YEAR END MEGALIST 2019

2019 started off pretty strong for me, and then kind of faded a bit as the year went on. My list of favorites is pretty Austin heavy this year. Normally I would try and balance that out a bit more, but, honestly, a lot of Austin artists put out exceptional albums this year, so I'm just going to go with it.
  1. Moving Panoramas - "In Two" (20 points)
  2. Black Pumas - "Black Pumas" (10 points)
  3. Bayonne - "Drastic Measures" (10 points)
  4. Jenny Lewis - "On The Line" (10 points)
  5. Sharon Van Etten - "Remind Me Tomorrow" (10 points)
  6. Bruce Robison & Kelly Willis - "Beautiful Lie" (10 points)
  7. Angel Olsen - "All Mirrors" (5 points)
  8. Bob Mould - "Sunshine Rock" (5 points)
  9. Better Oblivion Community Center - "Better Oblivion Community Center" (5 points)
  10. Lizzo - "Cuz I Love You" (5 points)
  11. The Highwomen - "The Highwomen" (5 points)
  12. Will Johnson - "Wire Mountain" (5 points)
I had Sturgill Simpson's "Sound & Fury" just missing the cut, and if it were LP length, I would have made room for Lucy Dacus' "2019" EP. I did enjoy albums from Big Thief, Julia Jacklin and Weyes Blood as well, and some of those would probably work their way in to an expanded list if I had spent more time with them. The latter two, in particular.
Looking back at this list, and I pretty much stand by most of it. I’m not sure I’ve revisited that Angel Olsen album enough to still have it that high on the list, but my biggest burning question remains why did my list apparently anger my friend @GritNGlitter. My guess is maybe it was just a mis-strike when selecting a reaction emoji, but maybe something in that list or my write up really rubbed her the wrong way. Ha!
 
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So... huh. Revisiting this list over three years later is interesting. For one, I'd try to keep it to a tidy top 10 now, but I also feel like my relationship with a lot of these albums has changed over the years.

1000 gecs - I went all in on gecs in 2019, and I don't doubt that I felt this was truly was the best album of the year then. Now, though... I still love it, but I've heard it copied so much it doesn't sound quite as revolutionary to my ears as it did when it was new.

Reflections - Now this one I don't know what the fuck I was thinking. Number 2? I mean it's good but I think the reason it landed so high is that it had just come out when I was making my list so it had recency bias going for it. It probably wouldn't even be on my list if I made it now tbh.

Charli - I liked this one quite a bit, then how i'm feeling now came out and did basically everything this album was trying to do better, so I haven't really returned this one in full in a long time. I definitely wouldn't have it at number 3 now.

Beware of the Dogs - I'd probably put this one a bit lower but I still really enjoy it and stand by it's place on this list. It's a shame I didn't care much for the follow-up she put out last year.

¿uknowhatimsayin? - This is by far the best album on this list and I don't know why I didn't see that back when I made it. This would be my number 1 if I made this list now, no questions.

Girl With Basket of Fruit - No issues with this one being here.

ARIZONA BABY - So the whole Brockhampton thing really fizzled out but I still really love this album. I preferred it to any full length BH project now that I think about it. Haven't given it a full listen in a bit but it would probably still make my list.

Assume Form - This album helped me get over a break-up so I'll always have some admiration for it but I feel like I might struggle to sit through it from beginning to end these days. Might need to revisit it to see if it actually holds up or if I was just the right amount of emotionally vulnerable enough when it first came out.

Stuffed & Ready - This album rocked! This maybe should have been a bit higher. Haven't actually sat down with it from beginning to end in a bit though, need to rectify that. Where is that new album, Ms. Creevy?

Clarity - Ha! I actually still like quite a bit of this one despite not really caring for the direction she's gone since, but I don't think it would be on my list now.

IGOR - I criminally underrated this one. I actually preferred Call Me If You Get Lost as a whole, but in hindsight I enjoyed this more than Flower Boy.

LSD - Oh, wow, I haven't thought of this one in a while. I remember it landing on my list based almost entirely on the strength of a few choice cuts, but I'd say the album as a whole might be a bit shaky on a revisit.

