Our Final Year-End Post

2019 In Review

By Henry Lipput

My year-end review this time around is not so much a "best-of" or a countdown as it is a list of favorites, the music I've been listening to and enjoying in 2019, the albums, EPs, singles, a compilation, and a reissue / live album. I've listened to nearly 50 albums in 2019 and have reviewed many of them for CoolDad Music. I've chosen 12 of them as my favorites.

Thanks again to CoolDad for, six years on, allowing me to continue to be part of the team and write about music.

I've also put together a Spotify playlist with my favorite songs from my favorite 2019 releases. If you like what you hear or what I've written about, buy a download or a CD to support indie music.



ALBUMS

The Pearlfishers, Love & Other Hopeless Things. This is an absolutely wonderful album full of gorgeous pop tunes with echoes of the work of Burt Bacharach, Laura Nyro, and Jimmy Webb. The title song is inspired by Cilla Black and "You Can Take Me There" is a pop treasure. If I had to choose a very most favorite album of 2019 it would be this one. I liked it so much that I bought the vinyl. (Marina Records)

Bill Pritchard, Midland Lullabies. You could call it supper-club pop or a recital at a local town hall but whatever name you give to Bill Pritchard's latest collection of songs, you'll have to agree that Midland Lullabies is a brilliant album. Following 2016's splendid Mother Town Hall, Pritchard has upped his game by stripping down his sound to just voice, piano, and the occasional strings. (Tapete Records)

Armstrong, Under Blue Skies. Armstrong is Julian Pitt, and Under Blue Skies was originally self-released in very limited quantities on CDr. The Beautiful Music label and Country Mile Records decided to give the album a proper release and added demos and otherwise lost tracks. The album is a true find and the songs on Under Blue Skies are, as The Chills once said of one of their own tunes, heavenly pop hits. (The Beautiful Music / Country Mile Records)

David Mead, Cobra Pumps. Since I've been a long-time fan of David Mead's music (since 1999), you can imagine how excited I was to learn that he had released the excellent Cobra Pumps, his first solo album since 2011's very fine Dudes. The new album is, as expected, full of top pop tunes but there's also more than a little funk on songs like "Poster Child," and the gorgeous "Hopalong" is reminiscent of his superb Indiana album from 2004. Cobra Pumps is a welcome addition to his marvelous body of work. (DavidMead.com for CD and vinyl and digital vendors for downloads)

Fallon Cush, Stranger Things Have Happened. Stranger Things Have Happened is this Australian band's third release in three years and they never sounded better. Led by lead singer, songwriter, producer, and guitarist Steve Smith, the current lineup includes a core group that played on 2018's Morning and toured Australia to support that album. You can hear it in the interplay of the musicians on Stranger Things Have Happened. (Bandcamp)

Empty City Squares, 337. John Fotiadis is an architect by day and a one-man rock-and-roll machine any time he can fit it in. 337 is full of Squeeze-like hooks and crisp guitar solos as good as Glenn Tilbrook's (Fotiadis's bass playing is right up there too). He uses instruments that aren't new or unique but add flavor to his songs like the electric organ on "Sometimes You Need To Look Back (When You Look Ahead)" (think the Ray Charles classic "What'd I Say") and the harmonica in the rocking "It's Your Day." And the closing moments of "Talk About The Weather" may remind you of "The End" on Abbey Road. (Bandamp)

Robert Forster, Inferno. Inferno is Australian singer-songwriter Robert Forster's first solo album in four years and his third since 2008's The Evangelist which followed the untimely death of Forster's bandmate and Go-Betweens co-founder Grant McLennan. Forster has described Inferno as a "performance record" and you can hear the give-and-take between Foster and the other musicians and a new-found looseness in his voice. The title song, "Inferno (Brisbane in Summer)," was an early warning sign of what's happening in Australia right now. (Tapete Records)

The Magic Es, Dark Star. Since The Magic Es released their terrific debut album It Goes On in 2017 they've released six excellent singles. The Magic Es are Pete Thompson on vocals and guitars, Jasper Stainthorpe on bass, and Stuart Catchpole on drums and background vocals. Over the course of the last two years, they have become a tighter, more focused group and they continue to be the best British rock and roll band since the Gallagher Brothers. Dead Star is ten songs of pure power-chord delight. (wearemagic.uk)

Gretchen's Wheel, Moth to Lamplight: A Nada Surf Tribute. Lindsay Murray, the singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist (she plays everything except the drums) provides intelligent covers of Nada Surf songs like "Killian's Red" (from Let Go) and "See These Bones" (from Lucky). But she's accomplished something of a musical mind-meld on a few of the early Nada Surf songs I'm not familiar with. This connection is so strong that there were times when I could forget that it was a Nada Surf song and think I was listening to a brand-new song by Gretchen's Wheel. (Futureman Records / Bandcamp)

RW Hedges. The Hills Are Old Songs. Hedges and his writing partner Luca Nieri have produced a suite of songs that imagine the American West of 1877. The songs are both quiet and melodic like the lovely "Haven't Seen Her In A While" and "Girl In The Story." "Down To Venezuela" adds a little more of a pop vibe to the album. Hedges is a self-described lover of songs from the Golden Age of Broadway (Rodgers and Hart and Rodgers and Hammerstein are touchstones), so it's not surprising that the songs on The Hills Are Old Songs could by the basis of a future stage production. (Wonderful Sound)

Chris Stamey, New Songs For The 20th Century. Chris Stamey, with his remarkable new album, returns us to a world in which John F. Kennedy is in the White House, the British Invasion has yet to happen, and the New York Mets are having their first regular season. Stamey is an indie rock pioneer having been in the legendary dbs, worked with the great Alex Chilton, and released more than a few well-received solo albums. But from a young age, Stamey has kept his ears open to the popular music and show tunes of the 30's, 40's, and 50's. His knowledge and love of this music resonates throughout his new collection.( Omnivore Recordings)

Mekons, Deserted. Mekons started out in 1977 as a punk band that didn't know how to play their instruments. Along the way, they created the Americana genre with their 1985 Fear and Whiskey album and mixed rock and roll with politics on albums like 1989's The Mekons Rock'N'Roll. Deserted is much like that album and includes three long-time vocalists: original members Jon Langford ("Lawrence Of California")and Tom Greenhalgh ("How Many Stars")and the golden-voiced and Mekons secret weapon Sally Timms who joined up in the 1980s ("After The Rain"). I saw the band last summer at the Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh and they were just fabulous and rocked out big time. (Bloodshot Records)

EPs

Super 8, Head Sounds the EP. Last year, SUPER 8 released three amazing albums; and, this year, we've had the Backers & Maracas compilation and the singles "Love Like Ours," "Days Like These," "Island Girl," and "TIMEBOMB (featuring Lisa Mychols)." Head Sounds the EP has five songs including the Graceland-influenced "Bones," a wonderful cover of "Across The Universe," and he sings about his dealings with the music industry on "I Just Wanna Be Me." (Bandcamp)

The Memory Fades, She Loves The Birds. Stephen Maughan is the musical mastermind behind the British band The Memory Fades. They released two-and-half EPs last year my favorite being She Loves The Birds (the half is a remix of songs from their Space Pilot EP). One of the songs on the Space Pilot EP, "listening to the marychain," is a clue to the delightful shoegaze sound that Maughan and company are producing. (Sunday Records / Bandcamp)

