top 50 albums - 2018

50. Young Fathers - Cocoa Sugar

49. George FitzGerald - All That Must Be

48. Santigold - I Don't Want: The Gold Fire Sessions

47. Maxo Kream - Punken

46. SAINt JHN - Collection One

45. Guerilla Toss - Twisted Crystal

44. No Age - Snares Like a Haircut

43. Kids See Ghosts - Kids See Ghosts

42. Behemoth - I Loved You at Your Darkest

41. John Prine - The Tree of Forgiveness

40. Denzel Curry - TA13OO

39. Snail Mail - Lush

38. Tierra Whack - Whack World

37. Rico Nasty - Nasty

36. Simian Mobile Disco - Murmurations

35. Amy Rigby - The Old Guys

34. Nicki Minaj - Queen

33. DJ Koze - Knock Knock

32. LSDXOXO - Body Mods

31. The Lovely Eggs - This is Eggland

30. Hookworms - Microshift

29. Slugdge - Esoteric Malacology

28. Sons of Kemet - Your Queen is a Reptile

27. ******** - The Drink

26. Elza Soares - Deus e mulher

25. Amnesia Scanner - Another Life

24. Voivod - The Wake

23. Imperial Triumphant - Vile Luxury

22. Bamba Pana - Poaa

21. Tropical Fuck Storm - A Laughing Death in Meatspace

20. Mount Eerie - Now Only

19. The Armed - Only Love

18. Rich Krueger - Life Ain't That Long

17. Panopticon - The Scars of Man on the Once Nameless Wilderness

16. Twin Shadow - Caer

15. Superchunk - What a Time to be Alive

14. Cupcakke - Ephorize

13. Idles - Joy as an Act of Resistance

12. Sophie - Oil of Every Pearl's Un-Insides

11. Anna von Hausswolff - Dead Magic

10. Blocks & Escher - Something Blue

9. Hamell On Trial - The Night Guy at the Apocalypse

8. A.A.L. (Against All Logic) - 2012-2017

7. HIRS - Friends. Lovers. Favorites.

6. Pusha T - Daytona

5. Rolo Tomassi - Time Will Die and Love Will Bury It

4. Rivers of Nihil - Where Owls Know My Name

3. Elysia Crampton - Elysia Crampton

2. Dance Gavin Dance - Artificial Selection

1. Janelle Monae - Dirty Computer

25 favorite songs - 2018

aal - "some kind of game"

anenon - "two for c"

awakebutstillinbed - "fathers"

elysia crampton - "oscollo"

cupcakke - "duck duck goose"

dance gavin dance - "flash"

elucid - "hyssop"

the ex - "four billion tulip bulbs"

hamell on trial - "aggie and the d.a."

anna von hausswolff - "the truth, the glow, the fall"

idles - "danny nedelko"

kids see ghosts - "reborn"

rich krueger - "ain't it so nice outside today"

let's eat grandma - "i will be waiting"

lil wayne - "mess"

maxo kream - "pop another"

nicki minaj - "chun swae" (ft. swae lee)

janelle monae - "americans"

playboi carti - "long time"

rivers of nihil - "capricorn / agoratopia"

rolo tomassi - "a flood of light"

saint jhn - "some nights"

simian mobile disco - "caught in a wave" (ft. deep throat choir)

superchunk - "dead photographers"

twin shadow - "littlest things"

2018 pt. 18+19+19.4

Behemoth - I Loved You at Your Darkest 

*******HIGHEST RECS*******

Not sure I could name a name broadcasting Satanism more earnestly and large-scale than Behemoth chieftain Nergal. His growls perpetually powerful and snarls always spiteful, metal that's severe and colossal but suitable for stadiums or symphonies -- a commixture of carnage and speed and class that's acute enough to make you consider conversion. Seemingly resting on their laurels a bit here tho, laudable laurels they may be; perhaps guilty simply of not possessing the insistent impact of its predecessor. But hey, they've even got the kids-n-choirs involved. And what aspiring atheist hasn't gotten a kick outta replacing prayer's 'heaven's with 'hell's? Now they just get to hear it roared atop some sincere+epic fury. 7.5/10

Guerilla Toss - Twisted Crystal
*******HIGHEST RECS*******

Thus continues their recent streak of records that are irresistibly intriguing yet as wholes seem weirdly truncated or not quite fully-formed. But since trading in much of the dirty+difficult din for a dancier poppier demeanor their stylistic palette is a thing to behold -- a fun fusion of punk-funk groove and synthy psychedelic oomph that's catchy and curious, full-a perk and vague absurdity, layers squooshy and massive, loud yet light-hearted, boisterous yet candied. Kassie Carlson's vox being the cutesy android icing on the wacky-cake; oft wavering between near-nursery rhyme and straight talking. 7.5/10

Joey Purp - Quarterthing

*******HIGHEST RECS*******

Can't help but pine for some more personality comin' from Purp, but his adaptability and confidence and vigor go far; not to mention being backed+boosted by one of the best beat-batches in recent hip-hop memory. Love when he mad-dog mocks his peers' mania for materialism even though he's guilty of draggin' on about it too; appreciate his ability to go from grateful-yet-distressed gospel guy to aggro dealer dude to freaky funk-house dabbler to stupidly catchy stupor victim; on the fence about a majority of the songs lasting less than three minutes. 7.5/10

Spiritualized - And Nothing Hurt

*******HIGHEST RECS*******

Sure he recycles quondam ideas and conveys a rather questionable commixture of mumblin' young'un down-n-outer and 52-year old who continues to call himself a lonely rock-n-roller and still wants to hit the road with you, baby -- guy's taken with kids btw. But above all else Jason Pierce is superb at soaring his self-indulgent sadness into the stratosphere; "wasted / faded / uneducated / doing the best that he can" with a propensity for buildups and the symphony. Acknowledging the ability to be a great guy yet giving up and dumping you instead is not only nobly pathetic but makes for some timeless tunes. Much cred of course goes to the presumably many many MANY other members, without whom such groove and psychedelic walls wouldn't be as proper+powerful. Excels in the pleasant, pretty, blaring -- bassy saxxy boogie, you say? See "The Morning After", which begins with Janey's problem with the modern world and ends with her tying a noose. That groove-n-wall, tho. 7.5/10

