Your Best Albums of 2019

Discussions related to music in general.

Moderators: Mexicola, 2020k, Fredd-E, Aesthetics

User avatar
Sherbet Head
Status: Offline
Posts: 528
Joined: 1 Jul 2013
Location: Massachusetts, USA
It has just dawned on me that 2019 is rapidly coming to a close. I've listened to plenty of music this year, as I do every year, but for whatever reason I'm only now starting to check out a bunch of stuff that was released in 2019 and decide what stands out. I suspect many of you have already got a handful or more of albums that you really like from this year. I'd love to know what they are and why you think they're worthy of attention. In the meantime, I'll be playing catch up and will hopefully post a list of my favorites before the end of 2023.

So?

User avatar
Dayvan Cowboy
Status: Offline
Posts: 1741
Joined: 14 Feb 2009
Weyes Blood - Titanic Rising was an unexpected one for me. There's a fine line when you're doing music that sounds retro between it being indulgent and a necessary part of the art, and even then for it to come out sounding right and not just a pastiche. BoC nail that and so does this album, a timelocked summer of a thing even if it's not the most obviously electronic thing that came out this year, but not much electronic stuff that came out this year really did.

Dalham - Heat Death was one of those things. This guy's been getting better with everything he puts out and I've been holding off messaging him and asking what his process is cos man, this thing just develops and rarely goes where you think it's going to. Either I'm missing something or I don't get why more people weren't all over this.

Beyond that I've been listening to stuff from other years I missed

User avatar
Dayvan Cowboy
Status: Offline
Posts: 1741
Joined: 14 Feb 2009
Oh and also The Caretaker wrapping up his dementia project which I'd held off listening to till it was done. Listened to it in one go, cried for hours. I loved it, but it's very unlikely I'll listen to it again. One of the most profoundly moving pieces of music ever made

User avatar
Sherbet Head
Status: Offline
Posts: 879
Joined: 19 Jun 2015
I have not listened to much music from this year, but of the music I have heard the most interesting albums are :
John Wall & Alex Rodgers - Soar
Cameron Shafii - Corpora Vilia
SDEM - deloc
eczem - Vormaks

The first two because they completely subverted my expectations. Corpora Vilia shows a lot of restraint in its sound palette but uses it in surprising ways, especially in the last track. Soar sounds like it samples a lot of EDM, which for John Wall is nothing short of shocking.

The latter two albums are both rhythmically and texturally interesting and engaging to listen to. Both are almost dance albums, but just a little over the threshold of having any perfectly repeating patterns.

I'd really like to hear Flicker Tone Pulse by Curtis Roads, but unfortunately have not had an opportunity to do so. I feel like it would top the list considering how creative Roads is and the amount of time he spends on each composition (which can range from 8 months to 45 years or more). I've just started with his works and don't have a lot of money to order a bunch of CDs, so it'll have to wait for now.
Image

User avatar
Eagle Minded
Status: Offline
Posts: 430
Joined: 21 Oct 2017
Location: Cold Earth
Top 5 in no order:

(Sandy) Alex G - House of Sugar
Drab Majesty - Modern Mirror
RX-101 - Dopamine
Bon Iver - i,i
Bibio - Ribbons

User avatar
Eagle Minded
Status: Offline
Posts: 376
Joined: 28 Apr 2013
R Beny - Echo's Verse
Bibio - Ribbons
How To Disappear Completely - Seraphim
Warmth - Wildlife
Special Request - Bedroom Tapes

User avatar
Happy Cycler
Status: Offline
Posts: 2632
Joined: 3 Apr 2006
Location: Edinburgh
SAULT - 7
Anderson .Paak- Ventura
Bibio - Ribbons
Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds - Ghosteen
Solange - When I Get Home

User avatar
Eagle Minded
Status: Offline
Posts: 376
Joined: 28 Apr 2013
A_Northern_Soul wrote:Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds - Ghosteen


Man I so want to get into that album but Nick Cave's voice just doesn't resonate with me at all, the arrangements are so beautiful as well.

User avatar
Happy Cycler
Status: Offline
Posts: 2632
Joined: 3 Apr 2006
Location: Edinburgh
Wildfire wrote:
A_Northern_Soul wrote:Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds - Ghosteen


Man I so want to get into that album but Nick Cave's voice just doesn't resonate with me at all, the arrangements are so beautiful as well.


I can see how some might not like is voice, but yeah - the instrumentation and arrangements on this album are just beautiful. It absolutely floored me the first time I heard it; some of the lyrics, given what he’s been through over the past couple of years, are just jaw-dropping.

Forgot to add to my list - Tyler, The Creator - IGOR

This year has been great for music.

User avatar
Dayvan Cowboy
Status: Offline
Posts: 2122
Joined: 23 Jun 2009
Wildfire wrote:
A_Northern_Soul wrote:Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds - Ghosteen


Man I so want to get into that album but Nick Cave's voice just doesn't resonate with me at all, the arrangements are so beautiful as well.


Ok so I get that this is unrelated, but from the first time I heard Bright Horses I can't shake the feeling that Thom Yorke sings the ''ooooh'' in this. I can't believe that is Cave, and it just sounds soo much like Thom Yorke. Now I knew Cave has said some things about Yorke being the voice of a generation and stuff, so is this actually likely?
When I was a little kid my mother told me not to stare in the sun

User avatar
Sherbet Head
Status: Offline
Posts: 528
Joined: 1 Jul 2013
Location: Massachusetts, USA
Listening to Loscil's Equivalents tonight. Very nice. Likely to make the list.

