Best Albums Of 2019
Hi everybody! Welcome to the top 50 best albums of 2019! I listened to more music than I ever have this year. These are the fruits of that labor. Some of these won't come as a shock if you have been following the blog. Some of the placement might be shocking. Take a listen, tell me what you think and thank you for being with us through 2019!
50. Fly Pan Am-C'Est Ca
Sounds Like: My Bloody Valentine, Can, Stockhausen
Why It's Here: Imagine combining the electronic manipulation of Stockhausen, the mechanical swing drumming of Can and other Krautrock legends and then adding the guitar haze and squall of My Bloody Valentine's Loveless on top with a dash of angsty Noise Rock vocals. This is what you get with the 14 years in the waiting triumphant return of Fly Pan Am. This is a great addition to the Shoegaze genre as well as to the Constellation Records camp. This was an intense listen that rewarded the listener with both fleeting moments of intensity and quiet calm in equal measure.
49. Sly And The Family Drone-Gentle Persuaders
Sounds Like: Deathprod, Colin Stetson, Ettrick
Why It's Here: This album reminds me of the garage rock experiments I used to make with my friends. Set up a room with various instruments. Set up a recording device to capture any and/or all magic that comes about. Get some players that know their instruments and some that don't. Improvise everything and use your best judgment when to fall in to the music and when to back out. Most people call this "jamming" Sly and The Family Drone call it one of the best albums of the year and a celebration of the art of spontaneity.
48. L'Orange & Jeremiah Jae-Complicate Your Life With Violence
Sounds Like: Dr. Octagon, Madvillain, MF Doom
Why It's Here: Filled with awesome old samples from seemingly everywhere, L'Orange created an instrumental Hip Hop soundscape reminiscent of the finest older Madlib work. There is also a lot of Dan The Automator's style as well. L'Orange though is doing his own thing. There is something different in these samples, something borrowed but also something new. Jeremiah Jae handles every twist and turn with a nuance and nimbleness not found in most MCs. His delivery is reminiscent of Q Tip at times and that's a good thing. Overall this album has some of the best sampling of the year and it is as exciting now as the first day I heard it.
47. That Dog.-Old LP(uME)
Sounds Like: Luscious Jackson, Van Dyke Parks, Veruca Salt, Old That Dog., The Muffs
Why It's Here: 22 years in between albums is a long time. You do other things. You might lose your music industry footing. You would expect things to be different and most of the time it's not for the better. Don't tell That Dog any of that because this thing sounds ridiculously fresh. It's an update on their established 90s Alt Rock sound but with an astonishing amount of surprises in the forms of very interesting mid song detours and forays into unknown territory for them. String quartet? Sure why not! All manner of weird instruments popping up! Hell yeah! This was an amazing return from a band of excellent players I had no idea were ever coming back.
46. Devendra Banhart-Ma
Sounds Like: Seu Jorge, Tom Ze, Leonard Cohen gone tropical
Why It's Here: An extremely lovely collection of light breezy 70s Pop throwback from a master of the Indie Folk genre. In his later years we find Devendra stretching out and pouring himself another tropical drink and just laying into this chilled out Elder Indie statesman music. A lot of this sounds like the best of the best of the 70s AM radio scene. It's easy on the ears, easy on the mind and will definitely help you find a nice relaxing spot come summer next year. For now, cuddle up by the fire, pour yourself a whiskey and chill out to the relaxing sounds of MA.
45. Grace Cummings-Refuge Cove(Flightless)
Sounds Like: Linda Perhacs, Janis Joplin, Patti Smith, Josephine Foster
Why It's Here: With a throat that seems like it's seen a million cigarettes but with power behind it, Grace delivered an extremely stripped down and honest set of folk tunes here. This has a very Springsteen Nebraska quality to it. Stripped down folk with maybe a piano here and there outside of the acoustic that makes an appearance through out. This is just really well done singer songwriter folk.
44. Negativland-True False
Sounds Like: John Oswald, The Books, The Residents, Old Negativland, Motivational Speeches, Informercials.
Why It's Here: This is an album of diametrically opposed viewpoints. Or is it? Maybe it is, I don't know. I can't really tell. Is it liberal? Is it conservative? Is it politically nihilistic? Does it love you? Does it hate you? Does it laugh at your menial mundane musings? Does it respect your everyday opinion? I really can't tell you. Through the lens of motivational speakers and convention room gurus, Negativland take you through a hero's journey of modern society as we know it and I don't think they really care what you get out of it or how it affects you. This is true nihilism in music form and you are better for bending your ear towards it.
43. Warmduscher-Tainted Lunch
Sounds Like: Devo, Soft Cell, LCD Soundsystem, The Fall, Country Teasers, Ariel Pink
Why It's Here: Their last album was a Post Punk scuzzy slimebag tour through an imaginary city and it's characters. This time you observe the same creeps but this time with a lot more Disco influence. I imagine all the Whale City residents cramming into a sweaty, dark and dank nightclub and dancing and banging the night away. There's no rules at Tainted Lunch. Iggy Pop and Kool Keith are there but they won't be much help in making sense out of the whole thing. Just give in and laugh along with all of the warm and douchy jokes and enjoy yourself.
42. Ada Lea-what we say in private(Saddle Creek)
Sounds Like: Lisa Germano, Liz Phair, Frankie Cosmos, Palehound
Why It's Good: It's really hard to pin down what I like about this album. In fact it was the last one I wrote an entry for. I feel her music is kind of like that. On the surface it just seems like a normal Indie Rock album but there's always something off. Whether it be a change in time signature, a subtle vocal effect or just a weird song about buying doves that really create an unsettling mood for this thing. I think she has a pretty focused vision. This album is most exciting to me for what will hopefully come. It's one of the strongest debuts I've heard in a while. In a lot of ways it reminds me of Lisa Germano, who had music that is completely relatable yet has an extremely eerie quality to it that keeps you from getting too comfortable. I hope she does great things in the future.
41. Jim Jones And The Righteous Mind-CollectiV
Sounds Like: The Stooges, Tom Waits(Vocals Only), The Rolling Stones(On Steroids), The Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster
Why It's Here: Well there isn't too much to say about this album other than it's one of the best raw Rock N Roll records of the year. Imagine if you will, taking something like Grinderman or The Eighties Matchbox B Line Disaster and then having a singer that alternates between Mick Jagger, Iggy Pop and Tom Waits. That's what this sounds like. It's swampy, it's mean and it never lets up!
40. Giant Swan-Self Titled(Keck)
Sounds Like: Coil, Nine Inch Nails(Instrumental), Skinny Puppy(Instrumental), Perc, Powell, Fuck Buttons
Why It's Here: An incredibly visceral dark Industrial Techno album. The main thing that sets this album apart from all the other Industrial Techno albums that came out this year is that it does have rhythm. It might even have a little groove. You can kind of dance to it. It's a beast and it's not friendly but you can still tap your foot to it.
39. Injury Reserve-Self Titled
Sounds Like: The Cool Kids, Death Grips, Clipping
Why It's Here: Sounding like a perfect mix between The Cool Kids and Death Grips, this is definitely modern Hip Hop for modern times. The production always has a futuristic sounding quality which made for a very fun and interesting listen. The 2 MCs bob and weave through all the twists and turns the producer lays at their feet and honestly it's absolutely thrilling to hear.
38. Lealani-Fantastic Planet
Sounds Like: Joanna Newsom(Vocals Only), Cocorosie, Max Tundra, Anna Meredith, Bjork(Earlier).
Why It's Here: If Joanna Newsom or Cocorosie went dark Pop this is what it would sound like. This is one of the best Pop albums of the year. Equal parts catchy, sparse and weird.
