The 2018 David Music Poll Results

THE 2018 David Music Poll Results

1)  Janelle Monae, Dirty Computer (17 votes)

2)  Kacey Musgraves, Golden Hour (11)

3)  boygenius (Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers, Lucy Dacus), boygenius (9)

     Cardi B, Invasion of Privacy (9)

5)  Brandi Carlile, By the Way I Forgive You (8)

     Robyn, Honey (8)

7)  Years & Years, Palo Santo (7)

8)  Courtney Barnett, Tell Me How You Really Feel (6)

     Beach House, 7  (6)

     Troye Sivan, Bloom (6)

Honorable mention:  Neko Case, Hell-On; Drake, Scorpion; Snail Mail, Lush; The Decemberists, I’Il Be Your Girl

NOTES:  This is Janelle Monae’s third appearance on the music poll, and her first on top.  Beach House has also been a regular fixture here, and amazingly this is Brandi Carlile’s first trip into the top ten. (Robyn, Courtney Barnett, and Years & Years are making their second appearances.)   Interestingly, there isn’t a single debut in the top ten – you have to go to the honorable mentions to find Snail Mail, who had the top debut.  Also interesting:  the majority of artists on the list are out queer artists, which is definitely a first. 

Now, to the individual lists....

My List Makes Me Feel

For 2018: 

Most essential albums:

1)  Janelle Monae, Dirty Computer

So brilliant in its audacity, and so audacious in its brilliance.  So personal in its politics, and so political as it explores the personal.  And the music is spectacular.  It floored me from the first time I heard it, and is a fantastic argument in our single-fragmented world for the power of a bold, cohesive album.

2)  boygenius, boygenius EP

Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers, and Lucy Dacus combine forces and create a harmonious pendulum on which to swing between bravado and despair.  And, in truth, Lucy Dacus’s Historian came close to making this list, Julien Baker’s Turn Off the Lights was my favorite album last year and was probably still the album I listened to the most this year, and Phoebe Bridgers didn’t make an impact on my playlists before boygenius, but then I went back and re-listened and am now a big fan.  Also, their Election Night concert at Brooklyn Steel was one of my favorites of the year.

3)  Brandi Carlile, By the Way I Forgive You

Brandi Carlile keeps getting better with each album, and this is the high point, album-wise, so far.

4)  Frank Turner, Be More Kind

I’m not entirely sure how a British folkpunk singer managed to articulate the agitas of the Trump era better than most, but Frank Turner nails it on this album, including the masterful “!933” and “Make America Great Again” (lyric:  “Make America great again / by making racists ashamed again.” 

5)  Courtney Barnett, Tell Me How You Really Feel

Because sometimes you want a really clever rock-out.

6)  George Ezra, Staying at Tamara’s

Because sometimes you want a tuneful pick-me-up.

Most essential songs:

“Night Shift” by Lucy Dacus

“Light On” by Maggie Rogers

“1933” by Frank Turner

“Schedules” by Sigrid

“Rainbow” by Kacey Musgraves

“Make Me Feel” by Janelle Monae

For 1999-2018

My five favorite albums:

Robyn, Body Talk

Death Cab for Cutie, Transatlanticism

The Postal Service, Give Up

Lorde, Pure Heroine

Florence and the Machine, Lungs

The next seven:

Sufjan Stevens, Carrie and Lowell

Soundtrack, Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist

The National, Boxer

Bon Iver, For Emma, Forever Ago

The Killers, Hot Fuss

Patty Griffin, 1000 Kisses

The Decemberists, The Crane Wife

Some bad calls over the past twenty years:

Among the albums that didn’t make my annual lists that should have:

Carly Rae Jepsen, Emotion

Bon Iver, For Emma, Forever Ago

Sufjan Stevens, Illinois(e)

The most dubious calls for top album of the year:

Bloc Party edged out The National in 2008.  Both albums hold up, but Boxer is better. Also, there’s no excuse for 2009.  I put Snow Patrol over The Decemberists’ The Crane Wife and Regina Spektor’s Begin to Hope?!?  Still like Snow Patrol. But really.

Jaclyn D has the Vide of her Life

This was the year I hooked up my record player, and I’ve mostly been listening to old vinyl, but I do have two albums to throw into the 2018 vote:

1. Lord Huron--Vide Noir

2. MGMT--Little Dark Age

My Top Five Albums of the last 20 years (only 5…ugh, that is hard), not super in order:

Lord Huron—Strange Trails

The Black Keys—El Camino

Lost in Translation Soundtrack

Arcade Fire—Reflektor

MGMT—Oracular Spectacular

Andrew E’s New High

Part One: 

Essential Albums of 2018:

1. Florence + the Machine, High as Hope
2. Mitski, Be the Cowboy
3. Years and Years, Palo Santo

Bonus Notable Singles:

1. Carly Rae Jepsen, "Party for One,"
2. Troye Sivan, "Strawberries and Cigarettes"

Part Two:

1. Florence + the Machine, Ceremonials AND Florence + the Machine, Lungs (Cheating, sorry, can't help it)
2. Lorde, Pure Heroine
3. Regina Spektor, Begin to Hope
4. Robyn, Body Talk
5. Mika, Life in Cartoon Motion

Lucy C Hails the Queens

OK, my fav album of 2018 was - 

Christine and the Queens, Chris  (the French version preferably!)

Top Five of Past Twenty Years (TOO HARD!)

1). Bon Iver, For Emma, Forever ago 

2). Ryan Adams, Heartbreaker

3). Sufjan Stevens, Carrie and Lowell

4). La Amazones d'Afrique, Republic Amazone 

5). The Chemical Brothers, Surrender

I also wanted "Neutral Milk Hotel, In the aeroplane over the sea" but I think it might be just a touch too old? 

Andrea R Comes Clean About Dirty

Janelle Monae for everything. I don't know if I can pick a single from Dirty Computer because the whole album is perfect.

Cora R Likes Coco

I only have 2 to submit this year. I started listening to the first one at the beginning of the year, I loved it so much I listened to little else HA!:

Young Fathers, Coco Sugar

Rolling Blackouts, Costal Fever

20 years is interesting, some of my old favourites have dated badly but others sound fresh, the freshest 5 are:

Radiohead, In Rainbows

Daft Punk, Discovery 

Cut Copy, Bright Like Neon Love

LCD Soundsystem, LCD Soundsystem

The Avalancehes, Since I Left You

Lucas K Stays Golden

Hi there! And the 20-est of 19's to you! I've been absent from these lists the past couple of years (I blame Otto), but I'm back for the big one. With every year I seem to get a little more country, Lord help me.

