ILM's Top 77 Tracks of 2019

So glad you’ve enjoyed the Charlotte Adigéry! For those of you discovering her for the first time I highly recommend you to listen to the full EP. Every song in there is great.

xp Tell it to the Latin Recording Academy, not her.

The Latin Recording Academy® recognizes recordings released anywhere in the world with the only condition being that they were recorded in Spanish or Portuguese. Besides, the members of the Latin Recording Academy® are located in more than 30 countries.

Yeah, Alejandro Sanz (also from Spain) has a ton of Latin Grammys. It makes more sense when you think of it as an industry award. These are artists that are marketed to the Spanish-language market in North America and getting played on Spanish-language radio, regardless of their country of origin.

Concerning the amount of Purple Mountains songs:

Yes this happens every year and I think at one moment I suggested that only the most voted 3 songs per artist inside the top 77 gets featured and the rest gets cut off to make place for other things. The counterpoint is that then it isn’t a “real top 77” and if people want to see what’s below they can at any given time when the full results get posted.

Maybe if the limitation was made in the noms thread it could work but then if someone nominates the 3 least liked songs it sort of effs up the process.

I guess self-control could work but it depends, this year I wanted to nominate like 5 different SAULT songs since they released 2 really good albums this year but I decided against it as to avoid vote splitting. In the end there were 4 tracks to vote for iirc and I just voted for two of them.

I think the results every year seem perfect just as they are

D&B in the 77?!

this placing made me wonder if the CFCF album will show next week. It was too successful at doing what it was setting out to do for my taste (if that makes sense), but there's a growing enthusiasm/lack of shame around D&B

yeah that album should place, even though naughty flopson forgot to vote

Anna Caragnano & Donnato Dozzy - “Parola (Rework)
Blanck Mass - “House vs House
Kasper Marott - “Drømmen om Ø (Forever mix '19)
Charlotte Adigéry - “High Lights”
Erika de Casier - “Intimate (Club. Mix)

really like all these that i havent heard before good job folks

i haven't listened to the CFCF but would be super into wallpaper dnb making a comeback

then you definitely should!

the relevant thread: cfcf - liquid colours

I didn't vote, but it probably would've been my #1. At least top 3.

Updated youtube playlist, forgot to re-post earlier - http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLgY-EgZm23_JMleMrv5Pq42eYRaWrPeVK

slight but appreciable side-eye at the song being described as "this kind of music" -- what kind? kindly direct me to more.

Seconding dyl's side-eye + request here (...awesome write-up, dyl!)

I didn't vote, but it probably would've been my #1

aww jaymc! cfcf made a sad tweet the other day about fruitlessly looking for his album in end-of-year lists, and here was i hoping we could come through for the guy

YAY ILM 77! GREAT IMAGES MOKA!

Stray thoughts:

Anna Caragnano & Donnato Dozzy - “Parola (Rework)": Voted for this - what an amazing rework of the Macarena.

Peggy Gou- “Starry Night”: I might marginally prefer "Hungboo", but this is another lovely track.

KH - “Only Human”: This was kind of a big track for me just because I heard it out so much and it was a top choice for several of my friends. Very much the return of lamestream-minimal a la Samim & Michal, which I am totally okay with. I agree that outside of a mixed context it does go on a bit long.

Normani - “Motivation”: I was vaguely sceptical of this on first contact because it's such a blatant rip of "Check On It" but repeat exposure (largely at the gym) wore me down. There's a certain... effervescence to it that (duh) feels very early 00s to me. And the video is simple but gorgeous.

Erika de Casier - “Intimate (Club. Mix)”: My number one! As I said in my short review of it wherever that is, this feels pretty sui generis to me (though you could draw links to Janet Jackson's "Empty" or alternatively Dawn Richard's "Black Lipstick"), an homage to an R&B-jungle fusion event that never really happened, rather than something that fits squarely within a lineage of songful D&B, let alone the enjoyably chintzy revivalism of cfcf etc. - perhaps because the beat, while as scintillating as anything from 1994, is designed to keep the song moving forward, whereas by the time D&B actually adopted an equivalent rhythmic straightjacket the scene would really have struggled to produce anything as simultaneously delicate as this manages to be (without listening to it to double-check, one possible exception might be Global Communications' remix of Lamb's "Gorecki"). The track maintains a real R&B sensibility despite all of its junglist sonic (neil) trix, every element dovetailing so simply but beautifully.

