KEXP Staff, Volunteers & Interns Top 10 Albums of 2018, Part 1

2018 Countdown
12/17/2018
KEXP
photo by Elizabeth Crook

Throughout the month of December, KEXP has been counting down our top albums. From Top 10 lists from our DJs to the Top 90.3 of 2018 voted by listeners, we’ve chronicled a wide array of some of this year’s most thrilling released. Now we’re turning the mic over to our behind the scenes staff, volunteers, and interns who help keep the station running. Here are their favorite albums of 2018. How do their lists line-up with yours? (And stay tuned for Part 2, launching tomorrow.)

Aarin Wright // El Sonido Assistant/Events Volunteer
rank artist album label
1 Empress Of Us Terrible Records PD
2 Haley Heynderickx I Need To Start A Garden Mama Bird Recording Co.
3 The Marías Superclean, Vol II Superclean Records
4 Mitski Be The Cowboy Dead Oceans
5 Tatiana Hazel Toxic self-released
6 boygenius boygenius Matador
7 Kali Uchis Isolation Virgin EMI
8 Chancha Via Circuito Bienaventuranza Wonderwheel Recordings
9 Soccer Mommy Clean Fat Possum
10 Alex Andwandter Latinoamericana Nacional Records
Martin Barker // DJ Assistant / Library Assistant
rank artist album label
1 SOPHIE oil of every pearl's un-insides Transgressive Records
2 yves tumor safe in the hands of love Warp Records
3 The Internet Hive Mind Columbia
4 Marie Davidson Working Class Woman Ninja Tune
5 Oneohtrix Point Never Age Of Warp Records
6 JPEGMAFIA Veteran Deathbomb Arc
7 IC3PEAK Сказка self-released
8 Daniel Avery Song For Alpha Phantasy Sound
9 Unknown Mortal Orchestra Sex & Food Jagjaguwar
10 JIL Emotional Heat 4A Cold Generation self-released
Christine Walsh Rogers // DJ Assistant/Events and Tabling
rank artist album label
1 Janelle Monae Dirty Computer Bad Boy Records
2 Brandi Carlile By the Way, I Forgive You Low Country Soung
3 Thunderpussy Thunderpussy Monkeywrench Records
4 Leon Bridges Good Thing Columbia
5 Courtney Barnett Tell Me How You Really Feel Milk! Records
6 Neko Case Hell-On ANTI-
7 Death Cab For Cutie Thank You 4 Today Atlantic Records
8 Young Fathers Cocoa Sugar Ninja Tune
9 The True Loves Famous Last Words Warhen Records
10 First Aid Kit Ruins Columbia
 
Christine and the Queens at KEXP 10-23-2018 // photo by Jake Hanson

 

 

 

