Best Albums Of 2018 Half Way Point

This right here are my favorite albums of the year so far. Take a listen to the playlist and check out the highlights of the year below!

Definitely the best thing this band has done. They have shed any kind of power pop leanings and indie rock tropes in favor of weirdo lounge crooner music. A huge step up and in the right direction for this band.

Arctic Monkeys-Tranquility Base Hotel + Casino(Domino)

Genre: Psychedelic Pop, Art Rock, Piano Rock, Lounge, Neo Psychedelia

Some people are probably going to complain that the somber slower songs outnumber the fast catchy ones. I thought I would be in the same camp. I'm not, this is her most mature outing yet. The slow songs have an emotional resonance that was hiding under the surface on her earlier material. The faster songs are even catchier and this might be her most focused album so far.

Courtney Barnett-Tell Me How You Really Feel(Mom + Pop, Milk!, Marathon)

Genre: Indie Rock, Singer/Songwriter, Garage Rock

Not much more to say about this album aside from the fact that's another slice of brutal metal from The Body. If you don't like heavy music than stay far far away. If you like heavy then the entrance is right through here.

The Body-I Have Fought Against It, But I Can't Any Longer(Thrill Jockey)

Genre: Death Industrial, Drone Metal, Post-Industrial, Neo Classical Darkwave, Power Electronics

This is where things take a weird turn for this project. The project's concept is that The Caretaker has come down with Alzheimer's and the 6 albums from this project chronicle the decent into the disease until death. This is the one where things take a dark turn and he starts to warp the sound that was at once familiar into new sonic territories meant to mirror a decent into insanity. This is where things start to get interesting.

The Caretaker-Everywhere At The End Of Time, Stage 4(History Always Favours The Winners)

Genre: Turntable Music, Sound Collage, Noise, Dark Ambient, Drone, Glitch, Ambient, British Dance Band

Super political? Check. Super angry? Check. Some of the best political punk rock to come out in years? Absolutely! This is not to be missed if you are pissed off about the current state of affairs. Is this coming from the mind of an anarchistic 20 something? Nope. It's coming from a music veteran(played guitar on all the great Tom Waits Island years albums) in his 60s.

Ceramic Dog-YRU Still Here?(Northern Spy)

Genre: Experimental Rock, Art Rock

Yet another great slice of experimental hip hop weirdness from these California assholes. Interesting twists and turns are to be found everywhere. This time it seems they let a lot more pop sounds in. Not pop song structure. Pop sounds. They got the director of Shrek 1 and 2 to guest and they got the ever elusive Justin Chancellor of Tool to play bass. This shit kicks!

Death Grips-Year Of The Snitch(Third Worlds)

Genre: Experimental Hip Hop, Abstract Hip Hop, Industrial Hip Hop, Noise Rock, Synth Punk, Glitch Hop, Experimental Rock, Electro-Industrial

A fantastic debut from a brand new punk band, easily one of the best punk releases of the year!

Chill Parents-Hail ACAB(Self Released)

Genre: Punk, Hardcore

Another nice slice of Americana from this up and coming musician. I highly recommend going to see him live, he will blow your socks off.

Kyle Craft-Full Circle Nightmare(Sub Pop)

Genre: Pop Rock, Southern Rock

For those who want a little more out of their Nikki Minaj's and Cardi B's. This is strong raunchy female rap done right. This is some brutal shit and her flow is infinitely better than all of her contemporaries. This shit is not to be missed if you are a fan of Hip Hop. She does the overdone trap beats right.

Cupcakke-Euphorize(Self Released)

Genre: Hardcore Hip Hop, Trap Rap, Pop Rap, Hip House, Conscious Hip Hop, Drill, Experimental Hip Hop

Absolutely brutal power electronics with absurd vocals over the top. This is extremely aggressive music from the lead singer of Stabscotch(who took the #2 spot of the best albums of 2017). Highly recommended for those who love a little hate in their music.

DIZAYGA-Anthrocide: Exit By Accented Figures(Self Released)

Genre: Power Electronics, Noise, Experimental Rock

He returns to form after a very lackluster album(Pure Comedy). He returns to the simplistic yet addictingly melodic songs of his other 2 albums. The humor and wit is back into his writing with a sense of empathy that was lacking in his other releases. Gone is the overblown pompous ego and in it's place is a return to his funny self-mocking ego of previous albums. This is the opposite of "Pure Comedy" and the album succeeds greatly from this fact.

Father John Misty-God's Favorite Customer(Sub Pop)

Genre: Singer/Songwriter, Chamber Pop, Piano Rock, Chamber Folk, Indie Rock, Indie Pop

This is it! This is the final Frog Eyes album. It's another solid entry into their airtight discography. I will be sad to see them go and you should definitely catch them on their last tour before they say goodbye. They had a good run and end it on a high note which is no exception to their entire career. R.I.P.

Frog Eyes-Violet Psalms(Paper Bag)

Genre: Indie Rock, Art Rock

His darkest and weirdest album yet. It's a concept album about a world in which humans can opt into a surgery where you can literally become an angel. It's a metaphor for gender identity and it's effect on society.