1. Kacey Musgraves, Golden Hour

2. Lori McKenna, The Tree

3. Ralph, A Good Girl

4. The Midnight, Kids

5. Pistol Annies, Interstate Gospel

6. LANY, Malibu Nights

7. Troye Sivan, Bloom

8. The 1975, A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships

9. KYLE, Light of Mine

10. St. Lucia, Hyperion

The favorite 5 of the past 20 years is a hell of a request, but here is my best shot after thorough consideration. Very heavily weighted toward early aughts (college-era) albums. In no particular order:

Daft Punk, Discovery

Ben Folds, Rockin’ the Suburbs

Saves the Day, Stay What You Are

Kanye West, The College Dropout

Carly Rae Jepsen, Emotion

I don't have a great answer to your first question. But I did note that, way back in 2011, I predicted my selection of Yeasayer's Odd Blood would turn out to have least staying power of any choice on that list, and I turned out to be very correct!

Aaron W’s Sweet Tooth

Ariana’s Sweetener should top the list for sure!

Anna Q Forgives it All

Brandi Carlisle, By the Way I forgive you.  

That’s all I’ve got this year because it’s so dominant in my life.  

Zach F Waxes Brazilian

I always look forward to this poll, David!

Most essential albums: 

Brazilian Girls, Let's Make Love (Very glad to have them back. Can't stop listening to this. So much good feeling.)

Christine and the Queens, Chris 

Rosalía, El Mal Querer 

The 1975, A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships (Full disclosure: I have not listened to this whole album, but the five or so tracks I have heard are proving very difficult to shake!)

Favorite 5 of the last 20:

LCD Soundsystem, American Dream

Radiohead, Hail to the Thief

TV on the Radio, Return to Cookie Mountain

Santigold, Master of My Make Believe

The Shins, Chutes Too Narrow 

Collin R’s Got Mail

MOST ESSENTIAL ALBUM OF 2018

Snail Mail, Lush

TOP ALBUMS OF 2018 (in no particular order)

Kacey Musgraves, Golden Hour

Lucy Dacus, Historian

Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers, Lucy Dacus, boygenius

Soccer Mommy, Clean

Frankie Cosmos, Vessel

Anna Meredith, Eighth Grade (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)

Christine and the Queens, Chris

Mitski, Be the Cowboy

Courtney Barnett, Tell Me How You Really Feel

BROCKHAMPTON, Iridescence 

cupcakKe, Eden

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Geotic, Traversa 

SOPHIE, OIL OF EVERY PEARL'S UN-INSIDES

Robyn, Honey

The Decemberists, I'll Be Your Girl

Kim Petras, TURN OFF THE LIGHT, VOL. 1

Brent G’s Lush Life

1. Snail Mail - Lush

2. The Internet - Hive Mind

3. Kacey Musgraves - Golden Hour

4. Post Malone - Beerbongs and Bently's

5. Lithics - Mating Surfaces

6. Momma - Interloper

7. Mac Miller - Swimming

8. Kids See Ghosts - Kids See Ghosts

9. DRMCTHR - Hold Your Love

10. Ex:Re - Ex:Re

Bill K’s Computer Won’t Crash

This may be the first year that my top album is also THE top album of the list! I'm so excited by that possibility. Alas, Haley Reinhart didn't have an album this year, so that helps.

Album of the Year: Janelle Monae, Dirty Computer.

Other Essential Albums: 

Brandi Carlisle, By the Way, I Forgive You

Family of the Year, Goodbye Sunshine, Hello Nighttime

Other Essential Tracks:

St. Vincent, Los Ageless

Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper, Shallow

Julien Baker, Turn Out the Lights

Haley Reinhart, I Don't Know How to Love You

Favorite Five Albums of the Last 20 Years:

I can't possibly narrow it down to under 6...

6. Mika, Life in Cartoon Motion

5. Haley Reinhart, Better

4. Aimee Mann, Lost in Space

3. Scissor Sisters, Night Work 

2. Ben Folds, Rockin' the Suburbs

1. Rufus Wainwright, Want One

Kate H Chimes In

part one: 2018

*Dessa, Chime

boygenius, boygenius

Camp Cope, How to Socialise & Make Friends

Wye Oak, The Louder I Call The Faster It Runs

Prince, Piano and a Microphone 1983

honorable mention:
Janelle Monae, Dirty Computer  

Big Red Machine, Big Red Machine  

part two: past 20

top 5 1999-2019:

Radiohead, Kid A (2000)

Beck, Guero (2005)
The National, Boxer (2007)

Bon Iver, Bon Iver (2011)

Beyonce, Lemonade (2016)

honorable mentions:

PJ Harvey Stories From the City, Stories From the Sea (2000)

Grizzly Bear, Veckatimest (2009)

Wye Oak, Civilian (2011)  

The Staves, If I Was (2015)  

should have listed in the past:

Sylvan Esso, Hey Mami (2014)

Polica, Shulamith (2013)

Wye Oak, Civilian (2011)

The Staves, If I Was (2015)

Sylvan Esso, What Now (2017)

shouldn't have picked:
I stand by my musical decisions. Even the bad ones.

Jim D’s Untwisted Logic

- Logic, YSIV

- Young Fathers, Cocoa Sugar

- DeVotchka, This Night Falls Forever

- Post Malone, Beerbongs & Bentleys 

- White Denim, Performance 

- Dirty Projectors, Lamp Lit Prose

- Blood Orange, Negro Swan

Shelly R Comes Full Circle

Part 1:

A Perfect Circle, Eat The Elephant

After a thirteen year hiatus, this supergroup returned with a kickass album commenting on the state of politics, society, technology’s overuse, and more.

Part 2:

In no order at all…

AFI, Sing the Sorrow
Beyoncé, Lemonade

Arctic Monkeys, AM

My Chemical Romance, The Black Parade

Stromae, Racine Carrée

Roberto R’s Like a Bee To…

ROBYN, HONEY!!!!!!

Michael T Likes His Privacy

Part 1.

Essential album of 2018:

Cardi B, Invasion of Privacy.  Really aren’t any contenders that come close, but I’d put 

2. Drake, Scorpion (mainly for God’s Plan)

3. The Carters, Everything is Love (mainly for Friends).

Singles I liked a lot in no particular order:

Charli XCX and Troye Sivan, “1999”

Beach House, “Dive”

Ariana Grande, “Thank U Next”

Childish Gambino, “This Is America”

Panic! At the Disco, “High Hopes” (a stupid sugar rush of a banger / shite anthem that always lifted me up with its goofy positivity)  

Part 2.