Kelsey Brannan // Afternoon Show Producer & Project Manager
rank artist album label
1 Christine & The Queens Chris Because Music
2 Young Fathers Cocoa Sugar Ninja Tune
3 Car Seat Headrest Twin Fantasy (Face to Face) Matador Records
4 IDLES Joy As an Act of Resistance Partisan Records
5 Cumulus Comfort World Trans Records
6 boygenius boygenius Matador Records
7 Empress Of Us Terrible Records
8 Bodega Endless Scroll What's Your Rupture?
9 Ezra Furman Transangelic Exodus Bella Union
10 Lucy Dacus Historian Matador Records
Bebe Labree // Photographer
rank artist album label
1 Mitski Be the Cowboy Dead Oceans
2 Lykke Li so sad so sexy RCA
3 Blood Orange Negro Swan Domino
4 Shame Songs of Praise Dead Oceans
5 Thom Yorke Suspiria soundtrack XL
6 Empress Of Us Terrible
7 Yves Tumor Safe in the Hands of Love Warp
8 SOPHIE Oil of Every Pearl's Un-Insides Transgressive/Future Classic
9 How to Dress Well The Anteroom Domino
10 Idles Joy as an Act of Resistance Partisan
Clara Madenwald // Youth DJ and DJ Assistant for Troy Nelson
rank artist album label
1 Ariana Grande sweetener Republic
2 Janelle Monae Dirty Computer Wondaland Arts Society, Bad Boy Records and Atlantic Records.
3 Kali Uchis Isolation Rinse Recordings, Virgin Records, and Universal Music Group.
4 Father John Misty God's Favorite Customer Sub Pop
5 Mia Day Gold self-released
6 BROCKHAMPTON iridescence RCA
7 Cal & West Kerosene Queen self-released
8 Tierra Whack Whack World UMG Recordings
9 Leon Bridges Good Thing Columbia Records
10 The Internet Hive Mind Columbia Records
Sunita Martini // Photographer
rank artist album label
1 Sofi Tukker Treehouse Ultra Music
2 Janelle Monae Dirty Computer Bad Boy
3 Post Malone Beerbongs & Bentleys Republic Records
4 CHVRCHES Love is Dead Glassnote, Virgin
5 Lykki Li So Sad So Sexy RCA
6 Florence and the Machine High As Hope Virgin
7 Interpol Maurader Matador
8 St. Vincent MASSEDUCATION (Piano) Loma Vista
9 Alt-J Reduxer Atlantic
10 Robyn Honey Konichiwa, Interscope
Dashel Schueler // Associate Director of Development
rank artist album label
1 Hookworms Microshifts Domino
2 Saba Care For Me SR
3 Boygenius ST Matador
4 Deafheaven Ordinary Corrupt Human Love -Anti
5 Parquet Courts Wide Awake Rough Trade
6 Lucy Dacus Historian Matador
7 Wild Pink Yolk in the Fur Tiny Engines
8 Jenn Champion Single Rider Hardly Art
9 Hovvdy Cranberry Double Double Whammy
10 Mitski Be the Cowboy Dead Oceans
David Schilling // Volunteer: Events Team, Viewing Gallery, DJ Assistant, Hospitality, Front Desk, Tabling
rank artist album label
1 Pete International Airport Safer With The Wolves A Recordings
2 Gorillaz The Now Now Parlophone
3 The Good, The Bad & The Queen Merrie Land Studio 13
4 Christine and the Queens Chris Because Music
5 Soft Science Maps Test Pattern Records
6 Charles Bradley Black Velvet Daptone Records
7 Leon Bridges Good Thing Columbia Records
8 Thunderpussy Thunderpussy Stardog
9 The Internet Hive Mind Columbia Records
10 Neneh Cherry Broken Politics Smalltown Supersound
Skyler Locatelli // Account Executive - Business Support
rank artist album label
1 Amen Dunes Freedom Sacred Bones
2 Matthew Dear Bunny Ghostly
3 Liz Cooper & The Stampede Window Flowers Sleepyhead Records
4 Smokey Brights Different Windows Freakout Records
5 Phosphoresecent C'est La Vie Dead Oceans
6 Flavien Berger Contre-Temps A+LSO
7 The Brian Jonestown Massacre Something Else a' Records
8 Thomas Fehlmann Los Lagos Kompakt
9 Charles Bradley Black Velvet Daptone
10 Yuno Moodie Sub Pop
 
Yuno // photo by Elizabeth Crook

 

 

 

Jacquelynn Dygert // In Studios Volunteer
rank artist album label
1 Cardi B Invasion of Privacy Atlantic
2 Dilly Dally Heaven Partisan Records
3 Black Panther Varios TDE & various
4 Kurt Vile Bottle It In Matador
5 Courtney Barnett Tell Me How You Really Feel Milk Records
6 Kacey Musgraves Golden Hour Mercury Nashville‎
7 Robyn Honey Ricochet
8 Soccer Mommy Clean Fat Possum
9 Parquet Courts Wide Awake Rough Trade
10 Hibou Something Familiar Barsuk
Patrick Milgram // DJ Assistant for the Midday Show
rank artist album label
1 Kamasi Washington Heaven and Earth Young Turks
2 IDLES Joy as an Act of Resistance Partisan
3 Kikagaku Moyo Masana Temples Guruguru Brain
4 Damien Jurado The Horizon Just Laughed Secretly Canadian
5 Adrianne Lenker abysskiss Saddle Creek
6 Parquet Courts Wide Awake! Rough Trade
7 Ty Segall Freedom's Goblin Drag City
8 A.A.L. (Against All Logic) 2012-2017 Other People
9 Amen Dunes Freedom Sacred Bones
10 serpentwithfeet soil Secretly Canadian
Rob Bender // Associate Director of Business Support
rank artist album label
1 Idles Joy as an Act Of Resistance Partisan
2 Janelle Monae Dirty Computer Wondaland/Epic/Sony
3 Parquet Courts Wide Awake! Rough Trade
4 Ty Segall Fudge Sandwich In The Red
5 Bodega Endless Scroll What's Your Rupture?
6 Soundtrack Black Panther The Album Music From And Inspired By TDE/Aftermath/Interscope
7 Shame Songs of Praise Dead Oceans
8 Death Valley Girls Darkness Rains Suicide Squeeze
9 Richard Thompson 13 Rivers New West
10 Brandi Carlile By the Way, I Forgive You ATO
 
