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Merry Listmas! 2018 Edition
#1
Hey gang! It's that time of year again, so let's hear your favorite albums/movies/books, whatever, of 2018. I'll get us started.

My top 10 Albums (in no particular order):

Sarah Shook & the Disarmers- Years
2nd album in less than 3 years from one of my favorite new artists, and she knocks it out of the park here on her sophomore effort. Gritty, brutally honest, and catchy as hell. This girl is a badass.

Amanda Shires- To the Sunset
Ecclectic mix of Americana, folk, pop, and straight up barn-burner rock n' roll...with a fiddle.

Jeff Tweedy- Warm
Showcasing his quieter, singer/songwriter side. Such beautiful songs! Dude is an American treasure.

Buffalo Tom- Quiet and Peace
Boston's finest deliver yet another high quality blast of good ole fashioned college-rock with hooks-a-plenty and terrific melodies. Easily their best effort since their 90s heyday.

Cowboy Junkies- All That Reckoning
Dark, brooding, beautiful, and the most overtly political album of their career from a lyrical standpoint. Margo has never sounded better, and brother Michael's frenetic guitar freak-outs kick a little more ass than usual. It's a killer album.

Murder By Death- The Other Shore
Just discovered these guys thanks to the "2018 Ass Kickers" thread. Great band.

Tomberlin- At Weddings
Gorgeous and haunting debut from a very talented and promising songwriter.

Sloan- 12
Best thing they've done since One Chord to Another. Yea, that's right. I said it.

American Aquarium- Things Change
Thoughtful, intelligent, politically-conscious Americana/country-rock. Lead singer/guitarist BJ Barham is a hell of a songwriter, and he delivers his tunes with an emotional honesty not unlike his alt-country peers like Jason Isbell, Sturgill Simpson, and Drive-By Truckers.

Erika Wennerstrom- Sweet Unknown
First official solo album from the Heartless Bastards frontwoman and primary songwriter. Expansive songs featuring big, layered guitars and some intensely personal lyrics. Highly recommended if you're a fan of her day job.


Honorable mentions:

Midnight Oil- Armistice Day: Live at The Domain, Sydney 2017
Urgent, powerful, and just so fuckin' good. These guys are now in their late 50s/early 60s, and their epic reunion tour last year proved that they're still one of the best live bands on the planet (and that age is just a number). Thank god they're back, because the world needs them now more than ever. Long may these angry Aussies burn.

Mark Lanegan & Duke Garwood- With Animals
Another stellar collaboration from these two. They never fail to blow me away.

Neko Case-Hell-On
Amazing album. Terrible cover art. Thankfully it's the music that counts, and Neko is once again at her best here. Top to bottom, another fantastic effort.


Movies:

Blackkklansman
Very powerful, with surprising moments of humor as well. The ending knocks the wind right out of you. My entire theatre sat there in stunned silence for what seemed like minutes. Spike Lee's best film in a long time.

A Star is Born
Best musical I've seen in ages. Cooper and Gaga are excellent, and the music is pretty great.

Won't You Be My Neighbor?
Fantastic and inspirational documentary about Fred "Mr." Rogers. Beautiful film about a wonderful human being.

First Man
Fascinating story and great acting from Gosling and Claire Foy. Spectacular effects and sound as well, particularly during the flying and rocket launching scenes.

Annihilation
One of the more interesting sci-fi mind fucks I've seen in quite a while. Natalie Portman is awesome as usual.

Hereditary
Incredibly disturbing. I saw it months ago and I still think about it. This movie messed me up, man.

Avengers: Infinity War
So fun!

Mandy
One of the weirdest and goriest movies I've ever watched, featuring a batshit crazy performance for the ages by Nic Cage. Pure cinematic insanity.

Halloween 2018
Grandma Jamie Lee Curtis kicks ass.

Mission Impossible: Fallout
Entertaining as hell. This series just keeps getting better and more fun.


Books:

I didn't read as many books this year as I wanted to, but here are some of my favorites:

The Never-Ending Present

While not the deep dive into the Hip's music that most of us were hoping for, I still thought this book was well researched and well written, despite the band's lack of participation. There are some interesting tidbits and observations from the band's peers and folks who worked with them, and the testimonials from other artists were great. I also really enjoyed the chapter on the early Kingston music scene. Take out the unnecessary (and boring) chapter on cover bands, and this is a quality piece of journalism that every Hip fan should check out. An enjoyable read for sure.

The Kids in the Hall: One Dumb Guy

Now this is how you write a biography. Funny, compelling, meticulously researched, and written with the full participation of all 5 members of the Kids, including various writers, collaborators, producers, and directors who worked with them over the years. Also lots of great anecdotes from comedy giants like Lorne Michaels, Judd Apatow, Seth Meyers, Samantha Bee, Fred Armisen, Mike Myers, Bob Odenkirk, and countless others who were heavily influenced by KITH. Great stuff if you're a fan.

