The U & U's Best Albums of 2018 & Show 551!

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Honorable Mentions (25 of them)

Phosphorescent : C'est La Vie

Big Ups : Two Parts Together

Iceage : Beyondless

Yonatan Gat : Universalists

Richard Swift : The Hex

Moonface : This One’s For The Dancer & This One’s For The Dancers Bouquet

Les Big Byrd : Iran, Iraq, IKEA

GØGGS : Pre Strike Sweep

Preoccupations : New Material

Sunflowers : Castle Spell

Swamp Dogg : Love, Loss, and Auto-Tune

Father John Misty : God's Favorite Customer

Speedy Ortiz : Twerp Verse

Young Jesus : The Whole Thing Is Just There

Mutual Benefit : Thunder Follows the Light

Pinegrove : Skylight

El Ten Eleven : Banker’s Hill

Howlin Rain : The Alligator Bride

Stove : ‘s Favorite Friend

Mt. Mountain : Golden Rise

Nap Eyes : I’m Bad Now & Too Bad EP

Moses Sumney : Black In Deep Red, 2014 EP

Protomartyr : Consolation EP

Strange Ranger : How It All Went By EP

Wand : Perfume EP

25 : The Soft Moon : Choke

Criminal (2018)  |  Official Site

The U & U's Best Songs of 2018: 25-1 & Show 550!

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25. Titus Andronicus : Above The Bodega (Local Business)

A Productive Cough (2018)  |  Official Site

24. Father John Misty : Mr. Tillman

God's Favorite Customer (2018)  |  Official Site

The U & U's Best Songs of 2018: 75-51

75. Jim James : Just A Fool

Uniform Distortion (2018)  |  Official Site

74. LVL UP : Orchard

Orchard 7" (2018)  |  BandCamp

The U & U Show 529 | New Speedy, Cherry & Holy

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Ryan Pollie : Blackout

Blackout 7” (2018)  |  Facebook

 

Dusted : No Prison

Blackout Summer (2018)  |  BandCamp

The U & U Show 528 | SXSW Leftovers + Catching Up

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Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks : Shiggy

Sparkle Hard (2018)  |  Official Site

 

Guided By Voices : Blink Blank

Space Gun (2018)  |  Official Site

The U & U Show 522 | SXSW 2018 Preview 2 of 6

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Shamir : Room

Room EP (2018)  |  Facebook  |  SXSW 2018

 

Amen Dunes : Blue Rose

Freedom (2018)  |  BandCamp

The U & U Show 518 | Debuts, Dunes, tUnEs & Suuns

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Amen Dunes : Miki Dora

Freedom (2018)  |  BandCamp

 

Jay Som : Pirouette

Pirouette 7” (2018)  |  BandCamp

The U & U Show 403 | Record Store Day 2015 Preview

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Night Beds : Tide Teeth (2015)

-          2nd recent single that continues their now more electronic approach.

-          'Me, Liquor and God', was released in Dec '14.

-          Beautiful debut LP was 2013's Country Sleep. Also one EP.

-          One of the danciest tracks the band has released.

-          Led by Winston Yellen.

Official Site

Sufjan Stevens : Exploding Whale : Epic Fail 7" (2015)

-          Latest single released close enough to include it as a Record Store Day surprise.

-          Just released his 6th album, Carrie and Lowell.

-          It is widely regarded as his and the year's best so far.

-          One of the most talented musicians that I've been able to enjoy every step of the way.

-          This first teaser sounds like a hope-elevating return to his early stripped back folk days.

Official Site

The U & U Show 391 | So Much New & Good

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Pond : Zond : Man, It Feels Like Space Again (2015)

-          Forthcoming 6^th album

-          Australian group that features members of Tame Impala’s touring band.

-          Led by Nicholas Allbrook, also of Allbrook/Avery, who released his solo debut in 2014.

-          One of the most entertaining lead singers.

-          Latest music and live shows have made me think of 70’s Pink Floyd.

-          This collective of Perth musicians is making some of the greatest psych rock currently.

Official Site

Ty Segall : Mr. Face : Mr. Face EP (2015)

-          Most recent EP.

-          Released one of the best albums of 2014 called Manipulator.

-          Still on of the best garage psych artists going.

Official Site

U & U Show 383 | DEJJ Is Here. Tobias Is Coming.

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Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. : We Almost Lost Detroit : It's a Corporate World (2011)

-          Debut LP. Cover of Gil Scott Heron.

-          Just completed recording and I'd expect it in early 2015.

-          Dominated 2013 with their 2nd full length, The Speed of Things, and the Patterns EP.

-          Their 2010 debut EP garnered them a lot of good reviews.