Essential albums of the last 20 years:

1. Belle and Sebastian, Dear Catastrophe Waitress 

2. The National, Boxer

3. Vampire Weekend, Modern Vampires of the City

4. Missy Elliott, Under Construction

5. Andrew Bird, Armchair Apocrypha

Jessica S Votes Pink

#1: Janelle Monae, Dirty Computer 

Notable mentions:

Dessa, Chime

Florence + The Machine, High as Hope

Brian M’s Nonteenage Wasteland

Twenty years! Crazy:

Here's my 2018 List.

Most Essential:

Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats, Wasteland

Essential:

Mystic Braves, The Great Unknown

The Decemberists, I'll Be Your Girl

The Good, The Bad & The Queen, Merrie Land

L.A. Witch, Octubre

Green Seagull, Scarlet Fever

Sleep, The Sciences

Ryley Walker, Deafman Glance

Amrand Hammer, Paraffin

Holly Mirance, Mutual Horse

Bill Ryder-Jones, Yawn

Jordaan Mason, Earth to Ursa Major

Ty Segall, Freedom's Goblin

Black Thought, Streams of Thought Vol. 1 & Vol. 2

Brian Jonestown Massacre, Something Else

Gorillaz, The Now Now

Richard Swift, The Hex

T. Hardy Morris, Dude The Obscure

The Growlers, Casual Acquanitences

Emma Ruth Rundle, On Dark Horses

Cat Power, Wanderer

I could literally spend days trying to come up with ten favorite albums of the last 20 years, but I'm going to go with a gut feeling and instinct. Here's 15 of the best from the last decade:

Manic Street Preachers, Journal for Plague Lovers

Portugal the Man, The Majestic Majesty

Guns N Roses, Chinese Democracy

The Mars Volta, Amputecture

Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats, The Night Creeper

The Decemberists, The Crane Wife

Sunset Rubdown, Shut Up I Am Dreaming

Elvis Perkins, Ash Wednesday

Queenadreena, The Butcher and the Butterfly

Thee Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra, Horses in the Sky

John Frusciante, Inside of Emptiness

The Icarus Line, Penance Soiree

Kings of Leon, Youth & Young Manhood

White Stripes, White Blood Cells

Madrugada, The Nightly Disease

Samantha P’s Computer Runs Well

1)  Janelle Monáe, Dirty Computer

2)  Cat Power, Wanderer 

3)  Mitski, Be the Cowboy

4)  Young Fathers, Cocoa Sugar

5)  Neko Case, Hell-On

6)  Courtney Barnett, Tell Me How You Really Feel

7)  Drake, Scorpion

Scott T Hasn’t Forgotten

Part, The First

2018 Most Essential

ionnalee, everyone afraid to be forgotten

Other Essential

Mage, Facets

Dead Can Dance, Dionysus

Essential Discoveries in 2018

Night Drive, Night Drive (2017)

Neurotech, Stigma (2015)

Favorite Songs of 2018

Alice Merton, No Roots

The Orb, Rush Hill Road

Night Music, Where I End and You Begin

ionnalee, Not Human

Panic! At the Disco, Say Amen (Saturday Night)

Santigold, Run the Road

Solarstone, Motif

Lily Allen, What You Waiting For

Franz Ferdinand, Feel the Love Go

Part, The Second

Gosh, very difficult ask.  Five albums for 20 years?  I'm going to need to cheat.  But I will limit each artist to only one appearance.

My Top 5 Albums (1999 - 2018)

Austra, Feel It Break (2011)

Avalanches, Since I Left You (2000)

Cut Copy, In Ghost Colors (2008)

Freezepop, Fancy Ultra Fresh (2004)

Royksopp, Junior (2009)

My Top 5 That I think Other Folks in Your Poll Could Vote For

The Drums, Portamento (2011)

Franz Ferdinand, Franz Ferdinand (2005)

M83, Before the Dawn Heals Us (2004)

Moby, Play (1999)

The Shins, Oh Inverted World (2001)

My Top 10 Dance Albums

Above & Beyond, Tri-State (2006)

Breakshift, All the Dreams You Never Had (2011)

Gareth Emery, Northern Lights (2010)

LTJ Bukem, Producer 01 (2001)

Michael Cassette, Temporarity (2010)

Orkidea, Harmonia (2015)

Super8 & Tab, Empire (2010)

Tiesto, Just Be (2004)

Paul Van Dyk, Out There and Back (2000)

Way Out West, Don't Look Back (2004)

Honourable Mentions

Bag Raiders, Bag Raiders (2010)

Bent, Programmed to Love (2001)

Disclosure, Settle (2013)

Editors, The Back Room (2005)

Easy Access Orchestra, Easy Access Orchestra (2001)

Everything But the Girl, Temperamental (1999)

Faithless, Sunday 8pm (1999)

Gold Fields, Black Sun (2013)

Ladytron, Light & Magic (2002)

Night Music, Night Music (2017)

Real Estate, Days (2011)

Santigold, Master of My Make-Believe (2012)

Stereolab, Margarine Eclipse (2004)

Underworld, A Hundred Days Off (2002)

UNKLE, Never Never Land (2004)

White Lies, Big TV (2013)

Graver’s Expression of Genius

HERE WE GO:

PART ONE

Most Essential Albums 2018:

boygenius, boygenius
Troye Sivan, Bloom
Janelle Monae, Dirty Computer
St. Vincent, MassEducation
serpentwithfeet, soil

Best Singles of 2018

This is America by Childish Gambino
Mariners Apartment Complex by Lana Del Rey
Ghost Town by Kanye West
thank u, next by Ariana Grande
Birdsong by Regina Spektor
Time by Angelo De Augustine
Hell by Slow Hollows (video version only)
Save Me by Liz Vice
Honey by Robyn
Woman by Cat Power

PART TWO

Favorite Five Albums of the Past 20 Years:

The Strokes, Is This It (2001)

Fiona Apple, When the Pawn... (1999)

Arcade Fire, Funeral (2004)
Franz Ferdinand, Franz Ferdinand (2004)
Au Revoir Simone, Still Night, Still Light (2009)

This was so hard why did you make us do this?

I reviewed my selections back to 2012 and I stand by them!

Bryant P Isn’t Holding Back the Years

Most Essential Album:

Years & Years, Palo Santo

Other Essential Albums:

The Decemberists, I’ll Be Your Girl

CHVRCHES, Love Is Dead

Okkervil River, In the Rainbow Rain

Andrew F’s Happy Hour

I seem to have a type:

Most Essential:

Kacey Musgraves, Golden Hour

Other Essential;

Pistol Annies, Interstate Gospel

Ashley McBryde, Girl Going Nowhere

Brandi Carlile, By the Way, I Forgive You

Robyn, Honey

Teri Y’s Bloomsday

Troye Sivan, Bloom
Betty Who, Betty, Pt. 1
Years & Years, Palo Santo
Morgxn, Vital
The Struts, Young & Dangerous

Robyn, Honey

Jukebox the Ghost, Off to the Races

Favorites from the last twenty years... that's a tough one. So many amazing artists, songs and albums. I'm going to go with the one complete album that I have never stopped listening to since it came out...

