2018 end of year lists

Been listening to the Mitski album for a while, very good though a bit surprised it's done as well as it has poll wise. Speaking of which, Pitchfork top 50:

50: SOB x RBE – Gangin
49: Georgia Anne Muldrow – Overload
48: Kamasi Washington – Heaven and Earth
47: Skee Mask – Compro
46: Blood Orange – Negro Swan
45: Cat Power – Wanderer
44: Camp Cope – How to Socialise & Make Friends
43: Sleep – The Sciences
42: Adrianne Lenker – abysskiss
41: Ty Dolla $ign / Jeremih – MihTy
40: Iceage – Beyondless
39: The Internet – Hive Mind
38: Kali Uchis – Isolation
37: JPEGMAFIA – Veteran
36: Rico Nasty – Nasty
35: A.A.L (Against All Logic) – 2012-2017
34: Neneh Cherry – Broken Politics
33: Sheck Wes – MUDBOY
32: Let’s Eat Grandma – I’m All Ears
31: Arctic Monkeys – Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino
30: Christine and the Queens – Chris
29: boygenius – boygenius EP
28: Deafheaven – Ordinary Corrupt Human Love
27: Soccer Mommy – Clean
26: Vince Staples – FM!
25: Playboi Carti – Die Lit
24: Julia Holter – Aviary
23: Travis Scott – Astroworld
22: U.S. Girls – In a Poem Unlimited
21: The 1975 – A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships
20: Beach House – 7
19: Cardi B – Invasion of Privacy
18: SOPHIE – OIL OF EVERY PEARL’s UN-INSIDES
17: Pusha-T – Daytona
16: Jon Hopkins – Singularity
15: Noname – Room 25
14: Amen Dunes – Freedom
13: Tirzah – Devotion
12: CupcakKe – Ephorize
11: Ariana Grande – Sweetener
10: Yves Tumor – Safe in the Hands of Love
9: Tierra Whack – Whack World
8: Low – Double Negative
7: Earl Sweatshirt – Some Rap Songs
6: Rosalía – El mal querer
5: Snail Mail – Lush
4: Robyn – Honey
3: DJ Koze – Knock Knock
2: Kacey Musgraves – Golden Hour
1: Mitski – Be the Cowboy

NME have managed to find time to tear themselves away from Orange Is the New Black or Doctor Who or whatever it is they focus on these days to come up with a top 100. The top 3 may result in a Mahoney meltdown so stand back everyone:

100. Interpol – ‘Marauder’
99. Natalie Prass – ‘The Future and The Past’
98. Rae Morris – ‘Someone Out There’
97. Peace – ‘Kindness Is The New Rock And Roll’
96. Genghar – ‘Where Wildness Grows’
95. Hovvdy – ‘Cranberry’
94. Rosalía – ‘El Mal Querer’
93. Vinyl Williams – ‘Opal’
92. Kamasi Washington – ‘Heaven & Earth’
91. The Carters – ‘Everything Is Love’
90. Anderson .Paak – ‘Oxnard’
89. Vein – ‘Errorzone’
88. Lykke Li – ‘So Sad, So Sexy’
87. Blossoms – ‘Cool Like You’
86. Eminem – ‘Kamikaze’
85. Leon Vynehall – ‘Nothing Is Still’
84. Florence + the Machine – ‘High As Hope’
83. Nakhane – ‘You Will Not Die’
82. Goat Girl – ‘Goat Girl’
81. Jay Rock – ‘Redemption’
80. Noname – ‘Room 25’
79. Octavian – ‘Spaceman’
78. Ghetts – ‘Ghetto Gospel (The New Testament)’
77. Iceage – ‘Beyondless’
76. Greta Van Fleet – ‘Anthem Of The Peaceful Army’
75. U.S. Girls – ‘In A Poem Unlimited’
74. Nine Inch Nails – ‘Bad Witch’
73. The Good The Bad The Queen – ‘Merrie Land’
72. The Garden – ‘Mirror Might Steal Your Charm’
71. Superorganism – ‘Superorganism’
70. Muse – ‘Simulation Theory’
69. Manic Street Preachers – ‘Resistance Is Futile’
68. Jpegmafia – ‘Veteran’
67. Let’s Eat Grandma – ‘I’m All Ears’
66. The Breeders – ‘All Nerve’
65. Kacey Musgraves – ‘Golden Hour’
64. Connan Mockasin – ‘Jassbusters’
63. Courtney Barnett – ‘Tell Me How You Really Feel’
62. Lil Peep – ‘Come Over When You’re Sober Pt II’
61. Agar Agar – ‘The Dog & The Future’
60. Architects – ‘Holy Hell’
59. Earl Sweatshirt – ‘SRS’
58. Kurt Vile – ‘Bottle It In’
57. Viagra Boys – ‘Street Worms’
56. Fucked Up – ‘Dose Your Dreams’
55. Mastersystem – ‘Dance Music’
54. Confidence Man – ‘Confident Music For Confident People’
53. Pale Waves – ‘My Mind Makes Noises’
52. Maribou State – ‘Kingdoms In Colour’
51. Ross From Friends – ‘Family Portrait’
50. Jack White – ‘Boarding House Reach’
49. Rejjie Snow – ‘Dear Annie’
48. The Prodigy – ‘No Tourists’
47. Gorillaz – ‘The Now Now’
46. Father John Misty – ‘God’s Favourite Customer’
45. The Story So Far – ‘Proper Dose’
44. David Byrne – ‘American Utopia’
43. Unknown Mortal Orchestra – ‘Sex & Food’
42. Tom Misch – ‘Geography’
41. Tirzah – ‘Devotion’
40. Spiritualized – ‘And Nothing Hurt’
39. Soccer Mommy – ‘Clean’
38. Mac Miller – ‘Swimming’
37. Parcels – ‘Parcels’
36. Janelle Monáe – ‘Dirty Computer’
35. Turnstile – ‘Time and Space’
34. Kanye West – ‘ye’
33. Years & Years – ‘Palo Santo’
32. J. Cole – ‘KOD’
31. Amen Dunes – ‘Freedom’
30. Vince Staples – ‘FM!’
29. Troye Sivan – ‘Bloom’
28. Ezra Furman – ‘Transangelic Exodus’
27. Jon Hopkins – ‘Singularity’
26. Matt Maltese – ‘Bad Contestant’
25. Tommy Cash – ‘¥€$’
24. Young Fathers – ‘Cocoa Sugar’
23. SOPHIE – ‘Oil of Every Pearl’s Un-Insides’
22. Deafheaven – ‘Ordinary Corrupt Human Love’
21. Ariana Grande – ‘Sweetener’
20. Slaves – ‘Acts of Fear & Love’
19. Travis Scott – ‘Astroworld’
18. Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever – ‘Hope Downs’
17. Parquet Courts – ‘Wide Awake!’
16. BROCKHAMPTON – ‘Iridescence’
15. Kids See Ghosts – ‘Kids See Ghosts’
14. Snail Mail – ‘Lush’
13. Dream Wife – ‘Dream Wife’
12. Blood Orange – ‘Negro Swan’
11. Robyn – ‘Honey’
10. Christine and the Queens – ‘Chris’
9. Mitski – ‘Be the Cowboy’
8. Cardi B – ‘Invasion of Privacy’
7. Kali Uchis – ‘Isolation’
6. Shame – ‘Songs of Praise’
5. Pusha T – ‘Daytona’
4. Sunflower Bean – ‘Twentytwo In Blue’
3. IDLES – ‘Joy As An Act Of Resistance’
2. Arctic Monkeys – ‘Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino’
1. The 1975 – ‘A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships’

But still, my writeups for my top 40 are complete!