Voivod - The Wake

*******HIGHEST RECS*******

Ardent tellers of technological terrors that they are, perhaps Voivod saw the present as a particularly opportune time to give a record some extra oomph. Haven't heard anything past 89's Nothingface personally tho, so maybe that's presumption. But an album of this caliber this far downstream is a triumph; don't hurt that it also makes impending doom kind of a blast and effortlessly encompasses their mastery. An exercise in tightness+tone+chemistry that still riiiips, riffsriffsriffsriffs, prog with punch, dorky but persuasive, bassbassbass, oft funny (likely unintentional), drummer that's been there since 82. Theatrical in that its machine steam spurts and walkie-talkies and space drone put you precisely on location and it ends with minutes of nothin' but a dramatic violin duel; but it's their thrash and snarl technique making me a believer. Plus I swear I've battled an NES boss to the beginning riff from "Event Horizon". Distich most worth revisiting on 12-minute repriser-finale: "It's scary / it's crazy". 8/10

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boygenius - boygenius [EP] 7/10

Eric Church - Desperate Man 5.5/10

Cloud Nothings - Last Building Burning 6.5/10

Cupcakke - Eden 7/10

Daughters - You Won't Get What You Want 7/10

Marie Davidson - Working Class Woman 7/10

Earl Sweatshirt - Some Rap Songs ~*~meh~*~

Kevin Gates - Luca Brasi 3 5.5/10

Haken - Vector 5.5/10

Julia Holter - Aviary 6/10

Horrendous - Idol 7/10

JK Flesh - New Horizon 6/10

Kero Kero Bonito - Time 'n' Place 6/10

Machine Girl - The Ugly Art 6.5/10

Noname - Room 25 7/10

Objekt - Cocoon Crush 6.5/10

Puce Mary - The Drought 6/10

Rabit - Life After Death 7/10

Sun Kil Moon - This is My Dinner ~*~meh~*~

leet trax 2018 4/4

Amnesia Scanner - "AS Unlinear" (ft. Pan Daijing)

Bamba Pana - "Biti Six"

Behemoth - "Havohej Pantocrator"

boygenius - "Me & My Dog"

Brockhampton - "Honey"

Cloud Nothings - "Leave Him Now"

Cupcakke - "A.U.T.I.S.M"

Denzel Curry - "Percs | Percz"

Daughters - "Satan in the Wait"

Marie Davidson - "Work It"

Dorian Concept - "J Buyers"

Future - "Doh Doh" (ft. Young Scooter)

Kevin Gates - "Me Too"

Guerilla Toss - "Come Up With Me"

Hamell On Trial - "Aggie and the D.A."

Julia Holter - "I Shall Love 2"

Horrendous - "The Idolator"

Joey Purp - "Look at My Wrist" (ft. Cdot Honcho)

Kero Kero Bonito - "Sometimes"

Let's Eat Grandma - "I Will Be Waiting For You"

Lil Wayne - "Mess"

Luxury Elite - "Sequence"

Nicki Minaj - "Chun Swae" (ft. Swae Lee)

Obscura - "Clandestine Stars"

Rabit - "The Quickening"

Santigold - "I Don't Want"

Elza Soares - "Eu Quero Comer Voce"

Spiritualized - "Let's Dance"

Toxe - "Perfect 2"

Voivod - "Event Horizon"

Windhand - "Diablerie"

Yves Tumor - "Noid"

2018 pt. 16+17

Amnesia Scanner - Another Life

*******HIGHEST RECS*******

///BRAV-FUCKING-O\\\

In true AS fashion they waste no time displaying their demeanor; i.e. bursts of contorted squeal-n-squall so blaring it may make it or break it for just about anyone. But their butchered balance of contortions and The Club is still the handy silver lining, and on a full-length following a pair of increasingly intriguing EPs they've further harnessed the knack. Ugly, fierce, abruptly acerbic, disorienting, yet its danceability and vividity can't be diminished; and even the meandering cool-downs usually wind up blowing your head off. And as relief for all those altered-pitch garble vox, let's hand it to Pan Daijing for some still-bizarre lucidity that's analogous to the project at hand: "Last year was a KO / What a complete KO", "All around you it's just AS AS AS". Whatever gets you movin'. 8/10

Bamba Pana - Poaa

*******HIGHEST RECS*******

///BRAV-FUCKING-O\\\

An endurance tester and epic assault, fusing ruthless repetition that's best reserved for masochists with enough velocity and waggishness to bemuse even the biggest bummer. So right, I think it's a blood-pumping hoot. The one overtly sung-over rendition here is a welcome change but goes to show these instrumentals are likely better left on their outrageous own -- rigid+protracted as they may be they also offer constant vigor and a galloping-n-busy blur worth immersin' your brain in. Never underestimate the pummel-power of primitive patterns all pilin' on ya at once, particularly when it's this playful. 8/10

Denzel Curry - TA13OO
*******HIGHEST RECS*******

Solidifies Zel's transition from Soundcloud standout to illustrious luminary. He could almost get by on ferocity alone, but salient+savored here is upping the lyrical lucidity and formidable flow-n-flows and versatile vision on the whole. Poppier and smoother ventures truly pop; and when he pokes holes in peer's propensities for buck-stuffed pockets and percs and depression-as-nifty-demeanor it's keen and catchy as hell. And as much as "Sirens" seems like a singular flutterer that faces the frustration of today's fucked up world, let's hand it to him for ending it on a demonic note and classifying America as a fort. But "Donald Trump / Donald Duck / What the fuck / is the difference"? Dat duck deserves better. 7.5/10

