, rightfully so), though she has appeared before. Having most recently finding her way into my previous list with Lotta Sea Lice, her 2017 collabo album with Kurt Vile, she managed to churn out an even better slice of rock this year. Always on the fence about her in the past, a rouge episode of Song Exploder, a really cool podcast that talks with artists directly to break down an individual song, changed me into a full on convert. Ever since, I'd been anxiously awaiting what she would do next, and this is a badass rock record. With her awesome accent creating a very unique voice, she's got the melodic chops to carry some real heft over the top of powerfully heavy riffs. Blessed with a real gift for songwriting, she crafts biting lyrics that seem to be as effortless for her to say as they are emotionally heavy to live with. Plus, killing it with a few solos is never going to make anything worse in my book.
Key Tracks: Charity, Need a Little Time, Sunday Roast
Catchy Key Tracks: Chances Are, Had a Fantastic, Frozen Orange/No Wonder
Tier 3 - A collection of albums that I chose to share with many others, truly digging deep into each, spending time with every song. Lotta day care jams here.
11. White Denim - Performance
Hell yeah. I need more of this in my life. Rock. And. Roll. This is a band that somehow never managed to catch my ear, not for lack of Else's trying. Looks like I was (shockingly) wrong and he was damn right. Kicking ass right out of the gate with the first single "Magazin", this fish hooked me early and never let go. Packed floor to ceiling with salivating guitar riffs, there isn't a much better way to describe this other than truly fun. Managing to sneak in uniquely distorted vocals and some unexpected sax skronks does nothing to dispel how hard this album hits. The aforementioned "day care jams" are the one to two songs I pick daily to blast for the little man on the way to our (very close) child care center. Finely curated to make the boy want to funk, groove and rock, there were many a small feet that tapped themselves along to track after track I pulled from here.
Key Tracks: Double Death, Magazin, Performance, Fine Slime
10. Khruangbin - Con Todo El Mundo
Possibly the most unique album to ever make one of these lists for me, Murny brought along this remarkable trio. A collection of performing musicians stumbled into each other, crafted a three piece almost entirely instrumental band, named it after a Thai word for airplane and then laid down some middle eastern psychedelic funk. Of course they did. There isn't much I've ever heard that sounds like this. Pulling on their curiously interwoven world music strings and blending them together created one of the coolest genres I've ever heard. Unavoidably dancy funk/soul painted upon with meandering desert sitar like guitar tones allows for one of the more fun listening experiences of the year. Guaranteed to get everyone with a pulse shaking their posterior, it's always nice to have music that can seemingly be put on regardless of the listening audience.
Key Tracks: Maria También, Cómo Me Quieres, Evan Finds the Third Room
9. Albert Hammond Jr. - Francis Trouble
The best case scenario when a band you like isn't putting out music is that the individual members don't follow suit. Albert, having put out merely one EP in the last five years with the Strokes, continues his impressively strong running churning out solo work. Though Julian is always seen as the puppet master pulling all the levers to make the band go, an album like this is yet another reminder of the fact that Albert was much more instrumental to their core sound than originally thought. Either that or he's done a damn fine job chameleoning that recognizable sound when his original band can't seem to stand each other. His tightest, most varied and best sounding album to date is filled with ample moments that bring back every bit of First Impressions of Earth nostalgia, a time when the Strokes really started to stretch their wings. This is a unique, diverse and complete collection of tracks with bouncing guitars, serpentine solos and video games meets pop licks say to me that Albert may actually be better off on his own.
Key Tracks: Set to Attack, Muted Beatings. Harder Harder Harder
8. Sheepdogs - Changing Colours
After thankfully showing that their 2012 major label debut was a too many cooks in the kitchen debacle that they could recover nicely from with 2015's Future Nostalgia, the Canadian dogs came back with yet another superb fuzzed out collection of a mix of aped vintage southern rock and 70s AM gold. Hitting me right in the sweet spot of two genres that I would have loved to be around for in person, Changing Colours (aw, look at that Canadian spelling of color) removes any pretense about whether or not it's still "cool" to rock. With a slightly new lineup, they deliver once again on one of my favorite throwback traditions they have; sneak a multiple song medley into the second half of the album. It's always a risk and it always turns out really freaking good. The rest of these unapologetic tunes are more than happy to hop in a time machine and bring me back to an era I didn't exists for, but I'm more than happy to go along for the ride.