Annie Booth, Spectral.  Annie Booth is a singer-songwriter from Edinburgh, Scotland. Her EP, Spectral, is a wonderful collection of songs that, especially on "Still," sound more than a little like Joni Mitchell's Blue. I first heard her "Magic 8" song on the "Postcards From The Underground" internet radio show. I was taken with Booth's songs and her quiet, spare arrangements and immediately went to Bandcamp and pre-ordered the EP. (Scottish Fiction / Last Night From Glasgow / Bandcamp)

SINGLES

The Hangabouts, "Who Wants Cilla?" / "Mrs. Greene." The Hangabouts are a great power pop collective from the Detroit area. "Who Wants Cilla?" is both a musical question as well as the answer in a love-letter and tribute to this former coat-check girl at the Cavern Club who later had a career as a singer of ballads. "Mrs. Greene" is a country-rock throwback with it's Carl Perkins-like guitar solo. The song is also reminiscent of Simon & Garfunkel's "Mrs. Robinson." (Futureman Records / Big Stir Records / Bandcamp)

Close Lobsters, "All Compasses Go Wild." Close Lobsters released two albums and a bunch of singles in the 80's but not much was heard from the band until two EPs came out about six years ago (one in 2014 and the other in 2016). (To be honest I didn't discover Close Lobsters until a year or so ago when Wally Salem of The Beautiful Music tweeted a song from one of the EPs. Thank you, Wally.) "All Compasses Go Wild" is the first single from their new album Post Neo Anti: Arte Povera in the Forest of Symbols coming out in February 2020. They continue to mix politics and Rickenbackers, and it continues to be an amazing sound. (Shelflife / Bandcamp)

Teenage Fanclub, "Everything Is Falling Apart." Teenage Fanclub have been giving us great pop music for close to 30 years. There were questions circulating on social media about the future of the band after Gerald Love, the bass player and one-third of the writers, left the group. But Norman Blake stepped up with this track and, it's classic Fanny material. (Merge Records)

COMPILATION / BEST-OF

the black watch, 31 Years of Obscurity: The Best of the black watch: 1988-2019. I keep asking myself "How did I miss this?" The title of this career-spanning compilation shows that I'm not the only one who missed out on some terrific music over the years. 31 Years of Obscurity contains twenty two first-rate tracks selected from the band's full-length CDs and LPs as well as EPs and singles. And because the songs on the album aren't in chronological order you get the sense that the black watch have been consistently amazing throughout their career. However, this outstanding anthology of tunes by the black watch will hopefully bring loads of new fans to the band. (ATOM Records)

REISSUE / LIVE ALBUM

The Replacements, Dead Man's Pop. If you ever wondered why The Replacements' 1989 album Don't Tell A Soul didn't rock out as much as their previous release, the great Pleased To Meet Me, it was the mix. Matt Wallace, the producer of Don't Tell A Soul, wasn't allowed by the record company to mix the album; the result sanded off the band's rough edges for a more glossy, radio-friendly sound. Wallace was brought back to mix the album the way he and Paul Westerberg wanted it to sound, and we now have Dead Man's Pop with new sounds to check out like the banjo on "Talent Show." The box set includes the new mix on vinyl and CD, a CD of outtakes and unreleased material, and two CDs of a most excellent Replacements concert from 1989 at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

Guest List: Lawrence La Raia

Sharon Van Etten at that Stone Pony thing in 2014. Van Etten turned up on several of our lists for 2019.

Top Whatevers of 2019

by Lawrence La Raia

[Lists are still rolling in. There are no rules here at CoolDad Music (other than NO SMART QUOTES, with which Lawrence complied), so we post 'em as we get 'em. Lawrence is another friend and cooldad who I've been seeing at shows for a few years now. Apparently, we were even at the same Sharon Van Etten thing on a cold February afternoon in 2014 before we ever met.

Thanks for laboring over this one, Lawrence. You reminded me of some things I forgot about like the album from Ceremony.]

FIDLAR, "Flake"

I've listened to FIDLAR before. Not a whole ton. Then that Gary Glitter swagger/stomp beat came on, and that changed. For this track anyway. I listened to this a ton when I first heard it. Then I started whistling that melody with the sheer intent of annoying those around me. (Not actually true. My fingers just keep typing sometimes while my brain tries to keep up and fact check. Multitasking is hard.) But this was an earworm, and its prominent placement in my "Your Top Songs 2019" Spotify playlist confirmed it.



The Steve Adamyk Band, "In Death"

You ever like something immediately? Like before the song is over? Like before the chorus? Like before the lyrics even come in? Like at the first note? Yeah. Happens to me all the time. And sometimes it gets better as it goes, and then the song sticks the landing. And you rewatch the instant replay (Is that what it's called? I actually forget.) But you watch it, but you don't have to wait to see the judges' scores. Because that doesn't matter. You’re already awarding the medal yourself. Yeah this was like that. I was fortunate enough to catch The Steve Adamyk Band at APYC a few years back when I heard they were playing with Sonic Avenues. Maybe you did, too. I think Night Birds might have been involved with that booking, or maybe I just found out about the gig from their social media.



Ghost King, "Slither"

Psych surf garage. That's what I call it. I thought of King Gizzard after hearing it. But, to date, I've still listened to this track more than any King Gizzard song. (To be fair, King Gizzard probably just dropped two more full lengths and an EP during the time it took me to curate this list.) Sit still during this track. Try it. You'll fail.



Dark Thoughts, "Do You Dream / It's Too Late"

Do you dream? Do you like rock n' roll? Do you like the Ramones? This is the closest my kids will get in their lifetime to seeing the Ramones. (Change my mind.) They (Dark Thoughts, not my kids) unabashedly love the Ramones, and they get their guitar sound based on a photograph of Johnny Ramone's amp settings. Yeah. They pull it off by writing songs that are catchy as fuck. Or at least catchy as a virus in a pre-school classroom. You might have seen them open for Night Birds in 2018. You might have seen them somewhere else nearby. (They're from Philly.) They'll be back this week at In The West, and they have upcoming shows in Asbury Park and Philadelphia in February. My word count is up here because I don't have as much to say about other things. But let's be real, you're looking at band names, song titles, and clicking the YouTube links. At best, you are skimming over the prose. (And yes I cheated by listing both songs of the single.)



(Hmmm...pink lettering...familiar font...yep, smells like "Rocket to Russia")

Sharon Van Etten, "No One's Easy to Love" or "Seventeen"

I agree with everybody that loved Sharon Van Etten's 2019 record and put it on year end lists. She's a talent. I'm glad she’s still making music and not just studying to be a psychologist or therapist and casting music completely aside. But if she isn't already doing that I hope she continues with it. A lot of us deal with mental health issues, and she's gonna help some people more directly and not just through song. I met her briefly after a Stone Pony performance and gave her a sand dollar I found on the beach that day. It was the first time I ever found a sand dollar. And I found at least 15. There were more, too. It was crazy. It was cold. It was February. I don't know what year. (Jim? Do you? CD: I believe it was 2014.) "No One's Easy to Love" reveals that Sharon can do what she's always done, but over more electronic sounds. Her voice pulls you in, and she sometimes holds notes longer than you thought she would. Not as a marathon thing, mind you; but you know. It's just her way, and it works. I've always thought her timing and placement of vocals was something that made her interesting. "Seventeen" is also a standout on a solid record. There's something very New Jersey about the track too. But that’s neither an excuse to get behind it nor a reason to reject it. It's just in there. I gotta go to bed. I'll finish this soon. (Wow! i just counted. I wrote about 10 songs already. That was my goal.)





