Right, here we go.
You can list up to twenty albums ( any more than that will be ignored – and you really should get out more).
First on your list will be awarded twenty points, next nineteen and so on.
You have until midnight 31st December to submit your choices and only “new” records released in 2018 will be considered.
Results will be announced in January assuming I can remember how to set up a spreadsheet.
ALBUMS OF 2018 POLL
by 340 Comments
Who is going to be second behind Ry?
You appreciate that by loading all 20 with reducing numbers of points allows in a perverse incentive/accident. Those with less than 20 in their list, and there will be many who might not have 20 of sufficient merit in their mind or on their shelves, can help rig the chart. Thus, say, if 20 people only put in 1 album in their list, that will automatically redeem 20 points at the expense of 19 others that will get nowt. And equivalently as the list rises. Those with all 20 effectively weight their lower choices less.
Having said, like someone said on the earlier post, it is the lists I enjoy, caring little for the actual chart. I didn’t agree with Sufjan, I can’t even remember last year and Ry won’t be in my top 10. (I haven’t looked hard enough to see if he has deserved a low teen placing; he might.
No idea why some perverse person might try and rig the poll in the manner you describe (apart from possibly Moose or maybe Gary ) but them’s the rules this year.
Is it next week already?
I’s a-travellin man so thought I would get the poll going now
How dare you sir. My poll does not need rigging.
On the No Depression website a few years back fans of Bill Mallonnee tried to rig their end of year poll by registering and just voting for him.
Now the editors produce a long list of albums that can be voted for.
1. Sun on the Square by The Innocence Mission
Two rare public appearances to look out for, one at Paste Magazine (https://youtu.be/CDH3wqNef70), and the other a Tiny Desk Concert (https://youtu.be/_RT5tZtCAD0)
2. Possible Dust Clouds by Kristin Hersh
Can’t wait to see her in March 2019 at the Colchester Arts Centre. Can’t believe she’s coming to this tiny venue!
3. What Heaven Is Like by Wussy
Saw them this year (also at CAC) and they were excellent.
I didn’t know there was a new IM album – bugger may have to revisit my draft list
Ms Hersh also at the Hare and Hounds up our way – booked
Wow, that’ll be special in a room that size, would’ve loved that when I used to be at the H&H regularly.
I’ve got a ticket for the Voodoo Rooms in Edinburgh though, which looks to be a similarly “intimate” size of venue.
According to this here Swingometer , and of course this is just a provisional result, Sun on the Square by The Innocence Mission is our Album of the Year!
Ok.
1. Ezra Furman – Transangelic Exodus
2. Bennett Wilson Poole – Bennett Wilson Poole
3. Elvis Costello – Look Now
4. JOnathan Wilson – Rare Birds
5. MGMT – Little Dark Age
6. Suede – The Blue Hour
7. Damien Dempsey – Union
8. Spiritualized – And Nothing Hurt
9. Blood Orange – Negro Swan
10. The Coral – Move Through the Dawn
11. Rolling Balckouts Coastal Fever – Hope Downs
12. First Aid Kit – Ruins
13. Nils Frahm – All Melody
14. Idles – Joy as an Act of Resistance
15. Thom Yorke – Suspiria
A fine selection @mikeyp40
1. Go to School – The Lemon Twigs
2. Out of all this Blue- The Waterboys
3. Egypt Station- Paul McCartney
Er. That’s it. My other favourite album of 2018 was still ‘Revolver’.
The Waterboys’ album was a 2017 release.
I suppose I really should pay more attention at the back.
Look, can everyone take this thing seriously? Eighteen albums in and I have listened to a solitary one (and despite all the hype the new Elvis isn’t actually any good)
Wrong.
Stripping paper and Burnt Sugar is so bitter are up there with his best songs.
Me, Wrong – who would have thunk it?
I agree with you Lodey. Re: Costello/
A greedy 20
1. Djrum – Portrait With Firewood
2. Blocks & Escher – Something Blue
3. Gas – Rausch
4. Gnod — Chapel Perilous
5. Ivy Lab – Death Don’t Always Taste Good
6. Marianne Faithful – Negative Capability
7. Amoss – Everything is Temporary
8. Youth & Gaudi — Astronaut Alchemists
9. dBridge – A Love I Can’t Explain
10. Break – Another Way
11. Sarah Nixey — Night Walks
12. James Zabiela — Balance 29
13. Jóhann Jóhannsson – Mandy OST
14. Forest Drive West – Apparitions
15. OneMind – OneMind
16. Trevor Jackson – System
17. Various Artists – Splinters
18. Skeptical – Enjoy This Trip
19. Acid Lab – A Matter Of Time
20. Curses — Romantic Fiction
Well, I couldn’t decide what to watch. I’d normally look for a horror film at this time of the evening, but I decided I’d shove my headphones on and have a listen to some of the entries on here that I don’t know. I hadn’t been at it very long at all when I got to Rausch. I did whatever the Apple Music equivalent of dropping the stylus in the middle of a track one is and guessed it was an intro track, so I dropped into the middle of track two and it sounded very similar, as did track three, so I let it run a while. Well, the album’s just ended and I’m knackered. That’s the music equivalent of being chased by something you don’t want to get caught by.
I was listening to it carefully, wondering where the next surge of sound was going to come from and I rarely got it right, but it has left me with the same sort of feeling as watching a horror film would have. I’ve often thought about writing a film where it starts in the middle of someone being chased (haven’t decided who/what by) and then you have 90 minutes of action and set pieces whilst he’s being chased (haven’t decided why) and then ending it with him still being chased. So, no beginning, no end, no explanation, just the bit in the middle. If I ever get round to it (I won’t) I’ve found my soundtrack.
Ha ha, I share your mystification, Paul. Tho’ I haven’t heard Rausch, I am fairly confident it will be within the same broad style of Pop and Narkopop, both of which I got through e-music last year, listening first to one and then the other on a very long misty night ride home from Manchester airport. Almost the sound of radio static interference, presented as a prolonged drone, I found it strangely soothing and disturbing simultaneously, a difficult feat. Glad I did it but can’t say I am yearning for the next 5 plays a la Tigger. Indeed, I think I may have recycled in my space=saving cull of this November.
Ha, good show! One of the best musical experiences of my young life came about ten years ago, thanks to a combination of an evening walk, snowfall, my iPod and a Gas album. It was genuinely otherworldly.
Back on to listening through the lists and, blimey, that James Zabiela album’s good, isn’t it.
Absolutely, @paul-wad. He’s one of — if not the — finest DJs at work today. All his officially released sets are brilliant, but if you can, grab one of his Essential Mixes, especially the one from 2010 that he themed around the movie Moon. It’s properly amazing, one of those sets you might play to people if you wanted to show them what a DJ really does.
The main thing this Judge Lodestone thingie has taught me is that I really should get out more. Absolutely no idea what youse guys are talking about.
Currently I am watching Some Like It Hot and wondering whether that next bottle of red needs opening
Lucky you, one of my top ten films. I’m being subjected to The Greatest Showman. So I’m going to stick my headphones on and listen to the James Zabiela mix.
My 20:
1. Half Man Half Biscuit – No One Cares About Your Creative Hub so Get Your Fuckin’ Hedge Cut
2. Father John Misty – God’s Favorite Customer
3. Teleman – Family of Aliens
4. Ólafur Arnalds – re:member
5. Jon Hopkins – Singularity
6. Elvis Costello – Look Now
7. Phosphorescent – C’est La Vie
8. Jóhann Jóhannsson – Englabörn & Variations
9. múm – Menschen am Sonntag
10. First Aid Kit – Ruins
11. Nils Frahm – All Melody
12. Robyn – Honey
13. Erased Tapes – 1+1=X
14. White Denim – Performance
15. Max Richter – The Blue Notebooks (15 Years)
16. Poppy Ackroyd – Resolve
17. Nils Frahm – Encores 1
18. Seinabo Sey – I’m a Dream
19. Go-Cart Mozart – Mozart’s Mini-Mart
20. Cher – Dancing Queen (probably the favourite in our household this year)
Certainly beginning to confirm a feeling that 2018 has been a prime year for classictronica/neo-classical/new age or whatever the feck it’s called
Agreed, Retro. It’s been a good year for those of us who like a bit of ambient noodling in their lives
More thumbs up for the ambient noodling thang at the moment – I have 12 of these…
Saw Nils last night too
Here goes….
1. Big Big Train – Merchants of Light
2. Gretchen Peters – Dancing With The Beast
3. Paul Weller – True Meanings
4. Dawes – Passwords
5. GoGo Penguin – A Humdrum Star
6. The Silver Seas – Moonlight Road
7. Richard Thompson – 13 Rivers
8. Kamasi Washington – Heaven and Earth
9. Ry Cooder – The Prodigal Son
10. Adam Holzman – Truth Decay
11. Iamthemorning – Ocean Sounds
12. Paul McCartney – Egypt Station
13. Lo Moon – Lo Moon
14. Joan Osborne – Bring It On Home
15. Poppy Ackroyd – Resolve
16. Riverside – Wasteland
17. Tracey Thorn – Record
18. Decemberists – I’ll Be Your Girl
19. Edie Brickell & New Bohemians – Rocket
20. Elvis Costello – Look Now
Bubbling under….
Fantastic Negrito – Please Don’t Be Dead
Olivia Chaney – Shelter
Jonathan Wilson – Rare Birds
Janelle Monae – Dirty Computer
HMHB – No One Cares…….
Phew! Finally someone whose list looks at least a little bit like mine probabaly will.
And from , god bless him, Baron Counterpane
At this point each year I realise how few albums I’ve bought. My favourites may actually be all I’ve bought.
Gretchen Peters – Dancing With The Beast;
Bob Collum and the Welfare Mothers – Pay, Pack and Carry;
Mary Gauthier- Rifles and Rosary Beads;
The East Pointers – What We Leave Behind.
That’s it!
– Baron Counterpane
Natalie Prass – The Future and The Past
Pinegrove – Skylight
Thunderpussy – Thunderpussy
Robyn – Honey
Courtney Marie Andrews – May Your Kindness Remain
Cat Power – Wanderer
Pistol Annies – Interstate Gospel
Waxahatchee – Great Thunder
Let’s Eat Grandma – I’m All Ears
Ashley McBryde – Girl Going Nowhere
Half Waif – Lavender
Mitski – Be The Cowboy
Lori McKenna – The Tree
I’m With Her – See You Around
Swearin’ – Fall Into The Sun
Hinds – I Don’t Run
Tracyanne and Danny – Tracyanne and Danny
Julia Holter – Aviary
The Internet – Hive Mind
Shame – Songs of Praise
Most Listened To But Not from 2018:
Frazey Ford – Indian Ocean
SPOTIFY USERS – You might want to check your inbox. The streaming service has released your annual most played list which may help jog your memory.
Apparently I listened for 32,608 minutes…
I can’t manage 20, I think it’s been quite a poor year for music, having said that I’ve worked out my list before looking at anyone else’s submissions, I’ll probably be banging my head on the table when I realise my glaring omissions!
1 Jeff Tweedy – Warm
2 Paul McCartney – Egypt Station
3 Kristin Hersh – Possible Dust Clouds
4 Paul Simon – In The Blue Light
5 John Hiatt – The Eclipse Sessions
6 The Jayhawks – Back Roads and Abandoned Motels
7 Nils Frahm – All Melody
8 Mogwai – Kin
9 Calexico – The Thread That Keeps Us Up
10 Ry Cooder – The Prodigal Son
11 Sink Ya Teeth – Sink Ya Teeth (local loyalty vote!)
12 John Prine – The Tree of Forgiveness
13 HMHB – No One Cares…
14 The Beat – Here We Go Love!
15 James – Living in Extraordinary Times
Jings, that’s a top class list! Can I copy and paste?
A top 12 for me
1)The Tangent – Proxy
2) Damian Wilson / Adam Wakeman – The Sun will dance in its Twilight hour
3) Big Big Train – Merchants of Light
4) Iamthemorning -Ocean Sounds
5) Steven Wilson -Home Invasion
6) Riverside – Wasteland
7) The Windmill -Tribus
8) Rikard Sjoblom’s Gunfly – Friendship
9)The Unfinished Violin – Sam Sweeny
10) Sting – 44/876
11) Elvis Costello – Look Now
12) Laura Meade – Remedium
Interesting choice of The Tangent at number 1. I have recently got this and only a couple of listens in – it’s good, but it’s not yet grabbed me as one of the outstanding albums of the year.
I know it’s getting rave reviews all over, so maybe it’s one that will take a little time.
Have to confess that I’ve taken issue with some of the Tangents politics in the past and even got contacted by band representatives. Clearly they care about their perception and audiance!
This one really has grabbed me. I just love the bass on this one, which is something i never thought I would hear myself say!
1. Spiritualized – And Nothing Hurt
2. Suede – The Blue Hour
3. Wreckless Eric – Construction Time And Demolition
4. Paul Weller – True Meanings
5. White Denim – Performance
6. The Damned – Evil Spirits
7. Manic Street Preachers – Resistance Is Futile
8. Roger Daltrey – As Long As I Have You
9. First Aid Kit – Ruins
10. Chris Pope & The Chords UK – Nowhere Land
11. The Vaccines – Combat Sports
12. Gaz Coombes – Worlds Stongest Man
13. Frank Turner – Be More Kind
14. Wilko Johnson – Blow Your Mind
15. Father John Misty – God’s Favourite Customer
16. Glen Matlock – Good To Go
and a special mention an album of covers containing no original material:
17. Matt Berry – Television Themes
Biggest Disappointments:
John Grant – Love Is Magic
Arctic Monkeys – Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino
Too many re-issues and rediscovering things I never discovered the first time around for me to have 20 new ones but here are my favs of the year:
1. Golden Hour – Kacey Musgraves
2. Singularity – John Hopkins
3. Broken Politics – Neneh Cherry
4. Monsters Exist – Orbital
5. Heaven & Earth – Kamasi Washington
6. Silver Dollar Moment – The Orielles
7. Deafman Glance – Ryley Walker
8. Go To School – The Lemon Twigs
9. Aviary – Julia Holter
10. Dirty Computer – Janelle Monae
11. The Hurt of Happiness – Hey Ocean!
12. All Melody – Nils Frahm
Are you sure about this? I have TWO of those!
I look at my list each year and panic about how mainstream I am, convinced that one day I’ll get an email withdrawing my Afterword Membership.
I have been known to google someone else’s entries to make sure they’re not made up
I just did that.
SPOILER: They’re not.
I however am fictional.
Who wrote dese legs?
What I love about the Afterword – someone worrying about their choices of Jon Hopkins, Nils Frahm, Julia Holter et al being too ‘mainstream’….
Have an Up for that comment, @Blue Boy.
Its been a pretty good year for New.
1. Low – Double Negative
2. Gazelle Twin – Pastoral
3. Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs – King of Cowards
4. Half Man Half Biscuit – No One Cares About…….
5. Khruangbin – Con Todo El Mundo
6. The Lemon Twigs – Go To School
7. Trembling Bells – Dungeness
8. Julia Holter – Aviary
9. Anne Dudley – Plays the Art Of Noise
10. Jonathan Wilson – Rare Birds
11. Sons Of Kemet – Your Queen is a Reptile
12. John Maus – Addendum
13. Poppy Ackroyd – Resolve
14. Kamasi Washington – Heaven and Earth
15. Anna Von Hasswolff – Dead Magic
16. Kronos Quartet, Laurie Anderson – Landfall
17. Beak – >>>
18. Oneohtrix Point Never – Age Of
19. Go Kart Mozart – Mozart’s Mini Matt
20. Cavern of Anti Matter- Hormone Lemonade.
Trembling Bells – Dungeness has only just arrived at my gaff (discovered after Afterwrod CD Swap thing).