Death Grips - Year of the Snitch
*******HIGHEST RECS*******

Complaints of tone-downs or muddling are reasonable, but if you ask me this is batty and boisterous as ever. All at once desultory, disorienting, anthemic, absurd; this is a group that's increasingly cocky and curious and cryptic and prolific and not givin' a shit since melding their aggro with the portent of pop promise on The Money Store six years ago. Currently it seems less about Ride's rants and full-on frenzy and more set on sketchy-n-spastic assemblages that regularly make you wonder how you got here from there, enough so it's difficult to still designate as hip-hop. Brandishing an Andrew Adamson cameo and an outro before the weirdo-hardcore outro, part of the thrill here is the continued uncertainty after alotta listens. Other part is it's a sonic hoot, duh. 7.5/10

Hamell On Trial - The Night Guy at the Apocalypse: Profiles of a Rushing Midnight

*******HIGHEST RECS*******

///BRAV-FUCKING-O\\\

From what I understand Hamell is now long clean, but oh how convincingly he can still play the madcap fucked up miscreant. Figure fragments are factual experiences from a former era of his and the bulk be tall tales that are terrifying, vivid, hilarious, arguably ethically sound most of the time -- hey, could likely be real somewhere. But enjoying Nick Cave on new levels when he's high as the moon or living+dying for drug deals and bar brawls or hangin' with some shady sorts in his time I could see, murdering a pedophile D.A. with the assistance of a selfie-prone masturbating companion; doubtfully ever his bag. In either case though he'll spin one hell of a yarn, and the solo rough-n-raw rover man recording corresponds all too perfectly to his road-made realm: the near-always present bar filled with friendly-til-they're-not felons, loaded with fucks and fights and filth with a few flubs to boot, and right, blood everywhere. Pimp grenaded, Nazi "cut from cock to chin", numerous other lowlifes dragged/drowned/slapped/burned/sniped/whathaveyou. Bandcamp note from the single song that dares to break out a crude drum machine: "Recorded Nov 20, 2017 in Jeff Onore's closet Boston Mass". 8.5/10

Imperial Triumphant - Vile Luxury

*******HIGHEST RECS*******

///BRAV-FUCKING-O\\\

Vile Luxury turns out to be a rather valid synopsis of the deportment within; i.e. clangin' and bangin' blackened death metal that torments/disorients/enthralls with its formidable tangle of technicality, tenacity, capacity, strange structuring, and of course, utter filth. Really runs the gamut in its own inimitable way: slow and sparse sections met with mind-boggling barrages, horns-n-piano used for straight jazz breakdowns and stumbling into a sleazy lounge at 3 a.m. and emulating some sort of preposterous parade, frontbeast Ezrin's near-comical slime-growl contrasted with Yoshiko Ohara's absurdly bloodcurdling guest shrieks. Seemingly glad to stumble over their own skill so long as the resulting slop adds to the frenzy, and right, they scare the shit out of me too. 8/10

Nicki Minaj - Queen

*******HIGHEST RECS*******

So much talk of this being an overstuffed+substandard past-her-prime product -- I call it an imperfect tour de force with a little help/harm from her friends. Sure Labrinth and Eminem make "Majesty" a bonafide bungle either way you look at it, but thankfully it's over with early on; and despite some dips into the generic the remaining near-hour is brimmin' with hits, knowhow, and lolz. Her adaptability and self-assurance make it: bars-n-rhymes over bangers are clearly her forte but the r&b is convincing; she goes head to head with Foxy Brown and complements Ariana Grande; zens her body via abstinence then boasts about her valuable vag that you'll need a kneepad to orally stimulate. Half cartoon half superstar, half vicious half vulnerable -- makes many-a rapper comparably seem like a little dustball. 8/10

Santigold - I Don't Want: The Gold Fire Sessions

*******HIGHEST RECS*******

///GOLD-FUCKING-FIRE\\\

As the season's first legit snow starts to pile up here in Massachusetts it's all too suitable to take solace in Santigold's tropical-island transmissions. Eternally exuding sunshine and spunk, her tude and enunciations and sack full-a irresistible hooks seem particularly piece-o-cake on these apparently subsidiary sessions. Simultaneously robotic and elastic, cutesy and peculiar, cheeky and cheery. Much props also due to front-2-back producer Dre Skull; whose uniquely uniform beats help make this a tight+true ten trax. Can I assume this is finally the 'dancehall' I've been hearing so much about? 7.5/10

Elza Soares - Deus e Mulher

*******HIGHEST RECS*******

Perceptibly less dramatic than being at the end of the world two years ago; this can comparably come off like the casual b-siders of that same session. But in case you forgot these ain't just any sessioners -- Latin grooves meet post-punk righteously right down the middle and distinguish every tune along the way, a brew of schooled+eccentric instrumentation that has trouble not tantalizingly twisting the ears at any given moment. Elza's geriatric gravel, 'specially in Portuguese, apparently ain't for everyone. At the very least read her Wiki and respect how she somehow got right here right now aight? Isn't her fronting dark-n-fun jazz-punk the way it's just meant to be? Given the cackles that end "Hienas Na TV" and how snug she fits into its chase-scene-esque smash precursor, I think she should look into becoming a Disney villain. 8/10

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Aphex Twin - Collapse [EP] 7/10

