My shameless 'I Love Kurt Vile' post, and my favorites for 2018

I love, love love Kurt Vile. He's a great songwriter, but perhaps what made me love him first was he looked like the lovechild of Janis Joplin and Neil Young. Not sure the aforementioned ever coupled, but somewhere in the rockstar realm of space and 'farout'-erlimits of reality, maybe. But never mind, that's not important. I like his music and his humble presence. Then I discover he's a poet. Then I discover he used to play in War on Drugs, another favorite. But Vile, he's that guy you hear on the radio that you love but they never say his name, and you keep loving his music more and more and you're singing his songs--even when you're not in the car--until one day you find him on YouTube and it's like, woah. That's the guy. It's him. That guy. Kurt Vile. Damn. Then you're addicted.

I'm going to go ahead and list two KV songs that I loved in 2018 and then all the rest that stood out. Some were released earlier but I loved them THIS year. My favorite song was actually by Neko Case.  She's amazing. The first time I heard Bad Luck I was in my car and I thoguht, WHO IS THIS???? She's goooooooddddddd. Music is magical. It can get you through so much bullsh!t. You can be having the worst day ever, the worst life ever, and a great song will drag you out of that and save your soul.

1. Bassackwards (all backwardsy, loopy, dreamy, poetic stuff, deep)



2. Loading Zones (just a slice of his life song, with a nice groove that could have been a big hit in 1982, but it's a hit now, so it's all good)



3. War on Drugs--Pain (great, great song and amazing video)



4. Alvvays--Plimsoll Punks (this song and her voice makes me go somewhere up high, can't explain)



5. Courtney Barnett and Kurt Vile--Over Everything (Courtney is a great songwriter with a unique voice--this is a fun video with a cool play at gender swapping, and the scenery ain't bad either)

 

6. Dawes--Feed the Fire (another 1982-ish song that makes me smile--Dawes is an excellent yet understated band that should be on everyone's lips)




 7.Ray LaMontagne--Such a Simple Thing



 8. Florence Welch--Hunger (ask my kids, I was dancing around singing this all summer)

 

 9. Hippo Campus--Bambi (the new Beatles--this song is soulful and wise and says so much . . . great, great song)




10. Nathaniel Rateliff and the Nightsweats--Honey (sang this all summer too)



11. Brandi Carlisle--The Joke  (with a voice like hers you can't help crying--her LGBT anthem is so beautiful and says so much--love her!)



12. Ziggy Marley--Rebellion Rises



13. Neko Case--Bad Luck (such a well-written song--I love her voice and her writing)



If you've gotten all the way down here you are amazing. I love music,don't you? 2018 was not a great year. It royally sucked. However, the music did not. I wish you a Happy New Year. Love and peace always.