It’s a fine, fine thing but I need more time with it – glad to see a good showing
Its a great record named after one of the strangest and one of my favourite places in the UK.
Glad to be of service @rigid-digit, certainly Ms Moles record of the year.
Just heard a track off the Low album, was wonderful. That one will probably make my top 5 if the rest of it is that good.
Only vote so far for Khruangbin. Great record. You are a man of great taste and sophistication.
Re: “Only vote so far for Khruangbin”
Fear not, Hawky. There’ll be another vote for Khruangbin when I finally get around to posting the MIGHTY duco01 Top 40 new releases of 2018 list.
@duco01 Do you want your revered Top Twenty included in this far humbler Poll?
What I normally do is establish 2 separate threads for my Top 40 new albums and Top 30 Archive and Historical recordings. I count down over a number of days from the bottom of each chart to the top, with some informative, incisive (?) comments on each record. The tension reaches extraordinary levels as Afterworders wonder which lucky albums will be occupying the coveted top spots.
After the full charts have been revealed, I also submit the plain lists to the overall Afterword ‘Best albums of the Year’ threads. As far as I can judge, this approach has worked reasonably well in past years.
@duco01– yes, I know your method of drip-feeding and keeping the excitement building but when the dust has settled do you want your Top 20 included in this here poll as well?
You didn’t read the whole of his post, did you? Come on. Concentrate. He answers your question in his last paragraph.
He’s drip-reading..
Ah, reading on the move in the middle of my pre-Christmas European Tour is obviously too difficult for me. As you were
Afterworders may wish to know that the presentation of the duco01 40 Favourite New Albums of 2018 will begin tomorrow, Tuesday 18 December, counting down from number 40 to number 26.
The 30 Favourite Archival and Historical Recordings of 2018 will probably be along sometime between Christmas and New Year (look out for that one – it’s a cracker, I can promise you).
Listened to it again today, just fabulous stuff. Thank you @Hawkfall for the compliment and if the mighty @duco01 likes it I can’t be wrong!
@Hawkfall I just heard it for first time tonight. It’s bloody brillizmt, it is on order and will go straight into my revised list that was originally posted on a different site.
Yay! It’s great stuff isn’t it? The main influence seems to be 60s Southeast Asian go go groups like The Stylers, who made records that were played at dances in places like Singapore and Thailand. God knows how the band heard of them. There’s also 70s funk and a bit of Prince in there too.
One of the things I like about today’s young bands is that they’re often quite happy to mix up different styles from the past without worrying too much about whether said styles are “cool” or not. Every now and again you get something really fresh like this.
Here’s a bookmark. Will try to increase it to at least 5 over Christmas.
1. Warm – Jeff Tweedy
2. Egypt Station – Paul McCartney
3.
4.
5.
1. Deafheaven – Ordinary Corrupt Human Love
2. Skee Mask – Compro
3. Chris Forsyth & The Solar Motel Band – Rare Dreams
4. Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever – Hope Downs
5. Earthless – Black Heaven
6. Tomorrow We Sail – The Shadows
7. Maisha – There Is A Place
8. The Men That Will Not Be Blamed For Nothing – Double Negative
9. Daniel Avery – Song For Alpha
10. Fucked Up – Dose Your Dreams
11. Green Druid – Ashen Blood
12. Poppy Ackroyd – Resolve
13. Jon Hopkins – Singularity
14. Sons Of Kemet – Your Queen Is A Reptile
15. The Messthetics – s/t
16. She Makes War – Brace For Impact
17. Interpol – Marauder
18. Seun Kuti – Black Times
19. The Interrupters – Fight The Good Fight
Was playing that Chris Forsyth yesterday.
I posted 10 somewhere else but my list with 20 will definitely include this.
Dreaming in the non dream is a thing i of wonder.
Oh yes, it’s spectacular stuff. Saw him on the tour this record was recorded on and it was probably my gig of the year.
I’m listening to the Maisha now – it’s beautiful stuff – dynamic, flowing sounds – horns, Garcia-style guitar, percussion – it just doesn’t stop. Lovely.
The Daniel Avery is pretty special, too.
Here’s mine:
1. Planet Battagon – Battagon symphony e.p.
2. Nils Frahm – All melody
3. Kendl Winter – Stumbler’s business
4. Lloyd Miller – Jazz at the University of Utah
5. Ry Cooder – The prodigal son
6. Jeff Tweedy – Warm
7. Olivia Chaney – Shelter
8. Eneferens – The bleakness of our constant
9. Various – Memphis rent party
10. Troupe Ecole Tudu – Oyiwane
11. Mick’s Jaguar – Fame and fortune
12. Verneri Pohjola & Mika Kallio – Animal image
13. Kadodi – Kadodi
14. Durand Jones & The Indications – Durand Jones & The Indications
15. Chip Wickham – Shamal wind
16. Graham Parker – Cloud symbols
17. Dakhla Brass – Murmur
18. Gorillaz – The now now
19. Jon Spencer – Sings the hits
20. Larkin Poe – Venom & faith
1. Dance Music by Mastersystem.
2. 13 Rivers – RT.
3. The more I sleep the less I dream – We Were Promised Jetpacks
4. Burn Band- Stryker Brothers
5. Love is the bridge between 2 hearts (EP) – Heidi Talbot and John McCusker
6. The tree of forgiveness – John Prine
7. Solan Goose – Erland Cooper
Brief but eloquent from Jnanagarbha
My two favourite albums of the year are:
Les Big Byrd – Iran Iraq Ikea
Kosmischer Läufer – Volume 4
Preferred Volume 3, before fame went to their heads.
*sniffs*
Bloody hell, it turns out these records are real!
That Ry Cooder bloke is totally made up though, Who is called Ry? That’s not a name, it’s a misprint.
Les Big Byrd! Three thumbs up!
1. Olafur Arnalds – Re:member
2. David Crosby – Here If You Listen
3. Paul Weller – True Meanings
4. Christine and the Queens – Chris
5. Nils Frahm – All Melody
6. Elvis Costello – Look Now
7. Kacey Musgraves – The Golden Hour
8. Natalie Prass- The Future and the Past
9. Various – An Introduction To Robert Kirby
10. Marianne Faithful – Negative Capability
11. Paul McCartney – Egypt Station
12. Ry Cooder – Prodigal Son
13. Fatoumata Diawara – Fenfo
14. Neneh Cherry – Broken Politics
15. Tom Misch – Geography
16. Kurt Vile – Bottle It In
17. Paul Simon – In the Blue Light
18. Anne Marie Alemedal – Lightshadow
Astonished at only the first entry of Fatoumata.
These seem way more eclectic than usual, which is interesting.
It’s pretty folky as, for vaguely professional reasons, they’re the ones I feel the need to listen to in their year of release, but here we go:
1. Anna and Elizabeth – The invisible comes to us
2. Willie Nelson – Last Man Standing
3. Cormac Begley
4. Richard Thompson – 13 Rivers
5. Karine Polwart – A Pocket of Wind Resistance
6. Norma Waterson and Eliza Carthy with the Gift Band – Anchor
7. Rachel Newton – West
8. Joan Baez – Whistle Down the Wind
9. Peatbog Faeries – Live @ 25
I’ve limited it to albums I’ve listened to at least three times through, meaning I’ve omitted contenders like Phillip Henry, Catrin Finch & Seckou Keita, Stick in the Wheel and Shooglenifty &
Dhun Dhora. Special mention for You Are Wolf whose album hasn’t quite clicked with me yet, but I strongly suspect will on the next play and I’ll be kicking myself for not including it!
1. Gabriel Kahane – Book of Travelers
2. Olivia Chaney – Shelter
3. David Crosby – Here If You Listen
4. Jackie Oates – The Joy of Living
5. Hannah Sanders and Ben Walker – Awake
6. Laura Veirs – The Lookout
7. Lucy Wainwright Roche – Little Beast
8. Beth Nielsen Chapman – Hearts of Glass
9. Alela Diane – Cusp
10. Milk Carton Kids – All The Things I Did and Didn’t Do
11. Courtney Marie Andrews – May Your Kindness Remain
12. Luluc – Sculptor
13. Lori McKenna – The Tree
14. The Jayhawks – Back Roads and Abandoned Motels
15. Greg Isakov – Evening Machines
16. Gretchen Peters – Dancing With The Beast
17. Josienne Clarke and Ben Walker – Seedlings All
18. Eliza Gilkyson – Secularia
19. Dawn Landes – Meet Me At The River
20. The War and The Treaty – The Healing Tide
Bubbling under, Rosanne Cash, I’m With Her, Norma Waterson and Gift Band and Linda Thompson Presents My Mother Doesn’t Know I’m on the Stage (it was a live concert made in 2005 with her and friends and family but only released this year).
That’s a lovely list, Carolina, one to lose oneself in, in a log cabin, in front of a roaring fire while drinking mulled wine.
I think flirting on this blog is covered by Rule 23, subsection 14a. Get a room!
“Log cabin” -we know what that means. Hurrrr
Yebbut, it IS a lovely list….
Thank you kindly sirs *blushes*. I don’t have the cabin, the wine or the roaring fire but I have started lighting candles in the evening which is very uplifting and soothing, (as is a lot of my list).
A super list, there, Carolina. Thanks for posting it.
Re: the Hannah Sanders and Ben Walker album at no.4
I see that Ben Walker has been a busy chap, as he also released a 4-track EP called “The Fox on the Downs” in September this year. It sounds very nice indeed….
https://benwalkermusic.bandcamp.com/album/the-fox-on-the-downs-ep
I didn’t know about the Ben Walker, thanks very much for telling me about it, will go and check it out.
Here goes, ethical decision to listen to no more, even if it meant I had to listen to >>> today ahead of it appearing in my stocking!
1. 13 Rivers/Richard Thompson – Rock
2. All Melody/Nils Frahm – New Age
3. Air Fair An La/NiteWorks – Folk
4. Fenfo/Fatoumata Diawara – World
5. Symbiosis II/Ross & Ali – Folk
6. Magrebi Blues/Jah Wobble with Momo – Jazz
7. Resolve/Poppy Ackroyd – New Age
8. Out of the Blues/Boz Scaggs – Blues
9. Awake/Hannah Savage & Ben Savage – Folk
10. >>>/Beak> – Electronica
11. Nordub/Sly & Robbie etc – Jazz
12. Back Roads and Abandoned Motels/Jayhawks – Country
13.Wanderer/Cat Power – Rock
14. In Praise of Home/Rura – Folk
15.A Humdrum Star/GoGo Penguin – Jazz
16. Re:Member/Olafur Arnalds – New Age
17.What News/Alasdair Roberts, Amble Skuse & David McGuinness – Folk
18. Singularity/Jon Hopkins – Electronica
19. Vanished Gardens/Charles Lloyd & the Marvels – Jazz
20. Bloodlines/Colin MacLeod – Rock
Have fun witnessing the difficulty of genrification of many, if not most of these…. Looks like it has been a folkie year followed by new age.
A Paltry 8
Beak> >>>
Cliff Martinez Game Night
Father John Misty God’s Favorite Customer
Jóhann Jóhannsson Mandy
Jon Hopkins Singularity
Ólafur Arnalds re:member
Nick Cave & Warren Ellis Kings
Vikingur Olafsson Johann Sebastian Bach
Bought plenty old, but only 8 new it seems, and almost all of them are by ancient artists. I don’t really do new cds by new(to me) artists.
Neil Young – Tonight’s The Night Live
Dawes – Passwords
John Hiatt – The Eclipse Sessions
Mary Gauthier – Rifles And Rosary Beads
Rab Noakes – Welcome To Anniversaryville
Loudon Wainwright III – Years In The Making
Neil Young – Songs For Judy
Ry Cooder – Prodigal Son
Sorry to reply to my own post, and I hope you haven’t finished counting, because it seems Santa reads my Amazon wishlist. So, I have listened to the new ones a few times now, and I want to change my original list.
Neil Young – Tonight’s The Night Live
Dawes – Passwords
Jayhawks – Back Roads and Abandoned Motels
John Hiatt – The Eclipse Sessions
Mary Gauthier – Rifles And Rosary Beads
Rab Noakes – Welcome To Anniversaryville
Mark Knopfler – Down The Road Wherever
Eliza Gilkyson – Secularia
Loudon Wainwright III – Years In The Making
Neil Young – Songs For Judy
Van Morrison – You’re Driving Me Crazy
Ry Cooder – Prodigal Son
Bruce Springsteen – On Broadway
Springsteen is great, but after watching the Netflix version, I don’t suppose I will ever listen to it again. That’s the reason it’s at the bottom.
What’s the Rab like, Stevie: he is an artist I always feel I should like, if mainly for writing my fave track on Fog on the Tyne. I had tix for he and Rod Clements as a duo locally but had to rain check at the last minute.
Plus he seems to be the the vocalist on all the Celtic Connections showpiece one-off commission-type gigs I see clips of on the youtube.
I like it. Because I play acoustic guitar and sing(as a hobby), folks like Rab are an inspiration to me. Beating cancer, laughing about it in song(defiantly) and the way he and others just keep going amazes me.
Personally, I like HIS songs. Unlike you, I’m not so keen on the covers, and there are 3 or 4 covers at least. He re-does Together Forever, missing out the last verse again, but me, I like the original.
Hard for me to be objective really, because I am a fan and would buy everything anyway. His songs come from his life, and I like the stories.
Anyway, you’ll love Long Black Veil and Twa Corbies, so why not make it the 51st on on your to be listened to pile.
……and, as for the gig…
…..we saw them in Kinross, and I didn’t write a ‘nights out’ piece, because I didn’t really think they were all that great together. I have seen Rab many times, and the 2 I have least enjoyed, were with Rod and with Barbara Dickson. I suppose I just like him on his own. Don’t get me wrong, they were fine. Both great storytellers and musicians, but it was obvious that they hadn’t really rehearsed much together, because they could never be described as tight. I think they had just been listening to each others new cd and playing along with it. Also I had hoped for more Lindisfarne stuff, but we only got ‘Meet Me On The Corner ‘ and ‘Together Forever ‘.
Jorrox wil probably disagree with me as I think he was there. I’ve never met him but I have seen his videos, and you canny really miss him.
1 Phosphorescent – C’est la vie
2 Lykke li – So Sad So Sexy
3 Josh Rouse – Love in the modern age
4 Johnny Marr – Call the comet
5 Bill Ryder Jones – Yawn
6 Jonathan Wilson – Rare Birds
7 Dubstar – One
8 Let’s Eat Grandma – I’m All Ears
9 Manic Street Preachers – Resistance is Futile
10 Ray Lamontagne – Part of the light
11 Sons of Bill – Oh God Ma’am
12 Arthur Buck – Arthur Buck
13 The Coral – Move Through The Dawn
14 Dean Wareham vs Cheval Sombre
15 Eels – The Deconstruction
16 Elen Friedberger – Rebound
17 Lo Moon – Lo Moon
18 Lissie – Castles
19 Ian Mcnabb – Our Future in Space
20 Jeff Tweedy – Warm
@mdavies27
What’s the Ian Mcnabb one like then? He always puts on a good live show but his recent solo albums haven’t done it for me.
Probably the best solo album he’s done for me and my favourite of the year, narrowly edging it past Curse of Lono’s second. Unlike a lot of his recent output it’s a full band rock and roll album, loud and uptempo for the most part and some of his best songs in a long time.
I wouldn’t go so far as to say it’s his best, but it’s certainly his best for quite some time and well worth investing in. I’ve been singing it’s praises to quite a few people, but I don’t think any of them have bothered listening to it yet, the miserable sods. Too many of my mates seem to have reached the stage where they know what they like and like what they know, so it’s quite difficult to get them to listen to anything that isn’t by somebody they’ve been listening to for 20+ years!
Thanks chaps, will investigate. I like his anthemic stuff with or without the Icies.
good album as usual from Mcnabb – Making silver sing, one of the best songs he’s written in years. Worth an investment, if only to make sure he deems it worthwhile to make another one.
