Top 100 of 2018

Soooo...did I miss anything while I was gone? I've been putting this blog on the backburner the past few months as I acclimated to a new role and responsibilities in my day job. I'm trying to be better and keep this sucker up so in that spirit, let's wrap up 2018 the way I best know how. Here they are. The songs that provided me with inspiration and a soundtrack for another ride around the sun. 

My Spotify playlists:

Top 100 of 2018
Top 20 albums of 2018
Songs I listened to the most in 2018

1. All This Useless Energy – Jeff Rosenstock
   Punk and indie-rock polymath Jeff Rosenstock wasn't even on my radar when 2017 became 2018. That changed a few days later when I discovered Post-, Rosenstock's surprise New Year's Day release. This song, along with numbers 2-4, were all released in January and permanently lodged in my head through the summer. None more so than this cathartic rock blast that contains one of my favorite lyrics of the year, "I haven’t found the rhythm yet. To anchor down my life. I didn’t know I needed one. To hold me through the night." This song, and the rest of Post-, proved to be my anchor right out of the gate in 2018. I can only hope 2019 has an anchor this good waiting for me.
2. Baby I'm Bleeding – JPEGMAFIA "Peggy where you been at...?" Indeed. He's in my world now and if he keeps releasing glitch-rap bangers like this accessibly agro attack from his third album, "Veteran," he'll always have a spot on my Mixtape.
3. How to Socialise & Make Friends – Camp Cope
   There are lots of ways a song can hook you. Lyrics, voice, melody, chorus, the list goes on. According to my Last.FM scrobbles for 2018, this one did it all, getting 179 plays this year - over 20 more than its closest competitor, this list's number one, "All This Useless Energy."
4. Negative Space – Hookworms
   This was easily my dance jam for the year. Different than anything else I heard in 2018, it got over 100 plays (eighth most for me this year) which is pretty amazing for a dance track that is nearly seven minutes long. I spent a bunch of time with their album, Microshift, and was excited about future releases, but those aren't to be. Hookworms broke up this fall after their leader had some pretty gnarly allegations of abuse made against him. 
5. Heat Wave – Snail Mail
   Once in a while, a new voice emerges that completely captivates and dominates my headspace in an irreversible manner. Life-changing might be a bit strong, but Lindsay Jordan - aka Snail Mail - is such a voice and this song, obvious title and all, pulled down Summer Song of 2018 honors. It's been nice to see Snail Mail get some love on various critics' Best of 2018 lists. Lots of it was for "Pristine," but every now and then this song popped up on a list, which makes me smile to think that others who actually write about music for a living were as moved by "Heat Wave" as I was. And still am.
6. Scorpio Rising – Soccer Mommy
   Once in a while, two new voices emerge that completely...you get the point. In a music year dominated by women, Soccer Mommy captured my heart first with "Your Dog," then a month or two later with "Cool." Once I got around to discovering this gem of a 'love song,' I was already head over heels with Snail Mail's "Heat Wave" and couldn't imagine having two such similar, sun-kissed, sullen songs on repeat...these things usually cancel each other out and they both lose ear-time to something totally different or one of the two songs gives way to the other. This wasn't the case with "Scorpio Rising," a song that easily could have soundtracked a very emotional episode of Dawson's Creek 20 years ago. Scorpio demanded to be heard. With lyrics like, "With your love you want warmth and I'm somethin' colder. I'm putting your hands to her heart," it won't be forgotten anytime soon.
7. USA – Jeff Rosenstock
   Once in a great while, a new artist discovery ends up yielding two songs in my year-end top ten. Okay...that barely ever happens (except this year...see the Soccer Mommy songs above and below this entry), but somehow, the seven-and-a-half minutes of this song demanded to be played. And played...and played. It addresses the current political climate and the impact it has on how we look at friendships and pretty much everything. It's first three minutes or so, "USA" masquerades as a rock song, perhaps a minor 'rage' against the machine that is this country, before fading into repeated verses of "Now we're tired and bored, tired and bored, tired and bored..." That voice is temporarily silenced for the next few minutes, buried in dissonant noise until it returns, building momentum and erupting into a full-on protest mantra of "We're tired, we're bored, Et-tu USA..." A more perfectly parallel trajectory to the song's inspiration and source material couldn't have been conceived.
8. Your Dog – Soccer Mommy
   "I don't want to be your fucking dog." Those are the first eight words I heard from Soccer Mommy and they were more than enough to get my attention. As evidenced by the fact Soccer Mommy has three songs in my top 20 of the year, Sophie Allison is someone I look forward to hearing a lot more from in the years to come.
9. Little Dark Age – MGMT
   While MGMT says this is more in the vein of 80s synth-driven pop and the more accessible parts of their catalog, this still sounds pretty damn weird even for 2018. In the best possible way, of course. Another song inspired by these Trumpian times, "Little Dark Age" serves as social commentary without pummeling the listener over the head about the situation that influenced it. 