Key Tracks: I've Got a Hole Where My Heart Should Be, I Ain't Cool, You Got To Be a Man
7. Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks - Sparkle Hard
Still, and probably forever, known as the lead guy from Pavement, Malkmus has now managed to put out two more albums without them. Always walking right up to the edge of the canyon of pop hits, he seems to purposely avoid diving headlong in. I'll be damned if he doesn't walk that line better than almost anyone in the business though. Whether it's strangely subversive lyrics, oddly auto-tuned vocals or oddly (though awesome) political commentary, he and the Jicks seem to do just enough to keep evolving and changing their sound to never sound stale. All the while, he's still singing in the same deadpan, burying melody throughout and reminding us all of his constantly impressive guitar heroics. There's no limit to the amount of ways I can hum or "make my own lyrics up in a way to horribly annoy my wife" to these tracks. Unconventional? Sure. But who in their right mind needs convention when you have the solo in "Kite"?
Key Tracks: Shiggy, Bike Lane, Kite
Tier 4 - Those that came along, stuck and wouldn't let go. Played often to this day, regardless of how many times they've been played before, still sounding fresh and impactful.
6. Rainbow Kitten Surprise - How To: Friend, Love, Freefall
One of the few albums to appear on here just due to reading a review, this horribly named band has to be my surprise breakout of the year. Hailing from my home state, they are a mashup of styles that can only come from growing up in appalachia heading towards the middle of the twenty first century. An extremely strong pairing of versatile and talented musicianship meets the shape shifting vocals of their front man. Soulful and gritty in one minute swifty morphs into playful skat-rapping the next, with a highly accented mountain twang all the while. Described on paper, this is a band that shouldn't work for a variety of reasons but I'll be damned if it doesn't pull it off in spades. Bonus points are given to this one for being the new band of the year for my wife, allowing me to suddenly have something I was fiending for in the car that didn't get any resistance.
Key Tracks: Matchbox, Moody Orange, When It Lands, Holy War
5. J Mascis - Elastic Days
The frontman of one of my all time favorite bands has never been able to make something I don't enjoy. I'm a self admitted obsessive fanboy and J is more than happy to deliver a prolific stream of guest appearances, work with Dinosaur Jr., his earlier work with The Fog and then solo material as well, all of which I'll gobble down gleefully. With that said, I don't think there has ever been a better all around showcase for what J is capable of as a musician. The slower, acoustic driven tracks do everything to highlight just how good of a songwriter he has become, his acoustic strum there all the while to buttress his plaintively aching vocals. For the first time when solo though, he hasn't been afraid to let that songwriting be out front but still deliver on each track at least one (if not two, three or four) blistering trademark solos on the electric guitar as well. It's a sound that just puts me in a good place. Give me the worst day of the year and I'll still be drawn to let his slithering wail envelop me in a cocoon of comfort.
Key Tracks: See You At the Movies, Cut Stranger, I Went Dust
4. Rayland Baxter - Wide Awake
Yeahhhh buddy! Rayland is about to become one of "my guys", the ones who I start following a little (more) obsessively to track where they are (oh, look, he's going to be on the new BNQT album) as well as how soon before we get another full length (approx two years between the last two gives me 2020 as a year to look forward to). Borrowing elements from the Beatles, ELO, Beck and the Flaming Lips, he's managed to craft one of the most complete and arresting albums of the year. Whether it's just me reading into it, or intent (does it matter?), there are many themes that appear after multiple listens that resonate deep with where I am, where the country is and how unbelievably strange everyday life in the world seems to some of us. This was the top album that I wanted to share with other music heads, one that was so good I got too excited and accidentally bought the vinyl twice in the span of two months. A true songwriting talent, there is no doubt he'll be back on this list many years to come. Extra credit for having the chorus on "Hey Larocco" become the most sung thing of the year by my son.
