Favorite Music in 2018

FAVORITE NON-2018 ALBUMS
[30] Head - The Jesus Lizard (Touch & Go, 1990)
[29] Moment of Truth - Gang Starr (Noo Trybe / Virgin, 1998)
[28] You Can't Hide Your Love Forever - Orange Juice (Polydor, 1982)
[27] You Are Free - Cat Power (Matador, 2003)
[26] Chelsea Girl - Nico (Verve, 1967)
[25] So - Peter Gabriel (Charisma, 1986)
[24] Sunburn - Blake Babies (Mammoth, 1990)
[23] Dookie - Green Day (Reprise, 1994)
[22] Slip - Quicksand (Polydor, 1993)
[21] Orange Rhyming Dictionary - Jets to Brazil (Jade Tree, 1998)
[20] Pink Flag - Wire (Harvest, 1977)
[19] The Ocean Blue - The Ocean Blue (Sire, 1989)
[18] Light Upon the Lake - Whitney (Secretly Canadian, 2016)
[17] What's Going On - Marvin Gaye (Tamla, 1971)
[16] Document - R.E.M. (I.R.S., 1987)
[15] Fantastic Planet - Failure (Slash / Warner Bros., 1996)
[14] 99th Dream - Swervedriver (Zero Hour, 1998)
[13] White Trash Heroes - Archers of Loaf (Alias, 1998)
[12] Good Kid, M.A.A.D. City - Kendrick Lamar (Interscope / Aftermath / Top Dawg, 2012)
[11] 6 Feet Beneath the Moon - King Krule (True Panther / XL, 2013)
[10] New Amerykah Part Two (Return of the Ankh) - Erykah Baduh (Universal Motown, 2010)
[9] Lucifer in the Rain - Zoos of Berlin (Time No Place, 2013)
[8] Here Come the Warm Jets - Brian Eno (Island, 1974)
[7] Channel Orange - Frank Ocean (Def Jam, 2012)
[6] Illmatic - Nas (Columbia, 1994)
[5] Fix My Brain - The Marked Men (Swami, 2006)
[4] Heaven or Las Vegas - Cocteau Twins (4AD, 1990)
[3] Steve McQueen - Prefab Sprout (Kitchenware, 1985)
[2] Things Fall Apart - The Roots (MCA, 1999)
[1] Connected - The Foreign Exchange (BBE, 2004)



2018 HONORABLE MENTIONS
No Recover - Eric Bachmann (Merge)
Blue Room - Alex Bloom (self-released)
Longwave - Bonny Doon (Woodsist)
All Nerve - The Breeders (4AD)
Ex-Void EP - Ex-Void (Don Giovanni)
Pink Sky - Golden Drag (Buzz)
Bark Your Head Off, Dog - Hop Along (Saddle Creek)
Ouch - Nicholas Krgovich (Tin Angel)
Be the Cowboy - Mitski (Dead Oceans)
Salt - Mr. Twin Sister (Twin Group)
Oh My - Nadine (Father/Daughter)
What Happens When I Try to Relax EP - Open Mike Eagle (Auto Reverse)
Oxnard - Anderson .Paak (Aftermath)
Nothing's Changed EP - Justus Proffit & Jay Som (Polyvinyl)
Consolation EP - Protomartyr (Domino)
Post- - Jeff Rosenstock (Polyvinyl / Quote Unquote)
Ain't Lines - South South Million (Time No Place)
Fall Into the Sun - Swearin' (Merge)
I Like Fun - They Might be Giants (Idlewild)
Old Ghost - Renata Zeiguer (Northern Spy)



