A lucky seven categories, but more than seven bands. What a world!
BEST THING IN 2018 MENTIONED ON LAST YEARS LIST: Lee “Scratch” Perry
I had the ticket in my hot little hand December and thought I would enjoy it, but wasn’t prepared for how great it was to see LSP in concert. [I wrote a little about it here.] I still smile when I think about it. Legend.
BEST FUNERAL: Mark E. Smith
Let’s agree up front that the death of MES in January was very sad news. He was The Fall, had a long and brilliant career, and was one of my favorite artists. That said, he did have a bit of a reputation as a curmudgeon, known for fighting (sometimes even on stage) with and frequently replacing band members. So reports that fisticuffs broke out at his funeral seemed both appropriate and humorous to long-time followers. RIP MES.
BEST OPENING ACTS: Shy Boys and Ohmme
You never know what you’ll get with opening bands, but I saw two really good ones this year. Shy Boys drove from Kansas City to open for Fleet Foxes at an outdoor show I attended in the spring. Their musical approach reminded me a bit of the Minutemen in that their songs were often on the shorter side, and they didn’t seem overly concerned with genre labels – just with performing good tunes. More recently I got to enjoy Chicago’s Ohmme, who opened for Iron & Wine. Ohmme is a three piece and their two guitarists blended their voices and instruments dreamily. The headliners at both shows were pretty dang good too, but bonus points for the opening acts.
BEST ALBUM THAT IS OVER A DECADE OLD THAT I JUST HEARD THIS YEAR: “Love International” by Kokolo
Sometimes I miss a band or an album when they are new. Sometimes it takes me a few months or a couple years or (ahem) a decade to catch up. Enter Kokolo. Not sure how I ended up playing “Love International” as I knew nothing about it, but one day I was (half) listening to this album for the first time while doing other things. I enjoyed the groove of their Afrobeat-based songs immediately, but I was still focused elsewhere. That is, until I caught a lyric that seemed to quote a Clash tune. I wondered to myself if it was coincidental or meant as a tribute. And then I heard the next line and realized it was a cover of “The Magnificent Seven.” Now they had my full attention, and this full album is magnificent. I hope Kokolo can forgive my tardiness.
BEST ACTUAL 2018 RELEASES I LISTENED TO: Check out this half-dozen
Despite ample evidence in this list to the contrary, I do listen to some new music when it’s released too…honest. Here are some things I liked this year. Are they the best six records of the year? Who knows; who cares. I just know they’re all really good:
– Superchunk “What a Time to be Alive” – A feisty state-of-the-nation bulletin. Play it loud then hit the streets.
– The Spirit of the Beehive “Hypnic Jerks” – Hard to describe this one in a sentence; lots of it sounds slightly off-kilter, but it’s a weird and wonderful journey.
– Tenderlonious “The Shakedown” – Modern mellifluous jazz.
– Sleaford Mods “Sleaford Mods” EP – Typical very mellow offering from…haha…no way. I’m not too objective when it comes to these guys. I love everything they do, and this one measures up to their high standards.
– No Age “Snares Like a Haircut” – Not only is the title great, but the noisy guitar and song hooks are awesome. It’s been a few years for No Age; worth the wait.
– Shame “Songs of Praise” – Modern take on post-punk, I guess? This noisy debut album blesses us with its presence.
BEST MUSIC BY A MUSICIAN I KNOW PERSONALLY: Kaladin Quintet
I’ve mentioned my son Rhombus on these pages. He inherited an excellent taste in music from his parents and he’s also a very talented musician (although we have no idea where that came from – probably all the practicing!). Regardless, this year he got together with some of his talented friends (sometimes as a quartet, sometimes as a quintet, and sometimes, believe it or not, as a quintic polynomial-tet) and they released a jazz EP called “Apropos of Nothing.” The tunes are really great and really catchy, and before you accuse me of parental bias, check it out for yourself and I think you’ll agree.
BEST 50th ANNIVERSARY: “S.F. Sorrow” by The Pretty Things
Hard to believe (at least to me) that this album is 50 years old. It’s credited by many as the first rock opera, and it’s a psychedelic gem. The story itself is not a happy one for the most part, but the music is excellent. Many think it was an inspiration for “Tommy” (although The Who deny it). I, in turn, wonder if The Pretty Things were inspired by The Dukes of Stratosphear; we may never know who inspired whom. Reading about this 50th anniversary pointed me to yet another album I hadn’t heard before. Philippe DeBarge (always fabulously described as “French playboy”) basically hired The Pretty Things to help him make an album. The result was released as “Rock St. Trop” about 40 years after it was recorded. The back story sounds like it could lead to a music disaster, but not so. It’s very 1969, but surprisingly good.
That’s a wrap on a crazy and often troubling year. But at least the world got to celebrate one pillar of stability this year – the 25th anniversary of the European Single Market. Oh wait, I forgot…Brexit. Oh well, at least there’s always lots of great music to see us all through. Cheers.