Aux Field - Square Landscapes 7/10

Blood Orange - Negro Swan 5/10

Brockhampton - Iridescence 7/10

Dorian Concept - The Nature of Imitation 7/10

Elephant Micah - Genericana 6/10

Lil Wayne - Tha Carter V 6.5/10

Stern - Missive: Sister Ships 6.5/10

Vince Staples - FM! [EP] 5.5/10

Windhand - Eternal Return 7/10

Yves Tumor - Safe in the Hands of Love 6.5/10

2018 pt. 14+15

The Carters - Everything is Love

Double Fantasy this ain't -- Jay and Yonce's coupled collab is essentially an exercise in stated+sonic opulence, their lifestyle and story and mutual affection safely amorphous besides a few distinct-yet-dubious detail-drops, and even during back-n-forth bickering over some bygone shit it never seems like they're really in the same room. "I don't give a damn about the fame", right; now plz bless us with more boring brags about your collective assets and status. But they as dynamic vet team and all dat money are persuasive, particularly when the bills are going towards the beats. Neither of em access the candor or character achieved on respective recent solo releases, but transmitting its own sort of magnetism is them casually killin' it while simultaneously kinda just mailing it in. Can they still cling to street authenticity? Are they truly stressing over false arrests? Is Beyonce really dropping her daughter off at school personally? They're big enough to make you ponder it, and it's pretty easy to be reminded as to why. 7/10

Idles - Joy as an Act of Resistance

*******HIGHEST RECS*******

Talbot's strength lies in snotty singalongee snarler rather than wise wordsmith; hence when spouting social-political usually the sentiment is greater than the articulation: calls for unity and loving yourself yet kicking "douches" in the mouth and classifying someone as "one big neck with sausage hands" for example. And hey I hate homophobes too, but professing to puttin' em in coffins akin to a wrestler is basically pure bro-talk. But beefy punk din and dirty bass lines and gangbuster choruses galore are their true bread-n-butter. And after seeing Idles in the flesh and watching a dozen-or-so vintage hardcore tuffs ardently shout along with "A beautiful immigrant" and "I kissed a boy and I liked it", I supposed sentiment is sometimes enough. A penchant for spelling is nice too. 8/10

Mitski - Be the Cowboy

Decidedly designed to be a dead-set for Mitski, palpably polished+punchier while pushing for a sort of pithy pop-rock perfection. Which, in its own prudent and persona-pressing way, it kinda accomplishes. But starting suitably with the introductory explosion of "Geyser" is a feeling that a tunna the tunes are cut short prematurely, or more precisely, just outta caution. I applaud her song-set solidarity and grounded grandiosity and linkin' of lush/loud/tender, but it becomes a bit guarded-gone-drab. A husband-n-wife sticking together is the jocose jaunt surrounded by deadpan-desperate seekings of affection+attention, the depth is dubious, the distinction is there, the disco is real. To be honest, could use more power chords. 7/10

Meg Myers - Take Me to the Disco

Seldom will I say this, but I kinda wish this actually took me to the disco -- instead we're stranded in the endlessly dully dour with diddly-squat for diversity or character. Traits include strained made-for-TV angst, some of the most foreseeable quiet-loud formulas and obnoxiously explosive choruses this side of 1995, wringing said choruses dry, vox and song-paces so narrow+monotonous it's laughable. Looking back, many-a trait that were there on her last one. But long gone is the creeping carnality turned to threats of murder and the hook-stuffed shark-chomp miracle quirk of "Lemon Eyes" and any attempt at pep. Also good for a laugh are guest vox provided by one "Leggy" on the aptly titled "The Death of Me". ~*~meh~*~

Nmesh and t e l e p a t h テレパシー能力者 - ロストエデンへのパス (2015 release)

*******HIGHEST RECS*******

///BRAV-FUCKING-O\\\

At a rate of an hour per producer this is undoubtedly a longwinded pilgrimage, one that's largely slow-mo atmospherics to boot. Hence it may be smart to split accordingly -- but no matter how ya spin it this offers a whole lotta expanse to get lost in. Simultaneously cinematic and footloose, many-a selection here tends to induce an eternity you're content with, whether it be Nmesh's 6 minutes or Telepath's 22. But the spacious flow on the whole is the true phenomena: think wandering through a Japanese rainforest saturated with mystery and mist and insects, warily camping under a waterfall with a mind full-a fever dreams and flashbacks, celestiality and murk joining forces, weeping melodies turned wondrous. Nice when an actual beat pops in, too -- not necessarily necessary but nice. 8.5/10

Rico Nasty - Nasty

*******HIGHEST RECS*******

Tho she does dabble in the carnal don't assume she's Cupcakke type nasty -- Rico Raspy or Rico Rejector may be more accurate. Your bae pressin' her is more of a haughty hassle than a situation worth wallowing in; and rather than recite knotty-n-cunning wordplay she's good getting by on tuff spittle-spraying tude and aggressive ad-libs alone. Too cynical and severe for crossover pop potential but leans into it anyway; "Ice Cream" in particular being a standout sweetener for all that surl while winningly wielding all-too-obvious truck-type tunage. A while later is when Lil Gnar's gnar finally calls for the mosh pit its numerous metal leans hinted towards, only to be soon out-raged by Rico herself times four-or-so. And for the record, best bedroom boast goes to one BlocBoy JB: "I get ass like a chair". 8/10

Snail Mail - Lush

*******HIGHEST RECS*******

From a foolhardy afar I suspected Lindsey Jordan would be just another strummer in the considerable herd of overhyped 90s hark-back singer-songwriters. And in some ways she sorta just is. But the tactfulness of her songwriting+tonage sneaks up on you, the emotion elicited ineluctable and free of bombast. And despite drowning a bit in convention and the nondescript emotional-struggle doldrums, she's wise well beyond her sub-twenty years: tunes steadily stripped back and clear-cut, bonafide and bored without being boring, despondent with drive. This is homespun purity harnessed and honed, an overhaul that doesn't overdo it -- plenty of time left for that methinks. 7.5/10

