The 2019 end of the year music lists thread

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.

Very happy to see Faye Webster's album popping up on a few lists. It's such a beautiful album that needs more love on here.

is "old town road" gonna be pazz/jop #1 i'm thinking yes

idk what else would be, "bad guy" will probably be #2 but that's the only other one that seems obvious. feels like an especially low amount of critically-approved chart hits this year?

the faye webster album is indeed really gorgeous

wait, there's a Faye Webster album? I loved the 'Right Side Of My Neck' EP

oh OK, it's the EP+ but still, I will check out tonight

The Wire Rewind 2019:

1. 75 Dollar Bill - I Was Real
2. Angel Bat Dawid - The Oracle
3. The Art Ensemble Of Chicago - We Are On The Edge
4. Moor Mother - Analog Fluids Of Sonic Black Holes
5. Morton Feldman/Philip Thomas - Morton Feldman Piano
6. Klein - Lifetime
7. Kali Malone - The Sacrificial Code
8. People Like Us - The Mirror
9. Josh Abrams & Natural Information Society - Mandatory Reality
10. Sunn 0))) - Life Metal
11. Sarathy Korwar - More Arriving
12. Little Simz - Grey Area
13. MC Yallah x Debmaster - Kubali
14. Carl Stone - Himalaya
15. Jaimie Branch - Fly Or Die II: Bird Dogs Of Paradise
16. Purple Mountains - S/T
17. Matana Roberts - Coin Coin Chapter Four: Memphis
18. Kim Gordon - No Home Record
19. 100 Gecs - 1000 Gecs
20. JPEGMAFIA - All My Heroes Are Cornballs
21. Tyler, The Creator - IGOR
22. Laurie Anderson/Tenzin Choegyal/Jesse Paris Smith - Songs From The Bardo
23. Solange - When I Get Home
24. Tunes Of Negation - Reach The Endless Sea
25. Damon Locks' Black Monument Ensemble - Where Future Unfolds
26. Zonal - Wrecked
27. Carl Stone - Baroo
28. King Midas Sound - Solitude
29. Eliane Radigue - Occam Ocean 2
30. Sote - Parallel Persia
31. Sunwatchers - Illegal Moves
32. Freddie Gibbs & Madlib - Bandana
33. Loraine James - For You & I
34. James Tenney - Changes: 64 Studies For 6 Harps
35. The Caretaker - Everywhere At The End Of Time (Stages 4-6)
36. Yatta - Wahala
37. Sunn 0))) - Pyroclasts
38. Jennifer Walshe - ALL THE MANY PEOPLS
39. Big Stick - LP
40. FKA Twigs - Magdalene
41. Caterina Barbieri - Ecstatic Computation
42. Nkisi - 7 Directions
43. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Ghosteen
44. Billy Woods & Kenny Segal - Hiding Places
45. North Sea Radio Orchestra/John Greaves/Annie Barbazza - Folly Bololey (Songs From Robert Wyatt's Rock Bottom)
46. Duke - Uingizaji Hewa
47. Clipping - There Existed An Addiction To Blood
48. Jay Glass Dubs
49. Felicia Atkinson - The Flower And The Vessel
50. Saint Abdullah - Mechanical Flirtations

Wire list is the first one I've seen that isn't invalid (IOW, it includes clipping.)

I don't know if I'll ever understand 75 Dollar Bill

I much prefer Natural Information Society in terms of that general tranced-out zone--Mandatory Reality was their strongest album yet IMO, with the opening 65 minutes/first two pieces on it truly psyching me out as a longer Feldman piece might

75 dollar bill are great live! also fun on tape but i haven't listened to I Was Real yet.

I'm surprised that each Sunn album got a separate slot in the top 50; I voted for them collectively. (Jaimie Branch was my #1.) I wish I liked that Zonal record more. Maybe if Moor Mother was on the whole thing, instead of just the first half. Or maybe if she wasn't riffing on Billy fucking Corgan.

Yeah, I love Natural Information Society but Ive been hesitant to spend the $14 without hearing it or w/e

75 Dollar Bill afaict seem to be a cheerier version of Beak>?

I'm listening to 75 Dollar Bill right now and I'm hearing "if Sunburned Hand of the Man were really into North African desert blues". I'm...kinda into it and might buy it on Bandcamp to have something to listen to while doing laundry tomorrow.

'i was real' is pretty good so far

39. Big Stick - LP

wait what? big stick are back?

Amanda Petrucish list in the New Yorker

FKA twigs, “MAGDALENE”

Mdou Moctar, “Ilana (The Creator)”

75 Dollar Bill, “I Was Real”

Sharon Van Etten, “Remind Me Tomorrow”

Bon Iver, “i, i”

Big Thief, “Two Hands”

Purple Mountains, “Purple Mountains”

Burna Boy, “African Giant”

Lana Del Rey, “Norman Fucking Rockwell!”

