Andrew Adkins has some new tunes out. If you’re in the mood for some funky, mountainous stuff with a lot of attitude, heart and soul, this dude will quench the thirst.
Usual disclaimers: The year-end list will be compiled from all FTM contributors' votes. Also, the second half looks really strong, so expect a lot of shake up to this list.
1. Dallas Moore - Mr. Honky Tonk
2. Ashley McBryde - Girl Going Nowhere
3. Blackberry Smoke - Find a Light
4. Caitlyn Smith - Starfire
5. John Prine - Tree of Forgiveness
6. Brent Cobb - Providence Canyon
7. Neko Case - Hell On
8. Fantastic Negrito - Please Don't Be Dead
9. Kacey Musgraves - Golden Hour
10. Joshua Hedley - Mr. Jukebox
11. Brandi Carlile - By the Way, I Forgive You
12. Buffalo Gospel - At the Last Bell
13. Caleb Caudle - Crushed Coins
14. Pusha T - Daytona
15. Old Crow Medicine Show - Volunteer
16. Sarah Shook & The Disarmers - Years
17. Leon III - s/t
18. First Aid Kid - Ruins
19. Courtney Patton - What It's Like to Fly Alone
20. Buffalo Tom - Quiet and Peace
21. American Aquarium - Things Change
22. Charley Crockett - Lonesome as a Shadow
23. Brothers Osborne - Port Saint Joe
24. Courtney Marie Andrews - May Your Kindness Remain
25. Ghost - Prequelle
And here are Robert Dean's five favorites:
Since we’re ½ through 2018 (weird) – here are the records I’m jamming the hardest and think are this year’s best so far:
Joshua Hedley – Mr. Jukebox
My #1 with a bullet. It would take a miracle to unseat this record.
Sleep – The Sciences
Vein – Errorzone
Charley Crockett – Lonesome As A Shadow At The Gates – To Drink From The Night Itself
As life guru, Marc Maron would say it, what the fuck is up, what the fucksters, what the fuckingingtons?
Over here in unemployed, freelancing writer-land, I’m grinding away, trying to listen to a lot of music, and trying to skim through the trash to give you the hotness that you didn’t know that you needed in your life.
Without further pomp and circumstance, let’s pull the dog cone off and get licking ourselves.
Tyler Childers w/Sturgill Simpson at The Ryman
A round of applause for our boy Tyler Childers for his recent debut at The Grand Ol’ Opry, playing with John Prine, opening for Margo Price's sold out run at The Ryman, and overall killing it. We’re beyond proud of him.
Joe Cardomone, the brains behind The Icarus Line has gone solo and is doing some rad, synthy dream-like stuff that feels like it’s a cross between Depeche Mode on the happy pills and what Marilyn Manson thinks he’s been doing for the last decade.
Holy War is an odd collection of songs that are straight IDGAF about what’s trending, popular or normal. Caromone is on his psychic plane with these tracks, and that’s good news if you’re looking to get weird in the dark over some candle wax and a bottle of Rose. Check it out, but don’t get all huffy with us if you end up wearing a gimp mask, though. That’s your freaky fault.
CW Stoneking is touring the states again. This time around he’s going solo and not with the full band, it’s likely because last time America dropped the ball and didn’t give this dude the reception he deserved.
I was lucky enough to see him play at Stubb’s here in Austin to maybe 100 people and let me tell you, that was an excellent night. If you’ve got any common sense, you’ll head over to whatever town is closest and grab a ticket. The fact that CW Stoneking isn’t a household name in blues circles is a damn shame.
At The Gates released a new record, To Drink From The Night Itself and boy, does it slam. Typically, when a band tries to come back after a classic album, they stumble. It’s a momentous task to follow up something as perfect as Slaughter of The Soul, so when At War With Reality dropped it was just…ok.
On To Drink From The Night Itself, the band found it’s anger; it’s artistry again. There’s no magical reinvention of the band’s style and sound, this is meat and potatoes At The Gates, but it’s a collection of tracks that rip the hinges off the Camaro. 100% worth the listen.
Fat dudes with beards who like to wear flannel are stoked as fuck: Clutch has a new record looming, which is cool. The world needs more tunes about blacking out on the road and writing a rock and roll song about it.
From the groundswell of insiders, I keep hearing this new Lucero record is their best one ever. That’s a TALL order considering there’s a mighty fine batch of songs in the back catalog, specifically one named Tennessee. I’ve yet to hear it for myself, but multiple sources near the Memphis Monsters relay the same story.
This isn’t new information, but can we all agree that the new Perfect Circle cover is probably the worst record cover of all time? I mean, come on. You rockstar folk ain't on the struggle; you're millionaires. Spring for someone to at least try.
Brandan Schieppati of recently reformed Bleeding Through fame talks mad spicy on the new metal and hardcore bands of today, especially Bring Me The Horizon: here.
Lastly, go buy Charley Crockett everything. His recent record, Lonesome As A Shadow is a sleeper album of the year. Seriously. It’s a mixture of Louisiana and Texas that works without coming off contrived. There’s a unique blend of busker timing, but also captures the feeling of what it’s like to sing for your supper. The record features a potent mixture of old school 50’s RnB, blues, and classic country. Don’t sleep on this one. He’s on like, every music platform, ever is touring eternally. Grab Charley Crockett’s record, you’ll thank us. We promise.
Wait. Serious question:
I loved the first Leon Bridges record. I don’t like the new one at all. Where are you with Good Thing? Tweet me and let me know what you think. I need to know what I’m missing.