Key Tracks: Strange American Dream, 79 Shiny Revolvers, Hey Larocco, Amelia Baker
3. Father John Misty - God’s Favorite Customer
It shouldn't work as well as it does. It's safe to say I would have been so turned off by the smarmy schtick (or is it?) of Josh Tillman in my younger years that I would have never given his music a chance. Thankfully, whatever happened that snow day many years back when I Love You, Honeybear floated into my life has caused me to be an absolute devoted convert to the ways of FJM. After the dense world weary sadness of his previous album, this sounds like the drug fueled confessional of a philandering husband who is holed up in a hotel room serving penance. And apparently, that's exactly what it is. I think it's a mistake to say that only sorrow and misery can bring about good art. The aforementioned ILYH is an unrelenting testament to what newfound love and happiness can produce. Intense emotion one way or the other though is going to deliver the most heartfelt takes, if one is willing to lay themselves bare. Certainly not an issue here, these heartbreaking tunes make you truly feel for the guy, until you stop to think what he must have done in order to need this much self flagellation. Obviously sad as that may be for his life and the reality of his relationship, selfishly, I'm thrilled with the result.
Key Tracks: Hangout at the Gallows, We're Only People, Mr. Tillman, Date Night
2. Bahamas - Earthtones
What a run by Afie. What a transformation too. Since being shown to me by my hombre Jarret a few years back, I've been rapturously watching him evolve from a low key, shy, singer songwriter who was embarrassed to even do more than one solo live to a cocksure, confidence oozing soul frontman who ripped the stage apart with moxie alone. Arguably my wife's favorite album of the year, Earthtones is an exquisite record that easily could have been my #1 too. Heartfelt, soulful, funky, impeccably produced and just downright gorgeous, this is yet another example of a man who seemingly f'ed up bad and benefited creatively (see: John Misty, Father). One of the coolest parts? The vinyl has at least four songs that range from being partially to entirely different versions. What a mind warp hearing that the first time after having digested the digital album repeatedly. I can't get enough of his voice and his guitar work is starting to get me talking about him in the conversations of my favorite current ax men. Backed throughout by stunningly beautiful female vocals, this album is an entirely different set of tunes from his previous output that manages to be exactly the same in at least one way; the minute you're done, you're just dying to start over. Play it again.
Key Tracks: Opening Act (The Shooby Dooby Song), Show Me Naomi, No Expectations
1. Moondoggies - A Love Sleeps Deep
Any and all credit for this one goes to the holy entity known as the Murn. Holy hell did he deliver here. A one track "you should check this out" song turned into the most listened to, most outstanding, cohesive album of the year. From that moment this summer, there has rarely been a week that's gone by without my pressing play and sitting back to absorb every note of this eight song masterpiece. Following the Pink Floyd playbook of allowing their songs to breathe in a way where such pesky things as the chorus are mostly avoided, the songs duck and dive their way through different tempos, vibes and grooves. Feel has been mentioned a million times in these writeups by all of us throughout the years but sometimes, that's all it really comes down to. This album delivers a feeling for me that only comes along every couple years, something in the vein of the way The War On Drugs' Lost in a Dream or Jonathan Wilson Fanfare grabbed me and just refused to let go. In the way that a good movie can hook you with just one scene, this is a record that I can jump in at any point and want to stay for the remainder, if not just start it over from the top. Whatever the formula was that helped to create this beautiful beast, I hope it's something they are able to harness.
Key Tracks: Cinders, Soviet Barn Fire, Easy Coming, Sick in Bed
So with all the love that sharing music has brought me thanks to the friends listed here to the many others that have been kind enough to teach me, want to share with me and enlighten me, I'm hoping that you, dear reader, will be able to find something new to latch onto as well. Cheers.
The second is the sophomore album from a lesser known artist who has delivered two straight excellent performances, 2016's Premium and now this. Very much in the same vein as the previous entry in this list, you can see what the musical honey hole is for my man Jake. A little more focused and varied than his last release, You, Forever breezes by in 39 minutes consistency delivering infectious vibes dotted with lovely female backing vocals. Like the half second between walking and running, it manages to be on the cusp of a tempo above chill. The production is syrupy sweet and the lyrics are insightfully fun to go back and sift through. Being lucky enough to catch someone early in their career, this work is a great sign things to come.