2018 – The year Punk broke…
1: parquet Courts – Wide Awake
2: Fucked Up – Dose your dreams
3: Rolling Blackouts C.F. – Hope downs
4: Idles – Joy
5: Oh Seas – Smote Reversrser
6: The Beths – Future Me, Hates me.
7: U.S. Girls – In a Poem unlimited
8: Young Fathers – Cocoa Sugar
9: Gaz Combes – Worlds strongest man
10: Ezra Thurman – Trans angelic Exodus
11: Stephen Malkmus –
12: Let’s eat Grandma – I’m all Ears
13: Wye Oak – The louder I call
14: Villagers – The art of pretending
15: Courtney Barnet – Tell me…
16: Car Seat Headrest – Twin Fantasy
17: Hookworms – Microshift
18: The Breeders – All Nerve
19: Ana Calvi – Hunter
20: Ty Segal – Goblin
That’s two top ten votes for Fucked Up! Could they appear in the Offical Afterword Albums Of The Year list? It’s a really good record, and would almost certainly have been higher in my list if it had come out earlier or been a bit shorter – I’m still not sure I’ve got my head around it properly.
I’m also quite surprised that our mutual top five record by Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever hasn’t got more traction here – I’d have thought that classic jangle pop sound would have appealed to a fair few of us. Wish I’d done that Nights In I was contemplating now.
The Rolling Coastal record is alright but a bit forgettable – they’re good live though.
^^^This
1 – Israel Nash: Lifted
2 – Amanda Shires: To The Sunset
3 – Rosanne Cash: She Remembers Everything
4 – Lori McKenna: The Tree
5 – Kacey Musgraves: Golden Hour
6 – Caleb Caudle: Crushed Coins
7 – Christine & The Queens: Chris
8 – Kim Richey: Edgeland
9 – Kelly Willis: Back Being Blue
10 – Dean Owens: Southern Wind
11 – The Jayhawks: Back Roads and Abandoned Motels
12 – Nathaniel Ratliff & The Nightsweats: Tearing At The Seams
13 – Gretchen Peters: Dancing With The Beast
14 – Mary Gauthier: Rifles and Rosary Beads
15 – Stills & Collins: Everybody Knows
16 – Mary-Chapin Carpenter: Sometimes Just The Sky
17 – Ben Glover: Shorebound
18 – Cowboy Junkies: All That Reckoning
19 – Jonathan Wilson: Rare Birds
20 – Ry Cooder: The Prodigal Son
1. Soft Machine – Hidden Details
2. Big Big Train – Merchants of light
3. Richard Thompson – 13 rivers
4. Cowboy Junkies – All that reckoning
5. …er….
6. …that’s it…..
1 All Melody – Nils Frahm
2 Resolve – Poppy Ackroyd
3 Body – The Necks
4 Your Queen is a Reptile – Sons of Kemet
5 American Utopia- David Byrne
6 Re-member- Ólafur Arnalds
7 Prodigal Son – Ry Cooper
8 Double Negative- Low
9 Singularity- Jon Hopkins
10 Tell Me.. – Courtney Barnett
11 Glassworks – Viking Olaffson
12 The Other Side – Tord Gustafson
13 Plunge- Fever Ray
14 Age Of – Oneohtrix Point Never
15 Nordub – Sly & Robbie
16 Wanderer – Cat Power
17 Moon Runes – Szun Waves
18 Remain in Light – Angelique Kidjo
Hello @Hoops-McCann. Your list is magnificent, the closest to mine on the thread.
However, I believe that Fever Ray’s Plunge was released October 2017 and Moon Runes by Szun Waves is just a track. The album is called New Hymn To Freedom.
Sorry to be a pedant, but it gives you another vote and Lodestone won’t have heard of Szun Waves before, so our votes would be separated.
How double dare you! I do however admit that 50% of these I am unclear as to which is the artist(s) and which is the album title. Thank goodness I have Moose to sort these kind of problems out
1. Lindi ORTEGA – Liberty
2. Ry COODER – Prodigal Son
3. Jonathan WILSON – Rare Birds
4. FIRST AID KIT – Ruins
5 Kacey MUSGRAVES – Golden Hour
6. Paul McCARTNEY – Egypt Station
1 Ian McNabb – Our Future in Space
2 Curse of Lono – As I Fell
3 Bennett Wilson Poole – Bennett Wilson Poole
4 Alfa 9 – My Sweet Movida
5 The Hanging Stars – Songs for Somewhere Else
6 The Left Outsides – All That Remains
7 Trembling Bells – Dungeness
8 Richard Thomson – 13 Rivers
9 Green Seagull – Scarlett Fever
10 Peatbog Faeries – Live @ 25
11 John Smith – Hummingbird
12 Lake Ruth – Birds of America
13 Alison Cotton – All is Quiet at the Ancient Theatre
14 The Asteroid # 4 – Collide
15 Wilko Johnson – Blow Your Mind
16 Red Red Eyes – Horology
17 Graham Parker – Cloud Symbols
18 The Coral – Move Through The Dawn
19 The Jayhawks – Back Roads and Abandoned Motels
20 First Aid Kit – Ruins
Curse of Lono my 21, just not quite as good as the debut IMHO
The Jayhawks – Back Roads and Abandoned Motels.
Calexico – The Thread That Keeps Us
Math & Physics Club – Lived Here Before
The Perfect English Weather – Don’t You Wanna Feel The Rain?
Ry Cooder – Prodigal Son
Trashcan Sinatras – All Night In America
Tracyanne & Danny
Belle Adair – Tuscumbia
Club 8 – Golden Island
The Smittens – City Rock Dove
The Chills – Snow Bound
Death Cab for Cutie – Thank You for Today
The Decemberists – I’ll Be Your Girl
HMHB – No One Cares…
The Essex Green – Hardly Electronic
Horse Feathers – Appreciation
Okkervil River – In The Rainbow Rain
Ian McNabb – Our Future In Space
Lord Huron – Vide Noir
Tigercats – Pig City
Decemberists-I’ll Be Your Girl
Ian McNabb-Our Future In Space
Calexico-The Thread That Keeps Us
M Ward-What A Wonderful World
Howlin Rain-The Alligator Bride
Uncle Acid And The Deadbeats-Wasteland
Crippled Black Phoenix-The Great Escape
The Men They Couldn’t Hang-Cockahoop
White Denim-Performance
The Low Anthem-The Salt Dog Went To Measure The Depth Of The Sea
The Coral-Move Through The Dawn
BC Camplight-Deportation Blues
Field Music-Open Here
HMHB-No One Cares…
Richard Thompson-13 Rivers
I bought 21 new-release albums this year and numerous oldies/rereleases.
As far as I know, these were all released, for the first time, in 2018.
1: Poppy Ackroyd – Resolve
2: Kamasi Washington – Heaven And Earth
3: Monica Vasconcelos – The Sao Paulo Tapes
4: Various – Erased Tapes Collection IX
5: Lydian Collective – Adventure
6: Eliza Carthy, Norma Waterson & The Gift Band – Anchor
7: Neil Angilley Trio – The Lake District
8: Sara Dowling – Two Sides Of Sara
9: Gwenifer Raymond – You Never Were Much Of A Dancer
10: Moon Gangs – Earth Loop
11: Iona Fyfe – Away From My Window
12: Pieter Nooten – Stem
13: Green Seagull – Scarlet Fever
14: Jah Wobble & Momo – Maghrebi Jazz
15: Brona McVittie – We Are The Wildlife
16: Ed Jones – For Your Ears Only
17: Malin Andersson – Follow
18: Garance & The Mitochondries – Balance D’Aurore
19: Sarah Nicolls – Daylight Music Special-March 2018
20: Ed Bennett/Decibel – Togetherness
Only remaining new release I bought this year:
Protection Spells – Daylight Music Compilation
Glad to see the Wobb in that list, @Mike_h
Quite a bit better than his “official” release, Dreamworld, which is goodish, but spoilt by the sub-Shakatak of the opening number.
And it’s 20 points for Paul Weller’s “True Meanings”
Thanks, Bri!
Two albums that came my way and piqued my interest were:
1. Christine and the Queens – Chris
2. Robyn – Honey
Forget the old farts and their OK it’s not up there with the great albums of their heyday but it’s not bad and it’s them, and embrace modern, shiny, female, electronic pop which continues to be where it’s at.
The Robin album is excellent, state-of-the-art female electronic pop. The kind of record you half wish Gaga had matured into instead of going all piano ballad, though clearly that’s not half worked for her.
Bring back Quadron!
1 Teskey Brothers- Half Mile Harvest Aussie blues soul in the Stax tradition. Check out Josh Teskey’s voice and you’d think Otis has come back as a kid from the hills outside Melbourne.
2 Ryland Cooder – Prodigal Son
3 Mary Gauthier – Rifles and Rosary Breads
4 Paul Kelly – Nature
5 Midnight Oil – Armistice Day live album from 2017 tour.
Good a way as any to start the ball rolling with my first post I guess:
Vessel – Frankie Cosmos
The Blue Hour – Suede
C’est La Vie – Phosphorescent
The Thread That Keeps Us – Calexico
Lived Here Before – Math and Physics Club
All My Swim – Faeland
Widdershins – Grant-Lee Phillips
The Tree of Forgiveness – John Prine
Where We Were Together – Say Sue Me
Part of the Light – Ray Lamontagne
Kindness, A Rebel – River Whyless
Have Mercy – Paul Cauthen
Constellation – Jim Cuddy
All My Shades of Blue – Ruen Brothers
All American Made – Margo Price
The Horizon Just Laughed – Damien Jurado
The Bluest Star – Free Cake For Every Creature
Future Me Hates Me – The Beths
Lifted – Israel Nash
Angels of Death – Jennifer Castle
Can’t quite fit in ‘Build a Tower – The Slow Readers Club’ but it deserves a mention anyway because it’s lovely.
Welcome to The Big Tent! And a mighty fine list too (which is shorthand for “I have heard nearly half of your choices”). You obviously missed Ryland Cooder off your list but don’t worry I’ll put it in for you….
Ooh, a first vote for the fabulous Damien Jurado album – the classic that the year end lists forgot…
Oh, and welcome 🙂
👋 first timer
In spite all your rage you have Frankie Cosmos in the top spot.
At least your list isn’t a million names long…
Lovely list to chew on. Welcome fellow feline. Post often
Well done and welcome Sir/Ma’am Lioninacage
Extra points for mention of the Slow Readers Club album which I’ve enjoyed this year, a couple of stand out tracks on it. In fact I did a post on it to which no one replied ….heathens!
@LioninaCage , yes welcome!.That transformation from lurker to poster. It’s life affirming (read my review of Me and My Friends for significance of that description.
LioninaCage – Anyone who likes Jennifer Castle’s “Angels of Death” album gets a big hearty welcome from me!
Ditto, great to see another Jennifer Castle fan, Lion. I didn’t think Angels was quite as consistently fabulous as Pink City, but there were some fantastic tracks on it, including Tonight The Evening. And Free Cake for Every Creature is my favourite band name of the year!
Barring any late releases…
1 – J.Cole: KOD
2 – Janelle Monáe: Dirty Computer
3 – Christine & the Queens: Chris
4 – Blocks & Escher: Something Blue
5 – The Internet: Hive Mind
6 – Pusha T: Daytona
7 – Kendrick Lamar et al: Black Panther OST
8 – Kooley High: Never Come Down
9 – Poppy Ackroyd: Resolve
10 – L-Side: Carnal Mind
11 – Dr. Octogan: Moosebumps: An Exploration Into Modern Day Horripilation
12 – Belly: IMMIGRANT
13 – Johnny Marr: Call the Comet
14 – NaS: Nasir
15 – Bugzy Malone: B. Inspired
16 – Czarface & MF DOOM: Czarface Meets MF DOOM
17 – Etherwood: In Stillness
18 – The Necks: Body
19 – Marianne Faithful: Negative Capability
20 – DJ Krush: Cosmic Yard
Track of the year – Janelle Monáe: Make Me Feel (see if you can spot the influence from her mentor, Prince!)
Non-archive live album of the year – Gary Numan: Savage (Live at Brixton Academy)
Is there any appetite for longer individual lists? I say this not only because I have gone and done a stupid sized list again and I think many more than my 20 are worthy of mention, but also because I like listening to the ones I don’t know from the individual lists and many of my favourite albums of the last few years have been discovered this way. In fact, one or two on here may recognise albums in my 20 that they recommended to me. Whilst there hasn’t been an album released this year that I like as much as my top 5 from last year, I think there have been a lot more really good albums this year than last.
As usual, lists by posters such as @leicester-bangs, @handsome-p-wonderful and @ip33, amongst others, look worthy of exploring and leave me wishing they were longer, and I’m sure that many folk yet to submit, such as @tiggerlion, will be the same. Not to mention the list that makes the Quietus list look like Smash Hits, from @duco01. If anybody else fancies submitting a longer list I’ll set up a separate thread for it, as Lodey has got enough work to do totting up the scores without us flooding it with self-indulgent top 50s.
Just done some calculations re totting up scores – It seems that we might as well as close the poll as Ryland is so far ahead (may need to do some more sums before this is confirmed)
You know, some bloke predicted this as soon as you opened the voting…
It’s almost as if…. that’s the reason…. *clattering sound as scales fall from eyes*
I don’t see anything like that in those up so far. But what I do see is a lot of Poppy Ackroyd, possibly in the top 10. Not ‘arf!!
Still mulling, but I think it’s fair to say that I will be adding several more points for Ry….
Quite right. Do as you’re told.
I’m calling this “C’mon everybody, let’s not have another Sufjan Poll Winner”.
Still trying to work out the abacus thingie but honestly right now Ryland’s lead makes Theresa’s “win” look somewhat hollow
The result is meaningless and an anticlimax, whereas the entries are fun.
it’s the difference between the male and female attitudes to sexual intercourse.
But let’s not forget the poll has some (not quite sure how many) days to run so there’s still time to cast your votes for records nobody else has ever heard of. That’s the thing about Year-End Polls: sometimes a fucked-up dwarf waltzes onto the stage and surprises us all (like with me in charge that’s likely to happen)
I love the long lists as I look for more artists to explore. Beats Uncut or Mojo. Maybe someone should start a music magazine aligned with our musical interests. Hmmmmm….
Boz Scaggs – Out of the Blues.
Gretchen Peters – Dancing With The Beast.
The Jayhawks – Back Roads And Abandoned Motels.
Various – Johnny Cash, The Music, Forever Words.
Paul McCartney – Egypt Station.
Cheers, John Walters
It was extra difficult this year – few standout albums but lots of very good ones almost impossible to separate and list in order of quality…six months from now the order will probably be different!
But I had to make a decision, so I threw some imaginary darts and ended up with this order:
1. Haley Heyndrickx – I Need To Start A Garden (released quite early in the year, but I keep coming back to it and it always makes me genuinely happy)
2. Adrienne Lenker – Abysskiss (too soon to tell? ah, but it’s so good!)
3. Jeff Tweedy – Warm (I haven’t heard it enough times to rank it fairly really, but I love what I’ve heard and it’s by Jeff Tweedy, also known in my house as God 😉 )
4. David Crosby – Here If You Listen (Surprise Hippie Of The Year!)
5. Imarhan – Temet (hypnotic Tuareg jams)
6. Markus Krunegård – I Huvet På En Idiot, I En Bar, På En Ö, I Ett Hav, På En Ö, I En Bar, I Huvet På En Idiot (hard to believe, but the album is better than the title is long!)
