2018 was another strong year for the local alt-country, folk, blues and Americana scene here in Australia. We’ve put together a list of our favourite local releases, plus one New Zealand album that made the list this year. We highly recommend all of these records – check them out on streaming services, buy a CD or record, purchase a download, catch them when they next play your town. We’ll have our full list of favourite albums of 2018 coming soon.

1. Suicide Swans – La Jungla review

“Suicide Swans clearly put few restrictions on their creativity and and it serves both them and the listener well. With a creative itch pushing them to stretch out, they’ve got the balance between chaos and clarity near perfect on this ambitious album.”

2. Marlon Williams – Make Way For Love review
3. Halfway – Rain Lover review
4. Cash Savage & The Last Drinks – Good Citizens review
5. Ruby Boots – Don’t Talk About It review
5. Roadhouses – Roadhouses review
7. Matt Joe Gow – Break, Rattle & Roll review
8. Kyle Jenkins – Meltdown
9. Ben Leece – No Wonder The World Is Exhausted review
10. Davey Craddock – One Punch review
11. Perry Keyes – Jim Salmon’s Lament
12. Mark Sholtez & Jen Mize – Twilight On The Trail review
13. The San Sebastian – Alive On The Black Sea review
14. Magpie Diaries – Sanctuary
15. Not Good With Horses – Faultlines
16. Jo Meares – Back To The World
17. Sam Newton – Stare Into The Dark review
18. Kristen Lee Morris – Hillbilly Blues
19. James Ellis & The Jealous Guys – It Ain’t Texas (But It Ain’t Bad) review
20. M.E. Baird – Time review