Ceremony, "In the Spirit World Now"

Don't know much about Ceremony. (Don't know much biology. Sorry. It happens.) But I get that they started out as a hardcore band. And evolved into what you hear now. Currently, their sound has more of a darkwave vibe. I'm not super-versed in either genre. But the interplay between the guitar and the dark synths in here kept me coming back in 2019. 



Ekulu, "Emulation"

Ok. Gonna preface this with this being the year I took my kid to see Iron Maiden and saw them for the first time myself. And this was a year after taking him to see Metallica. Metal has returned to my life. And, with it, other heavier sounds and some delving into hardcore. This Ekulu track hit me like the time I was running an obstacle race on a decommissioned airforce runway and lost my balance descending a ramp, with my fall cushioned by a face full of asphalt. There was shock. There was awe. There was blood. But I also had a huge surge of adrenaline and finished the second half of the race. And hung out a bit in Gravesend afterward (That neighborhood name is so metal. Like this track.). This track is drenched in the sweat and fury of early Metallica. And, by the end, I caught some Motörhead feels. (Apologies for the race recap, and for any overdone wording that may have seeped in from reading reviews. Hopefully you checked out the track by now.)



Charles Bradley, "Lonely As You Are"

Charles Bradley was not on my radar until about two years ago, and now sadly he is gone. Bradley was deep into chemotherapy for stomach cancer when he recorded this. I was going to use the word posthumously somewhere in one of these sentences. But it seemed forced. Maybe because you still hear the life in Bradley even though this was released after his death. I suppose he knew what was coming and I'm sure put everything into his final recordings. His vocal performance is everything here. If you've ever been lonely, you'll feel it here. Go talk to someone after listening. Visit a friend. Connect somewhere. Look out for each other.

Also, no one ever really dies if they've been captured on vinyl.



Vacation, "Capitol Drive"

Ugh. I really don't want to write anymore. It's lazy, I realize. And it's really not the time for me to get into personal frustrations about not finishing things. Sure, I could give myself credit for at least starting stuff. Is this LiveJournal or is this someone's blog? I forget. Oh shit! It's for CoolDad's site. Something Something Vacation. Something something Capitol Drive.Vacation deserve better than this. And I am going to move on to writing about some other song (Fun fact: I didn't write this in the order the songs are listed.) But listen to this track. I know I listened to it a bunch of times. At least one listen won't kill you. It's loud, noisy, catchy, melodic. It's got one of those melodic guitar riffs it returns to that you welcome possibly more than a chorus. What more do you want?



IDLES, "Danny Nedelko (Live at Le Bataclan)"

I don't care if I'm cheating. This album wasn't released until December of 2019. So it's game even if the performance was in 2018. It's here so I remind myself that I missed the recent IDLES U.S. tour. And clearly that was a mistake. I mean you could even watch their tiny desk NPR concert and tell. "1049 Gotho" blew me away, and "Mother" made sure I paid attention. Then "Danny Nedelko" came out later, and I eventually rose from the sonic assault that knocked me on my ass and realized they had things to say. This live record was an excuse to add them to this list. Though I see they did float a couple new singles online in 2019. I just haven't spent any time yet with "Mercedes Marxist" and "I Dream Guillotine".



IDLES NPR Tiny Desk Concert

Honorable Mention (a.k.a. I wrote less):

Zig Zags, "Killer of Killers" or "Punk Fucking Metal" or "They'll Never Take Us Alive"

C'mon. Do I need to write anything if "Punk Fucking Metal" is a song title? Like Ekulu, Zig Zags also vibe on early Metallica. It was only last year that I heard their earlier song "Magic" for the first time and kept an ear in their direction.







Makthaverskan, "Demands"

Swedish band. I've seen them described as indie-pop or post-punk. So use a genre with a hyphen to describe them I guess. They're a bit jangly, a bit dreamy, at times a tad dark. I think Cool Dad will dig this one.



 School Drugs, "Nothing Grows" or "Joyless" or "Destined Days"

I wanted to say more but I already wrote more about 10 songs. See them live. They do not disappoint. So I guess they totally do appoint. Funny how language doesn't always work both ways. Say hi to Josh.







Control Top, "Covert Contracts"

Everything everyone said about this band that liked them means I don't need to write more, besides telling you I missed their local shows, and that makes me a little sad.



Mal Blum, "I Don't Want To" or "Things Still Left to Say"

Opened for the live "Welcome to Nightvale" show at NJPAC. (It’s a podcast, and a good one, sort of like if Twin Peaks had its own personal NPR station.) I kept listening afterward. Plus banter for days. Like good banter. Entertaining banter. But don't worry that's not in the songs.





Mannequin Pussy, "Who You Are"

This is a very late addition, as it was an early omission. Good album, too, with a variety of sounds. They can go from kinda dreamy to definitively snarly (and all points between). This one leans closer to the former.



girl in red, "bad idea!"

Despite the song title I think this song is a good idea. And this is a bad dad joke.



American Trappist, "Other Other Reasons"

Second local act in the short stack recap section (See School Drugs above for the first). Could have chosen some other tracks probs. Could have probably wrote out probs as probably.



beabadoobee, "I Wish I Was Stephen Malkmus"

With an artist name like that you would be expecting to find this track under "beats to relax/study to", but no anime image here. This was not on a Chilled Cow playlist. Had me at the title.



Better Oblivion Community Center, "Little Trouble"

Writing is hard.



Mike Krol, "Little Drama"

Writing takes time.



Skull Cult, "Who Are You"

Writers need to go to sleep.



So sleepy. Oh Monday, why can't you wait? What's the rush?

Oh yeah, just adding these.

Thee Oh Sees, "The Daily Heavy"

If you are going to build a song around a squeaky toy, anything less than an honorable mention is an insult.



Tryer, "Hunter S. Nixon"

Ok, this Finnish band had to be listened to once I saw that they took the logo from the 80's Christian hair metal band, Stryper, and got rid of the "S" and the "P", squeezed it together and made a brand new logo. Kind of like sampling maybe. (No they don't sing in English.) Don't ask how I found them, I don't remember. Also they are not hair metal. Melodic hardcore punk metal maybe?



Not included: Any modern classical stuff from the last year. None of the meditation music I've listened to lately. Ambient stuff left off, including Marconi Union. Video game soundtracks not included. Was Persona 5 in 2019? I can't get over those bass lines. Amiright? And Amon Tobin released a few game soundtracks in 2019. It was the year for Lizzo. I realize this. And the scores from The Mandalorian episodes are quite good, but left that off too. I skipped those re-releases and remasters from Bowie and The Kinks that kept cropping up on Spotify. And I left off any of those Screaming Females tracks that were on "Singles Too" because I wasn't sure when those songs appeared on singles previously. None of those lo-fi study jams are on here. And though there were plenty of covers that came up, none of those are on here. So let me just say there are clearly omissions of very deserving tracks. And I need to stop listening to those as I write this, because now I just feel bad. And obviously no place here for all the 1960s rock steady that I streamed a lot of in October. 

I put this together by haphazardly going through my monthly Spotify playlists and checked what was released in 2019 that passed through my ears. That left me with a list of 754 songs. Some filter huh? Not sure if it was a labor of love or a labor of self-loathing to go through this. Then, I just scrolled through and hoped for the best. Because I didn't have the time to relisten to all of it. But I am sure, over the next month, I will find 10 more songs I wished I'd have mentioned. Also it's not 10 albums because I don't believe I connected with 10 albums. I could blame streaming for that as much as I could blame the ever-eroding attention spans of modern living.