Rolling Stone’s 50 Best Albums of 2018:

50. Cupcakke, ‘Ephorize’
49. Esperanza Spalding, ’12 Little Spells’
48. The Carters, ‘Everything Is Love’
47. Father John Misty, ‘God’s Favorite Customer’
46. Sleep, ‘The Sciences’
45. Robyn, ‘Honey’
44. Jeff Tweedy, ‘Warm’
43. Lil Wayne, ‘Tha Carter V’
42. Ashley McBryde, ‘Girl Going Nowhere’
41. Amanda Shires, ‘To the Sunset’
40. Parquet Courts, ‘Wide Awake’
39. Nine Inch Nails, ‘Bad Witch’
38. Eric Church, ‘Desperate Man’
37. Tierra Whack, ‘Whack World’
36. Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks, ‘Sparkle Hard’
35. Elvis Costello, ‘Look Now’
34. Courtney Barnett, ‘Tell Me How You Really Feel’
33. Neko Case, ‘Hell-On’
32. David Byrne, ‘American Utopia’
31. Rosalía, ‘El Mar Querer’
30. Free Cake for Every Creature, ‘The Bluest Star’
29. Superchunk, ‘What a Time to Be Alive’
28. Florence and the Machine, ‘High as Hope’
27. Noname, ‘Room 25’
26. Snail Mail, ‘Lush’
25. Rae Sremmurd, ‘SR3MM’
24. Kali Uchis, ‘Isolation’
23. U.S. Girls, ‘In a Poem Unlimited’
22. John Prine, ‘The Tree of Forgiveness’
21. Beach House, ‘7’
20. The Beths, ‘Future Me Hates Me’
19. Hop Along, ‘Bark Your Head Off Dog’
18. Vince Staples, ‘FM!’
17. Lucy Dacus, ‘Historian’
16. Soccer Mommy, ‘Clean’
15. J Balvin, ‘Vibras’
14. Mitski, ‘Be the Cowboy’
13. Janelle Monae, ‘Dirty Computer’
12. Brandi Carlile, ‘By The Way, I Forgive You’
11. Paul McCartney, ‘Egypt Station’
10. Drake, ‘Scorpion’
9. Kurt Vile, ‘Bottle It In’
8. Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper, ‘A Star Is Born Soundtrack’
7. Pusha T, ‘Daytona’
6. Travis Scott, ‘Astroworld’
5. Ariana Grande, ‘Sweetener’
4. Pistol Annies, ‘Interstate Gospel’
3. Camila Cabello, ‘Camila’
2. Kacey Musgraves, ‘Golden Hour’
1. Cardi B, ‘Invasion of Privacy’

11. Paul McCartney, ‘Egypt Station’


Christ, even *I* didn't put it that high.

Q magazine's list will be out on Tuesday so might post that one but won't do anymore since we're into list territory now. Will be posting my list either tomorrow or Monday, just to give myself a target.

I won't be posting mine before Christmas tbh

2018 a Year in Review


Top Ten Gigs of 2018

I cut down massively on my gig going in 2018. Partly due to finances - we bought a house and have a 2nd kid on the way and that all takes its toll on the wallet. Also we moved out of Norwich city centre to a nearby town so actually getting to gigs takes more effort now than a 5 minute walk. I still managed to see some great performances though and here are 10 of the best...

1,Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds @ All Points East
2,Liam Gallagher @ Latitude
3,The Breeders @ Latitude
4,Courtney Barnett @ All Points East
5,Mogwai @ Latitude
6,Nadine Shah @ All Points East
7,Kasabian @ Thetford Forest
8,Baxter Dury @ Norwich Arts Centre
9,Durand Jones and the Indications @ Latitude
10,Paws @ Norwich Waterfront

Top 10 Old Albums Discovered in 2018

1,Joe Gibbs and the Professionals - African Dub All Mighty Chapter 3 (1978)
2,Harold Alexander - Sunshine Man (1971)
3,Joni Mitchell - Hejira (1976)
4,Joe Henderson - Multiple (1973)
5,Sonny Clark - Cool Struttin' (1958)
6,Bridget St John - Songs for the Gentle Man (1971)
7,Lee Scratch Perry and Friends - Open the Gate (1989)
8,Liz Phair - Exile in Guyville (1993)
9,Big Bill Broonzy - Big Bill Broonzy Sings Folk Songs (1962)
10,Kate Bush - Never for Ever (1980)

Top 5 EPs of 2018

1,Sleaford Mods - Sleaford Mods
2,Aphex Twin - Collapse EP
3,Haley Heynderickx and Max Garcia Conover - Among Horses III
4,Ride – Tomorrow's Shore
5,Spielbergs - Distant Star EP


Albums of 2018

I was a bit concerned at the start of the year as there wasn't too many big hitters or my favourite acts that were due to have albums out in 2018. Predictably it's turned out to be not too bad in the end. In fact several of my big hitters did release good stuff this year that hasn't made my top 40 - Spiritualized, Gruff Rhys, Cloud Nothings, Stephen Malkmus and Low amongst others. It's been a great opportunity for some different names to appear high up in my list and 2018 has made me dig a bit deeper to find albums I love. In fact 6 of my top 10 are acts I'd never even heard of at the start of the year. Here's 40 of my favourites...


40, Let's Eat Grandma - I'm all Ears

Norwich's finest export since Bearsuit and Magoo. This is a big step up for them and it's great to see a bit of a breakthrough into the mainstream with things like the Q best album award. Sophisticated alt-pop with great hooks.


39, Kathryn Joseph - From When I Wake the Want is

It's taken me a while to get into Kathryn Joseph and I'd slept on her debut for way too long. I think I might have been getting her muddled up with Kathryn Williams or something and thought she was a lot more bland than this. This album has a real ethereal, magical feel to it and the vocals are really captivating. It's slightly samey in terms of the music though with most tracks featuring just fairly minimalistic piano. Over the course of a whole album this starts to lose its impact and is why this album doesn't place any higher. I do feel she has the capability of making a really special album one day though.


