Year End List: 2019
A bagful of some wonderful albums you may enjoy!
More this year than ever, I’ve relied on my listening habit statistics to craft this list. I’m also going to try and pull back on the verbose write-ups and attempt to clearly and concisely speak to why I liked something and why it’s here, and hope you press play and see if it’s up your alley.
What were your favourite albums this year? Let me know on Twitter!
Rosie Tucker - Never Not Never Not Never Not
Absolutely, no contest, hands-down the album I listened to most in 2019 was Rosie Tucker’s Never Not Never Not Never Not. It’s a perfect intersection of everything I love and I can’t imagine not coming back to this record again and again in the coming years.
PUP - Morbid Stuff
PUP have been on my lists before, and initially this record didn’t hit me as hard as their last few, but seeing them live really solidified this as another in a long run of hugely satisfying records.
Employed To Serve - Eternal Forward Motion
I fell real hard for Employed To Serve’s previous two albums of hardcore/metalcore/etc. and so when their latest landed it was a no-brainier for me. This shit is so fucking heavy and I love it.
Nervus - Tough Crowd
Nervus’ Tough Crowd hit me hard immediately, with "Flies" which circles through enough hooks to last you for weeks; listen through the melodies and you'll hear Em Foster tackling the police state ("They Don't"), depression, anxiety, and more in their lyrics. Huge record. Sounds like: "if Crass had helped write Pinkerton."
Ithaca - The Language of Injury
Another album that hit me hard upon first listen and that I could not put down is The Language of Injury from Ithaca in the UK; major 00s era hardcore/metalcore vibes, with enough emotional and atmospheric touches to keep you hooked. Some of the breakdowns on this record are absolutely staggering.
Fuming Mouth - The Grand Descent
Somewhere in 2019 I read that Fuming Mouth sounded like a death metal band who were super into classic NYC hardcore and good lord I cannot for the life of me come up with a more perfect description. This record is grimy, heavy, and unflinching.
BA Johnston - The Skid Is Hot Tonight
Yes the new B.A. record has more songs about Canadian beers and discounted bacon, but B.A. continues subtly expanding his pantheon past the casio-led and frenetic acoustic-strums of years gone by with stomp-alongs like the brilliant "I Don't Use Self Service Machines" and the 80s synth-jams of "I Rock the Hawkins" and "We're All Going To Jail (Except Pete, He's Gonna Die)."
Cabana Wear - Cabana Wear
As soon as I heard this, I knew that Cabana Wear must share members with It's A King Thing. Then, I realized they are actually a super-group of sorts - also feat. members of By Surprise (who have a new one that just came out!) and Crucial Dudes. They joined forces for a record of 90s alt-rock power-pop vibes that seem tailor made for me. Dig it.
CFCF - Liquid Colours
My listening habits in 2019 seemed curiously low on the electronic music side of things, but this album of jungle-indebted luxurious chill-out/new-age-meets-consumerism soundscapes had me coming back for more. Somehow maintains sincerity while winking at the tropes of the genre and still upholds what makes it all so special - a rare feat.
Diva Sweetly - In The Living Room
One of the earliest contenders for my year-end list with a release in early January, but the colourful melodies and wildly catchy one-two punch of opener "Cult" and follow-up "Detox Island" solidified this one for me. I could do without the television commercial-esque skit for the “tongue knife” that sticks out like a sore thumb, but hey, they’re doin’ their thing and I salute them for it.
ahem - Try Again
Ahem's 2018 EP got me hooked on their sound from the opening notes of "Air Supply" and their full-length Try Again continues their streak of fuzzed out pop with trade-off vocals and playful but cathartic melodies. Just try and stop yourself from pogo-ing in place while Try Again's 26 minutes slide by.
Philary - I Complain
Philary remind me of an Albini project; muscular, forceful, bass-driven tunes that are begging to be cranked up to eleven. There's a melodic through-line here that recalls 90s indie-rock to ease along the chaos. Very cool.
Charly Bliss - Young Enough
Not a whole lot to say about Charly Bliss that hasn't been said better by other outlets, but they're in full-on victory lap mode after such a major step forward on their latest record and I cannot wait to hear what is next for them. "Hard To Believe" is one of my songs of the year, and the music video as well blew me away.
Frankie Cosmos - Close It Quietly
Over 21 songs in 40 minutes, Greta Kline and Co. cover spacey dream-pop and straight-ahead guitar-pop while offering up relatable struggles with clear-eyed abandon; "Flowers don't grow in an organized way...why should I?" Kline sings on "A Joke." Though they've expanded the palette, the straightforward nature of Kline's emotional cataloging remains as impactful as ever.
Megan Thee Stallion - Fever
Megan Thee Stallion's flow on Fever is off the charts - whether the track calls for explicit sex raps, smooth R&B choruses, or hard southern rap, she out-performs on every one. From punchlines to rapid-fire verses, Megan's the real deal.
Shutups - Every Day I'm Less Zen
Shutups' Every Day I'm Less Zen was something of a sleeper for me; on first spin, there was a disparate nature to the record that kept me at arms length - sometimes even within the same track. The more I listened, the more I eased into their ultimately organized chaos and soon it became one of my most spun records of the year.
So Totally - In the Shape Of...
How to explain So Totally's In The Shape Of... not quite a shoegaze band, though the atmospheric touches certainly fit, and not really indie-pop or rock since So Totally take every opportunity for diversions and left-turns. Whatever they are (they tagged "take yr fuzz pedal to work day" on Bandcamp) for a debut LP In The Shape Of... is remarkably composed and very impressive. I love this record.