10. Ghost Town – Kanye West
    I've been a Ye fan since "Through The Wire." Sure he's evolved into the arrogant, shit-talking, narcissistic asshat we all know and loathe these days, but that doesn't diminish the fact he's still capable of greatness. The summer started with five weeks of releases featuring Kanye rapping, producing, or collaborating or all of the above. In that mess of publicity stunts, listening parties in the middle of nowhere, etc... came a few songs that rose above the hype and delivered the goods. None more so than this incredibly personal song featuring a mantra that's so 2018 it's painful...yes, literally. 
11. Full Control – Snail Mail
    Another standout from Snail Mail's excellent full-length debut, Lush. Have I mentioned I love Snail Mail?
12. Stir Fry – Migos
    Pharrell produced this jam-and-a-half from the threesome that's pretty much redefined popular rap in their own image the past couple of years. The result: your aunt half-twerking to a song about making crack cocaine. 
13. Seventeen – Tomberlin
14. When You Die – MGMT
15. How Simple – Hop Along
16. Alcohol – FIDLAR
17. Me & My Dog –  boygenius
    It's that thing where Wilson Phillips is reborn for 2018 as a female singer-songwriter Voltron. Julien Baker, Lucy Dacus, and Phoebe Bridgers all shine on the six songs they've given us thus far as boygenius, this particular track being the initial standout on a stellar EP. 
18. Everybody Wants To Be Famous – Superorganism
    How this song didn't find its way to a bigger audience - the one it deserves - is beyond me. If an internet meme could become a song, I'm pretty sure it would sound like this. 
19. Dive – Beach House
20. Cool – Soccer Mommy
21. This Is America – Childish Gambino
    From watercooler chat to viral videos, and everything in between, popular culture dictates the moments that (if only for a fleeting moment) define us as a people. The song and video became part of the discussion the instant they were released and both still hold up as some of the most interesting and important pieces of media this year.
22. 4th Dimension – KIDS SEE GHOSTS
    Kanye + Kid Cudi + Louis Prima sample = perfection.
23. Nice For What – Drake
    Keeping with my time-honored tradition of liking every ninth or so song that Drake releases, I really liked this one for a quick minute. Maybe it's the New Orleans bounce in the track or the omnipresent Lauryn Hill sample that drives this track. Both did their trick in keeping "Nice For What" in heavy rotation this past spring.
24. Turn Out the Lights – Julien Baker
25. Picture of Health – Muncie Girls
26. High Horse – Kacey Musgraves
    Country-disco from my personal favorite Dancing Queen of the Rodeo. Kacey, being said queen, landed three songs in my year-end top 40 and her damn-near perfect Golden Hour album was my pick for #3 album of the year. 
27. Lemon – N.E.R.D, Rihanna
28. 65th & Ingleside – Chance the Rapper
29. Bleeding – THICK
30. Kids See Ghosts – KIDS SEE GHOSTS
31. Point Of Demarkation – At The Drive In
32. APESHIT – The Carters
    Remember that time Queen Bey out-rapped Jigga Man? Check this song's three-minute mark for a refresher. Beyonce was the star of her and hubby Jay-Z's THE CARTERS and when she says "Get off my dick," you best listen. 
33. Too Real – FIDLAR
34. Fuck Yo Club (Bonus) – 'Lgado, Valee
    Bonus tracks are typically throwaway songs that really have no point on an album. That's the norm and I'm not saying this track isn't throwaway, but it resonated way more than any other song on 'Lgado's Nino Season did. It's not rocket science by any stretch, but it seemed like it would be a good filler jam while I waited for Kanye's weekly June releases. Life is funny. Turns out that "Fuck Yo Club" got more listens from yours truly than any song from a Kanye release this year; ten more plays than Kanye's most played track, "Ghost Town." 
35. Every 1's a Winner – Ty Segall
    The only cover song to make the list, prolific Ty Segall electrifies this seminal disco hit, infusing his garage-punk spirit into its every nook and cranny, especially the monster hook of the central riff. 
36. Slow Burn – Kacey Musgraves
37. Far Away Truths – Albert Hammond, Jr.
    It's highly likely that the Strokes will never make an album that grabs us by the leather jacket like Is This It did when it arrived (gasp) 17 years ago. It's a testament to the talent in the band that its members are still churning out solo projects that capture some of that turn-of-the-century magic displayed on the Strokes' first couple albums. Guitarist Albert Hammond, Jr last logged substantial ear time with me in 2006 with his single, "101" and returned this year for his first album since 2015.