2018 FAVORITE SONGS
[100] "Drone Lover" - Swervedriver, from Future Ruins
[99] "Tweakin'" - Vince Staples, from FM!
[98] "Salt Candy" - Half Waif, from Lavender
[97] "Nothing I Can Say" - Tony Molina, from Kill the Lights
[96] "Breathe In, Breathe Out" - Melody's Echo Chamber, from Bon Voyage
[95] "Robby in the Office" - Surf Harp, from Mr. Big Picture
[94] "Something Teenage" - Dream Version
[93] "Stay, Too" - Mike Adams at His Honest Weight, from Turn Our Love Around 7"
[92] "Golden Dream" - Snail Mail, from Lush
[91] "Polyfoam" - Empath, from Environments EP
[90] "Done It Again" - Ghostface Killah feat. Big Daddy Kane, Cappedonna, Styliztik Jones, Harley, from The Lost Tapes
[89] "Riddles" - Ed Schrader's Music Beat, from Riddles
[88] "Caught Leaking Light" - Golden Drag, from Pink Sky
[87] "This is Heaven & I'd Die for It" - American Pleasure Club, from A Whole Fucking Lifetime of This
[86] "No Weekend" - Madeline Kenney, from Perfect Shapes
[85] "Skin" - Soccer Mommy, from Clean
[84] "Let's Dance" - Spiritualized, from And Nothing Hurt
[83] "Every Little Thought" - Hurry, from Every Little Thought
[82] "Role Models" - The Armed, from Only Love
[81] "Stand in the Way" - Young Guv, from 2 Sad 2 Funk
[80] "Breakfast of Champions" - Jean Grae & Quelle Chris, from Everything's Fine
[79] "Grow Into a Ghost" - Swearin', from Fall Into the Sun
[78] "The Fear - Flipped" - The Shins, from The Worm's Heart
[77] "My Own Thing" - Chance the Rapper feat. Joey Purp
[76] "17th Amendment" - Stef Chura, from 27: The Most Perfect Album
[75] "You Hate the Title" - Speedy Ortiz, from Twerp Verse
[74] "Invisible Friends" - Justus Proffit & Jay Som, from Nothing's Changed EP
[73] "Dark Speed" - Failure, from In the Future Your Body Will be the Furthest Thing From Your Mind
[72] "Walking Backwards" - Supercrush, from I Can't Lie b/w Walking Backwards 7"
[71] "Party for One" - Carly Rae Jepsen
[70] "Stress Fracture" - Mick Jenkins feat. Mikahl Anthony, from Pieces of a Man
[69] "Spells" - Jenny Hval, from The Long Sleep EP
[68] "Winnie" - Neko Case, from Hell-On
[67] "Change of Mind" - Phonte feat. Freddie Gibbs, from No News is Good News
[66] "Nail I Couldn't Bite" - The Spirit of the Beehive, from Hypnic Jerks
[65] "Raise Your Voice Joyce" - Fucked Up, from Dose Your Dreams
[64] "Smile" - Saba, from Care for Me
[63] "Time in Common" - Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever, from Hope Downs
[62] "I Remember" - Robert Earl Thomas, from Another Age
[61] "Stick" - Ovlov, from Tru
[60] "Yeah Bones" - Kurt Vile, from Bottle It In
[59] "Sept20" - Richard Swift, from The Hex
[58] "Ever Again" - Robyn, from Honey
[57] "Tints" - Anderson .Paak feat. Kendrick Lamar, from Oxnard
[56] "Echo Arms" - Mr. Twin Sister, from Echo Arms EP
[55] "Beamer" - The Glow
[54] "Stay Right Here" - Saba feat. Xavier Omar, Mick Jenkins
[53] "In Between Stars" - Eleanor Friedberger, from Rebound
[52] "Who Pays" - Emily Jane Powers, from Restless
[51] "Country" - Porches, from The House
[50] "Into the Sea" - Ought, from Room Inside the World
[49] "One Rizla" - Shame, from Songs of Praise
[48] "Orchard" - LVL UP
[47] "Evil Sin" - Shy Boys, from Bell House
[46] "In My Dreams" - Kali Uchis feat. Damon Albarn, from Isolation
[45] "City Looks Pretty" - Courtney Barnett, from Tell Me How You Really Feel
[44] "All the Stars" - Kendrick Lamar & SZA, from Black Panther: The Album
[43] "God's Plan" - Drake, from Scorpion
[42] "Freelance" - Toro y Moi, from Outer Peace
[41] "Death Will Bring Change" - Parquet Courts, from Wide Awake!
[40] "Short Court Style" - Natalie Prass, from The Future and the Past
[39] "Noid" - Yves Tumor, from Safe in the Hands of Love
[38] "Solace" - Preoccupations, from New Material
[37] "Has Ended" - Thom Yorke, from Suspiria (Music for the Luca Guadagnino Film)
[36] "Turning" - Vacationer, from Mindset
[35] "Ark Technician" - Guided by Voices, from Space Gun
[34] "Composite" - Palm, from Rock Island
[33] "This is America" - Childish Gambino
[32] "Sugar & Spce" - Hatchie, from Sugar & Spice EP
[31] "Mix for Rainy Day" - The Sidekicks, from Happiness Hours
[30] "Honesty" - Yves Tumor, from Safe in the Hands of Love
[29] "Every Time I Listen to a Stranger" - The Glands, from Double Coda
[28] "Slow Burn" - Kacey Musgraves, from Golden Hour
[27] "Time Today" - Kero Kero Bonito, from Time 'n' Place
[26] "The Communists Have the Music" - They Might be Giants, from The Communists Have the Music b/w I've Been Seeing Things 7"
[25] "Had a Fantastic" - Clearance, from At Your Leisure
[24] Late" - Hovvdy, from Cranberry
[23] "One Kiss" - Calvin Harris feat. Dua Lipa
[22] "Mosquiter" - Stove, from Stove's Favorite Friend
[21] "Up the Punx" - Joyce Manor, from Million Dollars to Kill Me
[20] "Believe" - Amen Dunes, from Freedom
[19] "Keep on Mixing" - Mr. Twin Sister, from Salt
[18] "Dark Spring" - Beach House, from 7
[17] "Work Out" - Chance the Rapper
[16] "Apple Tree Girl" - Tancred, from Nightstand
[15] "Rats in the Walls' - Culture Abuse, from Bay Dream
[14] "Blue and Red Horses" - Adrianne Lenker, from Abysskiss
[13] "Send Me" - No Age, from Snares Like a Haircut
[12] "Sunset Preacher" - Omni, from Sunset Preacher b/w Confessional 7"
[11] "Pirouette" - Jay Sam, from Pirouette b/w O.K., Meet Me Underwater 7"
[10] "Your True Name" - The Radio Dept.
[9] "Pick Up" - DJ Koze, from Knock Knock
[8] "Muchas" - Myd feat. Cola Boyy
[7] "Where Did You Go?" - Sam Evian, from You, Forever
[6] "Middle America" - Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks, from Sparkle Hard
[5] "Love It if We Made It" - The 1975, from A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships
[4] "Just a Stranger" - Kali Uchis feat. Steve Lacy, from Isolation
[3] "Leave It in My Dreams" - The Voidz, from Virtue
[2] "Washing Machine Heart" - Mitski, from Be the Cowboy
[1] "Mood" - The Internet, from Hive Mind



