The best music in 2018


I realize this is early, but based on this (lp), I’m very hopeful...

Glen Hansard "Between Two Shores" ...absolutely fantastic!
slaw

Showing 14 responses by gosta

Two recent releases

The Teskey Brothers "Half mile harvest" - retro soul, R&B - outstanding voice, nice guitar, perfect SQ
Rosanne Cash "She remembers everything" - as good as always.
@n80 
Glad you liked the Teskey. They seem to be from australia and did this record themselves (also the recording). A good strategy probably to have a great sound. That you can play as loud as you wish.

Leon Bridges - Good thing.
Mostly the same. His second much better than the first. Thought Teskey was the same musicians first under another name...Leon doesn't have the recorded noice as Teskey!

My strategy for finding music is:
1. Go through new releases on Tidal each week. A quick listen to all that looks interesting
2. Randomly go through an artists whole catalogue. Any artist has a wide spectrum of good and bad music and recording quality. Tidal is a perfect tool for this. Some artists of course are more reliable than other (or unreliable). Joe Henry produced Amy Helm above. He e.g. is a sure name for good quality. Joe Henrys own first solo record is super. Unfortunately not on Tidal. 
3. Reading speaker reviews. You can't really trust what they say about the speakers in question but often you get at least one good music tip from each review. 
Two years ago i started this HiFi hobby again after a long tim just watching movies with the kids. Have found a lot of good music, both new and old, and speakers(!) since then. Not that much into the other stuff as amps, dacs, cables etc. Of course I have a basic good quality, but for me the speakers are what matters. And the music. Sorry if this was a bit outside the thread. Soon back with other tips from 2018.




Happy to see that you liked the Teskeys! Just want to make sure you havn’t missed the great blues/soul singer Terry Evans. He’s made some stellar recordings in the past. "Blues for tonight" and "Live like a hurricane" are good starters but any will do. Audiophile quality. Really. Ry Cooder is playing his best guitar on most of Evans albums.

Buddy Guy - "The blues is alive and well" from 2018. James Bay has the hounour to sing on one of the tracks. You can check him out on a You tube concert. Not too bad. His cd’s unfortunately has the modern (unlistenable ) sound.

@n80 Just qurious. When you say too loud. What are you reffering to? Too me the Tidal quality is perfect because I can play the album as loud as it gets with no fatigue. Do you mean not enough DR? I’m too lazy to play cd or vinyl anymore, Unless they are not to find on Tidal. Just zapping around too much...Last cd I bought this year was the only from David Forman and BBA - Live in Japan and the Alessi Brothers first.
Will study Teskey more ambitious soon and compare it to Tedeschi. Thanks. Of the Terry Evans albums in think "Blues for tonight" stands out. Best songs, most heavy sound (not without ballads) and best recording (or at least most loud :-)). The live album is very live - though havn’t listened to that one as much as "Blues for tonight" - a reference recording for me since the middle of the 90’s. Also need to recommend Aaron Neville - "Warm your heart".

Listening to Destroyer now - great band (guy). Studio live on You tube. Varying but lots of fine material on cd. 

I agree, finding a very dynamic cd is great fun. Or at least some tracks on a cd. But most important for me is no distortion and other artefacts that gives me headache (I mostly listen loud). I also appreciate very clear recordings with lots of details and separation between the soundsources. And you wouldn't want to listen to live drums 10 feets away from you for a longer time - would you?
A little late - but need to put a vote for

Lukas Nelson & Promise of the real.
+1 Colter Wall.

Very fine acoustical recording. Reference. Like the deep double bass playing. 3D soundstage. Fine songs. According to Tidal he's 22 years!? Sounds like 40 at least. Thanks.
Pistol Annies - Interstate Gospel

A more laidback beautiful album from the Pistol Girls. Very fine production. No excessive loudness.

New releases from the champ Rodney Crowell not to be bypassed.
+1 Beth Hart live

But the cd Front and Center (live New York) has much much better SQ. Less distorsion, more dynamics, fuller drums and bass, everything. Really good. Also the playing is more sensitive and intimate.
It never stops...

  Southside Johnny "Detour ahead - The music of Billie Holiday"

Southside+big band+double bass !!
Always on top.

For you that don't know him yet.

Francis Cabrel

In extremis - a fine start.