2019! O! You Have Come To An End! (Lists For The Listeners Of Casper And Thermopolis)

[cobl04]

Getting in before iron yuppie does

Post your best of 2019.

For me, it wasn't the best of years, but still plenty of really great music came out of it. Some fantastic new discoveries, a lot of great older records, some awesome new music by old acts, some good live gigs too.

Albums
1. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Ghosteen
2. The National - I Am Easy to Find
3. Stella Donnelly - Beware of the Dogs
4. Moodymann - Sinner
5. Lizzo - Cuz I Love You
6. Helado Negro - This is How You Smile
7. Bruce Springsteen - Western Stars
8. James Blake - Assume Form
9. Sharon Van Etten - Remind Me Tomorrow
10. FKA twigs - MAGDALENE

Songs
1. Sharon Van Etten - Seventeen
2. Bruce Springsteen - Moonlight Motel
3. Lizzo - Juice
4. Lana Del Rey - Norman Fucking Rockwell!
5. Stella Donnelly - Old Man
6. The National - I Am Easy to Find
7. Lil Nas X - Old Town Road
8. Helado Negro - Running
9. Moodymann - I'll Provide
10. Thom Yorke - Dawn Chorus

Gigs
1. U2, Marvel Stadium
2. Stella Donnelly, Corner
3. Arctic Monkeys, Rod Laver
4. Anderson Paak, Festy Hall
5. Neneh Cherry, Recital Centre

Old albums
1. Teho Teardo & Blixa Bargeld - Still Smiling
2. George Harrison - All Things Must Pass
3. Nina Simone - Baltimore
4. Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band - Stranger in Town
5. Yo La Tengo - I Can Hear the Heart Beating As One (Autumn Sweater being the best new old song I heard this year, what a tune.)

 

[mikal]

Here is my Top 9. [emoji16]

1. Biffy Clyro - Balance, Not Symmetry
2. Bilmuri - Rich Sips
3. The Amazons - Future Dust
4. TOOL - Fear Inoculum
5. Foals - Part 1/2
6. Slipnot - We Are Not Your Kind
7. Issues - Beautiful Oblivion
8. Glorious Sons - A War On Everything
9. Fire From The Gods - American Sun

 

[Axver]

I really am unbelievably behind on my 2019 listening. I've barely listened to half the albums I've heard in all other years of this decade. A few reasons for that, but I need to do some serious catching-up in the next couple of weeks.

At this stage I think my favourite album for the year will be -aire by The End of the Ocean, and song of the year... perhaps one of the below:

- "He Is Not" - Gold
- "All Mirrors" - Angel Olsen
- "Rush" - Westkust
- "Girl" - Little May
- "I'm Not Saying" - Purple Pilgrims

But lots of listening to do yet.

 

[prbiker15]

Also getting this one out of the way.

Top 10 Albums
01 - Madonna :: Madame X
02 - Foals :: Part 1 Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost
03 - Carly Rae Jepsen :: Dedicated
04 - Hatchie :: Keepsake
05 - Keane :: Cause and Effect
06 - Dido :: Still on My Mind
07 - City and Colour :: A Pill for Loneliness
08 - Gary Clark, Jr. :: This Land
09 - The Black Keys :: "Let's Rock"
10 - Coldplay :: Everyday Life

Top 10 Songs (in alphabetic order)
Carly Rae Jepsen - Want You in My Room
Dido - Friends
Foals - Sunday
Friendly Fires - Heaven Let Me In
Gary Clark, Jr. - When I'm Gone
Hatchie - Without a Blush
Inhaler - My Honest Face
Jimmy Eat World - 555
Madonna - God Control
Weezer - I'm Just Being Honest

 

[LemonMelon]

My top 50. Click on the links for a track from each album.