Khruangbin // photo by Andy Bokanev

 

 

 

Jim Beckmann // Video Manager
rank artist album label
1 IDLES Joy as an Act of Resistance Partisan Records
2 Parquet Courts Wide Awake! Rough Trade
3 Kikagaku Moyo Masana Temples Guruguru Brain
4 Khruangbin Con Todo El Mundo Dead Oceans
5 Mint Field Pasar de la Luces Innovative Leisure
6 Altin Gün On Bongo Joe
7 Low Double Negative Sub Pop
8 Cat Power Wanderer Domino
9 La Luz Floating Features Hardly Art
10 Just Mustard Wednesday Pizza Pizza Records
Jacob Webb // Licensing & Podcasting Coordinator
rank artist album label
1 Kacey Musgraves Golden Hour MCA Nashville
2 Kali Uchis Isolation Virgin
3 Hop Along Bark Your Head Off, Dog Saddle Creek
4 Mitski Be The Cowboy Dead Oceans
5 Pusha T Daytona Def Jam / GOOD Music
6 Saba Care For Me Saba Pivot LLC
7 Beach House 7 Sub Pop
8 A.A.L. 2012-2017 Other People
9 Rosalia El Mal Querer Sony Music España
10 illuminati hotties kiss yr frenemies Tiny Engines
 
Let's Eat Grandma // photo by Melissa Wax

 

 

 

Amanda Lynn // DJ Assistant, Friday Night with Michele Myers
rank artist album label
1 Let's Eat Grandma I'm All Ears Transgressive
2 Janelle Monae Dirty Computer Wondaland/Epic/Sony
3 Brandi Carlile By the Way I Forgive You ATO
4 Christine and the Queens Chris Because
5 The Breeders All Nerve 4AD
6 Justice Woman Worldwide Ed Banger/Because
7 Sink Ya Teeth Sink Ya Teeth Hey Buffalo
8 Chvrches Love is Dead Glassnote
9 Kali Uchis Isolation Virgin
10 Lykke Li so sad so sexy RCA
Kim Coyne // Executive Asst. to CEO, CCO, and Board of Directors
rank artist album label
1 NAVVI Ultra Hush Hush Records
2 Sudan Archives Sink Stones Throw Records
3 Chatham Rise Meadowsweet Picture In My Ear Records
4 Marbiou State Kingdoms In Colour Counter Records
5 Jungle For Ever XL Records
6 Dilly Dally Heaven Partisan Records
7 White Ring Gate of Grief Rocket Girl Records
8 Still Corners Slow Air Wrecking Light Records
9 Thomas Fehlmann Los Lagos Kompakt Records
10 Makeup and Vanity Set Shadow Circuit Electric Dream Records
Laura Lasser // Helpdesk Volunteer
rank artist album label
1 IDLES Joy as an Act of Resistance Partisan
2 Janelle Monae Dirty Computer Wondaland/Epic/Sony
3 Santigold I Don't Want: The Gold Fire Sessions Downtown
4 Kamasi Washington Heaven and Earth Young Turks
5 Mirabou State Kingdoms in Coulour Counter
6 Thunderpussy Thunderpussy Stardog/Republic
7 Soundtrack Black Panther Music From and Inspired By TDE/Aftermath/Interscope
8 Car Seat Headrest Twin Fantasy Matador
9 Naked Giants Sluff New West
10 Angelique Kidjo Remain in Light Cravenworks
 
Jenn Champion // photo by Elizabeth Crook

 

 

 