38, Our Girl - Stranger Today

Every year without fail I have a few debut albums on my list by new bands who sound like they could have been released in the mid 90s. Welcome to my first from 2018! I definitley prefer this to the frontwoman's other band The Big Moon and this reminds me of recent bands like Honeyblood who seem to share similar influences. Good shit.


37, Guided by Voices - Space Gun

It wouldn't be an end of the year list without at least one entry from Robert Pollard. I actually think he's been pretty consistent with the last few releases under the Guided by Voices name with last years' August by Cake being one of my favourite Pollard albums in a very long time. This continues that excellent form with a slightly bigger production sound than normal but a similar run of excellent songs.


36, Sundays and Cybele - On the Grass

Japanese psych with plenty of 60s vibes. Starts slow but when this gets going it heads off in some excellent places with a bit of a Pink Floyd vibe. SPOILER this might be the first Japanese album on my list but isn't the last this year. Had a bit of a Japanese phase in 2018.



35, Kurt Vile - Bottle it In

B'lieve I'm goin down... and the Courtney Barney collab were both slight disappointments for me so I must admit I wasn't as pumped for this as I would have been a few years ago. This is a return to form though and up their with the best of his work released at the beginning of the decade. If I'm honest, it could probably do with being trimmed down slightly as 80mins can feel like a bit of a slog if not in the right mood but the tunes remain consistently good throughout.


34, Paul Weller - True Meanings

This was a real grower. Initially I liked it but thought it was a bit samey for a whole album but with repeated listens the quality of songwriting had really started to shine through. It's nice to hear him doing a more folky sound like this and tunes such as Aspects are up there with the very best of his solo work.


33, Apathy - The Widow's Son

Not a classic year for hip hop but this was a real highlight. The list of collaborators is like a who's who of my favourite hip hop artists including Pete Rock, MOP, DJ Premier and Pharoah Monch and their quality really rubs off. Apathy sounds better than ever and the album flies by. Pretty fly for a white guy.


32, Idris Ackamoor and the Pyramids - An Angel Fell

A worthy follow up to the excellent We Be All Africans. The afrobeat vibes are lesser here and it goes for a more straight up spiritual jazz feel and it works. I particularly like the tracks that have a bit of a dub reggae feel.



31, The Brian Jonestown Massacre - Something Else

Pleasantly surprised by this. It seems to have gone fairly under the radar but for me it's their best album in about 15 years. The songs seem more focused than they have done in a long time and this is a consistently good album. Doesn't break the mould but does see them making a huge return to form.



30, David Nance Group - Peace and Slightly Pulverized

It turns out David Nance has been around for a while but this was my first time coming across him and I was instantly hooked by this album. It has that slight War on Drugs/Neil Young vibe going on and he's certainly not afraid of a guitar solo. I need to check out his earlier stuff as this was a real standout.


29, Amen Dunes - Freedom

Feels like this has been around for ages now. Listened to this a lot at the beginning of the year and its remained a solid favourite throughout. Definite War on Drugs vibes going on and a poppier sound than his previous work and all the better for it in my book.


28, Snail Mail - Lush

An album I was massively anticipating this year after properly loving the track Thinning from their EP the other year. The production is richer and more polished than that EP and it sounds all the better for it. Another band with more than a hint of that 90s indie sound but this also has elements of artists like Julien Baker thrown in too. This was a lot higher in my list earlier on in the year and maybe doesn't quite have the staying power I would have liked but certainly a strong debut.


27, Tropical Fuck Storm - A Laughing Death in Meatspace

I actually put off listening to this for some time due to the horrendous band name. It was a big mistake though as this is great fun. Interesting lyrics, powerful music and definite Nick Cave vibe going on at times. I need to check out The Drones properly at some point if this is anything to go by.


26, J Mascis - Elastic Days

This sounds exactly like what you'd expect from another J Mascis solo album and is all the better for that predictability. Really well written songs that start out fairly gentle and acoustic before a big trademark solo comes in towards the end. It never gets boring and neither does J's vocals which are always some of my favourite to listen to.


25, Peel Dream Magazine - Modern Meter Physic

Can't remember how I found out about this lot but I'm glad I did. Another of those new bands who sound like they're straight out of the 90s but this time it's Stereolab with a tiny bit of Super Furry Animals that are the influences. This is another great addition to the Slumberland roster and though a fairly new release, one that I've spun plenty of times already.


24, The Coral - Move Through the Dawn

Probably the most surprising entry in my top 40 for me. I've always been a fan of The Coral but found the last few releases to be slightly hit and miss and they just felt like a band on a downwards trajectory who would never again reach the heights of the first couple of albums. This album just grabbed me right from the very first listen though and has had me hooked ever since. The last album felt like them trying to be a bit psychedelic and not really achieving it but this seems to focus on the melodies and strength of the songwriting and is all the better for it. It's probably most reminiscent of the underated Roots and Echoes album and had really got me back interested in The Coral again.


23, Daniel Bachman - The Morning Star

I first got into Daniel Bachman through his collaborative releases with Ryley Walker. This album has a challenging start with an 18 minute ambient drone track as its opener and it's yet to click with me but after that things just take off in quality. There's some real beautiful John Fahey esque instrumental folk with just the right level of experimentation going on. If the opening track ever clicks with me this coud easily shoot its way up my list but for now tracks 2 to 7 carry it through to a solid 23.


22, Ben Lamar Gay - Downtown Castles Can Never Block the Sun

Another act I found out about through a Ryley Walker link (I'm a bit obsessed with him). This album just sounds so fresh to me, combining jazz, funk and indie into a cohesive sound is a pretty impressive task.


21, Ryley Walker - The Lillywhite Sessions

The whole premise of the album is a bit ridiculous. Basically Ryley Walker has admitted to being a huge Dave Matthews Band fan as a kid so has decided to cover the whole of one of their lost albums in a completely non ironic move. It's the kinda thing that could potentially be career suicide but he's somehow managed to pull it off. It's great that his label backed him to do this and some of the songs here are really strong. Obviously I've never heard the source material because Dave Matthews Band are fucking shit but Ryley could sing any old bollocks and I'd buy the vinyl. I can't believe this sounds so good really, it's a bit like me releasing an album of me covering lost tracks from Embrace's Good Will Out recording sessions or something.


20, John Hulburt - Leapfrog

John Hulburt was the guitarist in a 60s garage rock band called The Knaves. Back in the 70s he released a solo acoustic folk album on private press and it was rediscovered and reissued a couple of years ago and I've been really enjoying it. Leap Frog is a collection of similar songs in this vein that his family discovered and released this year. These tunes were apparently recorded in the 90s but sound pretty timeless to me. Really beautiful stuff.


