2018 Cum Laude Albums Part I

Sorry this is so late.  And I actually thought I was ahead of the game this year. So be it!
Anyway, I bought over 100 albums this year.  But here are my favorites that meet two criteria:

1) I bought the album
2) They are 2018 albums (so, for example, I discovered a lot of albums from before 2018, they are not eligible).

Here we go - note that my Cum Laude list is not rank ordered.

Company of Thieves Better Together

From Chicago.

I so love Genevieve, the lead singer of this band. I can't help but geek out.





Against the Current Past Lives

From Poughkeepsie, NY (true story). I really like this band.







Ari Mason    The Vault:Pure Gold

From LA,  there is much more to come from this artist. I think.






Baum Ungodly

From New York.





Courtney Marie Andrews May Your Kindness Remain

From Phoenix, based in Nashville I believe



Flasher Constant Image

A very good Trio from DC







Giant Kitty Rampage

A great punk band from Houston.







Goat Girl Goat Girl

From South London.







Grace Vunderkuhn Reveries

From Wilmington, DE.





High Up You Are Here

This super awesome band hails from Omaha, Nebraska.





Kalidia The Frozen Throne

Epic rock band from Italy. Hope to see them live sometime.





KIDS N CATS 11 Tracks

This band is a bit different. But from Vienna, Austria, would you want boring?







King Princess Make My Bed

A 20 year old from NY, NY.







KT Tunstall Wax

KT first got our attention way back in 2005. I saw her live at the Cedar a few years ago and found her to be wonderful and intimate singer-songwriter. She is very special. From Edinburgh, Scotland.





Liza Anne Fine But Dying

Based in Nashville

2017 Summa Cum Laude Songs

Finally done. These are rank ordered (obviously)

25. Mirage Alexandra Savior



24. Green Eyed Baby Maris



23. Green Light Lorde



22. Something American Jade Bird



21. No Roots Alice Merton



20. Liability Lorde



19. I Told You I'd Be With The Guys Cherry Glazerr



18. Imperfection Evanescence



17. Thunder Imagine Dragons



16. Uncomfortable Gracie And Rachel



15. Fire Beth Ditto



14. Only A Child Gracie And Rachel



13. What About Us P!nk



12. Yuk Foo Wolf Alice



11. Believer Imagine Dragons



10. Cannonball ZZWard



9. Dead Man Dia Frampton



8. Warrior Holy Wars



7. Electric Bones Findlay



6. Nonbeliever London Grammar



5. Die Wild Dia Frampton



4. The Power Sweet Spirit



3. Beautiful Trauma P!nk



2. Fatal Gift Emily Haines and the Soft Skeleton



1. Girls That Never Die Emily Bell

2017 Magna Cum Laude Songs

Again, not rank ordered

A Little Crazy Nicole Atkins



Always Wrong Eisley



Bad at Loving You Jessica Hernandez and the Deltas



Beat of your Heart ailie.



Black Wedding In This Moment



Breathe He is We



Bunny Jillete Johnson



Can't Talk Back Emily Bell



Cathedral Jade Bird



Cold Apartment Vagabon



Exhumed Zola Jesus



Friendly Fire Swear and Shake



Give It To Me Miya Folick



Help Me Mama ZZ Ward



Hope Dia Frampton



Lie Rebecca Loebe



Love Train Dessie



Never Go Back Evanescence



Night Rain Sumie



Roots In This Moment



Silhouette Aquilo



Stupid Little Mouth Vonnie Kyle



Time Taylor Dukes



Tiptoe Gracie and Rachel



Want You Back Haim



Waste My Time Findlay



We Tried Love Mammœt

Wild Hearts Can't Be Broken P!nk

2017 Cum Laude songs

If you read my album list, you will see most all of these. But here it goes.

The Cum Laude songs are not rank-ordered.

Are We There Yet Chloe Foy



Crave Dia Frampton



Crying in the Bathroom The Pretty OK



Subservient Ninet



Your System Failed You High Up



Attitude Problem The Ghost Wolves



Blind Dia Frampton



Bloodhands In The Valley Below



Dare You to Run Ariela Jacobs



Daylight Twilight Litte Coyote



Edge of Town Middle Kids



Elinor Ninet



Eyes of a Woman Gabrielle Aplin



Favorite Liar The Wrecks



Fight Your Demons Epica



Goddess of Destruction Emily Bell



Going Home Liset Alea



Learning To Be Human Lizi Bailey



Legend of the Wild Horses Emily Haines and the Soft Skeleton



Little Of Your Love



On and Off Findlay



Ordinary Everyday Love Maria Roate



Pleasure Feist



Reindeer King Tori Amos



Should Have Been You Imelda May



Tear Us Apart Swear and Shake



We Could Run Beth Ditto

2017 Summa Cum Laude Albums, Part II (top 10)

Here they are:

10. London Grammar Truth is a Beautiful Thing

UK female artists - it's a weak spot. Saw her live at the Varsity a few years back. Amazing singer.







