Now that we're halfway through 2019, here are my preliminary music top 10 lists:

ALBUMS:
Jenny Lewis-ON THE LINE
Weyes Blood-TITANIC RISING
Triad God-TRIAD
Charly Bliss-YOUNG ENOUGH
Default Genders-MAIN POP GIRL 2019
Rhiannon Giddens-THERE IS NO OTHER
Sharon van Etten-REMIND ME TOMORROW
Lucki-FREEWAVE 3
Polo G-DIE A LEGEND
Adia Victoria-SILENCES

SINGLES (some of these were released in 2017 & 2018 but became hits this year):
Megan Thee Stallion-"Big Ole Freak"
Lizzo-"Truth Hurts" & "Juice"
Vampire Weekend-"Harmony Hall"
black midi-"Duster"
YG-"In the Dark"
Jai Paul-"Do You Love Her Now"
Tyler the Creator-"Earfquake"
Afro B-"Drogba (Joanna)"
Carly Rae Jepsen-"Too Much" & "No Drug Like Me"
Marie Davidson-"Workaholic Paranoid Bitch (Nina Kraviz dub mix)"

I've only heard Sharon van Etten from that list. Ones I've enjoyed so far:

Swervedriver
The Comet is Coming
Dave Harrington Group

Just checking out the new Baroness now. It's promising.

Fontaines D.C. - Dogrel - AOTY for me

They're easily filling "The Fall" position occupied by Shame last year. They've been touring with Idles - one of the best double-headers in quite a long time.

Elva - Winter Sun (*the post-'Allo Darling band- who I still miss)
Bruce Springsteen - Western Stars
Meat Puppets - Dusty Notes
Two Door Cinema Club - False Alarm

I think in 2019 my indie cred is shot to hell like the 14 year old mall-pop of the Regrettes which is basically like coming on here and saying you like Taylor Swift - and I'm ok with it, their pop actually suits the mood - and really suits it and non-ironically.

RBCF are to me REM in their Reckoning stage - a great LP, some great EP's and this year a single I loved too.....In The Capital. I don't know why people think they "might be good one day" - they're rather going to suck one day and are really good now.

Fontaines DC and Sleaford Mods are up to the minute signs that Rock - or its spirit at least isn't dead in the UK.

Fontaines D.C. are tops.

I have been so excited by the original Meat Puppets reunion and quality of new LP that most else has taken lower queue except for:

Deerhunter - Why Hasn't Everything > already classic
Mould - Sunshine Rock > another home run
PUP - Morbid Stuff > finally one form these guys that earwormed me

still absorbing:

Swervedriver new one

Wand - new one hasn't quite bowled me like Perfume - it sounds like 1/3 MBV, 1/3 Clap your Hands 1/3 Beefheart

Empath - Active Listening > a few have caught me

Fruit Bats - Gold Past > can already tell the songwriting is sharp as ever

Mannequin Pussy

Versus - new EP

disappointing::
Bad Religion - Age > another of Greg's occasional MOR/Rundgren attempts

Interpol

Mountain Goats - sounds like mostly fillers to me

Stuff I've been thinking about from the start of 2019:
Elva, self-titled
Fruit Bats, Gold Past Life (you can hear my thoughts at Chunky Glasses)
Ex Hex, It's Real (thoughts at Chunky Glasses)
Adia Victoria
billie eilish
Aldous Harding

I had very mixed thoughts about Springsteen (you can hear my thoughts at Chunky Glasses)

I really was surprised that I liked the new Vampire Weekend, especially "Harmony Hall" with its little shuffle piece that reminds me a lot of the Rolling Stones.



Post Edited (07-05-19 13:14)

That new Bad Bunny + J. Balvin album is quite good. My son's been playing it and I have to admit it's a ton of fun.

Bad Bunny & Balvin's "La Cancion" is an excellent stab at mixing trap with Latin jazz!

Listened to BR - Age of Unreason again and liked several tracks this time, esp
End of History. Also like Big Black Dog into Downfalling. It's an LP about Trump, yet not particularly insightful - just the same things all of us are walking around saying. That's certainly their wheelhouse. But the triple-guitar attack is so smoothed that it sounds like one, and Graffin's vox are so upfront they cover more than half the mix depth [not sure who these calls aim to please]. The first few trax are the worst, and I think back-loading made it harder to get into.


Didn't expect to like Daughter of Swords as I have.



Post Edited (07-13-19 05:31)

I also "got" the Mountain Goats.
Ignoring the half that didn't impress, the rest are great.
Again, the best trax are deeper.

New Sebadoh is better than the previous couple.

New Purple Mountains [Silver Jews] is amazing.