Other stuff I love but don't have anything specific to say about right now: Ariana, Cate le Bon, Jamila Woods, Burna Boy, Rosalia, Charlotte Adigery, Weyes Blood, Shura, Big Thief, Raphael Saadiq.

Songs I'm most keen to hear after work: Kasper Marott, Tayla Parx.

what an amazing rework of the Macarena.

wait whaaaa?

also "The track maintains a real R&B sensibility despite all of its junglist sonic (neil) trix" is otm and my bringing up CFCF wasn't intended to imply much real continuity there

haha it's not, but you won't be able to unhear the resemblance, trust

what an amazing rework of the Macarena.

wait whaaaa?

― rob

X2

it does have some similarities

I love the lyrics

Trascinò pensiero
Profondo parola
Protratta ritratto
Promessa ritorna
Protratta trascinò
Pensiero profondo
Parola protratta
Ritratto promessa
Ritorna protratta

re cfcf yeah I totally agree with "if you like the idea of unashamedly pretty and fun d&b making a comeback check out the cfcf" as a general proposition.

It reminds me of Sofi Tukker’s drinkee more than Macarena.

Translation btw:

I drag a profound thought, a protracted word, a portrait, a promise, i return protected

OMG dying now

I like the ghostly operatic background vocals in that track

thought the video for Starry Night was really nice. that track grew on me like It Makes You Forget (Itgehane) did last year

Chris L profoundly OTM re Berman.

Starry Night video is gorgeous.

Lol, after starting to actually read the thread, I see the Stevie Nicks comparison had been made.

NB: I am in meetings and doctor's appointment all day tomorrow so the playlist is gonna need to wait to be updated till about 3pm. Be patient, you'll be able to find the music on your own until then.

yes

Oh wow, the Donato Dozzy track is really distinctive and cool.

Enjoyed the Blanck Mass too. The melodic line is simple but pretty memorable, a bit reminiscent of 80s synthpop/new wave stuff. Couldn't make out the words on first listen.

Surprised myself by liking "True Blue" a lot. Pretty melody and voice, pleasant disco beat and lush sound with those tremolo chords. Tayla Parx and Cate Le Bon songs not for me. Second Purple Mountains song made a stronger impression than the first.

Yeah Darkness & Cold is one of my favourite PM songs

Overjoyed to see Charlotte Adigery place, although I voted for Okashi.

Same! I had wondered if I shouldn't nominate it but maybe it'll pay off.

I loved the Anna Caragnano & Donato Dozzy album that came out a few years ago but I always gloss over remix tracks so didn't pay attention to this rework before, but this rules

Yay for "Daylight Matters," a track 2 on par with "Are You With Me Now," incredibly.

[/post-work thoughts]

Yeah, Alejandro Sanz (also from Spain) has a ton of Latin Grammys. It makes more sense when you think of it as an industry award. These are artists that are marketed to the Spanish-language market in North America and getting played on Spanish-language radio, regardless of their country of origin.

fantastic work on the images moka, you've really outdone yourself this time

this placing made me wonder if the CFCF album will show next week. It was too successful at doing what it was setting out to do for my taste (if that makes sense), but there's a growing enthusiasm/lack of shame around D&B

― rob, Tuesday, January 28, 2020 12:07 AM (nine hours ago) bookmarkflaglink

The question's not if it will place, but where imo. Seems like a lock.

slight but appreciable side-eye at the song being described as "this kind of music" -- what kind? kindly direct me to more.

Lyrically naïve, vaguely optimistic mainstream r&b songs by conventionally attractive young people about relationships. We went over this during last year's rollout (apologies for being a broken record) but: it brings back madeleine-like memories of being a high school pariah; to me it is the sound of enforced teenage and young adult conformity and faux-positive emotions, just about the most oppressive and superficial aesthetic there is. I've given this subgenre more than a chance or two over the years and have been pleasantly surprised on occasion but indifference is usually the best I can muster. I am of course aware that not everyone relates to this stuff in the same way and am not trying to make an objective claim here.