2018 FAVORITE ALBUMS
[50] The Hex - Richard Swift (Secretly Canadian)
[49] There's a Riot Going On - Yo La Tengo (Matador)
[48] Last Building Burning - Cloud Nothings (Carpark)
[47] Sparkle Hard - Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks (Matador)
[46] Songs of Praise - Shame (Dead Oceans)
[45] Future Me Hates Me - The Beths (Carpark)
[44] Pieces of a Man - Mick Jenkins (Cinematic / Free Nation)
[43] This is Glue - Salad Boys (Trouble in Mind)
[42] Restless - Emily Jane Powers (self-released)
[41] Million Dollars to Kill Me - Joyce Manor (Epitaph)
[40] Room 25 - Noname (self-released)
[39] Any Day - The Sea and Cake (Thrill Jockey)
[38] And Nothing Hurt - Spiritualized (Fat Possum / Bella Union)
[37] Double Coda - The Glands (New West)
[36] Vessel - Frankie Cosmos (Sub Pop)
[35] Cheer - Drug Church (Pure Noise)
[34] No News is Good News - Phonte (Foreign Exchange)
[33] Nightstand - Tancred (Polyvinyl)
[32] Twerp Verse - Speedy Ortiz (Carpark)
[31] Golden Hour - Kacey Musgraves (MCA Nashville)
[30] The House - Porches (Domino)
[29] Dose Your Dreams - Fucked Up (Merge)
[28] Silver Dollar Moment - The Orielles (Heavenly)
[27] Hell-On - Neko Case (Anti-)
[26] Hypnic Jerks - The Spirit of the Beehive (Tiny Engines)
[25] Hive Mind - The Internet (Columbia)
[24] At Your Leisure - Clearance (Topshelf)
[23] Quit the Curse - Anna Burch (Polyvinyl)
[22] Abysskiss - Adrianne Lenker (Saddle Creek)
[21] Bay Dream - Culture Abuse (Epitaph)
[20] Honey - Robyn (Konichiwa / Interscope)
[19] Bottle It In - Kurt Vile (Matador)
[18] Wide Awake! - Parquet Courts (Rough Tride)
[17] Bell House - Shy Boys (Polyvinyl)
[16] Tell Me How You Really Feel - Courtney Barnett (Mom + Pop / Milk! / Marthon)
[15] Rock Island - Palm (Carpark)
[14] Constant Image - Flasher (Domino)
[13] Hope Downs - Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever (Sub Pop)
[12] Elevators: Act I & II - Bishop Nehru (Nehruvia)
[11] Cranberry - Hovvdy (Double Double Whammy)
[10] Some Rap Songs - Earl Sweatshirt (Tan Cressida / Columbia)
[9] Happiness Hours - The Sidekicks (Epitaph)
[8] Freedom - Amen Dunes (Sacred Bones)
[7] Only Love - The Armed (No Rest Until Ruin / Throatruiner)
[6] Snares Like a Haircut - No Age (Drag City)
[5] Sugar & Spice EP - Hatchie (Double Double Whammy)
[4] Safe in the Hands of Love - Yves Tumor (Warp)
[3] Stove's Favorite Friend - Stove (Exploding in Sound)
[2] Tru - Ovlov (Exploding in Sound)
[1] Room Inside the World - Ought (Merge)

