So Good, So Far...2018

Time flies, even though it has also fallen back, as our seasonal tendencies settle in. One of my daily rituals is music. So Good So Far is the second installment of my favorite albums from the calendar year. I posted a quick-hitter back in summer of my then go-to records. Now it's time to complete the list of the dozen or so "best" releases of 2018. Hopefully everyone's had a nice transition into autumn and with a little luck, or preemptive planning, we'll all have a good holiday season too. So Good, So Far...so long 2018.

Yolanda | What Vision
unsigned, talented, mood, must hear... Drivver_New Waltz &  Following Me

The Jayhawks | Back Roads & Abandoned Motels
OG's, can't go wrong, the way i want these songs to sound, thank you jayhawks... Gonna Be a Darkness & Carry You to Safety

Jeff Tweedy | Warm *
tell it like it is, warm, cold, observant, pain, felt, no bull shit, jeff... Some Birds & Having Been is No Way to Be

Michael Nau & The Mighty Thread | Self Titled
timely, honest, makes the real more real, voice, sounds, construction, a favorite song of the year... Less Than Positive

Lydia | Liquor
stripped, soft, strong, rare, mystifying and direct, want more, my other favorite song... Way Out

Cat Power | Wanderer
nothing changed, everything changed, smokey, what i want, more please, cover of the year... Stay 

Khruangbin | Con Todo El Mundo *
no one else is doing this, original, rooted, futuristic, texas gone psychedelia international, the next level, get down... Maria También & August 10

This, coupled to that, equals a baker's dozen! Happy holidays!

eightychoices.

**

Yolanda | What Vision

Yolanda | "Following Me" | What Vision

Local independent music is always a worthy endeavor, it becomes part of your life when the music is good to great. Yolanda is an up and coming band that is the brainchild of a creative talent now living in Petaluma after some years in LA. Yolanda's initial offering is a five song EP that draws from the past and the future, creating a sonic collage of energy.

What Vision oozes with thoughtfulness. "No Great Shakes" emits a feeling of Petaluma-like fog. "Goldtimes" beams like sunshine, feeling more like southern California. I especially dig the vocals on this track, aided by creative drumming and coaxed along by subtle guitar work. The final offering on Side 1 is "Drivver_New Waltz." New Waltz is frantic, resembling a sprint, somehow blending 80's UK synth-pop to the fuzziness of surf-psyche. I'm all in on New Waltz.

Side 2 begins with the rocking and rhythmic "Following Me." This number stands out by adding another layer of diversity amidst the density of this EP. The closing "Fetch" embodies a sense of calm, tethered to sound bites and backing vocals, pulling me into Yolanda's sound-scape. It feels new without losing site of the walls of sound that have come before it. I like it a lot. 

Look for Yolanda online via streaming outlets. If you're in the market for some new wax, check out yolandaband.com and perhaps you'll score some vinyl. Thanks Yolanda, I look forward to your future output. What Vision is available now.

Support local music, 

eightychoices.