1. Weyes Blood - Titanic Rising
2. Freddie Gibbs & Madlib - Bandana
3. (Sandy) Alex G - House of Sugar
4. Tyler, the Creator - Igor
5. Carly Rae Jepsen - Dedicated
6. Shura - Forevher
7. Quelle Chris - Guns
8. Little Simz - Grey Area
9. Stella Donnelly - Beware of the Dogs
10. Danny Brown - uknowhatimsayin¿
11. Bat For Lashes - Lost Girls
12. Caroline Polachek - Pang
13. Solange - When I Get Home
14. The Comet Is Coming - Trust in the Lifeforce of the Deep Mystery
15. Big Thief - U.F.O.F.
16. Jessica Pratt - Quiet Signs
17. MIKE - Tears of Joy
18. Purple Mountains - Purple Mountains
19. Barker - Utility
20. Durand Jones & The Indications - American Love Call
21. Anderson .Paak - Ventura
22. Prince - Originals
23. slowthai - Nothing Great About Britain
24. PUP - Morbid Stuff
25. Swans - Leaving Meaning.
26. Anamanaguchi - [USA]
27. American Football - American Football
28. These New Puritans - Inside the Rose
29. Little Brother - May the Lord Watch
30. Bill Callahan - Shepherd in a Sheepskin Vest
31. Tropical Fuck Storm - Braindrops
32. Angel Olsen - All Mirrors
33. 3776 - 歳時記 (Saijiki)
34. Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds - Ghosteen
35. Hatchie - Keepsake
36. Jenny Hval - The Practice of Love
37. Flying Lotus - Flamagra
38. Charli XCX - Charli
39. Jay Som - Anak Ko
40. Orville Peck - Pony
41. Mannequin Pussy - Patience
42. Madeon - Good Faith
43. Ana Frango Elétrico - Little Electric Chicken Heart
44. Glass Beach - The First Glass Beach Album
45. Have a Nice Life - Sea of Worry
46. Michael Kiwanuka - Kiwanuka
47. LOONA - [x x]
48. Brittany Howard - Jaime
49. black midi - Schlagenheim
50. Oso Oso - Basking in the Glow

 

[iron yuppie]

Best album:
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, Ghosteen

Top ten others, in no particular order:
Angel Olsen, All Mirrors
Bat for Lashes, Lost Girls
Cate Le Bon, Reward
Charli XCX, Charli
Danny Brown, uknowwhatimsayin?
Deerhunter, Why Hasn't Everything Already Disappeared?
Nerija, Blume
The National, I Am Easy to Find
Tindersticks, No Treasure but Hope
Toro y Moi, Outer Peace

Best EP:
Earl Sweatshirt, Feet of Clay

Disappointment:
Whitney, Forever Turned Around

Worst album:
Cigarettes after Sex, Cry

 

[DaveC]

"tropical fuck storm" is a fantastic band name.

 

[lazarus]

34. Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds - Ghosteen

Best album:
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, Ghosteen

Can't wait 'til Cobbler shows up.

 

[cobl04]

Yes, pretty infuriated that Lemel has it so low, and not surprised iYup has it as #1. I am however very glad to see someone else rate Stella Donnelly's record so high. If you get a chance to see her LM, don't miss it. It will be very cheap in your part of the world and her live show is a delight.

Good to see Tropical Fuck Storm in there as well. Though I haven't heard the album, I've seen them live and they rip. The lead singer, Gareth Liddiard, is the lead singer of The Drones, and his partner, Fiona Kitschin, is the bassist for both. The other two members of TFS are both female. The Drones went on hiatus after their 2016 album Feelin Kinda Free, which ruled.

I have spoken about this before, but I feel like I need to listen to fewer albums going forward. I try to listen to so many and end up spinning most of them once, two or three times max, and it ends up feeling pretty unsatisfactory.

 

[LemonMelon]

#34 is really good actually. Just narrowing things down to 50 from 250+ took a couple weeks of re-listens and I'm very fond of every album there.

My thing with Ghosteen is that it's an ordeal. Truly harrowing and exhausting to listen to, more so even than Skeleton Tree, and I haven't returned to it as often as many albums on the list for that reason. But it contains some of Nick's best performances and no shortage of heartbreaking lyricism. As a father, I can hardly fathom what he's been through and it's humbling that he has offered so much of himself for his fans.

The "ghosteen dances in my hand" section of the title track is one of the most beautiful moments in music this year.

 

[cobl04]

Oh yeah, I agree with that. It's an exceptionally difficult listen when you're focused on it.

 

[cobl04]

I haven't listened to it in a week though because I had a sex dream about him the other night that felt very real and so I'm a bit freaked out.

 

[iron yuppie]

My thing with Ghosteen is that it's an ordeal. Truly harrowing and exhausting to listen to, more so even than Skeleton Tree, and I haven't returned to it as often as many albums on the list for that reason. But it contains some of Nick's best performances and no shortage of heartbreaking lyricism. As a father, I can hardly fathom what he's been through and it's humbling that he has offered so much of himself for his fans.

You were/are a big fan of A Crow Looked at Me, if I remember correctly. How do you feel about Ghosteen compared to that album? They have similar mission statements, I think, but very different musical approaches.

 

[lazarus]

I haven't listened to it in a week though because I had a sex dream about him the other night that felt very real and so I'm a bit freaked out.

can't decide between "Nocturama Emission" and "Push This Guy Away".

