WTJU Rock 2018 Top Tens
By Bella Hargett
The DJ’s have spoken! Featured below are our Rock DJ’s top 10 (albums or songs) of 2018.
Occupying a handful of WTJU top 10 charts is Tierra Whack’s album “Whack World”. DJ Sister Pirate Jenny credits her album as, “the best 16 minutes of your year – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EOTebhPy04g“. You have to check it out.
Nick Rubin / Poubelle (“Radio Freedonia,” Saturdays 2-4pm)
Whack World Tierra Whack (Tierra Whack)
My Only Everything of 2018
Sominum Jacco Gardner (Polyvinyl)
Pastoral electronic songs-without-words
Magic Ship Mountain Man (Nonesuch)
Tranquil, beautiful vocal trio shiz
Every Day It Feels Like I’m Dying Eternal Summers (Nevado)
VA-grown melodic indie – the best Summers album in years
First Flower Molly Burch (Captured Tracks)
Like some giant bloooming flower; sumptuous af
The Good is a Big God Domenico Lancellotti (Luaka Bop)
Richly varied and occasionally heart-stoppingly gorgeous
Room 25 Noname (Noname)
Supremely soulful hip hop from Chicago; situation critical but still sunny.
Camila Camila Cabello (Sony)
The pop narcotic of the year
Con Todo El Mundo Khruangbin (Dead Oceans)
Dank grooves furrowed out of various world soils
Exotic Worlds and Masterful Treasures Stimulator Jones (Stones Throw)
Low-concept greatness or just greatness?
Audrey Parks / DJ Al (L8 nite sub)
Slow Sundown Holy Motors (Wharf Cat)
Estonian dream pop/psych, formulaically lovely
Heaven Dilly Dally (Partisan)
ShRiEking truthful noise rock
Adverse Habitat Exit Group (Castle Face)
taut post-punk, unnerving like 2018
Songs of Praise Shame (Dead Oceans)
gluttonous post punk/indie rock outta the UK
Goodbye Numb.er (Felte)
fuzzy guilty pleasure
Friendship Songs Surbort (Cult)
explicitly captures the anxiety of the year
The Space Between the Planets Orb (Flightless)
degrees of Giz
Masana Temple Kikagaku Moyo (Guruguru Brain)
mixed bag of rad
Foxwarren Foxwarren (Anti-/Arts+ Crafts)
Andy Shauf is in a band
On Hold Fenne Lily (Fenne Lily)
struck me doing adds/passes- young and honest, not vulnerable
Jack Patton-Smith (Former Host – “Sounds of Noise”)
Little Dark Age MGMT (Columbia)
Mark Kozelek Mark Kozelek (Caldo Verde)
And Nothing Hurt Spiritualized (Bella Union)
There’s A Riot Going On Yo La Tengo (Matador)
NTS Sessions 1-4 Autechre (Warp)
Czarface Meets Metal Face Czarface & MF DOOM (Get On Down)
Earth to Ursa Major Jordaan Mason (Jordaan Mason)
Cocoa Sugar Young Fathers (Ninja Tune)
Panic Blooms Black Moth Super Rainbow (Rad Cult)
Now Only Mount Eerie (P.W. Elverum & Sun)
Matt Villiott/Swingin’ Man (“Pipe It Down!,” Saturdays 1-3 AM)
Overthrown Oh Sees (Castle Face)
Rip your face off fun
Concrete Shame (Dead Oceans)
Tastes great
I’ll Be There Michael Rault (Daptone Records)
Strange time signatures with country twang
Gelatin Mode Post Animal (Polyvinyl)
Chicagoans with some savory rock
The Man Goat Girl (Rough Trade)
Simple, muddy guitar, droning vocals. Yet harmony!
Lulu Jackson Macintosh (Sinderlyn)
Engineer for Homeshake’s cracking albums, slow and steady psych rock and FLUTE
Necromancer Judas Preist (Epic)
Super impressive, great year for these gentlemen
Mei Mode Igloo Ghost (s/r)
Electronic at its finest.
Is It Boy Mac Demarco (Captured Tracks)
Nostalgia in every strum.