Stephanie Reisfeld Shafer // Stewardship Manager
rank artist album label
1 Lord Huron Vide Noir Republic Records
2 Django Django Marble Skies Because Records
3 Bob Moses Battle Lines Domino Recording Co Ltd
4 Jenn Champion Single Rider Hardly Art
5 Black Rebel Motorcycle Club Wrong Creatures Vagrant Records
6 Kyle Craft Full Circle Nightmare Sub Pop Records
7 Jungle For Ever XL Recordings Limited
8 John Butler Trio Home Nettwerk
9 Beach House 7 Sub Pop Records
10 Yuno Moodie Sub Pop Records
Mitch Etter // DJ Assistant, In-Studio Hospitality, Afternoon Show Social Media, Tabling
rank artist album label
1 Father John Misty God's Favorite Customer Sub Pop Records
2 Kurt Vile Bottle It In Matador
3 MGMT Little Dark Age Columbia
4 Gorillaz The Now Now Parlophone & Warner Bros
5 Courtney Barnett Tell Me How You Really Feel Milk! & Mom + Pop
6 The Good, the Bad & the Queen Merrie Land Studio 13
7 Thom Yorke Suspiria Soundtrack Xl Recordings
8 David Byrne American Utopia Nonesuch Records
9 Melody's Echo Chamber Bon Voyage Fat Possum
10 Kali Uchis Isolation Virgin
Leisa Smith // DJ Assistant & Social Media for The Afternoon Show
rank artist album label
1 Blood Orange Negro Swan Domino
2 Horse Feathers Appreciation Kill Rock Stars
3 Damien Jurado The Horizon Just Laughed Secretly Canadian
4 Now, Now Saved Trans
5 Amen Dunes Freedom Sacred Bones
6 Christine and the Queens Chris Because
7 The Internet Hive Mind Columbia
8 Father John Misty God's Favorite Customer Sub Pop
9 IDLES Joy as an Act of Resistance Partisan
10 Sunflower Bean Twentytwo In Blue Mom+Pop
Kayla Fisher // Creative Production Intern
rank artist album label
1 Mitski Be The Cowboy Dead Oceans
2 Thou Magus Sacred Bones Records
3 Snail Mail Lush Matador Records
4 6LACK East Atlanta Love Letter LVRN Records
5 boygenius boygenius EP Matador Records
6 Kali Uchis Isolation Virgin EMI Records
7 Cult Leader A Patient Man Deathwish Inc.
8 Anderson .Paak Oxnard Aftermath
9 The Internet Hive Mind Columbia Records
10 YOB Our Raw Heart Relapse Records
Jason Friendt // DJ Assistant
rank artist album label
1 Mammoth Indigo Wilt self-released
2 Wild Pink Yolk In The Fur Tiny Engines
3 The Greeting Committee This Is It Harvest Records
4 Sloucher Be True Swoon Records
5 Shame Songs Of Praise Dead Oceans
6 Constant Mongrel Living In Excellence self-released
7 Erika Wennerstrom Sweet Unknown Partisan Records
8 Haley Heynderickx I Need To Start A Graden Mama Bird Recording Co.
9 The Sea Atlas Goodbye Lost Volcano
10 Yoshi Flower American Raver self-released
 
Young Fathers // photo by Morgen Schuler

 

 

 

Brittany Ward // DJ Assistant for Street Sounds
rank artist album label
1 Cardi B Invasion Of Privacy Atlantic
2 Janelle Monae Dirty Computer Atlantic
3 Young Fathers Cocoa Sugar Ninja Tune
4 Kali Uchis Isolation Interscope Records
5 Christine & The Queens Chris Because Music
6 Ravyn Lenae Crush EP Atlantic
7 CHVRCHES Love Is Dead Glassnote Records
8 Playboi Carti Die Lit Interscope Records
9 Travis Scott ASTROWORLD Epic
10 Kacey Musgraves Golden Hour MCA Nashville
Matthew Schmidt // DJ Assistant/Board Op
rank artist album label
1 Tune-Yards I can feel you creep into my private life 4AD
2 U.S. Girls In A Poem Unlimited 4AD
3 Beach House 7 Sub Pop
4 SOPHIE Oil of Every Pearl's Un-Insides Transgressive/Future Classic
5 The Breeders All Nerve 4AD
6 Mirah Understanding Absolute Magnitude
7 Cat Power Wanderer Domino
8 Young Fathers Cocoa Sugar Ninja Tune
9 Robyn Honey Konichiwa/Interscope
10 Christine and the Queens Chris Because Music
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