38. Reverse (Ft. G-Eazy) – Vic Mensa, G-Eazy
39. Leave It In My Dreams – The Voidz
    The companion piece of sorts to Albert Hammond Jr.'s "Far Away Truths," The Voidz is Strokes singer Julian Casablancas' latest project, featuring a whole lot of WTF. Seriously, listen to 2018's Virtue with a very open mind. It also has the best Strokes song not recorded by the Strokes in "Leave It In My Dreams," 
40. Space Cowboy – Kacey Musgraves
    If you listen closely, you'll hear the sounds of hearts breaking as Kacey sings, "We had our day in the sun. When a horse wants to run, ain't no sense in closing the gate. So you can have your space, cowboy."
41. Charity – Courtney Barnett
42. Any Other Way – Tomberlin
43. Loading Zones – Kurt Vile
44. Only Acting – Kero Kero Bonito
    What pop music sounds like in  2018. The pop music that I listen to, at least. 
45. Wild Child – Shopping
46. Mo Bamba – Sheck Wes
47. Esther – The Hold Steady
    I love a good story. This song is one such example.
48. Hand It Over – MGMT
49. Chapel of Pines – Waxahatchee
50. December 24 – Earl Sweatshirt
    Four Decembers ago, D'Angelo returned out of nowhere with his surprise year-end release, Black Messiah. It was a Christmas gift from the music gods at the time and nothing released in the twelfth month of the year since has been on that level. Fast forward to now. Earl Sweatshirt has been in my orbit since Odd Future burst on to the scene nine years ago, but he's neverSome Rap Songs album, as 2018's expiration date drew near. Something tells me I'll be getting plenty of mileage out of both in the first weeks and months of 2019. 
51. Sleeve – Late Bloomer
52. Drunk In LA – Beach House
53. Death in Midsummer – Deerhunter
54. Feels Like Summer – Vince Staples
55. Can’t You See – FIDLAR
56. High (feat. Elton John) – Young Thug, Elton John
    Come for the iconic Elton John sample, stay for Young Thug's irresistible flow. 
57. I'll Make You Sorry – Screaming Females
58. No Going Back – Yuno
    Perfect. Pop. Song. Any questions?
59. Disappointing Diamonds Are the Rarest of Them All – Father John Misty
60. LOVEHAPPY – The Carters
61. Almost Had to Start a Fight/In and Out of Patience – Parquet Courts
62. Kong – Neneh Cherry
    Miss Buffalo Stance is still doing her thing. On this track, Neneh skews jazzy with mesmerizing results.
63. Shiggy – Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks
64. Whatever Comes to Mind – MorMor
65. Boy of Summer – Bat Fangs
66. Blood in Gutters – The Distillers
    Brody Dalle and company returned this year with a couple of singles - their first output in 15 years. This sounds as gritty and urgent as anything on Coral Fang or Sing Sing Death House. Dear Distillers: Please bring us more punk anthems like this in 2019. 
67. (You're Better) Than Ever – Illuminati hotties
68. Yikes – Kanye West
69. Grow into a Ghost – Swearin'
70. In My View – Young Fathers
71. Nameless, Faceless – Courtney Barnett
72. Soft Stud – Black Belt Eagle Scout
73. Hot Pink – Let's Eat Grandma
74. Peach – Slothrust
75. Loveline – Magic Wands
76. I Might Need Security – Chance the Rapper
    Where our hero, Chance, returns to proclaim he's bought local paper, The Chicagoist and to calls for the resignation of Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel. Welcome back, Chance. We missed you.
77. Middle America – Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks
78. Four Out Of Five – Arctic Monkeys
    Yes, AM is one of my favorite bands of the last 15 years. Yes, AM made a high-concept album about a lounge on the moon. And yes, despite my love of the band and the respect I have for them going outside (way outside) of their lane, I could only digest "Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino" in small bites. This particular morsel happened to taste the best.
79. Cut Yr Teeth – Kississippi
80. Fists of Fury – Kamasi Washington
    Nearly ten minutes of sax-driven jazz, courtesy of one of the new guard's best and brightest. 
81. Runnin' Outta Luck – Alex Cameron
82. Meateater – ALASKALASKA
83. I Dreamt We Spoke Again – Death Cab for Cutie
84. Bike Lane – Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks
85. Love Me Right – Amber Mark
    Unapologetic 90's R&B throwback track that simultaneously sounds retro and relevant. 
86. In My Dreams – Kali Uchis
87. Oreo – Rico Nasty
88. Bassackwards – Kurt Vile
89. We Appreciate Power – Grimes, HANA
    I only have two words for what I want out of 2019: More Grimes. 
90. Hot Summer – Gurr
91. T-Shirt – The Beaches
92. Natural – Tanukichan
93. Turn Around – Dungen, Woods
94. Elegance – Kilo Kish
95. Lucky 88 – Speedy Ortiz
96. My Contribution to This Scam – Jean Grae, Quelle Chris
97. SUPERDUPERKYLE (feat. MadeinTYO) – KYLE, MadeinTYO
98. Shirim – Melody's Echo Chamber
99. The Louder I Call, the Faster It Runs – Wye Oak
100. Duck Duck Goose – cupcakKe