19, Bas Jan - Yes I Jan

This completely passed me by on its release. I was only made aware of it when I heard an interview with Nadine Shah saying she felt this was one of the albums that should have been nominated for the Mercury Prize. It's essentially a Serafina Steer side project but is so much better than anything I've heard her do solo. It has that quirky female fronted post punk sound that I really love in bands like Life Without Buildings and is overflowing with ideas.


18, Vital Idles - Left Hand

I discovered these last year and became obsessed with their My Sentiments/The Garden 7". At the time there was very little about them online and no real indication of whether an album was on the cards or not. When this was announced it was a proper nice surprise and I put my pre-order for a vinyl copy in straight away. The LP doesn't quite match the quality of that early single but is still a really strong release that lived up to my high expectations and makes them serious heirs to the thrown of Glasgow's illustrious indie scene.


17, Aidan Moffat and RM Hubbert - Here Lies the Body

I love Aidan Moffat and Arab Strap but never really got RM Hubbert at all so wasn't sure what to expect from this and I guess secretly just wanted another Moffat/Bill Wells album. This was a real pleasant surprise though and for me better than the last Moffat/Wells album. RM Hubbert's guitar playing really works well with Moffat's vocals and it's nice to hear a softer more sensitive side of Moffat in his lyrics here.


16, Young Fathers - Cocoa Sugar

I never really got the hype surrounding Young Fathers before now. The other 2 albums were OK but nothing really got me overly excited. This however is fucking brilliant. In my View is definitley one of the tracks of the year and the whole album has a perfect combination of huge hooks and interesting instrumentation.


15, Bill Ryder Jones - Yawn

One of my most anticipated albums of the year. I loved West Kirby County Primary and Mither the first track released from this was incredible and got me really pumped. The whole album is really beautiful and seems to be much more influenced by the likes of Red House Painters and Low than its predecessor. Every track is extremely strong however my only criticism is as a whole album it can feel slightly samey. What worked so well for me with West Kirby... was that it had the more mellow introspective numbers but also had a few big indie pop tunes with crunching Pavement esque riffs. Those tunes are what's missing here which makes it a more mellow, slow burning listen.

14, The Wave Pictures - Look Inside Your Heart

I love The Wave Pictures. You can guarantee at least 1 new album from them every year (we had 2 this year), they're always on tour and reliably brilliant live. Their last few albums however didn't quite click with me as much as their late 00s/early 10s releases did and again I was beginning to wonder if they'd ever quite reach those heights again. This is just a brilliant album though and quite possibly with a bit more time could go on to be my favourite thing they've ever released. It sounds like they're having an excellent time recording it, the melodies are strong and the lyrical themes are as daft as always, a real pleasant surprise.


13, Kamasi Washington - Heaven and Earth

Not as mindblowing as The Epic was but this is yet again another sprawling work of near genius. Unlike The Epic I feel there's the occassional misstep here but I'll allow him that over a 2.5 hour duration when the large majority of the tracks are phenomenal.


12, The Breeders - All Nerve

I'm not sure why but I was never huge into The Breeders despite their peers from the 90s college rock scene being some of my all time favourite bands. There was something about this album from the first time I listened to it though that really grabbed me and I've really started to appreciate them more ever since. Seeing them live at Latitude certainly helped me to love this album even more and though it may seem outrageous to say so, for me this is the best thing they've ever done.


11, Parquet Courts - Wide Awake!

I've loved Parquet Courts since the debut lp and this for me is their career highlight so far. It's much the same sound as their previous work but the songs are stronger, catchier and delivered with more attitude. This album absolutely flies by and always leaves me wanting more for all the right reasons.


10, Mythic Sunship - Another Shape of Psychedelic Music

I saw the cover art for this somewhere and knew I would love the album before I'd even heard a note. Mythic Sunship are basically a group of Danish guys who look like they should be in a shit metal band but this is phenomenal. It starts out like a typical but good jazz album and then slowly the psych influences start to creep in before the album really cranks it up to become a full on jazz/psyche fusion fest with big riffs battling with some crazy sax. They released two albums this year and the other one is more straight up psych rock with none of the jazz influences. This is by far the better of the two.


9, Nathan Salsburg - Third

Another instrumental folk guitar album that represents a genre I've really gotten into in 2018. I feel a bit like I do with jazz when discussing this kind of music. I love it but ultimately I'm not knowledgeable enough about it to discuss it in any fine detail. All I can say about this is I love every second of it.


8, Ichiko Aoba - QP

A fairly recent discovery for me and one I fell in love with straight away. I've no idea what she's singing about as it's all in Japanese but this is easily the most beautiful album I've heard all year. A real heavenly voice with an ethereal sound this is always an absolutely captivating listen.


7, Kikagaku Moyo - Masana Temples

Psychedlic folk rock from Japan. This has a real organic feel to it and sucks me into its world every time I listen to it. It took a while to grow and fully get me under its spell but now it's clicked this has been hammered hard by me recently. Had great fun digging into their previous releases too.


6, Idles - Joy as an Act of Resistance

They seem extremely divisive but I definitley fall into the love them camp. I was a big fan of the debut last year and this is a worthwhile follow up. I love the fact they've broken through into the mainstream as their positivity and overall message is one we could do with a lot more of. Can't wait to finally see them live in 2019.


5, Courtney Barnett - Tell Me How You Really Feel

I've been a big fan since the early EPs and enjoyed the debut album but must admit I never expected her to follow it up with something this good. Every song is a banger, she's massively grown in confidence and almost has a swagger to her songwriting nowadays. Such a talent.


4, Sons of Kemet - Your Queen is a Reptile

A big step up from their last album. The lyrical themes and energy on display here is great and My Queen is Ada Eastman particularly is one of my favourite songs of the year. A real strong year for jazz and it was great to see them get some recognition with a Mercury nomination.


3, Haley Heynderickx - I Need to Start a Garden

Another album it feels like I've been listening to forever and one that has remained extremely high in my list all year long. I love the whole atmosphere this album creates, the guitar playing is excellent and the melodies have a real uneasiness which makes it a great nighttime headphones album.


2, Ryley Walker - Deafman Glance

I think it's pretty clear I love Ryley Walker. He's changed his sound a fair bit in recent years though, moving away from the British folk sound of his earlier albums that ripped off Bert Jansch and Nick Drake and has slowly been making music more influenced by jazz and bands from his native Chicago such as The Sea and Cake and Tortoise. I'm not going to lie, I miss the folk Ryley quite a bit, but I also fucking love the new direction he's headed in too. When this really hits the spot it's mindblowing.


1, Lonnie Holley - MITH

I'd quite enjoyed some of his earlier work but it sounded a bit like Arthur Russell to me and was fairly minimalistic. This is a completely different beast and really quite incredible. The person it reminds me of the most is Gil Scott Heron but then there's almost Louis Armstrong/Tom Waits esque vocals at time and amazing jazz freakouts. Titles such as I Woke Up in a Fucked Up America and I Snuck off the Slave Ship give a pretty good indication of the lyrical content of this politically charged album and then the final track is just one of the funkiest things I've heard all year. I feel bad for Ryley was Deafman's Glance had been sat at the top of my list ever since it was released but MITH has made an instant challenge from the second I cottoned onto this in November. After much deliberation this is the stronger, more diverse album and the best thing I've heard in 2018.