Key Tracks: IDGAF, Where Did You Go?, Country, You Forever
13. Courtney Barnett - Tell Me How You Really Feel
The last in the Trio of Jacob falls to the lone female artist to make the list (insert my wife and sister yelling at me, rightfully so), though she has appeared before. Having most recently finding her way into my previous list with Lotta Sea Lice, her 2017 collabo album with Kurt Vile, she managed to churn out an even better slice of rock this year. Always on the fence about her in the past, a rouge episode of Song Exploder, a really cool podcast that talks with artists directly to break down an individual song, changed me into a full on convert. Ever since, I'd been anxiously awaiting what she would do next, and this is a badass rock record. With her awesome accent creating a very unique voice, she's got the melodic chops to carry some real heft over the top of powerfully heavy riffs. Blessed with a real gift for songwriting, she crafts biting lyrics that seem to be as effortless for her to say as they are emotionally heavy to live with. Plus, killing it with a few solos is never going to make anything worse in my book.
Key Tracks: Charity, Need a Little Time, Sunday Roast
12. Clearance - At Your Leisure
It's extremely weird liking an album from a newly found band that it's looked upon as a letdown by some of its critics. Not that I've had the chance to listen to the previous album(s) just yet but I can't fathom this being something other than a stylistic change that didn't sit right. Credit to Mr. Else for the find; now please go back and tell me if the other work is worth diving into as well. Stroksian angular guitar work helps to lay down a steady churning background sound for the possibly too simple but fitting vocals on these urgent riff driven tracks. Despite an album not being the best of the year, it's always a great sign of quality work that one would want to listen to the entire thing. At a time when the neverending deluge of new music isn't going to halt, it's nice to still want to drop the needle and just walk away.
Catchy Key Tracks: Chances Are, Had a Fantastic, Frozen Orange/No Wonder
Tier 3 - A collection of albums that I chose to share with many others, truly digging deep into each, spending time with every song. Lotta day care jams here.
11. White Denim - Performance
Hell yeah. I need more of this in my life. Rock. And. Roll. This is a band that somehow never managed to catch my ear, not for lack of Else's trying. Looks like I was (shockingly) wrong and he was damn right. Kicking ass right out of the gate with the first single "Magazin", this fish hooked me early and never let go. Packed floor to ceiling with salivating guitar riffs, there isn't a much better way to describe this other than truly fun. Managing to sneak in uniquely distorted vocals and some unexpected sax skronks does nothing to dispel how hard this album hits. The aforementioned "day care jams" are the one to two songs I pick daily to blast for the little man on the way to our (very close) child care center. Finely curated to make the boy want to funk, groove and rock, there were many a small feet that tapped themselves along to track after track I pulled from here.
Key Tracks: Double Death, Magazin, Performance, Fine Slime
10. Khruangbin - Con Todo El Mundo
Possibly the most unique album to ever make one of these lists for me, Murny brought along this remarkable trio. A collection of performing musicians stumbled into each other, crafted a three piece almost entirely instrumental band, named it after a Thai word for airplane and then laid down some middle eastern psychedelic funk. Of course they did. There isn't much I've ever heard that sounds like this. Pulling on their curiously interwoven world music strings and blending them together created one of the coolest genres I've ever heard. Unavoidably dancy funk/soul painted upon with meandering desert sitar like guitar tones allows for one of the more fun listening experiences of the year. Guaranteed to get everyone with a pulse shaking their posterior, it's always nice to have music that can seemingly be put on regardless of the listening audience.
Key Tracks: Maria También, Cómo Me Quieres, Evan Finds the Third Room
9. Albert Hammond Jr. - Francis Trouble
The best case scenario when a band you like isn't putting out music is that the individual members don't follow suit. Albert, having put out merely one EP in the last five years with the Strokes, continues his impressively strong running churning out solo work. Though Julian is always seen as the puppet master pulling all the levers to make the band go, an album like this is yet another reminder of the fact that Albert was much more instrumental to their core sound than originally thought. Either that or he's done a damn fine job chameleoning that recognizable sound when his original band can't seem to stand each other. His tightest, most varied and best sounding album to date is filled with ample moments that bring back every bit of First Impressions of Earth nostalgia, a time when the Strokes really started to stretch their wings. This is a unique, diverse and complete collection of tracks with bouncing guitars, serpentine solos and video games meets pop licks say to me that Albert may actually be better off on his own.
