Hello everyone, I promised at the end of 2018 that I’d be more attentive to this blog this year and uhh I was not, at all. My bad. I did a few reviews over on The Filtered Lens, which you can read, as well as some year-end and decade-end stuff. I forgot to post it here. I’m old and busy okay? okay. Anyways I actually blew past my personal record for releases listened to; I’m not sure exactly what it was before but it hovered around ~165, his year I did 250 dead (at the time of writing – might squeeze a few more in). I loved a lot of them! Music is good a lot of the time! So I decided to write about 50 albums I loved. And that turned into 75 so here’s 75 albums this year I loved. The top 15 or so are pretty set but otherwise I spent very little time working on the list, I loved all of these and many of them are incomparable so please treat much of this list more as a group of recommendations. Also from 35 onwards I wrote a bit about why I loved them. Here’s some good stuff:

#75. Have A Nice Life – “Sea of Worry”

#74. HEALTH – “VOL. 4 :: SLAVES OF FEAR”

#73. Bad Books – “III”

#72. Deerhunter – “Why Hasn’t Everything Already Disappeared?”

#71. Charly Bliss – “Young Enough”

#70. Ariana Grande – “thank u, next”

#69. (nice) Toro Y Moi – “Outer Peace”

#68. Lilith – “Safer Off”

#67. Neil Young – “Colorado”

#66. Uniform & the Body – “Everything That Dies Someday Comes Back”

#65. Bleached – “Don’t Think You’ve Had Enough?”

#64. Rammstein – “Rammstein”

#63. Field Mouse – “Meaning”

#62. Teitanblood – “The Baneful Choir”

#61. The Hold Steady – “Thrashing Thru the Passion”

#60. Dump Him – “D*kes to Watch Out For”

#59. Cursive – “Get Fixed”

#58. Microwave – “Death is a Warm Blanket”

#57. Iggy Pop – “Free”

#56. Mr. Muthafuckin’ eXquire – “Mr. Muthafuckin’ eXquire”

#55. Knocked Loose – “A Different Shade of Blue”

#54. Coldplay – “Champion of the World”

#53. Blood Incantation – “Hidden History of the Human Race”

#52. Malibu Ken – “Malibu Ken”

#51. glass beach – “the first glass beach album”

#50. Kitty – “Rose Gold”

#49. Thee Oh Sees – “Face Stabber”

#48. Xiu Xiu – “Girl With a Basket of Fruit”

#47. FKA Twigs – “Magdalene”

#46. Sebadoh – “Act Surprised”

#45. Lightning Bolt – “Sonic Citadel”

#44. Brittany Howard – “Jaime”

#43. Sharon Van Etten – “Remind Me Tomorrow”

#42. Bruce Springsteen – “Western Stars”

#41. That Dog – “Old LP”

#40. Karen O & Danger Mouse – “Lux Prima”

#39. clipping. – “There Existed an Addiction to Blood”

#38. Cold Wrecks – “This Could Be Okay”

#37. Stef Chura – “Midnight”

#36. Big Thief – “U.F.O.F.”

#35. William Basinski – “On Time Out Of Time” – The most peaceful album I listened to this year was Basinski’s, one that sampled huge galactic explosions for quietly impactful sound effects. This is a calming work, one that literally takes in the sound of the universe and sanitizes it for ambient peace. I have used this incredible piece of music to sleep to. At face value, it’s calming music. With context, it is the sound of an apocalypse.

#34. Thom Yorke – “ANIMA” – Fresh off of a soundtrack for the “Suspiria” reboot, Yorke released what is his best solo album by a long shot. It encompassed the best of Radiohead’s atmospheric elements while still sounding focused on Yorke’s more ambitiously patient capabilities.

#33. Better Oblivion Community Center – “Better Oblivion Community Center” – The duo of Phoebe Bridgers and Conor Oberst (gulp) released a wonderfully solid group of indie-folk songs under the name/guise of a living center. It’s a neat idea, especially one for a subgenre that doesn’t exactly see a lot of concept albums. It’s a pretty gorgeous album to boot.

#32. Jenny Lewis – “On The Line” – The days of the indie forefront have long surpassed Lewis, so rather than try to recapture the virtues of the Rilo Kiley days, she’s grown into a forlorn bar country singer, and it suits her well. Her voice has grown, as has her emotional range. These are songs that are often taking place in the moment, but it’s a moment we all recognize and have lived in.

#31. Craig Finn – “I Need A New War” – Quite frankly this is everything you’d expect in a Craig Finn solo album. It’s somber and nostalgic without being overbearing; simply a collection of stories told matter-of-factly through Finn’s spoken vocals. Many take place in Massachusetts, which adds points for me, but it’s a quaint collection for anyone.

#30. The Cranberries – “In the End” – Yes this is the final Cranberries album to feature Dolores O’Riordan. Although her death was an accident, the album has many songs centering on finality or conclusions. It was a proper finale, and it only enhances the quality of the songs.

#29. Lizzo – “Cuz I Love You” – Yeah Lizzo rules, I think that we have discussed this. But in earnesty, she’s an incredibly talented performer and singer, and it’s simply great that she gets to let it all shine through. Her third album is a delightfully complete mix of rap, funk and R&B that manages to sound completely original in a tired field.

#28. Kerli – “Shadow Works” – Kerli is unfortunately *not* known as the woman that Lady Gaga ripped her costumes off of, which pains me to this day. But she has transformed into a wonderful, dark pop singer and this new album feels like a total complement to the path Gaga took.

#27. Blanck Mass – “Animated Violence Mild” – I would easily call this music only ready for ecstasy use; his electronic music has always been ready for people willing to take a club night into a dark direction. But this release of his is a specifically hyper-alert work, longer songs and harsher vocals that all sounds ripped from a blockbuster movie.

#26. Laura Stevenson – “The Big Freeze” – After a somewhat raucous album in “Cocksure,” the world’s nicest person takes a backseat in “Freeze,” a very lo-fi indie approach. These are mostly songs about family and returning home, aided by her beautiful vocals. Very emotional, musically sparse and deeply relatable, these are some tearjerker gems. More on her later!

