Here's some great stuff that came out in 2018. OK, one came out at the very end of 2017 but that I didn't get around to until this year. OK, I cheated to bring it up to an even dozen in service of the lame joke that I spent too much time on in making that header photo. Then I realized I forgot one so it's a baker's dozen now. What are you going to do about it?

To Cure A Blizzard Upon A Plastic Sea
Vennart

In his second full-length solo album, former Oceansize frontman Mike Vennart offers explosive space-rock anthems, contemplative Bowie-esque ballads, a brilliant nod to his favorite band, Cardiacs, and just enough hints of his former band to keep old fans happy. A major step up from his excellent 2015 solo debut in just about every way.

Roughhousing
Cash Pony

Drawing from a wide palette of influences, the record evokes everything from CHON to Mahavishnu Orchestra and represents a significant refinement of the now-instrumental Oakland band’s sound. Fuzzed out guitars and sitars duel over a rock solid but adventurous rhythm section to produce the best collection of songs the band has yet offered.

Black Inscription
Rabbit Rabbit Radio

From former Sleepytime Gorilla Museum members Carla Kihlstedt and Matthias Bossi and guitarist Jeremy Flower, Black Inscription is the soundtrack to a larger multimedia project inspired by Natalia Molchanova, a record-setting free diver who disappeared into the ocean in 2015. The album reflects on the majesty and terror of the ocean, touching on environmental and humanistic themes as it progresses through a wide range of emotions and textures.

The Existential Haunting
Future Usses

In his side project’s debut offering, Intronaut vocalist/guitarist Sacha Dunable steps away from the riffs-and-rhythms focus of his main band in favor of expansive soundscapes and gradual builds, while sacrificing none of the crushing heaviness.

They Are The Shield
Toby Driver

The Kayo Dot mastermind’s second album of ballads in as many years revisits the string-heavy chamber music compositions flirted with in previous projects and features some of his strongest vocal performances to date. For fans of the lighter side of Maudlin of the Well, particularly Part The Second, this is a very welcome addition to Driver’s uncannily great and expansive catalogue.

Dogtown
Facing New York

The long in-progress comeback album from the Bay Area indie-prog stalwarts is a streamlined, guitar-heavy reflection on a decade of growth and change.

Sloth & Turtle
Sloth & Turtle

Featuring three of the four current members of Horders, the debut EP from this North Bay band balances head-spinning math-rock technicality with post-rock atmosphere to great effect. Also the source of arguably the best music video of the year.

Save Everything EP
Horders

Speaking of Horders...

One of the many splinter bands that emerged from the disintegration of North Bay prog/post-rock wizards The Coma Lilies, Horders have finally revealed the first of two installments of music from the sessions that began more than five years ago. Save Everything contains much of the material the core three members been playing live since the band’s inception, tastefully embellished by contributions from various current and former members and other collaborators.

Sunhead
Plini

What can we say, the 26-year-old Australian guitar prodigy is making shreddy jazz fusion cool for the kids. This year’s four-song EP leaves no room for filler and overflows with soaring melodies, playful grooves, and jaw-dropping instrumental prowess. Their tour with Astronoid and TesseracT was a high point for the live music we took in this year.

Lowlands
Zevious

On Zevious’ first album in five years, the New York instrumental trio delivers a collection of dense, jammy tracks that effortlessly blur the line between mathcore, sludge, and prog. Fans of Don Caballero, Dysrhythmia, King Crimson and any dark, hard-to-penetrate music will find something to love here.

Less is Orchestra
Alias & Doseone

The bittersweet final offering from Anticon co-founder Brendon Whitney, a.k.a. Alias, following his untimely death in March. The fusion of the late producer’s textured backdrops and Doseone’s rapid-fire lyrical delivery, honed over two decades of collaboration in countless projects, feels as fresh and natural as ever.

Release The Ghost EP
Tawnee Kendall

Drawing from soul, pop, rock, country, and myriad other influences, the Bay Area singer-songwriter (and full disclosure, former SBP collaborator)'s latest release is a tightly written and beautifully recorded collection of personal, introspective songs. Produced with Kyle Caprista, the drummer from some of our favorite local rock and metal bands from SBP's formative years.

Knife the Glitter
Knife the Glitter

The aforementioned temporal anomaly is this stunningly awesome self-titled from technical instrumental metal trio Knife The Glitter, a long-term project featuring Kevin Antreassian, perhaps best known for his short stint in the Dillinger Escape Plan's final lineup. The album was in progress for eight years before finally appearing in the last days of 2017. The 40-some minutes of flawlessly produced controlled chaos here were well were waiting for since the MySpace days when the band was last active.