Ezra Furman-Transangelic Exodus(Bella Union)

Genre: Indie Rock, Noise Pop, Art Pop, Glam Rock, Power Pop, Heartland Rock

Well at this point I might just have to call myself a fanboy of these guys. Once again they push the envelope of common decency and promote a world onto us that is truly insular. There are inside jokes I think I get(im probably wrong). There's weird little tough love inspirational lyrics(which I love). Just all around weirdness. They also embrace Hip Hop in a way that's both completely disrespectful yet totally legitimate at the same time.

The Garden-Mirror Might Steal Your Charm(Epitaph/Burger)

Genre: Experimental Rock, Art Punk, Post-Punk, Experimental Hip Hop, Zolo, Synth Punk, Rap Rock

Super varied and all over the place all while remaining to be a solid alt rock throwback post punk beast. There is something for everyone in these 19 tracks.

Goat Girl-Self Titled(Rough Trade)

Genre: Punk Blues, Indie Rock, Post-Punk, Garage Punk

The dorkiest album on this list by a long shot. I honestly can't tell if this is one big joke or if it's just totally serious. It doesn't really matter when the music inside is so good. This is pop for pop's sake. This is bubblegum to an irritating degree. But I like to champion extremes and this is very extreme.

Go Kart Mozart-Mozart's Mini Mart(West Midlands)

Genre: Indie Pop, Synthpop, Novelty

Blistering return from these garage greats. I was expecting something good but definitely not something this good, this thing zips by at a cheetah's pace. The cover is absolutely ridiculous btw.

Hot Snakes-Jericho Sirens(Sub Pop)

Genre: Garage Punk, Post-Hardcore

Kind of like if Death Grips and more experimental Hip Hop in general embraced elements of pop rap(trap) and came out the other side super pissed off. This guy has a vision and he knows what he's doing and he doesn't give one shit if you are on board or not, he's coming to get you anyways.

JPEGMAFIA-Veteran(Deathbomb Arc)

Genre: Glitch Hop, Experimental Hip Hop, Industrial Hip Hop, Political Hip Hop, Trap Rap, Cloud Rap, Abstract Hip Hop, East Coast Hip Hop

Another surprise from yet another old school musician. This is one of his hardest hitting albums and a nice little slice of classic IDM in the age of fluff.

Meat Beat Manifesto-Impossible Star(Flexidisc)

Genre: IDM, Ambient Dub, Industrial Techno

The best mambo album you'll hear all year. Maybe the only mambo album you hear all year. How funny that the best album Daptone has released in years would be this amazing album. Totally unexpected and totally out of left field. This one is perfect for hot summary backyard BBQs. So fire up that grill and pop this sucker on and pour yourself some tropical drinks and have a blast!

Orquesta Akokan-Self Titled(Daptone)

Genre: Latin Jazz, Mambo

A very dark and creepy album from this country pseudo veteran who exited the music scene and went back to her home country of Canada. She quit the "biz" for a while and teamed up with the incredible duo Steelism(who had a pretty high up spot on my list for last year) and created what I feel sonically is a cousin to Neko Case's masterpiece "Blacklisted". For fans of steel guitars and dark and stormy nights.

Lindi Ortega-Liberty(Shadowbox)

Genre: Gothic Country, Americana

This was a huge improvement over the last album. Although he has less tracks here to mess up his legacy he takes the opportunity to pare down his sound and add a nice Hip Hop kind of bounce to his music. Making this his most immediate release. The beats a dubby and the vocal melodies are some of his best. I just wish he would let us put this all on our ipods, as of now this one is strictly vinyl only and he's got the web sheriff working overtime to keep the tracks offline. Admirable, I guess, but definitely still annoying since this is one of the best things to ever come out of the Animal Collective camp.

Panda Bear-A Day With The Homies(Domino)

Genre: Neo Psychedelia, Alternative Dance, Psychedelic Pop, Indietronica

While not the best Parquet Courts album(that would be "Light Up Gold") this might just be their most fun. This is a crazy dance party that everyone should check out. Dangermouse's production is nothing revelatory it's not too shabby either. Definitely work checking out if you are a fan of the band.

Parquet Courts-Wide Awake!(Rough Trade)

Genre: Art Punk, Indie Rock, Post-Punk, Dance Punk

Super solid release from a couple of industry greats in the form of Royce Da 5'9" and DJ Premier. Any other year this would just be a solid hip hop release but in this quagmire of garbage we have been fed this year with the so called Hip Hop world this shines like a bright star in it's callback to the days of yesteryear.

PRhyme-PRhyme 2(PRhyme)

Genre: Hardcore Hip Hop, Boom Bap

The best Hip Hop album of the year so far? You betcha. This one is absolutely hilarious. It's a send up of all the overblown bullshit people supposedly care about. They lampoon everyone who crosses their path, from the state of hip hop and racism to what's "expected" from them in the great wonderfully shitty music industry. With guest appearances from Damon Che, Nick Offerman and Hannibal Buress one might think this is a joke, but I get the feeling that this shit's as serious as a heart attack.