Tierra Whack - Whack World

*******HIGHEST RECS*******

///BRAV-WHACKING-O\\\

Epitome of charm and palpable potential that both sustains and suffers cuz of its novelty -- i.e. the all being fifteen one-minute motifs; each of em distinguishable and delightful with a semi-centered trio of deceased dogs/bird-flipping yokeldom/Mario as the capstone, the bookends of which even incorporating a meow and Luigi for good measure. Give this a go in video form and jointly it feels more like a genuinely proper project, as a straight listen however it can't help but feel like a tease with its explicitly terse tunes. Heck of a preview nonetheless. 7.5/10

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Between the Buried and Me - Automata II 6.5/10

Cruel Diagonals - Disambiguation ~*~meh~*~

Drake - Scorpion 5.5/10

Drumloop - Revenge Body [EP] 5/10

Jay Rock - Redemption 6/10

Let's Eat Grandma - I'm All Ears 7/10

Lotic - Power ~*~meh~*~

Luxury Elite - Prism 7/10

Obscura - Diluvium 6.5/10

RP Boo - I'll Tell You What! 7/10

Soulwax - Essential 6.5/10

YG - Stay Dangerous 5.5/10

2018 pt. 12+13

Dance Gavin Dance - Artificial Selection

*******HIGHEST RECS*******

///BRAV-FUCKING-O\\\

Deep in the caverns of imagination is 2001 me patting present me on the back while a mere-two-months ago me looks on in awe and disdain. From a download to see how bad they REALLY were came a guilty pleasure turned purchased CD turned cautiously yet unquestionably gung-ho for album. A consummate contrast of appallingly appealing cleans and angsty throat shredding that's silly and seductive, dramatic and dazzling, swarming with sweeping skillz. It's hard to tell if this is frontloaded or if they're just taxing in general or both, lyrics legible or not are oft absurd to the point of asinine and/or conjure a cringe -- beautiful catharsis, not wanting to be treated like a psycho, belly-placed popcorn tellin' ya things, bright asses in battle, smoking weed out of a pussy filled with money, etc. -- but this sheen-n-severity stew consistently strikes a nerve. Many a lil memorable touch and quirk; but they're surely just a bonus to some stupidly huge hooks+harmonies that you'll unabashedly wail in your worst falsetto. Sing along, now: "Don't fight, it's too magnetic." 9/10

Oneohtrix Point Never - Age Of

*******HIGHEST RECS*******

My first go with Lopatin via 2015's Garden of Delete intrigued yet irritated; flashes of disturbing brilliance in an electro tangle too disjointed. Hearing his more accessible work as a major arranger for Anohni cemented continued interest, and here I am now with Age Of and I'm siked I stuck around. Still a total tangle flow-wise -- but the erraticism is both enhancement and enigma, patchy enough to still stay surprising+intricate ten listens in. Perhaps this one just has a brighter palate: medieval MIDI strings stick it somewhere in the classical cheese canon yet doesn't abstain from factory doom; and yes the singing from Trixxer himself, which balances out the ol screams/squelches/static and is a game-changer even if a bit garden-variety. Or maybe I've just grown warmer towards his webs -- definitely enjoyed Garden of Delete somethin' extra on a recent return listen. 7.5/10

Rivers of Nihil - Where Owls Know My Name

*******HIGHEST RECS*******

Come to think of it, exactly what I hope for in an extreme-metal journey of epic proportions: all-consumingly heavy yet crisply-n-punchily produced, elaborate flow that don't overelaborate, intense both sonically and emotionally, synth odysseys on top of model tech-metal madness, the softie skills to balance the extreme. Their prog keeps busy and blows mind without kneeling to nonsense noodlin', winningly decipherable roar vox devour ya whole while making room for cleans/shrieks/murmurs, jazz flourishes are conducted with wistful+whimsical grace; at times reaching full-on beach level. Not that you won't hear every one of these absurdly talented gents loud and clear, but if you find the drums to be too deafening it's probably cuz they deserve to be. One more great trait that well-formed albums should possess -- a finale that reprises the intro and singlehandedly encompasses everything that makes said album awesome. 9/10

Simian Mobile Disco - Murmurations

*******HIGHEST RECS*******

In collaboration with the cavernous+commendable all-female Deep Throat Choir this pair-o-producers sees their rather orthodox deep house go mystical, chilling, incantational, perhaps ice cold dance pop. It doesn't ever quite catch up with "Caught in a Wave"; which solidifies the tone early on and gloriously, emanating equal parts black hole and beautiful -- but those pining for primal-thump protractions with the chants to match and space soars and 'ahhh'ing into the abyss will surely find an agreeable groove to stick with. Choir that blurs cautious church-backers with warriors cert don't hurt. 8/10

Tropical Fuck Storm - A Laughing Death in Meatspace

*******HIGHEST RECS*******

///BRAV-FUCKING-O\\\

Diggers like to sing the praises of Liddiard's lyrics, but the thick-n-slurred accent and confounding arrangements often camouflage em. Certain curiosities will cryptically poke through -- crackerjack Australian coke, the USSSSSR, an adios for the cast of Happy Days -- but his unstable snarlin' suavity does the trick on its own, with fellow Droneser Fiona Kitschin supplying sweeter+clearer femme-vox foil. As for those confounding arrangements: masterfully messy and in the moment, dirty yet diapasonal, colorful and chaotic, refreshingly radical for a rock band in 2018. An exhausting thrill and a half. 8/10

Twin Shadow - Caer

*******HIGHEST RECS*******

Based on the initiatory trio you may assume George Lewis Jr. requires the ladied likes of Rainsford and Haim to generate the jumbo-stadium lighter-waver pop that reaches for the same Petty-n-Springsteen that said trio references. Yet even with should-be smash "Saturdays" supplying an impossibly irresistible boogie, I do prefer the palpably personal all-alone aftermath. He confirms the 'shadow' in his pseudonym is outta shyness, literally and artistically -- certainly don't make him any more anti-anthemic when he wants to be. But balladry and drama are kept in check obnox-wise while continuously grabbing your attention and heart strings, "Littlest Thing" is probably the biggest thing here, interludes offer soul searching and poignant origin recognition and rain. He yearns and loathes to simultaneously be cool, famous, quiet, faceless: any ol way he chooses, he tends to pull through; not to mention warrant that lighter wave. 8/10

