ILM's Top 77 Tracks of 2019

I'm not entirely sure I get Weyes Blood but I think "Andromeda" was the very last thing I culled from my ballot, with some regret. I'm on board as soon as that wobbly synth appears. And the helpful advice on what "Andromeda is..." I wish I found the remainder of the LP as effortlessly appealing.

2020 is a bit too much for me, but as an attempt to create a current version of the big british rock album, it's second only to A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships

Agreed here except the albums I grouped it with were Serf's Up & Braindrops (though I ended up liking it less than either of those)

I fully expected Money Machine to show up today, so it's cool that it's going to show up tomorrow. maybe Octo Octa was a vote splitting thing? I don't remember, but I think those are the only ones left that I voted for that have a chance.

I voted for "Harmony Hall," what of it?

(I mean, it could have been "This Life" just as easily. I don't love the whole album but it has 3-4 songs that stick in my head often, most of them on the first half.)

haven't heard the album, but I like both of the VW tracks that have appeared here

Can't remember if I voted for "Money Machine" but probably

I voted for "Harmony Hall," what of it?

I've been coming back to it since it placed, listening more to the lyrics.

I didn't vote because I probably couldn't scrounge together 20 tracks, but "Snow is Falling in Manhattan" needs to place. Also I love saer's contributions to the year end threads. Where do they post otherwise?

I love reading saer's posts

yes

I had money machine at #2. I think it could sneak in

Thanks mates, together will ensure half time oranges for all (weather permitting)

Also I love saer's contributions to the year end threads. Where do they post otherwise?

I have a weird noisy mechanical keyboard that was a present from a neighbour who said the typing of bucolic asides helped her sleep. I feel I have to use it now, but it only seems to works in certain threads. She's a canny lass, that neighbour, so who am I to argue? but there's a few on this one that haven't been cleaned up yet Serene Dreams and Jams of Spring 2018

I couldn't play any of yesterday's records as after too many everything starts to become the same record and that record is by Weyes Blood

lol

Jogging is probably the best example of a very good poem shoehorned into being a very mediocre song. Awful arrangement.

that's perfect, yes. should have been a spoken word track with some acapella

that's perfect, yes. should have been a spoken word track with some acapella

FUCK I think that's my first double post ever!!

lmao sorry y'all i am hilariously rong about "break up with your girlfriend" upthread

everyone must double post in 20 20

I'm guessing the listening session at Brad's place for that song is good fun right now

what have I done

(xp)

Surprised by how much I liked the FKA Twigs song; some Kate Bush vibes, which I'm sure has been discussed already. Sun El-Musician very pleasant-sounding, as was the last thing I heard from them (i.e. the song that placed in last year's poll). I should look into more. Comet Is Coming track decent; another band I just get lazy about digging into. I enjoyed the Weyes Blood album last year but just didn't connect with it deeply enough for it to make my albums ballot. "Andromeda" is def my favourite song on it, though, and "Movies" is another highlight

I'm surprised by how much I like the FKA Twigs song too. I will have to listen to the album

thanks to the poll for reminding me how good "door" is, i've cooled on the polachek record a bit but that one's eternal

okay, so i still have a few more to listen to before i'm completely caught up but i must say right now...

these three, which i'd not heard before, are astonishing:

Charlotte Adigéry - “Paténipat”
Zero12Finest featuring ThaMagnificent2 – “Baby Are You Coming?”
Sharon Van Etten – “Seventeen”

Doors is bloody lovely! I think I've found more great stuff this year than any other.
I realise it's the obvious thing to say but Adigéry is pushing my Grace Jones buttons in all the right ways.

huh, that Billie Eilish song upthread was playing on the office radio this morning and yet I didn't think I'd heard it before. I think I'm coming round to it a little.

Andromeda is maybe the best 'lonely space traveller' song this side of Planet Caravan

the strings remind me of 'Everybody's Gotta Learn Sometimes', the guitar gently weeps and Mering calls occupants of interplanetary craft very beautifully

Here's the AOTY top 30, bold already placed, italics not nominated.

1 Billie Eilish - Bad Guy #31
2 Sharon Van Etten - Seventeen #17
3 Lizzo - Juice #33
4 FKA twigs - Cellophane
5 Clairo - Bags #49
6 Big Thief - Not
7 J Balvin, ROSALÍA - Con Altura #24
8 Lil Nas X - Old Town Road Remix FEAT. BILLY RAY CYRUS
9 DaBaby - Suge #52
10 Vampire Weekend - Harmony Hall #25
11 Tyler, the Creator - EARFQUAKE
12 Lana Del Rey - The Greatest
13 Charli XCX - Gone FEAT. CHRISTINE AND THE QUEENS #28
14 Lil Nas X - Old Town Road
15 Angel Olsen - Lark
16 Lana Del Rey - hope is a dangerous thing for a woman like me to have - but i have it #48
17 Pop Smoke - Welcome to the Party
18 Angel Olsen - All Mirrors #47
19 Mannequin Pussy - Drunk II
20 Normani - Motivation #54
21 100 gecs - money machine
22 Megan Thee Stallion - Cash Shit FEAT. DABABY
23 Solange - Almeda
24 Dave - Black
25 Lizzo - Cuz I Love You
26 Caroline Polachek - So Hot You're Hurting My Feelings #34
27 Georgia - About Work the Dancefloor
28 HAIM - Summer Girl #45
29 Selena Gomez - Lose You To Love Me
30 Denzel Curry - RICKY