-          One of the best live bands going right now.

Official Site : Amazon : HypeMachine

Tobias Jesso Jr. : Hollywood (2014)

-          First single from debut LP due out in Early 2015.

-          Produced by a Chet JR White of Girls and Patrick Carney of the Black Keys.

-          Only 2 other demos out via YouTube

-          RIYL Nilsson, early Perfume Genius, or early solo Christopher Owens.

YouTube

U & U Show 361 | Landlady, Mimicking Birds & Perth Pysch

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Black Mekon : Black Mekon Must Die : Stolen Bible 2 (2013)

-          Debut album.

-          Raw, fuzzed out, harsh, blues rock.

-          RIYL: Seasick Steve or John Spencer.

Official Site

Landlady : Dying Day : Upright Behavior (2014)

-          Debut album

-          Brooklyn band getting a lot of buzz as they run up to their album release.

-          Incredible vocals that remind me of those of Maps & Atlases.

-          Like Brian Jonestown Massacre or a mellower Velvet Underground

BandCamp

The U & U Show 360 | Surprise! New Night Beds & Savages

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Night Beds : Hide From It (2014)

-          Latest single, but no mention of a new full length.

-          Released one of the most gorgeous albums of 2013, Country Sleep.

-          Led by Winston Yellen.

Official Site

Yellerkin : Vines : Yellerkin EP (2014)

-          Debut EP

-          This single was released in 2013.

-          RIYL Yeasayer.

Soundcloud

Landlady : The Globe : Upright Behavior (2014)

-       Debut album

-       Brooklyn band getting a lot of buzz as they run up to their album release.

-       Incredible vocals that remind me of those of Maps & Atlases.

-       Like Brian Jonestown Massacre or a mellower Velvet Underground

BandCamp

Curtis Harding : Surf : Soul Power (2014)

-          Debut full length, Soul Power.

-          Incredibly promising soul singer that’s readying one of the albums I’m most excited for.

-          Played with Cee-Lo and, currently, with members of the Black Lips in a band called Night Sun (also readying a debut EP)

Facebook

Megafaun : Get Right : Megafaun (2011)

-       4^th album.

-       Psych folk band.

-       Megafaun and Bon Iver were the two bands that formed after DeYarmond Edison split up.

-       This past Friday night featured a reunion of sorts as Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon played bass for Megafaun.

Facebook

Ought : Waiting : More Than Any Other Day (2014)

-       Debut LP

-       2 EPs out as well.

-       Montreal by way of the States post-punk rock band.

-       Name your own price for all their music on their bandcamp.

BandCamp

Wooden Wand : Dambuilding : Farmer’s Corner (2014)

-       James Jackson Toth project's forthcoming album.

-       His last album, Blood Oaths of the New Blues, was a Best of the U & U 2013.

-       His track ‘No Bed For Beatle Wand/Days This Long’ was my favorite song of 2013.

MySpace : Amazon : HypeMachine

Amen Dunes : Lonely Richard : Love (2014)

-          3^rd full length.

-          Significantly more approachable track from the usually more spacey, jammy, ambient dark rock band.

Facebook

Lushes : Feastin : What Am I Doing (2012)

-          2014 re-release of their debut full length.

-          Brooklyn based guitar and drums band.

-          Post-rock with lots of looping.

BandCamp

1, 2, 3 : When the Levee Broke At The County Fair : Big Weather (2014)

-       2nd full length. Double LP

-       Raucous Pittsburgh indie rock band.

Official Site 

tUnE-yArDs : Real Thing : Nicki Nack (2014)

-       3^rd album’s first single.

-       Led by the extremely and uniquely talented Merrill Garbus.

Official Site

Tobacco : Father Sister Berzerker : Ultima II Massage (2014)

-       First single from forthcoming album.

-       Side project of leader of Black Moth Super Rainbow, Tom Vec

-       Very odd brand of electronic, psych and rock.

Official Site

Savages : Fuckers : Fuckers/Dream Baby Dream 12" (2014)

-       Debut full length… Long awaited to say the very least.

-       One of the most buzzed about bands at CMJ 2012.

-       All female post-punk rock from the UK

-       Seriously intense crowd-capturing CMJ 2012 and SXSW 2013 performances.

Official Site

The Dirty Banks : Table Tennis (2014)

-       Forthcoming EP.

-       Debut EP was out in 2013.

-       Bouncy, catchy, psych pop. Reminds me a bit of Modest Mouse and the Pixies (pre-Indie Cindy)

BandCamp

Pink Mountaintops : Ambulance City : Get Back (2014)

-       4^th album.

-       A more garage-leaning outfit from Black Mountain’s Stephen McBean.

Official Site