The 2019 end of the year music lists thread

Eilish

BELFAP

PALFEB

the Vinyl Factory list increased my backlog of things I need to listen to significantly.

BELFAP ftw imo, tho i'm not into any of those albums

I really wish I understood what people get out of Lana Del Rey's music

the phrase i heard was "Joan Baez for the Facebook era" if that helps at all. it does not help me at all.

lol that doesn't seem right at all. did they mean joni mitchell?

(LDR is fine to my ears, but I'm confused as to why everyone is so excited about it)

lol, i meant to type joni mitchell and it came out joan baez; my bad there

there's a really hacky david-lynch-noir-lite thing going on, add that to the superconfident self-branding of a rich kid with an increasingly global fanbase and you have yourself a sellable product. it signifies talking about america and existential despair in shedloads without doing any substantial talking imo - she's not what you'd call deep. occasionally writes a decent melody but nothing special. it has always been about the vibe with her, the cool and affected signification of noir, and in late-stage neoliberalism, superficial displays of limitless relevance are seized upon and propagated. comparisons to joni mitchell are not unwarranted in some ways except mitchell existed at the intersection of surface and depth and her art was not branded product but a nuanced, extremely personal response to the uncertainties of her age, therefore making her a great deal more interesting as a songwriter, a thinker and a person

sir, this is a dairy queen

EOY nominations r open: ILM's 2019 End of Year Tracks & Albums Poll / NOMINATIONS THREAD

lol xp

& to be clear, I don't actually hate NFR! - I gave it 5/10 and it could have been 6 - but the ldr phenomenon is a different story, and the music press is where i'm mostly pointing the finger

i like NFR well enough but that's fairly accurate imago, though i like her melodies much more than you. she's not a particularly interesting lyricist and i don't get the praise over that, but the rest of NFR is enough to carry it for me despite that weakness

Why I like LDR:

• The melodies and arrangements, and the production in general; her music sounds lush and extremely well put together by people who know what the fuck they're doing in a big-money studio
• One or two really great lines per album, and the way she strings banal and/or clichéd images together in order to create something more than the sum of the parts; she's a trope-collagist

Rachid Taha - Je Suis Africain ( late bad boy of Algerian pop) Yas indeed---"Just call me Rai Cooder." he quipped long ago, doing Western rock a reverse-Coody missionary favor while teaming w Steve Hillage and Galactic on Made In Medina, one of my all-time faves (Songlines reviewer Nigel Williamson said this was what Page & Plant were *trying* to do w some of Taha's neighbors on Unledded---and then some, I say). The new one is a rich shady grove-trove, just a bit bittersweet, nad made my Uproxx ballot, as might others from curm's list if I'd gotten out more (lots of great lists here). Most of my rest was recent jazz, thanks to Rolling Jazz.

The rest of my Uproxx list, that is.

Top 10, uh, black death records of 2019:

https://cvltnation.com/top-black-death-records-of-2019/

I haven't heard a single one of these.

(Except for the Teitanblood.)

"...except mitchell existed at the intersection of surface and depth and her art was not branded product but a nuanced, extremely personal response to the uncertainties of her age, therefore making her a great deal more interesting as a songwriter, a thinker and a person:

― imago, Tuesday, December 17, 2019 3:17 PM

^I like this

also like NFR but the branded product aspect makes it hard for me to see it with any perspective

Top 10, uh, black death records of 2019:

https://cvltnation.com/top-black-death-records-of-2019/

I haven't heard a single one of these.

― pomenitul

sean is the greatest music writer in history. no that's sarcasm, i am never going to listen to any of these records just because sean's praise of them is so fucking awful.

You mean Heretic Sect isn't your favourite new band that you have never heard of?

Fwiw I went straight to the play button every time.

Yet another metal list, courtesy of… Grizzly Butts:

https://grizzlybutts.com/2019/12/18/the-top-50-albums-of-the-year-2019/

"her art was not branded product but a nuanced, extremely personal response to the uncertainties of her age"

lmao cool it's the authenticity argument all over again

her art was not branded product

we're using a 21st century term to describe what didn't exist in 1971?

oh I think they had branded products much earlier than 1971--mostly cows though

https://aquariumdrunkard.com/2019/12/18/aquarium-drunkard-2019-year-in-review/

we're using a 21st century term to describe what didn't exist in 1971?