Pinball Wizard The Vitriots (s/r)
Roaring tones from Sydney, Australia
All Melody Nils Frahm (Erased Tapes)
More at musicalandroid.blogspot.com
ANDROID (“Merging with the Night,” Wed 11pm-1am)
Top Albums
All Melody Nils Frahm (Erased Tapes)
Music for a Midsummers Night Dream Mia Doi Todd (City Zen)
Phantom Thread (soundtrack) Johnny Greenwood (Nonesuch)
Ghost Forests Meg Baird, Mary Lattimore (Three Lobed)
Broken Politics Neneh Cherry (Smalltown Supersound)
Re:member Olafur Arnalds (Mercury KX)
The Long Sleep EP Jenny Hval (Sacred Bones)
Loma Loma (Sub Pop)
Kadhja Bonet Childqueen (Fat Possum)
In a Poem Unlimited U.S. Girls (4 AD)
Top Songs
“Suspirium” Thom Yorke (Unstainabubble)
“Earthly Happiness” Mia Doi Todd, Tunde Adebimpe (City Zen)
“All Melody” , “My Friend the Forest” Nils Frahm (Erased Tapes)
“Black Willow” Loma (Sub Pop)
“Hunter” Anna Calvi (Domino)
“Black Truck” Mereba (Interscope)
“Rosebud”, “Poem” U.S. Girls (4AD)
“She May, She Might”, “For You Too”, “Ashes” Yo La Tengo (Matador)
“Music to Make You Stagger” Thievery Corporation (ESL)
“Fair Annie”, “Painter of Tygers” Meg Baird, Mary Lattimore (Three Lobed)
Jordan / Sister Pirate Jenny (“Radio Freedonia,” Saturdays 2-4 pm)
Room 25 Noname (Noname)
Did not need to call D’Angelo on this one
Rebound Eleanor Friedberg (French Kiss)
Rebounds abounds – a jesus phase and the best destryer song in an age
Towards the Shadow Wume (Ehse)
Kosmischemusic from Bunker Times – also best live show in Cville this year
Whack World Tierra Whack (Tierra Whack)
the best 16 minutes of your year – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EOTebhPy04g
The Good Is a Big God Domenico Lancellotti (Luaka Bop)
Admire Moreno et al. commitment to having no brand loyalty to band name or generic distinctions
Return to Jeka Michal Turtle (Music from Memory)
Bury me under the waves of alpha wave chill
Throne Heather Leigh (Mego Editions)
Anthropocene Love Ballads
Light Juliana Daughtery (Western Vinyl)
“Don’t overlook the pearl in your hand”
Phantom Thread Johnny Greenwood (Nonesuch)
I woke up to Sandalwood II 335 times this year
Masana Temples Kikagaku Moyo (Guruguru)
Brain Psych-face melting masterwork – sorry Oh Sees this used to be your spot
Don Harrison (“Radio Wowsville,” Sundays 11pm-1am)
Top Albums
I Don’t Want The Goldfire Sessions Sanitgold (Downtown)
Dancehall lives
Floating Features La Luz (Hardly Art)
The meanest dreams of 2018
Blackwater Holylight Blackwater Holylight (Riding Easy)
Ladies love effects pedals
Bon Voyage Melody’s Echo Chamber (Fat Possum)
Layered, luscious
V Wooden Shjips (Thrill Jockey)
American Krautrock
Des Damonas Des Demonas (In the Red)
The South Will Never Rise Again
When I Think of You in a Castle Post Animal (Polyvinyl)
The state of our Psych-Rock is strong!
Dirty Computer Janelle Monae (Bad Boy)
She got the juice
Ones to Keep Close The Bones of J.R. Jones (Tone Tree)
The most dangerous Wawa in the county
Tell Me How You Really Feel Courtney Barnett (Mom and Pop)
Hookier than a fishing lure
Top Songs
“Lost” Natalie Prass (ATO)
Go ahead and cry
“Earth Moon” Mien (Rocket)
Lost in the Zone
Sam Roberts (“Black Circle Revolution,” 11pm-1am)
Comin Atcha’ 100MPH Datenight (Drop Medium)
The current rulers of Nashville garage. Perfectly Simple, catchy songs delivered with personality
LP The Fritz (Drunken Sailor)
Midwest dirty, rockin punk reminiscent of the very best garage punk of the 90s/00s
The Sciences Sleep (Third Man)
Stoner Rock legends’ first album in 19 years does not disappoint
4th 7’’ Warthog (Toxic State)
NYC Hardcore powerhouse continue to explore primitive heavy metal influences with great success
Pathogen X Rashomon (Iron Lung)
Japan/Washington DC HC Punk with songwriting and performance that is unusually creative and epic for the genre. 12 string lead guitar player!