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Beach House - 7 7/10

Blawan - Wet Will Always Dry 7/10

Eartheater - IRISIRI 6.5/10

Future - Beast Mode 2 6/10

Ghost - Prequelle 7/10

Ben Howard - Noonday Dream 6.5/10

Illuminati Hotties - Kiss Yr Frenemies 7/10

Raime - Am I Using Content or is Content Using Me? [EP] ~*~meh~*~

Travis Scott - Astroworld 6.5/10

serpentwithfeet - soil 7/10

Toxe - Blinks [EP] 6/10

Leon Vynehall - Nothing is Still 5/10

Kamasi Washington - Heaven and Earth 6.5/10

Wussy - What Heaven is Like 7/10

leet trax 2018 3/4

The Armed - "Fortune's Daughter"

Courtney Barnett - "Nameless, Faceless"

Beach House - "Woo"

Blocks & Escher - "One Touch"

The Carters - "Boss"

Ceephax - "Yodecahedron"

Dance Gavin Dance - "Flash"

Death Grips - "Death Grips is Online"

DJ Healer - "Hopes and Fears"

Drake - "Summer Games"

Father John Misty - "Just Dumb Enough to Try"

Ben LaMar Gay - "Oh No…Not Again!"

Ghost - "See the Light"

HIRS - "Always Surviving" (ft. Alice Bag & Candace Hansen)

Ben Howard - "A Boat to an Island on the Wall"

Idles - "Danny Nedelko"

Illuminati Hotties - "Cuff"

Jay Rock - "WIN" (ft. Kendrick Lamar)

Damien Jurado - "Lou-Jean"

King Tuff - "Ultraviolet"

John Maus - "Dumpster Baby"

Mitski - "Geyser"

T. Hardy Morris - "Lit By Midnight"

Now, Now - "AZ"

Oneohtrix Point Never - "Black Snow"

Pinkshinyultrablast - "Taleidoscope"

Playboi Carti - "Long Time"

Natalie Prass - "Lost"

Rico Nasty - "Ice Cream"

Rivers of Nihil - "Capricorn / Agoratopia"

RP Boo - "U-Don't No"

Travis Scott - "Houstonfornication"

Serpentwithfeet - "Bless Ur Heart"

Simian Mobile Disco - "Caught in a Wave" (ft. Deep Throat Choir)

Snail Mail - "Speaking Terms"

Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks - "Solid Silk"

Tierra Whack - "Fuck Off"

Tropical Fuck Storm - "The Future of History"

Twin Shadow - "Littlest Things"

Kamasi Washington - "Can You Hear Him"

Wussy - "Aliens in Our Midst"

2018 pt. 11

The Armed - Only Love

*******HIGHEST RECS*******

Painted in a Noisey piece as an assortment of anonymous-ish identity trolls whose weirdness seemed engineered; reliant on hype via a try-hard+enigmatic 'what even is a band, man' eminence -- so perhaps just let the music here speak for itself. Helpful that Ben Koller took over the crew's kit and Kurt Ballou is producer and Convergean consultant and quite possibly covert bandleader. Solidifying their excellence however is standing out from the hardcore/metalcore hive-mind stylistically, careening past copycat status. Synths stab through the chaotic muck, vox got variance, unadulterated vehemence and all-out scuzz make room for melody and noise pop calm-downs. And just when you think you're goin' out on a calm drift towards Jupiter, there ya are blasting off into a black hole. 8/10

Courtney Barnett - Tell Me How You Really Feel 

Lyrically inspired as her preceding breakthrough was, it also lent itself to the record's undoing for me -- which may be why I prefer this more moderate effort. The songs here are comparably slack but confident+charming as such, admirably rawer yet still a bit too deep in the realm of drably stated garage-alt regularity. Faves come precisely at beginning middle end: the nervous bass-lined tread of opener "Hopefulessness", the snarly keys-as-weapon determent of insecure men from "Nameless, Faceless", missing someone's face on singularly intimate ender "Sunday Roast". For what it's worth, her live performance conveyed a much less rockstar'd combo of Kurt and Courtney (Love, that is), so that's promising. 6/10

Cuco - Chiquito [EP]

Closer "CR-V" is cute and catchy and curt enough, refreshingly self-aware bout his dorkiness to boot. But namedropping Santana/Lennon/1960 for surface-level "psychedelia" is painfully platitudinal. Stiff+sleepy delivery and kissing my bitch with LSD spit and luv in the sun and bleary production on the other hand are just painful. ~*~meh~*~

Deafheaven - Ordinary Corrupt Human Love

///BRAV-FUCKING-O\\\

Hate to keep harking back to Sunbather since their trajectory since has grown stylistically and certainly ain't without its merit -- it's just that none of it has been blistering or persuasive or beautiful as that pink-painted classic could be. This beats New Bermuda on flow and tenacity but ups the drippy and long-winded; which at times can transmit strikingly. Too often tho there's a whiff of cheese and a willingness to make intensity sound languid. Flashy yet kinda flat, punchy but predictable and exceedingly polished. Plus some solos still make me groan. 6.5/10

Father John Misty - God's Favorite Customer

I cringed at Honeybear's contrast of lush and lewd tude but appreciated the aptitude; thought Pure Comedy was a pretty bold-n-grand beast bursting with smart-if-slightly-ridiculous satire and ambition. And this is, well, just alright. He's got the chops to lean on and a persona that'll prohibit true generica for the time being, but this just kinda seems safe and sappy; few keen lines here few duds there. Carries a certain egotistical quality like the rest of em, only last time out he really earned it. 5.5/10

The HIRS Collective - Friends. Lovers. Favorites.

