2018 Favorite Albums (25-21)

This week I countdown my top albums of 2018. Here are numbers 25-21:

25. Snail Mail - Lush

Lindsey Jordan, who writes and records under the moniker Snail Mail, writes pristine indie rock songs that shine and shimmer.



24. Unknown Mortal Orchestra - Sex & Food

If Prince had been in Tame Impala, he likely would have come up with a record as magical as Sex & Food. Going from psychedelic rave-ups, funk work outs, and intimate acoustic ballads with ease, Unknown Mortal Orchestra has crafted this years most compellingly odd pop record.



23. Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks - Sparkle Hard

There isn't a weak track on this record, which finds Malkmus finding the right balance between his ironic self musings and his gift for raucous experimentation. You can listen to the album here.

22. Chvrches - Love is Dead

While Chvrches may have buffed their sound to a high gloss sheen, they have not lost their ability to throw down some evocative lyrics along with earworm hooks.



21. Helena Deland - From the Series of Songs "Altogether Unaccompanied" Vols. I-IV

This group of EPs was astonishing in its breadth, moving effortlessly between singer-song writer confessional tracks to moody, atmospheric trip-hop inspired musings.

2018 Favorite Songs (10-1)

And finally, without further ado, my top ten favorite songs of the year:

10. Yves Tumor - "Licking an Orchid"



The dramatic centerpiece to Yves Tumor's masterful record Safe in the Arms of Love. Trip hop beats anchor simple acoustic guitar strains over pillowy synths before descending into oceans of squalling guitars. It's a wonderful exploration of the tension between the beautiful and ugly. It's mirrored in the evocative lyrics which explore a possible S&M relationship, with lines like “Some call it pain/Some call it torture/Baby I enjoy it."

9. Neneh Cherry - "Kong"



Produced by Four Tet and Massive Attack's 3D, Neneh Cherry's "Kong" draws you in closely with its elegant minimalism. Dubby bass, a simple hi-hat, and mournful strings are the simple backdrop to Cherry's aching voice.

8. Ness Nite - "Tightrope"



Ness Nite's tracks effortlessly blur the lines between electronica, R&B, and hip-hop. "Tightrope" is the perfect example.

7. Drake ft. Michael Jackson - "Don't Matter to Me"

A haunting Michael Jackson sample elevates this track to sublime perfection. You can listen to it here.

6. AlunaGeorge ft. Cautious Clay - "Superior Emotion"



This emotionally resonant track from AlunaGeorge will stay with you for days. Aluna Francis' touching vocal hits all the right spots.

5. Unknown Mortal Orchestra - "Hunnybee"



Sexy, slinky, funky, and a little bit goofy, "Hunnybee" was my favorite go-to get a smile on my face song this year. Trust me, you will succumb to its charms.

4. The Amazing - "Benson se Convirtio Completamente Furiosa"



Nine minutes of pure, achingly beautiful guitar soundscapes.

3. Gotts Street Park ft. Celeste - "Both Sides of the Moon (Live)"



You won't find a better vocal performance than this deeply emotional track. It's gut-wrenching.

2. Rosalia - "Malamente"



Rosalia's gorgeous modernization of flamenco is sublime.

1. Rufus Du Sol - "Underwater"



This was a pretty bad year for myself, and this song spoke so specifically to me. Its raw honesty and emotion is difficult to listen to, but impossible to turn away from.

Jam of the Day: Unknown Mortal Orchestra - "Hunnybee"

Seductive alt-pop track from Unknown Mortal Orchestra that makes you want to turn the lights down, light some candles, and get busy.

Videos of the Week

Here are the videos this week that made my cookies crumble:



While I am not a huge fan of The Shins, and I am not crazy about their newest song, I do like this video a lot.



More R&B smoothness from The-Dream.



Oddly hypnotic video from Blondes.



More weirdness, and by weirdness I mean awesomeness, from Unknown Mortal Orchestra.



This song is on constant repeat for me.



This clip from Tanlines is pretty darn cool, seeing as you can pan and scan around the clip using new 360 degree technology.

Videos of the Week

What a long week for a short work week. Ready for a nice quiet weekend. Here are the week's videos that dry humped my leg:



Sweet, electro-pop song from Class Actress.



Beautiful, emotional song from Perfume Genius with a very interesting, minimal video starring gay porn star Arpad Miklos.



First song and colorful, day-glo video from Santigold's sophomore album. I am still not sold on the song yet, but the video is interesting.



The Maccabees aren't something I would normally be into, but their new album Give Into The Wild has been on repeat on my iPod lately. Love this sweet, simple song.



I'm also enjoying the new album from Bombay Cycle Club.



Frenetic video from Modeselektor (or as my friends Mikey and Dan call them Model Selector and Modeskeletor, respectively).

UMO - Thought Ballune from Jordan Blady on Vimeo.

Completely weird video from Unknown Mortal Orchestra.

Videos of the Week

This has been one roller coaster of a week, and I am certainly glad it is almost over with. Here is the roundup of the latest videos that gay married me:



Airy chillwavers Sun Airway have released a new 7-inch and this is the video to accompany it. I really love their sound.



Day-glo, trippy video from the dark synth pop outfit Nurses.

EMA - Marked (official video) from Souterrain Transmissions on Vimeo.

Intense song from EMA gets a very visually striking video.



Great song off the new Girls album, with a video that is just plain fun and gets you in a good mood.



There is just something about the drum track on this song that makes me like it. Can't tell you why.



New track from Scotland's The Twilight Sad. I was concerned that their sound was stagnating, however, from this first track from their upcoming album, they are definitely heading in a slighly different direction. I love the new wave/proto-industrial feel to this song.



Super creepy video from dark popsters Wise Blood.

Videos of the Week

Here are the videos this week that have earwormed me:



Jay-Z and Kanye West collaboration gets a Spike Jonze directed video that is typical hip-hop blinged out nonsense, but is worth watching to see a $400K Maybach destroyed.



Gorgeous, evocative clip from nu-gazers I Break Horses.



A lonely, desolate video accompanies the first single from the upcoming sophomore release from Girls. The song and video are completely opposite of the low-fi shambolic recordings/videos from their debut.



More excellent mopery from The National. This song is featured in the video game Portal, and this is a contest winner's video for the song.



Low-fi psychedelic backbeat rockers Unknown Mortal Orchestra put together a suitably weird video to go with their retro sound. Slightly NSFW. Around the 2:30 mark are some breasts with blood trickling down them, just so you know.



Sort of "day-in-the-life" video from Pictureplane, if dropping acid and dancing on top of a Mexican pyramid is your idea of day in the life.