I've long lamented over the near mystical nature of the 1979 music scene where my taste moved from punk/pop new wave to post punk. My aforementioned top 50 if 1979 is ample and definitive evidence (some might say damning evidence of poor taste) of my transition (maturing? Nah!!!!). It was also a fantastic year for albums or LP's in old money. E.G.
I'm not sure my tastes have changed that much, I still just like pop music.
According to my end of year Spotify report, I listened to 983 new artists in 2019 which must mean 983 different artists (Spotify is pretty clever but I don't see how it can know if an artist is new to me). That said, I'm pretty chuffed with that. The general opinion of paid for music streaming services is that they are the devil but I'm not so sure.
Maybe I'm becoming a bit heartless in my old age but isn't it just a re-calibration of capitalism in the music industry? If you're a musician you pay your money and you take your chance. I reckon a rough estimate would be that when I buy a CD I play it on average 3 times so if it costs £10 that's £3.33 a spin which isn't cheap. Anyway, it just isn't my fight and I despite this argument I still buy loads of stuff.
Yep, Spotify's fancy dan algorithms have done me proud this year. Well that and me scouring details of new releases in Mojo, Uncut and latterly Songlines. Oh and also checking out Paste magazine online and not forgetting painstakingly going through festival artists (this year EOTR and Twisterella). It's not easy being this cutting edge you know?
It's been a truly wonderful year for pop music and I swear if the Rock Garden was still going the clientele would flock to the dancefloor zombie like (ala Screaming Babies/Zerox Machine) everytime the dj plays Dylan Thomas. So here's my best 53 songs of the year (I gave up trying to cut it back any further). I've even kindly and self indulgently included a link if you've got 3 hours 38 minutes to waste.
1.
Dylan
Thomas – Better Oblivion Community Center
2.
Heart Sutra Song – Gone Beyond – Laurie Anderson
etc.
3.
New Partner – Bonnie Prince Billy
4.
Forgotten Eyes – Big Thief
5.
New Partner – Tallest Man On Earth
6.
Annie, Heart Thief of the Sea – Kishi Bashi
7.
Kanougnon – Bassekou Kouyate
8.
Apple – Nel Unlit
9.
We Americans – Avett Brothers
10.
You’ll Need a New Backseat Driver – New
Pornographers
11.
Jogging – Richard Dawson
12.
Chasin’ Wild Horses – Bruce Springsteen
13.
Special Announcement – The Felice Brothers
14.
Before Us – Wilco
15.
Blindfold – Martha Hill
16.
Not – Big Thief
17.
You Had Your Soul With You – The National
18.
Moonlight Motel – Bruce Springsteen
19.
More Is Less – The Murder Capital
20.
Gasoline – The Mysterines
21.
Mornings In Memphis – Justin Townes Earle
22.
Figures – Gia Margaret
23.
Where Did You Go Wrong, My Love – The Good Ones
24.
Diggin – Ohtis
25.
Gasoline – The Mysterines
26.
Five On It – Speilbergs
27.
Home Is Where The Music Is – rRoxymore
28.
747 – Bill Callahan
29.
Down In The Willow Garden – Bonnie Prince Billy
30.
Everything Crash – Prince Fatty, Big youth, George
Dekker
31.
Georgia Lee – Phoebe Bridgers
32.
Use 2 Be A Romantic – Field Medic
33.
Sunglasses – Black Country New Road
34.
Vals Etter Tot Tut – Anon Egeland
35.
Give It All – Kay Greyson
36.
NGWA - Blick Bassy
37.
Gassed – Bobby Krlic
38.
Nosso Amor – Flavia Coelho
39.
Welcome – Africa Express
40.
What I’ve Been Kicking Around – The Tallest Man
on Earth
41.
Everyday Apostles – Spencer Tweedy
42.
Denkilo – Constantinople, Ablaye Cissoko
43.
Young People Are The Future – The Good Ones
44.
There Is No Other – Rhiannon Giddens
45.
The River St Johns – Jake Xerxes Fussell
46.
The Modern Leper – Julien Baker
47.
Hold On – Aimee Mann
48.
La Fanmi – Lakou Mizik
49.
Back To The End Of The World – Jim James
50.
Heavy Crown – Trixie Mattel
51.
Tastes Good With The Money – Fat White Family
52.
Television Screens - Fontaines DC
53.
Evening Prayer aka Justice - Ezra Furman
No comments:
Post a Comment