#25. Solange – “When I Get Home” – Solange’s new work follows in the footstep of “A Seat at the Table,” but more specific. Solange feels more like she’s singing for herself, reflecting on her own experiences less for relatability and more for personal and cultural gratification. Still, the stories seem universal.

#24. Stephen Malkmus – “Groove Denied” – Malkmus worked on this album for long periods of time throughout his career, and was often denied a release. The result is less of a complete album than it is a collection of songs he wanted to release years ago but, magically, they come together in a narrative unit. Check that wild first track “Belziger Faceplant.”

#23. (Sandy) Alex G – “House of Sugar” – One of indie’s most intriguing up-and-comers is Alex G, and his 2019 release is a collection of barely-realized songs that range from standard indie to dreamy avant-garde on a dime. It sounds messy at first but on further listens it’s a well-rounded collection of songs that always keeps you guessing.

#22. Foals – “Part 1 Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost” – A few years back Foals decided to kick the energy and distortion up, but here they tone back down. While I usually prefer the former, this result is a group of drawn-out and very well constructed indie songs, ones that sit on an idea until it is completely realized, maybe the most patient album of the year. Oh, but the songs are bangers, too.

#21. RAKTA – “Falha Comum” – Truly hypnotizing piece of experimental music out of Brazil that mixes post-punk energy with South American avant-garde. Switches from dreamy to chaotic at a moment’s notice, and is a completely satisfying listen along the way.

#20. Kim Gordon – “No Record Home” – At only 66 years old, Gordon has put out her first solo album. She was always one of the most avant garde wings of Sonic Youth, and it shows here. Many of these songs are surprisingly sparse, focused less on noise than they are on precision and abnormality. Still, she absolutely rages on the previously-released “Murdered Out.”

#19. Full of Hell – “Weeping Choir” – One of the year’s best metal albums was predictably from Full of Hell, just a brutal onslaught of thrash madness. As always they border on grindcore without actually embracing the subgenre’s silliness, instead choosing to end songs early just because their energy has finished them quickly. Don’t let the lengthy runtime of 24 minutes fool you – one song is seven minutes long.

#18. Charli XCX – “Charli” – Our Best Pop Songwriter returns with just a stellar album of tunes. These are complex pop songs that sure don’t sound like it, taking conventional structures and warping them with unique instrumentation and settings. Charli is great at pulpy earworms, and this album is full of them. Also, perfect set of guest features.

#17. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – “Ghosteen” – This is a surprisingly engaging and rewarding listen, given the subject matter. It revolves the untimely death of one of Cave’s sons, and the process of grief and acceptance that followed. Heavy stuff, but the album’s atmospheric nature welcomes all. It might be Cave’s biggest outlier and grandest experiment, and it’s the prettiest music made all year.

#16. Lana Del Rey – “Norman Fucking Rockwell!” – I love Lana, and this is her most comprehensive album to date. It works in all of the psych and soft rock influences she’s toyed with in the past, as well as expanding her lyrical scope from personal relationships to nostalgia around an old California and old Americana. Also a Sublime cover. Classic Lana.

#15. Sturgill Simpson – “Sound & Fury” – Simpson was already being ostracized by the country community, so he decided to lean into it. He and his band took a ton of drugs and wrote an antifascist album and anime, styled less in country and more in ZZ Top. The whole thing is a ton of fun, even during the slower songs. And the anime is on Netflix, for those interested.

#14. Purple Mountains – “Purple Mountains” – The last offering from indie legend David Berman was a collection of dark, tongue-in-cheek indie songs about what life is like when it leaves you behind. These songs can be taken literally and darkly, but Berman meant for these to be affirmations, of better times. Unfortunately, Berman took his own life shortly after the release, and a lot of the humor is negated. Think of it in a Nirvana “I Hate Myself And Want To Die” way.

#13. PUP – “Morbid Stuff” – PUP has all the makings of a standard pop-punk (PUP-punk) band but, due to the chaotic nature of the spoken-word vocals, I’m actually a fan. This album hits all the right pop-punk notes, from telling someone you’ll only see them at their funeral to running into your ex at Whole Foods. It’s a lively mix, made better by the comically hyper-specific lyrics.

#12. Billie Eilish – “When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?” – We don’t go anywhere (?) Regardless, I love Eilish’s completely new blend of pop. It’s hushed vocals over heavy synths that feel like they only pump out rhythms when they want to. It’s unlike anything else being played on pop radio and for that I love it.

#11. Jamila Woods – “LEGACY! LEGACY!” – Every song on this album is devoted to a black artist who was drowned out or appropriated during their own lifetimes, and Jamila spends the album wondering if the same will happen to her & today’s artists and activists. There’s no happy answer, and unfortunately that foreboding hangs over the whole album. It’s a lot of fun R&B, but it’s made for us (whites) to confront our own issues both past and future.

#10. The Coathangers – “The Devil You Know” – This deeply underrated garage-punk band delivered another classic, with fun hooks being complemented by lyrics raging against the NRA, and musings on growing up and letting go. This band doesn’t like to keep you very comfortable, but don’t worry – it’s fun all the same.

#9. Pharmakon – “Devour” – I wasn’t super into Pharmakon’s last album, “Contact,” so I was nervous – but this is the noise artist’s best album to date. Recorded in two takes, she uses the whole studio and time to her advantage. These songs are parts of suites and as such are even more drawn out than before. This is the most anxiety-inducing album of 2019, with shrieking synths and screamed vocals running chills down the spine. It’s not for everyone!

#8. Lingua Ignota – “CALIGULA” – It’s rare that Pharmakon doesn’t take the title of “most disturbing” but Lingua Ignota takes this easily. Another solo female act in noise music, Ignota’s behemoth incorporates elements of strings and operatic vocals, just to whisk them away in favor of guttural noise. It jumps from baroque to extreme noise, and is completely unsettling along the way. She bared everything on this album, more so than any artist in 2019. It’s not for everyone!

#7. Oozing Wound – “High Anxiety” – This is almost my favorite thrash metal album of the year, just a rip-roaring journey through the prospects of space and the idiocy of the humans surrounding us here on Earth. There’s a real tongue-in-cheek element to the lyrics, and an unsurpassed energy to the music. Just everything you want from thrash!

