Best of 2018 Awards
A staple of my profession is to listen to new music, and I feel very grateful to absorb so many new and diverse sounds each week. That being said, when it’s time for me to listen strictly for myself, my tendency is to go into a laser-like focus on a handful of artists and binge listen. In 2017 my listening palette contained a disproportionate amount of US-based electronic/indie pop, but at the tail end of that year and rounding into 2018, my tastes shifted over to Swedish imports and more traditional singer-songwriters.
I’ll admit that I was late to the party with discovering Gregory Alan Isakov, and I spent the first six months of this year listening obsessively to his album from 2016 featuring the Colorado Symphony Orchestra. It’s so good that it’s unfair, and if you haven’t heard it, you should go put that on repeat ad infinitum. That's the great thing about music discovery. When I find something that I fall in love with, I don’t care what year it is from, it’s brand new to me.
As I headed into the second half of the year, my listening took on a darker and more introspective tone, as it often does during the fall. I started listening heavily to ambient, instrumental mood music, which helps me hyperfocus when I’m deep in thought working through the many issues weighing heavily on my mind. It’s also an excellent soundtrack for when I’m writing. Free of traditional song structure, I can truly get lost in it.
I’ll admit, I didn’t have the widest and most diverse listening experience this year. I mostly stayed in two lanes, introspective and nostalgic, and doubled down on them. Here are some of my favorites from the year. Take a listen and you may just find something new to obsess over. I also threw in some awards here unrelated to music that I felt deserved a mention.
Most Listened To Song In 2018 That Was From 2017 Award: “Oddysey” by Talos.
Spotify tells me this was my most listened to song of the year. I’m not surprised. I was an obsessive listener prior to catching the group at an intimate performance at SXSW in March. The show only intensified my listening for months to come. The whole “Wild Alee” album is amazing and worth repeated listens. The video below is from one of my favorite directors, Brendan from Feel Good Lost Films.
Throwback Track Of The Year Award: “Iris” by Mike Posner.
That little laugh to himself at 2:22 in verse 2 is one of those things that I could listen to 1,000 times (I might have). Genius.
Import Of The Year Award: Raindear
RAINDEAR is the moniker of alt-pop singer Rebecca Bergcrantz from Malmö, Sweden. Last year she caught my attention with ‘Diamonds In My Chest’, and the follow-up tracks “Sky” and “World Below” kept me locked into her world for good.
*Honorable mention: The Land Below
The Land Below is Erik Lindestad from Stockholm, Sweden. He was on repeat for 2017 and delivered some real gems in 2018 like a killer covers album and choice singles, including a collaboration with…
Best Artist To Get Lost To Award: I Am Snow Angel
The NYC-based dream pop artist/producer/sound designer recently released a double single for her track Honeybee. The “Cabin Mix” version was my go-to track when I needed to get lost in reverie. This is the type of song you listen to when staring out the window at night during a snowstorm, deep in thought about the choices you have made. Her concept album “MOTHERSHIP” is due out January 25th, and was written and recorded in wintery isolation in a cabin in the Adirondack woods of northern New York. Good luck finding anything that sounds quite like this…
The Soundtrack To Creativity Award: “Inner” by Ocoeur.
Ocoeur is the neo-classical/ambient project from French composer Franck Zaragoza. The name is a play on the French meaning ‘to the heart’. This was my go-to album this fall when I needed to focus and get into a deeply creative headspace. I discovered this album and many other ambient gems here…
Best Blog Of The Year Award: Drifting Almost Falling
Branded as “Investigations of Minimal Ambient/ Drone/Modern Classical/Experimental/Electroacoustic Sounds”, this blog is expertly curated and the only resource you need for this style, stop looking elsewhere.
Best Song About A Location Award: “Albuquerque” by Byland from the Desert Days album.
This track is a nostalgia hand grenade complete with the best use of a Harley engine roar in a song. This song makes me fantasize about moving back to the country for a simpler life, living mostly barefoot and outdoors.