Is This Live?

Very entertaining book about the history, influence, and meteoric rise of Muchmusic in the 80s and 90s, as well as it's eventual downfall in the 2000s. Great stories and photos from all the former VJs and producers, and also a few interviews with some of the popular bands of the day like the Hip, 54-40, TPOH, Northern Pikes, Barenaked Ladies, Blue Rodeo, etc... Man, I had such a huge crush on Erica Ehm back in the day.
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#2
Nobody else is posting their lists this year?

Anyone?

Bueller??
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#3
I think Jim Bryson's Tired of Waiting EP would be my most listened to album released in 2018 followed by Fucked Up's Dose your Dreams

I generally suck at putting together lists, but I will see what I can do
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#4
Ten Favourite album releases in 2018 (so far!)
In no particular order


Speedy Ortiz - Twerp Verse

Jack White - Boarding House Reach

Paul McCartney - Egypt Station

Sure, Sure - S/T

Tampa - Belated Love

David Byrne - American Utopia

Moonface - This One's For The Dancer and This One's For The Dancer's Bouquet

The Nude Party - S/T

Tokyo Police Club - S/T

Courtney Barnett - Tell Me How You Really Feel

So much for my new year's resolution in 2018 to listen to a way higher percentage of women.... jeeeesh

Just ordered The Nude Party on vinyl. Laid back surf rock vibes that def makes Beck tap his toes. Brooklyn I think?
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Speedy Ortiz have cemented themselves as one of my all time favourite bands. Their third record is just as fantastic as their first two, Major Arcana and Foil Deer. I am loving hearing each new release from this gal and these guys each time they come around. They're always in my favourites of the year when there's a release.
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I'll update more about this listmas later mayhap...
2004-12-03 - Saint John/2005-09-03 - Moncton/2006-06-30 - Charlottetown/2006-11-09/10 - Montreal/2007-09-11 - Fredericton/2007-09-13 - Halifax/2007-09-14 - Sydney/2007-09-15 - Charlottetown/2008-06-30 - Charlottetown/2009-05-01/02 - Montreal/2011-06-28 - Moncton/2011-06-30 - Charlottetown/2012-06-30 - Niagara-on-the-Lake/2013-02-01 - Moncton/2013-02-02 - Halifax/2015-01-10 - Toronto/2015-02-20 - Montreal/2015-07-17 - Ottawa/2016-08-18 - Ottawa/2016-08-20 - Kingston
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#5
Rolling Stone recently published a piece titled "Why Mainstream Rock Sucked in 2018". It certainly did. I consider most of the Hip's output to be "mainstream rock" and I didn't hear much in this musical vein that was worth listening to over the past year. It's the sub-genres, like Americana and Indie-Folk, where the interesting music is being made these days. At a time when there has never been more music at your finger tips, it's actually been difficult over the past year to find good rock music. 2018 just seemed to be bereft of big, kick-ass rock albums, more than any year in recent memory. I hope 2019 brings us a rock album that creates seismic waves in the mainstream and helps slow the ongoing marginalization of guitar-based music.

All that being said, there were many albums that I enjoyed this year. In no particular order:

AlascA - Plea for Peace
A Dutch band that plies their trade in English. Great indie pop-rock sensibilities with chiming 60's guitars and some haunting vocals. Check out "Song for Nick Drake", "Red Herring", and "Plea for Peace" and impress your next dinner party guests with your musical obscurantism.

Lord Huron - Vide Noir
A criminally underappreciated band who continues to improve with each album. Heavier psychedelic tunes this time around, while not completely abandoning their folk-pop roots. Well-crafted songs and a solid album top-to-bottom. My year end Spotify review tells me it's my most listened to album from 2018, racking up 33 hours. Check out "Vide Noir", "Ancient Names", and "Secret of Life".

Postdata - Let's Be Wilderness
Side project for Wintersleep frontman Paul Murphy with involvement from the always fantastic drummer Loel Campbell. Beautiful songs shift between folk-pop and indie-rock with some occasional synth scapes added in. This is the second album from Murphy's group and is a more varied and interesting listen than the 2010 album. Check out "Gravity", "Black Cloud", and "Ithaca".

Gaz Coombes - World's Strongest Man
An album of varied sounds from buzzing electric guitar to slow-build piano grooves, all laid over some introspective and emotionally vulnerable lyrics. Check out "Walk the Walk", :"The Oaks" and "World's Strongest Man".

A Perfect Circle - Eat the Elephant
The guitar takes a backseat at times on this album but when Billy Howerdel does decide to put down some power chords, he does it beautifully. Check out "By and Down the River", "Feathers", and "Disillusioned".

