Hey Boston and beyond.
This year was my first 2018 so keep that in mind if I sound like I was new to 2018 (I was!). First, I’m gonna go month by month through my musical moments of 2018 and then we’ll get into my 15 best albums of 2018.
Alrigggghtttttt childreeeeen, here we goooo….
January
So the year started out pretty regular and stuff. Y’know it was cold and it snowed and it was bullshit. I tried this technique of pretending I was on an extended vacation in Norway as a last-ditch attempt at mental winter escapism.
That didn’t work for long.
After that, I just played this song on repeat and pretending I lived on a boat in the Caribbean. It reminded me of a bunch of pirates dancing on a boat deck.
not a bad mental image.
February
Cool. January’s shitty sequel, February. What happened in this month…. hmmm…
Oh yea.
So I tried embracing this godforsaken climate and went skiing in Vermont. That was a pretty decent time until this horrible tourist trap of a restaurant called the Wobbly Barn made me pay 35 bucks for soggy-ass chicken pot pie.
Anyways, I thought this song was pretty great.
March
Okay. So March wasn’t half bad. Did some hiking, went to Portland, and did some alone-time crying to Call Me By Your Name in the back of the Somerville Theater.
Also was introduced to Neck. Fucking Neck. Spooky ass music that makes my spine tingle with uncertain emotion.
April
So this is the good month. The birthday month. The month where snow usually leaves us.
So I had a whole crew of Vermont pals come down to Boston to see Ought at the Sinclair. Fantastic post punk band. One of those bands that I use to compare other lesser bands to and wonder, “Jeeeeezzz! Why are you so lazy?? Just make good music like Ought fer fuck’s sake.”
May
The best month. The month where I can breathe out of my nose again. Played some soccer with my pals, went to Waking Windows in VT, but dear reader, the highlight of May was getting 4 people to play this song (see below) at the same through their phones. You should definitely try it sometime.
June
Don’t get my wrong. 2018 was the year of Kanye looking at 2016 Kanye, 2009 Kanye, and 2005 Kanye and saying “yooooooo. Hold my Yeezy’s. Watch this.”
The dude was a major ass face this year.
THAT BEING SAID…….
While ‘Ye’ was hands down his worst album since Graduation, his Kid Cudi collaboration Kids See Ghosts was right up my alley.
July
So July started out alright and then I got laid off. So that sucked.
But hey, the day after I went to Ireland for a week with my pal Nick. Sang Karaoke with some Venezuelans at our AirBnB, hit a tour bus, and lurked in some spooky monasteries. All in all a solid trip. The rental car stereo was either playing old episodes of Chapo Trap House or this super awesome Skee Mask album.
August
This month was grim. Sitting in a sweaty Somerville apartment with no AC applying to jobs I didn’t want. Probably the worst month of 2018 for me. Anyways, I won’t bore you with the details. Listened to some Cocteau Twins to chill me out though.
September
So September was pretty great aside from a couple small things (looking at you stolen bike) My college band and I played for the first time in 3 years at our friend Karla’s birthday party and I volunteered for Togetherfest for a week of super late club nights and hiked Mt Washington with some co-Hassle pals. Gonna Have to put the Madonna up on this now in reference to those great nights with Togetherfest
October
October’s like the May of Fall, ya hear? 2nd best month of the year hands down. Apple cider donuts, pumpkin shit, and dressing up at the end of it all? Deep down inside I’m basic as fuck. Gave Arca’s album ‘Mutant’ way too many listens this month. Just listen to this track and tell me it doesn’t slap.
November
Ummm… weird month. Don’t really remember much tbh. Went to NYC for bit to watch the marathon with Nick (see July), hosted my friend Derek for a beer event he was doing. I dunno, don’t look to my November for tales of excitement, mystery, and intrigue.
That being said… I remember this album because it rocked my socks.
December
Home boy got a job! After an exhausting four month stretch of sitting at my computer desk and having conversations with my roomie’s cat, I did it. This month, Rosalia’s new album soundtracked my rapture from the jaws of unemployment. Check it:
15 Best Albums of 2018:
15) The Voidz – Virtue
14) DJ Lilocox – Paz and Amor
13) Beach House – 7
12) Sons of Kemet – Your Queen is a Reptile…
11) Aphex Twin – Collapse EP
10) Nils Frahm – All Melody
9) – Sarah Davachi – Gave in Rest
8) Barker – Debiasing
7) Niagara – Apologia
6) Yves Tumor – Safe in the Hands of Love
5) Tirzah – Devotion
4) SOPHIE – OIL OF EVERY PEARL’S UN-INSIDES
3) Daughters – You Won’t Get What You Want
2) Proc Fiskal – Insula
1) Skee Mask – Compro