Great work JP, few things I've not heard of on that list. I gave the Lonnie Holley record a few goes earlier in the year & whilst I admired its ambition nothing really stuck with me. I'll give it another try though.

I look forward to checking out the Japanese records on your list. I really enjoyed the Sundays and Cybele record from a few years ago (I seem to remember Tucker & Titch being big fans too), though I had no idea they had another record out. As for the Jonestown... I'd not even heard of this one Insane to think how much I was obsessed with this band circa 2007. I'll give the new one a go on your recommendation, this is really last chance saloon with them as I've not loved anything he's put out for such a long time plus that type of sound is appealing to me less & less these past few years.

GIGS

I rediscovered my gig-going mojo this year. I went from 28 in 2017 which was probably my lowest ever to 40 this year. I'm enjoying going again a lot more recently & I'm hoping to hit 50 next year which will mean only telling Kevin "Sorry mate, I think I'll give this one a miss" 90 times instead of 100+ times The glory days of 99 gigs in 2005 will never be repeated, mind you when I look at the shit I saw back then I'm glad it won't be

01: Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds @ Lucca / Victoria Park (can't really separate them, nothing comes remotely close to a Bad Seeds show for me right now)
02: Sun Ra Arkestra @ The Lexington
03: Josh T. Pearson @ Islington assembly Hall
04: Jenny Lewis @ Koko
05: John Cale @ The Barbican
06: Seun Kuti and Egypt 80 @ Stanley Halls
07: Suede @ Hammersmith Apollo
08: David Byrne @ the 02
09: Amyl and The Sniffers @ the Brixton windmill
10: Eels @ Brixton Academy
11: The Go! Team @ Alexandra Palace (supporting flaming lips)
12: Terry @ The Moth Club
13: GZA @ Kentish Town Forum
14: Misty's Big Adventure @ The Barfly or whatever it's called now
15: Courtney Barnett @ Victoria Park (supporting nick cave)
16: Gaz Coombes @ The Palladium
17: Confidence Man @ The Scala
18: Gruff Rhys @ The Barbican
19: Gurr @ The Garage
20: Ride @ the ULU

OLD SHIT

So 2018 I got a nasty addiction worse that Crystal Meth. I got into Robert Pollard in a big way & decided to hear everything he's ever made. Infact, you may have all read about it in the highly successful "Daily Pollard" thread. But because of this I've not spent as long discovering older material as usual, though still found time to find a few gems. Also 2018 I got into SUEDE It's not like I'd never heard them, I think I'd heard all their early records a few times each back in the madferit days but outside a few of the smash hit singles I wasn't keen. Anyway, I decided to go see them and then hit the back catalogue hard and was pleasantly surprised, some of their B-sides are outstanding.

Jimmy Reed - I'm Jimmy Reed (1958) & Jimmy Reed - Soulin' (1967)
I'd heard the name before but it wasn't until I heard a Billy Childish EP covering his work I gave him a go. It's your typical R&B/Electric Blues, but it lands a bit harder than you'd expect for the time it was made plus the simplicity of it all is so addictive.
The Invaders - Spacing Out (1970) - Bermuda Funk band (Remember my highly successful around the world with mahoney project? No, neither do I)
Placebo - 1973 (1973) (Yeah I may love Suede now but incase you were wondering, it's not that Placebo)
The Incredible Bongo Band - The Return of The Incredible Bongo Band (1974)
Rufus Thomas - Crown Prince of Dance (1973) (I was buying a few records off a Discogs seller & saw this one, sampled 20 seconds of one song on youtube & decided to add it to the order. It wasn't cheap but I just had a good feeling & boy did it pay off. BADASS funk/soul record, got into a few of Thomas' records & man he needs to be heard more. It was also really nice receiving a record I'd taken a gamble on & hearing it on the turntable for the first time and falling in love with it.. not had that feeling for many years)
O.V. Wright - A Nickel and a Nail and Ace of Spades (1971)
Talking Heads - More Songs About Buildings and Food (1978) - Another band that finally clicked with me in 2018, again due to an upcoming live gig. Of course I'd heard Talking Heads plenty & liked a lot of their material but it just hit me in a big way this year. This record was brand new to me though & is one of my favourites of theirs)

Also shout outs to France Gall, I've been enjoying a lot of her early Ye-Ye pop records & Bobbie Gentry who had her back catalogue re-issued recently. I expected it to be middle of the road country pop... & well, it kinda it, but there's just something special in some of those recordings. Reminds me of what I love so much about a few of my favourite Lee Hazlewood records.

EP's & COMPS

I usually take the time to check out some awesome obscure soul/funk/garage comps but this year has been a complete bitch for a constant stream of new releases that I've wanted to hear that I just didn't get around to hearing anything like that this year.

Amyl and The Sniffers - Big Attraction & Giddy Up (2018)

I really wanted to add this on my albums list but it didn't feel right. It's basically a comp of their two EP's released in 2017, though barely anybody actually heard them until Damaged Goods put this out. So much trashy fun in these songs, they've been signed to Rough Trade now so will probably end up playing it safe & I'll pretend I never liked them but still, I won't ever tire of singing SOMEONE STOLE MY BUSH BIKE

Black Lips & The Khan Family - Play Safe (2018)

A charity EP they stuck out on bandcamp. 3 of the 4 songs are killer, has me hopeful for the new Black Lips record whenever that comes out.

Panthera Krause - All My Circuits Part I (2018)

The past few years I've managed to find a House record or two I've enjoyed. This year nothing made my albums list but this German EP really did it for me. I nearly included it on my albums list but it doesn't quite reach the half hour run-time which I usually make exceptions for. Still having a hard time figuring out exactly what floats my boat with house or Techno. For every half a dozen records I try only one will really grab me but I hope to find my feet with the genre & be able to understand exactly what I'm looking for in the future. All I know is what this EP contains floats my boat. 

The Number Ones - Another Side of the Number Ones (2018)

Irish power-pop, nothing new at all just 4 catchy as fuck tunes with big hooks. Shit artwork though their tunes remind me of The Exploding Hearts a little so thumbs up. 

Protomartyr - Consolation E.P. (2018)

they continue exactly where they left off with another 4 excellent tunes with Kelley Deal joining them for a couple. I wonder how long they can continue to make this same sound without eventual diminishing returns though. 

