We’ve reached the top. Here are my five favorite albums of 2018.
#5: CHAI – Pink – These Japanese ladies are not only challenging your concepts of attractiveness and what is or isn’t “cute” by being fiercely DIY, they’re also challenging anyone who dares to try rocking as hard as they.
#4: Miss Red – K.O. – This is a dangerous and sexy dancehall record featuring fast, stunning vocals by Miss Red and powerhouse beats by the Bug. They’re the best tag team since the British Bulldogs.
#3: Here Lies Man – You Will Know Nothing – “What if Black Sabbath played Afrobeat?” is how this band was described by their label. I can’t describe it better than that. It’s full of dark beats, heavy bass, and African rhythms. You can’t miss.
#2: BODEGA – Endless Scroll – Easily my favorite post-punk record of the year and one of the best records reflecting life in 2018. It skewers hipsters, relationships, partying, and technology and is even heartbreaking a couple times.
#1: A Place to Bury Strangers – Pinned – Any record by APTBS is going to be among my top picks of the year, and I knew as soon as I heard the interesting direction they took with the addition of Lia Braswell on drums and vocals that anyone trying to dislodge this record from my #1 spot would have to bring its A-game (as APTBS does at every live show). It’s dark, loud, creepy, and sinks deep into your brain when you hear it.
Thanks for all the views in 2018. A lot of good records are already slated for 2019: The Night Beats, the Chemical Brothers, the KVB, and (let’s hope) the Chromatics just to name a few.
Keep your mind open.
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