Cool-Tite’s Best Albums of 2018
Shopping. The Official Body. FatCat Records. January 19, 2018.
UK band, Shopping come at us with their third album, The Official Body. These post-punkers have an ESG / Gang of Four / Delta 5 vibe and funky bass lines. Their lyrics are often social commentary on consumerism and politics, but that make you want to dance. The Hype and Discover were on a repeat a lot for me. We got to see them play at Resident and they were so fun and energetic to see. Can’t wait for more. — Crystal
Ty Segall. Freedom’s Goblin. Drag City. January 26, 2018.
I really don’t know how Ty Segall keeps doing it! Freedom’s Goblin feels like his millionth album, and while a normal human would be running out of steam, somehow Ty is only getting better. This album perfectly encapsulates Ty’s emotion and aesthetic, combining a variety of sounds ranging from the grungy and epic “Alta”, to the hectic, almost James Chance style “Talking 3”. My favorite track, “My Lady’s on Fire,” is just beautiful, and goes to show how far Segall has come as a musician and songwriter. It’s really good and really fresh, but still very Ty Segall. — Sergio
Khruangbin. Con Todo El Mundo. Dead Oceans. January 26, 2018.
This record was played on repeat this year. The musical trio from Houston, Texas produced an epic album with Con Todo El Mundo. A mix of psych, soul, and funk, the album is primarily an instrumental one inspired by music from across the world, including Thai Funk, Iranian Pop, and East Coast hip-hop. I really love the title of the album which was dedicated to Laura Lee’s grandfather, who would often ask her, “¿Como me quieras?” (How much do you love me?), and would only accept her response, “Con todo el mundo” (With all the world). This is beautiful and so is this album. — Crystal
Shannon And The Clams . Onion. Easy Eye Sound. February 16, 2018.
I’ve talked about this album before because I love it so much. I’m a big fan of Ms. Shannon and her Clams. I think what gets me is the way Shannon Shaw and Cody Blanchard sing their hearts out. They play with their gut and soul and it shines through their music. It’s heartache, heartbreak, love, sadness, and all the feels. For Onion, they had the help of The Black Keys‘ Dan Auerbach. He’s produced records for a number of artists, including Hanni El Khatib, Jeff the Brotherhood, and La Luz. This collab seemed to work out well. — Crystal
Blackwater Holylight. Blackwater Holylight. RidingEasy Records. April 6, 2018.
The debut from Portland’s Blackwater Holylight is dank and doomy all at once. While rooted in the dark, there’s something bright, heady, and alluring about this one that kept me returning to it all year. If words like psychedelic, stoner, and doom usually make your ears perk, then this is def one to scope out ASAP. — Mat
Krimewatch. Krimewatch. Lockin’ Out Records. April 10, 2018.
A short, sharp, shock that boils over with hardcore punk rock confidence – the debut LP from Brooklyn’s Krimewatch burns HOT. In just 12 minutes and 9 tracks, Krimewatch get to the point right quick with urgent, fist-in-the-air hardcore punk. Sometimes you just feel the need to circle pit your living room, and in 2018 this was the record for throwin’ down. — Mat
Sleep. The Sciences. Third Man Records. April 20, 2018.
It is 2018. Sleep released a new full-length. First since Dopesmoker. It is epic and true stoner. Essential and an instant classic. Favorite (explicit) weed references include: “inhaler of the riff-tree,” “Through the hashteroid fields” … “Marijuanaut loads a new bowl,” and “Bong Water of Life anoints the Muad’ Doob messiah.” The one and only thing that truly sucks about this record: Third Man Records?!? — Mat
Iceage. Beyondless. Matador Records. May 4, 2018.
Every Iceage record has had the same lifecycle for me… seemingly exaggerated high-praise and overt, unfiltered worship from PR people and music sites more generally cause me to feel meh whatever about the release, I listen to the record and continue to feel ehh, but as time passes the music tends to ripen and really begin to shine. I still have a hard time agreeing with the intensity of all the gushy rave reviews of the band. However, I must say, Beyondless may very well be just that: a sophisticated, strung-out, timeless, and robust cacophony grounded in punk but with a stunningly drab aesthetic that really does push beyond rock and roll expectation. Damaged, raw, and actively bleeding: I guess I do like this record a lot. — Mat
La Luz. Floating Features. Hardly Art. May 11, 2018.
Floating Features is the third album by La Luzers and it’s exactly what you would expect from the surf-rock quartet. I found myself enjoying this record a little more than their previous one, Weirdo Shrine. The fav jams on this album for me are “Cicada” and “The Creature.” Shana Cleveland recently made the move from Seattle to Los Angeles, and there are hints of Cali love throughout the album. Some more obvious ones from the song “California Finally” – “California finally my golden dream / Feels so good walking down the street”. It’s the perfect endless summer record and dreaming of that west coast sunset. — Crystal
Parquet Courts. Wide Awake! Rough Trade. May 18, 2018.
