Last week on Jolt Radio I made “The Independent Ethos Radio Hour” all about music. I presented the best indie music songs I came across while deep diving into genres such as dream pop and post-punk. I found some old favorites came back strong with new music this year, but I also discovered new artists and some other bands I hadn’t been aware of until now. There was also another artist who introduced me to a new duo who I wouldn’t have discovered by simply entertaining the algorithms of YouTube and Spotify.
When I decided to attend Janelle Monáe’s show at the Fillmore Miami Beach, St. Beauty gave a spirited performance with a full band. I was entranced by “Tides” and regretted I couldn’t stick around after to get the vinyl and meet the band due to an ache in my post-op foot. Still, I regularly enjoyed cuing up the track in a mix of favorite songs of 2018. New discoveries that were sent to me and I actually enjoyed included the new album by The Ophelias and a new track by Methyl Ethel. The there were the discoveries I credit to the AI on YouTube. I would have never heard A Beacon School, Still Corners or Mothers were it not for just letting the app randomly play songs by Beach House, who also chart on my list with a new song.
I definitely follow a certain taste when it comes to selecting “the best indie music tracks” of the year. That’s why I’m going to go ahead and call this list by what it is: personal favorites of the year. I mostly like it mellow, melodic and dreamy, so if that is also your taste, check out my presentation of these 10 favorite songs of 2018 on the last episode of “The Independent Ethos Radio Hour” below. The show is on every third Tuesday of the month, from 9 – 10 p.m. Next month, on Jan. 15, I’ll get into what I think were the 10 best movies of 2018, featuring clips from the films and highlights from my reviews.
