Not to bring the mood down off the bat, but it certainly seems like we’re pretty screwed. Whether the rising tides or the rising fascism, 2018 was a doomsday clock, ticking along with each tweet or falsely-equivalent headline.
But instead of letting this nihilism creep, we pushed back. Throughout that pall, pinholes emerged—points of light that gave us hope through humor, or music, or reporting. It was a feat of human will that we could swallow any hopelessness and produce something not just positive or optimistic, but new. Something that we could hold up as if to say “We’re still here and we intend to stay awhile.”
These are some of those things—the things that made me feel alive in 2018. I hope you like them too.
CREATED BY THOM FOUNTAIN, WHO ALSO THOUGHT 2017 WAS FINE.
16 Shots This podcast followed the tragic Laquan McDonald trial with daily updates and the rigor we've come to expect from the WBEZ team. It was a testament to local reportage, in all its might. Listen at WBEZ.
PODCAST
30 For 30: Bikram In a year of phenomenal reporting on abuse, the deeply reported story of yoga guru Bikram Choudhury's behavior stops you in your tracks with dark details and beautiful storytelling. Listen at ESPN.
PODCAST
American Vandal If you can make it past the first episode, season two of this mockumentary combines disgusting, juvenile humor with one of the sharpest satires of the American justice system I've seen. Watch at Netflix.
TELEVISION
The Americans In its sixth and final season, FX's prestige cold war drama both ups the ante and slows down, becoming an intense reflection on love and devotion among flashes of gratuitous violence and action. Watch at FX.
TELEVISION
Americans Want To Believe Jobs Are The Solution To Poverty. They're Not. This piece from Matthew Desmond and Devin Yalkin dispels a powerful American myth with grace and intimate storytelling. Read at The New York Times.
LONGFORM
Animal Companionship by Advance Base Owen Ashworth's newest record as Advance Base is an ode to the emotional connection we make with our animals, in the melancholy voice he has always embodied so well. Listen at Spotify.
ALBUM
Anna Delvey Tricks New York In an impeccably written piece, Jessica Pressler tells the winding story of a grifter who preyed on the rich, using modern tools of the trade like apathy, angst, and Instagram. Read at The Cut.
LONGFORM
Articles of Interest This spinoff from Avery Trufelman is a delightful miniseries about our relationship with clothing, told with the same mix of whimsy and reporting we've come to expect. Listen at 99 Percent Invisible.
PODCAST
Big Mouth In its second season, Nick Kroll and John Mulaney's world of weird, awkward teenage sexuality succeeds in going even weirder with the help of one of the best casts in television today. Watch on Netflix.
TELEVISION
Big Red Machine The long simmering collab of Justin Vernon and Aaron Dessner delivers on high expectations with a sparsely composed yet deeply resonant record—highlighted by the beautiful "Forest Green." Listen at Spotify.
ALBUM
Boom Town Sam Anderson tells the bizarre history of Oklahoma City with a deft hand and an eye for the absurdity of it all. It reads like fiction despite (or because of) his thorough research. Buy at Magers And Quinn.
BOOK
Bundyville With impressively deep reporting, Oregon Public Radio takes an engaging dive into the Bundy family. It delivers context that shows this story as not an outlier, but a precursor to modern America. Listen at NPR.
PODCAST
Caliphate Rukmini Callimachi has been doing amazing work on ISIS for years. Here she breaks down her process in telling a cliff-hanging story of the real human impact of its insidious reach. Listen at The New York Times.
PODCAST
Chance The Rapper Chance continued to stay relevant in 2018 by putting out some of his best works in recent memory with a series of singles, including the smooth and stinging "I Might Need Security." Listen at Spotify.
SINGLES
The Curious Case of Bryan Colangelo What a fitting way to kick off the 2018 NBA season. A lying GM, burner accounts, and the hapless 76ers met some smart data journalism in this roller coaster story. Read at The Ringer.
REPORTING
Daisies In a city like Chicago, newly hyped restaurants pop up daily but something about Daisies drew me in right away. Then they lived up to that with an unbelievable, decadent, and smart meal. Go eat at Daisies.
FOOD
David Roth on Trump Whether it's years of covering manically rich NFL owners or the fact that he views things outside of the context of punditry, Roth has provided the best chronicling of Trump in 2018. Read at Deadspin.
ESSAY
Daytona by Pusha T Push dominates with his rumbling, biting intensity that shines over superb production on his best solo record. Also, he put Drake in a body bag this year, which is something. Listen at Spotify.
ALBUM
Decoder Ring Slate hits another high note with their vaguely pop culture oriented pod Decoder Ring. On the back of cultural quirks, it talks to larger themes in society with humor and a graceful touch. Listen at Slate.
PODCAST
The Dream Multi-Level Marketing (a nice euphemism for Pyramid Schemes) has probably taken over your Facebook. Jane Marie takes on this behemoth by digging into the culture, history and politics of MLMs. Listen at Stitcher.
PODCAST
Elon Musk, Asshole Elon Musk has always been an asshole. This year—after what seemed like scores of self-owns—his hubris cranked up and we saw the immoral, self-involved robber baron for all he is. Look at this asshole.
CULTURE
FM by Vince Staples No one goes harder than Vince Staples, and he doesn't let up with just 22 minutes of blistering commentary and skits across FM that are both light-hearted and deadly serious. Listen at Spotify.
ALBUM
Give People Money Annie Lowry makes a thorough and convincing argument for Universal Basic Income, tackling detractors with research and poignant personal stories that will make anyone a believer. Buy at Magers And Quinn.
