2018 music favorites

I know this is massively self-indulgent, but I've launched a new project on my blog. I have been inspired by the writer Dennis Cooper' monthly "Gig Days" on his blog, featuring music he's been listening to in the past month, and learned about a lot of good music from them. I hope that I can do the same. So I plan to start a monthly update of my favorite releases of 2018. All the music will be new (meaning released no earlier than Dec. 2017), unless it's a reissue. I launched the page today, with my favorite January 2018 releases: [steeveecom.wordpress.com]

That's an impressive display of attention to detail - and an impressive rate of acquisition! Are these physical purchases or digital?

Everything except MEET THE RESIDENTS is digital. The new 2-CD package of MEET THE RESIDENTS has great liner notes (2 different sets) and the reissue itself offers both mono and stereo versions of the album, with the SANTA DOG EP and copious unreleased tracks appended. I got quite a bit of the stuff listed for free as a music critic or quite cheaply on Bandcamp.

Two months in, and two of my likely year-ends faves begin with "Sh-" - namely:

Shame - Songs of Praise (2018) - unfortunate (but accurate) shoes to fill (referring, of course, to The Fall though they really remind me of Sleaford Mods)

Shopping - The Official Body (2018) - currently touring and I really want to see them live - yay for Saturday shows (no excuses.)

The snottiness of Shame and their post-punk influence reminds me of the Sleaford Mods, but the spoken word/hip-hop vocals and drum machine beats are missing, which means that their similarities lay more in attitude than actual sound.

Shame and No Age have already made this a good January and I haven't even gotten to Ty Segall yet.

At one time nothing used to come out in January ........but that was a long time ago, another music industry rule that doesn't apply I guess.



Post Edited (01-31-18 10:28)

The No Age album is my favorite album of the year so far, although it feels ridiculous to type that on January 31st.

I don't know dick about Sleaford Mods, but I'm checking out Songs of Praise now. At first glance I'm digging it. (Though a lot of newish postpunk bands sound awesome at first to me, then after further listens I lose interest and go back to the old stuff. See: Iceage.) They're playing SXSW this year, too, so I'm gonna make a point to go see them.

Edit 5/7/2018: I did indeed see Shame do an afternoon show, and they rocked like MFs. I don't hear a lot of new rock bands that impress me much these days, so that was fun and refreshing. I'm enjoying the album as well.



Post Edited (05-07-18 12:01)

Hey, when Blackstar came out, only eight days into 2016, a lot of music writers went ahead and declared it their favorite album of the year. Of course, the ever-reliable death-breeds-fame paradigm was in full effect for that one.

Since they were mentioned in this thread the new Iceage is a beast of an album - like almost embarrassing how much I like it..........and that is surprising because this reminds me most of JAMC around Automatic crossed with Jim Morrison on vocals and do I want that?

Apparently, very much so, or it doesn't sound like that and I'm confused......