7. Kikagaku Moyo – Masana Temples (happy Japanese psych prog pop – Hai!)
8. Laura Gibson – Goners (another late and great entry that makes it into the top 10)
9. Natalie Prass – The Future And The Past (her voice alone makes any song good)
10. Courtney Marie Andrews – May Your Kindness Remain (I’ve almost listened myself sick to this, but for what I felt about it during most of the year it still deserves a high placement)
11. Neko Case – Hell-On (great on album, great live)
12. Träden – Träden (a new version of Träd, Gräs Och Stenar that sounded revitalized and current…if prog psych jam bands can be said to be current! 🙂 )
13. Eleanor Friedberger – Rebound (kept growing with each month of the year)
14. Jess Williamson – Cosmic Wink (as did this album, hidden underneath more and more newer albums until rediscovered and all the more appreciated)
15. Julia Holter – Aviary (not everyday listening, but such a delicious treat to enjoy when there’s time to do a deep dive into it)
16. Phosphorescent – C’Est La Vie (joyful in every way)
17. Ray LaMontagne – Part Of The Light (I’d love to see no. 16 and no. 17 on a double bill, different sounds but similar…)
18. The Jayhawks – Back Roads And Abandoned Motels (old songs in a new warm coat)
19. Sarah Klang – Love In The Milky Way (wonderful new Swedish voice made a sensational debut album)
20. Anna Ternheim – All The Way To Rio (it was between this one and Ezra Furman, but this one is more even and has some of my favourite tracks of the year on it)
Honorable mentions (besides Ezra): Norma Waterson/The Gift Band, White Denim, Seinabo Sey, Neneh Cherry, Fatoumata Diawara, Aaron Lee Tasjan, Laura Veirs…to name but a few.
I’ve just purchased the Adrianne Lenker album as a little extra prezzie for Mrs duco01, as she’s a fan of Big Thief. It’s certainly reassuring to see “Abysskiss” taking the silver medal in the 2018 Locust list.
Nice to see Imarhan at no.5 @Locust. They will feature in my list as well.
1. Autechre – NTS Sessions
2. Demdike Stare – Stitch by Stitch
3. Demdike Stare – Passion
4. Field Music – Open Here
5. The Orielles – Silver Dollar Moment
6. Pram – Across the Meridian
7. Virginia Wing – Ecstatic Arrow
8. Blocks and Escher – Something Blue
9. Teleman – Family of Aliens
10. Wild Nothing – Indigo
11. Half Man Half Biscuit – No-one cares about your creative hub so get your fuckin’ hedge cut
12. Skee Mask – Compro
13. Bill Ryder Jones – Yawn
14. Dorian Concept – The Nature of Imitation
15. The Coral – Move Through the Dawn
I was waiting to see your top albums, @dr_volume. Before reading your post a few months ago I probably would have put hookworms in my top three, but I was unsure about putting it on there. Your list may have helped with that and I suspect that I won’t now.
Interesting.
I thoroughly enjoyed Microsoft when it first came out and played it way more than the requisite six. I didn’t think it would be top ten of the year but definitely a contender for top twenty. But, then I moved on to other things and when the news came out about their singer I hadn’t heard it for some months. I listened to it again last week and I couldn’t get to the end. To be fair, this happens reasonably often with new releases; some sound great at first but less good on a revisit after a pause. Somehow, sadly, I think it’s more than that for Microsoft.
It’s still in my record collection, just not sure if I’ll play it again soon. That said, there are an awful lot of records in my collection that won’t be played soon.
Hard to pick a winner, but I enjoyed each of these:
1. Melody’s Echo Chamber – Bon Voyage
2. Arctic Monkeys – Tranquility Base Hotel And Casino
3. Neneh Cherry – Broken Politics
4. Gwenno – Le Kov
5. Flex Mathews, Damu The Fudgemunk – Dreams and Vibrations
6. Minami Deutsch – With Dim Light
7. Khruangbin – Con Todo El Mundo
8. The Good, The Bad and The Queen – Merrie Land
9. Gaz Coombes – World’s Strongest Man
10. Wooden Shjips – V
11. Here Lies Man – You Will Know Nothing
12. Kikagaku Moyo – Masana Temples
13. Courtney Barnett – Tell Me How You Really Feel
14. Hailu Mergia – Lala Believe
15. Idris Ackamoor & The Pyramids – An Angel Fell
16. Titus Andronicus – A Productive Cough
17. Carlton Melton – Mind Minerals
18. Sauna Youth – Deaths
19. Manic Street Preachers – Resistance Is Futile
20. Hermit And Recluse – Orpheus and The Sirens
I’m cogitating on The Good, The Bad and The Queen – Merrie Land.
I’m sure it’s very good, just hasn’t quite hit the “very” stages yet.
Mind you – TGTBTQs previous album took a long while to reveal itself as more than a one track wonder
Bennett Wilson Poole – Bennett Wilson Poole
Ry Cooder – The Prodigal Son
Ray Davies – Our country
Jon Cleary – Dyna-mite
Public Service Broadcasting – White Star Liner
Martin Barre – Roads less traveled
John Mellencamp – Other people’s stuff
Roger Daltrey – As long as I have you
George Ezra – Staying at Tamaras
Dead Can Dance – Dionysus
Big Big Train – Merchants of light
The Orb – No sounds are out of bounds
Been holding off as I’m not happy with the order. Still not happy, but sod it..
I did consider listening to the dozens of albums already listed which are new to me but… sod it.
1. Jean Grae & Quelle Chris – Everything’s Fine
I’ve spent most of the year waiting to hear something better. All I can say is if you’d been in my head these last twelve months this slice of wilfully odd hip hop might be your favourite too..
2. U.S. Girls – In A Poem Unlimited
I didn’t need Spotify to tell me that the five best songs on this album are my most played of the year. Misses out on the top spot because, as short as it is, it always runs out of steam before the end.
3. Teleman – Family Of Aliens
I think I said it all in my Nights In review
4. The Last Poets – Understand What Black Is
Thousand-year-old geezers team up with reggae producer Prince Fatty to show these young whippersnappers how it’s done: it’s done by picking the right targets and choosing the best words and delivering it in a voice that demands respect.
5. Janelle Monae – Dirty Computer
If this is her “crossover” album, all I can say is she’s crossed over to my territory. More please.
6. Tove Styrke – Sway
Sorry Robyn, Ariana and Chrisy Queens – this is the pure pop album of the year.
So why is it so hard to buy it in the shops?
7. Sly & Robbie meet Dubmatix – Overdubbed
Well, if they make enough records one of them is going to end up on the list..
8. Tracyanne And Danny
After a so-so last Camera Obscura record, yet another Scottish person finds their groove by looking to openspace America for their sound and imagery. Decent contributions from the bloke too..
9. Estelle – Lovers Rock
It’s got an uh-oh generic title and employs those modern sounds that make the Afterword’s Roots Radics grimace, but this is a tremendous chirpy pop album which could have been a perfect summer soundtrack if they’d got it out before September
10. Junglepussy – JP3
I’ve spent 2018 up to my elbows in pussy. Having spent half of last year listening to great female driven music I was perplexed to find hardly any women in my top 20 list. So much so, I wrote a thread about it. This year the ladies have not been backward about coming forward, asking me to “work that pussy” and inviting me to a whole “new part of Pussytown”, while more seriously inviting me to know the fear that goes with being prey…….
11. Darlingside – Extralife
Neat harmonies, nice tunes
12. cupcakKe – Ephorize
Like going 15 rounds with Ali in his prime if, instead of punches he was throwing empowered female-orientated verbal pornography. You may want to wash your ears after..
13. The Lost Brothers – Halfway Towards A Healing
Kinda folky, songwritery, grown up music.
14. Cardi B – Invasion Of Privacy
Oh, it’s easy to laugh and it’s easy to hate, but she’s – mostly – done something remarkable here..
15. First Aid Kit – Ruins
It’s not their best, but it’s mighty fine nonetheless
16. Chloe x Halle – The Kids Are Alright
Massive jump forward for this exciting duo who are 20 and 18 years old
17. Kids See Ghosts
Saying “the best thing Kanye did this year” is not setting the bar high… Still, props.
18. J Cole – KOD
If it started as well as it finished it would be right up there⬆️
19. SiR – November
Well, I like it, so f*ck Will Smith and f*ck you too!
20. John Prine – The Tree Of Forgiveness
Just a great collection of deceptively simple songs delivered with charm and wit
The next ten aren’t bad either!
Agree about Tove Styrke. She probably should be on my list, but I played it so much when it came out, that I finally got seriously sick of it, so I forgot about it for this poll. Listening again now for the first time in months I’m reminded how good it is! Problem now is; what would I remove from the list to put her in? And which place does she deserve?
Nah, I had such problems coming up with my original list and order, so I think I’ll leave it as it is and just echo the recommendation!
cupcakKe – wow! I’d not heard of this one and chose Duck Duck Goose as the first track to listen to. It was so obscene I looked up the lyrics to make sure I was hearing her right. Mike Read’s not going to play that one. The video was also on the page with the lyrics and it’s safe to say it’s not likely to be on the Christmas Top of the Pops. She makes Lil Kim and the 2 Live Crew look like Mother Teresa and Cliff Richard!
1. Tracey Thorn- Record
2. Elvis Costello- Look Now
3. Arctic Monkeys – Tranquillity Base Hotel
4. Janelle Monae- Dirty Computer
5. Christine & the Queens- Chris
6. Anna Calvi – Hunter
7. Paul McCartney – Egypt Station
8. Let’s Eat Grandma – I’m all Ears
9. Angelique Kidjo – Remain in light
10. Neko Case = Hell-On
On the case with the playlist. Following the example of another Afterworder I’ve picked the number 5, so it’s the fifth track from every album. But it’s a collaborative list, so if y’all want to change tunes, fire away…
Respect! That’s January sorted
You might need February as well. Only halfway down the lists already posted and past 250 different albums..
My list looks like;
Moby. Everything Was Beautiful, and Nothing Hurt.
Tracey Thorn. Record.
Editors. Violence.
George FitzGerald. All That Must Be.
Manic Street Preachers. Resistance Is Futile.
Mastersystem. Dance Music.
Mr. Fingers. Cerebral Hemispheres.
Jon Hopkins. Singularity.
Lykke Li. so sad so sexy.
Johnny Marr. Call The Comet.
The Slow Readers Club. Build A Tower.
Orbital. Monsters Exist.
Now then @native
I missed that Lykke Li, any good? And the Editors, any cop? I should revisit the Johnny Marr one too, that had some sublime stuff on it.
Yeah, the Lykke Li album is worth checking out. Editors is great too!
Moby nearly sneaked in for me: it almost slipped out with nary a fanfare and is really not bad, sort of his tribute to Massive Attack in mood.
Was listening again to Jon Hopkins again in the car, wondering why I had thought it so good. And then the first orchestral/choral track came up. Blissful.
With Bruce on Broadway released yesterday the whole poll has been thrown into question. I have listened to The People and they tell me that the best way forward is place Ryland No 1, Paul Simon at 2 and Brooce at 3.
Any album I have personally not listened to , which currently stands at 94.3% of them (honestly I’m beginning to believe that most of you are just making these things up) will be rejected from the final results.
My task has been long and hard but I say to you all that I am the only one here who can lead this proud internet brother & sisterhood of ours forward. I thank you all for your continuing support especially Gary who despite all the setbacks, including those must-have-been-made-up photographs of him and HP “enjoying” a short holiday on the Mekong Delta, has remained as faithful in bed as out of it.
Any objections to my proposals will be debated live here on Monday 17th at two o’clock sharp or possibly the day after or possibly whenever I feel like I might actually win the vote.
Thank god there are no “sixties dodgers” in the top three. People might be under the mistaken impression that the last forty years have actually happened.
That Jim Callaghan is soooo nebulous.
Not sure what you are getting at – “last forty years”?
but glad I can count on your vote, that makes…. hold on whilst I figure out how this calculator works… ah yes a clear majority, the people have spoken
Ok. I’m going in.
This year, my top twenty has fewer ‘vocal’ acts than usual. I think it’s been a particularly great year for Jazz and Electronica and Chamber Electronica, or whatever it is. Lots of hybrid music, sometimes blending several genres in just one song. Hip Hop has had a poor year. However, Earl Sweatshirt breaks into my top twenty even though it has only just been released. It’s remarkable, almost one dizzying, brutally honest piece. I feel stoned listening to it.
1. Sons of Kemet – Your Queen Is A Reptile
2. GoGo Penguin – A Humdrum Star
3. Objekt – Cocoon Crush
4. Binker & Moses – Alive In The East?
5. Fatoumata Diawara – Fenfo (Something To Say)
6. Poppy Ackroyd – Resolve
7. Rival Consoles – Persona
8. Orquesta Akokán
9. Phil France – Circle
10. Khruangbin – Con Todo El Mundo
11. Gaz Coombes – World’s Strongest Man
12. Jon Hopkins – Singularity
13. Janelle Monáe – Dirty Computer
14. Daniel Avery – Song For Alpha
15. Nat Birchall meets Al Breadwinner – Sounds Almighty
16. Angélique Kidjo – Remain In Light
17. Szun Waves – New Hymn To Freedom
18. Mélissa Laveaux – Radyo Siwèl
19. Earl Sweatshirt – Some Rap Songs
20. The Necks – Body
11 I’ve not heard there and 1 (Sons of Kemet) I keep flicking through, waiting for it to grab me enough to give it a full go (like their previous album, I think, or it could have been this one, earlier this year), but it hasn’t succeeded yet. Maybe I’ll give it a full listen over Christmas, when I intend to sit with my headphones on* for the whole week** my mother-in-law is down, listening to my Christmas boxes and all the albums on here I don’t know.
* I’ll take them off to eat (probably), sleep (definitely, as it would be uncomfortable when I roll over and I can’t hear her anyway when I’m asleep, unless she’s found a way to invade my dreams…feck, wish I’d not thought of that just as I’m going to bed) and to go to the footy (cos I wouldn’t be able to get my festive footy headwear on – easy to find festive headwear for the footy when your team play in red and white).
** Might make it 10 days, just to make sure I have enough time to listen to all the albums and to make sure that she’s gone before I take them off.
I liked Tiggs 21-40 much better than his Top Twenty so using the powers bestowed on me I will just swap them round
Seems fair enough to me.
Have you listened to the Maisha album? I think you might dig it.
You may be right. I haven’t given it a fair shake yet. I’ll rectify that over the next week.
1 – Gretchen Peters: Dancing With The Beast
2 – Kacey Musgraves: Golden Hour
3 – Tracey Thorn: Record
4 – As I Fell; Curse of Lono
5 – Lukas Nelson & Promise Of The Real; Lukas Nelson & Promise Of The Real
6 – Caleb Caudle: Crushed Coins
7 – Josh Rouse: Love In The Modern Age
8 – Jason Isbell & 400 Unit: Live From The Ryman
9 – The Silver Seas: Moonlight Road
10 – Traceyanne & Danny: Traceyanne & Danny
11 – The Jayhawks: Back Roads and Abandoned Motels
12 – Kim Richey: Edgeland
13 – Amanda Shires: To The Sunset
14 – Dawes: Passwords
15 – Mark Knopfler: Down The Road Wherever
16 – Paul Simon: In The Blue Light
17 – Elvis Costello & The Attractions: Look Now
18 – Daniel Tashian : Some Other Country
19 – Skerryvore: Evo
20 – Jeff Tweedy : Warm
Top selections, Mr Wiggy!
Someone else who has selected Caleb Caudle!
His popularity will be growing as Bob Harris has finally decided to adopt him and play his music.
I think you are the only other person to nominate Amanda Shires too.
Caleb Caudle came up as a recommendation of the Apple Music New Music list but I’ve heard Bob play him since.
Discovered Bennett Wilson Poole this week which would have found its way into that list
Three of us now have Amanda Shires on their lists.. In my case it it right at the top. The final track is my favourite of the year and probably of the past few years. Amazingly apparently its a true story and the central protagonist lived!