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8f/The_Monkees_1966.JPG

incredibly deep thoughts

don't we have a dedicated thread for lame "emperors new clothes" declarations

just trying to convey why i'm not persuaded by the music. obviously i stan for some extremely 'inauthentic' fare but i can't hear much motivation behind ldr's music other than 'i am a big deal', it's not the inauthenticity i object to so much as the lazy presumption of importance encoded into every interview, review, the odious explanation for the album title, the impeccably-recorded aor of it all. if that attitude was combined with interesting lyrics or music i'd see the point more, but i find neither, so i don't.

this list is the good kind of weird imo, exemplified by the amazing inclusion of #18
https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/akwwxz/the-100-best-songs-of-2019

that's a weird list even for vice but i'll take weird over boring

The Wire posted the full ballots of everyone who voted in their critics' poll:

https://www.thewire.co.uk/issues/charts/2019-rewind-contributors-charts

Mine:

Jaimie Branch Fly Or Die II: Bird Dogs Of Paradise (International Anthem)
Yazz Ahmed Polyhymnia (Ropeadope)
JD Allen Barracoon (Savant)
Victor Gould Thoughts Become Things (Blue Room)
Sunn O))) Life Metal/Pyroclasts (Southern Lord)
Theon Cross Fyah (Brownswood)
Paula Temple Edge Of Everything (Noise Manifesto)
Opeth In Cauda Venenum (Moderbolaget/Nuclear Blast)
Flowdan Full Metal Jacket (Tru Thoughts)
Baroness Gold & Grey (Abraxan Hymns)

Here's a list by one of The Guardian's resident classical music critics, Andrew Clements:

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2019/dec/19/classical-cds-of-the-year-andrew-clements

Pfork's metal list isn't half-bad:

https://pitchfork.com/features/lists-and-guides/best-metal-albums-2019/

Mostly out of curiosity, I wish every year-end list came with a separate list of how many albums from the previous year's list the writer(s) is(are) still listening to.

xpost Thanks for posting, I haven't kept up with much metal lately, but there are some albums on that list that, on first skim, immediately caught my ear, like the Obsequiae.

lots of lists here: https://boomkat.com/charts/boomkat-end-of-year-charts-2019

I generally get a lot of great tips from the lists on boomkat from folk whose music I enjoy, moreso than their main lists. Carla del Forno's list this year is really interesting.

Typically wonderful wordsmithery from Moon Wiring Club in his commentary on his own Top 10 for boomkat

Seems like what you would expect here: https://pitchfork.com/features/article/2019-readers-poll-results/

Here's mine fwiw.

Thanks Alfred! This thread is blowing my mind--knew I was ignorant of much, but---!
Prob of little interest here, so I'll just link https://www.nodepression.com/no-depression-readers-50-favorite-roots-music-albums-of-2019/?mc_cid=4108cafd3a&mc_eid=b850f832a1
My picks from these (several didn't make this Top 50, but ballot not at hand)
numbers are placement in Top 50, not my ballot:
1. Tyler Childers – Country Squire
3. Sturgill Simpson – Sound & Fury
18. Rodney Crowell – Texas
22. Allison Moorer – Blood
26. Justin Townes Earle – The Saint of Lost Causes
39. Patty Griffin – Patty Griffin
All of those have some trans-genre/subgenre/ appeal for the rock-inclined, especially Sturgill, as I said on Rolling Country:
have you heard Sturgill's Sound and Fury yet? I just did, and right off, seems like this ZZ Rex electro-pop-boogie, sometimes also reminding me of Neil and the Trans Band (more the show tapes than studio album), might suit you too. It's much less soapbox ranty than I feared---and the non-pedantic retro detailing, commercial inclusiveness x righteous fencepost grievances x deserty-hot-cold broodiness, also that voice, keep it all country or countryoid. Also 'ppreciate how he keeps twisting the dial into another track at just the right moment, or close enough. It's a hard candy Christmas alright.

X-post — years ago I remember some noting here that the Wire had a critic covering Dub reggae but not dancehall. Not really seeing dub or dancehall on any Wire contributor list. Am seeing some US & UK rap & jazz, but not really any reggaeton or Afro-Latinx jazz. Looks like a few African acts but not many.

Reading through the other Wire ballots made me realize how hopefully basic I am as a music listener

Sorry I missed this thread, been busy with life s**t and redesigning my site which is mostly done.

