Your Favorite New Artists Of 2018 (So Far)
Clockwise from upper left: Superorganism, MILCK, serpentwithfeet, Haley Heynderickx, Jorja Smith Courtesy of the artists hide caption
Your favorite new artists of 2018 (so far) are largely genre-defying. From the whimsical, idiosyncratic pop collective Superorganism to the Sudanese-inspired violin, electronics and hip-hop beats of Sudan Archives, the bands most mentioned in last week's listener poll largely defy categorization. They borrow indiscriminately, playing with influences and synthesizing disparate sounds, all the while exposing the arbitrariness of music classifications.
The most popular artists in our midyear poll also fly in the face of expectations in bigger ways. From the over-the-top sexuality of Seattle's Thunderpussy, an all-female rock group, to the queer perspective in serpentwithfeet's gospel-influenced release, many of your favorite new bands offer voices that aren't often heard or considered as much in the mainstream. We also note that our top two listener picks, Snail Mail and Superorganism, were both born in the 21st century and recent high school graduates.
On this week's show we share your picks for the best new artists so far in 2018, along with a couple of our own: Robin's is MILCK, the Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter who writes empowering, cathartic ballads, while Bob chose Niklas Paschburg, an innovative young German composer and pianist whose music was inspired by the Baltic Sea.
Songs Featured On This Episode
Sudan Archives
"Nont For Sale"
From 'Sink'
"R&B these days feels so washed out with trap clicks and mumbling, distorted voices. So, it's refreshing to hear an artist like Sudan Archives whose music has an interesting futuristic-folk vibe." -- From our listener comments
serpentwithfeet
"whisper"
From 'soil'
"An unapologetically queer perspective from a voice that is unique and haunting." -- From our listener comments
Shame
"Concrete"
From 'Songs of Praise'
"Because they shake and make sense." -- From our listener comments
Thunderpussy
"Thunderpussy"
From 'Thunderpussy'
"Bringing back a new Seattle of awesome woman power." -- From our listener comments
Jorja Smith
"Tomorrow"
From 'Lost and Found'
"She has a super beautiful voice and her music is both introspective and gentle." -- From our listener comments
Haley Heynderickx
"The Bug Collector"
From 'I Need To Start A Garden'
"Her quiet, playful tunes are deep and thoughtful without being sad or melancholy, which fits my mood so far this year." -- From our listener comments
Advisory: This song contains profanity
MILCK (Robin's Pick)
"Black Sheep"
From 'This Is Not The End'
"I cannot think of an artist who just wrecks me so quickly and completely. There are moments when I've gotten teary-eyed just thinking about her songs, without even hearing them. It's not that they're sad songs. In fact it's just the opposite. They're just powerful." -- Robin Hilton
Niklas Paschburg (Bob's Pick)
"Spark"
From 'Oceanic'
"This is music with a sense of wonder, and longing. It's music that, for me, is capable of slowing down time, helps focus my thoughts and stays with me long after the music stops." -- Bob Boilen
Snail Mail
"Pristine"
From 'Lush'
"It is equally as exhilarating as it is just shocking that someone who just graduated high school could release something as realized, mature, and technically proficient as this, all while beautifully capturing a young adult's experiences. She has the potential to be something really special." -- From our listener comments
Superorganism
"It's All Good"
From 'Superorganism'
"Every song is a beautiful bouquet of flowers tied together by Orono's voice, as if she dreamed up the songs between scrolling through her phone and waiting for her morning coffee." -- From our listener comments