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“What really matters is what you like, not what you are like… Books, records, films — these things matter.”
— High Fidelity

Etcetera

Best Songs of 2018

For the second consecutive year, I have managed to create a list comprised of half male voices, half female. I mark this as an accomplishment, though I wonder if it says more about my evolving tastes and perpetual access to music than it does make any sort of statement about the rising quality or decreasing lack of scarcity of female artists.

Another trend showing up in back-to-back years is just as interesting to me, a now-40-something (gasp) dude with a fading interest in contemporary music—a whopping 80% of my list features artists I knew about prior to this year. This should not be surprising, when I (or you) consider my age and nearly 50,000-strong mp3 library. If anything, it is a bit of a miracle that I am able to discover 20 new artists in a year, at this stage in my music fandom.

But this trend, while implying stagnation, belies a deeper understanding of what went into this year’s mix. My Best of 2018 contains artists I have not paid attention to in years (Me’Shell Ndegeocello, Amos Lee, John Mayer, Christina Aguilera) and old favorites in new iterations (Wajatta, Big Red Machine, Arthur Buck).

So while there are indeed some surprises here, as a counter to this argument I have blatant proof that I am in fact an old-timer now. It comes via the realization that most of the young, fresh music I like these days simply evokes that which I used to (and, clearly, still) like, whether that be chill R&B or indie rock or bedroom dance-pop. All of which are styles that are either on the wane or surely not reaching large audiences anymore.

The end result of this conundrum is that my music consumption, while still greater than most people my age, is nevertheless on a now-precipitous decline. This past year was my lowest in nearly two decades when it came to purchasing CDs (or LPs, as I now do more often than not), and perhaps more tellingly, I listened to barely 60% of the unique songs I did even as little as four years ago (when I heard 12,272 individual tracks at least once). Want more evidence? My pool of possible songs for inclusion here, a number often in the 150–180 range, presently sits in the 130s.

Basically what I’m saying is that while my interest in these mixes remains, my ability to create them going forward is faltering. Thus, I don’t know if I will be back in 2019, so treat this like you should be treating every day: It may be the last; savor it. Enjoy it.

For these year-end lists, I like to undertake the seemingly impossibly task of creating an hours-long mix. The order you see below represents that effort, which you can listen to via Spotify (all 100 tracks!) and Apple Music (missing just 1). Track notes to come eventually or maybe never.

  1. Big Wave More Fire

    No Pain

    DJDS featuring Khalid & Charlie Wilson & Charlotte Day Wilson

    Big Wave More Fire

    Loma Vista

    via past experience

  2. Big Red Machine

    Gratitude

    Big Red Machine

    Big Red Machine

    Jagjaguwar

    via past experience

  3. Fallingwater

    Fallingwater

    Maggie Rogers

    Fallingwater digital single

    Columbia

    via past experience, Fluxblog

  4. Conexão

    Love Me Right

    Amber Mark

    Conexão

    Virgin

    via past experience

  5. Desperate Late Night Energy

    100%

    Boycrush featuring Yumi Zouma

    Desperate Late Night Energy

    Alistair Deverick

    via past experience (Yumi Zouma), Apple Music

  6. Casual High Technology

    Runnin’

    Wajatta

    Casual High Technology

    Comedy Dynamics

    via past experience (Reggie Watts)

  7. Knock Knock

    Baby (How Much I LFO You)

    DJ Koze

    Knock Knock

    Pampa

    via NPR First Listen

  8. The Louder I Call, the Faster It Runs

    The Louder I Call, the Faster It Runs

    Wye Oak

    The Louder I Call, the Faster It Runs

    Merge

    via past experience

  9. The Middle

    The Middle

    Zedd & Maren Morris & Grey

    The Middle digital single

    Interscope

    via Target commercial

  10. Party for One

    Party for One

    Carly Rae Jepsen

    Party for One digital single

    School Boy/Interscope

    via past experience

  11. Remind Me to Forget

    Remind Me to Forget

    Kygo & Miguel

    Remind Me to Forget digital single

    Sony

    via past experience (Miguel)

