With the year winding down, we at The Most Radicalist wanted to take this opportunity to look back on the wonderful year of music we’ve just had with a ‘Best Of’ list. We asked our writers to pick out their top emerging artists of the last 12 months and needless to say we were presented with both an exceptional and deliciously eclectic group of artists.

We’ll be unveiling the full list over the course of the next few days so stay tuned!

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SQUID



Brighton/London outfit Squid have been on an unstoppable rise as of late. Pairing motorik beats with throbbing bass guitar, spiralling synthesizers, anthemic indie riffs and drummer/vocalist Ollie Judge’s characterful growls, their Speedy Wunderground-released single ‘The Dial’ has easily become one of our favourite tracks of 2018. Having gigged relentlessly throughout the year, Squid’s live show is an exhilarating experience that’s not to be missed. With performances at Green Man and a sold-out headline show under their collective belt, 2019 is already looking good for the talented quintet. With slots confirmed at Brighton’s legendary Great Escape Festival and buzzy London-based events ‘Hello 2019’ by DIY/The Old Blue Last and The Line of Best Fit’s ‘Five Day Forecast’, it’s only a matter of time before they explode. -Holly Mullineaux



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STRAWBERRY MILKSHAKE



A late contender in 2018, we only came across Strawberry Milkshake a month ago with the unforgettable 'Big Stacked Steve', which caught our collective ear with its “discord, chaos and velocity of jarring electronics, eerie synths, disruptive bass and off-kilter rhythms”. From there, Harry Handford, the Liverpool musician behind Strawberry Milkshake, swiftly followed up the experimental dose of Steve with 'Sirens'. It’s another piece of noteworthy alternative songwriting that leads the listener into an escapist world of dopey instrumentation and lullaby melodies where our protagonist can temporarily escape his demons. While we’ve only heard a couple of singles so far, they strike us as a promising new addition to the alternative scene. If you’re liking the sound of Strawberry Milkshake, be sure to keep an eye out for Handford’s other project Spilt Milk Society, from which we recently discussed new song 'Orange'. -Hannah Thacker



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CONFIDENCE MAN



Of all the new bands to emerge from a whirlwind 2018, Brisbane-based electro-pop outfit Confidence Man had to be one of the most delightfully unexpected. Unabashedly dorky, this Aussie four-piece (comprised of Janet Planet, Sugar Bones, Reggie Goodchild and Clarence McGuffie) disarmed audiences the world over with the wry wit, relentless rhythms and unbridled joy of their sensational debut album, Confident Music For Confident People (released via Heavenly Recordings). The record boasted such heady bangers as ‘Try Your Luck’, ‘Boyfriend’ and ‘Don’t You Know I’m In A Band’ (which honestly goes down like modern re-imagining of Right Said Fred’s 1991 hit ‘I’m Too Sexy’) and that literally only covers the first 3 tracks. To cap things off, Confidence Man are one of the most exhilarating live bands in recent years, so catch this merry band of pranksters as a matter of the utmost urgency. -Karl Jawara



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LEWIS CROMBY



With the release of his first tune ‘Rebel Of The Night’ (you can read TMR’s piece about the track here) bringing the summer to a close, the rest of Lewis Cromby’s year has seen him continue to drop tunes in a similar vein. The Liverpool-based singer-songwriter dropped his cover of Bruce Springsteen’s ‘Dancing In The Dark’, adding his own unique spin to the tune, while his latest release ‘St. Jude’ has been garnering some attention over the last couple of weeks. Local pub shows have been Cromby’s go-to this year, but hopefully 2019 sees him take on a few established venues. -Dan Peeke



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-Check in tomorrow for four more picks from TMR's Top 20 of 2018.