Thom Yorke, “Anima”

Jake Xerxes Fussell, “Out of Sight”

Maggie Rogers, “Heard It in a Past Life”

That’s Petrusich. Glad she listed Burna Boy and Mdou Moctar

god, i am such a mark for ted gioia, i know there are people around here who hate him but he reps for music i don't see _anybody_ else mentioning and a lot of it is excellent

I hate a lot of his stupid opinion pieces but I admire his approach to his year-end list and there are often at least a few things I wind up checking out.

holy shit is "spirit lady" right up my alley, it's like the 17 minute version of eddy grant's "everybody dance" crossed with andy hofle's "arcade ambience"

and there is nobody i trust more than him to recommend me bagpipe music

I don't know if I'll ever understand 75 Dollar Bill

this surprises me. I could listen to Rick Brown play for hours

whiney is your 75 dollar bill issue that they wear their influence on their sleeve and you'd rather just hear bombino or somethin'?

No, they’re just not sticking w me for whatever reason.

Listened to the 75 Dollar Bill album this morning while doing laundry, and I’m into it. It’s basically “Endless Boogie covering Tony Conrad & Faust” (the title track is, anyway) and that was a very pleasant surprise.

I'd never heard of 75 Dollar Bill until about ten seconds ago and here they are on two back-to-back lists.

Getting a slight Rangda vibe from that 75 Dollar Bill rec, which is fine by me.

This is some really solid cultural appropriation.

i remember the name (it's a memorable name) because they were big on wfmu the last time i was listening semi-regularly. didn't get what people heard in them then and don't get it now, honestly... i've heard enough instrumental psychedelic jams that i tend to be picky about them!

i got them confused in my head with Two Dollar Guitar

Ha, I confused them with post-rock band The American Dollar for a while!

Rolling Stone https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/best-albums-2019-914750/

50. Moon Tooth - Crux
49. Priests - The Seduction of Kansas
48. Yola - Walk Through Fire
47. Post Malone - Hollywood's Bleeding
46. Burna Boy - African Giant
45. Rico Nasty & Kenny Beats - Anger Management
44. The Black Keys - "Let's Rock"
43. Todd Snider - Cash Cabin Sessions, Vol. 3
42. Rapsody - Eve
41. Maggie Rogers - Heard It In A Past Life
40. Juice WRLD - DEATH RACE FOR LOVE
39. Beck - Hyperspace
38. Summer Walker - Over It
37. Purple Mountains - Purple Mountains
36. FKA twigs - MAGDALENE
35. BROCKHAMPTON - GINGER
34. Karen O & Danger Mouse - Lux Prima
33. J Balvin & Bad Bunny - Oasis
32. Sheer Mag - A Distant Call
31. Megan Thee Stallion - Fever
30. The National - I Am Easy to Find
29. Sleater-Kinney - The Center Won't Hold
28. Coldplay - Everyday Life
27. Sharon Van Etten - Remind Me Tomorrow
26. Wilco - Ode to Joy
25. Jamila Woods - LEGACY! LEGACY!
24. Tanya Tucker - While I'm Livin'
22. Bruce Springsteen - Western Stars
21. Bon Iver - i,i
20. Polo G - Die a Legend
19. 100 gecs - 1000 gecs
18. Young Thug - So Much Fun
17. Big Thief - Two Hands
16. Sturgill Simpson - Sound & Fury
15. Brittany Howard - Jaime
14. Angel Olsen - All Mirrors
13. Jenny Lewis - On the Line
12. Tyler, the Creator - IGOR
11. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Ghosteen
10. The Highwomen - The Highwomen
9. DaBaby - Baby On Baby
8. Miranda Lambert - Wildcard
7. Vampire Weekend - Father of the Bride
6. Lizzo - Cuz I Love You
5. Bad Bunny - X 100PRE
4. Taylor Swift - Lover
3. Lana Del Rey - Norman Fucking Rockwell!
2. Billie Eilish - WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO?
1. Ariana Grande - thank u, next

75 Dollar Bill’s I Was Real and Angel Bat Dawid’s Oracle are both really nice but I don't really feel like they’re the albums of the year

re: the Morton Feldman/Philip Thomas "Morton Feldman Piano", I think Tilbury's "All Piano" box set from 1999 was definitive

well, i like Rolling Stone's #1 better than most

also ... Moon Tooth!!

Feldman's For Bunita Marcus is one of my favorite compositions of all time. I thought the Tilbury performance was perfect and am curious about Philip Thomas's version of it

ended up ordering it from Another Timbre

rolling stone caught in that boomer/zoomer dialectic like it's 2019

Wow RS list is like 45% female fronted acts

Jon Caramanica NY Times

2019 ALBUMS OF THE YEAR

1. 100 gecs
2. Bad Bunny
3. Polo G/NBA YoungBoy
4. Kim Petras
5. Romeo Santos
6. Lana
7. Kalie Shorr
8. Baby Keem/Guapdad 4000
9. Kanye
10. 10k.Caash
11. Ariana
12. Summer Walker

RS list not the worst!