Key Tracks: Set to Attack, Muted Beatings. Harder Harder Harder
8. Sheepdogs - Changing Colours
After thankfully showing that their 2012 major label debut was a too many cooks in the kitchen debacle that they could recover nicely from with 2015's Future Nostalgia, the Canadian dogs came back with yet another superb fuzzed out collection of a mix of aped vintage southern rock and 70s AM gold. Hitting me right in the sweet spot of two genres that I would have loved to be around for in person, Changing Colours (aw, look at that Canadian spelling of color) removes any pretense about whether or not it's still "cool" to rock. With a slightly new lineup, they deliver once again on one of my favorite throwback traditions they have; sneak a multiple song medley into the second half of the album. It's always a risk and it always turns out really freaking good. The rest of these unapologetic tunes are more than happy to hop in a time machine and bring me back to an era I didn't exists for, but I'm more than happy to go along for the ride.
Key Tracks: I've Got a Hole Where My Heart Should Be, I Ain't Cool, You Got To Be a Man
7. Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks - Sparkle Hard
Still, and probably forever, known as the lead guy from Pavement, Malkmus has now managed to put out two more albums without them. Always walking right up to the edge of the canyon of pop hits, he seems to purposely avoid diving headlong in. I'll be damned if he doesn't walk that line better than almost anyone in the business though. Whether it's strangely subversive lyrics, oddly auto-tuned vocals or oddly (though awesome) political commentary, he and the Jicks seem to do just enough to keep evolving and changing their sound to never sound stale. All the while, he's still singing in the same deadpan, burying melody throughout and reminding us all of his constantly impressive guitar heroics. There's no limit to the amount of ways I can hum or "make my own lyrics up in a way to horribly annoy my wife" to these tracks. Unconventional? Sure. But who in their right mind needs convention when you have the solo in "Kite"?
Key Tracks: Shiggy, Bike Lane, Kite
Tier 4 - Those that came along, stuck and wouldn't let go. Played often to this day, regardless of how many times they've been played before, still sounding fresh and impactful.
6. Rainbow Kitten Surprise - How To: Friend, Love, Freefall
One of the few albums to appear on here just due to reading a review, this horribly named band has to be my surprise breakout of the year. Hailing from my home state, they are a mashup of styles that can only come from growing up in appalachia heading towards the middle of the twenty first century. An extremely strong pairing of versatile and talented musicianship meets the shape shifting vocals of their front man. Soulful and gritty in one minute swifty morphs into playful skat-rapping the next, with a highly accented mountain twang all the while. Described on paper, this is a band that shouldn't work for a variety of reasons but I'll be damned if it doesn't pull it off in spades. Bonus points are given to this one for being the new band of the year for my wife, allowing me to suddenly have something I was fiending for in the car that didn't get any resistance.
Key Tracks: Matchbox, Moody Orange, When It Lands, Holy War
5. J Mascis - Elastic Days
The frontman of one of my all time favorite bands has never been able to make something I don't enjoy. I'm a self admitted obsessive fanboy and J is more than happy to deliver a prolific stream of guest appearances, work with Dinosaur Jr., his earlier work with The Fog and then solo material as well, all of which I'll gobble down gleefully. With that said, I don't think there has ever been a better all around showcase for what J is capable of as a musician. The slower, acoustic driven tracks do everything to highlight just how good of a songwriter he has become, his acoustic strum there all the while to buttress his plaintively aching vocals. For the first time when solo though, he hasn't been afraid to let that songwriting be out front but still deliver on each track at least one (if not two, three or four) blistering trademark solos on the electric guitar as well. It's a sound that just puts me in a good place. Give me the worst day of the year and I'll still be drawn to let his slithering wail envelop me in a cocoon of comfort.
Key Tracks: See You At the Movies, Cut Stranger, I Went Dust
4. Rayland Baxter - Wide Awake
Yeahhhh buddy! Rayland is about to become one of "my guys", the ones who I start following a little (more) obsessively to track where they are (oh, look, he's going to be on the new BNQT album) as well as how soon before we get another full length (approx two years between the last two gives me 2020 as a year to look forward to). Borrowing elements from the Beatles, ELO, Beck and the Flaming Lips, he's managed to craft one of the most complete and arresting albums of the year. Whether it's just me reading into it, or intent (does it matter?), there are many themes that appear after multiple listens that resonate deep with where I am, where the country is and how unbelievably strange everyday life in the world seems to some of us. This was the top album that I wanted to share with other music heads, one that was so good I got too excited and accidentally bought the vinyl twice in the span of two months. A true songwriting talent, there is no doubt he'll be back on this list many years to come. Extra credit for having the chorus on "Hey Larocco" become the most sung thing of the year by my son.