37. Anna Meredith-Fibs
Sounds Like: Max Tundra, Mica Levi, Kelly Moran
Why It's Here: Let me start this off by saying that I'm really happy filmmakers are using her music. From Bo Burnham using it for 8th Grade or Timothy Greenberg using it for the TV show Living With Yourself. The reason I point this out is because her music is very cinematic. It's big. This is Progressive Electronic music with heart and urgency. It has human qualities which most music of this ilk usually lacks. She employs singers on half the tracks. The other are exhausting workouts of perpetual motion. This is perfect music for driving due to it's forward and upward momentum.
Sounds Like: Death Grips, Dizzee Rascal(Production), Clipse
Why It's Here: This album felt like menace. It felt gritty. It felt inappropriate. It felt dirty. Is this tongue in cheek? Is this guy a creep in real life? I have no idea. He sure sounds mean though. It's funny because a lot of songs sound the same on this album and you could chalk it up to just his style and it really works. Instead of getting boring the consistency is actually thrilling. Each of these tracks is thick with weird production techniques and gritty and gross lyrical content. I sure hope he is joking on most of these tracks because if he isn't I would be very worried. It's short and sweet and creepy as all hell.
14. Field Medic-Fade Into The Dawn
Sounds Like: Neutral Milk Hotel, Modest Mouse, Bright Eyes
Why It's Here: Feeling like a stone cold classic from the late 90s/early 2000s. This is what Indie Rock is all about. This feels as important as Modest Mouse or Neutral Milk Hotel. These songs are timeless or at least most likely will be in 20 years. If you want to hear a future classic or perhaps lost classic of our time then pop this on and reminisce about all the good times and hope there's some good ones like this one to come.
13. Hobo Johnson-The Fall Of Hobo Johnson
Sounds Like: Macklemore(but better), Ween, Cage The Elephant, Early emo in vocal delivery
Why It's Here: So many people hated this album. He got accused of being an Incel. That's bullshit. Aside from that I can't see why you would hate this so much. Especially given the amount of utter shit that gets acclaim from critics these days. It's maddening. This guy should be huge. This is some of the most honest lyrical stuff that came out this year. It was wrapped up in humor and variations of Pop, Rock and Hip Hop. Don't get it twisted this is through and through modern pop music just the driving voice behind it is very smart and full of good observations. This music is funny, sad and everything in between. If this is the new Emo than i'm down.
12. Body Meat-Truck Music
Sounds Like: Jlin, D'Angelo, John Wizards, R&B from an alien planet.
Why It's Here: Some of the craziest percussion this side of Jlin. This was by far the best R&B album of the year and you would be hard pressed to even categorize it as such. It's a shame how overlooked this was. This guy came out of nowhere and blew minds with his experimental R&B driven electronic music. The samples are insane. The grooves are weirdly danceable. I predict this guy will huge in the next coming years. Don't sleep on this shit.
11. Budokan Boys-Dad Is Bad
Sounds Like: The Residents, Ween, They Might Be Giants, Ariel Pink, Renaldo And The Loaf
Why It's Here: Definitely one of the creepiest albums of the year. There are multiple tales of suicide, death and a whole slew of other weird shit. It's a lot of spoken word but most of it is in a weird pitch shifted voice reminiscent of a creepy Grandma. It gives off heavy Residents vibes. There is a creepy humor flowing through all of this. One song is about renting the singer because he's cheap and will do shit for you. Another song is a tale about 2 old friends meeting together, one misreading the others sexuality and making a move which results in the friend having a violent homophobic reaction and ending his life as a result. Another is about a prisoner who loves prison but ends up getting out by saving the wardens son from a riot. The subject matter is eerie and off putting but this is one of the most interesting listens of 2019.
10. Kim Gordon-No Home Record
Sounds Like: Sonic Youth, Royal Trux, St. Vincent
Why It's Here: I'm calling it. This is the coolest album ever made by someone over retirement age. She is 66! This is insane! This album rocks harder, grooves harder and experiments harder than most half her age. This album shows just how much talent of hers went into Sonic Youth(it's a lot). Half the songs are extremely interesting low key experimental in nature. Nothing gets unlistenable but they are very experimental in nature. The other half are some of the best Rock songs she has ever recorded. They are reminiscent of her best songs in the Sonic Youth catalog. If you are a fan of Sonic Youth at all you need to hear this. If you are a fan of good music you should also hear this.
9. Richard Dawson-20/20
Sounds Like: Gentle Giant, Robert Wyatt, XTC, Battles, King Crimson
Why It's Here: This is one of the best Art Rock albums I have ever heard. It's brimming with crazy ideas. The songs are on the long side but they need to be. Each one is a labyrinth of masterful songwriting. It was a really cool change for this guy. He used to be a Madrigal folk guy basically in the vein of The Incredible String Band. Those albums were by no means bad, in fact his last one made our end of the year list of that year. He had already established himself as a great songwriter and more importantly storyteller. These songs are full of stories but this time around he really dug into the common person. The common worker who works to live and wants to be left alone. This provides some very astute interesting observations about human behavior and with this comes inevitable sadness and happiness in equal measure. This is a great album for our times to remind us who we really are, just a bunch of humans trying to survive in a fucked up system that barely cares about us.
8. Xiu Xiu-Girl With Basket Of Fruit
Sounds Like: Early Xiu Xiu, Black Dice
7. Eerie Wanda-Pet Town
Sounds Like: Camera Obscura, Gal Costa, Rilo Kiley, Belle & Sebastian
Why It's Here: This is a perfect Indie Pop album. I really haven't heard much better since the early 2000s. Every single song here takes a very sweet twee formula and applies it to slight changes in genre per track. Some have a slight rockabilly feel, some have a slightly bossanova feel, they all have micro genre workouts that reveal just how good they are at songwriting. There are little details in every corner. It's all tied together by Marina Tadic's voice. Her voice is a singular vision on this album and I'm glad she is steering the ship.
6. Jenny Lewis-On The Line
Sounds Like: Rilo Kiley, Courtney Barnett, Lady Lamb, Herself
Why It's Here: Quite simply the best recorded album of the year. This thing pops with life. Jumps out of the speakers. In her words "Turn up the stereo, til everything rattles" and rattles it does! Not by being aggressive or anything but the instruments just sound so rich and her voice is so incredible it just jumps out. Her lyrics this time around have some mystery but there are some songs that are incredibly direct. Her songwriting is so perfect it almost feels like these songs were created in a lab to perfection. I haven't heard a 70s leaning singer songwriter album like this in a long time. I would say not since Father John Misty's I Love You, Honeybear. Now these albums don't really sound at all alike but not since that has someone created something so masterful in the Rock and Pop canon. She truly impresses here. I also have to say go see her live. The show for this album is nothing short of amazing.
5. 100 Gecs-1000 Gecs
Sounds Like: Max Tundra, Vengaboyz, Sleigh Bells, PC Music
Why It's Here: Is this annoying? Maybe. Is this grating? To some. Did this fill my favorite genre of weird as shit Pop music? Hell yes it did. This music is seemingly designed to annoy. Instead for me it was just pure excitement. The formula is simple. Start a song calmly with absurdly chipmonked pitchshifted vocals and then bring in the insanity. Psuedo EDM beats distorted to all hell. Weird time signatures. Odd somewhat antagonizing lyrics. Throw in some Black Metal singing? Sure why not! They played with genre like a fusion chef plays with food. This was short and sweet and weird and fucked and probably the most absurd album of the year. We need the absurd in music.