Also not included: Dustin singing "Never Ending Story" from the Stranger Things Season 3 soundtrack. (CD: Oh, it's included)

Guest List: Jerry Lardieri of The Brixton Riot

Jerry Lardieri and The Brixton Riot

Favorite Albums of 2019

By Jerry Lardieri

[Jerry Lardieri is a friend and fellow lover of guitar-based power pop and rock music. He's frontman and guitarist for The Brixton Riot, a band that delivers on those sounds in spades. A great songwriter, a Yankee fan, and a cooldad, Jerry has been kind enough to share his favorite albums of last year with us here today.

The Brixton Riot will be playing on January 11th at The Danny Clinch Transparent Gallery in Asbury Park along with Lost Romance and Joe Zorzi. They'll also be part of a soon-to-be-announced CoolDad Music showcase on February 7th at The Asbury Hotel.

Thanks, Jerry.]

2019 was a bit of a disjointed year for me music wise. While I did do a lot of listening, I found that connecting with full albums was a little tougher than in the past. If I had to guess, I'd say it has more to do with time and listening habits online versus the quality of the records. Trend and technology changes are inevitable, and we've been on this road since the first iPod came out, but it has made it harder to be a music fan.

Fortunately, there were still records that I connected with in 2019; and, rather than describe them as "the best" records of the year, I'm going to just call them my favorites.

Foxhall Stacks, The Coming Collapse

Over the past year, I played his record than any other, and I always played it all the way through. It never failed to put a smile on my face. The most powerful pop married to a variety of topics including moments of social commentary that are more fist-pumping rallies (not the Jersey kind) than pulpit sermons.  Guitar based rock records are plentiful, but The Coming Collapse is a reminder that they're not only relevant but still cathartic at the right volume.

Big Quiet, Interesting Times

Two things I was already looking forward to on New Year's Day: the new Big Quiet record and the last Star Wars movie. One delivered in every possible way, and the other had Ewoks. Again with the damn Ewoks. As for Big Quiet, with Mitch Easter at the helm, the R.E.M. tendencies are amplified though never threaten to take away from the band's signature sound.

Pernice Brothers, Spread The Feeling

My introduction to the Pernice Brothers came via their spinoff project Chapaquidick Skyline and their beautiful cover of New Order's "Leave Me Alone." Spread The Feeling has an underlying sense of warmth to it that makes it a joy to listen to over and over.

Sheer Mag, A Distant Call

I don't know where or why this revival of 80s guitar rock blended with power pop came from, nor do I care.  Please don't let it stop.

J. Robbins, Unbecoming

J. Robbins spends so much time making great records for other musicians, it's wonderful to hear him work his magic on a set of his own solo songs. Musically, this is a close cousin to Robbins' Office of Future Plans output; and, similarly, it is consistently great from start to finish.

A Giant Dog, Neon Bible

Is this cheating? I'm not sure. What I do know is that A Giant Dog took something that wasn't in my wheelhouse, turned it inside out, and made something new which I thoroughly enjoyed. I think that's definitely worth a mention.

Upset, S/T

November releases don't get the love they deserve on year-end lists, likely because they're due to editors in advance (Much thanks to CD who was kind enough to let me submit one AFTER the 1st).  If you enjoyed Upset's first two records or if you simply long for the wonderful sound of 90s college radio al a Velocity Girl or Sleepyhead, don't skip this one.

Bob Mould, Sunshine Rock

Bob Mould has found his happy place. He's also on a crazy hot streak, releasing another fantastic record, his fifth since returning to the louder guitar-based sound on 2012's Silver Age. A wonderful collection of songs that serve as a reminder to find the light and joy in life, even (or especially?) in dark times.

The Successful Failures, Saratoga

Yet another fine collection of songs from one of the most consistent bands in New Jersey (or any state really; I'm name checking our shared home state here out of pride). This one definitely has a little more twang to it than most of my regular listening material, but it perfectly suits Mick Chorba's sepia-toned vignettes.

Swervedriver, Future Ruins

My favorite live music of 2019 was being right against the stage for Swervedriver at The Saint in October, riding shotgun for CoolDad as he did his CoolDad thing. I've had never had my internal organs rattled by the sheer volume of a band before. It was a jarring if strangely pleasant experience. Future Ruins is loaded with excellent songs that fit right alongside Swervedriver's best. And they'll rattle your guts when they go to eleven.

The Figgs, Shady Grove

An engaging double LP's worth of music that works both as a complete set (loaded with sonic detours) or as a trimmed down set of pop gems.

The Anderson Council, Worlds Collide

Speaking of fine songs and consistency, The Anderson Council dropped this psychedelic gem in our laps this year. It would be disingenuous for me to write about this record without mentioning my long friendships with the members of this band. Familiarity still didn't prevent me from being gob smacked by the finished product, even if they did leave my favorite song off the final track list. There's a reason why we don't follow them when our bands share a bill. They make it all look so easy. The great ones always do.

Guided By Voices, Sweating The Warp Zeppelin 

Guided By Voices released not one but THREE records in 2019; and, while all are solid entries into an already loaded vault of classic albums, each had moments of absolute perfection. This made it all but impossible to pick just one (and impractical to list all three), so here is a compilation of my favorite GbV songs of 2019. Sure to piss off purists but hopefully inviting enough to attract the uninitiated. I apologize for its rudimentary sequencing.

Joy Cleaner, You're So Jaded

Ah, the November release date again.  Almost missed this one.  Don't miss this one.

(Some of) CoolDad's Favorite Albums of 2019

21 Off the Top of My Head

21 seems like a cool number. I've been thinking about what I was going to do with 2019 albums for the last several months. Long-form writing hasn't been coming particularly easily to me over the last long while, so I never bothered to review many of these this past year. At one point, I thought about picking five or six albums and giving them the review or write-up that I never gave them during the year. What I settled on, though, is just telling you which albums I spent the most time with this year. I was surprised at how easy it was for me to come up with 21 records.

This isn't the definitive list, but it characterizes 2019 pretty well for me. I'll probably think of something I missed and kick myself, but I'm leaving open the option to revise this list in the coming weeks. It's my site, and I'll do what I want, right?

Anyway...

I looked at this list, and I felt like the albums on it could be grouped into some loosely related categories. Clearly, some of these albums could move among the various categories, but I'll leave it to you to re-organize them if you want.

Friends and favorites who can do no wrong in my book. They just speak to me. Take the personal and make it universal. 

Titus Andronicus, An Obelisk
Bob Mould, Sunshine Rock
Vampire Weekend, Father of the Bride
Lowlight, Endless Bummer
A Giant Dog, Neon Bible (Arcade Fire cover)
Algebra II, Why Would Anyone Think This Goes Here?
Hot Blood, Fear of a Unified Public

Confrontational punk and post-punk. Sometimes political, sometimes deeply personal.

Fontaines D.C., Dogrel
Control Top, Covert Contracts
Priests, The Seduction of Kansas
Mannequin Pussy, Patience

Committed to an aesthetic. Meticulously on-brand. Cinematic.

Lana Del Rey, Norman Fucking Rockwell!
Weyes Blood, Titanic Rising
Orville Peck, Pony
Fascinations Grand Chorus, Presentations of Electrical Confectionery

Fresh takes on sounds I've loved my whole life. 