7” Cold Feet (self-released)
Baltimore Punk, low brow and snotty to the max
Nuke Portland 12” Unix (Feel It)
Simultaneously progressive and aggressive punk from Portland, OR
Buzzsaws Brower (Dig!)
glam/power pop chock full of riffs and hooks
Evening Reception Vanity (Beach Impediment)
NYC street rock ditches the last of their tough facade on their 3rd LP for a poppy, relaxed sound recalling early 70s Kinks/Stones
Creatures of the Night 7” Inmates (Non-Commercial Records)
Long running Cleveland hardcore legends deliver the goods
Sean McGoey / Paper Planes (“Straight from the Crate,” Thursday 1-3am)
Golden Hour Kacey Musgraves (MCA Nashville)
The country music industry is in the news for the wrong reasons a lot, but nobody cares less than Kacey Musgraves, who just unflappably cranks out great songs. Highlight: “Wonder Woman”
boygenius EP boygenius (Matador)
What’s better than Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers, and Lucy Dacus? All three of them collaborating. Highlight: “Me and My Dog”
Historian Lucy Dacus (Matador)
Mature, thoughtful songwriting paired with tracks you feel in your bones. Highlight: “Timefighter”
Clean Soccer Mommy (Fat Possum)
All of the emotions of youth, rubbed raw and put on display, set around the defiant jam of the year. Highlight: “Your Dog”
Nearer My God Foxing (Triple Crown)
Who said gigantic, soaring arena rock was dead? Highlight: “Nearer My God”
Bat Fangs Bat Fangs (Don Giovanni)
Rock. Rock. Rock. Do we need to say more? Betsy Wright is that dude. Highlight: “Wolfbite”
Kiss Yr Frenemies illuminati hotties (Tiny Engines)
Sarah Tudzin nails everything from raucous pop-punk to tender emo ballads. Highlight: “Declutter”
Con Todo El Mundo Khruangbin (Dead Oceans)
The Texas trio takes you on a tour of grooves inspired by Thailand, Iran, and everywhere else. Highlight: “Evan Finds the Third Room”
Whack World Tierra Whack (Tierra Whack)
15 songs in 15 minutes. It’s weird, but weird is wonderful. Highlight: It’s a 15-minute album, listen to the whole thing!
Future Me Hates Me The Beths (Carpark)
Let’s face it; big chunks of 2018 have just sucked. Sunny guitar-centric pop from New Zealand is the perfect antidote. Highlight: “Little Death”
Matthew (“Carry the Zero,” Thursdays 2-4pm)
V. Wooden Shjips (Thrill Jockey)
Feel good tracks of the year
Suspiria Soundtrack Thom Yorke (XL)
I am a big fan of the original film and score and this remake was surprisingly good and TY made it new and fresh
The Subtle Art of Distraction The Magnificent Tape Band (ATA)
Eerily funky and soulful
Jacaranda Blue Mr. Airplane Man (Sympathy for the Record Industry)
Swirling
And Nothing Hurt Spiritualized (Bella Union)
Man, I needed a new Spiritualized album i could get into heavy rotation. Didn’t we all?
The Worms Heart The Shins (Sub Pop)
reworked song by song (flipped) of last year’s fun Heartworm album.
I can feel you creep into my private life tUnE-yArDs (4AD)
Stated at her show at the Jefferson “I thought about you a lot when recording this album Charlottesville”
Vive la Void Vive la Void (Sacred Bones)
Sanae Yamada’s (Half of Moon Duo) solo album rocks it in that hazy Bay Area way
Whack World Tierra Whack (Tierra Whack)
Thank you Poubelle for the tip. I listened to this nonstop for (almost) too long
The Baker’s Dozen Live Phish (JEMP)
What an amzing sound these recording have; essential for any phan. Also, the wax is unique and incredibly cool
Erin O. (“Just Take This With You,” Mondays 11pm-1am)
Mating Surfaces Lithics (Kill Rock Stars)
Art punk, clever and softly ruthless, like being cut with a dull knife and kinda liking it
Childqueen Kadhja Bonet (Fat Possum)
Swaying on the softest shag rug in a room full of lava lamps.
