We asked Seattle-area critics to submit their picks for the best local albums of 2018. Check out the top 20 here and see how each critic voted below.
Matt Ashworth, Nada Mucho publisher
1) Chong the Nomad – Love Memo EP
2) Car Seat Headrest – Twin Fantasy
3) Constant Lovers – PANG
4) Richie Dagger’s Crime – Sea of Dysfunction
5) Actionesse – Deep
6) Wimps – Garbage People
7) Knife Knights – 1 Time Mirage
8) Travis Thompson – YOUGOOD
9) Tres Leches – Amorfo
10) Matriarch – Hold & Release
Marco Collins, KEXP DJ
Most Read Entertainment Stories
1. Snuff Redux – “Denim America”
2. Sloucher – “Be True”
3. Left At London – “Trangender Street Legend Vol. 1”
4. Jenn Champion – “Single Rider”
5. Late Nights Early Mornings – “LNEM”
6. Courtney Marie Andrews – “May Your Kindness Remain”
7. Cumulus – “Comfort World”
8. Ruler – “Winning Star Champion”
9. chong the nomad – “love memo”
10. Car Seat Headrest – “Twin Fantasy”
Martin Douglas, KEXP writer
1. Mount Eerie, “Now Only”
2. Wimps, “Garbage People”
3. AJ Suede, “Darth Sueder”
4. Whitney Ballen, “You’re a Shooting Star, I’m a Sinking Ship”
5. Knife Knights, “1 Time Mirage”
6. Seaan Brooks, “Heaven Only Knows”
7. Table Sugar, “Collected Arrangements”
8. Tres Leches, “Amorfo”
9. Sax G, “Tomorrow’s New Villain”
10. NAVVI, “ULTRA”
Gillian Gaar, author of “World Domination: The Sub Pop Story” and other books
1. Mudhoney, “Digital Garbage”
2. Laura Love, “She Loved Red”
3. Thunderpussy, self-titled
4. The Science of Deduction, “Alternative Works”
5. Apple Jam, “Off the White Album”
6. Barrett Martin Group, “Transcendance”
7. Jenn Champion, “Single Rider”
8. The Purrs, “Destroy the Sun”
9. Alice in Chains, “Rainier Fog”
Steven Graham, 107.7 The End Locals Only host
1) Car Seat Headrest – Twin Fantasy
2) Jenn Champion – Single Rider
3) Damien Jurado – The Horizon Just Laughed
4) Naked Giants – Sluff
5) Ruler – Winning Star Champion
6) Crater – Unearth
7) The Moondoggies – A Love Sleeps Deep
8) Cumulus – Comfort World
9) Brothers From Another – I Can Dunk
10) Spirit Award – Muted Crowd
Taylor Hart, Respect My Region contributor
1. Parisalexa, “Bloom”
2. Koga Shabazz, “Murder Me!”
3. Kung Foo Grip, “2KFG”
4. Greater Than, “Greater Than”
5. Late Nights Early Mornings, “LNEM”
6. Remember Face, “Vizard”
7. Raz Simone, “Closer”
8. JusMoni, “Sweet To Me”
9. Sus, “See U Soon”
10. Scribemecca, “Yungpatronus”
Travis Hay, Guerrilla Candy
1. Mudhoney “Digital Garbage”
2. Moondoggies “A Love Sleeps Deep”
3. Thunderpussy “Thunderpussy”
4. Jenn Champion “Single Rider”
5. Knife Knights “1 Time Mirage”
6. Sloucher “Be True”
7. Damien Jurado “The Horizon Just Laughed”
8. Brandi Carlile “By the Way, I Forgive You”
9. Wimps “Garbage People”
10. Naked Giants “Sluff”
Dusty Henry, KEXP writer
1. Parisalexa, “Bloom”
2. Bujemane, “Sorry We Couldn’t Wait for U”
3. Sax G, “Tomorrow’s New Villain”
4. Nicholas Merz, “The Limits Of Men”
5. JusMoni, “Sweet To Me”
6. Kung Foo Grip, “2KFG”
7. Whitney Ballen, “You’re A Shooting Star, I’m A Sinking Ship”
8. Lena Raine, “Celeste (Original Soundtrack)”
9. Lucas, “Fall In Love”
10. Darto, “Fundamental Slime”
Sharlese Metcalf, KEXP DJ, Education Coordinator and former Audioasis host
Pleasures – Softly Wait [Self-Released]
Bad Luck – Four [Origins]
Jusmoni – Sweet to Me [Self-Released]
Newaxeyes – Black Fax [Important]
Casual Hex – Zig Zag Lady Illusion [Water Wing Records]
Big Bite – s/t [Self-Released]
Flora FM – Discovery in the Atomic Garden [Argot]