 

[LemonMelon]

You were/are a big fan of A Crow Looked at Me, if I remember correctly. How do you feel about Ghosteen compared to that album? They have similar mission statements, I think, but very different musical approaches.

Yeah I love that album dearly. What's interesting about it is how incredibly novel the lyrical direction of that album is compared to his previous work. It was shocking, really, the way he presented himself on that record. Barely any rhyme, meter, anything. There's a Mark Kozelek circa Benji influence, but it also felt like a natural extension of his mindset. So that was very much a new chapter in his life and career.

Ghosteen is different in the sense that it's an evolution in the topics Nick had been developing with Skeleton Tree, but instrumentally it's something more plush, cozy and ambient than its predecessor. It's like he's taking that pain with him into whatever new musical avenues he discovers. You can hear the mark his loss left on his writing forever. A Crow Looked At Me is a very fresh, painful wound of a record in comparison.

 

[Axver]

04 - Hatchie :: Keepsake

I wish I enjoyed Keepsake this much. Hatchie's a great talent and I was very excited for this album, but I don't think it's quite what she's capable of. I await her next album.

I am however very glad to see someone else rate Stella Donnelly's record so high. If you get a chance to see her LM, don't miss it. It will be very cheap in your part of the world and her live show is a delight.

Save your money, Traviud. She's boring. Saw four songs at a festival earlier this year and then figured other artists were more interesting.

 

[gump]

Having a baby meant significantly less time to check new music, but I still found 2019 to be a strong year, which included three of my favorite albums of the decade, strong mid/late career work by old favorites (The National, Deerhunter, Wilco), and a bunch of fantastic albums by women or bands led by women.

It’s rare that I would place two albums from the same artist so high in one of these lists (maybe Beach House did this with Depression Cherry/Thank Your Lucky Stars) but I think Big Thief deserves the accolades.

15. Aldous Hardling - Designer [Favorite song: The Barrel]
14. Deerhunter - Why Hasn’t Everything Already Disappeared [No One’s Sleeping]
13. Clairo - Immunity [Bags]
12. Jessica Pratt - Quiet Signs [This Time Around]
11. Purple Mountains - S/T [All My Happiness Is Gone]
10. Sleater-Kinney - The Center Wont Hold [Hurry On Home]
9. Solange - When I Get Home [Binz]
8. Bon Iver - i,i [Hey, Ma]
7. The National - I Am Easy to Find [Where Is Her Head]
6. Big Thief - Two Hands [Not]
5. Angel Olsen - All Mirrors [Lark]
4. Sharon Van Etten - Remind Me Tomorrow [Seventeen, easy]
3. Big Thief - UFOF [Cattails]
2. Weyes Blood - Titanic Rising [Andromeda]
1. Lana Del Rey - Norman Fucking Rockwell [Venice Bitch]

H/M

Wilco - Ode to Joy
Helado Negro: This Is How You Smile
Bill Callahan - Shepherd in a Sheepskin Vest
Vampire Weekend - Father of the Bride
Hatchie - Keepsake
(Sandy) Alex G - House of Sugar

 

[LemonMelon]

Gump and Barack Obama listed Binz as the best song from When I Get Home on the same day. Nice.

 

[gump]

And Wolf Hall was one of the best books both of us read this year!

Obama’s lists are always so good. Damn he has good taste for a politician.

 

[iron yuppie]

Maybe I'm the only one who didn't dig the Solange album. Sounded like a bunch of Blood Orange leftovers to me.

 

[LemonMelon]

Reminded me of Stevie Wonder's more insular 70s work, like Music of My Mind. It's such a weird and offbeat yet sensual and intimate record. If A Seat at the Table sounded like an album she made for the culture, When I Get Home sounds like an album she made for herself.

 

[gump]

The album that When I Get Home reminds me the most is Frank Ocean’s Blonde (not in terms of pure quality, as I find Blonde to be a masterpiece, but in terms of my initial reaction to them). Following critically acclaimed albums with big hits, they seemed to me at first quite understated, almost unfinished. But the songwriting revealed itself slowly, and the songs started to make more sense and stand on their own as pretty strong. Solange’s album has a certain feel and maturity that I really admire. She could have chosen a number of more pop friendly directions and instead went to a different place. I don’t like it as much as A Seat at the Table, but I admire it more, if that makes sense.