#6. King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard – “Infest the Rat’s Nest” – It feels really insincere to give the title of Best Metal Album of the year to a band that isn’t metal, but hell if this album isn’t a ride. Only three of the band’s seven members are present, but they deliver an old-school thrash whiplash, reminiscent less of Metallica and Slayer and more of Exodus and Overkill. That they’re telling a story of people who try to fly to Jupiter but end up in Hell is a whole added bit. Also this was the prolific band’s second album of the year; I didn’t like the first one, sorry.

#5. Orville Peck – “Pony” – Orville Peck isn’t country……is a invalid criticism. He embodies the 50’s and 60’s style of outlaw country. Outside of his masked anonymity, little about Peck is updated for 2019, which in turn brings a refreshing sound to country music. His bass vocals and barebones musical accompaniment sound completely unfamiliar in the 2019 landscape, as does his presence as a queer country singer. Peck embodies the rebellious spirit of country old, rather than the complacent pop-country of today.

#4. Jeff Rosenstock & Laura Stevenson – “Still Young” – I usually avoid putting EP’s or cover projects on a list like this but this a bit different than those; two of my favorite people collaborated on an comfort-zone-leaving set of four Neil Young covers. Side A is two Young classics, Side B is two more obscure ones. Their 8-minute take on “Ambulance Blues” is better than the original, and one of the best songs I heard all year. Also listen for a Craig Finn cameo!

#3. Amyl and The Sniffers – “Amyl and The Sniffers” – A debut from a drunk-punk band from Australia, this self-titled is a half-hour of raucous songs about love, not having any love, and not having any money. Also a great song about a monsoon thrown in. It could be a well-rounded emotional bit but instead it’s just a bunch of punk gut-punches. Honestly? Sometimes you need a ton of fun like this.

#2. Angel Olsen – “All Mirrors” – I already loved Olsen for how well she complemented her vocals against music, but she spins it in a whole new direction here. She isn’t always the centerpiece, sometimes giving that to synths or a string section. But still she steals the show, with spine-tingling vocals. Every song on this album sounds full, a drastic departure from the sparse nature of her previous albums.

#1. Control Top – “Covert Contracts” – Rip-roaring punk infused with industrial and post-hardcore results in a furious mission statement from within the walls of an oppressive patriarchal system. Incredible debut from a band I am confident is the future of punk. I’ve heard all of these songs dozens of times now and I still find my blood boiling at every one. The passion and fury behind the lyrics can be cut with a steak knife. I honestly think 2019 needed more topical, urgent music like this, and I deeply appreciate what we got of it.

(Remember at the top how I said I was on album #250? Well it’s now 1/1 and my official count was 254. Two of the last four I listened to caused me to readjust these rankings lol)

So, I went on kind of a tear in the summer, where I blew through probably 100 albums in the span of three months. And there was a lot of great music this year, this was a record-book year. I handed out 46 A and A- grades this year alone, so I decided to up my usual countdown to 100, which includes nothing below a B grade. For the sake of my own sanity, 100-51 are just alphabetized with a brief description. Admittedly some of these albums are ones I listened to once earlier in the year and don’t recall all that well. But I don’t want to bore you, so here we go:

#100-51:

070 Shake – “Glitter” – Great EP from the rapper/singer featured on Kanye’s “Ghost Town,” some knockout performances throughout. Mark this name down now to impress your friends later.

The 1975 – “A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships” – Okay so ’75 albums take at least a couple listens to fully engage and because of the late release date I’ve only gotten one listen in, I expect I’ll love this album come early 2019. Note: it’s now early 2019 and i haven’t relistened yet oops

Alien Weaponry – “Tu” – The Weaponry is a trio of teens from New Zealand who are using metal to help preserve the language of Māori, which is dying in New Zealand culture. Also, they just goddamn rock in any language. This band has already gotten pretty big but if you know of a way to help them preserve their culture, I’m sure they’d appreciate.

Andrew W.K. – “You’re Not Alone” – America’s premier party master delivered his first new music in quite some time, and it came with a number of rock and metal delights. Also, his devotion to helping those with mental issues strikes through this whole album. (Also, he’s friends with Gavin McInnes, make of that what you will)

Ängie – “Suicidal Since 1995” – One of pop’s new depressing frontrunners is Ängie, who fills her mini-album with songs about addiction and coping methods. It’s not a great time, but it’s great music.

Antarctigo Vespucci – “Love in the Time of E-mail” –  As equally fun and affecting as their previous releases, this is a solid pop-punk effort. Jeff Rosenstock and Chris Farren are good boys who write great lyrics so give them your money, thanks. Hi Jeff gang.

Aphex Twin – “Collapse EP” – Out of nowhere Aphex Twin has revived his career and burst onto another winning streak. This EP is only 28 minutes but it showcases the electronic master at his finest.

Bad Wolves – “Disobey” – A rock/metal supergroup that hit it big with their cover of The Cranberries’ “Zombie,” but for me, it’s the closing track “Toast to the Ghost” that does it. One of my favorite metal songs of the last few years.

BROCKHAMPTON – “iridescence” – The ‘boy band’ struck gold on their first Amir-less album, hitting tons of different waves and emotions. The pain of what Amir did is palpable, but so is their acknowledgment of a burgeoning success. This is simply a great group capitalizing on their prime.

Camila Cabello – “Camila” – “Havana” wasn’t really a fluke, as Cabello’s whole album proves her to be a pop force to be reckoned with. It may be early in her solo career, but if she keeps up then she could be an absolute powerhouse.

Car Seat Headrest – “Twin Fantasy” – Feels a little disingenuous to include this, since the original version of this album came out in 2011. But Will Toledo decided to remake his Bandcamp classic with his now-full band, and it’s a true indie delight. “Cute Thing” was one of my most played songs of the year, FYI.

Cloud Nothings – “Last Building Burning” – Cloud Nothings returned to their brutal roots for this behemoth of an album; admittedly it burns out early but the early onslaught is some of the best guitar work of the year.

Deafheaven – “Ordinary Corrupt Human Love” – The single most polarizing band in metal only made themselves more so by releasing a…..metal-dreampop record. Nothing like this album has ever existed, and it doesn’t all work, but there sure are some genuinely enthralling moments. This is an album that haters will make fun of, using the reasons why it’s great as attempted insults.