Robyn, Body Talk

Sarah M Gives Thanks

Part One:

The Most Essential: Death Cab for Cutie, Thank You for Today

Other Essential Albums:

Lauren Daigle, Look Up Child

The Kooks, Let’s Go Sunshine

Hobo Johnson, NPR Tiny Desk Concert

Kacey Musgraves, Golden Hour

Anderson Paak, Oxnard

Part Two, the past 20 years:

Kings of Leon, Only By The Night

The Postal Service, Give Up

Britney Spears, …Baby One More Time

OutKast, Stankonia

Bon Iver, For Emma, Forever Ago

Kristin E Says La Vie

Phosphorescent, C’est la vie

Matthue R Wants to Hear About Everyone Who Wants to be Famous

Most Essential:

Superorganism, Superorganism

I love this album! No, actually. When I really want to listen to SORGM, I look up their Tiny Desk Concert, their little 15-minute Youtube concerts, but I listen to this album partly because I feel the need to support them financially in my limited way, and partly because there's a magic to the songs live, and to the banter of all 8 of these placid zygotelike adults, but apparently they were originally written and recorded in separate parts, in a studio in their shared apartment that was too small to hold them all, and some part of the creative collaborative magic that helped them is located here, inside this LP. 

And featuring:

Noname, Room 25

The Decemberists, I'll Be Your Girl

Mitski, Be the Cowboy

The Carters, Everything Is Love

Nine Inch Nails, Bad Witch

Beach House, 7

Twin Peaks season 3 soundtrack

PART 2:

The Decemberists, The Crane Wife

Sleater-Kinney, All Hands on the Bad One

Janelle Monae, The Archandroid

Bruce Springsteen, The Rising

Regina Spektor, Begin to Hope

Jonas R Reaches for the Unlimited

Essential 2018

U.S. Girls, In a Poem Unlimited

The Decemberists, I’ll Be Your Girl

Eternal Summers, Every Day It Feel Like I’m Dying…

Pete Yorn and Scarlett Johansson, Apart

Courtney Barnett, Tell Me How You Really Feel

Dirty Projectors, Lamp Lit Prose

The Watson Twins, Duo

Charles Lloyd & The Marvels, Vanished Gardens

Matt and Kim, ALMOST EVERYDAY

Neko Case, Hell On

The Past 20 Years List

Father John Misty, Fear Fun

Courtney Barnett, The Double EP: A Sea of Split Peas

Rilo Kiley, rkives

Whispertown 2000, Swim

Steve Martin & Edie Brickell, Love Has Come For You

Vampire Weekend, Modern Vampires of the City

Original Cast Album, Hamilton

Fun, Some Nights

Best Coast, The Only Place

Amy Lavere, Stranger Me

Jenny Lewis & The Watson Twins, Rabbit Fur Coat

Spoon, Hot Thoughts

Anica R, Simply the Best

With zero bias, my top albums of 2018:

1. Owen Lake and the Tragic Loves, The Best of Your Lies

2. Jeff Snyder, Sunspots

3. Jeff Snyder, Concerning the Nature of Things

4. Jeff Snyder and Federico Ughi, Duo

5. Wet Ink Ensemble, Wet Ink: 20

6. Listening Group, Listening Group

Giles G Parties Like It’s 1975

2018 LIST

1. The 1975 - A Brief Inquiry into Online Relationships

2. Brandi Carlile, By The Way, I Forgive You

3. Janelle Monae, Dirty Computer

4. Kids See Ghosts, Kids See Ghosts

5. Noname, Room 25

6. Courtney Barnett, Tell Me How You Really Feel

7. Soccer Mommy, Clean

8. Octavian, Spaceman

9. Kurt Vile, Bottle It In

10. Father John Misty, God's Favorite Customer

20 YEAR LIST

This can't be done in 5 picks, though frankly I'm not sure if 10 picks make it easier of harder, but here goes:

1. Radiohead, Kid A

2. Arctic Monkeys, Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not

3. Kanye West, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

4. LCD Soundsystem, Sound of Silver

5. Kendrick Lamar, To Pimp A Butterfly

6. Amy Winehouse, Back to Black

7. Jay-Z, The Black Album

8. Frank Ocean, Channel Orange

9. Eminem, The Marshall Mathers LP

10. Norah Jones, Come Away With Me

I'm looking at the albums on my short list that didn't make the top ten, and it is actually causing me pain.  

So I’m just going to press send.  

Jonathan V Keeps Love Alive

The big five from the past 20 years:

Radiohead, KID A

Songs Ohia, MAGNOLIA ELECTRIC COMPANY

The National, BOXER

Arcade Fire, FUNERAL

The Knife, SILENT SHOUT

This year:

CHVRCHES, LOVE IS DEAD

Arctic Monkeys, TRANQUILITY BASE HOTEL & CASINO

Kids See Ghosts, KIDS SEE GHOSTS EP

New Optimism, AMAZON TO LEFRAK EP

Andrew Bayer, IN MY LAST LIFE

Wild Nothing, INDIGO

Oneohtrix Point Never, AGE OF

Now, Now, SAVED

Superorganism, SUPERORGANISM

Shallou, SOULS

Billy M’s a Big Mø (Fan)

My 2018 List:

* Mø, Forever Neverland

Anne-Marie, Speak Your Mind

Black Panther Soundtrack

Standout singles:

*Emotional Oranges, “Motion”

LSD, “Thunderclouds” & “Audio” 

Seinabo Say, “I Owe You Nothing”

Top 5 of past 20 years:

* Ani DiFranco, Revelling/Reckoning (2001)

* Radiohead, Kid A (1999)

* Fiona Apple, When the Pawn (1999)

* Tori Amos, To Venus and Back (1999)

* Sufjan Stevens, Age of Adz (2010)

(painful not to list these, so I must...)

