So This Was 2018….

I have to admit that with each passing year I find less and less albums that I truly love enough to listen to straight through on multiple occasions. I’m not sure if that is a reflection of the current state of the music industry or just my own personal listening habits. I still think there are tons and tons of fantastic tracks being made on a yearly basis. I’m just not finding a lot of them strung together on the same album release it seems. There are still rays of hope out there for the future of the album format. Rookie bands like Rolling Blackouts Costal Fever, Soccer Mommy and Foxwarren delivered the goods and have my complete attention moving forward.

Anyways, without further ado, here are 10 of my favorite albums of 2018 followed by 25 of my favorite songs from this calendar year. It is a pretty eclectic list that leans hard on indie rock but with a handful of hip hop jams sprinkled in. Also thank you to anyone who has read this site over the last few months. It is very much appreciated.

 

My Favorite 10 Albums

Kurt Vile – Bottle It In

Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever – Hope Downs

Arctic Monkeys – Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino

Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks – Sparkle Hard

Soccer Mommy – Clean

The 1975 – A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships

Spiritualized – And Nothing Hurt

KIDS SEE GHOSTS – KIDS SEE GHOSTS

Bill Ryder-Jones – Yawn

Low – Double Negative

 

My Favorite 25 Songs

Kurt Vile – “Loading Zones”

Spiritualized – “A Perfect Miracle”

Arctic Monkeys – “Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino”

Bill Ryder-Jones – “Don’t Be Scared, I Love You”

Bradley Cooper – “Maybe It’s Time”

Young Fathers – “In My View”

Childish Gambino – “This Is America”

Soccer Mommy – “Your Dog”

Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks – “Kite”

J Mascis – “See You At The Movies”

Interpol – “If You Really Love Nothing” (Reimagined by Petr Aleksander)

Thom Yorke – “Unmade”

Rolling Blackouts Costal Fever – “Talking Straight”

KIDS SEE GHOSTS – “Reborn”

Low – “Disarray”

Kanye West – “Ghost Town”

Conor Oberst – “No One Changes”

Foxwarren – “Lost On You”

The Coral – “Reaching Out For A Friend”

The 1975 – “Love It If We Made It”

Rostam – “In A River”

Parquet Courts – “Tenderness”

Iceage – “Pain Killer” featuring Sky Ferreira

Jonny Greenwood – Tree Synthesisers

Jeff Tweedy – “From Far Away”

 

 

 

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Bill Ryder-Jones – “Yawn” Review

Bill Ryder-Jones is back this month with his fantastic fourth solo album titled Yawn. When we last met Bill he was showcasing his “slacker college rock” infused album West Kirby County Primary. On that effort Bill embraced Pavement, The Strokes and shades of Lou Reed realism. On Yawn Bill takes his love of American guitar music even further by shining the spotlight on some of his slowcore influences such as Low, Bedhead, Duster and The Rivulets. A deep dive into many under the radar bands but bands people should really get to know since their fingerprints are all over this new record. 

The vocals on Yawn are all sung in a hush like manner, the lyrics tend to lean very sad but the guitar parts sure do burst with soaring optimism. Bill has a knack for writing about the experiences of everyday mundane life but he makes it sound ever so beautiful no matter how drenched in sadness some of the song topics might be alluding to. His mother on “Mither”, his father on “John”, his brother on the album cover or past lovers like “Time Will Be The Only Saviour”. The entire kaleidoscope of the human condition can be heard on Yawn. 

When Bill isn’t singing on the album he lets his guitar do the talking in grand fashion. The opening salvo of “There Is Something On Your Mind” and “Time Will Be The Only Saviour” really set the tone for a loud, swirling and feedback soaked sonic adventure. That theme is continued with great success on “Mither”, “And Then There’s You” and the roaring finale “Happy Song”. On Yawn Bill Ryder-Jones manages to become the Ray Davies of the head and heart while also showing the ferocious guitar swell of Neil Young’s Crazy Horse. Buckle up for a slow burning yet highly rewarding ride of life’s constant ups and downs. 

Grade: A

Bill Ryder-Jones returns with new single “Mither”

It has been almost three years since the release of West Kirby County Primary, an album rooted deeply in Slanted & Enchanted era Pavement, early Strokes and the gentle side of Lou Reed’s solo years. That record was an absolute pleasure to discover and devour track by track. New single “Mither” shares similar hallmarks to West Kirby, guitars turned all the way up to eleven, feedback buzzing and cellos swirling. I would not be shocked to learn that it was born out of those same sessions. Bill has completely nailed that mid 90s American alternative rock vibe. Few, if any, can do it better. The highlight of the song is the grandiose 3 minutes long guitar fadeout that sounds like Sonic Youth covering My Bloody Valentine. Bill’s brand new album Yawn is out November 2nd and features 10 songs.

You can pre-order it here: https://billryderjones.dominomart.com