2018 Favorite Non-Music Things (Beer & TV)

15 FAVORITE BEERS OF 2018
The year I finally started getting more into sours, but unfortunately still leaned BBA and IPA on this list.

(15) Gene Flow (American Wild Ale, 4%) - Speciation Artisan Ales (Comstock Park, MI)
(14) Cherry Deux Rouges Batch 5 (Flanders Red Ale, 7%) - Yazoo Brewing Co. (Nashville, TN)
(13) Orderville (New England IPA, 7.2%) - Modern Times Beer (San Diego, CA)
(12) Bourbon Barrel Aged Coffee Stout (Imperial Stout, 10.5%) - Cultivate Coffee & Tap House (Ypsilanti, MI) & Drafting Table Brewing Co. (Wixom, MI)
(11) Wisconsin Belgian Red (Fruit Beer, 4%) - New Glarus Brewing Co. (New Glarus, WI)
(10) Bourbon Barrel Aged Trippel Weizenbock 2017 (Weizenbock, 17%) - The Livery (Benton Harbor, MI)
(9) Fou' Foune (Lambic, 5%) - Brasserie Cantillon (Anderlecht, Belgium)
(8) Biomimicry 2018 (American Wild Ale, 6.2%) - Speciation Artisan Ales (Comstock Park, MI)
(7) Deth's Tar (Imperial Oatmeal Stout, 14.8%) - Revolution Brewing Co. (Chicago, IL)
(6) Julius (New England IPA, 6.8%) - Tree House Brewing Co. (Charlton, MA)
(5) Kentuckley 2018 (American Imperial Stout, 14.5%) - Transient Artisan Ales (Bridgman, MI)
(4) Bourbon Barrel Aged Monsters' Park w/ Vanilla (American Imperial Stout, 13.7%) - Modern Times Beer (San Diego, CA)
(2-3) Serendipity / Raspberry Tart (Fruit Beer / American Wild Ale, 4% / 4%) - New Glarus Brewing Co. (New Glarus, WI)
(1) Double Dry Hopped M-43 (New England IPA, 6.8%) - Old Nation Brewing Co. (Williamston, MI)