Key Tracks: Strange American Dream, 79 Shiny Revolvers, Hey Larocco, Amelia Baker
3. Father John Misty - God’s Favorite Customer
It shouldn't work as well as it does. It's safe to say I would have been so turned off by the smarmy schtick (or is it?) of Josh Tillman in my younger years that I would have never given his music a chance. Thankfully, whatever happened that snow day many years back when I Love You, Honeybear floated into my life has caused me to be an absolute devoted convert to the ways of FJM. After the dense world weary sadness of his previous album, this sounds like the drug fueled confessional of a philandering husband who is holed up in a hotel room serving penance. And apparently, that's exactly what it is. I think it's a mistake to say that only sorrow and misery can bring about good art. The aforementioned ILYH is an unrelenting testament to what newfound love and happiness can produce. Intense emotion one way or the other though is going to deliver the most heartfelt takes, if one is willing to lay themselves bare. Certainly not an issue here, these heartbreaking tunes make you truly feel for the guy, until you stop to think what he must have done in order to need this much self flagellation. Obviously sad as that may be for his life and the reality of his relationship, selfishly, I'm thrilled with the result.
Key Tracks: Hangout at the Gallows, We're Only People, Mr. Tillman, Date Night
2. Bahamas - Earthtones
What a run by Afie. What a transformation too. Since being shown to me by my hombre Jarret a few years back, I've been rapturously watching him evolve from a low key, shy, singer songwriter who was embarrassed to even do more than one solo live to a cocksure, confidence oozing soul frontman who ripped the stage apart with moxie alone. Arguably my wife's favorite album of the year, Earthtones is an exquisite record that easily could have been my #1 too. Heartfelt, soulful, funky, impeccably produced and just downright gorgeous, this is yet another example of a man who seemingly f'ed up bad and benefited creatively (see: John Misty, Father). One of the coolest parts? The vinyl has at least four songs that range from being partially to entirely different versions. What a mind warp hearing that the first time after having digested the digital album repeatedly. I can't get enough of his voice and his guitar work is starting to get me talking about him in the conversations of my favorite current ax men. Backed throughout by stunningly beautiful female vocals, this album is an entirely different set of tunes from his previous output that manages to be exactly the same in at least one way; the minute you're done, you're just dying to start over. Play it again.
Key Tracks: Opening Act (The Shooby Dooby Song), Show Me Naomi, No Expectations
1. Moondoggies - A Love Sleeps Deep
Any and all credit for this one goes to the holy entity known as the Murn. Holy hell did he deliver here. A one track "you should check this out" song turned into the most listened to, most outstanding, cohesive album of the year. From that moment this summer, there has rarely been a week that's gone by without my pressing play and sitting back to absorb every note of this eight song masterpiece. Following the Pink Floyd playbook of allowing their songs to breathe in a way where such pesky things as the chorus are mostly avoided, the songs duck and dive their way through different tempos, vibes and grooves. Feel has been mentioned a million times in these writeups by all of us throughout the years but sometimes, that's all it really comes down to. This album delivers a feeling for me that only comes along every couple years, something in the vein of the way The War On Drugs' Lost in a Dream or Jonathan Wilson Fanfare grabbed me and just refused to let go. In the way that a good movie can hook you with just one scene, this is a record that I can jump in at any point and want to stay for the remainder, if not just start it over from the top. Whatever the formula was that helped to create this beautiful beast, I hope it's something they are able to harness.
Key Tracks: Cinders, Soviet Barn Fire, Easy Coming, Sick in Bed
So with all the love that sharing music has brought me thanks to the friends listed here to the many others that have been kind enough to teach me, want to share with me and enlighten me, I'm hoping that you, dear reader, will be able to find something new to latch onto as well. Cheers.
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