There Existed an Addiction to Blood - This deserved to be way higher.

Injury Reserve - I feel terrible saying this but I haven't really had the heart to go back to Injury Reserve since Groggs died. I haven't returned to this one and I think I might have even skipped their last one... it's probably time to try and rectify that because I remember this being really, really good.

GREY Area - Why did I underrate all the hip-hop releases this year??? I guess too much PC Music was rotting my ears. Anyways this album fucking rules and should have been higher.

Also several albums I snubbed: Dedicated by Carly Rae Jepsen (leaving this off the list was egregious on my part), Jaime by Brittany Howard, ANIMA by Thom Yorke, Schlagenheim by black midi, when we all fall asleep... by Billie Eilish, Social Cues by Cage the Elephant, and probably a lot more I'm not thinking of.

I guess the point of this post is that it's funny how much tastes can change!

Thank you for bumping this thread, @gaporter.

My old top10 from then:

2019Top10Old.png


What it would be now (after giving some thought):

2019Top10New.png

All entries in order. Also worth noting that Caligula is in my top50 all-time in another revised list.

This revised list has a tad more emphasis on art pop than before (Caroline Polachek, FKA twigs, yeule), as that is where my preferences have drifted in the past few years.
 
  1. Lana Del Rey - Norman Fucking Rockwell (20)
  2. Weyes Blood - Titanic Rising (19)
  3. PUP - Morbid Stuff (18)
  4. Lizzo - Cuz I Love You (15)
  5. Megan thee Stallion- Fever (5)
  6. Carly Rae Jepsen - Dedicated (5)
  7. Sleater-Kinney - The Center Wont Hold (5)
  8. FKA Twigs - MAGDALENE (5)
  9. King Gizzard - Infest the Rats Nest (2)
  10. Anna Meredith - Fibs (2)
Honorable Mentions
  • Danny Brown - uknowhatimsayin? (1)
  • LSD - Labrinth, Sia and Diplo Presents LSD (1)
  • Cage the Elephant - Social Cues (1)
  • Tyler the Creator - IGOR (1)
My top 4 were super fucking sold this year. if it wasnt for lana my top 3 would not have changed since April. Spots 5-8 are all interchangeable and no matter how i did it i really couldnt find and order that felt perfect

I’ve been thinking lately that 2019 may be my favorite year for music in my lifetime so far! Lana is still my number 1 and my top 10 wouldn’t be changed too much (just add cage the elephant and Caroline Polachek to it and remove Anna Meredith and Sleater Kinney). Truly the strongest top ten I’ve ever had! I’m hoping to love a year as much as I loved 2019 because 2020 - 2022 have been way too meh for me
 
So I’ve had a think and here is my top 11 (I spread the points fairly over my top 10 and had 1 point of my 100 remaining lol!)

I’ve decided to, for posterity mention a few honourable mentions that didn’t quite make it and call out a disappointment and an outrageously bad album haha!

1. The Gloaming - 3 20 points
2. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Ghosteen 18 points
3. Michael Kiwanuka - Kiwanuka 15 points
4, Thom Yorke - Anima 12 points
5. Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh & Thomas Bartlett 10 points
6. Bruce Springsteen - Western Stars 8
points

7. Rhiannon Giddens - There Is No Other 6 points
8. Anna Mieke - Idle Mind 5 points
9. Brittany Howard - Jaime 3 points
10. Angel Olsen - All Mirrors 2 points
11. Nilüfer Yanya - Miss Universe 1 point

Honourable Mentions

FKA Twigs - Magdalene
Billy Eilish - When We All Go Asleep, Where Do We Go?
Black Pumas
Durand Jones & The Indications - American Love Call
Kelly Finnigan ‎– The Tales People Tell
Julia Jacklin - Crushing
Our Native Daughters - Songs of our Native Daughters
Bon Iver - i, i
Fontaines DC - Dogrel
The Murder Capital - When I Have Fears

Disapointment

The National - I Am Easy To Find: Not bad but it felt like a serious drop off in standard from Sleep Well Beast which is my second favourite of theirs.