Jack White - Boarding House Reach
Weird and challenging in spots, but never dull. Jack continues to grow and evolve.

First Aid Kit - Ruins
An album from a Scandinavian band that sounds like they came of age in 1960's Nashville. A raw look at failed relationships. Check out "Rebel Heart".

American Aquarium - Things Change
Like direwolf, this album is one that I quite a bit this year. Anything that shares musical through lines with DBT is always going to grab my attention. Check out "Crooked+Straight".

Throwback Album: David Gilmour - David Gilmour
I'm a long-time lover of all things Pink Floyd but have never owned this 1978 solo release. It has an "Animals" guitar-like feel (having been recorded in close proximity to that masterpiece). I discovered it for the first time this summer, and while lyrics have never been Gilmour's strong suit, the distinctive atmospheric guitar is present here in spades. Check out "No Way Out of Here".

New Favourite Song of the Week: Amy Ray "Sure Feels Good Anyway". I had no idea who Amy Ray was when I first discovered this song on a Spotify playlist and only later realized she is one half of the Indigo Girls. This song follows the great Americana tradition (in a similar vein to Patterson Hood) of grappling with the contradictions and baggage that go along with Southern pride, set to music that would fit well on an Isbell record.

I didn't see many movies this year as I've become obsessed with True Crime documentaries and podcasts. I highly recommend "The Keepers", "Evil Genius", "Wormwood", and "The Staircase", all found on Netflix.
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#6
Great contributions as always, guys. Thanks! I'll definitely be checking out some of the stuff on your lists.

I agree, it was really difficult to find decent mainstream rock albums in 2018. The best albums that I would consider rock actually came from indie artists this year (Sloan, Buffalo Tom, Erika Wennerstrom). The Headstones' latest record "Little Army" is easily the best straight up kick-you-in-the-nuts rock album I've heard in a while, but technically it came out in 2017, so I guess it doesn't count. But are those guys considered mainstream anymore? They certainly were in the 90s, but these days I think of them more as an indie band.
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#7
Something like this, I guess:

Mitski - Be The Cowboy
Saintseneca - Pillar of Na
Damien Jurado - The Horizon Just Laughed
Wye Oak - The Louder I Call, The Faster It Runs
Django Django - Marble Skies
Hop Along - Bark Your Head Off Dog
US Girls - In A Poem Unlimited
Petal - Magic Gone
Soccer Mommy - Clean
Lucy Dacus - Historian

sean.bonner Wrote:Ten Favourite album releases in 2018 (so far!)
So much for my new year's resolution in 2018 to listen to a way higher percentage of women.... jeeeesh

7/10 women in my top ten, and over 50% in my top 100!
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#8
Thanks for the Lord Huron recommendation, potsie! I checked out their early stuff years ago and it didn't do much for me, but this new one sounds promising on first listen.
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#9
I wouldn't put it on my top 10, but for those who want some more rock music in their lives the new Failure album is good. I can't find easily linked singles, but here's the whole record.

Failure is sort of 90s alt-space rock. They had one great album in 1996, broke up due in part to heroin issues, and reunited a couple of years ago.
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#10
daylight Wrote:7/10 women in my top ten, and over 50% in my top 100!

Your "top 100"? Wow! That's an impressive amount of new music you listened to in 2018. I don't know how you found time to sleep! I look forward to working my way through the 6 artists on your list that I haven't heard yet.
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#11
Top albums, in no order other than alphabetical:

Arkells -- Rally Cry: I'm not sure where I'd place it in their albums, not their best effort, but it's a nice and short collection of songs meant to be played live. IMO one of the best live bands on the road today.

Bahamas -- Earthtones: Bit more produced than previous albums, but a fun album that also displays Afie's wicked sense of humour (the press release for the album was awesome)

Bishop Briggs -- Church of Scars: Combine Lorde and maybe Adele, and you get close to Bishop Briggs. Cool arrangements, killer voice, energetic live show.

Common Deer -- 1, II: Actually a 2017 release, but a nice collection of two EPs from a band that has a bit of a Hey Rosetta feel plus a touch of hip hop. Again, great live show with some awesome covers in the mix

Dear Rogue -- Phases: Had an aversion to this band based on a live experience a few years ago, which was likely more my fault that theirs. Not usually the type of music I'd veer towards, but this is a catchy album and they put on a solid show.

Ellevator -- EP: Hamilton band, sort of Kate Bush inspirations for lack of a better comparison. I think this EP is spectacular, and looking forward to a full release

Father John Misty -- God's Favorite Customer: Not quite at the level of Pure Comedy or Honeybear for me, but a solid album that's a bit more stripped back from previous releases

Florence and the Machine -- High as Hope: A few killer tracks, and few that a more meandering, but I'm a sucker for a powerful female voice

Frank Turner -- Be More Kind: Bit of a poppier effort from Frank, influenced by touring with the Arkells. Solid album, great live show

Jack White -- Boarding House Reach: When it's good it's great, few experimental tracks that are still a fun listen and worked really well live. Connected by Love is one of my favorite tunes of the year, and his show in Ottawa was near the top for me.