4. Joanna Sternberg-Then I Try Some More
Sounds Like: Joanna Newsom, Malvina Reynolds, Connie Converse
Why It's Here: I am calling this the most honest album of the year. This is sparse piano or acoustic guitar driven singer songwriter fare. Her voice is arresting and draws you into every single word. These are songs of desperation, searching and isolation. This album is also emotionally devastating and extremely relatable. On top of all this soul searching she throws in a song about a sweet little penguin named Pimba and I am done.
3. Denzel Curry-ZUU
Sounds Like: Vince Staples, Clipse, Playboi Carti
Why It's Here: This album comes in punches you in the face, yells at you to dance and makes you party and then is gone. It's super intense and plays perfectly with the intersection at where old school Hip Hop and Trap meet. It's as if he saw the interview where Snoop made fun of Trap and Cloud Rap and said "oh yeah old man, well how bout this shit?" and made this album. Playing with G Funk mixed with Trap was a genius decision. The cover makes perfect sense for this album. It's completely old school imagery with a Trap rapper front and center in that image. A perfect blending and a perfect blend for the best Hip Hop album of the year.
2. Panda Bear-Buoys/A Day With The Homies EP Digital Version
Sounds Like: Animal Collective, The Beach Boys, Brian Wilson, They Might Be Giants
Why It's Here: I will never understand the complete dismissal of this album. Maybe it's that people just want maximalist Pop from him. I'm good with him doing that with his band Animal Collective. Maybe they hated how up front his singing was. I for one think his voice is the glue that ties every single sound he made together. It's what keeps me coming back. What I loved about this album was everything people saw it not having. I loved that it was basically a folk album and every song basically has an acoustic guitar at it's root. I loved how the electronics were very minimal and added as texture and used in very interesting ways(the water drops on Dolphin). This was an amazing album to sing along to. His vocal melodies have never been sweeter or more melodic. His voice is definitely not buried in the mix like some of his past albums(still amazing btw) it is front and center and in your face. Out of all the albums on this list, this is the one I wish I wrote. All that pertains to Buoys. A Day With The Homies was released on vinyl only last year. I loved every minute of it. He remixed it and released it for digital online streaming this year. That's why it's on here. The new mix is different and really is amazing coming out of car speakers. It's the closest he's gotten to employing Hip Hop beats in his music. It's not Hip Hop at all but it's really awesome to have Panda Bear singing over beats. It really kicks ass.
1. Ohtis-Curve Of Earth
Sounds Like: Shelf Life, Bonny Doon, Bill Callahan, The Avett Brothers
Why It's Here: First and foremost, any album that gets me to actually care about someone's religious journey AND their addiction should be really high up on any list of mine. Honestly I could care less about either subject but this album was so beautifully and smartly written that I had no choice to sit up and listen with a non-cynical ear. In terms of music this is perfected Country/Folk stuff. It serves as the backdrop for singer Sam Swinson to reflect on his past drug addictions(I'm assuming heroin) and his struggles with religion(he was raised in extreme religious ways). He questions God with great responsibility and extreme skepticism. The way he is able to look back on himself for all the shit he's done with his own body and his spirituality is really striking. He criticizes himself and God in equal measure. He is practically yelling at God for letting him down yet also kicking himself for letting himself get to such a state. It's the most responsible self reflection I have ever heard put to record. The music is so breezy and catchy and fun to listen to that you might miss the deeper meaning on first and second listen. The subject matter is often dark and extremely messed up at times. There's tracks that have to do with drowning dogs, shooting up, hospitals etc..... it's dark but it always feels like there is a light at the end of every song. This is an important journey of an expert songwriter who is searching his soul and by doing so forces us to explore our own.
Below is a live recording of the first song on the album:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bsI1M6cv_x0
50. Fly Pan Am-C'Est Ca
Sounds Like: My Bloody Valentine, Can, Stockhausen
Why It's Here: Imagine combining the electronic manipulation of Stockhausen, the mechanical swing drumming of Can and other Krautrock legends and then adding the guitar haze and squall of My Bloody Valentine's Loveless on top with a dash of angsty Noise Rock vocals. This is what you get with the 14 years in the waiting triumphant return of Fly Pan Am. This is a great addition to the Shoegaze genre as well as to the Constellation Records camp. This was an intense listen that rewarded the listener with both fleeting moments of intensity and quiet calm in equal measure.
49. Sly And The Family Drone-Gentle Persuaders
Sounds Like: Deathprod, Colin Stetson, Ettrick
Why It's Here: This album reminds me of the garage rock experiments I used to make with my friends. Set up a room with various instruments. Set up a recording device to capture any and/or all magic that comes about. Get some players that know their instruments and some that don't. Improvise everything and use your best judgment when to fall in to the music and when to back out. Most people call this "jamming" Sly and The Family Drone call it one of the best albums of the year and a celebration of the art of spontaneity.
48. L'Orange & Jeremiah Jae-Complicate Your Life With Violence
Sounds Like: Dr. Octagon, Madvillain, MF Doom
Why It's Here: Filled with awesome old samples from seemingly everywhere, L'Orange created an instrumental Hip Hop soundscape reminiscent of the finest older Madlib work. There is also a lot of Dan The Automator's style as well. L'Orange though is doing his own thing. There is something different in these samples, something borrowed but also something new. Jeremiah Jae handles every twist and turn with a nuance and nimbleness not found in most MCs. His delivery is reminiscent of Q Tip at times and that's a good thing. Overall this album has some of the best sampling of the year and it is as exciting now as the first day I heard it.
47. That Dog.-Old LP(uME)
Sounds Like: Luscious Jackson, Van Dyke Parks, Veruca Salt, Old That Dog., The Muffs
Why It's Here: 22 years in between albums is a long time. You do other things. You might lose your music industry footing. You would expect things to be different and most of the time it's not for the better. Don't tell That Dog any of that because this thing sounds ridiculously fresh. It's an update on their established 90s Alt Rock sound but with an astonishing amount of surprises in the forms of very interesting mid song detours and forays into unknown territory for them. String quartet? Sure why not! All manner of weird instruments popping up! Hell yeah! This was an amazing return from a band of excellent players I had no idea were ever coming back.
46. Devendra Banhart-Ma
Sounds Like: Seu Jorge, Tom Ze, Leonard Cohen gone tropical
Why It's Here: An extremely lovely collection of light breezy 70s Pop throwback from a master of the Indie Folk genre. In his later years we find Devendra stretching out and pouring himself another tropical drink and just laying into this chilled out Elder Indie statesman music. A lot of this sounds like the best of the best of the 70s AM radio scene. It's easy on the ears, easy on the mind and will definitely help you find a nice relaxing spot come summer next year. For now, cuddle up by the fire, pour yourself a whiskey and chill out to the relaxing sounds of MA.
45. Grace Cummings-Refuge Cove(Flightless)
Sounds Like: Linda Perhacs, Janis Joplin, Patti Smith, Josephine Foster
Why It's Here: With a throat that seems like it's seen a million cigarettes but with power behind it, Grace delivered an extremely stripped down and honest set of folk tunes here. This has a very Springsteen Nebraska quality to it. Stripped down folk with maybe a piano here and there outside of the acoustic that makes an appearance through out. This is just really well done singer songwriter folk.
44. Negativland-True False
Sounds Like: John Oswald, The Books, The Residents, Old Negativland, Motivational Speeches, Informercials.
Why It's Here: This is an album of diametrically opposed viewpoints. Or is it? Maybe it is, I don't know. I can't really tell. Is it liberal? Is it conservative? Is it politically nihilistic? Does it love you? Does it hate you? Does it laugh at your menial mundane musings? Does it respect your everyday opinion? I really can't tell you. Through the lens of motivational speakers and convention room gurus, Negativland take you through a hero's journey of modern society as we know it and I don't think they really care what you get out of it or how it affects you. This is true nihilism in music form and you are better for bending your ear towards it.