Old Thread Pious Faults (Feel It Records)
Wise young artsy hardcore punk
Floating Features La Luz (Sub Pop)
Psychedelic surf with teeth. (Where’s my surfboard? I want to catch this wave.)
I Need to Start A Garden Haley Heynderickx (Mama Bird Recordings)
Folky rocky pretty thoughtful
All Nerve The Breeders (4AD)
Soft and hard all at once, what The Breeders do best.
Room 25 Noname (Noname)
Hip-hop with lyrics like yarn that’ll spin you into a beating spool.
Hundreds of Days Mary Lattimore (Ghostly International)
Experimental harp that made me weep hard in the Woolen Mills chapel.
Towards the Shadow Wume (Northern Spy Records)
Still figuring out this fascinating kosmiche with synths and, dare I say *jazz-y,* drumming, so while I don’t really know what it’s about, I know I like it.
Light Juliana Daugherty (Western Vinyl)
Juliana’s lyrics will destroy you, and the guitar tone and electronic elements are good pillows to cry on.
Brett (“Carry the Zero,” Thursdays 2-4pm)
LUMP LUMP (Dead Oceans)
And Nothing Hurt Spiritualized (Bella Union)
Loma Loma (Sub Pop)
In a Poem Unlimited U.S. Girls (4AD)
Be the Cowboy Mitski (Dead Oceans)
Whack World Tierra Whack (Tierra Whack)
Future Me Hates Me The Beths (Carpark)
Hell On Neko Case (Anti-)
Aviary Julia Holter (Domino)
Joy as as Act of Resistance IDLES (Partisan)
Stevik (“Carry the Zero,” Thursdays 2-4pm)
Top albums
Loma Loma (Sub Pop)
debut album from a Texas trio; beautifully enigmatic, ethereal & airy indie art-rock; favorite tracks: “Black WIllow” & “Relay Runner”
C’est La Vie Phosphorescent (Dead Oceans)
7th album released 5 years & 2 kids after Matt Houck’s breakthrough album, Muchado; favorite tracks: ” “Around the Horn” & “These Rocks”
V. Wooden Shjips (Thrill Jockey)
awesome 5th album from this Portland-based garage psych-rock quartet
In a Poem Unlimited U.S. Girls (4AD)
fun synth-pop with socially-relevant themes
Dionysus Dead Can Dance (PIAS Recordings)
their 12th album is named after the Greek god of wine & ecstasy; features Mediterranean and North African-influenced chants and tribal beats
Wanderer Cat Power (Domino)
stripped-down, heart-felt & powerful songs
Tell Me How You Really Feel Courtney Barnett (Mom and Pop)
this Australian’s 2nd album is spunky and more guitar-driven & memorable
I can feel you creep into my private life tUnE-yArDs (4AD)
4th album of upbeat folky-pop songs with unpredictible and creative structures
Top Songs
“Around the Horn” Phosphorescent (Dead Oceans)
my favorite track of the year; wow, just wow!
“Black Willow” Loma (Sub Pop)
a very close 2nd, incredibly beautiful and haunting album closer
“Undertow” Mammoth Indigo (Mammoth Indigo)
wonderfully quirky indie-pop song
“Ain’t Got Time for Hate” Shemekia Copeland (Alligator)
powerful blues song for tough political times that we’ll overcome
“Caves” Gregory Alan Isakov (Evening Machines)
another great song from one of my favorite singer-songwriters
Rick Clark (“Radio Wowsville,” Sundays 11pm-1am)
Historian Lucy Dacus (Matador)
Blackwater Holylight Blackwater Holylight (Riding Easy)
Single Ruder Jenn Champion (Sub Pop)
boygenius boygenius (Matador)
Art of Doubt Metric (Metric)
Joy as as Act of Resistance IDLES (Partisan)
Magic Ship Mountain Man (Nonesuch)
A Productive Cough Titus Andronicus (Merge)
The Waves, The Wake Great Lake Swimmers (Nettwerk)
by the way, I forgive you Brandi Carlile (Elektra)
Trey P (“Free and Rowdy,” ex-officio)
Top Albums
Lordy By Nature (UUV) Ankhlejohn (FXCKRXP)
The best collection of songs about car theft you’ll ever come across. DC hip-hop.
Providence Canyon Brent Cobb (Elektra)
Real country music doesn’t have to tell you how country it is and indulges in psychedelics
Maybe Later Neighbor Lady (Friendship Fever)
If you missed them covering The Cranberries alongside the Futurebirds at the Southern this year, I feel bad for you.