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/05/arts/music/best-albums.html

Both Jon Pareles and Jon Caramanica listed here plus the jazz list too

Some ppl here liked the Concrete Islands list last year, so here is the expanded 2019 edition.

https://concreteislands.com/concrete-islands-albums-of-the-year-2019/

Albums of the year:

50. Pictogram – Trace Elements (Miracle Pond)
49. Alexander Tucker – Guild of the Asbestos Weaver (Thrill Jockey)
48. Handspan – The Dark Is Rising (The Dark Outside)
47. Drew Mulholland – Three Antennas in a Quarry (Buried Treasure)
46. The Utopia Strong – The Utopia Strong (Rocket Recordings)
45. Grand Veymont – Grand Veymont (Outré)
44. Dean Hurley – Anthology Resource Vol II: Philosophy of the Beyond (Sacred Bones)
43. Dog in the Snow – Vanishing Lands (Bella Union)
42. Vanishing Twin – The Age of Immunology (Fire)
41. Rozi Plain – What a Boost (Memphis Industries)
40. Loraine James – For You & I (Hyperdub)
39. The Slow Engineer – Where Comes the Dark? (Polytechnic Youth)
38. Beirut – Gallipoli (4AD)
37. Charles Rumback & Ryley Walker – Little Common Twist (Thrill Jockey)
36. Mark Fisher & Justin Barton – On Vanishing Land (Flatlines)
35. Gabe Knox – ABC (Polytechnic Youth)
34. Jonathan Sharp – Divided Time (Castles in Space)
33. The Shining Levels – Music Inspired by the Novel: The Gallows Pole (Outré)
32. Burd Ellen – Silver Came (self released)
31. Special Interest – Spiraling (Anxious Music)
30. The Heartwood Institute – Tomorrow’s People (Polytechnic Youth)
29. Various – Weaponise Your Sound (Optimo Music / Weaponise Your Sound)
28. The Detox Twins – Dead Horse Ghost (Polytechnic Youth)
27. Carter Tutti Void – Triumverate (Conspiracy International)
26. De Ambassade – Duistre Kamers (Knekelhuis)
25. Penelope Trappes – Penelope Redeux (Houndstooth)
24. Madder Rose – To Be Beautiful (Trome)
23. Tomorrow Syndicate – Citizen Input (Polytechnic Youth)
22. Listening Center – Retrieving (Polytechnic Youth)
21. Clesse – Clesse ( Café Kaput)

20. Western Edges – Prowess (Sound in Silence)
19. Jorja Chalmers – Human Again (Italians Do It Better)
18. Kim Gordon – No Home Record (Matador)
17. HTRK – Venus in Leo (Ghostly International)
16. Cosey Fanni Tutti – TUTTI (Conspiracy International)
15. Kinbrae – Landforms (Truant Recordings)
14. Dalham – Heat Death (Castles in Space)
13. Julie’s Haircut – In the Silence Electric (Rocket Recordings)
12. The Home Current – Civilian Leather (Castles in Space)
11. Pye Corner Audio – Hollow Earth (Ghost Box)
10. Polypores – Flora (Castles in Space)
09. Vic Mars – Inner Roads and Outer Paths (Clay Pipe Music)
08. Patience – Dizzy Spells (Night School)
07. Oliver Cherer – I Feel Nothing Most Days (Second Language)
06. The Golden Filter – Autonomy (4GN3S)
05. Moor Mother – Analog Fluids of Sonic Black Holes (Don Giovanni)
04. Purple Mountains – Purple Mountains (Drag City)
03. Justin Hopper & Sharron Kraus with The Belbury Poly – Chanctonbury Rings (Ghost Box)
02. Andrew Wasylyk – The Paralian (Athens of the North)
01. Free Love – Extreme Dance Anthems (Optimo Music)

Archival releases:

12. Stereolab – Cobra and Phases Group Play Voltage in the Milky Night (Duophonic / Warp)
11. Burial – Tunes 2011 to 2019 (Hyperdub)
10. Rupa – Disco Jazz (Numero Group)
9. Fad Gadget – The Best of Fad Gadget (Mute)
8. Shakti – Verboden Dromen (Stroom)
7. Algebra Suicide – Still Life (Dark Entries)
6. Ela Orleans – Movies for Ears (Night School)
5. A Certain Ratio – ACR:BOX (Mute)
4. Various – The Daisy Age (Ace)
3. Elisa Waut – Elisa Waut (Numero Group)
2. Fernando Falcão – Memória das Águas / Barracas Barrocas (Optimo Music / Selva Discos)
1. Patrick Cowley – Mechanical Fantasy Box (Dark Entries)