Beyonce, Lemonade (2016)

Patty Griffin, 1000 Kisses (2002)

Lauryn Hill, MTV Unplugged No. 2.0 (2002)

Anais Mitchell, Hadestown (2010)

Rufus Wainwright, Want One (2003)

The Internet, Ego Death (2015)

Surprising that I didn't catch onto the following albums in realtime, considering how obsessed I am with them currently:

Amy Winehouse, Back to Black (2007)

Erykah Badu, Mama's Gun (2000)

Radiohead, In Rainbows (2007)

Mø, No Mythologies to Follow (2014)

Miley Cyrus, Bangerz (2013)

Jaci M’s Violet Flashback

Here's my top five from the last 20 years.  (I looked over my music and chose names that had immediate, powerful emotional resonance, even if I don't listen to them so much any more...)

5. Florence & the Machine, Ceremonials
4. Lorde, Melodrama
3. Danger Mouse & Daniele Luppi, Rome
2. Lana Del Rey, Lust for Life

1. The National, High Violet

(I'd have included a Gang of Youths album here if I could have taken a selection from their albums and put them together; and I should be including Arcade Fire
but I seem to have turned against them lately.  I'll send this now before I remember more and start changing my mind...)

Jon S Knows What He Querer

Here I am, once again joyfully not contributing in any way to the larger poll. I will be delighted if any of them make it anywhere near the top ten :) 

Here are my votes for favorite album of 2018:

• Rosalía, El Mal Querer
• Yowler, Black Dog in My Path
• Kikagaku Moyo, Masana Temples 
• Krimewatch, Krimewatch
• Unreqvited, Mosaic I: L’amour Et L’ardeur
• Zoe Keating, Snowmelt 
• Lana Del Rabies, Shadow World 
• Amnesia Scanner, Another Life 
• Superorganism, Superorganism
• Primal Rite, Dirge of Escapism
• Snailmail, Lush

Albums I wish I’d discovered sooner so I could have put them on previous years:

• upcdowncleftcrightcabc+start, And the Battle Is Won
• Myrkur, Mareridft
• Julien Baker, Sprained Ankle
• Nicole Dollanganger, Natural Born Losers
• Saintseneca, Dark Arc
• Hildur Gudnadottir, Without Sinking

Albums I regret listing in previous years:

• I regret none of them.

Karen A’s Fleet Foxes

2018

Greta Van Fleet, Anthem of the Peaceful Army

Best single of 2018

Greta Van Fleet, Lover, Leaver

Last 20 years

Moby, Play
Queens of the Stone Age, Songs for the Deaf
Green Day, American Idiot
Rodrigo y Gabriela, 11:11
The Black Keys, Brothers

Jacqueline Q’s Beach Read

I haven't participated in a few years but I'm back on it. 

Part 1: My favorite album this year was Beach House, 7

            My favorite new artist is Snail Mail, Lush

Part 2: Top 5 albums of the past 20 years - are you serious? Let's see...

            1. The Magnetic Fields, 69 Love Songs

            2. Radiohead, Kid A

            3. Le Tigre, Le Tigre  

            4. Madonna, Confessions on a Dance Floor 

            5. Amy Winehouse, Back to Black 

Part 3: Top 6-10 albums of the past 20 years (I had to...) 

            6. Beck, Midnite Vultures

            7. School of Seven Bells, Disconnect from Desire 

            8. LCD Soundsystem, Sounds of Silver

            9. Yeah Yeah Yeah's, It's Blitz! 

           10. Hot Chip, In Our Heads 

Looking at the past winners, a few things come to mind: I'm still listening to Kid A like it was just released, Vampire Weekend too. The Postal Service was probably the most influential album on the entire list for me, however it's one of those albums that is so wrapped up in painful young adulthood, ex-boyfriends, and general dysfunctional lifestyles that it has not lasted as an album I still gravitate to today. Maybe one day I'll be able to stomach it again. Happy Polliversary! 

            

            

Lawrence U Goes Beyond the Palo

My list for 2018, plus some highlights from the past 20 years. SO MUCH great new music this year, but the following choices definitely earned their spots according to my play count/history. Every year I forget something that definitely deserves a mention but.... c'est la vie.

Albums - 2018

1. Years & Years, Palo Santo
2. Janelle Monáe, Dirty Computer
3. Vance Joy, Nation of Two
4. Christine and the Queens, Chris
5. Shawn Mendes, Shawn Mendes
6. Troye Sivan, Bloom

Singles - 2018

1. Cruel Intentions Original Cast, Breakfast at Tiffany’s (Might actually be 2019, but show ended in 2018 so it counts... plus I'm obsessed and can't wait for the full album 3/8). 
2. Felicity, Pilot with a Fear of Heights
3. Maggie Rogers, Fallingwater
4. Nightly, Phantom
5. Sigrid, High Five
6. Amy Shark, All Loved Up

Some of the best from the past two decades!

1. Adele, 25
2. Beach House, Depression Cherry
3. Amy Winehouse, Back to Black
4. The Killlers, Hot Fuss
5. Frank Ocean, Channel Orange
6. Vampire Weekend, Modern Vampires of the City
7. Bon Iver, Bon Iver
8. Vance Joy, Dream Your Life Away
9. M83, Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming
10. Arctic Monkeys, AM

            

Chris K Donates His Choices to Sciences

Chris Krovatin's 13 of '18

1. Sleep - The Sciences
2. Scumpulse - Rotten
3. Khemmis - Desolation
4. Slasher Dave - Frights
5. Rebel Wizard - Voluptuous Worship Of Rapture And Response
6. Clutch - Book Of Bad Decisions
7. Uada - Cult Of A Dying Sun
8. Nekrofilth - Worm Ritual
9. Carnation - Chapel Of Abhorrence
10. High On Fire - Electric Messiah
11. Gama Bomb - Speed Between The Lines
12. VHS - The New Batch
13. Baneful Storm - Invocations

Charlie O Says Long Live the Prince

PART ONE:  The 2018 List

Prince – Piano & A Microphone 1983

Low Roar – One In A Long, Long While

Little Dragon – Season High

Janelle Monae – Dirty Computer

The National – Sleep Well Beast

Zebra Katz – Drklng

PART TWO:  The Past 20 Years List

The National – High Violet

LCD Soundsystem – LCD Soundsystem

Jeff the Brotherhood – We Are The Champions

Sufjan Stevens - Illinois

Radiohead – Kid A

And the on-repeat soundtrack of my mind palace: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CSpNJlYIhMA 😉

Keirsten G’s House of the Scorpion

I have not been listening to a lot of new music this year but my son, Clyde did. You might note his influence on my list this year.

Best,

keirsten

1. Drake, Scorpion
2. Travis Scott, Astroworld
3. Earl Sweatshirt, Some Rap Songs

Last 20 years!!! This is a bit stressful but here goes nothing. 