43. Warmduscher-Tainted Lunch
Sounds Like: Devo, Soft Cell, LCD Soundsystem, The Fall, Country Teasers, Ariel Pink
Why It's Here: Their last album was a Post Punk scuzzy slimebag tour through an imaginary city and it's characters. This time you observe the same creeps but this time with a lot more Disco influence. I imagine all the Whale City residents cramming into a sweaty, dark and dank nightclub and dancing and banging the night away. There's no rules at Tainted Lunch. Iggy Pop and Kool Keith are there but they won't be much help in making sense out of the whole thing. Just give in and laugh along with all of the warm and douchy jokes and enjoy yourself.
42. Ada Lea-what we say in private(Saddle Creek)
Sounds Like: Lisa Germano, Liz Phair, Frankie Cosmos, Palehound
Why It's Good: It's really hard to pin down what I like about this album. In fact it was the last one I wrote an entry for. I feel her music is kind of like that. On the surface it just seems like a normal Indie Rock album but there's always something off. Whether it be a change in time signature, a subtle vocal effect or just a weird song about buying doves that really create an unsettling mood for this thing. I think she has a pretty focused vision. This album is most exciting to me for what will hopefully come. It's one of the strongest debuts I've heard in a while. In a lot of ways it reminds me of Lisa Germano, who had music that is completely relatable yet has an extremely eerie quality to it that keeps you from getting too comfortable. I hope she does great things in the future.
41. Jim Jones And The Righteous Mind-CollectiV
Sounds Like: The Stooges, Tom Waits(Vocals Only), The Rolling Stones(On Steroids), The Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster
Why It's Here: Well there isn't too much to say about this album other than it's one of the best raw Rock N Roll records of the year. Imagine if you will, taking something like Grinderman or The Eighties Matchbox B Line Disaster and then having a singer that alternates between Mick Jagger, Iggy Pop and Tom Waits. That's what this sounds like. It's swampy, it's mean and it never lets up!
40. Giant Swan-Self Titled(Keck)
Sounds Like: Coil, Nine Inch Nails(Instrumental), Skinny Puppy(Instrumental), Perc, Powell, Fuck Buttons
Why It's Here: An incredibly visceral dark Industrial Techno album. The main thing that sets this album apart from all the other Industrial Techno albums that came out this year is that it does have rhythm. It might even have a little groove. You can kind of dance to it. It's a beast and it's not friendly but you can still tap your foot to it.
39. Injury Reserve-Self Titled
Sounds Like: The Cool Kids, Death Grips, Clipping
Why It's Here: Sounding like a perfect mix between The Cool Kids and Death Grips, this is definitely modern Hip Hop for modern times. The production always has a futuristic sounding quality which made for a very fun and interesting listen. The 2 MCs bob and weave through all the twists and turns the producer lays at their feet and honestly it's absolutely thrilling to hear.
38. Lealani-Fantastic Planet
Sounds Like: Joanna Newsom(Vocals Only), Cocorosie, Max Tundra, Anna Meredith, Bjork(Earlier).
Why It's Here: If Joanna Newsom or Cocorosie went dark Pop this is what it would sound like. This is one of the best Pop albums of the year. Equal parts catchy, sparse and weird.
37. Anna Meredith-Fibs
Sounds Like: Max Tundra, Mica Levi, Kelly Moran
Why It's Here: Let me start this off by saying that I'm really happy filmmakers are using her music. From Bo Burnham using it for 8th Grade or Timothy Greenberg using it for the TV show Living With Yourself. The reason I point this out is because her music is very cinematic. It's big. This is Progressive Electronic music with heart and urgency. It has human qualities which most music of this ilk usually lacks. She employs singers on half the tracks. The other are exhausting workouts of perpetual motion. This is perfect music for driving due to it's forward and upward momentum.
36. Matmos-Plastic Anniversary
Sounds Like: Mouse On Mars, Autechre, Plaid, Aphex Twin
Why It's Here: An album made by plastic, about plastic and released with the intent of saving the world from plastic. This was wacky fun nutty techno music made by a couple of veterans at the prime of their game. I am still blown away at the samples they were able to get from all plastic sources and still make this a fun listen. They have, in the past, done the same with very stoic results but this one is a party. Sometimes it's a creepy party, but it's still a party. So throw away your plastic straws or hell keep them forever and use them as musical instruments, these guys did.
Sounds Like: Mouse On Mars, Autechre, Plaid, Aphex Twin
Why It's Here: An album made by plastic, about plastic and released with the intent of saving the world from plastic. This was wacky fun nutty techno music made by a couple of veterans at the prime of their game. I am still blown away at the samples they were able to get from all plastic sources and still make this a fun listen. They have, in the past, done the same with very stoic results but this one is a party. Sometimes it's a creepy party, but it's still a party. So throw away your plastic straws or hell keep them forever and use them as musical instruments, these guys did.
35. Dos Monos-Dos City
Sounds Like: Wu Tang Clan, A Tribe Called Quest, Madvillain
Why It's Here: I understood few words from this Japanese collective. The craziest thing though was I didn't need to. The beats and samples and flows were so good that you didn't even need to understand a single lyric. This is a testament not to it being hard to get into but instead a testament to the universal language of sound and for that along with the high quality of music lands them a spot in the top 50.
Sounds Like: Wu Tang Clan, A Tribe Called Quest, Madvillain
Why It's Here: I understood few words from this Japanese collective. The craziest thing though was I didn't need to. The beats and samples and flows were so good that you didn't even need to understand a single lyric. This is a testament not to it being hard to get into but instead a testament to the universal language of sound and for that along with the high quality of music lands them a spot in the top 50.
34. Rico Nasty & Kenny Beats-Anger Management
Sounds Like: Cupcakke, Trina, Leikeli47
Why It's Here: Yep she's pissed and she should be! The state of popular music sucks these days and Rico isn't having any of it. Her and Kenny team up here to kick all of our asses. To bring us back to the fold while spitting in our faces. Why? Because we deserve it. Most of us have abandoned what's good and turned to the dark side. This is angry music for angry times and I'm mad as hell too.
Sounds Like: Cupcakke, Trina, Leikeli47
Why It's Here: Yep she's pissed and she should be! The state of popular music sucks these days and Rico isn't having any of it. Her and Kenny team up here to kick all of our asses. To bring us back to the fold while spitting in our faces. Why? Because we deserve it. Most of us have abandoned what's good and turned to the dark side. This is angry music for angry times and I'm mad as hell too.
33. Tom Russell-October In The Railroad Earth(Proper)
Sounds Like: Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson
Why It's Here: The best example we had all year of classic Country. When I say classic I mean way back to the mid to early 60s. This guy pays tribute to and feels like a contemporary to Johnny Cash and Hank Williams. This guy is definitely an unsung hero in the canon of classic Country. He actually wrote songs that Cash covered. He is in his 70s and is actually a part of the old Country scene. This is about as authentic as it gets and he blew his contemporaries out of the water.
Sounds Like: Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson
Why It's Here: The best example we had all year of classic Country. When I say classic I mean way back to the mid to early 60s. This guy pays tribute to and feels like a contemporary to Johnny Cash and Hank Williams. This guy is definitely an unsung hero in the canon of classic Country. He actually wrote songs that Cash covered. He is in his 70s and is actually a part of the old Country scene. This is about as authentic as it gets and he blew his contemporaries out of the water.