9. The Reputations Begging For More

Another band from Austin? Yep, and they deserve to be here.







8. Mammút Kinder Versions

Love this band from Iceland. Do they remind me of Björk? Of course they do!







7. Imelda May Life.Love.Flesh.Blood

Followed this wonderful singer from Ireland for a while. She has evolved and this might be her best album yet.







6. Little Coyote The Trouble With Teeth

Fantastic singer out of Toronto, recently stumbled onto her. I like this more every time I listen to it.








And Now....

5. Findlay Forgotten Pleasures

Big shock that I went with another female from the UK here, but, this album totally rates.



Sorry that this one is a little NSFW, but it's a great song.




4. Beth Ditto Fake Sugar

The third act from Arkansas to make my list this year. This album is just, well, spectacular.







3. Dia Frampton Bruises

Two years ago, her project ARCHIS came in at #11 on my album list. This album is even better. From Utah.







2. P!nk Beautiful Trauma

I don't think I need to say anything here.







Drum roll .......



1. Emily Haines and the Soft Skeleton Choir of the Mind

This album hits deeper and deeper every time I listen to it. I have long loved Metric. But Emily Haines had taken it to another level with this effort.







I recommend watching the entire CBC Music Youtube series on this album.

2017 Summa Cum Laude Albums, Part I

Down to my top 25 Albums of the year. Here is 25-11,


25. Alexandria Savior Belladonna Of Sadness

Another fine young artist form Portland. I must visit there someday.







24. In This Moment Ritual

I have enjoyed this band from Los Angeles for some time. The new album did not disappoint.







23. Wolf Alice Visions of a Life

Great band from London







22. Miya Folick Give It To Me

From Los Angeles.







21.Jade Bird Something American

The UK produces so many super talented young artists. Here is another one. And she is special.







20. Eisley I'm Only Dreaming

I think I am setting a record this year for Texas based bands.







19. Imagine Dragons Evolve

Bet you didn't see that coming. Hey, some of my best friends are guys.







18. Tori Amos Native Invader

What can I say about Tori Amos? The artist that more than any other triggered my love of female singers. While not bad, her "latter" career albums typically have not made my lists (though I own them all and enjoy them). This one stands out. It easily makes my Summa list.







17. Kohli Calhoun Take Me Away

From Brooklyn. I just found about about her.







16. Jessica Hernandez and the Deltas Telephone

This is a very special band and a very special singer. Love this band. See them live if you ever have the chance!! From Detroit.







15. Jillette Johnson All I Ever See In You Is Me

Was waiting for this super talented New Yorker to give us more music. I am happy now. I Don't understand why she isn't better known. So good.







14. Evanescence Synthesis

This is a really unique album. Orchestral reworks of their older stuff plus a few new songs. It's REALLY good.







13. Dessie Dessie

From Down Under (Melbourne).







12. Haim Something To Tell You

It would be fair to say that I adore this sister trio from Los Angeles. And with good reason.







11. Emily Bell Kali

Another great artist from Austin Texas. This is the good stuff.

2017 Magna Cum Laude Albums II

There are really good. But just wait for the Summas


In The Valley Below Elephant
Great band from Los Angeles.







Katie Costello Twice the Love

Love this singer from New York.







Lizi Bailey Learning To Be Human

Originally from Georgia. Based in Houston.







Maris Honey
From Montana, and very young. We'll here more from her in the coming years I expect.





Middle Kids Middle Kids

I really dig this band from Australia. Can I say "dig"?







Nicole Atkins Goodnight Rhonda Lee

I have seen her live twice. She is so talented!!! Love her! From New Jersey, but based in Nashville.







Ninet Paper Parachute

Apparently, super popular in Israel. Somehow she flew under my radar for a few years. Not this year.







The Pretty OK Wilder

From Detroit.







Swear and Shake The Sound of Letting Go

Was a great pleasure to see this Nashville based band at 7th Street Entry this Summer. A great and fun band.







Sweet Spirit St. Mojo

From New Orleans. Some really good stuff here.







Taylor Dukes ROSE

For Ohio and currently based in Nashville.







Vagabon Infinite Worlds Awesome band from New York City







Welles Codeine

I think the last artist from Arkansas that really caught my attention was Evanescence.







ZZ Ward The Storm Saw her at the Basilica Block Party back in 2013. Fantastic artist. Her new album did not disappoint. From Oregon (seems to be a good state this year)







Alice Merton No Roots

German I guess. Canadian, Irish, American. She in intriguing to be sure. Great music.







Liset Alea Going Home

A Cuban-American living in France. The world is wonderful.