I’ve been a fan of Parquet Courts for a while and I’ve always felt that their sound was so familiar, but so different from any other band. Their lyrics read less like a rock song and more like poetry. Musically, they always feel like they’re pushing the envelope and trying to do something new, with each album having a very different sound from the previous one. On Wide Awake, their 4th studio album, the band seemingly puts it all together. There’s slower more melncholy songs, upbeat punk songs, dancey ones, and some that are somewhere in between. For me, “Almost Had to Start a Fight / In and Out of Patience” is the jam, it shows off the band’s full range in a single track. — Sergio
Wooden Shjips. V. Thrill Jockey. May 25, 2018.
Wooden Shjips are a band that definitely has a vibe. They create hypnotic, psychedelic jams that keep you zoned out and in the groove at the same time. V., the fifth studio album from the band, is perfectly on brand and their best album in my opinion. Full of swirling, fuzz-pedal jams, it’s the type of album that you could put on and get lost in. For me, the jam is “Ride On,” a slow, beautiful tune that ditches the rhythmic psychedelic tunes for something that’s a little more subdued and beautiful. It’s a chilled-out ballad that could only come from Wooden Shjips. — Sergio
Oh Sees. Smote Reverser. Castleface Records. August 17, 2018.
John Dwyer has released a ton of music with varying line-ups from OCS, to Thee Oh Sees, and now just Oh Sees. Smote Reverser, the band’s 542nd album (don’t quote me on that) takes the kind of music you expect from Dwyer and puts it on speed. Harsh, ear-gouging jams that see the band developing a more prog-metal almost thrash sound. It’s loud, it’s aggressive, and it’s the kind of album that you can listen to over and over and doesn’t gets old. — Sergio
Idles. Joy As An Act Of Resistance. Partisan Records. August 25, 2018.
There’s a reason you’ve probably seen this on many year-end lists. It’s raging and explosive punk rock, but it’s very well grounded and accessible to the masses. There’s a working-class element to the music that, for me, calls back to the unity and sister-/brotherhood you see from the classic Oi bands like Cock Sparrer. Brash and in your face, but with honest, relatable, feel-good messages that strike to the root of some very real-and-now feelings we all share. It’s 2018, and we all have probably wanted to light this fucker up in flames at times, but you’re too smart to let all the shit push you over the edge so let’s enjoy what we do have – this record captures that exact sentiment: Joy as An Act of Resistance. — Mat
Warm Drag. Warm Drag. In The Red. August 31, 2018.
Straight weirdo rock that looks to move and groove. Gritty and bumping from behind the shadows, the debut from the LA duo of Vashti Windish (K-Holes/Golden Triangle) and Paul Quattrone (Oh Sees/Chk Chk Chk) is seductively dangerous. Dark, rich textures that get down and dirty a la Suicide but with the slightest glimmer of the West Coast sunshine. — Mat
Spiritualized. And Nothing Hurt. Bella Union. September 7, 2018.
Goddamn, this record is perfection. Soft on the lips, silky to touch, vibrantly full of light, and warm to the core – J Spaceman really nailed it with And Nothing Hurt. The atmospheric opus makes me fall in love every time. The sense of longing and desire (“I’m Your Man” and “Let’s Dance”) are matched by moments of truth and honesty, recognizing that ultimately, “… I don’t know if love’s the prize.” It’s beautiful, fantastically out-of-this-world beautiful. — Mat
Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats. Wasteland. Rise Above Records. October 12, 2018.
Uncle Acid continue down the path of heavy psychedelic destruction with their fifth studio album, Wasteland. With a primary focus on developing melody, this album takes another step towards making what would usually be considered “stoner metal” more accessible to the masses. Sure, it’s catchy and infectious, but there’s still this massive sound of doom and destruction that’s sure to get you head bangin’ and thrownin’ up the devil horns. LONG LIVE UNCLE ACID! — Mat
Cool-Tite’s Best Live Records of 2018
A killer live album is just the best! And this year there was no shortage of solid live recordings – especially from San Francisco!?! The Minneapolis Uranium Club released a set that is pummeling, spastic, and dripping with sweat. OCS put out an impressive live performance of their beautiful 2017 album, Memory of a Cut Off Head, it brings all the feels and is personally very meaningful. Long-time faves The Coathangers put to tape what makes them such a raw, ferocious live force. And The Intelligence straight PLAYED THE HITS as a reminder of what a fantastic band they are. If you can’t get out to the gig, at least these will help fill the void! — Mat
The Minneapolis Uranium Club. LIVE! at Arci Taun! Castleface Records. April 13, 2018.