Jim Bryson -- Tired of Waiting: Criminally underrated Canadian musician, whose own work is great and has been a solid touring musician with some of the best (including The Hip). Maybe more important, an A-one guy if you ever met him...go see him live, he's a blast....

Kasey Musgraves -- Golden Hour: Some hits, a few more misses. The intro to Slow Burn where the band kicks in at about 30 seconds makes up for some weaker tracks. Will be curious to see where her career goes in terms of Nashville sound -- does she head towards pop country, or the (IMO more credible) americana route for lack of a better work. This seems like an intersection album, with a bit of both.

Laura Jane Grace -- Bought to Rot: Not quite at the same level as the last few Against me albums. Press package talked about a Tom Petty influence -- I'm not getting that, but a strong collection of slightly less punkpop songs that Laura Jane would be more known for

Lindi Ortega -- Liberty: A force live, but IMO has had trouble getting that same sound on album. Her she tries a spaghetti western concept album with mixed results. Regardless, check her out live just to see Champagne James on the guitar.

Mayhemingways -- Skipland: Not for everyone, but great album if you're into two pieces that play drums, accordion, fiddle, mandolin, guitar, sometimes running through loopers. I sort of think of Tom Waits when I listen to them. Unique sound, distinct vocals, lyrics about the down and out.

Metric -- Art of Doubt: Metric sort of lost me with 2 so-so albums, and then a so-so show. Took me awhile to listen to his, but it's a stellar album and maybe one of my tops for the year.

Neke Case -- Hell-on: Winner of worst album art of 2018, but luckily the music makes up for it. See my Florence comment, I would watch Neko sing the phonebook and leave happy.

Savannah Conley -- Twenty-Twenty: Came across her while in Nashville and her sound grabbed me. Bit classic country with a torch singer twist. An EP, hopefully full release coming.

The Struts -- Young and Dangerous: Just goofy fun rock and roll, nothing more.

Tyler Childers -- Purgatory: Maybe a 2017 release, but gave him a listen before seeing him open for Margo Price in Nashville. If Margo hadn't been 100% on, he would have stole the show. Classic country, solid band, good release and will only get better as he puts in more time on the road.
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#12
edgoffin Wrote:Jim Bryson -- Tired of Waiting: Criminally underrated Canadian musician, whose own work is great and has been a solid touring musician with some of the best (including The Hip). Maybe more important, an A-one guy if you ever met him...go see him live, he's a blast...

Damn, I had no idea Jim had a new record out. I've loved this guy since I first discovered him in the early 2000s while living in Ottawa. Great musician and songwriter. His last album "Somewhere We Will Find Our Place" was one of my favorites of 2016, and I'll definitely be checking out the new one. Thanks for the recommendation!
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#13
direwolf74 Wrote:
edgoffin Wrote:Jim Bryson -- Tired of Waiting: Criminally underrated Canadian musician, whose own work is great and has been a solid touring musician with some of the best (including The Hip). Maybe more important, an A-one guy if you ever met him...go see him live, he's a blast...

Damn, I had no idea Jim had a new record out. I've loved this guy since I first discovered him in the early 2000s while living in Ottawa. Great musician and songwriter. His last album "Somewhere We Will Find Our Place" was one of my favorites of 2016, and I'll definitely be checking out the new one. Thanks for the recommendation!

It's really good -- an EP, if you're into vinyl he put a lot of care into mastering it to sound good on a turntable. He's mostly been doing house shows to support the album, try and catch one if you can. He is a riot live.
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#14
edgoffin Wrote:
direwolf74 Wrote:
edgoffin Wrote:Jim Bryson -- Tired of Waiting: Criminally underrated Canadian musician, whose own work is great and has been a solid touring musician with some of the best (including The Hip). Maybe more important, an A-one guy if you ever met him...go see him live, he's a blast...

Damn, I had no idea Jim had a new record out. I've loved this guy since I first discovered him in the early 2000s while living in Ottawa. Great musician and songwriter. His last album "Somewhere We Will Find Our Place" was one of my favorites of 2016, and I'll definitely be checking out the new one. Thanks for the recommendation!

It's really good -- an EP, if you're into vinyl he put a lot of care into mastering it to sound good on a turntable. He's mostly been doing house shows to support the album, try and catch one if you can. He is a riot live.


I saw him play a small guitar shop in Waterloo in November - he was amazing, one of the most enjoyable shows I've seen in a long time!!
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