32. Dumb-Club Nites(Mint)
Sounds Like: Parquet Courts, Big Ups, Devo, Pavement
Why It's Here: To me, these guys have taken the mantle of irreverent spiky and fun Post Punk away from Parquet Courts. They have been doing so quietly but these guys have put out two of the catchiest Indie Punk albums I have ever heard(their last one was on last year's list). There wasn't much standing in their way this year in the same genre. These guys definitely put out the best Punk album of 2019.
Sounds Like: Parquet Courts, Big Ups, Devo, Pavement
Why It's Here: To me, these guys have taken the mantle of irreverent spiky and fun Post Punk away from Parquet Courts. They have been doing so quietly but these guys have put out two of the catchiest Indie Punk albums I have ever heard(their last one was on last year's list). There wasn't much standing in their way this year in the same genre. These guys definitely put out the best Punk album of 2019.
31. Quarter Rats-Headlines EP
Sounds Like: Metz, Hammerhead, Vaz, Pissed Jeans, The Melvins, Naomi Punk
Why It's Here: Two gentlemen from New Orleans who set off on a quest to bring Noise Rock to the French Quarter and succeeded spectacularly. This is some intense stuff and one of the best Noise Rock releases of the year. The sheer tightness in their playing is remarkable. Hopefully these guys keep bringing the Noise to the South.
Sounds Like: Metz, Hammerhead, Vaz, Pissed Jeans, The Melvins, Naomi Punk
Why It's Here: Two gentlemen from New Orleans who set off on a quest to bring Noise Rock to the French Quarter and succeeded spectacularly. This is some intense stuff and one of the best Noise Rock releases of the year. The sheer tightness in their playing is remarkable. Hopefully these guys keep bringing the Noise to the South.
30. Pom Poko-Birthday
Sounds Like: Deerhoof, Blonde Redhead, The Shaggs, Ponytail.
Why It's Here: Hailing from Norway this foursome invoke the best of Indie Art Rock first brought to our attention with bands like Deerhoof and Blonde Redhead and then later perfected by Ponytail. Ponytail are gone and these guys are a welcome replacement. The guitars are spiky, the singing sweet and the rhythm section can barely be contained. This album has the best moments of all the aforementioned bands. Throw in a little bit of The Shaggs in the vocals and you have one of the best Art Rock albums I have heard in recent memory. Full of life and brimming with ideas!
Sounds Like: Deerhoof, Blonde Redhead, The Shaggs, Ponytail.
Why It's Here: Hailing from Norway this foursome invoke the best of Indie Art Rock first brought to our attention with bands like Deerhoof and Blonde Redhead and then later perfected by Ponytail. Ponytail are gone and these guys are a welcome replacement. The guitars are spiky, the singing sweet and the rhythm section can barely be contained. This album has the best moments of all the aforementioned bands. Throw in a little bit of The Shaggs in the vocals and you have one of the best Art Rock albums I have heard in recent memory. Full of life and brimming with ideas!
29. Bill Callahan-Shepherd In A Sheepskin Vest
Sounds Like: Willie Nelson, Will Oldham, Silver Jews, Songs Ohia, Sun Kil Moon
Why It's Here: He's usually never bad. This time he was exceptionally good. The most valuable aspect of this album is that it's like a walking tour of the greatest Folk and Country musicians that came before him. Each track tackles a different sub genre of those aforementioned genres. It ebbs and flows and the thing that ties everything together is the slight Baritone of his voice. It is the stitch that keeps the quilt together. It is a wide quilt with many colors and shapes and designs on it. If you like old Folk and Country at all, this is a must listen.
Sounds Like: Willie Nelson, Will Oldham, Silver Jews, Songs Ohia, Sun Kil Moon
Why It's Here: He's usually never bad. This time he was exceptionally good. The most valuable aspect of this album is that it's like a walking tour of the greatest Folk and Country musicians that came before him. Each track tackles a different sub genre of those aforementioned genres. It ebbs and flows and the thing that ties everything together is the slight Baritone of his voice. It is the stitch that keeps the quilt together. It is a wide quilt with many colors and shapes and designs on it. If you like old Folk and Country at all, this is a must listen.
28. Girl Band-The Talkies
Sounds Like: Pissed Jeans, Nirvana, Mclusky, The Fall, Metz, Daughters
Why It's Here: This is an incredibly physical and loud Noise Rock album. The album opens with a minute intro of breathing. This may sound like pretentious nothingness but it in fact is a recording of the singer having a panic attack in the studio. This sets the tone for the dread to come. The first song after the attack is a sonic attack. These guys explore anxiety as a pure physical form through their music. The drumming is very idiosyncratic and very surprising. The bass on this thing sounds absolutely nuts. This album will pummel you into a calm submission and it doesn't care how it's going to get there.
Sounds Like: Pissed Jeans, Nirvana, Mclusky, The Fall, Metz, Daughters
Why It's Here: This is an incredibly physical and loud Noise Rock album. The album opens with a minute intro of breathing. This may sound like pretentious nothingness but it in fact is a recording of the singer having a panic attack in the studio. This sets the tone for the dread to come. The first song after the attack is a sonic attack. These guys explore anxiety as a pure physical form through their music. The drumming is very idiosyncratic and very surprising. The bass on this thing sounds absolutely nuts. This album will pummel you into a calm submission and it doesn't care how it's going to get there.
27. Billie Eilish-When We Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?
Sounds Like: Lorde, Lykke Li
Why It's Here: The best and maybe only extremely popular album on this list. It was the darkness that held everything together. You could feel the sibling bond in how well they fit into each other lyrically and production wise. The main thing that made this blockbuster so good was the consistency. They weren't trying for a desperate "well you hated that last song so try this style instead". They opted for calm and cool and collected and concise. They didn't need you to love them but you ended up doing it anyway because honestly, how could you resist.
Sounds Like: Lorde, Lykke Li
Why It's Here: The best and maybe only extremely popular album on this list. It was the darkness that held everything together. You could feel the sibling bond in how well they fit into each other lyrically and production wise. The main thing that made this blockbuster so good was the consistency. They weren't trying for a desperate "well you hated that last song so try this style instead". They opted for calm and cool and collected and concise. They didn't need you to love them but you ended up doing it anyway because honestly, how could you resist.
26. Loraine James-For You And I(Hyperdub)
Sounds Like: Milanese, Jlin
Why It's Here: So for a while I didn't really like this album. It just didn't click. In fact it was kind of hard to get past the first track. The first track is kind of a bait and switch. It's somewhat calm, says the word "bitch" a bunch of times and has a loping and looping beat behind all of it. Well I should have seen this for what it was. A calm before the storm. The rest of this album is an intense uncompromising techno pummeling. Taking the best aspects of hard hitting Industrial Techno and imbuing it with all manner of glitch and weird ass electronic trickery. This is one of the most interesting and arresting Electronic albums of 2019 and I can't wait to see what she does next.
Sounds Like: Milanese, Jlin
Why It's Here: So for a while I didn't really like this album. It just didn't click. In fact it was kind of hard to get past the first track. The first track is kind of a bait and switch. It's somewhat calm, says the word "bitch" a bunch of times and has a loping and looping beat behind all of it. Well I should have seen this for what it was. A calm before the storm. The rest of this album is an intense uncompromising techno pummeling. Taking the best aspects of hard hitting Industrial Techno and imbuing it with all manner of glitch and weird ass electronic trickery. This is one of the most interesting and arresting Electronic albums of 2019 and I can't wait to see what she does next.