 

[Joey788]

Top 20 Albums of the Year

20. SOAK – Grim Town
Fav songs: "Knock Me Off My Feet," "Deja Vu," "Missed Calls"

19. Better Oblivion Community Center - Better Oblivion Community Center
Fav songs: "Dylan Thomas," "Exception to the Rule," "Dominos"

18. Elbow - Giants of All Sizes
Fav songs: "Dexter & Sinister," "White Noise White Heat," "On Deronda Road"

17. Bon Iver - i, i
Fav songs: "Hey Ma," "U (Man Like)," "Faith"

16. Priests - The Seduction of Kansas
Fav songs: "Jesus' Son," "Carol," "Texas Instruments"

15. Bruce Springsteen - Western Stars
Fav songs: "Hitch Hikin," "Western Stars," "Stones"

14. Lady Lamb - Even in the Tremor
Fav songs: "Deep Love," "Even in the Tremor," "July Was Mundane"

13. Big Thief - Two Hands
Fav songs: "Forgotten Eyes," "Two Hands," "Not"

12. Weyes Blood - Titanic Rising
Fav songs: "Andromeda," "Something to Believe," "Movies"

11. Foals - Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost Pt 2
Fav songs: "Black Bull," "10,000 Feet," "Neptune"

10. Laura Stevenson - The Big Freeze
Fav songs: "Lay Back Arms Out," "Value Inn," "Living Room, NY"

9. FKA twigs - Magdalene
Fav songs: "Thousand Eyes," "Fallen Alien," "Cellophane"

8. Alex Lahey - The Best of Luck Club
Fav songs: "Am I Doing It Right?," "Don't Be So Hard On Yourself," "I Want To Live With You"

7. Control Top - Covert Contracts
Fav songs: "Office Rage," "Covert Contracts," "Traffic"

6. The National - I Am Easy to Find
Fav songs: "Oblivions," "Where Is Her Head," "Rylan"

5. Big Thief - UFOF
Fav songs: "Contact," "Cattails," "From"

4. Charly Bliss - Young Enough
Fav songs: "Blown to Bits," "Young Enough," "Chatroom"

3. Angel Olsen - All Mirrors
Fav songs: "All Mirrors," "New Love Cassette," "Summer"

2. Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds - Ghosteen
Fav songs: "Bright Horses," "Waiting for You," "Hollywood"

1. Sharon Van Etten - Remind Me Tomorrow
Fav songs: "Memorial Day," "Seventeen," "Stay"

Five Best Concerts I Saw This Year
Foals at Brooklyn Steel
Priests at Elsewhere
The National at Beacon Theatre
Big Thief at Brooklyn Steel
Angel Olsen at Brooklyn Steel

 

[Joey788]

Also, if anyone’s interested, I put together this Best of 2019 playlist. Hope you enjoy it. Happy New Year all!

https://open.spotify.com/user/joey788/playlist/10vvpq61rjckTl44NzybfM?si=lS9hok0RQdSlHhQwwvUOJg

 

[namkcuR]

Top 10 Albums:

1. Angel Olsen - All Mirrors

I guess a bunch of you prefer My Woman to this, but I very much disagree. This album is on a different level of artistry from My Woman. Her absolutely naked vocal performances and the gorgeous string arrangements combine to make something magical. Highlights include the title track, the climax of which is exhilarating rock music, and the whole five-song stretch that closes the album is jaw-dropping. "Tonight" and "Endgame" are gorgeous ballads(which give me Radiohead vibes, think "Motion Picture Soundtrack", "Sail To The Moon", etc), "Impasse" and "Summer" continue that strings-as-rock vibe of the title track, and "Chance" is my song of the year. Just an absolutely breathtaking, heartbreaking ballad.

2. Weyes Blood - Titanic Rising

I'd never heard of her until Travis stanned for her some months ago, and I was blown away by the record. She sounds like she's from another time. Like a 1970s singer-songwriter who found a time machine and traveled to the 21st century. The album is gorgeous and other-worldly from beginning to end. My favorite tracks are "Everyday" and "Wild Time". The singalong in the chorus of the former and the final climax of the latter are just brilliant.

3. Lana Del Rey - Norman Fucking Rockwell

I haven't, to this point, really been a fan of Lana(though to be fair, I'd only given passing listens to some of her older stuff, which didn't hold my attention), but for some reason this album has been different. It feels, I don't know, more personal than her previous stuff? Anyway, she captivated me on this record. "How To Disappear" is a highlight, and the closer, "Hope Is A Dangerous Thing For A Woman Like Me To Have" will be in my top ten songs of the year.