Lets not keep the tribe wondering what you’re talking about (though my favourite is Break Out The Champagne)
Amanda Shires, To The Sunset, final track Wasn’t I Paying Attention
A question from a Backbencher – are “Live” records released in 2018 eligible for this here poll? I’m too busy for such trivial matters so can my PA please answer
Er, Mr Moose – are you awake?
I will be forced to make a decision all on my own and then you’ll be sorry!
Right then – I have spoken. Live Albums released in 18 is allowed. No, I will not let the Right Honourable Gentleman interrupt
What a great year for new music – dare say I’ve forgotten some highlights:
The best:
Kurt Elling – The Questions
Michael Franks – The Music in My Head
Swing Out Sister – Almost Persuaded
Kamasi Washington – Heaven and Earth
Zbigniew Preisner – Valley of Shadows (Soundtrack)
Walter Wolfman Washington – My Future is My Past
Kizzy Crawford/Gwilym Simcock – Birdsong/Can Yr Adar
Tord Gustavsen – The Other Side
Young Gun/Silver Fox – AM Waves
Arve Henriksen – The Height of the Reeds
Igor Levit – Life
Bobo Stenson – Contra la Indecision
Maisha – There is a Place
Will Sessions/Amp Fiddler feat.Dames Brown – The One
Lori Williams – Our of the Box
Snoop Dogg – Presents Bible of Love
The Suffers – Everything Here
Shai Maestro – The Dream Thief
The Royal Krunk Jazz Orkestra – Get it How You Live
Willie Hightower – Out of the Blue
The rest:
Brad Mehldau/Charlie Haden – Long Ago and Far Away
Ali Shaheed Muhammad/Adrian Younge – The Midnight Hour
Marc Ribot – Songs of Resistance
Meshell Ndegeocello – Ventriloquism
Colin Stetson – Hereditary (Soundtrack)
Tim Garland – Weather Walker
Moses Boyd – Displaced Diaspora
Cecile Mclorin Salvant – The Window
Leon Bridges – Good Thing
Alice Sara Ott – Nightfall
Theotis Taylor – Something Within Me
Marcin Wasilewski Trio – Live
Norma Winstone – Descansado: Songs for Films
Kenny Barron – Concentric Circles
Elina Duni – Partir
Knew it…
Keith Jarrett – La Fenice is top 10 – Snoop can drop to the subs bench.
Not many new records have stayed the course in my consciousness this year, due to a strong feeling “I’ve heard all this before.” I have been appreciating pop singles though, it’s been a fabulous few years for pop, pop-pickers.
So I make no apologies for the following skimpy list of ladies
1 Dirty Computer – Janelle Monae
2 Sway – Tove Stryke
3 Chris – Christine & the Queens
4 Sweetener – Ariana Grande
Apparently I’ve only listened to 2 new albums in 2018. They are in order
1. Record by Tracey Thorn
2(but in reality WAY below) Ruins by First Aid Kit.
I can just about beat that.
Four new albums for me by John Grant, The Church, The Chills and Shame. All decent. Might order the new Ian Mcnabb today to make it a top 5.
Here you go:
The Orielles – Silver Dollar Moment
Let’s Eat Grandma – I’m All Ears
Robyn – Honey
Sons of Kenet – Your Queen Is a Reptile
Janelle Monáe – Dirty Computer
The Magic Gang – The Magic Gang
Cut Worms – Hokkow Ground
Tropical Fuck Storm – A Laugibg Death in Meatspace
Marianne Faithfull – Negative Capability
Phosphorescent – C’est La Vie
Confidence Man – Confident Music for Confident People
Jonathan Wilson – Rare Birds
John Grant – Love Is Magic
Dawes – Passwords
The Fernweh – The Fernweh
The Good the Bad and the Queen – Merrie Land
Lily Allen – No Shame
Paul Cauthen – Have Mercy
Daniel Romano – Finally Free
Papa M – A Broke Moon Rises
As already posted on a separate, dedicated thread, with copious annotation, here are my Top 20 New albums of 2018…
1. Nat Birchall meets Al Breadwinner (feat. Vin Gordon) – Sounds Almighty
2. GoGo Penguin – A Humdrum Star
3. Hampshire and Foat – Nightshade
4. Nathan Salsburg – Third
5. Glenn Jones – The Giant Who Ate Himself
6. Lightman – Roots
7. Ry Cooder – The Prodigal Son
8. Hampshire and Foat – The Honey Bear
9. William Basinski & Lawrence English – Selva Oscura
10. Group Listening – Clarinet & Piano: Selected Works Vol. 1
11. Fatoumata Diawara – Fenfo
12. Gwenifer Raymond – You Were Never Much of a Dancer
13. Victor Rice – Smoke
14. Phil France – Circle
15. Tord Gustavsen Trio – The Other Side
16. Latvian Radio Choir, Sigvards Klava – Sviridov: Canticles & Prayers
17. Mary Lattimore – Hundreds of Days
18. Jennifer Castle – Angels of Death
19. Khruangbin – Con todo el Mundo
20. Marcin Wasilewski Trio – Live
Lodestone – you’ll see that I remembered Ryland, slipping him in at a modest no.7.
I know you meant it to be No5 so I moved it there
I think I can manage a top 10.
1. Janelle Monae – Dirty Computer
2. Christine and the Queens – Chris
3. Arctic Monkeys – Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino
4. Half Man Half Biscuit – No One Cares About Your Creative Hub…
5. Years and Years – Palo Santo
6. The Decemberists – I’ll Be Your Girl
7. Natalie Prass – The Future and The Past
8. Let’s Eat Grandma – I’m All Ears
9. Courtney Barnett – Tell Me How You Really Feel
10. George W. Bushfire – Fake News, Fake Everything
As an aside, 2018 has been a very good year for me in terms of discovering “new” music. I spent much of the Spring – Summer listening to albums from the early 70s to the late 80s and buying more albums than you could shake a drumstick at. The following list is just some of what I’ve loved and bought (unless it wasn’t available) this year, having heard it for the first time in 2018:
1. Janis Joplin – Pearl (1971)
2. ELP – Pictures at an Exhibition (1971
3. Leonard Cohen – Songs of Love and Hate (1971)
4. T-Rex – Electric Warrior (1971)
5. Steely Dan – Can’t Buy a Thrill (1972)
6. Yes – Close To The Edge (1972)
7. David Ackles – American Gothic (1972)
8. Al Green – Let’s Stay Together (1972)
9. Steely Dan – Countdown To Ecstasy (1973)
10. John Cale – Paris, 1919 (1973)
11. Lou Reed – Berlin (1973)
12. Genesis – Selling England By The Pound (1973)
13. Isley Brothers – 3+3 (1973)
14. Gene Clark – No Other (1974)
15. Steely Dan – Pretzel Logic (1974)
16. Kraftwek – Autobahn (1974)
17. Sparks – Kimona My House (1974)
18. Richard and Linda Thompson (1974)
19. Gram Parsons – Grievous Angel (1974)
20. Brian Eno – Another Green World (1975)
21. Emmylou Harris – Pieces of The Sky (1975)
22. Queen – A Night At The Opera (1975)
23. Eagles – Hotel California (1976)
24. The Modern Lovers – The Modern Lovers (1976)
25. Joan Armatrading – Joan Armatrading (1976)
26. Jean Michel Jarre – Oxygene (1976)
27. Talking Heads – 77 (1977)
28. Iggy Pop – Lust For Life (1977)
29. Brian Eno – Before and After Science (1977)
30. Kraftwerk – Trans Europe Express (1977)
31. Magazine – Real Life (1978)
32. Funkadelic – One Nation Under a Groove (1978)
33. Buzzcocks – Another Music In a Different Kitchen (1978)
34. The Cars – The Cars (1978)
35. Devo – Are We Not Men? We Are Devo (1978)
36. X-Ray Spex – Germfree Adolescents (1978)
37. Gang Of Four – Entertainment (1979)
38. The Specials – The Specials (1979)
39. The Undertones – The Undertones (1979)
40. The Slits – Cut (1979)
41. Fleetwood Mac – Tusk (1979)
42. Neil Young and Crazy Horse – Rust Never Sleeps (1979)
43. Michael Jackson – Off The Wall (1979)
44. Peter Gabriel – 3 Melt (1980)
45. Echo and The Bunnymen – Crocodiles (1980)
46. Talking Heads – Remain in Light (1980)
47. The Undertones – Hypnotized (1980)
48. Tom Tom Club – Tom Tom Club (1981)
49. Siouxsie and the Banshees – Juju (1981)
50. OMD – Architechture and Morality (1981)
51. ABC – The Lexicon of Love (1982)
52. Dexy’s Midnight Runners – Too-rye-ay (1982)
53. Bruce Springsteen – Nebraska (1982)
54. Duran Duran – Rio (1982)
55. REM – Murmur (1983)
56. Tom Waits – Swordfishtrombones (1983)
57. U2 – War (1983)
58. Lloyd Cole and the Commotions – Rattlesnakes (1984)
59. Blue Nile – A Walk Across The Rooftops (1984)
60. Prince – Purple Rain (1984)
61. Echo and The Bunnymen – Ocean Rain (1984)
62. Bruce Springsteen – Born In The USA (1984)
63. The Pogues – Rum, Sodomy and The Lash (1985)
64. Tom Waits – Rain Dogs (1985)
65. Sonic Youth – Evol (1986)
66. Paul Simon – Graceland (1986)
67. Run DMC – Raising Hell (1986)
68. XTC – Skylarking (1986)
69. Peter Gabriel – So (1986)
70. Prince – Sign o’ the Times (1987)
71. Sonic Youth – Sister (1987)
72. Michael Jackson – Bad (1987)
73. KD Lang – Shadowland (1988)
74. Sonic Youth – Daydream Nation (1988)
75. Public Enemy – It Takes a Nation of Millions To Hold Us Back (1988)
76. Pogues – If I Should Fall By The Grace of God (1988)
77. Pixies – Surfer Rosa (1988)
78. Sugacubes – Life’s Too Good (1988)
79. Madonna – Like A Prayer (1989)
80. Kate Bush – The Sensual World (1989)
81. Cocteau Twins – Heaven or Las Vegas (1990)
82. Depeche Mode – Violator (1990)
Now that’s what I call a good music-buying year!
I wish I could listen to that lot for the first time again. There are a lot of albums there that make it on to my all-time top albums list. Maybe we should next have a poll where we submit our top 20 of These, to determine Tony’s best new album of the year, particularly as there are no Ry Cooder albums. Presumably Paul Simon will win, based on previous form.
While it’s not all gold, that U2 record sticks out like a sore thumb – and I speak as someone who whacked his thumb several times with a hammer yesterday, so the agony is still fresh…
Subject to all the usual provisos concerning me and spreadsheets it’s rather disappointing to report that as of right now the Old Guy currently in the lead is neither Ryland nor Paul
1. Gretchen Peters – Dancing With The Beast
2. Kacey Musgraves – Golden Hour
3. Bennett Wilson Poole – Bennett Wilson Poole
4. Dawes – Passwords
5. Silver Seas – Moonlight Road
6. Josh Rouse – Love In The Modern Age
7. Big Big Train – Merchants of Light
8. Bruce Springsteen – Springsteen On Broadway
9. Paul Rodgers – Free Spirit Live
10. Mark Knopfler – Down The Road Wherever
11. Little Steven & The Disciples Of Soul – Soulfire Live
12. Steve Perry – Traces
13. Paul Carrack – These Days
14. George Marinelli – Burn It All Down
15. David Crosby – Here If You Listen
16. Beth Nielsen Chapman – Hearts Of Glass
17. Stills & Collins – Everybody Knows
18. Box Scaggs – Out of the Blues
19. Robert Vincent – I’ll Make The Most Of My Sins
20. Fly Vance – Live in London
Subject to all the usual provisos concerning me and spreadsheets it’s rather disappointing to report that as of right now the Old Guy currently in the lead is neither Ryland nor Paul
See, I can post the same thing twice, I’m like a Techie God I am
Just realised what I just did , its not Paul S currently leading, it’s the other new kid on the block
Here goes
Ry Cooder – Prodigal Son
Jeff Tweedy – Warm
Elvis Costello – Look now
Lucinda Williams/Charles Lloyd – Vanished garden s
Oh Sees – Smote reverser
Gretchen Peters – Dancing with the beast
Mark Knopfler – Down the road wherever
phosphorescent – C’est la vie
Marianne Faithfull – Negative capability
John Prine – Tree of forgiveness
Alejandro Escovedo – The Crossing
Dave Alvin and JImmie Dale Gilmore – From Lubbock to Downey
Olafur Arnalds – Re-member
Sly and Robbie – Nordub
Nils Frahm – All melody
Sons of Kemet – your queen is a reptile
Simone Felice – Navigator
First aid kit – Ruins
Paul Weller – True meaning
Chris Forsyth and the Solar Motel band – Dancing in the non light.
At last – Charles and Lucinda!! A mighty fine list sir that might just get extra points (because I said so)
Well, it isn’t the first mention………
Look here, as Keeper Of The Flame I don’t have to put up with your petty if factually correct accusations
@retropath2 actually it was the first mention when I posted on the other post about whether we would have a poll or not.
I also reviewed it for this site on release. So I have to defend Lodestones obvious good taste in recognising my undoubted quality list.
You’ve fallen for his beguiling wiles: mention Ryland and he’ll love you forever, the gift that keeps on giving. Be very afraid…….
You may have noticed I still have not published my very own Top Twenty. I’ve never liked Steve T since that night in Chipping Camden when…. but his list is pretty damn good
No `Bennet, Wilson, Poole`!
How`s that Simone Felice album `Navigator` sound. Please Project or not your thoughts on it!
Twenty from me.
1 – Daniel Romano – Finally Free
2 – Idles – Joy As An Act Of Resistance
3 – Ron Gallo – Stardust Birthday Party
4 – Eliza Gilkyson – Secularia
5 – Sons Of Kemet – Your Queen Is A Reptile
6 – Josephine Foster – Faithful Fairy Harmony
7 – Caroline Rose – Loner
8 – Lonnie Holley – Mith
9 – Anna & Elizabeth – The Invisible Comes To Us
10 – Ty Segall & White Fence – Joy
11 – Alasdair Roberts, Amble Skuse & David McGuinness – What News
12 – Hadley McCall Thackston – Self-titled
13 – Alejandro Escovedo – The Crossing
14 – Rhett Miller – The Messenger
15 – Rayland Baxter – Wide Awake
16 – Ned Collette – Old Chesnutt
17 – Christian Kjellvander – Wild Hxmans
18 – John Prine – Tree Of Forgiveness
19 – Haley Heynderickx – I Need to Start a Garden
20 – Sarah Shook & The Disarmers – Years
& the other two I have played a lot were two from 2017.
Joseph Huber – The Suffering Stage, which I have grown to love an awful lot. My go to, diggin’ in the garden album.
And Skyway Man – Seen Comin’ From A Mighty Eye, which I discovered about May time of this year & was a fab summery album to listen to. Wonderfully odd, based on a series of letters that James Wallace, who is Skyway Man, discovered in a garage, written by a Ufologist to a woman predicting the end of the world & escaping it, by reaching the 4th dimension. So he wrote an album which is “a long folktale about strange futures, haunted pasts, and the Mighty Eye in the sky”, as he says, & is “a stew of B-movie sci-fi, cosmic boogie and psychedelic American music: an immersive, fully realized song cycle with a cinematic flair”. “Seen Comin’ From a Mighty Eye offers the kind of sounds you would want on the radio for a first or last kiss, the songs playing in the bar scene from some forgotten Spielberg adventure, a soundtrack for the later (not quite latter) days of earth. Music for driving along the skyway, thank god the skyway is made of music anyway.” Ha! I love it. Kind of “out there”, but wonderfuly musical.