The Yearning - Take Me All Over the World

Anyone ever heard of these? Think they've been about for a few years. Twee/Chamber-pop type thing as you can probably guess from the artwork. Normally not my kinda thing but this thing had some terrific tunes

Black Thought - Streams of Thought, Vol. 1 (2018)

There were half a dozen hip-hop records I enjoyed this year but nothing that I truly loved.. also pretty much all the acclaimed stuff just didn't click with me. Infact there's zero hip hop on my end of year list which is probably a first. This was by far my favourite Hip Hop related project this year, which reminds me I've still not heard Vol. 2 which came out recently & is supposed to be even better.

Louder Than Death - Louder Than Death

lo-fi garage-punk record, 8 songs in 14 minutes. Loud, fast & nasty.. just like your mother.

Sleaford Mods - Sleaford Mods (2018)

Still not bored of them tbh. Gonna have to see them live one of these days, I'm kinda holding out for a smallish gig (if they ever do any again) as I just can't imagine seeing them in a venue the size of the roundhouse or Brixton Academy 

=RIGHT, HE WE FACKIN GO LEEK. I won't put out my 60 HONOURABLE MENTIONS as I know it winds Chrissie up so I'm gonna keep it to the essential 40. 



40: Snail Mail - Lush

I'm surprised to see this record turn up on all the big publications lists. It's the sort of 90s sounding indie-rock that I assumed wasn't very fashionable anymore.
I don't think this is anything particularly spectacular, but it fills that void that my ageing-has-been-self needs every once in a while. It's kinda jangly, very indie-poppy, just the sort of thing that I can't help but enjoy. I look forward to hearing if she can expand her sound & build on this impressive debut next time around.


39: Peach Kelli Pop - Gentle Leader

Insanely addictive twee/powerpop. Songs are sugary & fly by at such a pace that the entire record is done in 23 minutes. I'm surprised she isn't more popular than she is as she's been putting out these catchy gems for a few years now yet I never see any mention of her work anywhere. 

38: 
David Nance Group - Peaced and Slightly Pulverized

Hadn't heard of this guy before, one I found by snooping through JPs RYM (why don't all you cunts have an account?) A nice bit of crazy horse worshipping. Not everything completely works for me but the highlights on this thing are killer.

37: Frigs
- Basic Behaviour

Canadian Post-punk. The vocalist has the same kind of vocal delivery as Jehnny Beth of Savages so that is an obvious (& lazy) comparison. Though I've enjoyed this record more than both of Savages records so far.

36: Robyn
- Honey

Excellent electro-pop record, Robyn's delivered some major party tunes here. A big house influence throughout, have had a great time listening to this when out & about. Need to go back & listen to some of her older shit, I always felt she was a bit too pop for my tastes but the house elements in this really make this stand out. 

35: Forth Wanderers - Forth Wanderers

New Jersey based indie-rock record I found whilst browsing RateYourMusic. I know very little about them. This is their second record, apparently the first one had a big Emo influence, this is straight up melodic & to the point indie-rock. Does nothing to reinvent the wheel, but the songs are strong, I like the female vocals & every song pretty much delivers.

34: Hailu Mergia - Lala Belu

Ethiopian jazz record released by the "Awesome Tapes from Africa" label. Mergia is in his 70s & this is his first record in 20+ years. Very unique sounding, tackles some more traditional material but uses a funky organ and an accordion giving it a much more modern feel. The drums are loud & brash and give the record a constant driving tempo, upbeat & often hypnotic.

33: Confidence Man - Confident Music for Confident People

Stupid amounts of fun. LCD Soundsystem meets fatboy slim featuring right Said Fred performing Screamadelica. It's cheesy as fuck, yet I can't help but have a blast listening to it. Predictably listening to this in the cold spare bedroom in December doesn't feel half as sweet as it did out in the sunshine in June but still, this is big broad party music that delivers. Can see them becoming a festival smash next summer as their live shows complement the record perfectly.

32: Superorganism - Superorganism

Enjoyed the hell out of this. Like if the Flaming Lips continued to make records that sounded like Yoshimi whilst having the chaotic playfulness of the Go! Team. At 33 minutes long it perhaps could have used a few meatier sounding songs but this is one of my favourite debuts this year. Will have to catch them live at some point, hopefully next time around they'll make something even better.

31: Pill - Soft Hell

I enjoyed Pill's debut from a couple of years back but I think they've topped it this time around. If you've not heard them they are a New York Art-Punk band with female vocals that are reminiscent of Kim Gordon with very loud distorted guitars and awesome SAX freakouts. 

30: Tim Burgess - As I Was Now

Good 'ol Tim Burgess, I had zero exceptions for what appeared to be a slapped-together project of old leftovers that was being put out for record store day, but this 9 track record contains some of his best moments in years. Sure it isn't perfect, but the highlights are real killer, "Many Clouds" with its MBV sounding guitars is outstanding. & "Nik V" is like a lost New Order classic with a hint of Ariel Pink. A real mixed bag of styles & Tim pulls them off with flying colours. A lovely surprise.

29: Charles Bradley - Black Velvet

I'm still really bummed about losing Charles Bradley last year. It was such a privilege to see him perform the couple of times I saw him. I know the whole retro-sounding Soul thing isn't for everyone but man, Bradley just nailed it. It was like listening to one of the greats.. but in the 2000s. I've seen a few people criticise this release as some kind of half-arsed cash-grab but I completely disagree. Charles only got to put three records out so to be able to hear him do his thing one last time is a beautiful thing as far as I'm concerned. Sure, they had to pad out the record with an instrumental & an alternative take of an older track but there's still 8 outstanding vocal performances that we'd not heard before. Also the Menahan Street Band who he recorded these tracks with are pretty damn killer.

28: Lykke Li - So Sad So Sexy

I've had a weird relationship with this record. I loved her previous record "I Never Learn" so was a bit thrown off when she returned 4 years later with a big R&B influence. The record won me over though, excellent modern sounding production & most songs come armed with a huge chorus. I was blasting this out summertime a lot and loving it. Revisiting it in early December & it isn't quite hitting me in the same positive way, still I think there's some cracking material on here & fair play for trying something different.

27: The Cavemen - Nuke Earth

I didn't find 2018 a very exciting year for Garage-rock minus a couple of releases. I'd heard of the Cavemen before as I'd seen the singers side-project SCUMLORD a few years back and enjoyed it. This is balls to the wall garage-punk from TCOTU based New Zealanders. 13 tracks with none of them threatening to hit the three minute mark. It's trashy as hell & they pretty much cover every cliché in the book, but fuck it's a blast with wonderful song-titles such as "Chernobyl baby" & "The Night Jimmy Savile Died"

26: Matt Maltese - Bad Contestant

Saw this guy support Foxygen a year or so back & quite enjoyed it. It's sort of poncy chamber pop, mostly piano based songs fleshed out by a full band. Maltese has some interesting lyrics & the production is simple yet a perfect fit for his style. Impressive debut.