Crag Mask - Bend
I got new headphones this year and cranking the opening to Crag Mask's "Old News" never got old; when the song kicks 15 seconds in, if you're not hooked I don't know what to say (except maybe get better headphones!?)
Stef Chura - Midnight
Following up her acclaimed record Messes from 2017, Stef Chura teamed up with Wil Toledo of Car Seat Headrest for Midnight; the result is a thrilling, cathartic record of jagged tunes.
Cool Original - I Never Said I Didn't Care
Nathan Tucker (of Strange Ranger) previously recorded under the name Cool American, but a fresh start as Cool Original and a change in location accompanied the release of "I Never Said I Didn't Care." Tracks like "Funny Before" and "What Do You Know?" pull back and open up with a jangly depth, before clawing in with a majorly hooky melody while elsewhere the crunch is alive and well on "Offended" and "Never Stop Hanging Out."
Crumb - Jinx
Crumb capitalize on the buzz around their 2017 EP Locket with Jinx, a slinky, jazzy, downbeat pop record that glows with a warm depth and eclectic performances. Jinx is the kind of record you turn on and drift away with, unfortunately returning to reality after only 27 minutes.
Pom Poko - Birthday
Norway's Pom Poko truly work up a joyful noise with Birthday, a blast of pop-noise pulling from a wide spectrum of influences; noise, punk, jazz, psychedelic, art/classic/post/math-rock of all walks and more go into the blender and explode into the kaleidoscopic froth that is Birthday.
Knocked Loose - A Different Shade of Blue
One of those albums that feels destined to be over-hyped, but then you listen to it and realize just how compelling it can be; no wonder it's something of a crossover buzzed-about hit for the genre, because it distills everything satisfying about the hardcore/metalcore sound into one vicious package.
Great Deceivers - In Spirit
Great Deceivers continue in the tradition of grey-day indie-rockers like 764-HERO; taking knotty angular guitar lines, thick distortion, and deliberately paced songwriting, wringing maximum effectiveness out of every hazy passing moment. Truly a record not to overlook this year.
Honeygold - i'll love u just the same
Speaking of hazy, Honeygold's i'll love u just the same also takes a hazed approach to noise-rock while still digging its melodic hooks into the listener; take opener "RUBY" which ebbs and flows around its central hook, or lead single "FLOOD" which builds to explosions of energy.
Oso Oso - basking in the glow
Okay, this is another record where I will drop the "not sure what else there is to say here" card; Oso Oso caught my attention with Real Stories of True People... but it wasn't until The Yunahon Mixtape that they truly hit a home run, and Basking in the Glow is another big hit for the emo-pop-rock act. Super catchy, super effective.
Jupiter Styles - Ultra St. Opera
Sean Neumann's - bassist of Ratboys - new album as Jupiter Styles continues a streak of emotionally effective indie-rock that skips from driving indie-rock and power-pop to Elliott Smith-esque acoustic numbers and back again. Don't skip this one!
Amygdala - Our Voices Will Soar Forever
This San Antonio group fuses hardcore intensity with screamo's emotional aggression, grindcore's gut-punching blasts and wraps it all up in a politically potent and timely package chronicling issues of abuse, sexism, racism, false allies and more; truly this album feels like one of the most important releases of the year.
Club Night - What Life
There's something about Club Night's production on What Life that reminds me of early tracks by The Anniversary - with underlying keyboard lines, skittering drum fills, mathy guitar lines, shouted, echo-y vocals, and progressive ambition and songwriting structure. Despite the easy comparison, Club Night take these textural elements and spin them into something completely new and hugely satisfying with these eight tracks.
The Drew Thomson Foundation - The Drew Thomson Foundation
Drew Thompson - of hardcore act Single Mothers - weaves a great no-frills record of power-pop-rock here; "A Little More Time" was a huge stand out track for me this year, and the rest of the album is just as strong.
55 Deltic - You Could Own an American Home
55 Deltic play the kind of slowcore indebted indie-rock that I always find myself reaching for on rainy days; immediately this album brought to mind acts like Duster or The American Analog Set, which is high praise from me because those are two of my all-time favourites.
Peaer - A Healthy Earth
Peaer's self-titled record was one of my favourites in 2016, so after re-issuing some of their older material they returned with A Healthy Earth which sees them continuing to mine knotted guitar riffs for melodic gold while expanding their sound in subtle but impactful ways.
Noera - Pearls
This year, I rarely pulled the "immediately start playing an album again when it finishes" move, but the album that inspired this most was Noera's Pearls; self-described as a "grit-pop" record about mental illness and gender identity, Noera have a truly stunning record on their hands here and hopefully more people give it a try.
CHAI - PUNK
Nagoya-based CHAI's second album PUNK (following up 2017's PINK) exudes energy and joy from every angle; with songs about self-love (“I don’t know about the world but I know me/I don’t hide my weight,”) and tracks like the mission-statement Choose Go! (“Bad mind, get out!”) it makes for one of the most exhilarating listens of the year.
Griselda - WWCD
Griselda's (Westside Gunn, Benny The Butcher, and Conway the Machine) WWCD is a 46 minute plate of grimy hip-hop rawness; no mere throwback to dusty boom-bap, this record is a completely no-nonsense trip through anxious beats and hardcore lyricism. Honestly, the only negative I have to say about WWCD is Eminem's feature on the final track (though it's easily skipped.)
Karenn - Grapefruit Regret
A late entry to my list, this record of overblown textures laid atop techno/house beats was another sleeper for me; at first I wasn't sure what to do with this stuff, but the more I listened to Grapefruit Regret the more intrigued I was with its depth. Very, very cool stuff going on in the corners here.