Top 5 New Albums 2018

5. Belly - Dove

Self-released, 05/2018

It appears that the internet in general has been none too kind to Belly's reunion album. Certainly, at the concert, we were encouraged to "Party like it's 1995". Nostalgia being what it is, I can see how this seems distasteful. Yet, this is a solid album with great pop tunes that are singable, and if Tanya Donelly's vocal acrobatics aren't quite what they were 23-odd years ago, there's a certain (ahem) maturity to the songwriting. .... Aw, heck, it's good. And it beat out some very worthy contenders to be at the #5 spot on this list.

 

4. The Holdout - The Things That Brought Us Here

Grafton Records, 10/2018

The Holdout is basically Temper and Hold with a new guitar player, and the same urgency and manic energy. Maximumrockandroll described them as "Jawbox meets Rainer Maria" and who am I to disagree? Of course, Temper and Hold made this very list with their first album, and album #2 was my #1 album of 2016.

Buy the LP from the label here.

 

3. Landing - Bells in New Towns

El Paraiso Records, 05/2018

It's getting hard to write stuff about Landing. New Landing albums have landed on this list with regularity. Yet, this is a band that after 20 years together, is making their most engaging, interesting, and catchy music. They continue to evolve, and I'm glad I'm along for the ride. Give a listen and see if you agree.

LP is sold out. If you want a CD, I'd suggest getting it here.

 

2. Pohgoh - Secret Club

New Granada Records, 09/2018

I've been on New Granada Records' email list since 1998 when I bought Pohgoh's first LP, In Memory of Bab. 2018 has seemed to be the year all the good bands are getting back together. Well, Pohgoh didn't skip a beat, and this is a great, listenable pop album. RIYL Velocity Girl, Sarge, Rainer Maria

Buy the album here.

 

1. Low - Double Negative

Sub Pop Records, 09/2018

Wikipedia tells me that this is Low's 12th album in their 24 years as a band. My ears tell me it's their best album of the twelve, and that's saying quite a lot. Three years ago, I wrote about how Low had distorted their organic sound. That was a springboard for this new sound-- My kids asked if this was actually music or just noise (boy, that's a role reversal). This is Low triply distorted, with everything washed out and thrown back together, and it's fragile, damaged, and beautiful. This is difficult music, but it's so very good.

Buy it here from Sub Pop.

Top 5 New Discoveries 2018

5. Castor - Everything 1994-1998

Mud Records 03/2018. Previously released as "Castor" LP (1995), "Carnival" 7" (1997), and "Tracking Sounds Alone" LP (1998)

I've been meaning to track down Castor for several years now. Their albums have become hard to find on the internet. That's why I was pleased that Mud Records was rereleasing the whole shebang this year. This is great stuff-- out of the same scene and influences as Braid, Very Secretary, Sarge, etcetera. This is the perfect blend of math rock, indie pop, emotive hardcore,  and gaze. $11 from Parasol. (Pick up a Sarge album while you're there!)

4. Penfold - Amateurs and Professionals

Milligram Records, 1999

Another band I've been meaning to track down. Noticing a trend? It's 2018 and I'm finally catching up on my 1998. This is a whiny indie band from New Jersey in the 90s and of course I love them. I want a physical copy of this, but they're stupid expensive right now. Oh well. You can buy the digital at least.

3. Copper - Drag Queen

Equal Vision Records, 1996

So I found out that Garrett Klahn was in Copper before he was in Texas Is the Reason. Then I heard this album. Great girlpop in the Velocity Girl vein, but with the same melodicism as Texas Is the Reason. Best moment: discovering the refrain (on Caption) "Your place is at the heart of my everything" provides a thrilling mirror to Texas Is the Reason's "Your place is STILL at the heart of my everything" (A Jack with One Eye)

2. The Lapse - Betrayal!

Gern Blandsten Records, 1998

Formed by Chris and Toko of The Van Pelt with Gregg Leto, also of Rye Coalition, I was anticipating this record before it came out in 1998. Then, due to some personal circumstances, I never got to hear this record until 20 years later. It was worth the wait. Although I wouldn't rate it as high as either of The Van Pelt's first two albums, it's certainly great. Anyone who is following these year-end ratings might remember the release of Van Pelt's "Imaginary Third", which was early versions of these songs. Now this record has finally taken its rightful place in my collection, and it keeps returning to the player for re-listens. The version of "The Speeding Train" on this album is cool-- more subdued, and definitely not the powerful statement of the original, but still cool.