Dirty Projectors – “Lamp Lit Prose” – Gonna be honest, this is basically another Dirty Projectors album, nothing more or less. If it ain’t broke!

Earl Sweatshirt – “Some Rap Songs” – I’m not the target audience for this release and I get that. This album is for pure rapheads, of which I am not. But Earl is basically infallible in the genre and this is just another walkoff homer for the prodigy.

Father John Misty – “God’s Favorite Customer” – I strongly dislike Misty as a person and I want to reflect that on the music, but damn if he isn’t a great songwriter. This is just another great album of the piano and guitar folk that he does so well.

Florence + The Machine – “High Hope” – Florence Welch is one of the best singers of our generation, and for this album the band stripped away a lot of their baroque elements to provide simple backing for her. The ambitions and stakes are smaller here, but the results are just as stunning.

Gaylord – “The Black Metal Scene Needs to Be Destroyed” – An EP from a black metal legend provided me with a couple of my favorite 2018 song titles – “Nice Sun Cross Tattoo Asshole,” “Varg Impaled,” “Odin Doesn’t Listen to Nsbm You Inbred Alt-Right Shitheels,” and, of course, “Neo-Nazi Metalheads Will Be Hanged and Their Broken Corpses Openly Mocked.” In case you haven’t noticed, this blogger is a leftist, and this is quality black metal.

Iceage – “Beyondless” – This album actually seemed right up my alley, and I’m still struggling as to why it didn’t entirely sell me. But still, some loud as hell punk-adjacent music with a Sky Ferreira assist is a win in my book.

Jay Rock – “Redemption” – Perhaps the most fitting album title of the year goes to Jay Rock, who made this album after surviving a brutal motorcycle accident. His TDE connections pay off with great contributions throughout the album, but quite frankly, Jay Rock is a rapper with amazing flow and voice, and he owns this album.

Jeff Rosenstock – “POST-” – This is easily my least favorite of Jeff’s solo records; it still made my list. Jeff gets more political on this record than previously, and although the end results are murky, there’s still some good to pull from. Also hi Jeff friends sorry again.

Judas Priest – “FIREPOWER” – 2018 was the 49th anniversary of Judas Priest. Not a typo! These dudes could’ve hung it up long ago but they still tour and put out solid music. This album doesn’t add much to the catalog but it still has some bangin songs. Here’s to the 50th year.

Kurt Vile – “Bottle It In” – It’s safe to say that Vile is the very best of the dudes who make music that doesn’t appeal to me. Jam rock isn’t my thing, but Vile has always added enough other influences to his music that even I find it palatable. His new album is no different.

Let’s Eat Grandma – “I’m All Ears” – This is a duo of British teen girls who have an understanding of electro-pop far beyond their years. Their second album is a danceable delight, but one with moments of sheer synth heaviness. This one didn’t miss my top 50 by much. Pay attention to these girls. Also, phenomenal band name.

Lil Wayne – “Tha Carter V” – I’m not super well-versed in Wayne’s music and I won’t claim to be, but he genuinely sounds refreshed and ready to go on this album, as if he’s pushed his demons past him. The last few years have been tough on Wayne but this is a triumphant record, and a great return to form.

Lil Yachty – “Lil Boat 2” – Yachty is one of the better rappers in this whole youth crowd, and his studio album was a generally enjoyable mix of emotions and styles. The short songs certainly aided Yachty, who blasts through many ideas at a lightning speed.

Marissa Nadler – “For My Crimes” – Nadler’s blend of goth and folk is always gorgeous, and this album is no different. “For My Crimes” isn’t necessarily for everyone but it is a great collection of dark, brooding folk songs, for those that want it.

Melvins – “Pinkus Abortion Technician” – This was admittedly a pretty half-baked effort from Melvins, who have lately opted for quantity over quality. Still, drafting Butthole Surfers’ member Jeff Pinkus into the band to do some covers – the best of which is “I Want to Hold Your Hand” – is a solid move.

Mudhoney – “Digital Garbage” – Meanwhile, the Mudhoney dudes are rocking like 1989 never stopped. Their new album is, in many ways, suitable for the times. It’s also a great rock record that reflects and reacts to many of the things going on in the music world today. Mudhoney: once great, still great.

Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats – “Tearing at the Seams” – Just a solid blues-rock record, I’m a sucker for these. Know your audience.

Neckbeard Deathcamp – “White Nationalism Is For Basement Dwelling Losers” – Like Gaylord before, the antifa black metal scene erupted this year, also resulting in this amazingly-titled EP. It’s not quite as reformed as Gaylord’s work, but with song titles like “The Fetishization of Asian Women Despite a Demand For a Pure White Race,” there’s clearly a winner on the hands.

Neneh Cherry – “Broken Politics” – This album is pretty quiet and reflective, with some exceptions. Cherry, a legend, takes time for issues both personal and political, both of which she handles with a delicate eye. I did say exceptions, including one of my favorite songs of the year:

Nicki Minaj – “Queen” – Make no mistakes, this is an excellent rap album. It’s the ones that fans (myself included) lusted for after her teasingly-R&B heavy album “The Pinkprint.” This is Minaj the rapper, even if her personal conflicts of 2018 have plagued her record so as to make me less excited for her music.

Nile Rodgers/CHIC – “It’s About Time” – Damn right it was, the band’s first album since 1992 didn’t exactly reinvent the wheel but it did provide a vibing good time. Guest spots from Lunchmoney Lewis, Vic Mensa, Hailee Steinfield and, most notably, Lady Gaga, help cement this in the CHIC revival.

Paul McCartney – “Egypt Station” – Sir Paul doesn’t need to add anything extraordinary to his discography, and frankly he doesn’t. Unlike “New,” which saw some genuinely new direction, McCartney falls back on his roots – and that’s fine, because McCartney’s roots are as genuinely entertaining as anyone could image.

Peach Kelli Pop – “Gentle Leader” – Peach Kelli Pop is one of the best artists working in surf-pop today, but this album helped to add some diversity to her catalog, with a more diverse set of sounds, and some acoustic elements. Still, the vibrant and pure energy is not lost.

