It’s a little bit past the season of “Best Of” lists but indulge me. To be honest, the list I wrote in December is now outdated and I’m much more firm with my top ten list for last year. I don’t know if it was just me paying more attention than usual or not, but 2019 was a fantastic year for new music!
#10: Two Hands by Big Thief
This one drew me in with the single, Not, but I’ve played it end-to-end a dozen times since then. The album has a very raw feeling for me both lyrically and musically. I would have ranked it higher in my list except that there are albums that are similar for me that just resonate more strongly.
#9: Stars Are the Light by Moon Duo
This pick shows my love of jam music as it’s filled with delicious jams and light-hearted lyrics. This is modern psychedelic music with intricate guitar solos and instrumentation over drum machine rhythms. Again, the lead single, Stars are the Light, is an entry way into a satisfying album.
#8: Dunk Reactions by Rudy Willingham
This is an under-the-radar local release from a producer that I think is heavily underrated. The lead single, Pool Party, has the most creative use of a “found sound” that I can recall. It calls out to Rudy’s visual artwork where he uses cut-outs held up against real-life landmarks to create composites that are quirky and surprising. Other tracks run the range from dance anthems to downtempo treats. This is the one that people are most likely to have not heard before; treat yo’ self with a listen!
#7: A Bath Full of Ecstasy by Hot Chip
British synth-pop at it’s finest. This is the perfect soundtrack for summertime with it’s danceable beats and soothing lyrics. Start with Hungry Child and Spell to get a flavor and then enjoy the rest. Once you’ve fallen in love, check out the remixes!
#6: Dogrel by Fontaines D.C.
This is the band and album that brought me in to modern punk-rock. As I was first exposed to bands like IDLES, I was taken aback at what I perceived to be an abrasive style and an angry message. It took the slightly softer and more poetic approach of Fontaines D.C. to help me to appreciate it. After they brought me in with songs like The Lotts, Boys in the Better Land, and Chequeless Reckless, a light-bulb went off for me. I re-listened to IDLES and I saw that it was filled with love and not anger at all. Eye-opening and exciting!
#5: All Mirrors by Angel Olsen
This one is just BIG. The orchestra backing on this one reminds me heavily of another BIG album, Sgt. Pepper’s by the Beatles. Apparently she recorded this album twice, once with the huge sound that we have in this album and another with a minimal sound of her and a guitar. The two versions were to be released side-by-side but she saw the power in the orchestral version and released that first. Eventually, we will see the other side and can explore the power of arrangement but this stands alone.
#4: Remind Me Tomorrow by Sharon Van Etten
Like a raw nerve exposed to rock and roll. In the opening track, Sharon invites you into her world with a warning that it’s going to be fucked up. She almost died, you learn. The songs about our youth resonate with my strongly. Comeback Kid about surviving it and coming out stronger. Seventeen both worshipping and mocking our youthful bravado. I can’t get enough of this one.
#3: Kiwanuka by Michael Kiwanuka
This album is the one that most changed my life this year. There is something about his lyrics and stories that just connects and hits me like a ton of bricks. His empathy is out of this world and his message is both uplifting and acknowledging our pain. His work on racism is notable in that it brings me in, as a white man, and teaches me his perspective and does it without alienating or blaming. I feel that his music is for me even when he is singing about topics that are not part of my existence.
#2: Lux Prima by Karen O + Dangermouse
Art-rock at its finest. Apparently this album came out a meeting between Karen O, of the Yeah Yeah Yeah’s and master producer Dangermouse. In one sitting they had created the opening track, Lux Prima, a three part epic that has to be heard to be believed. The follow-up track, Ministry, is so lush that it fills me up like a bowl of stew. The album has to be consumed as a whole to appreciate it. The final track, Nox Lumina, brings it full circle, intended to set the album on repeat and just never stop. I wish they would take this on tour but they did a “one show only” performance!
#1: 5 by SAULT
Who are they? Why don’t they perform live? The mysterious band called SAULT released two albums in 2019, simply named 5 and 7. Not sure what happened to 6… The sound captures the past and the present in a way that is familiar and new at the same time. Every track is a classic.
I am Galt 