Sound Obsession

Midway through 2018 already!  These albums (at least six songs or thirty minutes each) are among my favorites so far this year, listed in alphabetical order (now with embedded audio clips from Spotify or Bandcamp, yay).  A lil' country, a bit of soul, some metal, a smattering of indie rock and punk, and a pinch of techno, house, and drum & bass.  Oh my.  Enjoy. . . . Arctic Monkeys:   Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino   (Domino - 5/11/18) Baptists:   Beacon of Faith   (Southern Lord - 5/25/18) Blocks & Escher:   Something Blue   (Metalheadz - 3/26/18) The Breeders:   All Nerve   (4AD - 3/2/18) Brent Cobb:   Providence Canyon   (Elektra - 5/11/18) Brothers Osborne:   Port Saint Joe   (EMI Nashville - 4/20/18) Dark Thoughts:   At Work   (Stupid Bag - 6/15/18) AT WORK by DARK THOUGHTS Detboi:   Ice Cold ...

Willie Nelson & Sturgill Simpson, The Anthem, Washington DC - 5/27/18 Ghost, Warner Theater, Washington DC - 5/20/18 Ghost, Warner Theater, Washington DC - 5/20/18 Ghost, Warner Theater, Washington DC - 5/20/18 Ghost, Warner Theater, Washington DC - 5/20/18 Fu Manchu, Rock & Roll Hotel, Washington DC - 5/9/18 Power Trip, Black Cat, Washington DC - 5/8/18 Beck, The Anthem, Washington DC - 4/27/18 Dan Auerbach, 9:30 Club, Washington DC - 3/22/18 High On Fire, Rock & Roll Hotel, Washington DC - 2/6/18 High On Fire, Rock & Roll Hotel, Washington DC - 2/6/18 Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, 9:30 Club, Washington DC - 1/29/18 Spoon, 9:30 Club, Washington DC - 12/31/17 Spoon, 9:30 Club, Washington DC - 12/31/17 Spoon, 9:30 Club, Washington DC - 12/31/17

Hey, folks.  Regrettably, it's been a while.  Due to time limitations, this year I've changed the format a bit.  Primarily photos, lists, and links for the foreseeable future instead of reviews and analysis.   These are my top ten albums of 2017.  Subjective favorites, of course.  Albums that made the most impact and were in heaviest rotation during the year.  Suffice it to say, Chris Stapleton's pair of earnest and emotive  From A Room  albums (an eclectic two-volume set of originals and choice covers recorded at the legendary " Studio A " in Nashville, TN - released seven months apart) dominated my earbuds and hi-fi in 2017. Click the hyperlinks below each album image for audio/video and check out my 2017 Runners Up and Honorable Mention  list.  Thanks for reading and listening, and have a Happy New Year!  See you in 2018. 1.  Chris Stapleton:   From A Room Vol. 1 & 2   (Mercury Nashville - 5...

In alphabetical order (tip:  click the hyperlinks below each album image for audio/video). . . .  Chelsea Wolfe:   Hiss Spun   (Sargent House - 9/22/17) Chelsea Wolfe - "16 Psyche" Chelsea Wolfe - "Spun" Com Truise:   Iteration   (Ghostly International - 6/16/17) Com Truise - "Propagation" Dan Auerbach:   Waiting On A Song   (Easy Eye Sound - 6/2/17) Dan Auerbach - "Shine on Me" Dan Auerbach - "King of a One Horse Town" Dan Auerbach - "Waiting On a Song" Ghost:   Ceremony & Devotion   (Loma Vista - 12/8/17) Ghost - "Absolution" Joey Bada$$:   All-Amerikkkan Bada$$   (Pro Era - 4/7/17) Joey Bada$$ - "Devastated" Joey Bada$$ - "Land of The Free" Joey Bada$$ - "Temptation" Overlook:   Smoke Signals   (UBV-76 - 3/31/17) Overlook - "Blue Rose" Overlook - "Traveling Wit...