Phosphorescent – “C’est La Vie” – The offhand nature of the phrase “c’est la vie” sums up Phosphorescent’s meandering indie-folk very well. While no means as good as his last album, the outstanding “Muchacho,” there’s still plenty of warmth and pleasantries to go around, especially in these cold months.

Pig Destroyer – “Head Cage” – Though this album doesn’t hold the intensity of their previous full-length, “Book Burner,” few albums do. This is a more concise and thought-out Pig Destroyer, a band less afraid to take chances and make big decisions. It succeeds because of all these decisions, while maintaining at least some of their previous intensity.

Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs – “King of Cowards” – Pigsx7 new album is mostly forwarded by the opening song and lead single, heard below. It’s a beast of a song, but the whole album (all six songs) follow in a similar trajectory of brutality.

Preoccupations – “New Material” – Beyond the clever album name, this is simply a solid work of moody post-hardcore that is reminiscent of their debut. It’s a tad lighter, especially with the vocals in harmonization instead of dissent. It’s a tad more accessible, but given the predecessors, it’s still some very dark stuff.

Pusha T – “DAYTONA” – Pusha T returned in a BIG way this year, breaking the news of Drake’s secret child. He prompted Drake to renew their feud with a (hindsight 20/20) limp diss on “DAYTONA.” Really, this short album exists partially as Drake bait, but it’s also one of the strongest and most enthusiastic releases of Pusha’s career. He’s a dark horse candidate for best figure in rap today, and “DAYTONA” only elevated that.

Single Mothers – “Through a Wall” – The album peters out by the end, but the A-side produced some of the year’s finest punk/post-hardcore, just a collection of ripping, amp-shaking tunes.

Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks – “Sparkle Hard” – “Middle America,” the album’s first single, has arguably my favorite lyrics of the year. Much of the album has the sleepy and meandering tones of a late-career Malkmus, a man with nothing left to prove but many things left to muse on. Another great notch in a long career.

Sunflower Bean – “Twentytwo in Blue” – One of the year’s breakout twee indie bands also show a side that isn’t afraid to pump up the fuzz guitar, resulting in a very pleasantly well-rounded indie-pop album. Cute but loud!

Thou – “Magus” – One of the most prolific bands in metal is regularly releasing behemoths of both volume and song length; this year’s big offering was “Magus,” an uncompromising but not relentless attack of riffy sludge metal. Thou is both quantity and quality.

Titus Andronicus – “A Productive Cough” – The ambitious-to-a-fault punk band went largely acoustic for this affair. It wasn’t perfect, but the album’s loose, low-stakes feel is a nice palette cleanser to their last few heavy, concept records.

Tribulation – “Down Below” – The Swedish band has slowly ditched black metal music for more anthemic and straightforwarrock, while maintaining the imagery and vocals. It’s an interesting mix, one that sounds like a (much) more interesting Ghost.

Unknown Mortal Orchestra – “Sex & Food,” “IC-01 Hanoi” – The former is a jazzy alternative album that is diverse in its instrumentation but not in its primary influences. The latter is a more ambitious, instrumental release inspired by avant-garde jazz. Both are equally great.

Vince Staples – “FM!” – This album feels like an idea Staples was toying around with and entered the studio to record, on a whim. But since it’s Staples, it’s still a complete and thrilling affair, packing a whole sum of ideas into a 22 minute concept record, complete with radio commercial breaks and all.

Witch Mountain – “Witch Mountain” – One of the best metal albums I stumbled across this year is this patient doom release from long-running up-and-comers Witch Mountain. Slow but thrilling, it’s all capped off by great vocals from newcomer Kayla Dixon.

………AND WITHOUT MUCH FURTHER ADIEU, I PRESENT THE TOP 50 ALBUMS OF 2018:

#50. DILLY DALLY – “Heaven” – I don’t know how to classify this band. They’re certainly not metal, with the music often centering on the rock “crescendo building” songs perfected by the National, but with extremely gnarly vocals. Although the first track may be the most succinct, the whole album follows this format; it’s interesting and pearl-clutching.

#49. GØGGS – “Pre-Strike Sweep” – Ty Segall’s de-facto metal band put out a second release much better than their first, a somewhat fierce garage strike that…..okay it doesn’t sound a whole lot different than his other bands, just rougher production and quicker songs. But it’s loud and chaotic, and to be honest it rules.

#48. Mount Eerie – “Now Only” – I usually only have time to give albums one spin, but in the case of Mount Eerie, I can usually only *handle* one spin. This is an extension of his brutally honest 2017 release “A Crow Looked at Me,” which, if you don’t know the story behind it, please look it up. He doesn’t keep this album entirely acoustic, and he is healing, but it’s still a helluva gutpunch.

#47. High On Fire – “Electric Messiah” – Matt Pike had a busy year (see #12), with an excellent release from his more prolific band (a low bar to meet). The amazingly high-energy title track is a nod to Motorhead, but across the album is a more varying collection of thrash and doom metal, resulting in one of their most collective albums yet.

#46. MGMT – “Little Dark Age” – We all figured MGMT were done! Their first good album since their 2007 debut (and only fourth overall) is a simple, electro-pop album with some predictably dark elements. They’ve ditched the ambitions that fueled the first album and derailed the second in favor of simple but effective rhythms and consistently fitting vocals.

#45. Beach House – “7”- Beach House spend parts of their seventh album sticking their feet into shoegaze, which is a logical and welcome progression for the long-running dream-pop band. This release is a lot more eclectic and dark than previous albums, but still has the barebones repetition and fuzz-glaze that is trademark Beach House.

#44. Christine and the Queens – “Chris” – This is a powerful pop record, less Britney and more Kate Bush. The French singer incorporates some cultural music into some deep songs about personal identity and trauma that are relatable to many, often unfortunately. Still, there’s some fun to be had among the album’s poppier jams.

#43. Paul Simon – “In the Blue Light” – No new songs here, just a wonderful collection of lowkey, jazz reworkings of some of his older songs. The album is largely devoid of hits, with Simon clearly not gunning for a cash grab. Instead, it feels like he’s tying up some ideas that were never tied up when the songs were originally released. This is the quintessential rainy Sunday morning album.

