Sunday, December 23, 2018

2018 jukebox

For my favourite albums of 2018, see here. For my favourite tracks from those albums, see below. There's a 52-track Spotify playlist here

This killer Chaka Khan track also qualifies for video of the year (hats off to rollerskating babe Helen Spitzer for the tip):




This was a zeitgeist mood-catcher, that I sang out loud to myself every day when I sat at my breakfast table to read the morning paper:



The rest, in alphabetical order:

Singled out (solid albums with one killer track that stands apart):
(note: these are not necessarily endorsement of the videos)


Bodega – “How Did This Happen?” from Endless Scroll



Calexico – “Another Space” from The Thread That Keeps Us All 


Neko Case: “Curse of the I-5 Corridor,” from Hell-On. (Also noted: she finally recorded her duet with Eric Bachmann on his “Sleep All Summer.”)



Cat Power: “Stay," from Wanderer.



Art d’Ecco: “Never Tell,” from Trespasser.





Fantastic Negrito – “Plastic Hamburgers” from Please Don’t Be Dead



Great Lake Swimmers – “The Talking Wind” from The Waves, the Wake


Sarah Harmer: “Just Get Here,” from The Al Purdy Songbook.





Kae Sun – “Treehouse” from Whoever Comes Knocking 



Lydia Kepinski – title track from Premier juin


John Orpheus: “Parachute,” from Goatlife EP.





Steven Page – “White Noise” from Discipline: Heal Thyself Part II



Sandro Perri – title track from In Another Life.




Robyn – "Missing U" from Honey.




Santigold – "Run the Road" from I Don't Want: The Goldfire Sessions




Sloan – “Right to Roam” from 12



The Sorority – “West End” from Pledge




Tracey Thorn – “Sister” from Record 



Kamasi Washington – “Fists of Fury” from Heaven and Earth





Key tracks from the best albums list:

U.S. Girls: “Pearly Gates” from In a Poem Unlimited




Low: “Dancing and Blood” from Double Negative



TuneYards: “ABC 123” from I Can Feel You Creeping Into My Private Life


Jeremy Dutcher: “Mehcinut” from Wolastoqiyik Lintuwakonawa 



Bonjay: “Ingenue” from Lush Life


Lotic: “Hunted” from Power


Dennis Ellsworth: “Cruel But Beautiful” from Things Change


Cadence Weapon: “My Crew (Woooo)” from s/t


Sons of Kemet: “My Queen is Harriet Tubman” from Your Queen is a Reptile


Anna Calvi: title track from Hunter


Janelle Monae: “Make Me Feel” from Dirty Computer


Hubert Lenoir: “Ton Hôtel” from Darlène


La Force: “TBT” from s/t


Neneh Cherry: “Kong” from Broken Politics


Fucked Up: “Normal People” from Dose Your Dreams


Zaki Ibrahim: “Cut Loose” from The Secret Life of Planets


Onyx Collective: “FDR Drive” from Lower East Side Part Three


Richard Reed Parry: “Song of Wood” from Quiet River of Dust Vol. 1


Rae Spoon: “Do Whatever the Heck You Really Want” from Bodiesofwater


Jack White: “Over and Over and Over” from Boarding House Reach


Angelique Kidjo: “Born Under Punches” from Remain in Light


Meshell Ndgeocello: “Sensitivity” from Ventriloquism


Alanis Obomsawin: “Odana” from Bush Lady


Prince: “Mary Don’t You Weep” from Piano & a Microphone 1983