In no particular order:

1. Fiona Apple, Extrodinary Machine
2. Radiohead, Kid A
3. Kanye West, The College Dropout
4. Lauryn Hill, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill
5. Wu-Tang Clan, Wu-Tang Meets The Indie Culture Instrumentals

Mike R Talks Dirty to Us

MY (PERSONAL, SUBJECTIVE) TOP 10 ALBUMS:

1.      Janelle Monáe, Dirty Computer

2.      Brandi Carlile, By The Way, I Forgive You

3.      Original Cast Recording, The Band’s Visit

4.      Tove Styrke, Sway

5.      LAKES, Just To Feel The Feeling

6.      Titus Andronicus, A Productive Cough

7.      Frank Turner, Be More Kind

8.      Jake Shears, Jake Shears

9.      Lucy Dacus, Historian

10.   Carrie Underwood, Cry Pretty

NOTES: Everyone buy or stream the EP by New York’s coolest new band, LAKES! I don’t even know anyone involved or anything, I just saw them open at a show and now I think they are the coolest thing around. Melody driven guitar-rock with pop hooks, a surf punk edge, and an incredible frontwoman. Everything else, y’all already know.

MY (PERSONAL, SUBJECTIVE) TOP 10 SINGLES:

1.      Carly Rae Jepsen, “Party For One”

2.      Metric, “Now Or Never Now”

3.      Lucy Dacus, “Night Shift”

4.      Robyn, “Honey”

5.      John Mayer, “New Light”

6.      Phosphorescent, “New Birth In New England”

7.      Sigrid, “Schedules”

8.      Betty Who, “Just Thought You Should Know”

9.      George Ezra, “Shotgun”

10.   Gerard Way, “Baby You’re A Haunted House”

NOTES: i am a homosexual

MY (EXTREMELY PERSONAL, EXTREMELY SUBJECTIVE) TOP 5 ALBUMS OF THE PAST 20 YEARS:

1.      Lady Gaga, Born This Way

2.      Kendrick Lamar, To Pimp A Butterfly

3.      Robyn, Body Talk

4.      Frightened Rabbit, The Midnight Organ Fight

5.      Bombadil, Metrics of Affection

NOTES: to help me narrow down candidates, I had qualification rules: to qualify, an album had to have fully reoriented my brain chemistry and ushered me into a new era of my life (sadly cutting out lots of incredible game-changing albums that I just haven’t gotten around to, eg, any and all Radiohead), had to actually reveal something personal/intimate about the artist (cutting out - and it pains me to say this - EMOTION by Carly Rae Jepsen) without turning into a total snoozey acoustic cry-yourself-to-sleep-fest (with apologies to Sufjan & Suf-fans), and apparently had to be some kind of maximalist sprawling beautiful mess, which was not a rule I had setting out but which turned out to be something all the albums had in common (with further apologies to the 37-minute Pure Heroine). Also, Chance the Rapper was robbed. I know I made the list, but he was still robbed. That will be all thank you for your time

Kevin W’s Nashville Sound

My lists:

2018:

Shannon Shaw, Shannon in Nashville

Shannon and the Clams, Onion

Motel Mirrors, In the Meantime

Last 20 Years:

The Barbaras, 2006-2008

Reigning Sound, Too Much Guitar

King Tuff, Was Dead

The Star Room Boys, Why Do Lonely Men & Women Want to Break Each Others' Heart?

Jerry Lee Lewis, Live a the Star-Club, Hamburg (Obviously not a 2004 recording, but that's when this was released, and look I am of the opinion that all the old dead or half-dead greats usually weren't that great, but they called Jerry Lee The Killer for a reason. This is the reason.)

Daniel H’s Dream Weaver

Best of the year:

Jane Weaver, Modern Kosmology

Britta Phillips, Luck or Magic

Prince, Piano and a Microphone’83

Metric, Art of Doubt

and the best song is Rosalia, “Malamente,” obviously

Of the last 20 years:

The Magnetic Fields, 69 Love Songs

Metric, Live It Out

Stars, The Five Ghosts

Grace Jones, Hurricane

Yo La Tengo, Popular Songs

and I’m sure I’m ashamed of most of my previous choices.

Hey could I add US Girls “Velvet4Sale” to my list of this year’s best songs

John A’s Got Some Nerve

Part 1:

1. The Breeders, All Nerve
2. First Aid Kit, Ruins
3. Darlingside, Extralife
4. The Decemberists, I’ll Be Your Girl
5. Preoccupations, New Material
6. Wye Oak, The Louder I Call, the Faster It Runs
7. Parquet Courts, Wide Awake!
8. Beach House, 7
9. Dirty Projectors, Lamp Lit Prose
10. Death Cab For Cutie, Thank You For Today
11. Julien Baker/Phoebe Bridgers/Lucy Dacus, boygenius 

Part 2:
Took a slightly different approach here. These are my “Now Essential” albums I came late to over the last 20 years (in no particular order):

Band of Horses, Cease to Begin (2007)
Beach Boys Party (1965)
Elliot Smith, XO (1998)
Foals, Antidotes (2008)
Genesis, Seconds Out (1977)
Metz, Metz (2012)
Ride, Going Blank Again (1992)
Rogue Wave, Asleep at Heaven’s Gate (2008)
Sleigh Bells, Treats (2010)

Kari L’s Tells Us How She Really Feels

PART ONE

ESSENTIAL: It’s a 5 way tie!

Beach House, 7 

Neko Case, Hell On

Laura Gibson, Goners

Courtney Barnett, Tell Me How You Really Feel

Brownout, Fear of a Brown Planet

OTHER:

Elvis Costello & The Imposters, Unwanted Number (Single)

Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats, Tearing at the Seams

Minuit, Paris Tropical (single)

Broken Bells, Shelter (single)

Death Cab for Cutie, Thank You For Today

The Breeders, All Nerve

Orquesta Akokán, Orquesta Akokán

The Beths, Future Hates Me

Hozier, Nina Cried Power (with Mavis Staples) – single

Kamasi Washington — Heaven and Earth

PART TWO

Wow, I can’t even. 5 Albums for 20 years? Well, the best album from 1998 was Elliot Smith, XO. :)

Elana M Takes a Drive

Twenty years??!!!  I don't often listen to whole albums, but I do have favorite songs . . . 

Best singles of 2018:

Lake Street Dive, Good Kisser 

Lake Street Dive, Shame Shame Shame

Jayhawks, Everybody Knows

Brandi Carlile, The Joke

Brandi Carlile, The Mother

Janelle Monae, Make Me Feel

Elle King, Another Good Thing Gone 

And the TTMT (taller than me teen) votes for

Brandi Carlile, The Joke 

Essential albums from past years:

The Jayhawks, Rainy Day Music (2003)

Florence + the Machine, Ceremonials (2011)

Lumineers, The Lumineers (2012)

Fun, Some Nights (2012)

Beck, Morning Phase (2014) 

New discoveries:

Josh Ritter

LP

Thank U, Aimee F

Hi David!

