TOP 10: The best Indie albums. 

2018

And... 2018 is saying By-bye, but this year (in my point of view) has been one the most incredible years for music, yes, we see how other genres catch more and more attention and how music festivals have turned into big parties with DJ's. But music stands and so we have a Top 10 for this amazing year, we review some of the most relevant indie music releases for you, here at Le Mexicain. 

10: Superchunk - What A Time To Be Alive

We truly believe this album has everything for those spring afternoons and it came perfectly to score our holidays and to place an old sound into Superchunk's career. This album reflects joy, passion and of course a nostalgic feeling about how music was done in the mere old days. Being their eleventh studio album the band seems more mature, not pretending to fit with the new age music tendencies. If i'm right, Superchunk will stand for a long time if they show up more of these kind of tracks present throughout What A Time To Be Alive. 

9: No Age - Snares Like A Haircut

No Age has come to set a record full of noise-rock sounds balancing them into some pop and experimental stuff, these guys never disappoint, they give a fresh air breath with every album they launch. Is difficult to release a fourth studio album but when you have set your own style and sound and dare to experiment without taking that order you create more than just a good record. Snares Like A Haircut is maybe the No Age's Nevermind .

8: Datarock - Face The Brutality 
Datarock decided to come back and try some new stuff, the Norwegian band put on red track suits and dare to fight for their destiny against... brutality? yes, Face The Brutality is a master piece of rock music made with computers in this case replace computers with Synths, the album came with its first single "Everything" and it completely rushed media's radar. The synth rock sound with bases of punk and madchester goes perfect with a dose of humour, brutality and red colour track suits.

7: Fucked Up - Dose Your Dreams 
Talking as a Fucked Up fan, i have always loved the way the band tells a story, now they created a whole new drama to their well-known stories universe, about the dis-topic overuse of internet. Fucked Up decided to experiment with different stuff now, adding saxophone, string arrangement and other instruments with the intention to make a unique and completely different album from their past glories, nevertheless that hardcore spirit is still here and it breaks any kind of barrier. Dose Your Dreams is the next level and the Screamadelica of our generation.

6: Nine Inch Nails - Bad Witch 
Some of you may say "but this is an EP, not an album", well lads, i have to tell ya, this is a whole album. Trent Reznor created a magnificent trilogy a few years ago (2016) and Bad Witch is the final stone of this Cold And Black And Infinite temple. Following the success and experimental journey made throughout Add Violence, Bad Witch comes with a whole new package of drum and bass atmospheres, experimental jazz sounds and dark, heavy and oppressive industrial style.

I know y'all gonna say that sax experiment was too much, Trent Reznor gives zero fucks about what we say against that sax, he and Atticus Ross created one of the best Industrial albums of all the time.

5: Kate Nash - Yesterday Was Forever 
The British iconic singer had a great 2018, a side of her acting career, she took the way to create new record, full of pop music and stories coming from her own heart, Kate's album crossed the line between being a star and being an icon, turning music into a journey of emotions and vivid experiences, because maybe yes, Yesterday was Tomorrow but still lives Forever.

4: Arctic Monkeys - Tranquillity Base Hotel & Casino 
Yes, i know we bad reviewed this record in its time, but after a few moths, we have to take it seriously, Alex Turner just jumped out of a cage and started a whole new universe around his thoughts, we cannot dismiss that this record has split opinions (mine for example) but it was necessary to add something risky on the Arctic Monkeys sound. That's the answer to "Surprise us" and yes, the Sheffield lads completely did it with a smooth piano, light guitars and a more satisfying playground than their previous album.

3: DZ Deathrays - Bloody Lovely 
being a young band has its struggles and demands strength and perseverance, but this guys from Australia have survived for over ten years and the have shown a magnificent style, ready to score a party or a great movie. This year they released Bloody Lovely early this year with an explosive dance-punk sound. Now this is the kind of risks that matters because coming from far away and with such a difficult sound to expose, the band deserves this place on this list, not only because their music is a great view on young lads and young bands, because they have fought to get to the top.

2: Gouge Away - Burnt Sugar 
You know this space is almost dedicated to punk rock music and other ventures, so why not placing such album to the top? Gouge Away is a band with a chaotic and totally hardcore sound, this album, Burnt Sugar has a faster and aggressive direction, we like to hear bands like this destroying all kind of tendencies and creating new stuff full of anger. Don't be afraid to burn some sugar on the pan.

1: Moaning - Moaning 
Believe us when we say "This is the band you shall be listening right now" because Moaning is the band you shall be listening right now. A few info about the band is available, but early this year they released an album that matters, and matters in the fact that they have deconstructed music to create this album, i always have said that their sound is a mix between Nirvana's In Utero and Joy Division's Unknown Pleasure. Some darkness is inside their music but also some melancholy, besides the noisy guitar sound and the synths, this record reflects a desperate desire of love and pain.

So this was our Top 10: 2018, we hope you like it and if you have some suggestions please send em to us and we will consider a B-side Top 10 2018 Edition. Also we hope you have had a great year and if you want to taste some of these records, don't have a second doubt, try em all. We will be here, somewhere getting the best of music for you.