25. Lucille Furs-Another Land
Sounds Like: The Kinks, The Zombies, virtually anyone who released a psych pop album from 1965-1968
Why It's Here: Quite simply, this is one of the best late 60s revival albums I have ever heard. Somehow they manage to completely bite off most of the Rock records of the time period between 1965-1969 yet each one of their songs remains wholly their own. This doesn't feel like a rip off, this feels like a long lost classic from that time period. I am simply blown away at the dedication to the studio craft at getting the vintage sounds perfect. Count me impressed.
Sounds Like: The Kinks, The Zombies, virtually anyone who released a psych pop album from 1965-1968
Why It's Here: Quite simply, this is one of the best late 60s revival albums I have ever heard. Somehow they manage to completely bite off most of the Rock records of the time period between 1965-1969 yet each one of their songs remains wholly their own. This doesn't feel like a rip off, this feels like a long lost classic from that time period. I am simply blown away at the dedication to the studio craft at getting the vintage sounds perfect. Count me impressed.
24. Slauson Malone-A Quiet Farwell, 2016-2018
Sounds Like: John Oswald, The Avalanches(but really dark), DJ Shadow
Why It's Here: This is an extremely interesting and mysteriously hazy collection of tracks recorded but not released between the years 2016 and 2018. This is Plunderphonics at it's best. Each track weaves in and out and bobs up and down in and out of tune. This album sounds like laying in a warm bath with the bathroom door open while a TV plays old timey radio/TV and another room is playing modern radio with a glitch in it. The fact that all of this was made by the son of Smooth Jazz legend Wynton Marsalis is nothing short of insane.
Sounds Like: John Oswald, The Avalanches(but really dark), DJ Shadow
Why It's Here: This is an extremely interesting and mysteriously hazy collection of tracks recorded but not released between the years 2016 and 2018. This is Plunderphonics at it's best. Each track weaves in and out and bobs up and down in and out of tune. This album sounds like laying in a warm bath with the bathroom door open while a TV plays old timey radio/TV and another room is playing modern radio with a glitch in it. The fact that all of this was made by the son of Smooth Jazz legend Wynton Marsalis is nothing short of insane.
23. Ryan Pollie-Self Titled
Sounds Like: Mercury Rev, Flaming Lips(circa 1997-1999), Los Angeles Police Department
Why It's Here: This man has been releasing some of the best Indie Pop ever made. Some people noticed. I am one of them. He makes gorgeous Indie Pop in the vein of Deserter Songs era Mercury Rev. He makes classic Indie Pop in the same vein as the least twee yet best era of Belle & Sebastian. His orchestral pop rivals the titans of the early 2000s like The Flaming Lips and Grandaddy. For years he had been making some of the best music under the name of Los Angeles Police Department. Now he is Ryan Pollie. He got cancer and went through chemo and assumingly beat it. I am grateful he did and we get to hear more of his wonderful music.
Sounds Like: Mercury Rev, Flaming Lips(circa 1997-1999), Los Angeles Police Department
Why It's Here: This man has been releasing some of the best Indie Pop ever made. Some people noticed. I am one of them. He makes gorgeous Indie Pop in the vein of Deserter Songs era Mercury Rev. He makes classic Indie Pop in the same vein as the least twee yet best era of Belle & Sebastian. His orchestral pop rivals the titans of the early 2000s like The Flaming Lips and Grandaddy. For years he had been making some of the best music under the name of Los Angeles Police Department. Now he is Ryan Pollie. He got cancer and went through chemo and assumingly beat it. I am grateful he did and we get to hear more of his wonderful music.
22. Blood Incantation-Hidden History Of The Human Race(Century Media)
Sounds Like: Atheist, Cynic
Why It's Here: Like a second wave of Atheist these guys came roaring out of the gate with their second album. This thing is all knotty twists and turns, rage and calm. Screaming agony butts up against aggressive and assertive guitars. This is an assault on all the senses. The songs are long and never dull and you won't be able to see what's coming due to the virtuosic nature of the playing. Highly recommended if you like your metal turned up to 11.
Sounds Like: Atheist, Cynic
Why It's Here: Like a second wave of Atheist these guys came roaring out of the gate with their second album. This thing is all knotty twists and turns, rage and calm. Screaming agony butts up against aggressive and assertive guitars. This is an assault on all the senses. The songs are long and never dull and you won't be able to see what's coming due to the virtuosic nature of the playing. Highly recommended if you like your metal turned up to 11.
21. Grace Ives-2nd
Sounds Like: John Maus, Max Tundra, Grimes(but good)
Why It's Here: This is what a great pop album is all about. Short yet substantial songs that range just under or over the 2 minute mark. Top it off with fun bedroom production. A great collection of synth sounds and a sweet melodic voice on top of it all. This is what I imagine Madonna to sound like if she was the opposite of what she is and came from my mind's eye instead of the hit making shit industry we have been and are facing today.
Sounds Like: John Maus, Max Tundra, Grimes(but good)
Why It's Here: This is what a great pop album is all about. Short yet substantial songs that range just under or over the 2 minute mark. Top it off with fun bedroom production. A great collection of synth sounds and a sweet melodic voice on top of it all. This is what I imagine Madonna to sound like if she was the opposite of what she is and came from my mind's eye instead of the hit making shit industry we have been and are facing today.
20. Mattiel-Satis Factory
Sounds Like: Sarah Shook And The Disarmers, Kyle Craft, Hurray For The Riff Raff
Why It's Here: Caught somewhere between Americana and Indie Rock to find a really nice sweet spot. These songs explode with life and movement. This one kind of hits right off the gate with Mattiel's quivering yet powerful voice commanding the whole show. Her backing band are right in step with her the whole way as she tolls the virtues the south has to offer while condemning some of the less likable aspects of that region. It feels like they like some of their southern roots but also hate them at the same time. Don't worry though, this isn't a slog to get through, this is straight up fun Rock N Roll that everyone can enjoy!
Sounds Like: Sarah Shook And The Disarmers, Kyle Craft, Hurray For The Riff Raff
Why It's Here: Caught somewhere between Americana and Indie Rock to find a really nice sweet spot. These songs explode with life and movement. This one kind of hits right off the gate with Mattiel's quivering yet powerful voice commanding the whole show. Her backing band are right in step with her the whole way as she tolls the virtues the south has to offer while condemning some of the less likable aspects of that region. It feels like they like some of their southern roots but also hate them at the same time. Don't worry though, this isn't a slog to get through, this is straight up fun Rock N Roll that everyone can enjoy!
19. Rapsody-Eve
Sounds Like: Lauryn Hill, Queen Latifah, Missy Elliott
Why It's Here: A classic 90s MC through and through. This is a fantastic concept album where each song is at the very least titled the first name of a Black Woman. I haven't found too many references specifically tying each song to the namesake but I'm sure they are there, I'm just not educated enough to catch em(wish i was). But this is classic Hip Hop in the truest sense. It also has some of the best guest appearances of the year. GZA, D'Angelo, Leikeli 47 and they all turned out great performances. This is definitely one of the best and politically charged Hip Hop albums of 2019.
Sounds Like: Lauryn Hill, Queen Latifah, Missy Elliott
Why It's Here: A classic 90s MC through and through. This is a fantastic concept album where each song is at the very least titled the first name of a Black Woman. I haven't found too many references specifically tying each song to the namesake but I'm sure they are there, I'm just not educated enough to catch em(wish i was). But this is classic Hip Hop in the truest sense. It also has some of the best guest appearances of the year. GZA, D'Angelo, Leikeli 47 and they all turned out great performances. This is definitely one of the best and politically charged Hip Hop albums of 2019.