25: Idris Ackamoor ☥ The Pyramids - An Angel Fell

Sun-Ra Arkestra style Spiritual Jazz, lots of rhythmic jams with a big African influence stamped all over it with a hint of psychedelia. There's a couple of tracks that don't quite hit home for me but the longer jams are just splendid.

24: Ty Segall - Fudge Sandwich

This covers record took me by surprise. I didn't even know he was putting one out until I saw it pop up one day, so I gave it a go expecting something disposable. It's so much better than it has any right to be. Covers records usually are forgettable, especially when they take on well known artists such as Neil Young, John Lennon, Spencer Davis Group & Funkadelic but damn, this is some awesome down right, dirty, exciting and fuzzy as fuck garage-rock. It's a blast start to finish, the fuzzy guitar tone is present throughout & hearing TY thrash through the Loner & turn Isolation into what sounds like a lost T. Rex classic is just a joy. There's now way a covers LP should be this high on my list but this is some of the most exciting garage-rock I've heard in a while.

23: Paul Weller - True Meanings

It has been a fantastic past 10 years being a Weller fan. Since releasing one of his best ever records 22 Dreams he's continued to put out music constantly whilst managing to challenge himself & dip his toes into new waters with mostly excellent results. This time around Weller has gone for a stripped down song-based sound with mostly just acoustic guitars & strings with influences like Neil Young & especially Nick Drake being obvious. It's just a terrific batch of songs with Weller in a rare reflective mood. I guess this is how people would have guessed Weller would have sounded at 60, yet he still sounds on top of the game with his starting to aged voice fits the records mood perfectly. At 14 tracks all in the same style it perhaps could have used a little bit of trimming, but what a lovely record. The closing track White Horses I think is one of the best songs he's ever penned.

22: Goatman - Rhythms

A sideproject from the man from goat under the very thoughtful title of Goatman. A nice surprise as I'd heard nothing about its release. The Psychedelic-rock you'd associate with Goat is switched down a notch in favour of African rhythms. Though over the six tracks the record goes all over the place in terms of style, the highlights are the lengthier numbers where he/they/whoever the fuck plays on this LP lock into a groove & jam out with some cool fuzzy guitar & Jazz elements.

21: The Go! Team - Semicircle

The last couple of Go! Team records had their moments but never really grabbed me. This time around they've captured that chaotic melting pot of sounds that made their early records so addictive. I gotta admit I'd not heard this for a good six months until revisiting it to make this list & I'd forgotten how much I love it. So good to have them around still in 2018, they really are a complete one-off as a band & fuck I enjoyed seeing them for the first time in years during the summer. Long live the Go! Team.

20: Arp Frique - Welcome to the Colorful World of Arp Frique

Disco meets African flavoured funk via way of Niels Nieuborg, a dutch producer who has recruited musicians from around the globe to create the party record of the year. Big funky bass lines, some Caribbean & latin influences with grooves that could match Chic's heyday. One to chuck on before going out.

19: Tropical Fuck Storm - A Laughing Death in Meatspace

Side project from The Drones that doesn't actually sound very much different from their usual noise. Big sounding punk-blues meets noise rock with some really nasty nihilistic lyrics. This was one of my favourites earlier in the year, it hasn't quite had the same staying power as other records but I still think it's a monster of a record.

18: Sons of Kemet - Your Queen Is a Reptile

It has been nice to see British Jazz begin to be taken seriously again in the past couple of years. Sons of Kemet feature two members of Melt Yourself Down who I'm a huge fan of. This is a hard-hitting, almost hypnotic at times afro-jazz record with some fantastic duel-drumming. It's so energetic that it has made me feel tired after listening to it a few times.

17: Bodega - Endless Scroll

Bodega are essentially a more commercial sounding version of Parquet Courts but that's not necessarily a bad thing. 14 tracks that pretty much all deliver the goods, short spurts of shouty & quirky indie-rock/post-punk. I've had a blast listening to this one & Jack In Titanic is one of my tracks of the year.

16: Kamasi Washington - Heaven & Earth

Kamasi follows up the epic with a much shorter record.. that is still 144 minutes long Heaven & Earth plays out as a continuation of the epic, spiritual jazz at its most uplifting. I spent a week in Sweden during June and listened only to this which I feel was much more rewarding than listening to it in parts. The Epic was such a statement, to arrive with something that ambitious (& of course long) was mind-blowing. As this is more or less more of the same thing it hasn't had the same impact on me second time around, but that doesn't mean that the quality of the material is any lesser. There's a few duds scattered throughout but once again Kamasi's provided an abundance of music for the soul.
Hopefully he can release a record that's only about 80 minutes long next time around. Plus I've still not gotten around to listening to that hidden bonus disc.

15: Art Brut - Wham! Bang! Pow! Let’s Rock Out!

Art Brut (finally!) return & they sound exactly the same as they did in 2005... god bless them. Listening to this has felt like bumping into an old friend you've not seen for years. Is this one of the best records of the year? Probably not, but not many records have put a bigger smile on my face than this one. Eddie's still got the ability to write very silly & sometimes very clever lyrics that never cease to amuse me. Musically it's very basic, but it works wonders with Eddie's goofy voice. I've loved Art Brut since the very first time I heard one of their songs & I don't think I'll ever tire of them.

14: Martha Ffion - Sunday Best

Infectious indie-pop with the occasional hint of a Phil Spector influence. The record is just pure pop goodness, lovely vocals, catch melody's. Reminds me a bit of when Camera Obscura were awesome. The whole record fly's by in under half an hour. Such a shame this record got so overlooked, I've barely seen it get a mention anywhere.

13: Daniel Blumberg - Minus

Former Yuck singers melancholic debut. This turned out to be a huge surprise. I downloaded it not knowing who he was, gave it a couple of listens & it wasn't really working for me. Put it on a few weeks later & it hit me hard. It's essentially Daniel performing very drawn out introspective & often sentimental piano tunes, but what really makes it is the sparse arrangements provided by a few jazz musicians that Daniel met through Cafe OTO. The arrangements really help his songs breathe & give them a really beautifully sad & atmospheric sound scape to live in. A slow burner in the best possible way.

12: Natalie Prass - The Future and the Past

I enjoyed this around its release in June but this record has had some serious staying power with me. A really ambitious mixture of R&B & pop with the occasional dip into almost Prince like synth-pop. Hard to categorise exactly, though the sleek production really helps uniform her diverse sound. Reminds me in places of THE STYLE COUNCIL too.

11: Gruff Rhys - Babelsberg

No surprises here, pretty much any time Gruff records music it ends up high on my list. Babelsberg got a ton of positive press so I'm glad it has been successful for him. I'm not sure where it sits in his solo cannon for me personally, I love them all. Nice to see Gruff mix things up with the orchestra, though I'd perhaps would've liked the record to be even more dominated by that but still, the songs are magnificent. Frontier Man would make a classic Lee Hazlewood track, Take That Call is lovely & the lyrics to Selfies In The Sunset very creative. He still continues to deliver the goods after all these years/records, one of my favourite people of all time.