#42. Pistol Annies – “Interstate Gospel” – The country supergroup of Miranda Lambert, Ashley Monroe and Angaleena Presley set a high bar for themselves simply by joining forces, but their third album combines all their respective ambitions into a solid set of country tunes devoted to love and lovers lost (but mostly the latter).

#41. Big Ups – “Two Parts Together” – Unfortunately, Big Ups are staring down a hiatus for personal growth. But what a way to leave us – with a constantly changing and evolving post-hardcore record that gives equal time to patient transitions as it does booming guitar tracks. It’s a cohesive record that showcases a band at their best, but also at their tired end. I happened to catch their penultimate show, RIP Big Ups.

#40. Anderson .Paak – “Oxnard” – Anderson is an extraordinary musician, rarely do you see an R&B singer who can sing so smoothly while also banging out some sick drums for himself. He does both on the album (albeit drums only occasionally), and he’s visited by legends from Q-Tip to Kendrick Lamar to Busta Rhymes. The album is a great time overall. While not as good as the predecessor, .Paak has nothing to prove and just has a great time in the studio, so why shouldn’t we?

#39. The Boxer Rebellion – “Ghost Alive” – The Boxer Rebellion have always had a limited maximum volume, so the fully acoustic release “Ghost Alive” is a natural progression of that. But this isn’t a downtrodden set. Many of these songs are pretty orchestrations, coupled with songs like leadoff track and lead single “What the Fuck,” a song that sets the tone for the album’s honest tone.

#38. The Damned – “Evil Spirits” – To be honest, I didn’t know the Damned were still around until a got a Facebook notification about an upcoming show (which absolutely *rocked*). Not only is this album good, it’s a great late addition to their stellar catalog. They don’t try to match the energy they still bring live, but rather deliver complex and complementary songs with rhythmic choruses and traditionally gothic and political lyrics.

#37. Hot Snakes – “Jericho Sirens”- This was a surprise and jubilant return for Hot Snakes, who delivered another record of quick and heavy (but not punishingly so) punk. There’s nothing revolutionary happening here, but the return to form for the long dormant band is a win in itself.

#36. Troye Sivan – “Bloom” – Troye Sivan spends this album sounding less like he cares about the production and the potential for radio hits and more about enthusiastically delivering these messages of love and hope. The fact that it has such slick production and radio hits seems like a nice bonus. Look no further than “The Good Side,” (below), a catchy song but one that features a dreamy, instrumental coda that isn’t exactly fit for pop radio.

#35. SOPHIE – “Oil of Every Pearl’s Un-Insides” – This is a beautiful and anthemic pop record, and you shouldn’t let the avant-garde production convince you otherwise. This album touches on very important topics but it does so in a way that is so futuristic-ly inconceivable that it sounds like a an album Janelle Monae may have accidentally transported back to us from 2040.

#34. Blood Orange – “Negro Swan” – Dev Hynes is a shortlist candidate for most talented current musician, IMO, and “Negro Swan” is only a plus in his book. Though I don’t think he hit quite the diverse and political peak he got with “Freetown Sound,” “Negro Swan” is a strong and affecting collection of hope and trauma. Also, let’s just say this, I’m not the primary audience for this, he’s not making music for me, so the fact that I can glean appreciation of the situations never meant to be relatable to me is a testament to Hynes.

#33. illuminati hotties – “Kiss Yr Frenemies” – One of the best up and coming garage rock acts is the solo project of Sarah Tudzin, whose debut album is a purely delightful and fuzzy collection of tracks that sound well-worn. These are simply catchy rhythms captured with just enough guitar fuzz to really pull in the DIY feel that it deserves.

#32. Body/Head – “The Switch” – This is far from everyone’s cup of tea – in fact when I saw Body/Head this year in Allston, the 240 capacity venue was far from sold out. But the avant-garde guitar duo of Bill Nace and Kim Gordon – yes – have put out another set of patient but extremely loud, feedback-based guitar tracks. For anyone interested in the instrument itself, this is a sheer exercise in power. For people that like things like song structure and rhythm et al, less so. Also: see them live. My word.

#31. Superchunk – “What a Time to be Alive” – Oh believe me, the title is ironic. Political music kind of needed Superchunk and, after listening to this album, I think they kinda needed to fill the void. Some of their most directly punk-influenced music in years is fitting in what ended up being one of the only major political releases of the year. No new wheels here, but Superchunk still invoke the primal energy of their long-gone youthful days.

#30. Ariana Grande – “Sweetener” – Ariana is at the top of the world right now, and only because she demanded it so. I have nothing but respect for her for how she presents herself on “Sweetener” given the 18 months she’s had, and the fact that she’s already prepping a new release shows the true artistry in being able to reflect on her personal experiences – in the world’s public eye – in real time. But the fact that she not only got back into the studio but produced an album with many songs of optimism, even pop bangers? This is an album of sheer courage. One of my favorite songs of the year:

#29. Courtney Barnett – “Tell Me How You Really Feel” – Barnett ups the anger and the volume across much of her third solo album (which also complements the wonderfully lackadaisical duet album she did with Kurt Vile last year). While she rarely provides the unique vocal rhythms that made her first two albums such blessings, she still delivers a number of excellent guitar songs appropriate for any mood or volume.

#28. Snail Mail – “Lush” – Is it just me or are there a ton of teenagers running the music world right now? Between Soundcloud rap and the indie scene, the generation behind mine (gulp) is dominating, but few sound as weathered as Snail Mail across her debut album. “Lush” is full of muted but complete and poetic tales of love lost and deep despair, well beyond the years of most people at any age.

#27. Various Artists – “Music From or Inspired by Black Panther” – Could Kendrick Lamar follow-up his Pulitzer win (!!!!) with an Oscar win? It’s entirely possible, as this soundtrack serves as a creative victory lap for the current greatest act in music. While the concept of a soundtrack limits him in creativity, he still brings in tons of guest stars and creates a truly fun and wild ride, even on the songs he acts only as curator on.

