The 2019 end of the year music lists thread

Bleep Top 10 Albums of the Year

https://bleep.com/Bleeps-Top-10-Albums-of-the-Year-2019

https://d1rgjmn2wmqeif.cloudfront.net/extra/HomePageModule-42863-95424.png

hmmm, couldn't really get into a few of those (treanor, klein, twigs) but the caterina barbieri is the best thing i've heard from her (wasn't much of a fan before tbh). that nathan micay is good fun too!

spent the afternoon trawling through the piccadilly list and now i mostly hate music btw

really enjoying your mix, Soundslike !

I have been going through the rolling threads and after listening to half of the uk grime etc thread I already love 2019. Not looking forward to exploring the disinterested synth tracks which seem to do well in the hip polls, but sure there will be a few gems amongst the meh

will reserve a spot at the weekend to listen to the musicophilia mix, cheers!

the 2018 musicophilia list had loads of really excellent just-under-radar stuff to dig into and 2019 list looks likewise - thanks for putting the hours in, Soundslike!

Monorail Music
Albums: https://www.monorailmusic.com//news.html?cmsnews_method=view&cmsnews_id=eddc707c-120a-11ea-8305-1298a0617e72
Compilations/reissues: https://www.monorailmusic.com//news.html?cmsnews_method=view&cmsnews_id=0dc7dd99-11d2-11ea-8305-1298a0617e72

the 2018 musicophilia list had loads of really excellent just-under-radar stuff to dig into and 2019 list looks likewise - thanks for putting the hours in, Soundslike!

― technopolis, Friday, November 29, 2019 bookmarkflaglink

I second this. Discovered some great hip hop last year through that list.

the 2018 musicophilia list had loads of really excellent just-under-radar stuff to dig into and 2019 list looks likewise - thanks for putting the hours in, Soundslike!

― technopolis, Friday, November 29, 2019

I second this. Discovered some great hip hop last year through that list.

― sctttnnnt (pgwp), Friday, November 29, 2019 5:04 PM

Glad to be of service! So much excellent music being made these last few years, has me more excited about contemporary music than I've been in the 27 years I've been a certifiable music geek.

will reserve a spot at the weekend to listen to the musicophilia mix, cheers!

― mfktz (Camaraderie at Arms Length), Thursday, November 28, 2019 7:31 PM

I'm really happy with it as a mix, and as representative of a major facet of what I love about new music these days. Not trying to be comprehensive, but more make a case for a particular feeling and sound-world.

The rian treanor album is fire

The Quietus Albums Of The Year 2019

Top 20
1: Loraine James - For You and I
2: Richard Dawson - 2020
3: Caterina Barbieri - Ecstatic Computation
4: William Doyle - Your Wilderness Revisited
5: These New Puritans - Inside The Rose
6: Vanishing Twin - The Age Of Immunology
7: Black Midi - Schlagenheim
8: Fat White Family - Serfs Up!
9: Brìghde Chaimbeul - The Reeling
10: Sunn O))) - Life Metal
11: Karenn - Grapefruit Regret
12: Moor Mother - Analog Fluids of Sonic Black Holes
13: Sleaford Mods - Eton Alive
14: Harrga - Héroïques Animaux De La Misère
15: The Utopia Strong - The Utopia Strong
16: Snapped Ankles - Stunning Luxury
17: DEAFKIDS - Metaprogramação
18: Barker - Utility
19: Bill Callahan - Shepherd In A Sheepskin Vest
20: Kim Gordon - No Home Record

the caterina barbieri album is p frontloaded but at its best it hits a certain video game music–adjacent sweet spot that, as also noted re the recent cfcf album, is v appealing (& easily recommendable)

Was completely unaware of William Doyle until today. This album is terrific.

