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Transmission's Top 100 Tracks of 2018

The Current's Top 89 of 2018: Transmission
The Current's Top 89 of 2018: TransmissionLuke Mills | MPR

by Jake Rudh

December 27, 2018

Transmission's roots are in the worlds of punk, post-punk, new wave, dark wave, synth, power and dream pop, shoegaze, psych, mod, space and Krautrock. Here are 100 songs released in 2018 that fit that mold — listed in no particular order and occasionally accompanied by a very simple description of genre or feel. Starting with legacy artists within the classic alternative worlds followed by the acts directly inspired by them.

Johnny Marr "Hi Hello"

Belle & Sebastian "We Were Beautiful"

Tracey Thorn "Queen"

Ride "Catch You Dreaming"

Low "Dancing and Blood"

David Byrne "Everybody's Coming to My House"

Mazzy Star "Quiet, the Winter Harbor"

Paul Weller "The Soul Searcher"

Belly "Stars Align"

Suede "Life is Golden"

The Motels "Lucky Stars" (new wave)

More Top Tracks

Graveyard Club "Witchcraft" (indie / synth)

MGMT "Me and Michael" (synth)

Swan Lingo (Feat: Craft Spells) "In the Ocean"

Boy Pablo "Losing You" (indie)

Mitski "Nobody" (indie)

CASTLEBEAT "I Follow" (dream pop)

Beach House "Dive" (dream pop)

Still Corners "Black Lagoon" (dream pop)

Post Animal "Ralphie" (indie / power pop)

Janelle Monae "Make Me Feel" (funk)

Wild Nothing "Letting Go" (indie)

Washed Out "Faced Up" (dream pop / chill wave)

The Radio Dept. "Your True Name" (indie)

John Maus "Figured It Out" (synth)

Melody's Echo Chamber "Breathe In, Breathe Out" (indie)

Levitation Room "Mid Summer's Daydream" (psych)

Lake Ruth "One of Your Own" (psych)

Tracyanne & Danny "Cellophane Girl" (indie)

Echo Ladies "Bedroom" (indie)

Cavern of Anti-Matter "Phase Modulation Shuffle" (art pop)

The Advisory Circle "High Climber" (synth / experimental)

Mark Renner "Saints and Sages" (art rock)

Interpol "If You Really Love Nothing" (indie)

Death Bells "Echoes" (post-punk)

Second Still "In Order" (dark wave)

ACTORS "We Don't Have to Dance" (post-punk)

Duett "Connections" (synth)

Ariel Beesley "Slower Than Usual" (synth / pop)

Nation of Language "Reality" (synth)

Vandal Moon "Computer Love" (dark wave)

Boy Harsher "Run" (dark wave)

Ought "These 3 Things" (post-punk)

Lithics "Excuse Generator" (post-punk)

Goat Girl "The Man" (indie)

Shopping "The Hype" (post-punk)

Exploded View "Dark Stains" (dark wave)

Anna Calvi "As a Man" (indie)

Field Music "Count it Up" (indie)

Anteros "Call Your Mother" (indie)

Eleanor Friedberger "Everything" (indie)

Fragrance "So Typical" (dark wave)

Sextile "Hazing" (dark wave)

Say Sue Me "Old Town" (indie)

Robyn "Ever Again" (synth / dance)

Gorillaz "Humility" (indie / dance)

Aurora "Slow Crush" (shoegaze)

Preoccupations "Disarray" (post-punk)

Chris Carter "Blisters" (synth)

Drinks "Real Outside" (post-punk)

Shame "Friction" (indie)

Idles "I'm Scum" (indie)

Parquet Courts "Wide Awake" (post-punk)

Lebanon Hanover "Gravity Sucks" (dark wave)

Parcels "Withorwithout" (indie)

Pynkie "Dew" (indie / dream pop)

Part Time "I Can Treat You Better" (feat: Ariel Pink) (indie)

Steve Hauschildt
"Saccade" (feat: Julianna Barwick) (dream pop / synth)

Tess Roby "Catalyst" (art pop / synth)

Khruangbin "August 10" (indie)

Our Girl "Being Around" (indie)

Luby Sparks "Perfect" (shoegaze)

Night Flowers "Losing the Light" (dream pop)

Soft Science "Undone" (shoegaze)

The Daysleepers "Foreverpeople" (dream pop)

Julia Holter "Whether" (art pop)

Hello Meteor "Miranda" (ambient)

Acid Dad "2 Ci" (post-punk)

Lowtide "Alibi" (shoegaze)

Ash Code "Drama" (dark wave)

Cold Cave "Glory" (dark wave)

Moaning "Tired" (indie / synth)

Emmaline Twist "Desperate Measures" (post-punk)

ART d'ECCO "Nobody's Home" (post-punk)

Hatchie "Sleep" (dream pop / synth)

Twin Tribes "Shadows" (dark wave)

Film School "Don't Send My Love" (indie)

A Beacon School "I Don't Believe It" (indie)

St. Vincent "Fast Slow Disco" (indie / synth)

Chromatics "Black Walls" (indie / synth)

ShadowParty "Reverse the Curse" (indie dance)

Sink Ya Teeth "If You See Me" (post-punk / dance)

Django Django "Real Gone" (psych / synth)

Ben Browning "Sunshine Baby" (indie / dance)

Virginia Wing "Glorious Idea" (art pop)

Pinkshinyultrablast "The Hanging Gardens" (dream pop / synth)

Computer Magic "Nebraskaland" (synth)

Hibou "Amethyst" (dream pop / chill wave)

The KVB "On My Skin" (indie / synth)

Motorcade "Walk with Me" (indie)