4. Bruce Springsteen - Western Stars

I'm really only a casual Bruce fan, but damn if this isn't the best album he's made in twenty years. Enjoyed it all the way through. "Hitchhikin'" and "Moonlight Motel" are highlights, but I think "There Goes My Miracle" is a masterpiece of a song - the soaring melody, Bruce's Orbison-esque delivery, it's gorgeous. I don't know why more people aren't talking about it.

5. Thom Yorke - Anima

Yet another fascinating piece of electronic work from Thom. It is inconsistent imo, but the highs - "Dawn Chorus", "Runwayaway", "Impossible Knots", "The Axe" - make it one of the year's best. "I Am A Very Rude Person" and "Not The News" also both get to good climaxes, but it feels like it takes too long to get there in both cases. This is a dense recording that demands more listens.

6. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Ghosteen

Again, not close to ready to say much about this, other than the following: of his last three records, I'm finding this one to be the most difficult to get into. So far, the only track that I keep coming back to is "Hollywood", which I like very much. The whole thing is a slow, inch-by-inch buildup to the 'it's a long way to find peace of mind, peace of mind' climax, but it's a climax that's worth waiting for. His pain is palpable. Seeing as "Hollywood" is 1/5 of the record's duration, it alone is enough to put the album on the list. I will keep listening to see if the rest starts seeping into me.

7. Coldplay - Everyday Life

Their best record since Viva, by far. It feels kind of like their White Album, in that it's stylistically diverse and not too cohesive, like it's just a collection of disparate things they did - acoustic stuff like "Guns" and "Old Friends", choral vocals in "When I Need A Friend", Floyd-esque prog guitars at the end of "Trouble In Town", jazz in "Arabesque", the piano piece the name of which is in another language, gospel in "BroKen", orchestral strings in "Sunrise", and typical Coldplay pop in "Orphans", "Champions Of The World", and the title track - and there's no unifying theme. Just to be clear, I'm not actually comparing it to the actual White Album, that would be crazy. I'm just saying, it feels like their White Album.

It's a really interesting, enjoyable, well-produced record. Surprised they had it in them.

8. Bat For Lashes - Lost Girls

Another solid BFL album. This one sounds pretty different from her previous releases; a lot of it has an 80s sound to it, gated reverb on the drums, that kind of thing, but despite that 80s pop production, the songwriting is largely pretty ethereal and moody in nature. It's actually a really interesting combination. Sort of bold. As is the inclusion of what could be described as a soft jazz instrumental - "Vampires" - smack in the middle of the record. I like said track, but I think some of you may not have. Favorites at the moment include the opening duo "Kids In The Dark" and "The Hunger", "Desert Man", and the closer "Mountains".

9. Vampire Weekend - Father Of The Bride

This is the first VW record I ever listened to. I know they're divisive here. I listened to one of their other records, Contra, after this, and it did nothing for me. But I liked this one quite a bit. Pretty, breezy, uplifting indie pop.

10. Nilufer Yanya - Miss Universe

Laz and some others made me aware of her. Pretty enjoyable guitar record here. She's someone to watch going forward.


Top 10 Songs:

1. Angel Olsen - Chance
2. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Hollywood
3. Weyes Blood - Everyday
4. Weyes Blood - Wild Time
5. Angel Olsen - All Mirrors
6. Bruce Springsteen - There Goes My Miracle
7. Coldplay - Arabesque
8. Lana Del Rey - Hope Is A Dangerous Thing For A Woman Like Me To Have - but I Have It
9. Lana Del Rey - How To Disappear
10. TIE: Thom Yorke - Runwayaway / Thom Yorke - Dawn Chorus

 

[MissCandyGirl]

I love music 100% and will check out ALL these albums. Not surprisingly, Madonna is a favourite! I have not yet to listened to her Madam X album, but I will.

A great thread!

 

[gump]

I'm slowly catching up with these lists. namkcur, it was great to read your comments on the albums. I fully agree with you on Norman Fucking Rockwell - and the more I listen to it the more I enjoy/admire it.

On Vampire Weekend, I think Contra may be their weakest record. I strongly recommend Modern Vampires of the City (which I just placed in my top-10 of the decade). It's really fantastic, and if you liked Father of the Bride I think you will enjoy it. I know that Laz enjoys it too, but it does have its detractors in the forum.

And Joey, I think that National show at Beacon was also my favorite of the year. I assume you enjoyed Julien Baker's presence in particular!

 

[lazarus]

I love every artist and every album and song ever recorded! Even the ones I haven’t heard yet!

Is there a maximum number I can put on my list??

 

[iron yuppie]

Anyone else have a nomination for worst album of the year?