What a year for indie music. We received a boatload of review requests from around the world, and published reviews of nearly 1,000 CDs and EPs. We culled through those we reviewed first to pick our nominations for the LA Music Critic Awards, and now to compile our list of the 40 Best CDs of 2018.
Due to the sheer volume, we only considered full-length projects for this list, but that doesn’t mean that quite a few of the EPs we reviewed weren’t also worthy of distinction. We may yet put together another list of just EPs.
In the meantime, while we wait for the winners of the second half of 2018 for the LA Music Critic Awards to be announced tomorrow, here are our favorite CDs of 2018. You can find their individual reviews by searching for them on our blog.
40. Kate Reid – The Heart Already Knows
39. Deb Ryder – Enjoy the Ride
38. Jeffrey Foucault – War on the Radio
37. Katie Herzig – Moment of Bliss
36. Eric Tingstad – Electric Spirit
35. Fanny Walked the Earth – self-titled
34. Wily Bo Walker – Almost Transparent Blues
33. Buddy Guy – The Blues is Alive and Well
32. Walt Weiskopf – European Quartet
31. Mindi Abair & the Boneshakers – All I Got for Christmas is the Blues
30. YYNOT – self-titled
29. Peter V Blues Band – Shaken but not Deterred
28. Delta Moon – Babylon is Falling
27. The Textones – Old Stone Gang
26. Ronny Morris – Sweet Silence
25. Sydney Wright – Seiche
24. Gleeson – The Years Have It
23. Colin Devlin – High Point
22. Everlast – Don’t Complain
21. Zsuzsika – Start Again
20. Michael Peterson – From Here to Eternity
19. K. Michelle Dubois – Autumn
18. Broken Bellows – I, Kaleidoscope
17. Rachel Sage – Myopia
16. Janiva Magness – Love is an Army
15. John Flanagan Trio – Honest Man
14. Lee Ainley’s Blues Storm – Shoot me Down
13. Floods – Bad Times
12. Frank Hannon(From One Place . . . to Another, vols 1 and 2)
Happy Thanksgiving. As promised, here are four Christmas albums we received this year, and they are all amazing. We hope this gets you in the proper mood for the holiday season.
Track Listing: 1. All I Got for Christmas is the Blues; 2. I Can’t Wait for Christmas; 3. Merry Christmas Baby; 4. Christmas (Baby Please Come Home); 5. The Best Part of Christmas; 6. Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree; 7. The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire); 8. Run Run Rudolph; 9. Christmas Fool
Publicist: Blind Raccoon
Review: Mindi Abair is a two-time Grammy-nominated saxophonist and vocalist who is a master of jazz, blues and funk. On her first holiday album, she brings four originals and five re-imagined classics to get your holidays off to a bluesy and funky start. She kicks things off with the original title track before reinventing her own 2004 tune, “I Can’t Wait for Christmas.” The band then tackles the Charles Brown R&B standard “Merry Christmas Baby” before tackling and improving on the Phil Spector/Darlene Lee classic “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home).” Our favorite song is next with “The Best Part of Christmas,” a song she co-wrote with her old college friend and long-time collaborator, Matthew Hager from Halo Circus. On “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree,” she gets to be both Brenda Lee and Boots Randolph as she gives the pop classic a modern bluesy sound. You will not believe the amazing new arrangement the band gives to “The Christmas Song,” but we think it will easily become your favorite version. She closes out this special Christmas gift with Chuck Berry‘s “Run Run Rudolph” before ending with a “back porch break down” on “Christmas Fool.” This one is sure to become a holiday favorite.
Recommendation: Don’t think twice. Get this one for your holiday listening enjoyment.
Track Listing: 1, Hard the Herald Angels Sing; 2. In the Bleak Midwinter (ft Audrey Assad); 3. O Come O Come Emmanuel; 4. Jesus Once of Humble Birth; 5. It Came Upon a Midnight Clear; 6. Christmas Past; 7. Joy to the World; 8. O Holy Night (ft CeCe Winans); 9. Bring a Torch, Jeanette, Isabella; 10. Once in Royal David’s City; 11. Son of God (ft Patrice Tipoki); 12. Away in a Manger; 13. Silent Night
Publicist: Morris Public Relations
Review: Composer Paul Cardall brings us a traditional and classical approach to Christmas music, with his majestic and sweeping orchestral sound. He also has three special guest vocalists in Grammy-winner CeCe Winans (“O Holy NIght”), Australian Broadway star Patrice Tipoki (“Son of God”) and award-winning singer-songwriter Audrey Assad (“In the Bleak Midwinter”). With these group of songs, you can’t help getting into the Christmas spirit with a soundtrack that will be perfect for all your holiday parties and get-togethers. Stand-out performances on “In the Bleak Midwinter” and “O Holy Night,” which are sure to become some of your favorite holiday songs.
Recommendation: This is one of the best we’ve ever heard, and belongs in your holiday collection. Get it right away!
Before we review our final two albums, we wanted to share a couple of Christmas songs that we received this year. First up is Cherrill Rae, who updates the classic pop song “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” into a modern-day sweeping standard.
Our second single is from Charlie Milliken, who takes it from soulful to country with his beautifully written and performed “Season.”
Track Listing: 1. Away in a Manger; 2. Carol Medley; 3. God Rest ye Merry Gentlemen; 4. Holidaze; 5. Love is Christmas; 6. Mary did you Know; 7. O Holy Night
Publicist: Self-promoted
Review: The four sisters that encompass Redhead Express have made a name for themselves with their spectacular harmonies and brilliant musicianship, including guitar, violin, banjo and stand up bass. On their first holiday album, they turn these well-known and loved Christmas songs into bluegrass/country classics. They also bring a couple of new songs to the table to give us an even better holiday treat. On “Carol Medley,” they add in the equally wonderful voices of their family to round out the sound before introducing the more pop/rock sound of their new project, the PaperDolls Band, on “God Rest ye Merry Gentlemen.” They follow this up with the amazing original “Holidaze” and an uplifting bluegrass cover of Sara Bareilles‘ “Love is Christmas.” They close out this brilliant collection with their holiday gift from last year, “Mary Did You Know,” and the classic “O Holy Night.”
Recommendation: If you love harmonies and great music, then this is the holiday album for you. Drop what you’re doing and Get it now!
Track Listing: 1. Christmas in the Ordinary; 2. December Song; 3. Prayer for Everyone; 4. Christmas Is; 5. For Auld Lang Syne
Publicist: Self-promoted
Review: Multiple LA Music Critic Award winning and Blue Élan Records artist Cindy Alexander joins with country superstar songwriter Kevin Fisher to form this amazing new group. What started out as a friendship and writing collaboration has blossomed into a special holiday EP featuring three new songs by the duo, as well as one by Fisher (“Christmas Is”) and the other by Alexander and her long time musical partner Dave Darling (“For Auld Lang Syne”). The combination of their voices is nothing short of spectacular, and the chemistry is palpable. This one will quickly become a treasured favorite, and deserves to be put on repeat.
Recommendation: This one is a no-brainer – you simply must Get it and play it again and again.