Being Woke Ain’t Fun Chris Crack (Guts Club)
All Chris Crack did all year was be a tireless example of the fact that you can’t put Chicago rap in a box
Trench Foot Guts Club (Guts Club)
Let’s call it resilient swamp music for 2018 with dark edges, country blood in its veins and surprising highs.
Hell of a Woman Emily Nenni (Emily Nenni)
Starting a gofundme to put this album in every jukebox next to a cigarette machine in the lower 48.
Con Todo El Mudo Khruangbin (Night Time Stories)
I spent most of December listening to Evan Finds the Third Room on loop, and I’m better for it.
Some Rap Songs Earl Sweatshirt (Tan Cressida)
I’m old enough to remember when Earl was exiled and am still mad that his debut album isn’t on Spotify, but this helps make up for it.
Culture II Migos (Quality Music Control)
If you know, you know
Dirty Computer Janelle Monae (Bad Boy)
fire emoji
Top Songs
“Made In America” Kristina Murray (Loud Magnolia)
“Poison” David Nance Group (Trouble in Mind)
“Long Wave” Bonny Doon (Woodsist)
“Mr. Diva” Kaleta and Super Yamba Band (Kaleta and Super Yamba Band)
“Rock Bottom” Chelsea Nolan (Chelsea Nolan)
“Woah There” Wix & Riqque (Wix & Riqque)
“Pond Weed” Brand Stank (Untitled Recs)
“The Opener” Camp Cope (Run for Cover)
“When the Dust Settles” Brent Cobb (Elektra)
“How to Hack a Bugatti” Ankhlejohn (FXCK RXP)
DJ Walt (“Just Take This With You,” Mondays 11pm)
Top Albums
Light Juliana Daugherty (Western Vinyl)
Re:member Olafur Arnalds (Mercury KX)
The Machine That Made Us Flotation Toy Warning (Talitres)
Part Time Punks Sessions Choir Boy (Choir Boy)
Double Negative Low (Sub Pop)
Bark Your Head Off Dog Hop Along (Saddle Creek)
Ordinary Corrupt Human Love Deafheaven (Anti-)
Freedom Amen Dunes (Sacred Bones)
Origami Harvest Ambrose Akinmusire (Blue Note)
The Art of Pretending To Swim Villagers (Domino)
Top Songs
“A Simple Breed” Nymph & Officer Jenny (Officer Jenny)
“A Blooming Bloodfruit in a Hoodie Ambrose Akinmusire (Blue Note)
“Moments” VAR (VAR)
“California” Juliana Daugherty (Western Vinyl)
“Thoughts Spun” Myrra Ros (Myrra Ros)
“Somewhere A Judge” Hop Along (Saddle Creek)
“Famous Tracheotomies” Okkervil River (ATO)
“Honeycomb” Deafheaven (ANTI-)
“Pillar of Truth” Lucy Dacus (Domino)
“Perfect Miracle” Spiritualized (Fat Possum)
Timothy Conlon (Sub)
Top Albums
7 Beach House (Sub Pop)
No. 4 Christina Vantzou (Kranky)
Tahoe Dedekind Cut (Kranky)
Sweet Unknown Erica Wennerstrom (Partisan)
The Waves, the Wake Great Lake Swimmers (Nettwerk)
Ferocious Lauren Lakis (Cavity Search
Find Us Where We’re Hiding Phosphenes (FAYZ)
Arms of a Dream Reuban & the Dark (Arts & Crafts)
Savior Soft Kill (Profound Love)
10 Duet for Theremin & Lap Steel (self-released)
Top Songs
“All Be Gone” Buffalo Tomorrow (School Kids / Scrawny)
“Glissando for Bodies & Machines In Space” Christina Vantzou (Kranky)
“Hold Your Head Up High” Darlingside (Thirsty Tigers)
“Belladonnae Redux” Duet for Theremin & Lap Steel (self-released)
“Darkness Bring the Light” Elisapie (Bon Sound)
“Twisted Highway” Erika Wennerstrom (Partisan)
“Bitter End” Gordi (Jagjaguwar
“Good Feelings” Hot Trash (Escape Productions)
“Alltid” Strum Dummy (Black Cottage)
“Wolves” TenFiveSixty (self-released)