10: Ebo Taylor - Yen Ara

Ebo Taylor is Ghana's answer to Fela Kuti. The guys been about for years though I'd only ever heard him on compilations prior to this LP. This was put out by the Mr Bongo label that mostly re-issues obscure gems from Africa. This is Afrobeat/Highlife at its most joyous. The production on this thing is banging, it manages to sound like a lost classic whilst still sounding modern & fresh. At 78 years old he sounds so full of life, the energy throughout this record is pulsating, it's literally impossible to listen to this without moving. The first half of this LP would be my number #1 this year, unfortunately there's a couple of tracks on the second half that feel slightly under par compared to the rest. That said, this is still a beast of a record, love it.

09: Guided by Voices - Space Gun

I've always enjoyed a bit of GBV but this year Robert Pollard happened to me & I've listened to pretty much nothing else since. I credit/blame this album for the whole episode. People have always criticised him for putting out too much GBV material, or including too much filler. Well 2018 provided just this one GBV record & the entire thing is pretty much killer. I honestly think it's one of the best things he has ever done. I guess it might be a little too polished for the hardcore fans that long for more patched together lo-fi material. But if you want a decently produced set of 15 GBV tunes that all pretty much hit the spot then this is one of his career highlights.

08: Courtney Barnett - Tell Me How You Really Feel

Seen a lot of people react to her latest with indifference but for me it isn't far off being as good as her debut. Either way, I think I'm going to be a fan for life, it's that kind of indie-rock that I'm a sucker for. The record reminds me a LOT of Come On Feel The Lemonheads in its production & song-structures which probably goes a long way to explaining why I love it so much. Catchy tunes, Courtney always has a great way with words & her voice/accent combination is one of my favourites. Hopefully everybody starts hating her & her next few records flop so I can see her play in shitty little venues for the next 20 years.

07: Josh T. Pearson - The Straight Hits!

Last of the Country Gentlemen  might be my favourite record of this decade so far, so having waited patiently for seven bloody years my expectations were perhaps a little high. Though having heard him perform a bunch of new songs in the same vein a few years ago I was expecting him to return with more heartbreaking ballads full of doom & gloom. Then he returns with a really dumb rock record. I mean, look at that artwork... all the songs have the word STRAIGHT in the title. It was as if this was a piss-take. When he dropped the first single I was the first on facebook to comment where I let him know what I thought of it. Then the album was released & went in expecting the worst & came out thinking "hey this is pretty fun". Then I kept listening to it & ended up falling in love with it. It's a bizarre follow up & even as a record the structure is equally baffling. The first 4 songs are big goofy rock tunes, then the record gets a little more personal and adds depth as it goes on. "A Love Song (Set Me Straight)" just might be my favourite song of the year, it's fucking incredible. Despite my love for his debut record it's one I can't revisit very often due to its length & the fact its such a hard record emotionally to listen to. This one on the other hand is 10 STRAIGHT to the point songs that deliver & I can see myself still playing this in 10 years time. Sorry for saying "7 years for this you cunt!?" on facebook Josh, I love you.

06: Terry - I'm Terry

TERRY ROCK

05: Parquet Courts - Wide Awaaaaake!

Another outstanding Parquet Courts record. By far their most ambitious yet, dangermouse did a great job of capturing the energy that made them so great in the first place whilst letting them branch out into new territory. There's some major Talking Heads vibes here, it's their most danceable record yet. I appreciate that they still found time to sprinkle the LP with a number of short & snappy indie-rock tunes. It might be their most complete record yet, though it won't replace Light Up Gold as my to-go Parquet Courts LP.

04: Seun Kuti and Egypt 80 - Black Times

Seun produces a record here that could sit comfortably next to his father's classic work. A highly politically charged record, most numbers are essentially protest songs. Egypt 80 sound as incredible as ever & the record is a rhythmic master-class from start to finish. Only a minor criticism.. but at just over an hour it perhaps is a bit too much of a good thing - the great thing about his Father's music was that the records were often short & sweet (just 2 lengthy tunes), this features 8 that average over 7 minutes each. Despite that, this is A-grade Afro-beat.

03: Gaz Coombes - World's Strongest Man

Wow, biggest surprise of the year for me. Been a huge Supergrass fan forever, but whilst I've enjoyed Gaz Coombes solo efforts I found very disposable. I had very little expectations for another SuperGaz solo LP however this came along fully realised, produced immaculately with fantastic songwriting throughout. He's found that perfect sweet-spot where you can experiment within the confides of a pop song, adding very textured & layered music that veers into Krautrock & electronica, whilst still delivering songs with hooks that keep you suckered in. A record that I keep finding new things I like about it with repeated listens. I just hope he can continue along this path with whatever he does next, outstanding record.

02: Ty Segall & Freedom Band - Freedom's Goblin

This is now my favourite TY Segall LP. I'd probably turn to Emotional Mugger as my go-to Segall record due to it being more to the point but I love the overblown playfulness of this record. It's still hard hitting garage-rock meets the glam of T-rex that he's done for the past few years but there's enough variety spread throughout the 74 minute running time to ensure that nothing ever feels stale. The production on this is perfect, fuzzy, loud & in your face whilst having just the right amount of sheen, plus there's even a couple of Crazy Horse style jams. There's nothing I'd change about it, even what I'd consider the lesser moments are still more than worthwhile.

01: Daughters - You Won't Get What You Want

I saw this getting a lot of rave reviews but initially ignored it as I'd gotten them confused with that really boring band JP loves called Daughter.
This record is a monster. Daughters sound fucking angry at the world, not only in their playing but the lyrics & vocals are brutally bleak & hateful throughout (there's no tongue in cheek FAKE BULLSHIT like another band which I refuse to name). The band deliver an onslaught of chaotic noise, yet always remaining tuneful even if fed through blistering noise. It falls somewhere between noise rock & industrial-punk, the guitars sound violent & the bass-lines are killer throughout. The (what I assume are) synths give it a real atmospheric & cold feel. I love the sequencing of this thing, it kinda gets off to a slow start but becomes stronger as the record progresses. There was a ton of records I really enjoyed this year but this was the only one that on first listen I thought FUCK, these guys have made something special here. I now need to check out their previous 3 records. 

Thanks for giving me something to read while waiting on the airport. This is definitely a computer screen kinda thread but anyway. Already picked 3 or 4 names for when I'm back.

Have my already list sorted but still need to add some write-ups so... and who knows, the 1975 might still have some time to win me over!

Interesting list bruv. I keep hearing good things about that Daughters lp but still haven't checked it out so will definitely give it a whirl now.

Wasn't very keen on that Daniel Blumberg album at all. It had a couple of moments but mostly felt really bland and whiny to me, like he wanted to go full on experimental but didn't quite have the balls to do so.