Quelle Chris and Jean Grae-Everything's Fine(Mello Music Group)

Genre: Abstract Hip Hop, Conscious Hip Hop, Experimental Hip Hop, Jazz Rap

Once again, Ras G trips out and we benefit from it. The concept on this album is very convoluted and somewhat of an afterthought to the music contained within. This is instrumental Hip Hop at it's most "out there".

Ras G-Stargate Music(Leaving)

Genre: Experimental Hip Hop, Instrumental Hip Hop

My favorite Alt-Country album of the year so far. Her voice has a welcoming quality to it that isn't so easy to come by these days. The music is country with a punk attitude and we are all the better for it.

Sarah Shook And The Disarmers-Years(Bloodshot)

Genre: Alt Country, Honky Tonk

A crazy experimental album that pulls from many aspects of traditional middle eastern music while simultaneously thumbing it's nose at tradition. She really knocked it out of the park in the blending of the two extremes between established culture and expansive expression.

Nadah El Shazly-Ahwar(Nawa)

Genre: Art Pop, Arabic Pop, Avant-Garde Jazz

While this isn't anything close to their legendary album Dopesmoker, this is indeed a very welcome return. This still blows away a lot of current metal and a lot of all other current music. A lot of people were disappointed in this but after 15 years of not releasing an album I am perfectly fine with this slab of stoned out metal.

Sleep-The Sciences(Southern Lord)

Genre: Stoner Metal, Doom Metal

Hands down the best jazz album of the year. Excellent stuff from a band that shares members with the forward thinking afro futurist Melt Yourself Down. This takes that sound and pushes it closer to jazz to honor some of the important women in their lives.

Sons Of Kemet-Your Queen Is A Reptile(Impulse!)

Genre: Afro Jazz, Dub, Jazz Funk, Afro Beat, Jazz Poetry

The Zippers lose all of their original members aside from 1 singer and the original drummer and churn out one of their best. This is easily their darkest and creepiest album. As it should be! The thing is a concept album about New Orleans! Get weird with this one!

Squirrel Nut Zippers-Beasts Of Burgundy(Southern Broadcasting)

Genre: Swing Revival, Dixieland

Wow! A shocking return for a band I had completely written off in their later years return phase. This one really kicks and zips by at a furious pace. If you are looking for ass kicking indie rock that harkens back to all that was good about the 90s music scene, well then this one's for you!

Superchunk-What A Time To Be Alive(Merge)

Genre: Indie Rock, Pop Punk

There is a little shit band I used to know called the Mowgli's. They are twee pop that sounded like it was made for Kidz Bop. It sounded like it was made for the Prius generation. It was posivibes for the kidz to the max. This is not that. This is what would happen if the Mowgli's actually made music for adults and used advanced musical techniques and styles to do it. Similar, but totally different.

Superorganism-Self Titled(Domino)

Genre: Indietronica, Glitch Pop, Neo Psychedelia, Indie Pop, Twee Pop

These guys keep getting better and better and weirder and weirder and I'm definitely along for the ride. It's experimental art rock with a soul. It's gallery bullshit with actual feeling. They suck all the clinical garbage out of the art scene and vomit it all back up for the common person.

Suuns-Felt(Secretly Canadian)

Genre: Experimental Rock, Art Rock, Neo Psychedelia, Indietronica

What's not to love about a genre crossing middle finger at the pop establishment mash up album in 2018? This takes the piss out of all the current crap riding the billboard charts right now and spits it back in the face of the listeners. I'm down.

Eric Taxxon-Punk(Self Released)

Genre: Plunderphonics, Mashup, Satire, Sound Collage, Glitch, IDM, Breakcore

So far, this is the best album of the year out of Austrailia. This has members of The Drones and a couple other Austrailian bands I hadn't heard of. This is the album Nick Cave wished he could make right now. It's dark post punk at it's best and should not be missed.

Tropical Fuck Storm-A Laughing Death In Meatspace(Tropical Fuck Storm/Mistletone)

Genre: Punk Blues, Art Punk, Noise Rock, Psychedelic Rock, Post-Punk, Experimental Rock

Great return from Julian and company. Vast improvement over the muddiness of the last album. He got a little weirder and a lot poppier since the last time out and it's a huge improvement.

The Voidz-Virtue(RCA/Cult)

Genre: Art Rock, Hypnagogic Pop, Experimental Rock, Synthpop, Noise Pop, Alternative Dance, Neo Psychedelia, Synth Punk

A lot of people hate this album. Yes it is weird. Yes it's a bit difficult. Yes it can be hard and awkward to listen to. But think of all the things it isn't. It isn't adhering to awful current rock music trends. It isn't adhering to awful current pop music trends. He isn't giving the people they album they wanted to hear, he gave them the album he wanted to make. That's the definition of art vs. product. He chose art. I choose this album.

Jack White-Boarding House Reach(Third Man)

Genre: Blues Rock, Experimental Rock, Art Rock, Singer/Songwriter