*******HIGHEST RECS*******

///BRAV-FUCKING-O\\\

Intolerants and formalists may dismiss it as a gimmick, but the recent alt-gender surge in hardcore has been pretty refreshing+becoming. Omitted identities bursting through in an infamously routine scene is always thrilling to behold, especially when their long-overlooked maltreatment translates into a grinding fierceness few can muster. Kicks off with a bloodcurdling scream that inflames-n-stuns every time and really doesn't let up from there; constantly clobbering you over the cranium with its sound and ranting doctrine and sub-minute razings. And tho they seem consumed by obstinate vengeance and the struggle to survive and abhorring authority (i.e. everyone else), their collectivist configuration and collaborating with everyone from Martin Sorrondeguy to Shirley Manson convey a cute+comforting sense of tight-knit camaraderie. See when they give love to their friends/lovers/favorites for being "the sweetest people" and remind em they're gorgeous. Or on "It's OK To Be Sick" when they advise them to "take it day by day, take care of yourself, and ask us if you need anything"; right before hitting em in the face with a bass drop. 8.5/10

Matt Karmil - Will

Karmil's staunch minimalism here is surprisingly substantial and curiously comforting, and also as a whole comes off more cohesive+calculated than its somewhat erratic prior. You'll still find some basic house thump here-n-there (particularly on, of all things, "Can't Find It (The House Sound)", who'd a thunk it) but it steadily revels in ambient murk with a commitment to low-key constraint. Thing with minimalism sometimes tho, it's got that damning fusion of moderation and monotony. There's just too many inert loops that are simply fine to pass the time with and not much else -- for extremest and bleakest example see the 17-minute ender, which I may request for my funeral. 6.5/10

Pinkshinyultrablast - Miserable Miracles

A name like Pinkshinyultrablast sorta promises lustrous thrills and a sense of vacuity, and for better or worse methinks they attain that. Electronix are oft blissful busy and bouncy but seldom emit something extraordinary, Lyubov Soloveva's singin' is calmly celestial yet also stationary and aloof. So while track by track it may be a bit forgettable, the astral aura and adequate momentum and few highlights win me over on the whole -- one highlight being an opener that makes you wish they'd always try that hard, another being a closer that makes you wish they'd crunch more often. 7/10

Prime Minister of Doom - Mudshadow Propaganda 

An additional alias of DJ Healer, whose companion album to this prevailed in pretty much putting me to sleep. And tho this comparably bears many-a persistent house groove, it is similarly a snooze. Same attributes apply: his devotion to poise and texture and simplicity is palpable-n-palmary. But compositionally this is so uniform and immaculate it's tough to imagine who really gets their kicks sittin' through this stuff. Mesuspects it may be the same folk who are preoccupied with the bait of multiple monikers united in a mysterious web of artistic anonymity and limited vinyl-only releases -- that and/or patient house purists who don't need none of that there, ahh whatchamacallit, oh right, innovation. 5/10

Sleep - The Sciences

I may wind up murdered via bong-clutching metalheads by disclosing this, but I find their seminal Dopesmoker to be a bit of a slog. An obvious objection given its hour-plus "song" undertaking sure, but span ain't really the issue -- for me it's more a dearth of direction+deviation considering its duration. 15 years later: riffs, production, symmetry; enhanced unquestionably. Graciously sectioned off into song-songs even. Vox on the other hand kinda contribute a layer of xtra corn. Speaking of which, is it just me or does this sorta feel like Plainville compared to their raw+roary precedent-setting predecessor? Am I just over Sabbath riffs played loud and slow and steady? Is it sad that the intro intrigues me more than the majority of it? 5.5/10

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Barker - Debiasing [EP] 6/10

MGUN - Axiom 5.5/10

Natalie Prass - The Future and the Past 5/10

Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks - Sparkle Hard 6.5/10

Syclops - Pink Eye 7/10

2018 pt. 10

Blocks & Escher - Something Blue

*******HIGHEST RECS*******

///BRAV-FUCKING-O\\\

A propensity for predictable patterns and 6-minute trax may tire, but keeping you glued is its mysterious night-ride mood and mash-up of elements -- driving+detailed drum-n-bass, airy jazz, ambient, breathy ladies. Somber and ominous in spades but great at gettin' ya spastically grooving, they keep the percussive plentifuls punchy and the ghost synths hazy+gazy; horns profoundly flutter off into the atmosphere while stop-n-go breakbeats give it zip and enhance unease. Bewitches and goes bonkers with the same calm. 8/10

DJ Healer - Nothing 2 Loose

Commitment to the hush may be healing for him or y'all, to me however he's DJ Dozer. This is where aspirations of unadorned purity end up just plain plain -- even though there's something to be said of its simplicity and subtleties and all-textures-matter mien, too much of the material here either starts sterile or gets there eventually. The house is good, for a few minutes anyway; some poignant patches of funereal ambient; bit of an eye-roll when it goes robot or tries hard to be heaven. Most vocal spots repeat-n-repeat til they match the plain; worst offender being whispering "everything is everything" in your ear 500 or so times for the finale. It suuuure is. 5/10

The Ex - 27 Passports

Post-punk veterans from The Netherlands who are immensely diligent when it comes to the ol long-winded dry repetition, even in a genre where that's convention. White toast with nothing on it kinda dry. So they let groove be their guide and exert their stiff charm, coupling stripped back fuzz with cohesive hypnosis. Part-woman part-metronome Katherina Bornefeld as terrific+gentle timekeeper and part-time voxer, three guitars intertwining with always at least one giving way to din. From which you'll remember maybe three melodies on the whole. Not sure chief voxer Arnold de Boer's bashfulness does enough for em drive-wise -- squeal here or a shout there is nice, but I like best when he gives his spoken word some snarl: "It's the worst job I have ever had". Source being epic ender "Four Billion Tulip Bulbs", best of the aforementioned maybe-three melodies and a post-punk exemplar methinks. 7/10