User avatar
Sherbet Head
Status: Offline
Posts: 879
Joined: 19 Jun 2015
After some more listening, I have to say that Soar is really the standout of the year so far. John Wall's subtlety is as present here as in his other releases, and it really comes out after more attentive attentive listening. The lyrical delivery by Alex Rodgers sounds like it could be coming from a deranged man outside a run-down bar at 3 A.M., and Wall's distant, plodding audio work compliments it to create a surreal and psychological experience.

It feels like brain-damaged pop music. There are times where it almost has a tempo, but the songs simply can't hold it together for long enough to keep any recognizable rhythmic patterns. A short drum impulse will sound every couple of seconds like the song is vaguely aware that it's supposed to be a song but gets distracted by the spoken words, especially in Unitywoods, which is the most EDM-sounding thing I've heard in Wall's releases.
Image

User avatar
One Very Important Coder
Status: Offline
Posts: 149
Joined: 15 Aug 2006
Location: Bulgaria
JPEGMAFIA - All My Heroes Are Cornballs
https://jpegmafia.bandcamp.com/album/al ... -cornballs

I didn't listen to as much new music this year to be honest, but this would've been album of the year regardless! Extremely interesting instrumentals, very experimental yet strangely contained and often even the most absurd sound and transition would seem absolutely logical and musical. Plus great lyrics and awesome flows!

Anyone into hip hop should give this a go, imho, and most who don't like hip hop should check if this by chance isn't what will change their minds. :)

User avatar
Sherbet Head
Status: Offline
Posts: 879
Joined: 19 Jun 2015
A new Secret Chiefs 3 album came out last month. You can't hear it unless you buy the CD for $19. Maybe I'll listen to it next year.
Image

User avatar
Happy Cycler
Status: Offline
Posts: 2632
Joined: 3 Apr 2006
Location: Edinburgh
Finally got around to listening to the new Moon Duo album today and it sounds absolutely fantastic.

Michael Kiwanuka’s new album just came out last week and that is already album of the year material.

I’d also add Lizzo to my list of albums earlier- i had it in my head that it was out last year, but apparently it was 2019 too.

User avatar
Posts Quantity
Status: Offline
Posts: 229
Joined: 24 Oct 2017
Location: San Diego, California
so far my picks are:

Plaid - Polymer (my AOTY for sure)
Battles - Juice B Crypts
Steve Cobby - Sweet Jesus
Logic - Confessions of a Dangerous Mind (I'm sorry)
ScHoolboy Q - CrasH Talk
Floating Points - Crush
Ilkae - Formal Format
Holly Herndon - PROTO
Tyler, The Creator - IGOR
Freddie Gibbs & Madlib - Bandana
That Squidward crossover guy and Plaid fanatic. ALSO FUCK IM SORRY HAVENT BEEN INACTIVE ON HERE I'VE BEEN USING WATMM MORE :(
Rateyourmusic account: https://rateyourmusic.com/~PrezSquid
WATMM account: https://forum.watmm.com/profile/23101-p ... squidward/

User avatar
Moderator
Status: Offline
Posts: 1810
Joined: 26 Jan 2011
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Top, period:
Kim Gordon - No Home Record

The rest, no particular order:
HTRK - Venus in Leo
Ky Voss - Space Cadet (you're welcome for this rec)
Guy Sigsworth - STET
Ladytron - Ladytron
FKA Twigs - Magdalene
Jay Som - Anak Ko
Late Night Alumni - Silver
Loscil - Equivalents
ionnalee - REMEMBER THE FUTURE

I made a more expansive playlist. https://music.apple.com/us/playlist/201 ... Ba4tByM4W0
PLEASE LISTEN TO MY QUEER ELECTRONIC POP MUSIC: 2020k.Bandcamp |Twenty20k.com

User avatar
Sherbet Head
Status: Offline
Posts: 528
Joined: 1 Jul 2013
Location: Massachusetts, USA
I'm not done checking out stuff from this year, but so far I'm really enjoying these albums:

Mark Lanegan -- Somebody's Knocking
Baroness -- Gold & Grey
Torche -- Admission
Yawning Man -- Macedonian Lines
Eloutril -- Vol. 1
Chelsea Wolfe -- Birth of Violence
Boris -- LOVE & EVOL
Chromatics -- Closer to Grey
Drudkh -- A Few Lines in Archaic Ukrainian
Loscil -- Equivalents

I need to hear Ladytron's latest and a bunch of other stuff I can't think of right now.

User avatar
Happy Cycler
Status: Offline
Posts: 4933
Joined: 1 Dec 2005
Drab Majesty - Modern Mirror
The Sorcerers - The Sorcerers

Honestly, I haven't been listening to much new music the last couple years.

New Seed
Status: Offline
Posts: 4
Joined: 18 Nov 2019
Six off the top of my head that have made an impression....

JH1.FS3: Trials and Tribulations
Lucinda Chua: Antidotes 1
Leif: Loom Dream
Anthony Naples: Fog FM
Ben LaMar Gay: Confetti in the Sky Like Fireworks
Joe Lovano: Trio Tapestry

Next

Return to This Random Sound

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 24 guests