Guess I’m carrying along in the same vein, picking Daniel Romano as my album o’ the year this year. It’s as mad as a boxful o’ badgers, sounding like a cross between Bob Dylan & The Incredible String Band, on an acid trip together. A psych/ folk phantasmagoria, which he wrote as a stream of conciousness after a two hour drive through the mountains, recording all the instruments himself on a 4 track tape recorder, & which he put out less than a month after I’d seen him on tour doing his punk rock thang with his band Ancient Shapes, having previously seen him on tour as a country musician. The man is quite a chameleon, but someone I find consistently interesting, no matter what genre of music he is making. Long may he continue.
https://youtu.be/0FGDcCyVJIM
Great to see Idles and Sons Of Kemet so high.
No Mark Lanegan? I’m told this year’s album is quite good but nobody seems to have heard it.
I am hoping it is in my stocking, if you mean the one with Duke Garwood.
I’m missing something with Idles. I’ve had a few listens, but it just doesn’t do it for me. There have been a few albums that are highly rated this year that haven’t excited my earholes – Rolling Coastal Blackout Fever, US Girls, Parquet Courts, Let’s Eat Grandma, Car Seat Headrest, Shame and Robyn. I also think the Arctic Monkeys and Courtney Barnett albums are a little overpraised. And as a hip hop fan, the Cardi B album doesn’t appeal either. Maybe I need to listen to them when I’m in the right mood, but I’ve given them all a few tries already
I didn’t really “get” Idles until I saw them do their session on KEXP.so I’m quite a late convert. Before then I had them down as just a shouty angry man band, which I don’t really mind, but I have to be in the mood for. See if it makes a difference @paul-wad
Also, check out Saba – Care For Me. think you might like. Quite wordy hip hop. Good stuff.
Yes, got the Saba one after reading rave reviews on hiphopdx. Some great rappers from Chicago over the years and he’s another one.
@Paul-Wad I agree ‘re Courtney Barnett – new album not a patch on the debut.
Ha! Tiggs @ tiggerlion I did put my predjudices to one side & give ol’ grumpypants Mark L. a listen, & it ain’t bad, but I don’t find his lyrics great & it doesn’t hold my attention for more than a few songs before I’m itching to move on to pastures new. Have a listen to the Ron Gallo. I hear touches o’ Devo & Talking Heads in there. I think you might like x
Right-O. I’m on it!
@Tiggerlion you should know better than to sing the praises of Mark Lanegan to @Contraryarticle.
He was rude to her at a gig once – hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.
I find it hard to believe that anyone could be rude to Contraryarticle. 😉
Hmmmmpfff….. am not biting. 🙂 Merry Christmas gents! See you on the other side. Am off to work until St Stephens day (Boxing day) Have a good ‘un xx
Good to see some love for Daniel Romano. I don’t think it’s his best album (he had two more exclusively on Bandcamp at the start of the year), but he’s a heck of a talent.
Well I don’t know if it’s his best, but it’s certainly my favourite of this year. As a lover of lyrics there’s plenty for me to chew on in this album so I’ll be listening to it for quite a while, & at the moment, KI am loving it more each time I listen. I knew about the two albums on Bandcamp.(There’s also an Ancient Shapes ‘un he’s done this year. Our Dan’s been a busy boy!) I wrote about ’em on here, & someone accused me of working in PR for feck sake! And being the eegit I am, I forgot to download ’em myself. Well I was probably too broke, as it was January, & now they’re gone!! Boo!! Glad he has some other fans on here @martin-horsfield So what album do you consider to be DR’s best then?
@Contraryarticle Ty Segall nearly made my list but the Freedoms Goblin album not the one with White Fence.
His muse must be drying up he has only done 3 albums this year!!
Ahaha. Yup! Daniel Romano is outdoing him, with 4 albums out this year. Also there’s a new White Fence ‘un, which I haven’t had time to get ’round to yet. Yeah, I think I remember saying you didn’t like the collab one.
Great to see another vote for
Eliza Gilkyson’s Secularia. The tracks Reunion, Sanctuary, Instrument and the very moving duet with Jimmy LaFave Down By The Riverside were the highlights for me.
Yes it really is a lovely album @carolina. It has been a balm to listen to in what has been a very tough year & a half for my family since we lost my lovely nephew. Have given my copy to my brother & sister in law in the hope that get some comfort from it. Anything that helps….
@Contraryarticle Very sorry to hear about the loss of your nephew. The album has been a balm for me as well during this year which has been unexpectedly very difficult with life-changing diagnosis and treatment. I hope the album gives some comfort to your brother and his wife.
Best wishes to you both. It’s not an album I’m familiar with. I’ll give it a listen and see if I can send you warm, healing thoughts. Hope 2019 is better for you. xx
1. Half Man Half Biscuit – No One Cares About Your Creative Hub…
2. The Decemberists – I’ll Be Your Girl
3. First Aid Kit – Ruins
4. She Drew the Gun – Revolution of Mind
5. Teleman – Family of Aliens
6. TVAM – Psychic Data
7. Gaz Coombes – World’s Strongest Man
8. Ana Calvi – Hunter
9. Gwenno – Le Kov
@malc
Another vote for She drew the Gun. A lot of play on 6Music…I liked it so much I’ve bought it for my wife for Christmas, he he.
Half Man Half Biscuit, She Drew the Gun, a new album from Bill Ryder-Jones. Not a bad year for that hotbed of rock and roll, The Wirral.
Robyn – Honey
Liminanas – Shadow People
Courtney Barnett – Tell Me How You Really Feel
Maribou State – Kingdoms in colour
Trembling Bells – Dungeness
Florence and the Machine – High as Hope
Our Girl – Stranger Today
Kristin Hersh -Possible Dust Clouds
Interpol – Marauder
LCD Soundsystem – American Dream
Chills – Snowbound
Menace Beach –Black Rainbow Sound
Belly – Dove
Young Fathers – Cocoa Sugar
Erland Cooper – Solan Goose
Dream Wife – Dream Wife
Django Django – Marble Skies
Nine In Nails – Bad Witch
Djrum – Portrait with Firewood
Wombats – Beautiful People Will Ruin Your Life
@moseleymoles
The Chills, yay!
Pretty sure LCD was 2017. Was one of the best of that year, though!
1. Gwenno – Le Kov
2. Half Man Half Biscuit – No One Cares About Your Creative Hub So Get Your Fuckin’ Hedge Cut
3. Tracey Thorn – Record
4. Young Fathers – Cocoa Sugar
5. Richard Thompson – 13 Rivers
6. Kamasi Washington – Heaven and Earth
7. Decemberists – I’ll Be Your Girl
8. Dawes – Passwords
9. Belle and Sebastian – How to Solve our Human Problems
10. King Creosote – Your Henchman
11. Julian Cope – Skellington 3
Julian’s dire work this century took him off my radar. So has he got a bit more focussed on proper songs and decent riffs again?
Ah, no. More focussed and tuneful than the Black Sheep stuff though.
What/when/why/how etc? Your Henchman. Discogs and a jam website seem to be the only references I can find. And the songs are copywriter 2016. More info, please?
I got it from the KC hub trading post – it was up for a bit then disappeared (http://www.alteregotradingcompany.org/trading-post.htm). Apparently, it was offered to Domino who chose not to take it. It’s rather good, if that helps?
It’s been a year of pub gigs for me, having been out of action for several years due to health issues. So many of my top 10 this year are local bands I’ve seen play in Cambridge.
1. The Pony Collaboration – Everything Was Ages Ago. Cambridge’s mix of Tindersticks and Belle & Seb., their previous album is in my all-time top 10, they played my 40th birthday, and this dropped on my 48th. A lovely unexpected surprise birthday present. And it’s even better than the previous album.
2. Straw Bear – Fiction. I’ve been doing live sound and recording these guys for years, their previous album is also in my top 10. I’ve been waiting about 4 years for this one to be finished.
3. Sink Ya Teeth – Sink Ya Teeth. Early 80’s Mancunian punk-funk, straight outta Norwich. I love A Certain Ratio and I can see why SYT are ACR’s support act of choice.
4. Field Music – Open Here. Sunderland’s XTC go Prince.
5. Elma – Dreamland. Classic Californian sunshine pop from, of all places, Ely.
6. Anna Calvi – Hunter. Much poppier than her rather female-Nick-Cave previous stuff from the English St. Vincent.
7. Eddi Reader -Cavalier. Still folky but with added kitchen sink, including Memphis-style horns.
8. Belly – Dove. Not quite up with their best, but improves after seeing them live.
9. Corduroy – Return of the Fabric Four. A return to their early Hammond-driven Acid Jazz funk.
10. Angelique Kidjo – Remain in Light. Pleasingly bonkers take on Talking Heads.
Bubbling under:
11. Vienna Ditto – Flat Earth. A last hurrah, but it was never going to match up to their earlier stuff.
12. Violet Woods – Violet Woods. Cambridge garage psyche-folk. Recorded in 2014 but I didn’t buy it until I saw them supporting Model Village in September. Live they blew me away, on record it sounds constrained.
13. Marine – Fable Electric.
14. Lo Moon – Lo Moon (was it a 2018 release?)
That Jackie Oates keeps coming up here prompted me to go back to Lullabies yesterday morning, and what a delight that was. Joy of Living is too late for Santa, but I have a few others on the sled as we blog, so will make my folkie contribution before close of play. Once I’ve got the contents of this fridge cooked.
Great thread. I haven’t had my ears on much this year so this is a fantastic set of prompts and recommendations to look at.
For what it’s worth, here are the ones I have purchased and enjoy:
Paul Weller – True Meanings
Field Music – Open Here
Mark Knopfler – Down The Road Wherever
Richard Thompson – 13 Rivers
Jonathan Wilson – Rare Bird
The Magpie Salute – High Water
Plus all of The Pretenders albums from yonks ago. The first one is still mint.
“still mint” – round with a hole in the middle
1. Joe Bonamassa – British Blues Explosion
2. Greta Van Fleet – Anthem of the Peaceful Army
4. Matt Berry – Television Themes
3. Joe Bonamassa – Redemption
That is all.
And from nowhere Joe Bonamassa comes straight in with his Double-A side, British Redemption
1. Nils Frahm – All Melody
2. Kamasi Washington – Heaven And Earth
3. Half Man Half Biscuit – No One Cares About Your Creative Hub So Get Your Fuckin’ Hedge Cut
4. The Lovely Eggs – This Is Eggland
5. Rival Consoles – Persona
6. Jon Hopkins – Singularity
7. Gryphon – Reinvention
8. Sonar – Vortex
9. The Nightingales – Perish The Thought
10. Mogwai – KIN
11. Orbital – Monsters Exist
12. Daniel Avery – Song For Alpha
13. System 7 / Mirror System – Cafe Seven
14. Kaukolampi – 1
15. Elephant9 – Greatest Show On Earth
16. Kosmischer Läufer – Volume Four
17. Brad Mehldau – After Bach
And it gets even closer at the top!
I must confess that, wonderful though all these albums were, musically my heart this year has belonged – albeit very belatedly – to Cardiacs, and all Tim Smith’s other ventures. Obviously no new material or performances this year, due to his calamitous and ongoing health issues, but, my gawd, what a treasure chest of wonders is the back-catalogue of Cardiacs albums. At an age when I never expected to again become a starry-eyed fanboy, jiggered if that ain’t exactly what I’ve become. But the above WERE all very very good. I s’pose…
Word. NEW new music is the lifeblood and it’s reassuring to hear the fresh talent still coming through, but there’s something fantastic about being in your fifth, sixth or seventh decade in the matrix and stumbling upon an awesome artist that’s been there all the time.
(One my favourite days was when I picked up Scott 3 as a punt in a 3 for £20 sale one lunchtime and was right back in there later that afternoon to pick up 1,2 and 4 before dinner…)
OK, I can prevaricate no longer. Here’s mine.
1. Janelle Monae Dirty Computer
2. Ry Cooder Prodigal Son
3. Olivia Chaney Shelter
4. Courtney Marie Andrews. May Your Kindness Remain
5. Gogo Penguin A Humdrum Star
6. You Are Wolf. Keld
7. Imarhan Temet
8. Fatoumata Diawara Fenfo
9. Paul Weller True Meanings
10. Villagers The Art of Pretending to Swim
11 Jim James Uniform Distortion
12. Alela Diane Cusp
13. Paul McCartney Egypt Station
14. Eleanor Friedberger Rebound
15. Gretchen Peters Dancing with the Beast
16. Elvis Costello Look Now
17. Tracey Thorn. Record
18. Richard Thompson 13 Rivers
19. Samba Toure Wande
20. Christine and the Queens Chris
The Cooder, Chaney and Andrews have been the three I’ve listened to and loved the most and for much of the year the only question would have been which order of gold, silver and bronze they would be. But then in the last month or two along has come Janelle Monae like Allyson Felix gliding effortlessly to the finish line and leaving the rest of the field in her wake. What a record it is – smart, funny, angry, filthy; melodic, anthemic and floor-filling.
Several old codgers in rude health on the list too. Cooder showing everyone how it’s done of course, but kudos to Paul Weller as well. I haven’t been convinced by all his records in recent years but this one is really lovely.
A paltry 11
1. Paul Weller – True Meanings
2. Suede – The Blue Hour
3. All India Radio – Space
4. Belly – Dove
5. Riverside – Wasteland
6. Richard Thompson – 13 Rivers
7. Steven Wilson – Home Invasion
8. First Aid Kit – Ruins
9. The Eels – The Deconstruction
10. Kamasi Washington – Heaven & Earth
11. King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard – Polygondwanaland
@simon22367
The All India Radio album…any good? It’s something to do with Kennedy/Kilbey ?
Yeah it’s a cracker. Just Kennedy on this one. He’s done a remix album of it too called Subspace. Space was my introduction to AIR, thanks to their Bandcamp site I’ve filled in a lot of gaps.
@simon22367
Will investigate as soon as. Like the Kilbey Kennedy stuff and as you say plenty on Bandcamp.
1. Father John Misty – God’s Favourite Customer
2. Jonathan Wilson – Rare Birds
3. Creepshow – Creepshow
4. Jeff Tweedy – Warm
5. John Grant – Love Is Magic
6. Yo La Tengo – There’s A Riot Going On
7. Simian Mobile Disco with Deep Throat Choir – Murmurations
8. First Aid Kit – Ruins
9. Low – Double Negative
10. Daniel Blumberg – Minus
11. Tunng – Songs You Make At Night
12. GoGo Penguin – A Humdrum Star
13. Lump – Lump
14. Calexico – The Thread That Keeps Us
15. Sons of Kemit – Your Queen Is A Reptile
16. Cat Power – Wanderer
17. Con Todo El Mundo – Khruangbin
18. Ry Cooder – The Prodigal Son
19. Connan Mockasin – Jassbusters
20. Nils Frahm – All Melody
Bubbling under:
Underworld and Iggy Pop – Tea Time Dub Encounters
Courtney Marie Andrews – May Your Kindness Remain
Melody’s Echo Chamber – Melody’s Echo Chamber. Would be much higher but for the terrible production job. I only noticed when I bought the CD. Previously only heard the album on Spotify where it’s not a problem.
The Lemon Twigs – Go To School. Included really ’cos it reminds me of their fab live shows.
Neil Young – Tonight’s The Night Live.
Biggest Disappointments:
Dawes – Passwords. Not totally shit, but getting there.
@RedLemon I might have chosen Iggy Pop and Underworld but didn’t know if it was allowed because its really an EP.
The Head Judge doesn’t have a clue whether or not EPs are allowed but he’s just decided they are
It was in the top 20 for ages, as I judged it an LP for these purposes. Sadly it got bumped out at the last minute.
There has been massive deliberation and reshuffling of this list, only brought to an end by the adjudicator’s pleas to get on and post in another thread.
..and with the latest votes the playlist has shot past 500 albums – looks like there will be even more than last year.
