Posts Tagged: ACL 2018

ACL 2018 ~ The Top 20 Albums of the Year

After 2500 submissions and 350 reviews, we finally have a winner!  Our top album of 2018 comes from a prolific female artist who has unveiled a dozen releases in the last five years.  This one is her best to date.

ACL 2018 ~ The Top 20 Albums of the Year

After 2500 submissions and 350 reviews, we finally have a winner!  Our top album of 2018 comes from a prolific female artist who has unveiled a dozen releases in the last five years.  This one is her best to date.

ACL 2018 ~ Top Ten Rock, Post-Rock, Folk & Jazz

2018 started off slowly for post-rock, but picked up steam in the closing months.  Many of our favorite acts were quiet this year, leaving the door open for others to be noticed.  One band even made a triumphant return after

ACL 2018 ~ Top Ten Rock, Post-Rock, Folk & Jazz

2018 started off slowly for post-rock, but picked up steam in the closing months.  Many of our favorite acts were quiet this year, leaving the door open for others to be noticed.  One band even made a triumphant return after

ACL 2018 ~ Top Ten Modern Composition

When averaged, the Modern Composition category included not the most submissions, but the best.  We wish we could make this a list of 20, but then we’d have to double every list, and not every category features this many excellent releases in a given year.

ACL 2018 ~ Top Ten Modern Composition

When averaged, the Modern Composition category included not the most submissions, but the best.  We wish we could make this a list of 20, but then we’d have to double every list, and not every category features this many excellent releases in a given year.

ACL 2018 ~ Top Ten Field Recording & Soundscape

2018 was an amazing year for field recordings and soundscapes, perhaps the best to date.  We reviewed over 40 works this year, and had an incredibly difficult time choosing ten for this list since the overall quality was so high.

ACL 2018 ~ Top Ten Field Recording & Soundscape

2018 was an amazing year for field recordings and soundscapes, perhaps the best to date.  We reviewed over 40 works this year, and had an incredibly difficult time choosing ten for this list since the overall quality was so high.

ACL 2018 ~ Top Ten Experimental

Musically and geographically, these albums are all over the map.  This year’s picks include an album comprised of other albums, a band whose instruments are made from vegetables, a score to a film about lives erased under Stalin and a

ACL 2018 ~ Top Ten Experimental

Musically and geographically, these albums are all over the map.  This year’s picks include an album comprised of other albums, a band whose instruments are made from vegetables, a score to a film about lives erased under Stalin and a

ACL 2018 ~ Top Ten Electronic

Half of this year’s picks are from female artists, who represent a growing strength in the industry.  In 2018, we also saw a huge increase in the amount of ethnic-based, personal releases, with deep drums and deeper stories.  This year’s

ACL 2018 ~ Top Ten Electronic

Half of this year’s picks are from female artists, who represent a growing strength in the industry.  In 2018, we also saw a huge increase in the amount of ethnic-based, personal releases, with deep drums and deeper stories.  This year’s

ACL 2018 ~ Top Ten Drone

In terms of ACL submissions, drone took a back seat to ambient this year.  But when we did hear drone albums, we loved them.  As we reported a year ago, drone artists received a surge of inspiration after the Brexit/Trump votes and

ACL 2018 ~ Top Ten Drone

In terms of ACL submissions, drone took a back seat to ambient this year.  But when we did hear drone albums, we loved them.  As we reported a year ago, drone artists received a surge of inspiration after the Brexit/Trump votes and

ACL 2018 ~ Top Ten Ambient

2018 was a particularly strong year for ambient music. We received over a thousand albums for consideration, in some weeks more than all other genres combined ~ and that’s just the tip of the iceberg.  While composing this introduction, we

ACL 2018 ~ Top Ten Ambient

2018 was a particularly strong year for ambient music. We received over a thousand albums for consideration, in some weeks more than all other genres combined ~ and that’s just the tip of the iceberg.  While composing this introduction, we