Records of the Year: 2019
ONE. Bon Iver. i,i.
He keeps giving us a master class in combining musical emotion with fascinating production to take us really cool places.
[youtube=://www.youtube.com/watch?v=htyVjHr2_m8&w=854&h=480]
TWO. The National. I Am Easy To Find.
The National is like a fine wine - while continuing to push the boundaries of thoughtful and excellent music.
[youtube=://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5FQtSn_vak0&w=854&h=480]
THREE. Madison Cunningham. Who Are You Now.
Madi just has it. Insane musicality, provoking lyrics. When her and Tyler Chester team up with the people that made this record, sparks flew and we get to be the perpetual recipients.
[youtube=://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bj8LLAg1ty0&w=854&h=480]
FOUR. Better Oblivion Community Center. Better Oblivion Community Center.
She’s everywhere, and rightfully so! Phoebe Bridgers and Conor Oberst a great songwriting team.
[youtube=://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXzReYLuavg&w=854&h=480]
FIVE. Anderson Paak. Ventura.
GROOVE! So much good feeling in these songs. The rhythm section is insane.
[youtube=://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Jj83FOlBF8&w=854&h=480]
And in no particular order:
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Michael Kiwanuka. KIWANUKA. What a great songwriter and with this third record, just proving consistency as much as anything.
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Vampire Weekend. Father of the Bride. Makes you want to move!
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Switchfoot. Native Tongue. Some of my favorite memories are touring on the Native Tongue tour with Tyson. I loved seeing these guys play these songs every night for a while.
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Local Natives. Violet Street. Fresh Natives!
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Phil Wickham. Singalong 4. Hearing these come to life was inspiring!
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Maggie Rogers. Heard It In A Past Life. What a great breakout record. Can’t wait to eventually see it live.
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Isla Vista, Mark Barlow. Soul Hymns. Some of the freshest music I’ve heard in the space in a long time.
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Emily King. Scenery. I hadn’t heard of her until Matt took me to her show at the top of 2019 and said “You’re just going to want to move.” He was so right.
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John Van Deusen. (I Am) Origami Pt. 3 - a Catacomb Hymn. My brother! He is one of my favorite songwriters and what he and Andy Park made together is special.
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Bruce Hornsby. Absolute Zero. “Cast Off” is one of my standout tracks of 2019, and good on him for getting an incredible cast of characters to put this together.
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Joel P West. Smaller / Just Mercy. This is two-fold with Joel’s solo record and the score for Just Mercy.
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Harry Styles. Fine Line. Listen to even just the first song, and you can hear Harry coming into his own.
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Khalid. Free Spirit. Khalid’s voice is needed in music today.
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Maren Morris. GIRL. I was so proud of busbee for his work with Maren on this record, and I am glad they got the CMA. There are some great songs on this record.
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UPPERROOM. To the One. “You and You Alone” was a really important song for me and I’m sure I’ll be singing it the rest of my life.
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Chance the Rapper. The Big Day. Surprisingly loved the collaboration with Ben Gibbard.
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Tyler Chester. Firstborn. My most replayed instrumental record of the year.
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Judah & The Lion. Pep Talks. Honest and energetic, and they rule at that. I love these guys.
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Joseph. Fighter. Always inspiring harmonies.
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Coldplay. Everyday Life. Somehow this record release feels quiet, but they are consistently doing their thing and I love it.
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Thad Kopec. Center. Thad’s music takes me somewhere else — and I like it there.
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Leif Vollebekk. New Ways. I saw Leif on September 11, 2019 live in LA and I didn’t expect the showmanship or performance I was treated to. Huge fan of his first record and this one keeps getting better as well.
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Sam Weber. Everything Comes True. Tyler strikes again on the production and the songs are really great.
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Kanye West. Jesus Is King. I think I’m a sucker for it — really enjoyed the gospel tracks.
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Brittany Howard. Jamie. What a voice, and songwriter!