#26-25. cupcaKke – “Ephorize” and “Eden” – cupcakKe is the chaotic good boost that is always needed, and her two equally great contributions in 2018 only cement her as one of the most thrilling, talented and downright entertaining acts working today. She’s incredibly – incredibly – profane, but only when she wants to be. “Ephorize” is anchored by a song called “Spoiled Milk Titties,” but the album’s best song is a clean track about cartoons. Her clean songs may go underappreciated amidst her sex boasts, but the combinations lead to surprisingly cohesive albums. Never stop, please.

#24. Travis Scott – “ASTROWORLD” – I was never aboard the Scott train before this album so apologies if this revelation is old news, but I didn’t know I needed prog-rap until this album. Scott’s total disregard for song structure is an absolute blessing, and it stands as something wholly necessary and unique. Not to mention, he bleeds confidence across the whole album, and he should, because he’s mastering this niche he’s carved out.

#23. Cardi B – “Invasion Of Privacy” – Cardi’s deeply problematic qualities aside, she’s a damn good rapper. Like she’s really good at this. This album could’ve been just throwaways to put alongside “Bodak Yellow,” but instead it’s twelve other tracks that are just as good. It’s like she threw a dart at the tracklist to see what would be the single. Her 90’s throwback spitfire vocals aid her brutal one-liners. This is just an uncompromising, but fun debut.

#22. The Dirty Nil – “Master Volume” – If someone tells you rock is dead, or punk is dead, point them to this album. This is good ol’ fashioned rock and roll with punk energy, and man do they do it well. I caught this group open for Against Me! in fall 2017 and made sure I checked them out further. Unlike most punk albums, this album actually ends spectacularly well – the last three tracks are my favorites of the whole album.

#21. Soccer Mommy – “Clean” – Like Snail Mail before, Soccer Mommy’s lowkey indie love and breakup anthems feel much louder than the volume allows. “I don’t wanna be your fucking dog,” she proclaims at the top of “Your Dog” (sorry, Iggy Pop). “Clean” isn’t here to play, even if the songs themselves sound warming and inclusive. Another great release from a seeming army of guitar-baring women conquering indie.

#20. boygenius – “boygenius” – Sometimes supergroups collapse under their weight, and sometimes they come out as boygenius. The heavenly pairing of Julien Baker, Lucy Dacus and Phoebe Bridgers basically did exactly what people expected, which to say release a stunningly deep EP of six songs that feel cathartic and necessary.

#19. Foxing – “Nearer My God” – This album went sadly overlooked in 2018, because it’s filled with tracks that have precise and unpredictable structures, songs that constantly build and build to uncomfortable climaxes, and just about anything else you wouldn’t expect from such a band. This is an album for fans who appreciate music as a structure, not music as a sound.

#18. Yves Tumor – “Safe in the Hands of Love” – This is an uncomfortable album, in its abrasiveness. Electronic aural assaults are split among songs that sound like they could teeter on pop hits if it wasn’t for extra additives like background noise and abrupt key changes. More concisely, this is one of the best electronic albums of the year, one that challenges the ears but also challenges the listener to keep going. And you should, because the final track is the most intense and one of my favorites on the year.

#17. Kacey Musgraves – “Golden Hour” – Earlier in the year, someone on Twitter bemoaned that Musgraves wasn’t getting played on country radio. But she dismissed it, and she was right to – as much as this album has some traditional country songs, it also has some dance songs, so if anyone is looking for the proper midpoint between them, it won’t be found on traditional country radio. Her vocals dominate the whole album, for sure, but the album’s transitional mood of slow country into disco-pop is so weird and wonderful that you can’t hate any of it, unless you don’t like good moods.

#16. Nine Inch Nails – “Bad Witch” – This album created some *controversy* based on its length (read: purists being upset about purity things). Sure, it’s an album. It’s short (30 minutes dead), but the whole thing feels like a cohesive thought. Breakbeats are a bit of a new thing for Reznor, if not entirely outdated, but he uses them well across this album. As he does saxophone and instrumental tunes in general. This short album cuts the bloated qualities of most NIN releases and – don’t look now – results in arguably his best album since “The Downward Spiral.” Don’t @ me.

#15. Mitski – “Be the Cowboy” – Don’t let the ‘low’ rating here fool you, this album made me bawl like the little baby I am. Mitski’s grasp of power came with multiple admissions and denials of guilt across a simple but heart-spewing album. Mitski is one of the best pure musicians working today, and her anthems will fuel heartbreak for years to come.

#14. Parquet Courts – “Wide Awake” – One of the country’s best bands delivered again with a collection of songs that encompass mood over genre. The band’s garage-punk roots are present on the album, but they’re mixed with songs that incorporate elements from folk and even New Orleans jazz. As always, the lyrics are biting, but they bite off a bigger piece here, tackling larger political and social issues than the band is used to. They mostly succeed, taking on both those against the woke and the “woke” folks who do nothing but pat themselves on the back. It’s a crucial album for our time.

#13. Kate Nash – “Yesterday Was Forever” – It’s a great idea, IMO, to open your album with the screeching lyrics of “What’s wrong with me / Am I a person yet?” This moodiness and identity crisis sets the tone for the whole album, a blast of pop-rock that’s suffering from a constant millennial crisis of self-worth. Nash’s whole album is guitar-fuzz-pop beauty, supplemented by lyrics about lacking self-confidence and toxic relationships. Pretty songs may be interspersed with screechy vocals, or they may not, only the track decides. It’s a ride and, if it’s a relatable one for you, then a difficult one.

#12. Sleep – “The Sciences” – Honestly what else did we expect from the year 2018 than a surprise Sleep album on 4/20. Their first album in (arguably) fifteen years is a sheer exercise in severity, a collection of songs that absolutely pummels the listener, but never in the way that their previous, one-song album does. There’s almost a tongue-in-cheek quality to this album, but one that goes away immediately when you realize they’re singing about some serious issues (and, well, Geezer Butler). Sleep demands patience, and if you give it, then they’ll reward with one of the year’s best metal albums.