Fester’s Lucky 13: 2019 Year-End Summary
https://fastnbulbous.com/lucky-19/#albums

1. Rosalie Cunningham – Rosalie Cunningham
2. The Sonic Dawn – Eclipse
3. Bent Knee – You Know What They Mean
4. Motorpsycho – The Crucible
5. Spidergawd – V
6. Lucille Furs – Another Land
7. Custard Flux – Echo
8. Rosegarden Funeral Party – Martyr
9. Fontaines D.C. – Dogrel
10. The Warp/The Weft – Dead Reckoning
11. Patio – Essentials
12. Magic Circle – Departed Souls
13. Spirit Adrift – Divided By Darkness
14. Kills Birds – Kills Birds
15. Priests – The Seduction Of Kansas
16. Tropical Fuck Storm – Braindrops
17. The Honey Pot – Bewildered Jane
18. Monarch – Beyond The Blue Sky
19. Bask – III
20. The Galileo 7 – There Is Only Now
21. Rose City Band – Rose City Band
22. True Moon – II
23. Jim Jones And The Righteous Mind – CollectiV
24. Avatarium – The Fire I Long For
25. Neutrals – Kebab Disco
26. Moon Duo – Stars Are The Light
27. Leprous – Pitfalls
28. Opeth – In Cauda Venenum
29. The Tea Club – If/When
30. Lowcaster – Flames Arise
31. The Messthetics – Anthropocosmic Nest
32. The Murder Capital – When I Have Fears
33. Worshipper – Light In The Wire
34. Control Top – Covert Contracts
35. Magic Shoppe – Circles
36. Automatic – Signal
37. Dumb Things – Time Again
38. Garcia Peoples – Natural Facts
39. Diagonal – Arc
40. Colour Haze – We Are
41. The Lord Weird Slough Feg – The New Organon
42. Chris Forsyth – All Time Present
43. Kadavar – For The Dead Travel Fast
44. Scarecrow – Scarecrow
45. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – Ghosteen
46. Elkhorn – Sun Cycle/Elk Jam
47. Zach Brock | Matt Ulery | Jon Deitemyer – Wonderment Bandcamp
48. Baba Zula – Derin Derin
49. B Boys – Dudu
50. Lizzo – Cuz I Love You
51. Sacri Monti – Waiting Room For The Magic Hour
52. Body Type – EP2
53. White Denim – Side Effects
54. Ty Segall – First Taste
55. Skeleton Goode – Skeleton Goode
56. Papernut Cambridge – Nutlets II
57. Jess By The Lake – Under The Red Light Shine
58. Blue Orchids – The Magical Record Of Blue Orchids
59. Lola Colt – Human Made
60. 10 000 Russos – Kompromat
61. Blackwater Holylight – Veils Of Winter
62. Orodruin – Ruins Of Eternity
63. Lee “Scratch” Perry – Heavy Rain
64. Jack Hues And The Quartet Featuring Syd Arthur – Nobody’s Fault But My Own EP
65. Cate Le Bon – Reward
66. Baroness – Gold & Grey
67. James McArthur And The Head Gardeners – Intergalactic Sailor Bandcamp
68. The Ivory Elephant – Stoneface
69. Sunwatchers – Illegal Moves
70. 75 Dollar Bill – I Was Real
71. Kaleta & Super Yamba Band – Medaho
72. These New Puritans – Inside The Rose
73. Torche – Admission
74. The Membranes – What Nature Gives… Nature Takes Away
75. Nil/Resplendent – Lesser Free Trade
76. FKA twigs – Magdalene
77. Doug Tuttle – Dream Road
78. Julie’s Haircut – In The Silence Electric
79. The Mystery Lights – Too Much Tension!
80. Crypt Trip – Haze County
81. Saint Vitus – Saint Vitus
82. Blood Incantation – Hidden History Of The Human Race
83. Crypt Sermon – The Ruins Of Fading Light
84. Savage Mansion – Revision Ballads
85. The Devil And The Almighty Blues – Tre
86. Sugarfoot – In The Clearing
87. Haunt – If Icarus Could Fly
88. The Snakes – The Snakes
89. Monolord – No Comfort
90. Saint Agnes – Welcome To Silvertown
91. Black Road – Witch Of The Future
92. Fred Deakin – The Lasters
93. Wand – Laughing Matter
94. Oh Sees – Face Stabber
95. Jane Weaver – Loops In The Secret Society
96. Ouzo Bazooka – Transporter
97. Gold – Why Aren’t You Laughing?
98. black midi – Schlagenheim
99. Durand Jones & The Indications – American Love Call
100. The Silence – Metaphysical Feedback

i like the control top record. didn't realize the silence had a new one, really happy to hear it. had forgotten white denim existed, ever since they put out that cactus underwear record i had sort of written them off?

https://slate.com/culture/2019/12/best-music-2019-pop-comeback-rap-caviar.html

The 2019 Music Club features critics Carl Wilson, Lindsay Zoladz, and Ann Powers, with additional entries from Jack Hamilton, Julianne Escobedo-Shepherd, Jewly Hight, and Chris Molanphy.

15 postings or so about 2019 in music (mostly american chart pop and indie rock but some jazz and country and more)