I think it’s been a good but not vintage year. I’ve looked back at what I’ve bought and there are several that probably deserved to be on the list but I haven’t listened to enough to judge. Always nice when someone I’m not previously familiar with bowls me over and there are three of them in my top four. That’s what happens when Sparks don’t release an album!
1. Amanda Shires – To the Sunset (this would have been at the top even if it had only been the brilliant last track!)
2. David Byrne – American Utopia
3. Anna Burch – Quit The Curse
4. Caroline Rose – Loner
5. Elvis Costello & The Imposters – Look Now
6. Amy Rigby – The Old Guys
7. Eels – The Deconstruction
8. The Davenports – Don’t Be Mad at Me
9. Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks – Sparkle Hard
10. Graham Parker – Cloud Symbols
11. Neko Case – Hell-On
12. Eleanor Friedberger – Rebound
13. Art Brut – Wham! Bang! Pow! Let’s Rock out!
14. Willie Nelson – Last Man Standing
15. Erin Rae – Putting on Airs
16. Tracyanne & Danny – Tracyanne & Danny
17. Go-Kart Mozart – Mozart’s Mini-Mart
18. First Aid Kit – Ruins
19. Kacey Musgraves – Golden Hour
Nice list @johnw – really like Graham Parker but didn’t get this latest album because I really didn’t like the last album he did with the Rumour – the one with the bloody kazoo on it.
Is this a return to form?
Thanks.
I would say the GP album is a return to form. It would be hard to tell when it was made. It would fit in anywhere in his oeuvre from the late 80’s early 90’s. Which isn’t to say it’s retro in any way, it’s just what he does very well.
Merry Christmas, one and all. Here’s my top 20, which I fear is pretty much white blokes with electric guitars. As most new music comes to me via the medium of 6music or one of the usual music magazines, then this should probably come as little or no surprise. Anyway, here we go…
1. Beak>- >>>
2. IDLES- Joy as an act of resistance
3. Arctic Monkeys- Tranquility base hotel and casino
4. Half man half biscuit- No one cares about your creative hub so get your fuckin’ hedge cut
5. Jeff Tweedy- WARM
6. Shame- Songs of praise
7. John Bramwell- Leave alone the empty spaces
8. Courtney Barnett- Tell me how you really feel
9. Field music- Open here
10. Gwenno- Le kov
Followed by, in no particular order-
Art Brut- Wham! Bang! Pow! Let’s rock out!
Cat Power- Wanderer
Interpol- Marauder
Anna Calvi- Hunter
Thee oh sees- Smote Reverser
Fatoumata Diawara- Fenfo
Orielles- Silver dollar moment
Gruff Rhys- Babelsberg
Dream wife= Dream wife
Spiritualized- And nothing hurt
I’ve only been listening to the Art Brut, Jeff Tweedy and Low albums over the past week, so my thoughts on all of this may have changed come the 31st. I’m in two minds about the Low album, having taken it out for a seven mile walk along the side of a nice quiet canal on Saturday. When they play an actual song it sounds great. When they’re pissing about it seems less cohesive, and a little unnecessary. It reminded me of MBV, Seefeel or Slowdive, early nineties shoey. This view may change, of course.
Couldn’t get 20 but looking through my 2018 playlist these were my top listens this year.
1. Paul McCartney – Egypt Station
2. Tracey Thorn – Record
3. The Silver Seas – Moonlight Road
4. Christine and the Queens – Chris
5. Robyn – Honey
6. John Grant – Love is Magic
7. Moby – Everything Was Beautiful and Nothing Hurt
8. Yes featuring Anderson Rabin Wakeman – Live at the Apollo
9. The Tea Street Band – Frequency
10. Kit Downes – Obsidian
11. The Orb – No Sounds are Out of Bounds
12. Matt Berry – Television Themes
Looking through everyone else’s lists has given me some good ideas for future listening though.
All the best for 2019.
So time to commit!
My 2 fave albums of 2018 cannot appear in the list. My “most played” by a long way was the Tom Petty – American Treasure album – despite their being enough new music on the collection to make a single CD I appreciate its cant be called “2018 music”.
My second fave this year was the Barr Brothers – Queen of the Breakers – recommended by earlier pollsters on here – but its already been determined as a 2017 release.
Meanwhile – my 20
1. Amanda Shires – To The Sunset
2. Jeff Tweedy – WARM
3. Amos Lee – My New Moon
4. David Byrne – American Utopia
5. Jayhawks – Back Roads and Abandoned Motels
6. American Aquarium – Things Change
7. Rosanne Cash – She Remembers Everything
8. Richard Thompson – 13 Rivers
9. John Hiatt – The Eclipse Sessions
10. Jody Raffoul – 9 Wigle Steet, Leamington Ontario
11. Eels – The Deconstruction
12. Calexico – The Thread That Keeps Us
13. Shakey Graves – Can’t Wake Up
14. JD McPherson -SOCKS!
15. Cowboy Junkies – All That Reckoning
16. Dawes – Passwords
17. Eddi Reader – Cavalier
18. Nils Frahm – All Melody
19. Leon Bridges – Good Thing
20. Neneh Cherry – Broken Politics
Ok, here we go – finally, and post-Christmas present listening;
1. St Paul & The Broken Bones – Young Sick Camellia.
2. Charles Bradley – Black Velvet.
3. The Breeders – All Nerve.
4. Kacey Musgraves – Golden Hour
5. Suede – The Blue Hour.
6. Ry Cooder – Prodigal Son
7. Field Music – Open Here
8. Little Steven – Soulfire Live
9. Will Hoge – My American Dream
10. Ashley McBryde – Girl Going Nowhere.
11. Charles Lloyd – Vanished Gardens.
12. Marcus King Band – Carolina Confessions.
13. Phosphorescent – C’est La Vie
And that’s the lot
This is my list. It is the only list that matters. To me. Somebody on on here called me a miserable get. For not voting. There are reasons. However my favourite album of 2018 was only discovered by me this morning. It`s been on constant play. Each play left me wanting more. I ordered the album 45 seconds into listening the first song. I have not been disappointed. Here is my list;
1) SHEMEKIA COPELAND: AMERICA`S CHILD
2) ISRAEL NASH: LIFTED
3) NEIL YOUNG: SONGS FOR JUDY (Not a reissue but a new release)
4) ALEJANDRO ESCOVEDO: THE CROSSING
5) SONS OF BILL: OH GOD MA`AM
6) SIMONE FELICE: THE PROJECTOR
7) MIDNIGHT OIL: ARMISTACE DAY – LIVE AT THE DOMAIN, SYDNEY
8) RY COODER: THE PRODIGAL SON
9) BLACKBERRY SMOKE: FIND A LIGHT
10) FIRST AID KIT: RUINS
11) JASON ISBELL & THE 400 UNIT: LIVE FROM THE RYMAN
12) CALEXICO: THE THREAD THAT KEEPS US
13) THE SKIFFLE PLAYERS: SKIFF
14) WOODEN SHJIPS: V
15) RYLEY WALKER: DEAFMAN GLANCE
16) TOM MORELLO: THE ATLAS UNDERGROUND
17) THE JAYHAWKS: BACK ROADS AND ABANDONED MOTELS
18) ROLLING BALACKOUTS: COASTAL FEVER
19) PHOSPHORESCENT: C`EST LA VIE
20) THE MAGPIE SALUTE: HIGH WATER
Cheers, interesting stuff in there. Anyone else who hasn’t voted – do it now!
My list is based on a few hours spent checking out the suggestions made here, so I’d like to thank you all for doing the hard yards, pounds, shillings and pence. My Christmas iTunes voucher has been spent on selections from the following:
Riverside – Wasteland
Janelle Monae – Dirty Computer
Nils Frahm – All Melody
Jayhawks – Back Roads…
Joan Osborne – Bring It On Home
Jonathan Wilson – Gentle Spirit
Kamasi Washington – Heaven and Earth
Adam Holzman – Truth Decay
Lo Moon – Lo Moon
Big Big Train – Merchants of Light
Dawes – Passwords
Gogo Penguin – A Humdrum Star
Nick, lovely as Jonathan Wilson’s Gentle Spirit is, it came out in 2011.
Rare Birds was this year’s release.
Ah, must have done a bit of extended browsing on him. Nice tune that though.
It will come as no surprise that it was me who called him a miserable git. Glad that my gentle chiding persuaded him to post. Never heard of your first choice Baron – is this going to cost me money?
Gentle Chiding – a charming little village in North Hants.
Hi Steve, it should cost you because it bloody great!!!
I made a HUGE mistake though, at number 2 should have been WILLIE NILE`S `CHILDREN OF PARADISE` a truly great album.
Does that mean Israel Nash gets no points from you?
This is my revised list. If Lodey will allow it;
1) SHEMEKIA COPELAND: AMERICA`S CHILD
2) WILLIE NILE: CHILDREN OF PARADISE
3) ISRAEL NASH: LIFTED
4) NEIL YOUNG: SONGS FOR JUDY (Not a reissue but a new release)
5) ALEJANDRO ESCOVEDO: THE CROSSING
6) SONS OF BILL: OH GOD MA`AM
7) SIMONE FELICE: THE PROJECTOR
8) MIDNIGHT OIL: ARMISTACE DAY – LIVE AT THE DOMAIN, SYDNEY
9) RY COODER: THE PRODIGAL SON
10) BLACKBERRY SMOKE: FIND A LIGHT
11) FIRST AID KIT: RUINS
12) JASON ISBELL & THE 400 UNIT: LIVE FROM THE RYMAN
13) CALEXICO: THE THREAD THAT KEEPS US
14) THE SKIFFLE PLAYERS: SKIFF
15) WOODEN SHJIPS: V
16) RYLEY WALKER: DEAFMAN GLANCE
17) TOM MORELLO: THE ATLAS UNDERGROUND
18) THE JAYHAWKS: BACK ROADS AND ABANDONED MOTELS
19) ROLLING BALACKOUTS: COASTAL FEVER
20) PHOSPHORESCENT: C`EST LA VIE
16 American acts, 2 Australian, 1 Swedish and 1 Canadian. The nearest British acts were Big Big Train and Paul Weller. However I`m on an Americana binge at present, Prog is not figuring as much. Paul Weller`s album is very good but after playing it quite a lot upon release I haven`t gone back to it.
Despite me having to go back to my spreadsheet and deleting Rows 714 to 745, re-entering the correct data then realising I have mistaken once more Ryley Walker for Nigel Farage I will allow this rethink from the Always Popular Despite His Personal Hygiene Problems Baron.
If any of the rest of youse frankly deluded and deranged voters wish to change your minds I would strongly advise “no”
Thank you Oh Lodey!
1. Damien Jurado – The Horizon Just Laughed
2. Sunflower Bean – 22inBlue
3. Josh Rouse – Love in The Modern Age
4. Big Red Machine – Big Red Machine
5. Gaz Coombes – World’s Strongest Man
6. Paul Weller – True Meanings
7. Kurt Vile – Bottle it In
8. Parquet Courts – Wide Awake!
9. Phosphorescent – C’est la Vie
10. Wye Oak – The Louder I Call, the Faster It Runs
11. First Aid Kit – Ruins
12. Joan As Police Woman – Damned Devotion
13. Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever – Hope Downs
14. Dirty Projectors – Lamp Lit Prose
15. Gwenno- Le Kov
16. Death Cab For Cutie – Thank You For Today
17. Eleanor Friedberger – Rebound
18. Jeff Tweedy – Warm
19. Low – Double Negative
20. Gregory Alan Isakov – Evening Machines
You forgot Ryland so I slipped him in at a modest No.5
I think I might have to investigate this Damien Jurado given his late surge. I have some early stuff and then watched a film lat week where he seemed to have done much of the soundtrack, reminding me how much I like him.
1 – Roger Waters – The Soldiers Tale
2 – Paul Simon – In The Blue Light
3 Steven Wilson – Home Invasion
4 Big Big Train – Merchants of Light
5 Springsteen – On Broadway
6 McCartney – Egypt Station
7 Mark Knopfler – Down The Road Whereever
8 Joe Bonnamassa – British Blues Explosion
9 King Crimson – Meltdown
10 Keith Jarrett – La Fenice
You forgot Ryland so I slipped him in at a modest No.5
Here we go!
1. BAHAMAS – Earthtones
2. PAUL WELLER – True Meanings
3. MARIANNE FAITHFULL – Negative Capability
4. DISTANCE, LIGHT & SKY – Gold Coast
5. RAY BONNEVILLE -At King Electric
6. BLACK BOX REVELATION – Tattooed Smile
7. RICHARD THOMPSON – 13 Rivers
8. V.A. (Jazz) – We Out Here
9. PATRICK COMAN -Tree Of Life
10. COURTNEY BARNETT – Tell Me How You Really Feel
11. BOYGENIUS – Boygenius (EP)
12. ELVIS COSTELLO – Look Now
13. EXIT NORTH – Book of Romance and Dust
14. VIRGINIA WING – Ecstatic Arrow
15. VILLAGERS – Art To Pretending To Swim
16. AUNTY FLO – Radio Highlife
17. MELANIE DE BIASIO – Lillies
18. JOHN HIATT – The Eclipse Sessions
19. TAMINO – Amir
20. JD MC PHERSON – Socks
You forgot Ryland so I slipped him in at a modest No.5
Just checked the spreadsheet – still time to decide who comes second!!
Wasn’t going to spend too long on this as I wasn’t expecting there to be much crossover with many other lists (and so it’d have little effect on the overall list), so – having got to a top 30 in a reasonable amount of time – a brutal and slightly arbitrary culling/re-ordering gives this as my top twenty.
1. “Possible Dust Clouds” – Kristin Hersh
2. “Future Me Hates Me” – The Beths
3. “Stella” – Super Unison
4. “Snow Bound” – The Chills
5. “Qualm” – Helena Hauff
6. “Degenerate Art” – Oskar’s Drum
7. “Black Rainbow Sound” – Menace Beach
8. “Maps” – Soft Science
9. “Pasar De Las Luces” – Mint Field
10. “Entra Solo” – E’spaniel
11. “Dance Music” – Mastersystem
12. “Mother” – Jensen Interceptor
13. “We’re Not Talking” – The Goon Sax
14. “Compro” – Skee Mask
15. “All Nerve” – The Breeders
16. “Fall Into The Sun” – Swearin’
17. “Lush” – Snail Mail
18. “Noone Cares About Your Creative Hub” – Half Man Half Biscuit
19. “Nott Eftir Nott” – Kaelan Mikla
20. “Song For Alpha” – Daniel Avery
Here’s a playlist with a sample track from each of the 30 album shortlist in case anyone’s curious.
At work, not doing much of it truth be told! So thought I would compile my top 20 of the year….
1 Paul Weller – True Meanings
2 Elvis Costello – Look Now
3 The Good, The Bad and The Queen – Merrie Land
4 Phosphorescent – C’est La Vie
5 Villagers – The Art of Pretending
6 Cardi B – Invasion Of Privacy
7 Leon Bridges – Good Thing
8 Gorillaz – The Now Now
9 Steve Ellis – Boom! Bang! Twang!
10 Kacey Musgraves – Golden Hour
11 The Bamboos – Night Time People
12 The Jayhawks – Back Roads and Abandoned Motels
13 Astral Drive – Summer of ’76
14 Sun Kil Moon – This is my Dinner
15 Stone Foundation – Everybody, Anyone.
16 Bennett Wilson Poole – Bennett Wilson Poole
17 Smooth & Turrell – Mount Pleasant
18 Low – Double Negative
18 Jonathan Jeremiah – Good Day
19 Decemberists – I’ll Be Your Girl
20 Protoje – A Matter of Time
Bubbling under are…
21 Swing Out Sister – Almost Persuaded
22 Lack of Afro – Jack of All Trades
Given my newfound status as Head Judge I thought it wise to refrain from casting my votes too soon in case my many followers allowed the wisdom of my decisions to unduly sway their own. It would seem most votes are already in (but don’t forget you can still share your thoughts until midnight 31st December!) so the time to reveal Lodestone’s Best of 2018 is, as my good friend Taylor often says, Right Here Right Now. I’ve added a few comments alongside my nominations. As is the way of this little internet pub some patrons may disagree with my words. Some patrons are, of course, Wrong.
