Top Albums and Songs of 2018

“Music is a language that doesn’t speak in particular words. It speaks in emotions, and if it’s in the bones, it’s in the bones.” ― Keith Richards

Music is in my bones.  Throughout my life two things - always - have given me solace. First- my children. Second - music.  Regardless of the sadness and tragedy and injustice of life I have always been saved by my kids and my songs.  This year, of course, was no exception. 

If you follow my blog you know I'm a Roots/Americana fan. Americana is hard to specifically define - Wikipedia describes it as, "Americana is an amalgam of American music formed by the confluence of the shared and varied traditions that make up the musical ethos of the United States, specifically those sounds that are merged from folk, country, blues, rhythm and blues, rock and roll, gospel, and other external influences".  Fair enough. I''ll just say this - the sound of Americana resonates deeply in me and is, "in my bones".

While the following list is the albums I purchased this year and reflect that Americana emphasis I am, in general, a fan of all music with the notable exception of popular "Country Music" and "Contemporary Pop" which I find  abominable and superficial and useless (not that I have strong opinions or anything).  

The following is a list of the albums I purchased this year listed by release date. Please note, because I am a supporter of musical artists I do not stream music but, in order to acknowledge the musicians with my wallet, I purchase each album.  I do, admittedly, often use YouTube to preview music that I may want to purchase.  Also, I am constantly updating my older music and that is not reflected here (my classic Blues catalog expanded exponentially this year!). 

OK - enough introduction. Here's the NEW music that I considered for my Top 10 list:

1. Ruby Boots- Don't Talk About It
2. First Aid Kit - Ruins
3. Jeff Rosenstock - POST-
4. Ryan Bingham - Ryan Bingham Live 
5. Tracy Grammer - Low Tide
6. I'm With Her - Overland
7. Sunny War - Under the Sun
8. Calexico - The Thread That Keeps Us
9. Courtney Barnett- Tell Me How You Really Feel
10. Brandi Carlile - By The Way, I Forgive You
11. Caleb Caudle - Crushed Coins 
12. Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats - Tearing At The Seams
13. Courtney Marie Andrews - May Your Kindness Remain
14. Don Flemons - Black Cowboys
15. Lindsay Lou & The Flatbellys - Southland
16. Mipso- Edges Run
17. John Prine - Tree of Forgiveness
18. The Record Company - Life To Fix
19. Florence & The Machine - High As Hope
20. Lake Street Dive - Free Yourself Up
21. Ry Cooder - The Prodigal Son
22. American Aquarium - Things Change
23. Dave Alvin & Jimmie Dale Gilmore - Downey to Lubbock
24. Jayhawks - Back Roads and Abandoned Motels
25. Amanda Shires - To the Sunset
26. Marianne Faithfull - Negative Capability 
27. Amos Lee- My New Moon
28. Alejandro Escovedo - The Crossing 
29. Steph Jenkins - End to End
30. Elvis Costello - Look Now
31. John Hiatt - Eclipse Sessions
32. The Interrupters - Fight the Good Fight
33. Bad Jacket- Back Again
34. Amy Helm - This Too Shall Light
35. Various Artists - Muscle Shoals: Small Town, Big Sounds
36. Joe Strummer - Joe Strummer 101
37. Robbie Fulks & Linda Gail - Wild! Wild! Wild!
38. Becky Warren -Undesirable
39. Brother Brothers - Some People I Know
40. Jason Isbell - Live from the Ryman
41. Rosanne Cash - She Remembers Everything
42. The War and Treaty -Healing Tide
43. Chuck Prophet - Bobby Fuller Died For Your Sins
    

The List

I'll also list the music that I played most often in 2018 but here are my choices for the Best of 2018. Ranking is a pain and wrong for a lot of reasons - all of the albums above are good - the following simply resonated most deeply for me on a personal level.

1. Brother Brothers - Some People I Know - this will probably not make any critics lists, since it is a bit obscure and new,  but it is powerful and hits me right in the heart with songs that feel like like they're written for me. 
2. John Prine - Tree of Forgiveness
3. Dave Alvin & Jimmie Dale Gilmore -Downey to Lubbock
4. Ry Cooder - The Prodigal Son
5. Elvis Costello - Look Now 
6. The Jayhawks - Back Roads and Abandoned Motels 
7. Calexico - The Thread That Keeps Us
8. Nathaniel Rateliff - Tearing At The Seams 
9. Rosanne Cash - She Remembers Everything
10. Alejandro Escovedo - The Crossing

I'd have included the Joe Strummer collection but it doesn't really qualify as "new music". In addition, a new album that is coming out next year by Mandolin Orange looks like it will be fantastic but I can't include it yet  - I've downloaded 2 of the early release songs that are magnificent - (Check out Golden Embers!). 

Ok - now - here are the new songs I've listened to the most this year:

1. Summer's End - John Prine
2. Everbody Knows - Jayhawks
3. Goodbye Ol' Silver - Brother Brothers
4. Don't Talk About It - Ruby Boots 
5. Unwanted Number - Elvis Costello
6. People Change - Mipso
7. Billy the Kid and Geronimo - Dave Alvin and Jimmie Dale Gilmore
8. I'd Rather Go Blind - Grace Potter (from Muscle Shoals)
9. You Must Unload - Ry Cooder
10. Flores y Tamales - Calexico
11. You Worry Me - Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats
12. Hunger - Florence & The Machine
13. Every Time I Hear That Song - Brandi Carlile
14. 8 Gods of Harlem - Rosanne Cash
15. She's Kerosene - The Interrupters
16. Hey Mama - Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats
17. 9/10 - Jeff Rosenstock 
18. Something More Than Free - Jason Isbell (Live)
19. Daffodil Days - Tracy Grammer 
20. The World is On Fire - American Aquarium
21. Outlaw For You - Alejandro Escovedo
22. Healing Tide - The War and Treaty 
23. Bad Year for Rock and Roll - ​Chuck Prophet
24. Texas Easy Street - Don Flemons
25. Go There Alone - Lindsay Lou and the Flatbellys

Ok! I've made my list.  Agree? Disagree? Want to share some great music that I haven't listed (or maybe even heard)? Leave a comment.  Better yet - make your own list!