Tallies, S/T
Sharon Van Etten, Remind Me Tomorrow
Sacred Paws, Run Around the Sun

Nearly perfectly-executed pop and rock that kept me coming back again and again.

Ex Hex, It's Real
Joy Cleaner, You're So Jaded
Mike Krol, Power Chords

Guest List: Michael Walsh of Ba Babes, Les Dangers, and Boyfriends

Michael Walsh with The Heavies back in 2015

Top Books Read in 2019

By Michael Walsh

[Here at CoolDad Music, I think I can count on one hand the number of book reviews we've ever posted. I've always meant to do more of them, but it's never really happened. Michael Walsh, who's been playing in local bands since before we started here, greatly increases our book review total with his top reads of 2019.

Most of Michael's selections were published before 2019, but that's the beauty of books -- all art, really. Once they're put out into the world, they're always there to be discovered by new readers. Have a look at this list. I'm sure you'll find something to give you a new and wonderful experience.

Thanks, Michael.]

Hi, I'm Michael Walsh. I currently play drums in Ba Babes, Les Dangers, and Boyfriends. I formerly played drums in The Heavies, Prehistoric Forest and Foxes & Lions. I also make instrumental "junk wop" music under the name Swell Patterns and occasionally release tapes and things as a tiny label called Instruments of Ultimate Good. That's about it as far as plugs and projects that I have.

Note: I read a bunch of books so far this year so here's my top eleven presented in alphabetical order because ordering them by favorite was far too difficult. Hard enough to narrow it down to this.

A Sense of Where You Are: Bill Bradley at Princeton by John McPhee (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1965)

This was the first book I read this year. John McPhee wrote this over the course of a year spending time with Bill Bradley while he was a star basketball player and academic scholar at Princeton. If you like basketball and are inspired by people who are so in the moment with what they do, then this is a great read. Honestly, just how good Bill Bradley was at basketball makes this great. My dad liked this one too.

Caca Dolce: Essays from a Lowbrow Life by Chelsea Martin (Soft Skull Press, 2017)

I read this during the summer on my lunch breaks hiding in this little closet turned office at my job. These essays are hilarious and endearing. Feels more like a friend telling you stories. You root for Chelsea Martin while at times also pretending you don't know her, which is the truest quality you want in a friend. On a side note, this is seemingly in chronological order which adds to a flow that feels effortless. 

Cherry by Nico Walker (Knopf, 2018)

I read the bulk of this on Thanksgiving hiding from family. It's sad and haunting, at times even darkly funny. War, drugs, bank robberies, and a lot of cursing. It goes beyond a "war novel" and a "junkie novel" and sits in its own category which might have a lot to do with the reality it's based in. Additionally, this book does something I always love in a first person narrative: when things get dark and times get tougher, there is a shift in the language to express that. I'm excited for whatever Nico Walker does next.

Elizabeth & Mary & Elle: Three New Fictions by Elizabeth Ellen, Mary Miller and Elle Nash (Sad Spell Press, 2019)

Three writers doing what they do best: writing authentic stories. These stories happen to be about love and relationships and everything that comes along with them. I picked this up because I enjoyed Ellen's Fast Machine and Nash's Animals Eat Each Other (both I read this year) and I had heard great things about Miller. This little book instantly made me a reader of theirs for life. All of them. I keep this one in my glove compartment for whenever I'm without a book and need something to read. It's small and short, but packs a punch and a half.

Hymn California by Adam Gnade (Dutchmoney Books, 2008)

This is Gnade's very-out-of-print first book. Although his newest, This is the End of Something But Not the End of You (officially out this February) might be a little better, I never actually thought I'd get to read this (endless thanks to my friend Coletta for one of the best birthday gifts I've ever received!). This book is loose and free-wheeling but written with great care like all of my favorite Springsteen songs. It's On the Road but with your foot resting on the brake pedal in case you need to catch an exit quick. If you can find it, buy it.

Juliet the Maniac by Juliet Escoria (Melville House, 2019)

This was the year where I finally started my deep-dive into autobiographical fiction and Juliet Escoria's debut novel is dead center in that Venn diagram. Part coming-of-age story, part memoir on mental illness that follows a teenage girl as she works her way through youth, drug use, and a long stint in a therapeutic boarding school. All told through short vignettes that are inward but empathetic in hindsight.

Nonbinary: Memoirs of Gender and Identity, edited by Micah Rajunov & Scott Duane (Columbia University Press, 2019)

Not completely done with this one yet, but it's been so good that I wanted to include it. Personal essays on gender, particularly from the nonbinary perspective, from those who have struggled, as well as thrived with their own identity. It's touching, triumphant, heartbreaking, and most of all important. I've cried and smiled a lot while reading this.

Safe as Houses by Marie-Helene Bertino (University of Iowa Press, 2012)

I feel like short stories have become the lost of art of literature, even more so than poetry. Marie-Helene Bertino's first collection is both imaginative and grounded. "Great, Wondrous" and "Carry Me Home, Sisters of Saint Joseph" are two of the best stories I've read in recent memory and they're two of the last three stories of the collection (that's a real "ender ender"). Instant top five favorite for me. I will probably recommend this to everyone all the time forever.

Taking Care by Joy Williams (Vintage Contemporaries, 1985)

My introduction to Joy Williams was through collecting the old Vintage Contemporaries paperbacks from the 80s and early 90s. I knew enough of the authors (Beattie, Carver, Ford) and loved Lorraine Louie's design work so much just to trust whatever ones I could find. These stories are told with little urgency and crafted so well. Each sentence feels like a gift. I let this one spread out over a few months to allow myself to dip in and out of her world. Seemingly mundane but with so many little victories along the way. I also never wanted to visit Florida before, but now I kind of do.

The Utility of Boredom: Baseball Essays by Andrew Forbes (Invisible Publishing, 2016)

For such an old sport that has been written about so many times, Andrew Forbes does a great job of finding fresh ways to explore the timeless, unique magic of the game with a subtle literary lens. I'd like more of this than another book from a sportswriter complaining about how the game has changed. I'm looking at you Bob Costas. File Under: Books I Can Lend To My Dad

Women by Chloe Caldwell (Short Flight / Long Drive, 2014)

I read this novella in one day. More or less one sitting if I didn't have errands to run. It's fast and heartbreaking. I know some people don't like books with a main character that you can't get 100% behind, but I always enjoy a good 50/50. It's more real like that. To me Caldwell's Women feels important. Way better than Bukowski.

Thanks for reading this. Support authors and small presses. Support your local libraries and book shops. Support CoolDad and support your friends who make art of any kind.

Guest List: Dana Yurcisin -- Asbury Park-Based Photographer, Filmmaker, Musician (In Other Words, "Local Creative")

Dana Yurcisin

Top Albums of 2019

By Dana Yurcisin

[The members of Grasser are really providing us with some A-plus content this week. Today, we have the Top Albums of 2019 from Dana Yurcisin. In addition to being a member of Grasser and Static Sex, Dana is also a filmmaker and photographer. You may be familiar with the clip for Dentist's "The Latter" that he directed for the band.

Once again, we have a a list that's given me a lot of new things to check out. Hopefully, this does the same for you.

Thanks, Dana.]