Guardian songs list: https://www.theguardian.com/music/2019/dec/02/the-20-best-songs-of-2019-tracks

20 Fat White Family – Feet
19 Lizzo – Tempo (feat Missy Elliott)
18 Mark Ronson – Late Night Feelings (feat Lykke Li)
17 Normani – Motivation
16 AJ Tracey – Ladbroke Grove
15 Lana Del Rey – The Greatest
14 Stormzy – Vossi Bop
13 Dave – Black
12 Big Thief – Not
11 Rosalía and J Balvin – Con Altura
10 Georgia – About Work the Dancefloor
9 Clairo – Bags
8 Richard Dawson – Jogging
7 Vampire Weekend – Harmony Hall
6 FKA twigs – Cellophane
5 Lizzo – Juice
4 Billie Eilish – Bad Guy
3 Charli XCX – Gone (feat Christine and the Queens)
2 Sharon Van Etten – Seventeen
1 Lil Nas X – Old Town Road (remix feat Billy Ray Cyrus)

Uproxx: https://uproxx.com/music/best-albums-2019-ranked/

Loving the Caterina Barbieri album.

I enjoyed it as well but its placement is baffling to me.

In broad terms yes, though I’m not sure that any of the albums quietus list after it are better aside from the These New Puritans album.

Regardless, it's one of the better lists I've seen so far, if only because it features a solid amount of intriguing-sounding records I've yet to hear.

i can't take anyone serious who reps for rinse like Fat White Family - make them go away pls!

haven't been into William Doyle's previous album as East India Youth but this new one is sounding good. the quietus always seem to rep for the same artists over and over, many of which i don't understand the appeal of at all but this time i'm glad it was worthwhile

xp
agree. I'm either missing something or they are legit terrible

quietus have gotten 'looks intriguing but is in fact quite narrow and dull' to an absolute tee tbh

Not wrong, alas.

relative lack of Purple Mountains from many lists is shitty and goes to show how much impact touring/general press activity has on an album's placement - or lack of it - in these lists. David's death so close to the album seemed to have made its impact a lot lower than i would have expected. personally i think its probably one of the best albums about depression and suicide ever written - and almost certainly his best album.

that said I'll probably check out most of the ones I've not heard yet

purple mountains was literally top of a list about twenty posts ago! a lot of albums get released nowadays and it isn't possible to put them all in one list. that said, i feel similarly about weyes blood who is very much alive and currently touring, and certainly not in every list either, so idk really - maybe it really just is a matter of the listmakers having different tastes to us, or just not hearing enough records

yep i spotted that one - was nice to see you - but i've also seen it totally absent from a bunch of lists

'nice to see' that should be, don't know where the 'you' came from

Oh shit, I've been meaning to check out that Stephen Mallinder album!

purple mountains is #3 over at the ringer

https://www.theringer.com/music/2019/12/3/20992882/best-albums-2019-lana-del-rey-megan-thee-stallion-purple-mountains-billie-eilish

RIP DAVID

weird that The Ringer would have precisely two people collaborating on a list rather than just a single critic or everyone relevant on staff. I wonder if Zoladz will do a list, I'm sure hers would be better.

https://www.albumoftheyear.org/album/155745-purple-mountains-purple-mountains/critic-lists/

that's not linking correctly, but PM is in the top 25 of 9 lists so far.

i'm pleased to be proven wrong, must have been I saw a few WRONG AND BAD lists in a row and extrapolated.

Yeah. Weyes Blood is doing very well too

yep. our sympathies should be with the brilliant records nobody is talking about at all, which obviously vary from fan to fan

^ljago knows what's up.

(imaljo)

https://www.stereogum.com/featured/best-albums-2019/

woo great grandpa love

yes ^^ now *there's* an album that isn't showing up on enough lists

Genuinely surprised by the high placing of Nick Cave in these lists. I love the man but Ghosteen is nothing short of edelkitsch to my ears.

i get why it's not for everyone but it's one of his very best works imo

Really? I love Skeleton Tree, but I don't think I'm nearly ready for Cave wringing out the sponge new-age style like this. It must not be for me, and I respect that, but oof.

