I hope everyone enjoyed the best of 2017 lists on IVM last month. Now it’s time to talk about what the best new music of January 2018 is! Here’s my short list:
Blank Books – EP1
Is it cheating to include EP1 by Blank Books in my January list? The album technically dropped on November 22nd last year, but it only made it’s way to Apple Music and Spotify this month. If you’re like me and didn’t get around to listening to it before, now is the time! And if you’re not like me and you bought it on Bandcamp back in November you might as well listen to it again anyway. Good rock music like this is hard to come by!
Levi Whalen – The Rough Edge EP
Almost every week after compiling the new music release lists someone will ask “where’s the EDM?” Well there was at least one electronic album worth listening to in January this year: The Rough Edge EP by Levi Whalen. It’s only three songs, but they’re a lot of fun. And if you want to hear more consider backing the Kickerstarter for a new full-length titled With Friends.
Mark Lee Townsend – 1919: The Ballad of Rexford
What if I told you that there was an album featuring Matt Thiessen of Relient K, Tim Skipper of House of Heroes, Matt Shelton of The Wedding, and Davy Baysinger of Bleach, would you be interest? Well that album exists and it’s called 1919: The Ballad of Rexford. Mark Lee Townsend may or may not be a name you recognize, but he’s something of legend in the Christian music world. Chances are, you’ve heard him playing guitar for DC Talk or producing for Relient K. Now he’s released his first solo album, a whopping 19-song concept album about his father.
Apple Music | Spotify | Bandcamp
AC.jR & Brady James – Perfect People [Single]
And my single of the month goes to . . . AC.jR & Brady James! I loved their song “Yesterday” featuring Chelsea, so I was really glad to see the hip hop and EDM duo bring her back on “Perfect People.”
Now it’s your turn, what new music did you listen to in January 2018?
My personal favorites:
Remedy Drive – The North Star
Cameron Moore – Alpenglow
Author – IIFOIIC
Equippers Revolution – CLRS (EP)
Forerunner Music – Fully Alive
Rend Collective – Good News
The Mark Lee Townsend record is one I want to spend more time with, I’ve just been intimidated by the length!
Here’s some albums that caught my attention from January:
Audrey Assad – Evergreen
Author – IIFOIIC
Aviations – The Light Years
Dear Apollo – Volume One EP
Of Mice & Men – Defy
Sleeping Giant – I Am
Speak Low If You Speak Love – Nearsighted
Tonight Alive – Underworld
I’ve had IIFOIIC on repeat quite a bit. Speak Low is hit and miss for me but there are some great songs mixed in.
Yeah, the standouts for me on Nearsighted are ‘Enough’, ‘Circle Spinning’ and ‘Cannot Have It All’.
While there were some good releases this past month, my personal faves are as follows:
Memento Mori by Not Beneath (ex Narcissus, Outcry, North Meadow Park, and Vessel) FFO: Early BTA and Hands available for $9 here: https://notbeneath.bandcamp.com/releases
Neverbloom by Earthbound FFO: Being As An Ocean, Touche Amore, Capsize, Counterparts, and Beartooth available for free here: https://noisetrade.com/gavinmast/neverbloom-ep
Goldmill (ex Thin Ice) Weight (single) available for $1 here: https://goldmillband.bandcamp.com/track/weight
EP1 by BLANK BOOKS is EXCELLENT!
Jason Upton’s ‘A Table Full of Strangers Vol.2’ is a release that caught me completely off guard during January. Haven’t listened to him for years but I absolutely love this album. I checked it out as there are two spoken word/poem sections on the album and I was intrigued.
Brilliant album from start to finish – and what a voice!
Absolutely loving the new Grave Forsaken “It Has Begun.” A classic thrash album in every way! These guys have gotten continuously better with each passing release. This would have butted up against and secular thrash album back in the day. Meet and potatoes with absolutely amazing guitar solos, some killer grooves amidst the speedy riffing and the gruff vocals of some of the more German thrash type. Love it! Will be blasting this in the summer! Wake of Redemption “Earthshaker” – This is from 2011 but I just heard of this a few weeks ago. I’m so sorry I missed… Read more »