I'm Dana Yurcisin, Asbury Park-based musician (Grasser, Static Sex), filmmaker & photographer (IG: @danayurcisin). We're currently starting work on Grasser's first LP. I'm finishing two solo LPs, and will have multiple music videos and short films (including a documentary on the making of Earth Telephone's debut LP) all coming out in 2020.


11. Liturgy, H.A.Q.Q.

I'm playing catch-up on Liturgy. They're one of those bands that sits on your radar for years before you decide one day to actually listen to them. That day came, and I started with their newest release. It didn't take long before I was swept up by their all-encompassing mass of sound: Battering blast beats, tremolo picked guitars, choral chants, pretty bells -- they throw the entire fucking kitchen sink at us; but it creates a listening experience unlike any other. Like sitting in the center of a category five hurricane, surrounded by destruction but presented with a gorgeous view, these nine tracks combine devastation and beauty in such a way that you can only respond with awe… at least after the ringing in your ears has ceased.

"Real" black metal fans hate liturgy for mixing traditional black metal sounds with anything but (and for not wearing corpse paint, but we can have an entire discussion on that alone elsewhere), but genre-agnostics will find that very element the most enticing and rewarding. If you've a taste for the brash & the heavy, but bore quickly of things played too straight, Liturgy just might be what the doctor ordered.

10. black midi, Schlagenheim

I'll admit that I came to this one way late, too. My first listen was last week, since I had seen a live video of the band earlier in the year and singer Geordie Greep's voice turned me off like a goddamn light switch. Boom. I was over them before even starting… Or was I? I had to know what the fuss was all about, so I threw on the record and let it play all the way through. Now, I'll maintain that I kind of wish Matt Kelvin was their only singer here; but at the same time, these dudes haven't even hit 21 yet and I expect them to develop more over time. And the music? Jesus christ… the music.

Having listened to god knows how many guitar rock records over my 31 years, this was like hearing the guitar for the first time all over again. What IS that sound? What is THAT sound?! Schlagenheim is a record that is simultaneously all over the place and singular in its vision. It sounds like fifty things at once, but no other band sounds like *these* fifty things. The riffs are heavy, the shifts are swift, and the band's electrifying energy is ever-present. Let your guard down and open yourself to the future of guitar music.

9. DIIV, Deceiver

Shoegaze isn't dead, and it never will be if bands like DIIV have anything to say about it. There's a holy, cleansing power to the genre-specific sound of layered, reverb'd guitars cranked up to eleven, which makes it all the more fitting a platform for singer Zachary Cole-Smith to write about kicking a heroin addiction. If DIIV's last record, Is The Is Are, was a bit of a false narrative on that front, this time, he means it. "I can help you / It's how I help myself," goes one line from "Skin Game," succinctly summing up how the road to recovery is never a solo effort. In the same vein, shoegaze all but requires a surrender of individual sound in favor of a unified mass, and when they kick on the fuzz, these guys meld into a transcendent whole. Listen to the ways the interweaving guitar lines of "Blankenship"'s wordless chorus work together to create one earworm of a riff, or how the fuzzed-out chords of "Horsehead"'s final stretch layer on top of one another until they threaten to swallow Smith's voice entirely, and you'll understand the power of a unified front.

8. Peaer, A Healthy Earth

Intellectual essays aren't known to be "fun" reads. After all, critical thinking typically requires a sort of clear-headed sobriety, and neither "clear-headed" nor "sobriety" are terms often associated with a good time. Peaer strap a firecracker to that idea and blow it to bits. Each of the songs on A Healthy Earth could serve as the genesis for a collegiate thesis, examining the myriad ways our existence is threatened by both the minutiae of our day-to-day and society at large: That shampoo you use is killing you. Common decency seems to be lacking entirely from all those in power. Romantic relationships are nearly impossible to maintain on a molecular level. Why can't we just be dogs instead? All of these ideas are explored with music of matching curiosity and dynamism, from the quietest of whispers and barely-there drums to the frenzied thrash of a fuzz-fucked freakout. If the unexamined life is not worth living, Peaer's greatest gift to us is its very existence.

7. Big Thief, UFOF / Two Hands

Okay obviously cheating a bit, but I don't care. Sometimes a band comes along whose members counterbalance and complement each other so well it seems the gods have deemed their meeting necessary. Big Thief released UFOF earlier this year to widespread critical acclaim for its mystical lyrical impressionism, celestial soundscapes and tight band dynamics; and they could've easily coasted for two to three years off its success. But why stop there when you're so tuned in to the same elevated frequency as these four musicians? With no decent answer to that question, they quickly hit a Texas studio to record the terrestrial counterpart to UFOF, Two Hands. What it lacks in experimental sonics and texture, it more than makes up for with warmth and raw, visceral power.

"Forgotten Eyes" has the pleasing sway and familiarity of a song you've known forever and never tire of. "The Toy" has a vocal line that worms its way into your head in seconds. And "Not" quite possibly deserves a spot in the canon of Greatest Rock Songs Ever, Adrianne Lenker’s spit speckling the mic as she shouts about all of the things it is not before erupting with an explosive and chaotic guitar solo. The gods look down and can't help but smile.

6. Earl Sweatshirt, Feet of Clay

I'm just going to come out and say it: Earl Sweatshirt is the best natural rapper alive. Like his Odd Future brethren Tyler, The Creator, Thebe Kgositsile continues to mature and leave his early roots of shock-baiting horrorcore in the rearview. Though unlike Tyler, whose sound has blossomed outward to grand new heights, Earl pushes his music in a more insular direction, like inviting listeners directly into the crevices of his fragmented and busy brain. His beats force us to reckon with what we consider the very definition of a "beat" -- slowed, chopped, garbled to shit, the samples are all but unrecognizable in his hands, and it's mesmerizing. His flow & wordplay are unfuckwithable. Lyrics like "Sellin' kids culture with death, circlin' like carrion / The more the merrier, phone got you livin' vicarious" and "Somebody tooted in the student commons / The bell rang, he went home to argue in the comments / I watched the doppler move / I watched a child get introduced to violence" allude to stories so much larger than their songs' runtimes that they can be infinitely pored over and studied, yielding new meaning and insight each time out. Since last year's Some Rap Songs, he's perfected this sort of micro yet deeply layered storytelling, and I can't wait to hear where he takes it next.

5. Operators, Radiant Dawn

One of indie-rock's most dependable and under-appreciated songwriters returns with his dance-punk outfit Operators to throw one last strobe-lit party for the end times. Dan Boeckner, Devojka, and Sam Brown paint a picture of apocalyptic oblivion in neon brushstrokes -- Springsteenian major-chord progressions are soaked in swaths of vintage analogue synths and glued together by Brown's motorik rhythms. It's as danceable as it is devastating in its indictments of late-capitalism and rising fascism, but -- especially when experienced live -- you can't help but feel thrillingly alive once submitted to its pulse-pounding trance, even as the bombs fall.

4. Bon Iver, i,i

Following the huge stylistic shift in 22, A Million -- an album I respected more than I enjoyed -- Justin Vernon and friends return with perhaps their most powerful statement yet. The experimentations that defined the previous record are refined to a perfectionist's pitch on i, i, producing a more positive and uplifting listening experience that seems to echo Vernon's newfound mental peace in the face of life-altering fame. Songs melt in and out of focus, a sound collage of dozens of musical ideas and collaborators with seemingly no single point of origin that could only be created by a group wholly committed to the idea of the obliteration of self. Of course, none of this would be relevant if the songs weren't good, but try listening to a track like "Hey, Ma" or "U (Man Like)" and not finding yourself absentmindedly humming the chorus moments later. You can't, and you won’t mind.

