3rd Quarter-Best Of The Year So Far

Azchike-Rich & Ratchet(Atlantic)

Genre: West Coast Hip Hop

Why It's Good: Just a really solid trap album with interesting elements that pulls it out of the muck.

Devendra Banhart-Ma(Nonesuch)

Genre: Indie Folk, Chamber Folk

Why It's Good: Another slice of laid back Tropicalia influenced chilled out Indie Folk Pop. He is getting better and better with age.

Blarf-Cease And Desist(Stones Throw)

Genre: Plunderphonics, Sound Collage, Noise, Glitch Hop, Instrumental Hip Hop, Experimental Hip Hop

Why It's Good: Good for this album is a very relative term. This is Eric Andre doing a Plunderphonics album. For the uninitiated "Plunderphonics" is a term for sample heavy based music being the basis for entire songs usually presented in an insanely deconstructed formula. A lot of times absurdist humor is thrown in as well. Think of it as DADA for music.

Car Bomb-Mordial(Self Released)

Genre: Mathcore, Djent, Alternative Metal

Why It's Good: It seems every year has a really good, really intense Djent style metal album. This is this year's.

Cherubs-Immaculada High(Relapse)

Genre: Noise Rock, Sludge Metal

Why It's Good: Noise rock titans return after a number of years to deliver a late career nasty highlight.

Cloud Rat-Pollinator(Artoffact)

Genre: Grindcore, Screamo, Crust Punk

Why It's Good: Probably the best Grindcore album of the year. Lot's of interesting twists on the genre inside this one.

Madison Cunningham-Who Are You Now?(Verve Forecast)

Genre: Singer/Songwriter, Art Pop, Indie Folk

Why It's Good: A very solid female Singer/Songwriter album in the vein of Regina Spektor or Fiona Apple.

Datach'i-Bones(Timesig)

Genre: IDM, Ambient Techno, Glitch

Why It's Good: Just another IDM legend making a really solid IDM album.

Earthgang-Mirrorland(Dreamville/Interscope)

Genre: Southern Hip Hop, Trap, Alternative R&B, Neo Soul, Pop Rap

Why It's Good: Really ridiculous Hip Hop crew making absurd Pop Rap.

Ana Frango Eletrico-Little Electric Chicken Heart(Risco)

Genre: MPB, Chamber Pop, Jazz Pop, Samba Jazz

Why It's Good: An excellent slice of modern Tropicalia. Unlike the Devendra Banhart album from above this is actually true Tropicalia/MPB

Esoctrilihum-The Telluric Ashes Of The O Vrth Immemorial Gods(I,Voidhanger)

Genre: Death Metal, Black Metal

Why It's Good: Probably my favorite Black/Death Metal album of the year. Lot's of creativity on this one that pulls it out of the pool.

Fly Pan Am-C'est Ca(Constellation)

Genre: Experimental Rock, Post Rock, Shoegaze, Drone, Noise, Noise Pop

Why It's Good: Amazing return from a band I thought would never return. This is Post Rock as filtered through Stockhausen if he was even more insane. It also has some of the best noisy catchy songs of the year on it.

Girl Band-The Talkies(Rough Trade)

Genre: Noise Rock, Post Punk, Experimental Rock, No Wave, Industrial Rock

Why It's Good: Another contender for extremely catchy noise rock. This is one of the most visceral intense listens of the year. It's not without it's humor though.

Guaxe-Self Titled(ORG)

Genre: Psychedelic Rock

Why It's Good: Very creative Psychedelic Rock album. Pulling from all manner of the kitchen sink on this one.

Hobo Johnson-The Fall Of Hobo Johnson(Reprise)

Genre: Abstract Hip Hop, Spoken Word, Emo Rap, Pop Rap, Alternative Rock

Why It's Good: This gets an absurd amount of hate. I can't see why. People call him an Incel. I call him honest and not at all damaging like an Incel would be. This is a lonely kid making music from the heart. It's catchy as shit too!

Loraine James-For You And I(Hyperdub)

Genre: IDM, Glitch Hop, Ambient, Weightless

Why It's Good: An extremely varied Electronic album that pulls from everywhere to deliver you her singular voice.

Jpegmafia-All My Heroes Are Cornballs(Self Released)

Genre: Experimental Hip Hop, Glitch Hop, Cloud Rap, Alternative R&B, Industrial Hip Hop, Hardcore Hip Hop, Sound Collage

Why It's Good: While it's not as good as Veteran(too much R&B on this one) it still really pushes the creativity to the limit within it's Experimental Hip Hop tag. Further moving along the evolution of Hip Hop is an important achievement and this man is doing it.

IDK-Is He Real?(Warner Bros.)

Genre: East Coast Hip Hop, Pop Rap, Hardcore Hip Hop, Trap, Conscious Hip Hop

Why It's Good: Speaking of Hip Hop evolution; this guy is evolving Trap in great ways. Very interesting take on the genre.

K. Flay-Solutions(Night Street/Interscope)

Genre: Pop Rock, Electropop, Pop Rap, Alternative Dance, Synthpop

Why It's Good: Some might find this album annoying, personally I find it really engaging in it's confidence. She knows she is good and she is gonna be an ass about it.

Bobby Krlic-Midsommar OST(Milan)

Genre: Film Score, Chamber Music, Ambient, Dark Ambient, Drone

Why It's Good: Probably my second favorite score of the year. You'll find out my favorite a little later. This is dark and ominous in the best possible way. It also shows a refined side of Bobby Krlic/The Haxan Cloak we haven't heard yet.

Shannon Lay-August(Sub Pop)

Genre: Contemporary Folk

Why It's Good: Just an extremely solid set of Indie Folk songs.