  12. Head Over Heels

    Bedroom Calling

    Chromeo featuring The-Dream

    Head Over Heels

    Big Beat

    via past experience

  13. Dirty Computer

    Make Me Feel

    Janelle Monáe

    Dirty Computer

    Bad Boy

    via past experience

  14. I Can Feel You Creep Into My Private Life

    Hammer

    Tune-Yards

    I Can Feel You Creep Into My Private Life

    4AD

    via past experience

  15. Cocoa Sugar

    In My View

    Young Fathers

    Cocoa Sugar

    Ninja Tune

    via somewhere

  16. Black Panther The Album

    The Ways

    Khalid featuring Swae Lee

    Black Panther The Album

    Aftermath

    via Black Panther The Movie

  17. Isolation

    After the Storm

    Kali Uchis

    Isolation

    Rinse

    via Alli Adamonis

  18. Sex & Food

    Everyone Acts Crazy Nowadays

    Unknown Mortal Orchestra

    Sex & Food

    Jagjaguwar

    via past experience

  19. Ventriloquism

    Sensitivity

    Me’Shell Ndegeocello

    Ventriloquism

    Naïve

    via NPR First Listen, Fluxblog

  20. I Used to Know Her: Part 2

    Carried Away

    H.E.R.

    I Used to Know Her: Part 2

    RCA

    via past experience

  21. thank u, next

    thank u, next

    Ariana Grande

    thank u, next digital single

    Republic

    via Twitter

  22. Liberation

    Like I Do

    Christina Aguilera featuring GoldLink

    Liberation

    Columbia

    via past experience, Fluxblog

  23. Everything Is Love

    Summer

    The Carters

    Everything Is Love

    S.C. Enterprises / Roc Nation

    via past experience

  24. Uncle, Duke & the Chief

    Side Tracked

    Born Ruffians

    Uncle, Duke & the Chief

    Yep Roc

    via past experience, Fluxblog

  25. Lamp Lit Prose

    Break-Thru

    Dirty Projectors

    Lamp Lit Prose

    Domino

    via past experience

  26. Siesta

    It’s So Easy

    Hater

    Siesta

    Fire

    via past experience

  27. Best Friends

    Best Friends

    Little Dragon

    Best Friends 12"

    Loma Vista

    via past experience

  28. Rebound

    Make Me a Song

    Eleanor Friedberger

    Rebound

    Frenchkiss

    via past experience, Fluxblog

  29. Pirouette

    Pirouette

    Jay Som

    Pirouette 7"

    Polyvinyl

    via past experience

  30. Francis Trouble

    Far Away Truths

    Albert Hammond, Jr.

    Francis Trouble

    Red Bull

    via past experience

  31. Caer

    Saturdays

    Twin Shadow featuring Haim

    Caer

    Warner Bros.

    via past experience

  32. In the Rainbow Rain

    How It Is

    Okkervil River

    In the Rainbow Rain

    ATO

    via past experience

  33. Freedom

    Miki Dora

    Amen Dunes

    Freedom

    Sacred Bones

    via NPR First Listen, KEXP

  34. Rare Birds

    Over the Midnight

    Jonathan Wilson

    Rare Birds

    Bella Union

    via KEXP

  35. Born Yesterday

    Before We Were Together

    Margaret Glaspy

    Born Yesterday

    ATO

    via past experience, Fluxblog

  36. Fall Into the Sun

    Grow Into a Ghost

    Swearin’

    Fall Into the Sun

    Merge

    via past experience (Allison Crutchfield)

  37. Sluff

    Everybody Thinks They Know (But No One Really Knows)

    Naked Giants

    Sluff

    New West

    via KEXP, Jonathan Zwickel

  38. Historian

    Next of Kin

    Lucy Dacus

    Historian

    Matador

    via KEXP

  39. List of Demands

    List of Demands (Reparations)