3. (Sandy) Alex G, House of Sugar

Studio-magician and songwriter (Sandy) Alex G has a knack for creating mysterious and occasionally inscrutable musical worlds that defy  categorization. Instead of simply skating by on familiar folk and Elliot Smith-isms (which, he could -- his songwriting is that good), he takes his obvious stylistic inspirations and infuses them with helpings of electronica, vaporwave, noise and experimental abstraction. This indelible tinkerer's spirit rewards more of the brain's pleasure centers than your typical singer-songwriter and is honed further on House of Sugar, resulting in his most sonically pristine and rich -- yet no less idiosyncratic -- album to date.

2. Pile, Green and Gray

Beloved Boston post-hardcore band Pile aren't fans of repetition. Having recently relocated to Nashville, songwriter Rick Maguire set out to make a kinetic, high-energy record, partially in response to 2017's more meditative A Hairshirt of Purpose, and boy, did he and his pals deliver. This ferocious and fiery set of tracks tackles everything from the solitary day-to-day, to art-as-occupation, to the general shittiness of one Stephen Miller with a verve only a band of this technical prowess could muster. Hairpin turns and dynamic shifts abound. This record is best experienced fully submitted to, open to wherever the pummeling drums, intertwining thrash-folk guitar lines and guttural bass care to take you. Above all, experience it live, if you can, for one of the tightest, most visceral performances I've ever experienced.

1. Sharon Van Etten, Remind Me Tomorrow

No record following Remind Me Tomorrow, released not even three weeks into 2019, managed to combine diaristic personal detail, powerhouse vocal performances, atmospheric production and songwriting chops as artfully or cohesively as Van Etten. Armed with a new, synth-fueled sound, courtesy of collaborating producer John Congleton, Van Etten crafts tales of near-death experiences, love lost and found, aging and past selves as haunting as they are catchy. And the song "Seventeen," in addition to quite possibly being the best song of the year, will have you mindlessly hitting 95 mph on the highway, white-knuckled and heart racing, as it reaches its final, elated chorus. So hop in that little red car that don't belong to you, turn this record up loud, and click Remind Me Tomorrow on whatever ails you.

Honorable Mentions:

Tyler, The Creator, IGOR
Danny Brown, uknowhatimsayin¿
Diat, Positive Disintegration
Brittany Howard, Jaime
Purple Mountains, S/T
Bruce Springsteen, Western Stars
Grasser, Later, Registration (yeah, I know this is my own band, but it rips)

Guest List: Biff Swenson of Yawn Mower / Grasser / Earth Telephone

Biff Swenson

Top Picks of 2019

By Biff Swenson

[Biff Swenson is a friend of the site and, really, just a great friend. He's also a very busy guy, what with being in (at least) three different very active bands, video production work, some guest drumming gigs, and even acting. In addition, Biff has a very open-minded and diverse taste in music. For all of those reasons, I'm thrilled that Biff took the time to share with us his Top Picks of 2019. You're bound to find something here that you missed out on this year.

As I mentioned, Biff has a full plate of activities ahead including
- A new Yawn Mower EP with Mint 400 Records due in February
- Putting the finishing touches on the debut full-length from Earth Telephone
- Working on the debut full-length from Grasser
- Starring alongside Cat London in the short film Flatlanders, which had its premiere on 12/20 at NYC's Cinema Village. If you missed that, the film is also an official selection at the Philadelphia Film Society with a screening and Q&A scheduled there for 1/9/20.
- Filming another short called Pineville this spring
- Playing drums on upcoming releases for Static Sex and Danya (the project of Allegra Anka of Cayetana)

...whew...

Like I said, Biff is a very busy guy; and we're all lucky he made some year-end time for us.]

Top 10 Albums


Tyler, The Creator, IGOR

Flower Boy is one of my favorite albums, so I was patiently awaiting whatever Tyler was going to release this year. In no way was I prepared for what he delivered. The maturity he's demonstrated over his past two releases is astounding. Clearly, experiences with love lost and romantic desires have elevated the narratives he's been spinning, but the production is what shines even harder throughout this record.The distorted synth bass constantly connecting the entire album is a nice theme to tie this story arc together.

I can't help but get excited for Tyler when thinking about multiple idols of his (Pharrell, Kanye) appearing on the album, being the first rapper / arranger / producer trio to ever hit number one, and lastly being able to openly speak about his sexuality without persecution. This is a very modern and realistic love story in the ups and downs of how someone might be feeling throughout a tumultuous relationship. Tyler does a beautiful job of conveying a wide range of these emotions both lyrically and musically. IGOR has me ecstatic for Tyler's heartbreak, and excited for anything and everything he does next.


Mike Krol, Power Chords

I got to see Krol play 3 times in 3 days at SXSW this year, and it would have been more if at all possible. This album sounded immaculate live. The show was as exciting as the album is to cruise around to. The energy and sound that Mike is able to capture is unmatched. This is everything you love about the first Strokes record with none of the jaded, snarky energy they bring to stage these days. Perfectly crafted pop songs with the fuzzy edge needed to rock. Mike Krol is an enigma that is keeping lo-fi music interesting; and, I assume, single-handedly keeping retro Hagstroms in constant circulation. This is pure, unadulterated fun that you absolutely need to go see live.


Brockhampton, GINGER

BH can do pretty much anything, and I'd be down for it. Here on GINGER, we hear a group of youngsters thrusted further into fame, under the scrutiny of the public eye, coming to grips with a plethora of emotions and decisions. The spiritual tone is apparent but not at all preachy. It's a transparent examination of one's choices through remarkable grooves that are a perfect culmination of influences like Kanye, Dr. Dre, and Pharrell with their own original, modern twist. This feels very genuine and cathartic for all members, so it's a pleasure to be present throughout these dudes' journey, album to album, in real time as they cope with the fame we've given them. Also excited to see which of the more back-seat members eventually branch out into a solo career after the inevitable demise of the limited run any boyband has.


Vampire Weekend, Father of the Bride

Patience certainly paid off here. The album is a little long, but what it has to offer is worth sitting through a few songs that could have waited for a b-sides collection. Ezra has done another fantastic job of exploring new, uncharted territories for VW without losing the vibe that's defined them since day one. It's also very on brand for Ezra's ear being to ground of what's going on in modern music -- the album featuring Kendrick Lamar/Drake collaborator DJ Dahi, Dave Macklovitch from Chromeo, The Internet's Steve Lacy, and most present, Danielle Haim, whose partner produced the album. This festival level act has only further solidified their place in contemporary music.


Steve Lacy, Apollo XXI

Steve has been hiding in the background of The Internet, producing tracks for Kendrick, Kali Uchis, Tyler, The Creator, Goldlink, J Cole, Mac Miller, and Solange. Just in recent years we've heard him finally come to the forefront and build his own unique brand of guitar based R&B. This dude records exclusively on his iPhone and has somehow made it work for today's biggest artists, as well as now for himself as a solo artist. Equal parts Prince and Frank Ocean, but with a lo-fi warble that makes it 100% Lacy. Like Tyler & Brockhampton above, this album does a beautiful job of exploring and expressing one's sexual fluidity while serving up those confessions on truly remarkable instrumentals. Steve is one of a few artists who are the backbone of this new movement in music, so it's about time we finally got a proper full length release from this visionary. While there are some lulls in the album, it's not without bravely bending the framework of what you'd be expecting from an R&B record. Mostly short in length, Lacy's songs show that he’s mastered how to capture extremely enthralling vibes song to song. A well-earned Grammy nod to a promising, young producer & musician.