LIFE-A Picture Of Good Health(Afghan Moon)

Genre: Garage Rock Revival, Pop Punk

Why It's Good: Extremely well written poppy punk rock that harkens back to the alternative rock glory days of the 90s.

Mega Bog-Dolphine(Paradise Of Bachelors)

Genre: Art Pop, Psychedelic Pop, Chamber Pop, Psychedelic Folk, Indie Pop

Why It's Good: An all over the place and very interesting trippy Art Pop album from a very creative singular voice.

Mr. Muthafuckin Exquire-Self Titled(Soulspazm)

Genre: East Coast Hip Hop, Hardcore Hip Hop, Experimental Hip Hop

Why It's Good: A solid outing by this great rapper who hasn't done a whole lot since he started. This was a welcome and much needed return.

No One Knows What The Dead Think-Self Titled(Willowtip)

Genre: Grindcore, Mathcore

Why It's Good: Oh the members of Discordance Axis got together minus one member and adding a new guy and no one noticed? I did and this shit kicks ass.

The Number Twelve Looks Like You-Wild Gods(Silent Pendulum)

Genre: Mathcore, Post Hardcore, Jazz Fusion

Why It's Good: Really "out there" Mathcore album with huge weirdo Jazz influences. If you like very challenging harder edged stuff this one's for you!

Off With Their Heads-Be Good(Epitaph)

Genre: Punk Rock, Melodic Hardcore, Pop Punk

Why It's Good: Just a really solid punk rock record.

Oh Sees-Face Stabber(Castle Face)

Genre: Psychedelic Rock, Krautrock, Progressive Rock, Heavy Psych, Jazz Rock, Jam Band

Why It's Good: One of their best! This one has a very proggy jammy Krautrock feel to it. Thing Can but nastier and punk influenced.

Oli XL-Rogue Intruder, Soul Enhancer(Bloom)

Genre: UK Bass, IDM, 2 Step, Weightless, Ambient, Wonky, UK Garage, Dubstep

Why It's Good: A very good and varied electronic album. This guy pulls out an insane amount of styles all while sounding ridiculously consistent within his own voice.

100 Gecs-1000 Gecs(Dog Show)

Genre: Bubblegum Bass, Deconstructed Club, Emo Rap, Electropop, Vocal Trance, Trap, Nightcore, Alternative R&B

Why It's Good: Another one of the most hated albums of 2019. This album sounds like every weird sound that modern huge producers of pop music use these days except the songs are only based off those weird parts. This is weirdo future pop at it's finest.

One True Pairing-Self Titled(Domino)

Genre: Synthpop, Alternative Rock, Heartland Rock

Why It's Good: Excellent solo outing from an ex-member of Wild Beasts(who I never much cared for). This one is good slinky scuzzy Alt rock goodness.

Pop Smoke-Meet The Woo(Self Released)

Genre: UK Drill, East Coast Hip Hop

Why It's Good: Very out there Trap album worth checking out.

Purple Mountains-Self Titled(Drag City)

Genre: Indie Rock, Alt Country, Singer/Songwriter, Folk Rock, Americana

Why It's Good: An extremely consistent collection of new material from the man behind Silver Jews. This is Americana influenced Indie Rock at it's finest. It is a shame we lost him this year.

Rapsody-Eve(Jamla)

Genre: Conscious Hip Hop, Boom Bap, Neo Soul, Trap

Why It's Good: I am gonna say most likely the best female Rap album of the year. The samples and guests on this thing are absolutely absurd.

Redd Kross-Beyond The Door(Merge)

Genre: Power Pop, Alternative Rock, Psychedelic Pop

Why It's Good: The best power pop album of the year by giants of the power pop industry.

Fionn Regan-Cala(Abbey)

Genre: Singer/Songwriter, Contemporary Folk

Why It's Good: An extremely creative and heartfelt Indie Folk Singer/Songwriter statement.

Lana Del Rey-Norman Fucking Rockwell(Polydor/Interscope)

Genre: Singer/Songwriter, Art Pop, Dream Pop, Soft Rock, Piano Rock, Neo Psychedelia

Why It's Good: I'm gonna say this is her best album so far. She moved far away from pop and picked up the torch singer mantle. These songs are long and serious with some of her best lyrics.

(Sandy) Alex G-House Of Sugar(Domino)

Genre: Indie Folk, Neo Psychedelia, Americana, Indietronica, Singer/Songwriter, Indie Pop

Why It's Good: I was getting really sick of and bored of this guy. He always came across as a third tier Pavement or Sebadoh. On this album though he brings out the experimentation and decides to cross genres all over the place and his music is all the better for it.

Robert Sotelo-Infinite Sprawling(Upset! The Rhythm)

Genre: Art Pop, Indie Rock, Progressive Pop

Why It's Good: Full disclosure, this is not as good as his album from last year which landed in our top 5 albums of the year. That album had him by himself backed by synths and drum machines. This album sees him backed by drums, guitar, bass and some synths and samples. It's still really good and one of the better Indie Rock albums of the year.

Joanna Sternberg-Then I Try Some More(Team Love)

Genre: Singer/Songwriter, Indie Folk

Why It's Good: This one is going to end up pretty high on the year end list. Essentially this is one woman with a piano and sometimes guitar and sometimes both singing incredibly honest songs. This has the air of a masterpiece from the finest days of Indie Pop from the early 2000s.

Westside Gunn-Flygod Is An Awesome God(Griselda/Shady)

Genre: East Coast Hip Hop, Hardcore Hip Hop, Boom Bap
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Why It's Good: He is a great new voice of Hip Hop and this is one of his finest outings. Just really good solid Hip Hop.

YATTA-Wahala(PTP)

Genre: Sound Collage, Spoken Word, Field Recordings

Why It's Good: Awesome and extremely experimental vocal based album. The tags above don't really do it justice. This thing is ridiculously creative.