Right now, I'm in the process of making a mix - over 100 songs in length, consisting entirely of songs released in 2018. Part of the reason for the length of the mix is that I couldn't possibly narrow down my favourite songs of 2018 down to a top 10. So, instead of doing a pure "these were my favourite songs of 2018", I'll post 10 of my favourite songs that I think are both a) super awesome and b) quite obscure or overlooked in some way, for the purpose of turning peeps onto cool music that they might never have heard otherwise.
All Asian artists. Unranked.
1. [url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pOzjg8U29MY]Have a Nice Day! - わたしを離さないで[/url] (synthpop)
- My true song of the year. It sets my heart on fire like no other song I heard in 2018.
2. [url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hpocJc-x-V4]東京スカパラダイスオーケストラ - ちえのわ[/url] (ska punk)
- Tokyo SkaPara are one of the few bands that can write ska-pop songs in this day and age without sounding juvenile or stale. And with none other than Mineta Kazunobu--frontman of the greatest punk band of the past 20 years--on the mic, how could 「ちえのわ」 be anything other than one of the best songs of the year?
3. [url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1gKgBz8uopo]KONCOS - The Starry Night[/url] (new wave/dance)
- Play this song immediately.
4. [url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDi2rIhEZA0]どついたるねん - ポジ男[/url] (dance-pop)
- The Dotsu are like the encapsulation of everything you could possibly want in a band - master songwriters; lineups of up to eight members, each with their own distinct, endearing personality; and proficiency in a multitude of different genres, but with the totally unmistakable, individual identity of the Dotsu imprinted on every piece of their stylistically diverse catalog. 「ポジ男」 is perhaps one of the most Dotsu songs the band has written in years: a blatantly weird yet irresistible, perfectly crafted dance-pop banger propelled by immense spirit and with balanced use of the band's four frontmen.
5. [url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=47XNONxTlho]odd eyes - 熱波[/url] (hardcore)
- A clear standout in a relatively quiet year for hardcore. Instantly memorable; perhaps the most powerful song ever ripped on a Telecaster.
6. [url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z86Cmd7yaac]the hatch - SEXGAME[/url] (punk/funk/jazz)
- One of the coolest bands in Japan. Their catalog is a swirl of hardcore, funk, jazz, post-punk and grind; usually takes a bit of digestion, but "SEXGAME" is easily their most immediate song.
7. [url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2doSFDq1KE]VOOID - 新月[/url] (indie)
- VOOID's frontman/songwriter was previously the main man in one of the most noteworthy Taiwanese punk bands ever, Touming Magazine (透明雜誌). So it's no surprise that his new outfit is churning out perfect tracks like this one - a tasty, deceptively chill jam that builds towards an enthralling emotional climax in its chorus.
8. [url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LeAXfBYbJz8]GEZAN - 細光胞 / DNA[/url] (post-hardcore/alternative)
- GEZAN continues to be one of the most exciting bands in Japan. "DNA" is emo like you've never heard it before, with all the instrumental inventiveness of Shellac (whose members Steve Albini and Bob Weston recorded and mastered this song, respectively) and all the tuneful vitality of eastern youth. People say frontman "Mahi to the People" sounds like SpongeBob, until they realise that his high-pitched wail has the power to rip right through their souls.
9. [url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNM97r8aErU]2 - SONG FOR YOU[/url] (indie)
- It feels like there'll always be energetic, driving "guitar pop" coming out of Japan, but it's not often that a band as good as 2 emerges from that scene. "SONG FOR YOU" is sweet, poignant melodies and vital, rockin' performances, just like mom used to make.
10. [url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1dH3ethhhfE]ザ・クロマニヨンズ - 生きる[/url] (punk)
- Hiroto and Mashi, still going strong after 28 albums together over 32 years. They would have been bona-fide legends even if they never wrote another note of music after The Blue Hearts ended, but fortunately for us, their legend is ongoing as they continue to write the best songs of their career, year after year. 「生きる」 is an unabashedly traditional punk rock number, with the simplicity and brevity of a '70s Ramones cut, but it's not a nostalgic monument to the past; it's a testament--in mono--to the enduring power of distorted guitars, a driving rhythm, and great fucking songwriting. Punk rock is alive and well, as are Hiroto and Mashi; at this rate, all three could live forever.
Here is a [url=https://www.mediafire.com/?o8obffipceiezoj]download[/url] containing the above ten tracks in MP3 form.
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