Favorite Music 2019

2019 Albums of the year:

  1. Cheekface “Therapy Island”. Exactly the fun stupid indie record we needed (especially now knowing what would come after)

  2. Leonard Cohen “Thanks for the Dance”. What can one say about Leonard Cohen? His last albums were his best somehow. If you didn’t get to see the LC exhibit at the Jewish Museum…well try to see it if it ever comes back. “The Goal” may be the best life/career advice and it only takes 1:12 to listen to.

  3. Five things you dont’ know about the gonks “The Gonks”. Cannot wait for this energy to return to the world. I have no idea of anything about them and that’s perfect (though yes, it is hard to not be reminded of the Monks)

  4. Moondog “The Stockholm 1981 recordings” Would’ve loved to see how Stockholm responded to Moondog wandering around the streets

  5. Mellotron Variations “Mellotron Variations”. You can listen to this album forever.

  6. Tracy Bryant “Hush” Has all the hallmarks of something I wouldn’t like but damn, really great LA indie.

  7. Matmos “Plastic Anniversary” Always interesting

  8. Cate Le Bon “Myths 004” She’s the best. (“Reward” was also great). No one sounds like mystery sewn up in fog like Cate Le Bon.

  9. Rapsody “Eve” 

  10. John Metcalfe “Otama” 

  11. The Hecks “My star”

  12. French Vanilla “How am I not Myself” Best International House of Coffee Flavor doubles as delicious No Wave

2019 Tracks of the Year

  1. Crack Cloud “The Next Fix”

  2. Cate Le Bon “Magnificent Gestures” My god yes.

  3. Matmos “Plastic Anniversary”

  4. Cheekface “Dry heat/nice town”. The sound of California

  5. Sharon Van Etten “Seventeen”

  6. Leonard Cohen “The Goal”. Unbelievable

And coming in at a svelte 4.5 hours, the 2019 best of playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2piVSqlmGLioeYy5J7GMcw?si=8f1b013e52d94e80

Concerts of the Year:

David Hasselhoff (Max Schmelling Arena). Maybe the best show I’ve ever seen. Seeing concerts in other cities should be necessary for anyone interested in learning the culture. Huge beer steins that you have to return? Everyone eating terrible German pizza in a smallish college sports arena? Everyone nonironically loving the Hoff, who apparently thinks he brought down the wall. Hell yeah.

Leikeli47 (Prospect Park) Maybe the best hiphop show I’ve ever seen. definitely the best outdoors one

Harlem (Baby’s All Right). What fun sloppy weirdness. What a band

Laurie Anderson (Russ & Daughters). Most delicious concert of my life

Jeff the Brotherhood at Industry City--awesome! Loved the album this was in support of: Magick Songs

Steve Reich opera performance at the Shed. amazing

Steve Reich performed by Ensemble Signal at the Wintergarden Brookfield

Bang on a Can Fest at MassMoca. Every BoaC fest is worth it.

Slothrust at Industry City--meh

King Kong (final week! It was the insane musical, not the band which was amazing)

Spring Lizard (ahh Berlin). Jonah drone forever

Surfbort & Bodega at Market Hotel (with 38 year old moshing). Bodega is one of the best live bands

Yo La Tengo Hanukkah night 2: just go every year

Yo La Tengo Hanukkah night 5: worth it even if it’s your 50th time seeing the Sun Ra Arkestra