God Is An Astronaut - Epitaph

Their last one had enough flux and bits of shimmery beauty to prevent its postiness from gettin' too prosaic; this on the other hand could pass for an epitaph to trying. Predictable post-rock buildups will sometimes lead to heightened horsepower and welcome pedal howl, but you're mostly drifting through placid patterns and the humdrum doldrums; occasionally interspersed with generically inspirative rays of hope of course. Its darkened decorum is appreciated, its strained drama and dry production ehh not so much. ~*~meh~*~

Kids See Ghosts - Kids See Ghosts

*******HIGHEST RECS*******

Once again, the 7-track 20something-minute format proves a hella G.O.O.D. format for airtight beat-work and artistic showcasing. It's not as definite as Daytona, but ya gotta hand it to Kanye as curator -- not only does he know what makes Cudi tick, but as a duo they auspiciously click; and together they craft a riveting recovery record that's far more poignant and playful and diverse than Ye's pompous Ye. Mental mantras go "keep moving forward", "stay strong", "I feel freeee"; Pusha T and Ty Dolla $ign are pulled for braggadocious grit and ginormous gospelized bellows respectively. Even the Kid's moaning muppetry and sad demo-ish acoustic strummin' are well-implemented. 7.5/10

King Tuff - The Other

KT's locutions tend toward the trite and silly: put your hand in mine, tonight we're gonna fly, the time is gonna come, isn't life bizarre??, we'll meet again someday, the moon is looking wicked good, etc. But his proficiency at painting a picture paired with big+beaming instrumentation carry him along. A softie depressive slow-burner intro and the soaring glammy psych-rock that follows underscore his captivation with the enigma that is The Afterlife; the vibrant bounciness cushions defeated nostalgia and elementary existentialism and certain doom. Helps too that most of these songs have some distinct sonic trait -- "Ultraviolet"s classic stoner guitar groove, epic bright-blue-sky synth on "Thru The Cracks", g-funk squeal for sempiternal sunshine and sweaty rattlesnakes, angel harp for the ender, harmonica here, sax there. And tho I do dig his imagery of phone abuse by everyone from cops to street punx to himself, anyone who actually thunk it to be "paradise in the palm of their hands" don't know shit. Kinda like if you're expecting death i.e. The Other to be a wonderland, when you're probably gonna be, ah what was it again? Right, "laying in some hole." 7/10

John Maus - Addendum

Aptly titled as it does mostly read as a middling tack-on to his recent and rather great Screen Memories. For Maus this just seems like going through the motions -- funniest/only funny repeat-o phrases are the first two, in which he calls out outer-space ignoramuses and takes a baby to the dump; deja-vu arrangements are recurrent and most-a the mumblin' don't amount to much. But his old-school drum-machined motions do tend to strike a nerve musically, even when tunes are trivial. 6/10

Janelle Monae - Dirty Computer

*******HIGHEST RECS*******

///BRAV-FUCKING-O\\\

In a superior world Monae would be a pop star with as much attention as, oh let's say, The Chainsmokers. Alas, it's too electric, eclectic; too protestive+provocative for the prudes. In other words: "I'm always left to center and that's right where I belong / I'm the random minor note you hear in major songs". Thing is tho, these songs ARE major: hooky and momentous, confidently pumpin' out sex positivity and female empowerment and compelling modernity, bursting with fun funk and smarts and chuckles. It's incensed but always open for embrace; usually more elaborately than 'we're all screwed so let's all screw' but rocks that route too. Janelle is The American Dream who also happens to be naked in a limousine, inciting pussy riots in peppy packages, singing like a champ while spitting bars harder than most in recent memory. See "Crazy, Classic, Life" for a premium pop/hip-hop combo, "Django Jane" for said hard bars, and "Americans" for finale fireworks and satire for the ages. Prince would be proud. 9/10

T. Hardy Morris - Dude, The Obscure

Minus the help from his Hardknockin' band-backers Hardy M gravitates away from grunge; leaving this more hushed, lush, personal. Still grunge in mood and mumbliness, but it's less buck and more morose; taking the time to acoustically layer with a newfound taste in glam+psych. Personally, I think there's more heart-n-guts in the scuzzy catchy country ruckus of yore, tho listening back reminds me he did always have a knack for the gently gripping grandeur, the quieter; and that is righteously retained and highlighted here. Yeah yeah a successful solofied maturer strip-back, but could've used a bit more 'shit in the wind' -- slogans that were worthy of shouting and attitude-wise. 7/10

Sophie - Oil of Every Pearl's Un-Insides

*******HIGHEST RECS*******

After an excellent-though-lopsided compilation of singles+attachments called Product and contributing many-a bomb beat to Charli XCX, I was eager to see how Sophie would operate on a formal full-length. Turns out it's lopsided as well; but conjures up a flow that winningly correlates with the presence at hand: jerky and disorienting, warmhearted yet uncompromising, drives ya mad then eases you into cooling lapses. Its clang outweighs its cute but delivers ridiculously-n-epically for both while managing legit buildup balladry and an ambient soar that's immense if somewhat idle; jagged thwackin' is met with exactitude and pop music is perverted. Heck, squeaky clean mixed with disgusting -- hogs snorting their own slop could pass for both vox and beats at points. Fave point may be when you think you're at the fabulous catchy-carrot finish line that is "Immaterial", only to carry on for 9 more minutes of something akin to a beautiful torture dungeon that you die in. 8/10

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Drudkh - They Often See Dreams About the Spring 6/10

Ben LaMar Gay - Downtown Castles Can Never Block the Sun 7/10

Damien Jurado - The Horizon Just Laughed 7/10

MIKE - Black Soap 5.5/10

Now, Now - Saved 6.5/10

Playboi Carti - Die Lit 7/10

Skee Mask - Compro 5/10