    The Kills

    List of Demands 7"

    Domino

    via past experience

  40. Fast Slow Disco

    Fast Slow Disco

    St. Vincent

    Fast Slow Disco digital single

    Loma Vista

    via past experience

  41. Be the Cowboy

    Nobody

    Mitski

    Be the Cowboy

    Dead Oceans

    via past experience

  42. Different Windows

    Living It Up

    Smokey Brights

    Different Windows

    Freakout!

    via past experience

  43. Lost Friends

    Mistake

    Middle Kids

    Lost Friends

    Domino

    via past experience

  44. When My Heart Felt Volcanic

    Volcanic Love

    The Aces

    When My Heart Felt Volcanic

    Red Bull

    via NPR First Listen

  45. Side B

    Priorities

    Jillian Jacqueline

    Side B

    Big Loud

    via past experience

  46. Single Rider

    O.M.G. (I’m All Over It)

    Jenn Champion

    Single Rider

    Hardly Art

    via Julia Paleski

  47. EP III

    In Camera

    Yumi Zouma

    EP III

    Cascine

    via past experience

  48. New Light

    New Light

    John Mayer

    New Light digital single

    Snack Monkey

    via past experience

  49. Baby Grand

    Juiceboxx

    The Love Language

    Baby Grand

    Merge

    via past experience

  50. Between Two Shores

    Wheels on Fire

    Glen Hansard

    Between Two Shores

    Plateau

    via past experience

  51. High Alert

    High Alert

    Júníus Meyvant

    High Alert digital single

    Record Records

    via past experience

  52. Black Velvet

    I Feel a Change

    Charles Bradley

    Black Velvet

    Daptone

    via past experience

  53. Good Thing

    Beyond

    Leon Bridges

    Good Thing

    Columbia

    via past experience

  54. Still Run

    Lately

    Wet

    Still Run

    Columbia

    via past experience

  55. Love Is Dead

    Deliverance

    Chvrches

    Love Is Dead

    Capitol

    via past experience

  56. Honey

    Missing U

    Robyn

    Honey

    Konichiwa

    via past experience

  57. Made for Now

    Made for Now

    Janet Jackson featuring Daddy Yankee

    Made for Now digital single

    Rhythm Nation

    via past experience

  58. This Is America

    This Is America

    Childish Gambino

    This Is America digital single

    RCA

    via past experience

  59. Til It's Over

    ’Til It’s Over

    Anderson .Paak

    ’Til It’s Over digital single

    OBE

    via past experience

  60. Parad(W/M)E

    Parad(W/M)E

    Sylvan Esso

    Parad(W/M)E digital single

    Loma Vista

    via past experience

  61. Golden Hour

    High Horse

    Kacey Musgraves

    Golden Hour

    MCA Nashville

    via NPR First Listen, Julia Paleski

  62. Kindness, a Rebel

    Born in the Right Country

    River Whyless

    Kindness, a Rebel

    Roll Call

    via Mark Baker

  63. Appreciation

    Born in Love

    Horse Feathers

    Appreciation

    Kill Rock Stars

    via past experience

  64. I Need to Start a Garden

    Worth It

    Haley Henderickx

    I Need to Start a Garden

    Mama Bird Recording Co.

    via past experience

  65. Wanderer

    Woman

    Cat Power featuring Lana del Rey

    Wanderer

    Domino

    via past experience

  66. Bark Your Head Off, Dog

    How Simple

    Hop Along

    Bark Your Head Off, Dog

    Saddle Creek

    via past experience

  67. I Don't Run

    Finally Floating

    Hinds

    I Don’t Run

    Mom and Pop

    via past experience

  68. Wide Awaaaake

    Freebird II

    Parquet Courts

    Wide Awaaaake!

    Rough Trade

    via past experience

  69. Lush

    Pristine

    Snail Mail

    Lush

    Matador

    via KEXP

  70. Clean

    Your Dog

    Soccer Mommy

    Clean

    Fat Possum

    via KEXP

  71. Living in Symbol

    Shut My Mouth

    Astronauts, Etc.