Irredeemably Bad

Coldplay - Everyday Life: This is so bad that it could almost be an in joke on how not to experiment. It’s one of the worst albums I’ve ever heard...

Nice idea @gaporter lets have a review.

The Gloaming - obviously still love this album and act, but 2 is their best and I think this got number 1 because I’d just picked it as my N&G AoTM. Would still finish high but probably not 1.

Nick Cave - Sill a beautiful haunting album but again probably higher at the time that it would be now.

Michael Kiwanuka - Probably my number 1 for 2019 3 years removed. Just a wonderful wonderful album.

Thom Yorke - I like this. I like this a lot but it’d drop to around 10 now.

Caoimhin & Thomas - Beautiful album but this one probably drops out.

Bruce - Again would drop a little.

Rhiannon - This one probably climbs into the top 5

Anna Mieke - this one likely rises to the edge of the top 3.

Britney - About right

Angel Olsen - drops out of top 10

From the rest Julia Jacklin probably jumps into the the top 5 and Nilüfer Yanya climbs a couple of places.

Glad I didn’t put the Black Pumas in, fun live but in hindsight they were hyped on here way beyond their quality.

Top 10 in Hindsight

  1. Michael Kiwanuka - Kiwanuka
  2. Julia Jacklin - Crushing
  3. The Gloaming - 3
  4. Anna Mieke - Idle Mind
  5. Rhiannon Giddens - There Is No Other
  6. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Ghosteen
  7. Bruce Springsteen - Western Stars
  8. Thom Yorke - Anima
  9. Britney Howard - Jaime
  10. Nilüfer Yanya - Miss Universe
 
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Thank you for bumping this thread, @gaporter.

My old top10 from then:

View attachment 164904


What it would be now (after giving some thought):

View attachment 164903

All entries in order. Also worth noting that Caligula is in my top50 all-time in another revised list.

This revised list has a tad more emphasis on art pop than before (Caroline Polachek, FKA twigs, yeule), as that is where my preferences have drifted in the past few years.
Itekoma Hits! That's another one that definitely should have been on my original list.
 
Kishi Bashi - Omoiyari 20
Rhiannon Giddens w/ Francesco Turrisi - there is no Other 20
Michael Kiwanuka- Kiwanuka 15
Neal Francis - Changes 15
MorMor - Someplace Else 10
Raphael Saadiq - Jimmy Lee 10
Black Pumas - Black Pumas 5
Tyler Childers - Country Squire 5
You know what, I stand by this list. Even if my memory is faulty and I had said i put Kiwanuka as #1
Kishi, Kiwanuka, Francis, Pumas and Childers are all in my top 25 most listened to albums of all time (by last.fm which I have only been using for 7 years and only with vinyl for four).
 
Looking back at this list, and I pretty much stand by most of it. I’m not sure I’ve revisited that Angel Olsen album enough to still have it that high on the list, but my biggest burning question remains why did my list apparently anger my friend @GritNGlitter. My guess is maybe it was just a mis-strike when selecting a reaction emoji, but maybe something in that list or my write up really rubbed her the wrong way. Ha!
Ha! I don't remember for sure, but I was probably pretending to be mad that you hadn't spent enough time with Julia Jacklin.
 
  1. The Highwomen - The Highwomen - 20
  2. Charly Bliss - Young Enough - 17
  3. Benjamin Tod - A Heart of Gold is Hard to Find - 15
  4. Julia Jacklin - Crushing - 10
  5. Jenny Lewis - On the Line -10
  6. Cherry Glazerr - Stuffed & Ready - 8
  7. Yola - Walk Through Fire -8
  8. Better Oblivion Community Center - BOCC - 5
  9. Jade Bird - Jade Bird - 4
  10. Kelly Finnigan - The Tales People Tell - 3
(I have a ton more albums on my favorites list, but these are the ones I have points for)
Hmm. I stand by this for the most part. I'd switch Jenny Lewis and Charly Bliss, maybe drop Kelly Finnigan and give his points to Jade Bird.

I need to break out that Cherry Glazerr album this week
 
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