18. Lana Del Rey-Norman Fucking Rockwell
Sounds Like: Fiona Apple, Rufus Wainwright(music only), Van Dyke Parks(music only)
Why It's Here: So to me, this is her finest album so far. She did away with any attempt at cashing in to the current pop scene which she has done in the past(and it wasn't horrible) but this album here feels very "adult". This is all long piano driven minimalist singer songwriter stuff. Very reminiscent of the greats from the 70s I.E. Nilsson, Randy Newman, Carole King, Dory Previn, etc...This felt very mature. Jack Antonoff finally proved he was the great producer the media portrays him as. It was subtle, graceful and very patient. Her singing and lyrics are some of the best in her entire canon. Her Sublime cover here is even great. She has come into her own and we are all better for it.
Sounds Like: Fiona Apple, Rufus Wainwright(music only), Van Dyke Parks(music only)
Why It's Here: So to me, this is her finest album so far. She did away with any attempt at cashing in to the current pop scene which she has done in the past(and it wasn't horrible) but this album here feels very "adult". This is all long piano driven minimalist singer songwriter stuff. Very reminiscent of the greats from the 70s I.E. Nilsson, Randy Newman, Carole King, Dory Previn, etc...This felt very mature. Jack Antonoff finally proved he was the great producer the media portrays him as. It was subtle, graceful and very patient. Her singing and lyrics are some of the best in her entire canon. Her Sublime cover here is even great. She has come into her own and we are all better for it.
17. YATTA-WAHALA
Sounds Like: The Books, Maya Angelou, Exuma
Why It's Here: This feels like a trip through the National Library Of Congress Blues and Folk section but if The Books were your tour guide. While on this tour there are also portions of important people you can't put your finger on reciting their famous lectures. There's also a feminist lecture part of this tour as well. The only thing is, all of the speeches are fragmented because there is a sampler tearing them apart in real time. Blues waft in one ear while a lecture on body positivity floats by the other and an inside joke about side eyes juts it's way in. This sounded important on some days and one big kick ass joke on others. It's got great juxtapositions and one of the more interesting sounds on any album in 2019.
Sounds Like: The Books, Maya Angelou, Exuma
Why It's Here: This feels like a trip through the National Library Of Congress Blues and Folk section but if The Books were your tour guide. While on this tour there are also portions of important people you can't put your finger on reciting their famous lectures. There's also a feminist lecture part of this tour as well. The only thing is, all of the speeches are fragmented because there is a sampler tearing them apart in real time. Blues waft in one ear while a lecture on body positivity floats by the other and an inside joke about side eyes juts it's way in. This sounded important on some days and one big kick ass joke on others. It's got great juxtapositions and one of the more interesting sounds on any album in 2019.
16. IDK-Is He Real?
Sounds Like: Kanye(but good and can rap), Danny Brown, Clipse
Why It's Here: This album is all about struggles with religion. The "Is he real?" question of the album title is God. He is pictured with a ram(devil) and sheep(lamb=good) on either side of him. The way he questions religion on this album is very intriguing and worthy of respect. He is very cynical and cautious with what he has been taught before and what he is taught to follow currently. Some songs don't directly reference this but they showcase aspects that would make you question the whole nature of morality instead. These all tie the albums theme together. This is one of the most varied and concise Hip Hop concept albums I have heard in a long time and it takes a long hard look at one of the biggest questions people struggle with every day. IS HE REAL?
15. Azchike-Rich And RatchetSounds Like: Kanye(but good and can rap), Danny Brown, Clipse
Why It's Here: This album is all about struggles with religion. The "Is he real?" question of the album title is God. He is pictured with a ram(devil) and sheep(lamb=good) on either side of him. The way he questions religion on this album is very intriguing and worthy of respect. He is very cynical and cautious with what he has been taught before and what he is taught to follow currently. Some songs don't directly reference this but they showcase aspects that would make you question the whole nature of morality instead. These all tie the albums theme together. This is one of the most varied and concise Hip Hop concept albums I have heard in a long time and it takes a long hard look at one of the biggest questions people struggle with every day. IS HE REAL?
Sounds Like: Death Grips, Dizzee Rascal(Production), Clipse
Why It's Here: This album felt like menace. It felt gritty. It felt inappropriate. It felt dirty. Is this tongue in cheek? Is this guy a creep in real life? I have no idea. He sure sounds mean though. It's funny because a lot of songs sound the same on this album and you could chalk it up to just his style and it really works. Instead of getting boring the consistency is actually thrilling. Each of these tracks is thick with weird production techniques and gritty and gross lyrical content. I sure hope he is joking on most of these tracks because if he isn't I would be very worried. It's short and sweet and creepy as all hell.
14. Field Medic-Fade Into The Dawn
Sounds Like: Neutral Milk Hotel, Modest Mouse, Bright Eyes
Why It's Here: Feeling like a stone cold classic from the late 90s/early 2000s. This is what Indie Rock is all about. This feels as important as Modest Mouse or Neutral Milk Hotel. These songs are timeless or at least most likely will be in 20 years. If you want to hear a future classic or perhaps lost classic of our time then pop this on and reminisce about all the good times and hope there's some good ones like this one to come.
13. Hobo Johnson-The Fall Of Hobo Johnson
Sounds Like: Macklemore(but better), Ween, Cage The Elephant, Early emo in vocal delivery
Why It's Here: So many people hated this album. He got accused of being an Incel. That's bullshit. Aside from that I can't see why you would hate this so much. Especially given the amount of utter shit that gets acclaim from critics these days. It's maddening. This guy should be huge. This is some of the most honest lyrical stuff that came out this year. It was wrapped up in humor and variations of Pop, Rock and Hip Hop. Don't get it twisted this is through and through modern pop music just the driving voice behind it is very smart and full of good observations. This music is funny, sad and everything in between. If this is the new Emo than i'm down.
12. Body Meat-Truck Music
Sounds Like: Jlin, D'Angelo, John Wizards, R&B from an alien planet.
Why It's Here: Some of the craziest percussion this side of Jlin. This was by far the best R&B album of the year and you would be hard pressed to even categorize it as such. It's a shame how overlooked this was. This guy came out of nowhere and blew minds with his experimental R&B driven electronic music. The samples are insane. The grooves are weirdly danceable. I predict this guy will huge in the next coming years. Don't sleep on this shit.
11. Budokan Boys-Dad Is Bad
Sounds Like: The Residents, Ween, They Might Be Giants, Ariel Pink, Renaldo And The Loaf
Why It's Here: Definitely one of the creepiest albums of the year. There are multiple tales of suicide, death and a whole slew of other weird shit. It's a lot of spoken word but most of it is in a weird pitch shifted voice reminiscent of a creepy Grandma. It gives off heavy Residents vibes. There is a creepy humor flowing through all of this. One song is about renting the singer because he's cheap and will do shit for you. Another song is a tale about 2 old friends meeting together, one misreading the others sexuality and making a move which results in the friend having a violent homophobic reaction and ending his life as a result. Another is about a prisoner who loves prison but ends up getting out by saving the wardens son from a riot. The subject matter is eerie and off putting but this is one of the most interesting listens of 2019.
10. Kim Gordon-No Home Record
Sounds Like: Sonic Youth, Royal Trux, St. Vincent
Why It's Here: I'm calling it. This is the coolest album ever made by someone over retirement age. She is 66! This is insane! This album rocks harder, grooves harder and experiments harder than most half her age. This album shows just how much talent of hers went into Sonic Youth(it's a lot). Half the songs are extremely interesting low key experimental in nature. Nothing gets unlistenable but they are very experimental in nature. The other half are some of the best Rock songs she has ever recorded. They are reminiscent of her best songs in the Sonic Youth catalog. If you are a fan of Sonic Youth at all you need to hear this. If you are a fan of good music you should also hear this.