Continuing my tradition of top singles (since my life is all about Spotify playlists right now…).

1)     Ariana Grande, Thank U Next

2)     Kacey Musgraves, Butterflies

3)     Cardi B, Money

4)     Shallow, Lady Gaga

5)     Weezer, Africa

Brant R’s Golden Choices

My Essential Albums of 2018:
Kacey Musgraves, Golden Hour
Phosphorescent, C’est La Vie
Tracyanne & Danny, Tracyanne & Danny

Some of My Essential Tracks of 2018:
Kacey Musgraves, “Slow Burn”
Phosphorescent, “C’est La Vie No. 2”
Mitski, “Why Didn’t You Stop Me”
The Breeders, “Dawn: Making an Effort”
Juliana Hatfield, “A Little More Love”

Elder Albums I Found Essential in 2018:
The Impressions, Keep On Pushing [1964]
Grant Green, Idle Moments [1965]
Paul McCartney, Red Rose Speedway [1973]
Vangelis, Opera Sauvage [1979]
This Mortal Coil, It’ll End in Tears [1984]

Josh L’s Stroke of Genius

PART ONE:

The only English-language album released this year that I obsessively listened to is by a good old fashioned American rock 'n roll Supergroup.

1. boygenius, boygenius,

2. Gwyneth Glyn, Tro

3. Bob Delyn a’r Ebillion, Dal i ‘Redig Dipyn Bach

The runners-up are so delightfully obscure! The only other two albums I listened to over and over again were more the product more of a new-ish cultural/linguistic crush than the organic development of my general musical tastes... although, come to think of it, they're also not that far off: a somewhat Merchant-ile Welsh poet-singer-songwriter having herself a World Music phase, and a roots-rock band with a punning name fronted by a hyper-literate, gravel-voiced bard. (He's literally a bard: he won the chair at the National Eisteddfod some years back). And just as they are edged here by boygenius, both lost out for Gwobr Albwm Cymraeg y Flwyddyn (Welsh Language Album of the Year) to a younger band. For shame. Cymru am byth!

PART TWO:

I got my top five down to seven!

1. The Decemberists, The Crane Wife

2. The National, Boxer

3. Sigur Ros, Takk

4. The Mountain Goats, The Sunset Tree

5. Fiona Apple, When the Pawn...

6. The Hold Steady, Boys and Girls in America

7. The Killers, Hot Fuss

That's a lot of definite articles.

While I remain embarrassed by the whiteness and dad-ness of this list (my my, hey hey!), I'm glad that I realized at the last minute that Fiona Apple's awesome second album snuck into the last twenty years. That stayed in the CD player for months, long ago, and I think I still know every note.

Still, I'm surprised by how little I listen to some of the above, even though, after some memory-jogging, it's a pretty fair list for favorites of the last two decades. Have I outgrown Craig Finn failing to outgrow his adolescence? Is the reason I've gotten so paunchy that I no longer listen to the Killers while exercising? The Mountain Goats, although I do dip into that huge discography a fair amount, you don't really need to listen to a lot to keep those songs at the center of your consciousness... like poetry!

But The Crane Wife is still a big fave, and lots of Decemberists songs are highly suitable for family sing-alongs. Sigur Ros, most of all, will always elbow its way back into my ears--that album stands in for stretches of three different albums that all still have the power to keep despair at bay. And, let's see... The National. Eli just learned the drums to "Apartment Story," so we play that in the basement a lot... Rock 'n roll!

Ronnie A Doesn’t Fight the Cold War

Here are my favorite soundtracks of 2018:

Dwa Serduszka (or "Two Hearts"), Cold War

Justin Hurwitz, First Man

Nicholas Britell, If Beale Street Could Talk

Keegan DeWitt, Hearts Beat Loud

Daniel Hart, The Old Man and the Gun

Nathan Halpern, The Rider

Mowg, Burning

Scott Walker/Sia, Vox Lux

Jóhann Jóhannsson, Mandy

As for my favorite, or "essential" soundtrack of the past twenty years, it's impossible to narrow it down. But if I had to pick one soundtrack that fills me with such joy, yet makes me lament for where we are now, it would be Moulin Rouge! Released three months before 9/11, I miss that world of "truth, beauty, freedom, and above all things: love."

Joel P’s Massive Invasion

If you had told me in 2017 that Cardi B and a country singer would be in my top 3 for 2018 I would not have believed you but here we are!!!!!

Cardi B - Invasion of Privacy

Kacey Musgraves - Golden Hour

Troye Sivan - Bloom

Years & Years - Palo Santo

Seinabo Sey - I'm a Dream

Kim Petras - Turn Off the Light, Vol 1

Janelle Monae - Dirty Computer

MGMT - Little Dark Age

Lily Allen - No Shame

The Carters - Everything Is Love

My favorite 5 albums of the last 20 years are going to cheat towards the more recent years because my homeschooled ass didn't listen to good music until 2004 but by sheer number of times I've played them alone, it'd have to be: 

Death Cab for Cutie - Plans

Beyonce - Beyonce

Tokyo Police Club - Champ

Taylor Swift - 1989

Disclosure - Settle

Steven M Knows the Meanings of Life

I.  2018:

1) Paul Weller, True Meanings

2) Car Seat Headrest, Twin Fantasy

3) Spiritualized, And Nothing Hurt

4) Shannon Shaw, In Nashville

5) Neko Case, Hell-On

6) Kacey Musgraves, Golden Hour

7) Brandi Carlile, By the Way, I Forgive You

8) Parker Millsap, Other Arrangements

9) Gaz Coombes, World's Strongest Man

10) Hookworms, Microshift

II.  1999-2018

Jason Isbell, Southeastern

Doves, The Last Broadcast

Amy Winehouse, Back to Black 

Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band - Hammersmith Odeon, London, '75

Wilco, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot

Bonus - Missed hearing The Book of Mormon Soundtrack too late, would have put that on my list.

Bonus II - Dawes has not aged well

Phil B’s Privacy Concerns

Essential albums of the year:

Invasion of Privacy, Cardi B. 

Not necessarily because I loved it or love her but because she defined so much of 2018 in pop.

Ariana Grande, Sweetener

This was her growing up album.  2017 had Kesha's Rainbow, 2018 had Ariana's Sweetener

Into The Spider-Verse Soundtrack

The best movie of the year had the best soundtrack of the year. Made me almost -- almost -- want to listen to more Post Malone.