BOOK
Gladiator American football is broken. In Gladiator, Spotlight tells that story through the tragedy of Aaron Hernandez—a talented but troubled man who embodied that violence so viscerally. Listen at The Boston Globe.
PODCAST
Gritty Hail what beauty and complexity is presented in this monstrosity of deepest desires; the worker, the proletariat, the honest broker of our responsibilities. Gritty, the tether we have left to hope. Gaze upon him.
CULTURE
Honey by Robyn Decades after she claimed the crown Robyn is still the queen of dancing alone shame free. That power shines through in her newest record, especially in the bright and carefree "Missing U." Listen at Spotify.
ALBUM
How Democracies Die In this 80,000-word subtweet, Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt tell the history of creeping fascism and present a grim future for countries that allow it to take hold. Buy at Magers And Quinn.
BOOK
Ilhan Omar In the wave of young, progressive women elected in 2018 I feel particularly proud of Minnesota's Ilhan Omar, the first Somali-American elected to congress and a powerful voice for all of us. Learn more at Time.
CULTURE
In The Dark, Season Two APM's flagship takes an institutional view of true crime, interrogating the system it exists in. In this season, they tackle stunning injustice with deep reporting and storytelling. Listen at APM.
PODCAST
Kawhi's Laugh Everyone remembers the laugh, but the entire answer from Kawhi Leonard—explaining what a fun guy he is, of course—is deadpan gold and a made-for-Twitter moment of the era. Listen to that sweet laugh.
CULTURE
La Doña Minneapolis is teeming with breweries, but La Doña brings something new. It's bright, open space and community vibe—not to mention its excellent rotation of sessionable beers—is warm and welcoming. Go drink there.
BEER
Lush by Snail Mail Lindsey Jordan has floated around the edges of the Bandcamp scene for a few years, but breaks through with the positively addicting Lush, a perfect blend of pop and basement rock. Listen at Spotify.
ALBUM
Marisol Hidden in the basement of Chicago's Museum of Contemporary Art, Marisol creates an elevated restaurant and bar while maintaining a surprisingly warm experience. Also, the manhattan absolutely slaps. Go drink there.
FOOD
Minimally Adequate Local newspapers have been decimated, but those who survived continue to show their necessity in expansive projects like this dive into Charleston's unequal education system. Read at the Post & Courier.
REPORTING
"More I See" by S. Carey Sean Carey has always found a balance between lush and sparse, and he does that better than ever with a gorgeous work that rarely ebbs or flows, but continues to march forward. Listen at Spotify.
SONG
Nanette It feels reductive to call Hannah Gadsby's seminal work 'comedy.' Yet her biting and emotional commentary is punctuated by truly funny moments, mixed among poignant declarations of identity. Watch at Netflix.
COMEDY
"Never Look Back" by Field Report Chris Porterfield has dominated my summers for years, but maybe never more than this track that so perfectly encapsulates the forward motion of a perfect sun-soaked day. Listen at Spotify.
SONG
"Nice For What" by Drake Everyone has opinions on Drake, but an undeniable thing is his ability to capture a moment. "Nice For What" is this year's entry and holds court as a potential song of the year. Listen at Spotify.
SONG
Ordinary Corrupt Human Love by Deafheaven Another year, another blistering Deafheaven record? Kind of. Ordinary Corrupt Human Love still rumbles more than it burns, with a subdued and heavier sound. Listen at Spotify.
ALBUM
Patriot Act Hasan Minhaj reworks the comedy news show with his TED-Talk-meets-stand-up show. He shines as a performer, and his writing staff adds notable research and fact-finding to bolster his message. Watch at Netflix.
TELEVISION
The Rise and Fall of Jacob Wohl Trump-responder extraordinaire Jacob Wohl got what he has had coming in an absolutely stunning display of incompetence and hubris, leading to the dragging of an era. Just look at this moron.
CULTURE
Schmaltz by Spanish Love Songs This might be the album that most encompasses 2018. It's angry and spiteful, with hope peeking through. It's the story of a generation, told with precision and candor. Listen at Spotify.
ALBUM
Serial, Season Three Sarah Koenig's masterpiece has shifted formats season-over-season, and in its third it goes deeper, revealing the institutional disaster that is America's criminal justice system. Listen at Serial.
PODCAST
Shift Eau Claire is not lacking in coffee but for years toiled in mediocrity. Shift changed that, bringing a true third wave experience that leaves pretension behind, and housing it in a gorgeous new space. Go drink there.
COFFEE
Some Rap Songs by Earl Sweatshirt Earl's out-of-nowhere album is substantially looser than his previous efforts. His flow is buried under cacophonous samples, but cuts through with a sharp intensity. Listen at Spotify.
ALBUM
"Soraya" by Heavyweight Heavyweight has proven to be one of the most emotionally rich shows today, but no episode more than the beautiful story of Soraya—a student on a mission to exorcise her past. Listen at Gimlet.
PODCAST
Sorry To Bother You Boots Riley's strange, dystopian debut blends fantasy with a very real story of class struggle in a future that is not as far as we hope. It's aided by an outstanding cast and score. Watch at Hulu.
MOVIE
Tempesta Market I have fallen in love, with a sandwich. The B Franklin is a glorious fusion of sweet and spicy, hearty and light, crunchy and soft. It has taken my heart and my life will never be the same. Go eat there.
FOOD
Trump Inc. The veracity and meticulousness of WNYC and ProPublica's reporting shines digging into the business dealings of the Trump organization, building a case by chasing paper and doing the math. Listen at WNYC.
PODCAST