9. Richard Dawson-20/20
Sounds Like: Gentle Giant, Robert Wyatt, XTC, Battles, King Crimson
Why It's Here: This is one of the best Art Rock albums I have ever heard. It's brimming with crazy ideas. The songs are on the long side but they need to be. Each one is a labyrinth of masterful songwriting. It was a really cool change for this guy. He used to be a Madrigal folk guy basically in the vein of The Incredible String Band. Those albums were by no means bad, in fact his last one made our end of the year list of that year. He had already established himself as a great songwriter and more importantly storyteller. These songs are full of stories but this time around he really dug into the common person. The common worker who works to live and wants to be left alone. This provides some very astute interesting observations about human behavior and with this comes inevitable sadness and happiness in equal measure. This is a great album for our times to remind us who we really are, just a bunch of humans trying to survive in a fucked up system that barely cares about us.
8. Xiu Xiu-Girl With Basket Of Fruit
Sounds Like: Early Xiu Xiu, Black Dice
Why It's Here: This simply blew me away. Xiu Xiu were fine. I loved them when they came about in the early 2000s and I didn't hate their music but it just became less immediate and interesting. Fine to check out but not album of the year material. This album shattered all of that, almost instantly. The sheer creativity on this album is nothing short of stunning. The aggressive tracks are 1000 times more aggressive and weird than anything in their output. The calm tracks are emotionally devastating. Just simply beautiful songs stripped down to their rawest essence. This album is very disturbing and tackles uncomfortable subjects such as abortion, miscarriage, lynchings and death in general. This album uses every trick in the book to convey it's message and it's creativity is frightening. It's no wonder they had to go on hiatus from emotional and physical fatigue, after hearing this it sounds exhausting to put this out into the world.
Sounds Like: Camera Obscura, Gal Costa, Rilo Kiley, Belle & Sebastian
Why It's Here: This is a perfect Indie Pop album. I really haven't heard much better since the early 2000s. Every single song here takes a very sweet twee formula and applies it to slight changes in genre per track. Some have a slight rockabilly feel, some have a slightly bossanova feel, they all have micro genre workouts that reveal just how good they are at songwriting. There are little details in every corner. It's all tied together by Marina Tadic's voice. Her voice is a singular vision on this album and I'm glad she is steering the ship.
6. Jenny Lewis-On The Line
Sounds Like: Rilo Kiley, Courtney Barnett, Lady Lamb, Herself
Why It's Here: Quite simply the best recorded album of the year. This thing pops with life. Jumps out of the speakers. In her words "Turn up the stereo, til everything rattles" and rattles it does! Not by being aggressive or anything but the instruments just sound so rich and her voice is so incredible it just jumps out. Her lyrics this time around have some mystery but there are some songs that are incredibly direct. Her songwriting is so perfect it almost feels like these songs were created in a lab to perfection. I haven't heard a 70s leaning singer songwriter album like this in a long time. I would say not since Father John Misty's I Love You, Honeybear. Now these albums don't really sound at all alike but not since that has someone created something so masterful in the Rock and Pop canon. She truly impresses here. I also have to say go see her live. The show for this album is nothing short of amazing.
5. 100 Gecs-1000 Gecs
Sounds Like: Max Tundra, Vengaboyz, Sleigh Bells, PC Music
Why It's Here: Is this annoying? Maybe. Is this grating? To some. Did this fill my favorite genre of weird as shit Pop music? Hell yes it did. This music is seemingly designed to annoy. Instead for me it was just pure excitement. The formula is simple. Start a song calmly with absurdly chipmonked pitchshifted vocals and then bring in the insanity. Psuedo EDM beats distorted to all hell. Weird time signatures. Odd somewhat antagonizing lyrics. Throw in some Black Metal singing? Sure why not! They played with genre like a fusion chef plays with food. This was short and sweet and weird and fucked and probably the most absurd album of the year. We need the absurd in music.
4. Joanna Sternberg-Then I Try Some More
Sounds Like: Joanna Newsom, Malvina Reynolds, Connie Converse
Why It's Here: I am calling this the most honest album of the year. This is sparse piano or acoustic guitar driven singer songwriter fare. Her voice is arresting and draws you into every single word. These are songs of desperation, searching and isolation. This album is also emotionally devastating and extremely relatable. On top of all this soul searching she throws in a song about a sweet little penguin named Pimba and I am done.
3. Denzel Curry-ZUU
Sounds Like: Vince Staples, Clipse, Playboi Carti
Why It's Here: This album comes in punches you in the face, yells at you to dance and makes you party and then is gone. It's super intense and plays perfectly with the intersection at where old school Hip Hop and Trap meet. It's as if he saw the interview where Snoop made fun of Trap and Cloud Rap and said "oh yeah old man, well how bout this shit?" and made this album. Playing with G Funk mixed with Trap was a genius decision. The cover makes perfect sense for this album. It's completely old school imagery with a Trap rapper front and center in that image. A perfect blending and a perfect blend for the best Hip Hop album of the year.
2. Panda Bear-Buoys/A Day With The Homies EP Digital Version
Sounds Like: Animal Collective, The Beach Boys, Brian Wilson, They Might Be Giants
Why It's Here: I will never understand the complete dismissal of this album. Maybe it's that people just want maximalist Pop from him. I'm good with him doing that with his band Animal Collective. Maybe they hated how up front his singing was. I for one think his voice is the glue that ties every single sound he made together. It's what keeps me coming back. What I loved about this album was everything people saw it not having. I loved that it was basically a folk album and every song basically has an acoustic guitar at it's root. I loved how the electronics were very minimal and added as texture and used in very interesting ways(the water drops on Dolphin). This was an amazing album to sing along to. His vocal melodies have never been sweeter or more melodic. His voice is definitely not buried in the mix like some of his past albums(still amazing btw) it is front and center and in your face. Out of all the albums on this list, this is the one I wish I wrote. All that pertains to Buoys. A Day With The Homies was released on vinyl only last year. I loved every minute of it. He remixed it and released it for digital online streaming this year. That's why it's on here. The new mix is different and really is amazing coming out of car speakers. It's the closest he's gotten to employing Hip Hop beats in his music. It's not Hip Hop at all but it's really awesome to have Panda Bear singing over beats. It really kicks ass.
1. Ohtis-Curve Of Earth
Sounds Like: Shelf Life, Bonny Doon, Bill Callahan, The Avett Brothers
Why It's Here: First and foremost, any album that gets me to actually care about someone's religious journey AND their addiction should be really high up on any list of mine. Honestly I could care less about either subject but this album was so beautifully and smartly written that I had no choice to sit up and listen with a non-cynical ear. In terms of music this is perfected Country/Folk stuff. It serves as the backdrop for singer Sam Swinson to reflect on his past drug addictions(I'm assuming heroin) and his struggles with religion(he was raised in extreme religious ways). He questions God with great responsibility and extreme skepticism. The way he is able to look back on himself for all the shit he's done with his own body and his spirituality is really striking. He criticizes himself and God in equal measure. He is practically yelling at God for letting him down yet also kicking himself for letting himself get to such a state. It's the most responsible self reflection I have ever heard put to record. The music is so breezy and catchy and fun to listen to that you might miss the deeper meaning on first and second listen. The subject matter is often dark and extremely messed up at times. There's tracks that have to do with drowning dogs, shooting up, hospitals etc..... it's dark but it always feels like there is a light at the end of every song. This is an important journey of an expert songwriter who is searching his soul and by doing so forces us to explore our own.
Below is a live recording of the first song on the album:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bsI1M6cv_x0
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