(Obvs) Ry Cooder – Prodigal Son. After years of worthy heart-in-the-right-place-but-ultimately-dull releases this return to magnificent splendour is both magnificent and splendid.
Paul Simon – Into The Blue Light. My first few hearings led me to believe this record was nothing but high-class Lift Music. It may shock some to know I was Wrong – it’s a belter and the re-working of Rene & Georgette Magritte is undoubtedly The Song of 2018
Poppy Ackroyd – Resolve. Living in Brighton obviously is good for my girl – there are other pleasant enough ambient-sounding records nominated this year but none gets any near this lovely work
Ruston Kelly – Dying Star. Unless I have missed it (always a distinct possibility in the bewildering hailstorm of artists nobody has heard of before) I am alone in here in my admiration for this record. Get some ears! And talking of ears…
Let’s Eat Grandma – I’m All Ears. What a difference two years make! Who knew these charming women could grow up so fast? Oh to be that young again!
Charles Lloyd & The Marvels & Lucinda Williams – Vanished Gardens. A sax plays in a smoke-filled bar. The soft clink of glasses. All is good.. And then Lucinda comes on stage!
Catherine McGrath – The Acoustics. However much I love Talk of This Town there’s always that nagging doubt it was overproduced, too commercial, firmly aimed at those still bitter that Taylor Swift left Country behind. Then a few weeks later the stripped-down version. Oh to be that young again!
Ashley McBride – Girl Going Nowhere. Describing her daddy as “ a rock star riding on a tractor listening to Townes Van Zandt” is but one highlight on an album made by an artist with serious serious talent.
Jeff Tweedy – Warm. To my ears Wilco veer between brilliance and just ok but both of Jeff’s solo albums are a delight.
Mitski – Be The Cowboy. The previous four albums frankly left me cold but this is a revelation. Who knew, certainly not me!
Spots 11 to 20 are filled by Ryland Cooder
Do you know what, Lodey. That’s a pretty good list. I’m impressed.
I’ve decided that my votes are exactly the same as yours, Lodey. In the same order and everything. Together we can win this!
Brown nose! 😜
Right – with Gary and Tiggs’ votes just cast that means somebody I have never heard of has just won?? I think the beat combo is called Jimmy Booboo And The Booboos but I might just have got that wrong.
Tune in tomorrow PopPickers when we reveal the Top Five Hundred
1. John Prine – Tree Of Forgiveness
2. David Byrne – American Utopia
3. Ry Cooder – Prodigal Son
4. Lake Street Dive – Free Yourself Up
5. J Lamotta Suzume – The Conscious Tree
6. Michael Bircher, Dan Hemmer, Steve Gadd – Omara
7. Robbie Fulks and Linda Gail Lewis – Wild Wild Wild!
8. Neil Young – Songs For Judy
9. Khruangbin – Con Todo El Mundo
10. Charles LLoyd/Lucinda Williams – Vanished Gardens
11. Nils Frahm – All Melody
That’s all
I haven’t included EC and Paul Simon because I haven’t got round to listening to them yet
If you haven’t heard J Lamotta Suzume then check her out, kind of nu-soul/hip hop (so I’m told).
She’s my son’s girlfriend and this clip was shot (on film) by my daughter’s boyfriend. Keepin’ it in the family…
Nepotism Alert!
That’s seriously classy stuff. Further investigation required.
That’s rather cool. Shades of Fugees. Like it.
My list of 20:
1. Phillip Boa & The Voodooclub | Earthly Powers
2. Julia Holter | Aviary
3. Get Well Soon | The Horror
4. Yo La Tengo | There’s A Riot Going On
5. Paul Weller | True Meanings
6. Moonlight Benjamin | Siltane
7. Françoise Hardy | Personne d’autre
8. Ry Cooder | Prodigal Son
9. Jon Hassell | Listening To Pictures
10. John Prine | The Tree Of Forgiveness
11. Tunng | Songs You Make At Night
12. Gas | Rausch
13. Gaye Su Akyoll | Istikrarli Hayal Hakikattir
14. Low | Double Negative
15. I’m With Her | See You Around
16. Elvis Costello & The Imposters | Look Now
17. Calexico | The Thread That Keeps Us
18. Punch Brothers | All Ashore
19. Kobo Town | Where The Galleon Sank
20. The Chills | Snow Bound
@fatima-xberg
The Chills, yay!
Turns out that I bought 21 new releases (physical product i.e. CDs). As Van Morrison’s latest was only bought yesterday I am excluding it due to lack of plays & the risible artwork.
I am not counting stuff I’ve listened to only on Spotify ( e.g. Rosanne Cash, Paul Carrack).
I think there are about 7 with a first mention.
Impossible to put in order as it depends on my mood but I’m happy with my top 10.
So here goes:
1. Kacey Musgraves – Golden Hour
2. Ashley Monroe – Sparrow
3. Pistol Annies – Interstate Gospel
4. Israel Nash – Lifted
5. Jayhawks – Back Roads etc
6. Paul McCartney – Egypt Station
7. Madeleine Peyroux – Anthem
8. Boz Scaggs – Out of the Blues
9. Elvis Costello – Look Now
10. Ry Cooder – Prodigal Son
11. Josh Rouse – Love in the Modern Age
12. Eric Church – Desperate Man
13. Kandace Springs – Indigo
14. Candi Staton – Unstoppable
15. St. Paul & The Broken Bones – Young Sick Camellia
16. Van Morrison- You’re Driving Me Crazy
17. Tracey Thorn – Record
18. Brent Cobb – Providence Canyon
19. Fantastic Negrito – Please Don’t Be Dead
20. Buddy Guy – The Blues Is Alive & Well
Bet no-one else has Keith Urban
1 Suede The Blue Hour
2 Nils Frahm All Melody
3 The Decemberists I’ll Be Your Girl
4 Keith Urban Graffiti U
5 Khruangbin Con Todo El Mundo
6 Father John Misty God’s Favorite Customer
7 Low Double Negative
8 Jonny Greenwood Phantom Thread [OST]
9 Israel Nash Lifted
10 Mark Pritchard The Four Worlds
11 Jon Hopkins Singularity
12 Lunatic Soul Under the Fragmented Sky
13 Neko Case Hell-On
14 Ty Segall Freedom’s Goblin
15 Kacey Musgraves Golden Hour
16 Jason Aldean Rearview Town
17 Dierks Bentley The Mountain
18 Various 1+1=X
19 Death Cab For Cutie Thank You For Today
20 Soulwax Essential
I forgot to add Steve Ellis – Boom! Bang! Twang! to my list – hope it can still be added
Nae probs
It’s a quality addition Johnny…I listened to it lots this year. A great voice still and very soulful !
Paul Weller’s best album for a long time.
Here’s mine:
1 The Lovely Eggs – This is Eggland
2 Sunflower Bean – 22 in Blue
3 HMHB – No One Cares…etc
4 Idles – Joy as an Act of Resistance
5 Lump – Lump
6 John Grant – Love is Magic
7 Matt Berry – TV Themes
8 The Coral – Move Through the Dawn
9 The Lemon Twigs – Go To School
10 Gaz Coombes – Worlds Strongest Man
11 77/78 – Jellies
12 B.E.D – B.E.D
13 The Orielles – Silver Dollar Moments
14 Adrienne Lenker – Abysskiss
15 Bodega – Endless Scroll
16 David Byrne – American Utopia
17 Whyte Horses – Empty Words
18 Kagoule – Strange Entertainment
19 Wild Nothing – Indigo
20 Shame – Songs of Praise
Late entry:
As I only had 17 on the original list, this one can be number 18
Paul McCartney – Egypt Station
Pretty darn fine stuff from the old geezer
I’m currently basking in the Costa Brava sun ( I would post a photo but would probably break the internet at the same time) and unlikely to surface until 2nd of January or so. With all these people adding songs or changing their minds results of the poll may be just a tad delayed.
Happy New Year One And All!
Well, I’ve revisited all the ‘new’ acquired this year and repeat played the Christmas presents, and this afternoon I just gave up and listened to some prog. I don’t think there’s been much outstanding on the folk scene this year – some great live moments, but recorded output has been so-so. I can list plenty of fave artists, none of whom have debuted this year, and little matches up to previous output. So I won’t pretend that Karine Polwart, Inge Thomson, Blowzabella, Lankum, Catrin Finch & Seckou Keita and Dom Flemons have brought out career-defining stuff, ’cause they haven’t. Therefore my list is short, and won’t trouble the leaderboard anyway.
1. Rheingans Sisters – Bright Field
2. Jimmy Aldridge & Sid Goldsmith – Many a Thousand (and even this isn’t as good as their previous two)
3. Tom Moore & Archie Churchill-Moss – Laguna
4. Phillip Henry – True North
5. Moore Moss Rutter – III
I note that Tom Moore plays on three of these.
2nd mention of MMR today!
The hot public health topic on the Afterword!
As ever, I’m a bit behind and haven’t listened to a few 2018 purchases yet, namely Macca, Villagers, RT, Christine &TQs, TGTB&TQ. So I’ve only got a list of six:
1. Ruins – First Aid Kit
2. Temet – Imarhan
3. The Now Now – Gorillaz
4. The Prodigal Son – Ry Cooder
5. American Utopia – David Byrne
6. Rifles And Rosary Beads – Mary Gauthier
Thanks Lodestone and Happy New Year!
Just been carrying out my own analytics, having completed listening through all the albums I didn’t know off everybody else’s lists, as I wanted to know whose list had cost me the most money. The results show that @tiggerlion has been the most expensive, as I have picked up 5 of his list since polling started (albeit a couple before he submitted his list, as others had chosen them too), whereas @leicester-bangs has been the most expensive overall, with 2 now and 4 he recommended directly at the halfway stage in the summer. Only 1 of those 6 appear on anyone else’s list too, not including my own, so it’s safe to say that his list has the biggest discrepancy between being good for the ears/wallet!
So proud right now.
So here’s my hot seven for 2018:
1. Courtney Barnett – Tell Me How You Really Feel. (Having bought the Double EP, both of her albums , Lotta Sea Lice with Kurt Vile and Live at Electric Lady Studios all this year she’s definitely my most played artist.)
2. Ryland Peter Cooder – Prodigal Son. (God bless ‘im!)
3. Kurt Vile – Bottle It In.
4. Charles Lloyd & the Marvels / Lucinda Williams – Vanished Gardens.
5. King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard – Polygonwondaland.
6. Cowboy Junkies – All That Reckoning.
7. Poppy Ackroyd – Resolve.
It could (probably will) change about over time…after more listens some maybe will be not as good once the newness wears off…. or some will suddenly making sense …
Half Man Half Buscuit – No Cares About Your Creative Hub
Ezra Furman – Transangelic Exodus
Idles – Joy As An Act Of Resistance
Gad Whip – Post Internet Blues
Eeels – The Deconstruction
L.A Salami – City of Bootmakers
Bruce Springsteen – On Broadway
Marriane Faithfull – Negative Capability
Paul McCartney – Egypt Station
Bodega – Endless Scroll
The Seven Twenty Band – Joy
Disappointed not to see a late rush of votes for Kacey Musgraves given my heartfelt recommendation on the End Of Year podcast, which everyone will have listened to by now. I put this down purely to the lack of time available to appreciate this thing of beauty.
Way better than the Ry Cooder album, which it will still beat into 5th place
Her previous albums were, and remain, favourites but I think this years one is weak. If I want that kind of thing my current go to is Whitney Rose whose last album came out towards the end of 2017 so its had a lot of plays sitting 2018.. and she was fabulous at the Lexington.
Weak! WEAK!!
That’s it, I’m flouncing
OK, I’m back
Excellent. First flounce of 2019. More of this sort of thing.
I have to disagree. Pageant Material was very poor and Golden Hour was a splendid return to form.
We must be looking for different things from our country music. That’s fine. The song Pageant Material is one of my favourites. If Golden Hour is the way she’s heading, I’ll probably not bother with her next album at all. I’ve been surprised how many end of year lists it’s popped up on especially considering the poor reviews it seemed to receive when it came out.
1. Loma – Loma
2. Christine and the Queens – Chris
3. Calexico – The Thread That Keeps Us
4. Teleman – Family of Aliens
5. Young Fathers – Cocoa Sugar
6. Gaz Coombes – World’s Strongest Man
7. Nils Frahm – All Melody
8. Sons of Kemet – Your Queen is a Reptile
9. Olafur Arnalds – Re:member
10. Rival Consoles – Persona
11. Gogo Penguin – A Humdrum Star
12. Jon Hopkins – Singularity
13. Poppy Ackroyd – Resolve
14. Erland Cooper – Solan Goose
15. Eels – The Deconstruction
A lively first few months to the year sort of fizzled out, but the top three shone consistently bright.
1. Trembling Bells – Dungeness
2. Field Music – Open Here
3. Josienne Clarke & Ben Walker – Seedlings All
4. The Decemberists – i’ll be your girl
5. Dead Can Dance – Dionysus
6. Laura Veirs – The Lookout
7. LUMP – LUMP
8. Olivia Chaney – Shelter
9. Karine Polwart – Laws of Motion
10. Ivor Bjornson – Hugsja
11. Cavern of Antimatter – Hormone Lemonade
12. Public Service Broadcasting – White Star Liner
13. Ry Cooder – Prodigal Son
14. Kamasi Washington – Heaven & Earth
15. Richard Thompson – 13 Rivers
Finally, and it’s still early days after being pointed to this band last week:
16. Altın Gün – On
Too late for inclusion I guess, but just for my own personal satisfaction:
1. C’est La Vie – Phosphorescent
2. Elephants on Acid – Cypress Hill
3. Please Don’t Be Dead – Fantastic Negrito
4. Shelter – Olivia Chaney
5. Bottle It In – Kurt Vile
6. Hope Downs – Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever
7. She Remembers Everything – Rosanne Cash
8. Dungeness – Trembling Bells
9. I’ll Be Your Girl – The Decemberists
10. All Melody – Nils Frahm
11. 13 Rivers – Richard Thompson
12. Rare Birds – Jonathan Wilson
13. Noone Cares About Your Creative Hub So Get Your Fuckin’ Hedge Cut – HMHB
14. Why Anything? Why This? – Shriekback
15. There Is a Place – Maisha
16. Maghreb United – Ammar 808
17. Quebra Cabeca – Bixiga 70
18. American Utopia – David Byrne
19. Widdershins – Grant-Lee Phillips
20. Family of Aliens – Teleman
Good to see a vote for Shriekback, they were really close to making my list.
But where are the results? Could it be that Lodey has run off to the Costa Brava drunk on power and withholding the results until he gets what he wants (which is probably something rude or edible)?
The rerelease results are in and available on another thread.😎
..or psychedelic.
Just arrived home from a splendid five days on the Wild Coast. In my absence people have voted, changed their minds and generally arsed about.
My spreadsheet is a thing of wonder & beauty but now needs updating. Tomorrow we have thirty seven villagers coming round for drinkies & nibbles which will involve me cooking all day and drinking all night.
I fully expect to recover consciousness somewhere on Thursday – Results Will Follow Sometime Soon
my tuppence :
1 jon hassell
2 white denim
3 field music
4 beach house
5 fatoumata diawara
6 julia holter
7 beak>
8 melissa laveaux
9 david crosby
10 the breeders
Cos I’m nice (?) I will allow this late entry but NO MORE!
Ta, Lodes!