22: Fireboy DML – “Jealous” – 327 points – 9 votes – 1 #1 vote

The stand out track from last night (although I more than just liked "Con Altura" as well)

16: Billie Eilish – “Everything I Wanted” - 354 points – 14 votes
17: Ariana Grande – “Ghostin” – 348 points – 10 votes – 2 #1 votes
18: Weyes Blood – “Andromeda” – 345 points – 10 votes – 1 #1 vote
19: Grimes and i_o – “Violence” – 342 points – 11 votes – 1 #1 vote
20: Caroline Polachek – “Door” – 342 points – 11 votes

these last five are all pretty much shades of meh to me but i think i enjoyed the grimes song best

― ymo sumac (NickB), Wednesday, 29 January 2020 bookmarkflaglink

it me.

Con Altura was the first of my 3 remaining locks to place. My suspicion is that the other tw ol are top 5 material, with my #1 as a potential pollwinner (first time that's happened since Black Messiah)

Or will have happened assuming that it does...

Morning everyone! I was out all evening yesterday (hence my reduced presence during the rollout itself), so here are the thoughts you have been dreading:

Baby Are You Coming? - boring sex anthem, ilx's favourite genre. at least someone yells something periodically

Summon The Fire - this is legit awesome and I should have considered it more for a ballot place, love how the synths keep switching it up while yerman does his thing

Gone - this didn't even register so I skipped it after two minutes, what has happened to charli xcx

Into Ingawe - pretty lush, not doing enough melodically for me but can imagine it working in some settings

Thinkin Bout You - absolutely dreadful

Harmony Hall - file under irksome and fairly self-indulgent pastiche with what i'm sure is a complex and heartfelt lyrical exploration of cosmic themes if i could be fucked to find out

Con Altura - definitely the worst & most basic Rosalia to have been nominated, and as with last year that means it's the one everyone votes for the most

Seventeen - speaking of basic, this is a standard af ballad that i can't see the need for, albeit with some trendy superficial noises over the top

Jealous - idgi but well done to our afro voting bloc for achieving all their dreams. yes i'm 'jealous' lol

All My Happiness Is Gone - it's the highest one because it's the earliest on the album obv, Nights That Won't Happen towers over the other three to have placed

Door - curiously tame for such a lengthy statement song

Violence - this didn't register at all but at least I didn't skip it this time, grimes is kind of a hack

Andromeda - masterful brilliance that some of you refuse to appreciate out of cussedness and distrust of actual composition. i'm aware that for some of you my Harmony Hall write-up would fit better here, and to you i say: prrrbbt

Ghostin - kind of appreciate what she's going for here, it's a pleasant enough deconstruction. i mean it's still kind of boring and too high but

Everything I Wanted - approximately 729423x better than Bad Guy, which makes it 'perfectly decent' in my book

Stop being so negative.

hello DAM! oops now this is awkward. i promise i didn't dislike the Rosalia that much, I just think Millionaria and Yo x Ti etc are so much better than the ones that have placed!

I have 3 locks to place, all in my top 10, all heavily discussed last night (maybe we should stop doing that lol)

had to skip to save some surprises but i understand the fun in guessing :)

Gone - this didn't even register so I skipped it after two minutes, what has happened to charli xcx

Come on, you haven’t even listened to the album and as usual it is all over the place. Don’t judge based on this track. I’m sure you’re baiting but still

I'm really not! Will check the album when it places next week, but Gone was dire imo

the charli album is a weaker version of pop 2 with some awkward attempts at concessions to the mainstream thrown in, i didn't end up coming back to it much. "gone" is one of the better tracks imo but it's just a weaker rehash of "backseat". a shame because pop 2 was a near-perfect triumph

yeah I did like Pop 2 plenty

Imago, on a scale of one to ten how irksome would it be if I pointed out that 'composition' doesn't mean what you appear to think it means?

obviously 'composition' is being used as flippant doublespeak for 'melodic intricacy', we've already done this, every track here has been composed, yes i'm aware

decent original but nina kraviz version of gone is where it's at i tell u

2020 year of nyan cat 2 pls