1. Sarge - The Glass Intact

Mud Records, 1998

From the first few minutes of hearing this album, I knew this was going to be in my life for a long time. That first day, I immediately bought all the Sarge albums I could find online, and I love them. Sarge comes from the aforementioned 90s Urbana IL scene with Braid, Castor, Very Secretary, Days in December, etcetera etcetera. I knew of Sarge back in the 90s. I even have a split 7" with Elizabeth Elmore on it, but apparently I had missed actually hearing this band.

This is so good. The perfect mixture of Velocity Girl and Braid. Poppy hooks, clever lyrics, catchy choruses. I love this band and I love this album.

Guess what? As of the time of this writing, you can buy this LP for $11 from Parasol! That's 90s prices! (Pick up the Castor discography while you're there!)

Top 5 Miscellaneous Songs of 2018

(Five songs, newly encountered by me this year, that didn't qualify for either of the other top 5 lists)

5. Casey Neill and the Norway Rats - Siphoners

From the album "Subterrene"
Incident Records, 03/2018

This catchy number has been in my head for weeks, conjuring up visions of a max headroom-eque dystopian future. Recorded with an all-star portland cast (members of every famous band you care about). This whole album is fabulous.

4. 44 Long - Everybody Has a Way

From the album "Hangover Heights, Part 2"
In Music We Trust Records, 06/2006

I had the privelege of meeting and seeing Brian Berg play in the few months before his unfortunate and untimely passing in 2015. He was truly a gifted, world-class songwriter. As I work my way through his back catalog, this song sticks out (and sticks in my ears) as particularly catchy, insightful, and timeless. Brian left a hole in this world when he left.

3. David Byrne - I Dance Like This

From the album "American Utopia"
Todo Mundo Records, 03/2018

The show was a spectacle. One of the greatest concerts I've seen. The songs are maybe one or two notches below Byrne's peak with Talking Heads in the 80s, but he's still my favorite vocalist in rock music. This song is in turns funny, ironic, and touching. "If I could dance better... I would." A good metaphor for life. I also like the subtle electronic flourishes and samples. I included the live video because it was so fun to watch. I don't think the sound is so good for the live video, though.

2. They Might Be Giants - Last Wave [demo]

From 2018 Dial-a-Song, compiled on the album "My Murdered Remains"
Idlewild Recordings, 12/2018
[non-demo version on 2017's "I Like Fun" album]


As a fancy radio deejay, I got a hookup to download (and broadcast) They Might Be Giants' weekly Dial-a-Song tracks this year. I was listening to this one and I thought it was quirky and catchy-- one of the best TMBG songs I'd heard in years, so I went to the internet to find out about it, and the all-wise internet directed me to the above video. So, now YOU need to watch the video.

Go ahead, I'll wait.

They Might Be Giants out-BLR'd Bad Lip Reading. I love the synthy guitar solos. I love the lyrics

I'm so tired of waiting / My heart is cold / The sky is dark / I'm curled up in the ashes /
We die alone / We die afraid / We live in terror / Naked and alone / We die

...Antlers!

1. Afghan Whigs - Demon in Profile

From the album "In Spades"
Sub Pop Records 05/2017

I probably should've had this song on my last year's list, but as of year-end, I still hadn't heard the whole album and I was hopeful that the whole album would be as good as this song. Sadly, it wasn't, but this song. THIS SONG. One of the best Afghan Whigs songs ever written, 25 years past their heyday. Also this video. Har Mar Superstar is hilarious and amazing, and having him stand in for Greg Dulli is perfect. I really wanted to see him open for Afghan Whigs this year, but it wasn't in the cards for me. The rest of the video is chilling and disturbing, but in a super cool way. Check it out.

Best of 2018: A Disclaimer

Boy, I've been doing this for a while now. Blogger was passe` when I started and now it's downright ancient. Oh well.

So for the second time, I'm releasing my best-of-the-year list with an asterisk. A disclaimer.

The following was the best album of the year for me. It's my band's album, and it was a labor of love. It may not be the best album of the year objectively, but it's my favorite because I worked so hard on it, and I make music that I like, not that would please anybody else.

So...

Kalaloch - Pacific Shores

Heather House Records 08/2018

This is our new album. I hope you like it. Please give it a listen for free on Spotify or Bandcamp or whatever. It's free to download, but we made pretty colored vinyl and CD versions if you're old-fashioned like me. Thanks for listening.