15 FAVORITE TV SHOWS OF 2018
2018 had no Twin Peaks: The Return or The Young Pope, so it didn't quite live up to my hopes, television-wise. That being said, there were obviously still some gems.

Two shows I slept on that I am interested in checking out eventually: Lodge 49 and Maniac

One show I missed and regret it and desperately can't wait to watch: The Terror

(15) Baskets (Season 3) - FX
Season one has still been my favorite so far, but this beats out season two by a long shot. The characters just keep getting better and more ridiculous. Seriously overlooked show.

(14) The Haunting of Hill House - Netflix
The mix of quite scary with the intense family drama elements really worked for me, even if the finale was stupid and awful.

(13) American Vandal (Season 2) - Netflix
Not quite as funny as the first season, but a bit more dense and complex, which makes it about even. Plenty of great laughs.

(12) Legion (Season 2) - FX
I skipped season one when it originally aired and binged it before season two started, realizing that it would easily have been top five in 2017. The new season was a let down in comparison, as the visual and psychological trickery became kind of a gimmick. Still, there were enough good moments and performances that helped me to enjoy these 11 episodes for the most part, and I look forward to seeing where it goes next.

(11) Silicon Valley (Season 5) - HBO
Best and funniest season since the second one, maybe even the first. Pretty much ready for this show to be done, though.

(10) Love (Season 3) - Netflix
Each season got better and better and more and more real. Sometimes uncomfortably so, and Love is great for that.

(9) Better Call Saul (Season 4) - AMC
It almost just feels obligatory to include this. I am along for the ride, and generally have been very impressed with BCS's four seasons so far, but I think those who say it's surpassed Breaking Bad in quality are dead wrong. This lacks the huge stakes of BB at this point. My favorite moment in the whole season was a very tense and eerie moment at the end of the first episode's cold open that amounted to nothing (that we know of at this point in time). All of this to say, it is still a great show.

(8) GLOW (Season 2) - Netflix
Showed steady improvement from the already very good first season, and showcased one of my favorite episodes of television this year.

(7) Mosaic - HBO
Almost too slow and directionless, but if this didn't have the best acting and directing of any show in 2018...

(6) Ozark (Season 2) - Netflix
The stakes are being upped at a comical rate at this point, but I am a sucker for an anti-hero story that is this dark and with performances this good.

(5) Barry (Season 1) - HBO
Pleasantly surprised. The first half is a little too silly for me, then shit got dark and good, while still balancing said silliness. Chilling penultimate episode and season finale.

(4) The Americans (Season 6) - FX
Not the most subtle or well paced season of The Americans, but far and away the one I enjoyed the most. The series finale was almost on par with Breaking Bad's for me.

(3) Homecoming (Season 1) - Amazon Prime
Loved the podcast, and while it took some getting used to the new cast, I think this probably exceeded it. Shea Whigham is a national treasure.

(2) Atlanta (Season 2) - FX
I can't think of one thing to complain about one of the most enjoyable, artfully done shows in existence.

(1) Sharp Objects - HBO
Despite the slow pace and almost overwhelming darkness, the acting was phenomenal (particularly Patricia Clarkson who I loved to hate) and I was extremely engrossed in the mystery and mood. Also, in the running for best twist ending to a tv show ever.