The playlist this week is a list of my top albums of 2018. These are just my personal favourites of the year. Some albums are on a lot of other lists and are very good albums but just didn’t quite make it for me. These tracks landed on my list this week but next week it may have looked a bit different. So this list is the 50 albums that I enjoyed the most this year as of today.
I had a list of about 87 albums and found that it was difficult for me to narrow down to 50. With a lot of listening and shuffling, I finally ended up with a solid playlist. They are mostly placed for playlist flow and not exact rated position in the list.
The beginning of the list are my top top picks with Jeremy Dutcher, Jean-Michel Blais, Foxwarren, Moonface, and U.S. Girls starting those off. The playlist continues with many more favourite albums. Some of my favourite artists such as Bonjay, We Are The City, Dan Mangan, and Fucked Up all had new albums out this year. Hubert Lenoir and Melissa Laveaux were a couple of my favourite new discoveries. Saskatchewan artists Belle Plaine and Colter Wall have great Americana/Country/Folk albums that are getting a lot of critical acclaim. Shad, Cadence Weapon, Grand Analog and Snotty Nose Rez Kids are representing for the hip hop/rap crew. I had more instrumental albums to enjoy again this year from Rich Aucoin, Chilly Gonzales, and Alexandra Streliski along with that Jean-Michel Blais album. There was definitely a nice range of music for me to listen to this year!
See my list below and listen to the playlist to find out what other albums made it to my best of list this year.
DarBar’s Top 50 Canadian Indie Albums of 2018
Jeremy Dutcher – Wolastoqiyik Lintuwakonawa
Jean-MIchel Blais – Dans ma main
Foxwarren – Foxwarren
Moonface – This One’s for the Dancer & This Ones for the Dancer’s Bouquet
U.S. Girls – In A Poem Unlimited
Bonjay – Lush Life
Shad – A Short Story About a War
YAMANTAKA//SONIC TITAN – Dirt
Suuns – Felt
We Are The City – AT NIGHT
Great Lake Swimmers – The Waves, The Wake
Rich Aucoin – Release
FOXTROTT – Mediatations I-II-III
For Esmé – Righteous Woman
Bahamas – Earthtones
Dan Mangan – More Or Less
Hubert Lenoir – Darlène
Melissa Laveaux – Radyo siwèl
Les Trois Accords – Beaucoup de plaisir
Galaxie – Super Lynx Deluxe
Fucked Up – Dose Your Dreams
Preoccupations – New Material
nêhiyawak – starlight
Marie Davidson – Working Class Woman
Jessie Reyez – Being Human in Public
Cadence Weapon – Cadence Weapon
Grand Analog – Survival
Snotty Nose Rez Kids – Snotty Nose Rez Kids
Colter Wall – Songs of the Plains
Belle Plaine – Malice, Mercy, Grief & Wrath
Donovan Woods – Both Ways
Charlotte Day Wilson – Stone Woman
Heavy Bell – By Grand Central Station
Lydia Képinski – Premier juin
Lowell – Lone Wolf
Ben Caplan – Old Stock
Michael Rault – It’s a New Day Tonight
Klaus – Klaus
Frog Eyes – Violet Psalms
POSTDATA – Let’s Be Wilderness
Born Ruffians – Uncle, Duke & The Chief
Tokyo Police Club – TPC
Arkells – Rally Cry
Jeen – Gift Shop
Coeur De Pirate – en cas de tempête, ce jardin sera fermé.
Dizzy – Baby Teeth
shy kids – In a State
Chilly Gonzales – Solo Piano III
Hannah Epperson – Slowdown
Alexandra Streliski – INSCAPE
What were your favourite albums of the year?
Hello
sssshhhhh, napping
Good morning!
Hellooooo
ZZZZZZZZzzzzzz what huh?
Hi people!
hello person
Yay people!
somebody woke me up
Sorry, you can go back to sleep now. I am working at the other studio today.
Let me know what your favourite album or song of the year was.
It seems I slept for over 12 hours … sorry to those who had to get up and go to work today.
I have some very dull chores to do today so I thank you for the glorious distraction of excellent music!
There are a number of albums we have in common this year like Charlotte Day Wilson, For Esme, Les Trios Accords, Great Lake Swimmers, Dan Mangan, Jean-Michel Blais, Bahamas and Hannah Epperson … keeping with my mellow theme for the year I spent quite a bit of time also listening to Dominique Fils-Aime, Elsiapie, Craig Cardiff and Sarah Neufeld. A single with more spunk that I quite enjoy is the Strumbellas, Salvation.
Great list morgana! I need to check out a couple of those. There are albums that were released later in the year that I need to spend more time with as well.
I can see that Dominique Fils-Aime has some eastern Canada shows in March and April so I’m wondering if that means new material …
I wish that I liked the latest GLS album better but without Miranda on the violin there is a gap that the synth just can’t fill. The TPC album is great but I am in a very mellow phase and it rattles my brain in a negative way right now.
Here comes the snow! The beginnings of a big storm has arrived.
Dominique F-A: indeed, album release Feb 22. A tour, if that, is embryonic (3 shows, of which 2 in Québec).
Hello B from O:)
Will you be attending any of the shows?
I would be thrilled if she made it west.
I absolutely loved the Great Lake Swimmers album. It had a bit more sounds of interest to my ear.
Too funny! I loved the previous GLS works for the layering of strings and of course Tony’s lyrics and voice.
Dar, I’ll keep an eye out for more shows. Right now, all 3 in Québec (not 2, as I said above).
I am heading out for a short walk in the snow before it gets dark. I took a longer walk yesterday and my hands are sore from grabbing the walking sticks.
anybody out there?
Somewhere out there.
beneath the pale moon light?
Exactly! Ha!
I am working at the other studio this morning. Brutally cold in Saskatchewan today.
I thought it was always tropical over there
it’s only 27 below zero (I felt cold just typing that)
We made the drive to get our kid from her beau’s yesterday. We passed seven accidents! The good part about spending the day in the car was listening to CBC all day:) A favourite was a repeat but I had not heard it before so https://www.cbcmusic.ca/posts/18583/my-playlist-with-basia-bulat
Listening to Strombo today
https://strombo.com/radio/
Thanks for the Strombo link. I think I will give that a listen as well!
I am glad you made it home safe and sound morgana.
Garf it is going to be even colder tonight. I feel bad for people trying to get to New Year’s Eve parties. I will head to Steve’s and just stay. A few people might show up there but I wouldn’t blame them if they bail on us.