#11. Janelle Monáe – “Dirty Computer” – Easily the most seductive and best R&B album of the year also featured multiple instances of Monáe’s improved rap skills. This album helped to re-identify her personae as a queer woman, solidifying that she is in fact a human and not a robot. Although she used her previous personae to mask her sexuality, she’s decided to let it out full force on “Dirty Computer.” We should be glad she did, Monáe is easily one of the best songwriters and performers in the business today, and her unflinching attitude towards the higher-ups in the industry only signify great things to come.

#10. Iron Reagan – “Dark Days Ahead” – I usually abstain from putting EP’s on these lists, since the limited offering can be a bit of an unfair advantage. This one feels especially unfair, as the total runtime is only 7:51 (shorter than three of the six songs on Sleep’s album). But this band has hit their absolute peak of blistering hardcore political punk. And though they’ve often been blunt and satirical, the final track “Watch You Die” is pretty genuinely emotional for a song with a 1:08 runtime.

#9. Thee Oh Sees – “Smote Reverser” – I discovered this band a number of years ago and liked some of their blunter guitar songs, but never got too into them – until I saw them live this year. They had a callous-inducing set at Boston Calling that was better than St. Vincent, my favorite live artist. It also helps that the band, which started as a lo-fi project 19 albums ago, has slowly transitioned into metal-infused garage rock. Sludgy and prog elements are infused in the longer tracks, but it’s the quicker guitar bursts that really drive the album.

#8. Robyn – “Honey” – This album doesn’t waste any time with the opener “Missing U,” a heartbreak ode that actually makes the listener feel sympathetic rather than empathetic. After that, it’s all classic Robyn – pop songs of love and loss that don’t exactly break any ground, but are presented with the pure fearlessness of Robyn. On her first album in eight years, she sings like she has nothing to lose. With many fans remaining by her side patiently, she actually didn’t have much to gain – but you wouldn’t guess it.

#7. Fucked Up – “Dose Your Dreams” – In a different year this album may have gotten the reception that “David Comes To Life” did in 2011; unfortunately it got shuffled under the other amazing releases. But the experimental hardcore band proved that “Glass Boys” aside, they can still deliver a classic. This album, much like “David,” is extremely long and conceptual, as well as both eardrum-burstingly loud yet musically diverse. The album has 18 tracks and nearly every one feels individual from each other one. Apologies to Titus Andronicus, but Fucked Up are the best concept record makers of today.

#6. Birds In Row – “We Already Lost the World” – Though this hardcore/punk band aren’t exactly veterans, they sure sound like it on their second album. The album has an urgency reserved for regular hardcore, but with timed, patient moments to catch your breath. Mix that in with some topically observational lyrics and the whole package is a spectacularly well-rounded affair that isn’t quite as depressing as the title suggests, but still packs a lot menacing punches in a 34 minute frame.

#5. Neko Case – “Hell-On” – Someone referred to Case as this generation’s Dylan, and in a way I agree – a consistently impressive folk lyricist, who can both take on dark, complicated issues with meandering or brooding songs, and pump out songs closer to traditional folk that still stand above those of contemporaries. And Case can hold these views for many albums. Her seventh album covers these bases and what lies between, a mix of emotions and topics, but all with the same intimacy and vulnerability. One of my favorite songs of the year:

#4. Ty Segall – “Freedom’s Goblin” – I sat on this album for a bit, because of the runtime. Segall is a garage rocker at heart, so a 74 minute runtime is a but surprising. But nothing can be cut from this behemoth, all 19 tracks add at least something to the album. The album’s best song is actually a Hot Chocolate cover (below), but the original ones certainly hold their own. It’s tough to narrow down some favs from this one, as the album delivers mostly fuzzy guitar attacks, with a few well-placed (and well-written) acoustic numbers too. For what it’s worth, this was Segall’s first of six (!) releases in 2018 (including GØGGS at #49)

#3. JPEGMAFIA – “Veteran” – The album title here serves double duty – Peggy sounds like a noise-rap veteran in the truest sense, and actually is a veteran, which influences the politics present here too. To keep in mind – this is not an album for everyone. At times it straddles conventional rap, but it often diverges into incredibly abrasive, and/or avant garde territory. On “Whole Foods,” he raps over a beat that sounds like a motorcycle engine. Human voices are often repeated as the beat as well. And his lyrics are very direct and tongue-in-cheek throughout. The song “My Thoughts on Neogaf Dying” consists almost entirely of the line “I don’t care.” Elsewhere, he namechecks everyone from Kanye to Mick Foley, all while subverting just about every rap cliche in the book.

#2. Daughters – “You Won’t Get What You Want” – Another album title that pulls a heavy duty, albeit not a double meaning – this is a new Daughters. They got their start in grindcore, but all these years later (and eight years removed from their last album), they’ve re-emerged as an entirely new force. While grindcore can be startling, the feeling leaves immediately. This is an album of terror, some of the most skin-crawling songs recorded in a while. “City Song” starts with a soft but pounding synth and snare hits made to sound like gunshots; it ends with the album’s loudest dissonant synth rhythm and a man’s bloody screams made into a rhythm. Sets the tone! The album never really lets up in its tonal exploration, challenging the listener on nearly every song, like a game that no one will win. Again – not for everyone. Though not my fav, I talked a lot about it so “City Song” is below.

#1. IDLES – “Joy as an Act of Resistance.” – Almost any other year and the night sweat of Daughters would’ve made #1, but IDLES released an album that speaks to me to my core. It’s not really hardcore punk, but it does have an edge, especially in opener “Colossus.” Everything about this album works. I have fallen in love with all twelve songs. I appreciate any album that has both the lyrics “For a long old while I’ve known I’m scum” and “badda badda bing, i’m the king.” My two moods! Joe Talbot’s vocals are uniquely fit for this band, and they really dominate the whole album. This helps further the lyrics, which cover a wide range of topics from toxic masculinity to immigration to being a leftist to (unfortunately) a stillborn birth to, uh, why you should never fight a man with a perm. This album is just a whole, completely-rounded listen that weaves through emotions and topics with the flow of a concept record but absolutely isn’t – just a sheer punk whirlwind where you can hear and appreciate the patience put into every single song. Damn. Here’s “Samaritans”

Sorry this took so long! It’s already midway into January so I’m not doing a songs one, no one reads this anyways, have a good year! Gonna actually post this year, I hope.