    Living in Symbol

    Company

    via past experience

  72. Bottle It In

    Bassackwards

    Kurt Vile

    Bottle It In

    Matador

    via past experience

  73. How to Socialise & Make Friends

    The Opener

    Camp Cope

    How to Socialise & Make Friends

    Run for Cover

    via past experience

  74. Tell Me How You Really Feel

    Charity

    Courtney Barnett

    Tell Me How You Really Feel

    Mom and Pop

    via past experience

  75. Future Me Hates Me

    Future Me Hates Me

    The Beths

    Future Me Hates Me

    Carpark

    via Mark Baker

  76. Hope Downs

    Talking Straight

    Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever

    Hope Downs

    Sub Pop

    via past experience

  77. Running on a Fence

    Insecure

    Hypoluxo

    Running on a Fence

    Broken Circles

    via past experience

  78. Indigo

    Letting Go

    Wild Nothing

    Indigo

    Captured Tracks

    via past experience

  79. Negro Swan

    Charcoal Baby

    Blood Orange

    Negro Swan

    Domino

    via past experience

  80. Us

    When I’m With Him

    Empress Of

    Us

    Terrible

    via past experience

  81. Lost & Found

    Lost and Found

    Jorja Smith

    Lost & Found

    FAMM

    via Alli Adamonis, Fluxblog

  82. Room Inside the World

    Desire

    Ought

    Room Inside the World

    Merge

    via past experience

  83. Deafman Glance

    Spoil With the Rest

    Ryley Walker

    Deafman Glance

    Dead Oceans

    via past experience

  84. Performance

    It Might Get Dark

    White Denim

    Performance

    City Slang

    via past experience

  85. Arthur Buck

    Are You Electrified?

    Arthur Buck

    Arthur Buck

    New West

    via past experience (Joseph Arthur, Peter Buck)

  86. Thank You for Today

    Gold Rush

    Death Cab for Cutie

    Thank You for Today

    Atlantic

    via past experience

  87. Uniform Distortion

    Throwback

    Jim James

    Uniform Distortion

    ATO

    via past experience

  88. Hell-On

    Bad Luck

    Neko Case

    Hell-On

    Anti

    via past experience

  89. Ruins

    It’s a Shame

    First Aid Kit

    Ruins

    Columbia

    via past experience

  90. Man of the Woods

    Say Something

    Justin Timberlake featuring Chris Stapleton

    Man of the Woods

    RCA

    via past experience

  91. Vide Noir

    When the Night Is Over

    Lord Huron

    Vide Noir

    Whispering Pines Studios / Republic

    via past experience

  92. My New Moon

    Crooked

    Amos Lee

    My New Moon

    Dualtone

    via past experience

  93. A Star Is Born

    Maybe It’s Time

    Bradley Cooper

    A Star Is Born

    Universal

    via A Star Is Born

  94. People Are My Drug

    Miles Away

    Phil Cook

    People Are My Drug

    Thirty Tigers

    via past experience

  95. Unsung Passage

    Pale November Dew

    The Dead Tongues

    Unsung Passage

    Psychic Hotline

    via past experience

  96. Magic Ship

    Slow Wake Up Sunday Morning

    Mountain Man

    Magic Ship

    Nonesuch

    via past experience

  97. boygenius

    Souvenir

    boygenius

    boygenius

    Matador

    via past experience (Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers, Lucy Dacus)

  98. The Horizon Just Laughed

    Over Rainbows and Rainier

    Damien Jurado

    The Horizon Just Laughed

    Secretly Canadian

    via past experience

  99. Great Thunder

    Takes So Much

    Waxahatchee

    Great Thunder

    Merge

    via past experience

  100. Don't Miss It

    Don’t Miss It

    James Blake

    Don’t Miss It digital single

    Polydor

    via past experience, Fluxblog