“My home may have changed, but part of me remains.”
*Honorable mention: “Arizona” by Frances Cone.
The arrangement and production by this Nashville indie duo are very odd and a little all over the place, but I love it for that reason. When the guitar lick kicks in after chorus 1, it’s incredibly satisfying and it makes me want to throw my head back and my arms out wide.
The Authenticity Award: Ella Vos
In 2016, Ella caught listener’s attention with the viral track “White Noise”, and broke the rules by having a hit about the struggle with Postpartum depression. Appreciate how far we have come for a second. In April of this year, Ella announced on Instagram her diagnosis with Lymphoma. Due to early detection and treatment, she is doing well and now cancer free I’m happy to report. Her authentic and personal approach shows the power of vulnerability and endears her to her fans. Check out the recent release “Castaway” to get a feel for her sound.
The Diamond In The Rough Award: “Next To You” by Helga Arvesten
A song I know you haven’t heard. My first reaction to this was, this is like Fiona Apple meets Radiohead! Substream Magazine described the track as “a huge, impressive experience…that towers splendidly in its sound and emotion.” Well said and well worth a listen. There must be something in the water in Sweden. Keeping my eye on this one…
The How Had I Not Heard This Song Before Award: “Nobody Opened The Door” by Cobi
Minnesota born, Los Angeles based artist Cobi takes you on a pleasant listening journey and then punches you in the face with an unexpected payoff. I love songs like this. You know something is coming, you can feel it building, but you aren’t sure what you are going to get. Be patient and wait for it.
The Mic Drop Award: “when the party’s over” by Billie Eilish.
A must listen in headphones, preferably at night and alone. There isn’t much that needs to be said about this.
“Don’t you know too much already? I’ll only hurt you if you let me.”
Album Of The Year Award: “Evening Machines” by Gregory Alan Isakov.
Released in October, this album had a lot to live up to after his previous album. I was not disappointed. It’s best listened to as a full playthrough, but the real magic is in the 3-song, mid-album bundle of “Caves”, “Chemicals”, and “Dark, Dark, Dark”. I love this guy as a lyricist and he makes me want to pick back up the guitar and learn these songs to sing around the campfire. The demise of the album format is greatly exaggerated when you love this style of music.
Video Of The Year Award: “Birthplace” by Novo Amor.
Ali Lacey, better known under the moniker Novo Amor, is a Welsh multi-instrumentalist, singer, songwriter, sound designer, and producer. He has been on steady rotation for me since 2014 when I first discovered him on Bandcamp of all places. Released in the summer, the video for “Birthplace” is an incredibly powerful and timely message about the effect we are having on the natural world. This video really stopped me in my tracks and made me consider all that I consume and pushed me to make some changes. Watch, be blown away, and reconsider your plastic usage. This is an important piece of art, and much respect for the work put in to make this masterpiece.
The diver in the video is noted professional free diver Michael Board, who performed around 250 free dives to capture the footage, along with the crew who spent around 35 hours underwater in total. Perhaps even more impressive is the 13-meter long model of the whale, which was made from plastic collected by school children, who received books in return for their donations. — The Independent
Photographer Of The Year Award: Forrest Smith of Lost In The Forrest
I mean, cmon. Cabins, dark pine trees, and those fox pictures…
Honorable mention: Delaney Royer
My visual transportation guilty pleasure.
App Of The Year Award: CALM
For your daily meditation and relaxation practice, this is the best app out there. My “scenes” of choice are “Wind In The Pines” and “Snowflakes at Midnight”. The app is packed with all sorts of interesting features to explore. Get this app and spend 10 minutes per day with it and 10 minutes less per day on Facebook or Instagram. You will thank me later.
Patrick Ermlich is an artist guide, creative director, CMO, and author of the forthcoming book The Compass Method -“The navigational guide to an artist’s life in music”.