Raina T Paints it Noir

2018 Most essential:

Lord Huron, Vide Noir

Other essentials:

Bad Bad Hats, Lightning Round

St. Lucia, Hyperion

The Night Game, The Night Game

Biggest discovery from previous years:

Lord Huron, Strange Trails / Lonesome Dreams

Favorite five albums of the past twenty years?

The Divine Comedy, Fin de Siècle (1998)

Ben Folds, Rockin’ the Suburbs (2001)

The Frames, For the Birds (2001)

Fleet Foxes, Fleet Foxes (2008)

Bleachers, Strange Desire (2014)

Will W’s Bit O’ Honey

PART ONE:

My top 2018 albums, probably no surprises here:

1. Robyn, Honey 
2. Ariana Grande, Sweetener
3. Neko Case, Hell-On (I didn't see this on many end-of-year lists, and I was surprised! For me, it gets better with every listen. And such storytelling!)
4. boygenius, boygenius EP 
5. Cardi B, Invasion of Privacy
6. Kacey Musgraves, Golden Hour
7. Empress Of, Us
8. Mitski, Be the Cowboy

My top 2018 songs (not in any particular order):

Neko Case, "Halls of Sarah," "Last Lion of Albion," "My Uncle's Navy"   

Charli XCX, "Five in the Morning"

Ariana Grande, "everytime," "breathin," and "sweetener" 

boygenius, "Me & My Dog" 

Cardi B, "Be Careful" 

Nicki Minaj, "Come See About Me" 

Empress Of, "When I'm with Him," "I Don't Even Smoke Weed"

Mitski, "Geyser," "Nobody," "Two Slow Dancers"

Robyn, "Honey," "Send to Robyn Immediately," "beach 2k20"

Kacey Musgraves, "High Horse," "Rainbow" 

Uffie, "Drugs," "Your Hood"

Cupcakke, "2 Minutes," "Duck Duck Goose"

Shawn Mendes, "In My Blood" 

Carly Rae Jepsen, "Party for One" 

Sia, "I'm Still Here" 

Ella Mai, "Boo'd Up" 

Troye SIvan, "Seventeen," "Bloom" 

Bebe Rexha, "Knees"  

Lady Gaga, "Is That Alright?," "I'll Never Love Again" 

PART TWO

1. Britney Spears, . . . Baby One More Time (first CD I ever bought, picked it up after leaving the Atlanta zoo; I was seven)
2. Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Fever to Tell
3. LCD Soundsystem, Sound of Silver
4. M.I.A, Kala
5. Sia, 1000 Forms of Fear

Jinny W Brings it On Bach

Favorites of the year 2018: 

1. Shirley Hunt, J.S. Bach Suites and Sonatas, Volume 2 for viola da gamba. Letterbox Arts 2018. 

2. Hilary Hahn, Hilary Hahn Plays Bach: Sonatas Nos. 1 and 2, Partita No. 1 for Violin. Sony Classical 2018.

3. Leif Ove Andsnes, Chopin Ballades and Nocturnes (piano). Sony Classical 2018.

4. Teodor Currentzis Conducts Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 6 with MusicAeterna. Sony 2018.

=============

Five Favorites from the past 20 years:

Joshua Bell, Steven Isserlis, Jeremy Denk, For the Love of Brahms. Sony Classical 2016.

Jerusalem Quartet, Debussy and Ravel String Quartets. Harmonia Mundi 2017.

Palance/Wolff Project, Part 1, Reflecting Forward. CD Baby 2015.

Shirley Hunt, J.S. Bach Suites and Sonatas, Volume 1. Baroque Cello and Viola da Gamba. Letterbox Arts 2018.

Annelle K. Gregory and Alexander Sinchuk, Rachmaninoff Complete Works and Transcriptions for Violin and Piano. Bridge Records, Inc. 2017.

Dan P’s Robyn the Cradle

It wasn’t a big new music year for me in 2018. I mostly fell in love with Carly Rae Jepsen’s Emotion. But for new stuff:

1. Robyn, Honey

2. First Aid Kit, Ruins

3. Maggie Rogers, ALL OF THE SINGLES

4. Years and Years, Palo Alto

Fav Five of Past 20 years:

1: Sufjan Stevens, Age of Adz 

2. The National, Boxer

3. Robyn, Body Talk

4. Tori Amos, Scarlet’s Walk

5. Beyoncé, Lemonade

Nick E Tends His Acres

PART ONE

Best of 2018:

S. Carey, Hundred Acres
Beach House, 7
Florence + The Machine, High As Hope
Iron & Wine, Weed Garden (EP)
Belle and Sebastian, How to Solve Our Human Problems, Pt. 2
Belle and Sebastian, How to Solve Our Human Problems, Pt. 3

PART TWO

Top 5 of the last 20 years:

The Magnetic Fields, 69 Love Songs
Iron & Wine, The Creek Drank the Cradle
Sufjan Stevens, Carrie & Lowell
Dolorean, Not Exotic
Jeremy Soule, Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Album missing from my lists:
Bon Iver, 22, A Million

Album that doesn’t really belong on my lists:
my bloody valentine, mbv

Maggie S’s Killer Tunes

BEST ALBUMS OF 2018

1) Matt Maeson, Who Killed Matt Maeson

I wore out "Grave Digger," man. One of the side effects of my insane health crisis in '17-18 was that I stopped having the right neurotransmitters to like music, which wasn't a hell I thought could happen, and this was one of the first albums I realized I could love. Learning you can have music back again . . . it was like a religious experience.

2) Mother Mother, Dance and Cry

3) Hozier, Nina Cried Power

BEST SINGLES

"I Know How to Speak," by Manchester Orchestra, because for most of the year, I didn't.

"Words," LANNDS, because I didn't have any.

"Let You Down (feat Findlay) (Yeuz Remix)," by Joris Delacroix and Montmartre, because that was what I basically did to everyone for a year. 

"No More," by Dirtwire.

THE PAST TWENTY YEARS

Dude, I think it's time to admit that the album I think I've probably listened to the most over twenty years that I still love is Enya's Watermark. I listened to it when I was younger and had a recurring dream of a place called the Barns, a really lovely farm hidden away in the mountains I love, and the album became synonymous with it. They say when you write a recurring nightmare down, you never have it again, and it works for dreams too, because years later I wrote the Barns down and never returned again in my sleep — but I still do every time I listen to this album.

I can't believe I used to like Lifehouse.

And you know who I have newfound appreciation for? 12 year old me would be pleased to know that I recently picked up those old Billy Joels. Hey, that guy could write a tune.