OCS. Live in San Francisco. Rock is Hell Records. May 21, 2018.
The Coathangers. LIVE. Suicide Squeeze Records; June 1, 2018.
The Intelligence. Live in San Francisco. Castleface Records. September 29, 2018.
Cool-Tite’s Best Collections of 2018
Amyl and The Sniffers. Big Attraction & Giddy Up. Homeless/Damaged Goods. January 3, 2018.
Sniff! sniff! Australia’s Amyl and The Sniffers exploded onto the scene this year with their wild pub-punk and an opening slot on the King Gizzy tour. Thankfully, this collection of their first 2 EPs was released and gave us all a chance to hear the goods. You ever fuck with poppers? Well, their music is just as wild and unhinged as that, which would explain why they named the band after the party drug. –Mat
Crack Cloud. Crack Cloud. Meat Machine/Deranged Records. June 1, 2018.
The first time I heard “Drab Measure” by Crack Cloud I was immediately hooked. To me it sounds like Crass with a post-punk vibe. Heavy rhythmic bass lines with sharp guitars and wild vocals. This debut self-titled LP, from the Canadian 7-piece Collective is composed of their first two bedroom-recorded EPs. The music feels personal, like art-rock without being pretentious, and since the band openly talk about using music as a tool for their recovery, you can see why. If you haven’t listened to Crack Cloud yet, you need to now. —Sergio
Earth Girl Helen Brown Center for Planetary Intelligence Band. Four Satellites Vol. 1. In The Red/Empty Cellar Records. July 20, 2018.
Sticky and infectious, but altogether weird as hell and way, way out of this world – Four Satellites Vol. 1 collects highlights from a multi-part cassette series released over the course of 2017. I don’t mess with cassettes much, so it was a pleasure to that In The Red would release this beautiful racket assembled by Heidi Alexander (The Sandwitches) and her cast of extraordinary collaborators, which included: Ty Segall, John Dwyer, Sonny Smith, Shannon Lay, Emmett Kelly, and no joke like 30 other rad musicians. The collection feels subtle at times, but the subtlety lends itself to the overall grandiose vibe one would expect to feel if floating around in space, indifferent to time, taking in all there is in the universe. Pretty confident you haven’t heard anything else like this in 2018. — Mat
Cool-Tite’s Best 6 Albums in a Year – Ty Segall
- Ty Segall. Freedom’s Goblin. Drag City. January 26, 2018.
- Ty Segall and White Fence. Joy. Frag City. July 20, 2018.
- GØGGS. Pre Strike Sweep. In The Red; September 28, 2018.
- Ty Segall. Orange Rainbow. God? October 19, 2018.
- Ty Segall. Fudge Sandwich. In The Red. October 26, 2018.
- The C.I.A. The C.I.A. December 21, 2018.
Freaking unbelievable. Last year we posted a category of Best 5 Albums in a Year as a way to accommodate all the rad releases from the ever prolific King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, and at the time I figured that would be a one-time category. But alas, the word “prolific” in modern garage rock can’t really be used for too long without having to reference Ty. Dude released SIX records this year, and they’re all great. Freedom’s Goblin is an epic master work that needed to be a double LP to allow enough time and space to develop some truly amazing moments. With GØGGS, the sophomore release with Ex-Cult‘s Chris Shaw on vox is an exercise in brute force that’ll knock you off you feet. Fudge Sandwich is a covers album that breathes new life into some classic deep cuts, including from a personal fave from Rudimentary Peni that’s a dis on Joe Strummer and John Lyndon. Oh, and the debut from The C.I.A. – an effort between Ty, his wife Denée, and Emmett Kelly – is extra crunchy and brings up feelings of Dirt and Penis Envy-era Crass. It was a hell of a lot to put out into the world!
Cool-Tite’s Best EPs of 2018
Not all good stuff comes in the form of a long player. Like a traditional amuse-bouche, here’s some small bites released over the past year that have us starving for more!
- Shitkid. This Is It. PNKSLM. January 19, 2018.
- Habibi. Cardamon Garden. Modern Sky USA. March 2, 2018.
- Peach Kelli Pop. Which Witch. Mint Records. April 21, 2018.
- Wand. Perfume. Drag City. May 25, 2018.
- Tragedy. Fury. Tragedy Records. August 31, 2018.
- Together PANGEA. Non Stop Paranoia. Nettwerk Records.
October 26, 2018. - Warthog. Warthog. Static Shock Records. October 26, 2018.
- LA Witch. Octubre. Suicide Squeeze Records. October 31, 2018.