Gorilla vs Bear (Albums): http://www.gorillavsbear.net/gorilla-vs-bears-albums-of-2019/

50 ANTHONY NAPLES | Fog FM
49 KORNÉL KOVÁCS | Stockholm Marathon
48 VEGYN | Only Diamonds Cut Diamonds
47 YEULE | Serotonin II
46 SAULT | 5
45 PI’ERRE BOURNE + YOUNG NUDY | Sli’merre
44 NINA KEITH | MARANASATI 19111
43 ANA ROXANNE | ~~~
42 HTRK | Venus in Leo
41 CHARLI XCX | Charli
40 CARLA DAL FORNO | Look Up Sharp
39 ANDY STOTT | It Should Be Us
38 MARIA SOMERVILLE | All My People
37 SOFIA KOURTESIS | Sofia Kourtesis
36 TORO y MOI | Outer Peace / Soul Trash
35 LAUREL HALO | DJ-Kicks
34 MEGA BOG | Dolphine
33 PANDA BEAR | Buoys
32 ANGEL OLSEN | All Mirrors
31 NOAH | Thirty
30 JESSICA PRATT | Quiet Signs
29 JENNY HVAL | The Practice of Love
28 LITTLE SIMZ | GREY Area
27 CFCF | NIGHT BUS 4 : MEMORY OF NIGHT BUS
26 DANNY BROWN | uknowwhatimsayin¿
25) GALCHER LUSTWERK | Information
24) FLORE LAURENTIENNE | Volume 1
23) TYLER, THE CREATOR | IGOR
22) BALTRA | Ted
21) NIVHEK | After its own death / Walking in a spiral towards the house
20) CAROLINE POLACHEK | Pang
19) NILÜFER YANYA | Miss Universe
18) FKA TWIGS | Magdalene
17) MOODYMANN | SINNER
16) JULIA JACKLIN | Crushing
15) MALIBU | One Life
14) FAYE WEBSTER | Atlanta Millionaires Club
13) JPEGMAFIA | All My Heroes are Cornballs
12) WEYES BLOOD | Titanic Rising
11) FREDDIE GIBBS + MADLIB | Bandana
10) 박혜진 PARK HYE JIN | IF U WANT IT
09) ALDOUS HARDING | Designer
08) YVES JARVIS | The Same but by Different Means
07) BILLIE EILISH | WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO?
06) CHROMATICS | Closer To Grey
05) BEA1991 | Brand New Adult
04) MEN I TRUST | Oncle Jazz
03) BIG THIEF | U.F.O.F. / Two Hands
02) ERIKA DE CASIER | Essentials
01) LANA DEL REY | Norman Fucking Rockwell!

gvb should have had Essentials at #1

Ted Gioia's list:
http://www.tedgioia.com/bestalbumsof2019.html

GvB with a great eoy list as usual.

Critic Robert Christgau list:

Dean's List 2019
The 76 best albums of the last year (or so) Posted.

1Billie Eilish: When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? (Darkroom/Interscope)
2Todd Snider: Cash Cabin Sessions, Vol. 3 (Aimless)
3Chance the Rapper: The Big Day (self-released)
4Purple Mountains: Purple Mountains (Drag City)
5Carsie Blanton: Buck Up (Carsie Blanton)
6Kim Gordon: No Home Record (Matador)
7Danny Brown: uknowwhatimsayin? (Warp)
8Sonic Youth: Battery Park, NYC: July 4th 2008 (Matador)
9Kalie Shorr: Open Book (Kalie Shorr)
10
The Paranoid Style: A Goddamn ....

Oh, here’s a link for the Christgau list.

He’s got old-school singer Salif Keita at 12. I like that album too.

https://robertchristgau.substack.com/p/deans-list-2019

Oh hey, Austim Music Poll still open 'til midnight tonight! Many more categories than expected. I know some artists in each, but lots more are prob mainly known to Austinians etc. Maybe I'll vote.
https://www.austinchronicle.com/vote-austin-music-awards/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=daily&utm_campaign=musicpoll&utm_source=DAILY+NEWS&utm_campaign=850afe03f2-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2020_01_28_08_08&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_ae90959245-850afe03f2-60022363&mc_cid=850afe03f2&mc_eid=d26b96d866

Jayce Clayton /DJ Rupture ‘S top 10 is in December 2019 Artforum magazine and behind a paywall online