Kevin Abstract, ARIZONA BABY

The Brockhampton leader has no plans of slowing down, which is more than apparent with his first of two releases this year. Taking no time off from producing content in between tours and releases with his hip-hop centric boyband, we see that he does not need time to rest in order to generate greatness. This album leans even further into the Outkast influence that Kevin doesn't shy away from, while still hitting these interesting new pockets of his brain for a smorgasbord of influences executed flawlessly with the help of his BH production team.

While Kanye's influence was the crux of Brockhampton's formation, it's very clear with this year's Jesus is King release that Kevin + co. have surpassed their idol's greatness as far as 2019 is concerned. It's a refreshing new time in music where genre fluidity defines every important new artist, and Kevin has been leading that crusade since the Saturation trilogy BH blessed us with back in 2017. While Kevin is more than fit for a solo career, the standout track is the one ("Peach") that features his BH bandmates and newcomer Dominic Fike.


Jay Som, Anak Ko

Jay had me hooked with Everybody Works in 2017, but has even further perfected her craft of throwback rock guitar tones and modern indie pop charm. This is everything you'd expect from Polyvinyl records in the best way possible. Som has a delicate voice that'll rock you to your core when these weighted lyrics smack you up across your mouth. It's sounds like a culmination of David Bazan's guitar tones, Real Estate's swaying grooves, and The Polyphonic Spree's bright shimmer. This album will grow on you more with every listen and will surely find its way into this decade's essential listens.


Pedro The Lion, Phoenix

I'm thankful for every track that surfaces with Bazan's name attached to it, but the joy of hearing Pedro The Lion again is uncanny. Phoenix did everything I needed it to for it to be worthy of the former moniker. It feels like he didn't miss a beat from where 2004's Achilles Heel left us off in Pedro's journey. I was made aware of memories I forgot all about throughout this album. It was like catching up with an old friend now that we're both older and wiser. I'm happy Dave is finally getting the well-earned, and long-overdue attention we die-hards have been waiting for.

Phoenix makes mentions of religion in a positive enough light throughout to call this a Pedro album, but it doesn't take the side of religion like you'd come to expect from this project. Rather, it recalls it as a plot-point in life. The hurt and wear on Bazan's voice is still present like any of his solo releases, but the delivery is something familiar and nostalgic worthy of the old band name. Dave on bass helps solidify the line-up of newcomers who accurately give us that old Pedro feel. Guitars are very sparse with a lot of bass counter melodies slipped in tastefully throughout the album. There are also plenty of points that feel minimalistic for these delicate moments, which is always a nice plate to serve some thoughtful lyrics on.


Bon Iver, i,i

Justin Vernon will forever be a mainstay. We will look back at the '00s and '10s knowing full well that Bon Iver is a Top 10er. He has perfectly crafted the art of low-key songs with undoubtedly sad lyrics amid his exploration into electronic elements in recent years. This man is well into his career of making instant classics. He has grown exponentially from album to album, each time adopting new tricks and ear candy to distinguish a change in each album's sonic shifts.

Since working with Kanye back on Dark Twisted, Vernon has adopted an array new soundscapes that he uses to mold his original brand of folk music into an extremely modern take of pop, R&B, and indie rock. I find myself constantly going back to make sense of the noises that make up any one particular section of rhythm. The artwork, the accompanying lyric videos, the quirky production, and all of the guest vocalists -- it's all the ideal bed of blankets to serve up a perfect platter of future music on to an always enthused market. Justin captured our attention with just an acoustic guitar in a cabin, but he certainly made sure to constantly stretch himself in twenty two to a million different ways in order to bring us the soundtracks to our life-defining moments. This man can crush your soul inside of a three-minute composition. Justin is a godsend!


Crumb, Jinx

While in Austin for SXSW, I rushed to see Mike Krol & Tierra Whack perform on the same stage mid-day. What I wasn't prepared for (while boiling in the heat) was the band that played between them. Crumb was mesmerizing! Their grooves were hypnotic. Their presence was felt, but their demeanor was chill. This album perfectly captures that. The percussion demands movement; their bass lines force head swaying; the vocals are sensual and subdued. It feels like The Bird and The Bee meets Real Estate. It has the warbled guitar of  any Mac DeMarco knock-off, but with a wistfulness and casualness that you can't fake. This young band is more than promising, and I can't wait to hear what they deliver next.


Honorable Mentions:

Goldlink, Diaspora

Peaer, A Healthy Earth

Bad Heaven Ltd., Strength

Local Natives, Violet Street

Gus Dapperton, Where Polly People Go to Read


Top 5 EPs of 2019:


Yeek,  IDK Where…

This is my most played artist of the year. I've played this entire EP at least 75 times through. Yeek is doing an amazing job of blending bedroom pop, indie rock, & R&B. Florida has been thriving with a new batch of incredible new voices, and this Jersey-born singer has been at the forefront of that movement. Dominic Fike makes another show-stopping feature on this release as well. IDK is a well-crafted, fully realized culmination of everything he's been building over his past couple full length releases. It's sexy, chill, and vibey, all while having guitar prominently featured throughout. This EP sounds heavily influenced by Tame Impala, but with a more youthful, less complex tone. This is where music is heading, and it's cool to see fresh new faces bring it to fruition.


Still Woozy, Lately

Sven Gamsky is doing the Lord's work with his warped and flowy take on basic pop music. After his band Feed Me Jack split, Sven started recorded solo music under the Still Woozy moniker. The band name alone lets you know exactly what you're getting into. While any one track is poppy enough to blast on any road trip, it also makes you feel high while engaging. He's done a superb job of mixing pop and vibe. It doesn’t seem as mindless as most artists Spotify would push on you in a weekly playlist, rather, it has the accessibility to pump out to the masses. I haven't heard a dud from Sven yet, and I'm not anticipating it anytime soon.


Omar Apollo, Friends

A lot of promising new artists are putting out stand-alone single after stand-alone single, followed by EP after EP. I know a lot of these young artists get lost in the mix when more mainstream mainstays are releasing epic full lengths constantly. In the digital age of music, it's hard to stay up to date with every passing trend or influx of creatives. Don't let that happen here. Omar has perfected a soulful blend of poppy r&b with a really psychedelic shine for the icing. He's charming, energetic, and undeniable. This kid has the goods, so go give him a listen.


Deb Never, House on Wheels

This a very slow moving, depressing release. Everything is soft, emotive, and slacker-ish. It's very straightforward in its approach. Deb isn't reinventing the wheel; but, oddly enough, she still finds a very unique and refreshing voice of her own. I'm awaiting her fully realizing her potential inside of a proper release, but in the meantime, these five tracks are perfect for a rainy day, or some fall foliage down the parkway.




Grasser, Later, Registration

Yes, this is my band.

Yes, I wrote the songs.

No, I won't stop promoting it.





Top 10 Songs of the Year:

Frank Ocean, "DHL"

Yeek, "Too Fast"

Dominic Fike, "Açaí Bowl"

Brockhampton, "SUGAR"

Steve Lacy, "N Side"

Kevin Abstract, "Peach"

Frank Ocean, "In My Room"

Dominic Fike, "Phone Numbers"

Bon Iver, "Hey, Ma"

Tame Impala, "Borderline"