heard before:
77: Mount Eerie feat. Julie Doiron - “Love Without Possession” - this was the best track on a somewhat underwhelming album. really lovely once more instrumentation fills it out 2/3 through it
76: Ariana Grande - “NASA” - fine but if any ariana album track was going to show up it should have been "ghostin" surely?
74: Purple Mountains - “Margaritas at the Mall” / 70: Purple Mountains - “Darkness & Cold” - the purple mountains album was too real in its depression for me to spend much time with but i understand why people love it.
69: Mark Ronson feat. Angel Olsen - “True Blue” - oh i probably should have voted for this, my favourite Angel Olsen track of the year. completely slipped my mind though
68: Tayla Parx - “Me vs. Us” - almost made my ballot after dyl's post in the campaigning thread, great track. chorus is very similar to a jessie ware track i think?
67: Jamila Woods feat. Saba - “Basquiat” - probably the highlight from this album, nice to see it show up
65: KH - “Only Human” - fine but overstays its welcome a fair bit
63: Burna Boy feat. Zlatan - “Killin Dem” - only the 4th best burna boy single this year but still great
62: Rosalía - “Aute Cuture” - feels like rosalia can do no wrong at the moment
61: Weyes Blood - “Wild Time” - this whole album sounds very well made but somehow ends up feeling a little bit hollow, never really connected with it
60: Peggy Gou - “Starry Night” - better than "It Makes You Forget"
58: Shura - “BKLYNLDN" - still adore the shift to the outro
57: Big Thief - “Cattails” - surprised this was the UFOF track people rallied around, would have gone for "Strange" or "From" but i don't think they were nominated?
56: Raphael Saadiq feat. Rob Bacon - “Something Keeps Calling” - album is great, didn't occur to me to vote for any tracks from it but the hook on this one does get lodged in my head
54: Normani - “Motivation” - shame this wasn't the hit it seemed destined to be on release

voted for:
64: Vampire Weekend - “This Life” - thought this was probably a lock for top 20, VW at their very best
55: Holly Herndon - “Eternal” - really delighted by herndon moving into vaguely pop-adjacent territory, this was breathtaking
53: Erika de Casier - “Intimate (Club Mix)” - gorgeous, singular, r&d&b

hadn't heard:
75: Jenny Lewis - “Red Bull & Hennessy” - this is fun, cool propulsive drum sound and a nice closing solo
72 (TIE): Anna Caragnano & Donnato Dozzy - “Parola (Rework)” - interesting but probably a little too minimal for me to get into
72 (TIE): Blanck Mass - “House vs House” - this is really cool, favourite discovery of the day. perfect balance of beauty and ugliness
71: Cate Le Bon - “Daylight Matters” - left very little impression on me
66: Kasper Marott - “Drømmen om Ø (Forever mix '19)” - pleasant enough techno but a bit underwhelming
59: Charlotte Adigéry - “High Lights” - not bad but doesn't really do anything for me either

Briefly catching up:

60. Peggy Gou - 'Starry Night': pleasant enough, little lasting appeal; I'd rather explore the city-pop classics first.
59. Charlotte Adigéry - 'High Lights': now this is a fun song, with just the right amount of mildly sinister weirdness coursing through the background.
58. Shura - 'BKLYNLDN': more like BLND amirite?
57. Big Thief - 'Cattails': impression: stationary, i.e. I'd love this band if they hired a different singer.
56. Raphael Saadiq - 'Something Keeps Calling': could these melodic lines get any more predictable?
55. Holly Herndon - 'Eternal': overwrought faux-transcendental heroism marring an otherwise attractive premise.
54. Normani - 'Motivation': see above post on Tayla Parx.
53. Erika de Casier - 'Intimate (Club Mix)': the album's a little patchy but this is one of the definite highlights: low-key d&r&b that recalls the downtempo of yore will always get my vote (never mind that I didn't vote).

To recap, of the stuff I hadn't heard yet, so far I've enjoyed: Burna Boy, Kasper Marott, Donato Dozzy & Anna Caragnano, Charlotte Adigéry.

Already, enjoyably acquainted with: Purple Mountains, Jamila Woods, Weyes Blood, Erika de Casier.

W/ roll-out happening late afternoon, early evening for me, I'll sadly have to play catch-up the next morning.

No matter though. Very glad to see some bobbins, Dozzy, Charlotte Adigéry, Purple Mountains and Weyes Blood turning up (only Dozzy a surprise it did imo).

Any hopes I had for the one track I voted for placing are p much diminished by now.

Any clue as to what it was?

58. Shura - 'BKLYNLDN': more like BLND amirite?

tick.jpg

People not getting Shura is one of the most eternally baffling things on ILM, just such blissful music.