NAVVI – Ultra [Hush Hush]
Chong the Nomad – Love Memo EP [Buildstrong. Co]
Sax G – Tomorrow’s New Villain [Hush Hush]
Stefan Milne, Seattle Met arts and culture editor
Tres Leches, “Amorfo”
Naked Giants, “SLUFF”
Car Seat Headrest, “Twin Fantasy”
Parisalexa, “Bloom”
Mommy Long Legs, “Try Your Best”
Mount Eerie, “Now Only”
Gifted Gab, “Queen La’Cheifa”
Pink Parts, “Pink Parts”
Red Ribbon, “Dark Party”
Wimps, “Garbage People”
Christine Mitchell, Seattle Music Insider partner/editor
1. Bad Optics, “Warm Strokes of Pragmatism”
2. I Will Keep Your Ghost, “Options”
3. Oliver Elf Army, “EP3”
4. Fuzz Mutt, “COLORLESS”
5. Actionesse, “Deep”
6. Thunderpussy, “Thunderpussy”
7. SLOUCHER, “Be True”
8. Ruler, “Winning Star Champion”
9. Planes On Paper, “Edge Markings”
10. Sleepover Club, “My Other Dad Is Your Ride”
Alexa Peters, The Seattle Times nightlife listings/news assistant
1. Red Ribbon, “Dark Party”
2. ParisAlexa, “Bloom”
3. Marlowe (L’Orange & Solemn Brigham), “Marlowe”
4. JusMoni, “Sweet To Me”
5. Car Seat Headrest, “Twin Fantasy”
6. Brandi Carlile, “By The Way, I Forgive You”
7. Neko Case, “Hell-On”
8. Bad Luck, “Four”
9. Chemical Clock, “Plastic Reality”
10. Steve Tresler and Ingrid Jensen, “Invisible Sounds”
John Richards, KEXP DJ/associate program director
1. Death Cab For Cutie – Thank You For Today
2. Damien Jurado – The Horizon Just Laughed
3. NAVVI – ULTRA
4. Spirit Award – Muted Crowd
5. Gabriel Teodros – History Rhymes If It Doesn’t Repeat (A Southend Healing Ritual)
6. Cumulus – Comfort World
7. Spesh – Famous World
8. Crater – Unearth
9. Naked Giants – Sluff
10. The Moondoggies – A Love Sleeps Deep
Michael Rietmulder, The Seattle Times music writer
1. Jenn Champion, “Single Rider”
2. Damien Jurado, “The Horizon Just Laughed”
3. Brandi Carlile, “By the Way, I Forgive You”
4. Car Seat Headrest, “Twin Fantasy”
5. Parisalexa, “Bloom” EP
6. Ruler, “Winning Star Champion”
7. Kung Foo Grip, “2.K.F.G.”
8. Whitney Ballen, “You’re a Shooting Star, I’m a Sinking Ship”
9. Big Bite, self-titled
10. Mount Eerie, “Now Only”
Dave Segal, the Stranger staff writer
01 Terror/Cactus, “Impulsos”
02 Norm Chambers, “Idea Region”
03 Newaxeyes, “Black Fax”
04 Aos, “Violent Light”
05 Knife Knights, “1 Time Mirage”
06 somesurprises, “Alt”
07 Tres Leches, “Amorfo”
08 Chong The Nomad, “Love Memo”
09 Bloom Offering, “Episodes”
10 Specswizard, “Unfollow”
Kim Selling, The Stranger, music calendar editor
Knife Knights, “1 Time Mirage”
Terror/Cactus, “Impulsos”
Sango, “In The Comfort Of”
The Berries, “Start All Over Again”
Chong The Nomad, “Love Memo” EP
Da Qween, “BabeSpace Deluxe” EP
Car Seat Headrest, “Twin Fantasy”
Claire George, “Bodies of Water” EP
Parisalexa, “FLEXA” EP
NAVVI, “Ultra”
Seth Sommerfeld, Seattle Weekly editor
*Sommerfeld preferred not to publish his ballot at this time.
Jake Uitti, freelance writer
1. BearAxe, “Last Call”
2. Whitney Mongé, “Carry On”
3. Electric NoNo, “Cool Cool”
4. Leeni, “Lovefool”
5. Kevin Sur & Andrew Joslyn, “The Love Between”
6. Dark Smith, “Prehysteria”
7. Tres Leches, “Amorfo”
8. Thunderpussy, “Thunderpussy”
9. Parisalexa, “Flexa”
10. Jenn Champion, “Single Rider”
Eva Walker, KEXP Audioasis host
Dark Smith, “Prehysteria”
Tres Leches “Amorfo”
BEARAXE, “Last Call”
Parisalexa “Bloom”
Whitney Monge “Carry On”
Naked Giants, “Sluff”
Kevin Sur, “The Love Between”
Leeni, “Lovefool”
Gabriel Teodros, “History Rhymes if it Doesn’t Repeat (A Southend Healing Ritual)”
Electric NoNo,”Cool Cool”