Discovered in 2019…

(TL:DR there’s a link to a Spotify playlist at the bottom…x)

If I recall correctly, last year’s introduction was couched somewhat within a degree of despair with the world in general; and…let’s face it…there’s a good deal hasn’t really gotten any better. This is reflected partly across some of the enclosed but within those remains an energy sufficient to facilitate either catharsis, psychosis or plain old blissful detachment.

Your correspondent remains a little detached, down in dear old Devon, on various levels, including musically.  This year’s compilation has been guided by maybe my leanest year of gigs and festivals in twenty, however quantity has happily not impacted whatsoever upon quality, with back-up received as usual from 6music and many of you.

The following ranges from heartbreaking, through abject joy to impenetrable noise…and combinations thereof.  Prizes to those who like precisely none of it.

1.  ‘Seventeen’ – Sharon van Etten

The ‘song of the year so far…’ upon its release early in the year…and that remains the case.  Very nearly perfect.

2.  ‘Pressure to party’ – Julia Jacklin

Of the myriad break-up albums out there, ‘Blood on the Tracks’ has always topped the lot, albeit with degrees of shadow, disguise and misdirection.  Julia Jacklin’s ‘Crushing’ then, is plain and honest and raw…an out-and-out biopic to Dylan’s film noir.  The lyrical strength is entwined, oft unnervingly, with vocals of power, through sorrow, to closure/redemption/release and musical backing that is just right.  The whole of the songs, individually and collectively, could not be better.  Album of the year…and I’m seeing her next week…

3. ‘Honey’ – Drugdealer (ft. Weyes Blood)

…I am however yet to see Weyes Blood…and that cannot be remedied too soon…whose vocals are right there with Tim Smith, Sharon van Etten and Jonathan Wilson in somehow transporting one back to 70s US radio.  Honey-ed indeed…this is like Karen Carpenter backed by a hungover Lynyrd Skynyrd.

4.  ‘Hammond song’ – The Roches

Prompted to seek out The Roches by Jeffrey Lewis (more of whom shortly), the only ‘old’ song in this year’s selection.  More harmonious vocal brilliance…gloriously simple and with just a hint of the Peanuts gang, had they made their way to the late 70s US anti-folk scene.

5.  ‘Wintertyde’ – Brix and the Extricated

The life, evolution, deconstruction and reincarnation of The Fall is the stuff of legend.  That a number of Mark E. Smith’s greatest foot soldiers and his musical partner of over thirty odd years ago should ‘come back’ with such excellence and energy is certainly out of the ordinary…outshining a great many reformed acts of the time…yet unsurprising given the characters involved. That same band has subsequently provided me with my only live experience of my favourite Fall song (‘Spinetrak’) and this beauty…which happens to sit very well alongside my second favourite Fall song…’Midnight in Aspen’.

6.  ‘Closure’ – Mammoth Penguins

Bright, brilliant, sharp pop music…potentially should have segued it with Julia Jacklin.

7.  ‘My blood’ – Pom Poko

Sort of sitting at the centre of a Venn diagram, or flower even, with at the very least bits of Bjork, post-punk, Shonen Knife and a touch of riot grrl.  My interest had been piqued by Marc Riley’s enthusiasm and fully confirmed by witnessing them deliver my favourite ever support slot for Ezra Furman…which also brought to mind memories of The Grates.

8.  ‘Except for the fact that it isn’t’ – Jeffrey Lewis and the Voltage

Sharper-eared readers may well recall the inclusion of something similar to this in 2017. Well that was a bootlegged BBC session and it’s now in its final form on a wonderful new album. And oh that Carpenter-esque video.

And everything still is.

Also it isn’t.

9.  ‘Calm down aka I should not be alone’ – Ezra Furman

A return to the list for Ezra…making it five out of six years since 2014…thanks to blistering punk album ‘Twelve nudes’, from which pretty much any track could have made it here. Delighted as well to confirm it works wonderfully well live too. In pretty much all senses an artist for our times.

10.  ‘Smoko’ – The Chats

An Aussie three-piece is generally also worth a go.  I know nothing of this lot beyond this track but the song and the video make me smile. A lot.  On the face of it matters are fairly simple and fairly dumb, but there’s a bit of post-punk going on that hints at something more. I’m seeing them on Sunday, so we’ll see…

11.  ‘The Rally Boys’ – Guided by Voices

After nearly fifteen years of trying, I finally saw Guided by Voices. Twice in two days. And it was everything I’d ever hoped for…with the added bonus of falling headfirst into the most wonderful fan community. Robert Pollard is as prolific as ever and somehow, now in his sixties, still turning out soaring indie-pop gems like this.

12.  ‘Somedays (I don’t feel like trying)’ – The Raconteurs

The Raconteurs’ epic ‘Carolina Drama’ was very much an heir to ‘Lily, Rosemary, and the Jack of Hearts’ – albeit with cinematic storytelling more in line with Billy Bob Thornton than Sergio Leone. With our second Lynyrd Skynyrd reference of the day, this track owes some debt to ‘Tuesday’s gone’…and is absolutely none the worse for it.  For me, Jack White again at his best.

13.  ‘Under skies of black and blue’ – Black Water County

I was introduced to Black Water County by Sasha at this year’s Beautiful Days.  And I love them.  Their t-shirts command one to “folk shit up” and that is exactly what they do. Incredible energy both onstage and in front of, with thumping songs to boot.  18yo me would completely adore them and 41yo me is pretty keen too…

14.  ‘Sucker punch’ – Madonnatron

Imagine if you will Donna Summer singing folk songs with rockabilly backing, everyone involved on various psychedelics. Or maybe if Trembling Bells had at some point taken a disco route.  Maybe those things are one and the same.  Whatever…this is brilliant.

15.  ‘You and everybody that you love will one day die’ – Slime City

Now imagine The Darkness playing with Sparks (which, I wonder, hasn’t actually already happened).  Anyways that’s what this sounds like, if The Darkness and Sparks tried to write a Flaming Lips song.  It’s fun and the sentiment very much works in the present day.

16.  ‘Second death of my face’ – W.H. Lung

My second favourite album of the year.  These boys are SO good…live and on record.  Everything I love about dance music from the last forty years.

For Stephanie.

17.  ‘Jogging’ – Richard Dawson

There has been quite the renaissance of angry, socially conscious, abrasive indie that has jumped the bandwagon of hopelessness and injustice offered by politicians, the media and idiots.  The majority of these acts are crude, vainglorious and not half as clever as they think they are.

Not so Richard Dawson…ridiculously talented, humble as fuck and probably twice as clever as he thinks he is.

18.  ‘Until the lights go out’ – Julie’s Haircut

Rocket Recordings could well provide a 2019 best-of all of their very own, with what is now and extraordinary roster of bands.  I confess though to not yet having had the time and headspace to explore fully…but in the meantime this lot are my favourite so far. Brooding, cinematic Italian motorik with more than a little nod to Comus and 70s psych folk. Frighteningly good noise.

19.  ‘Blown’ – Ezra Furman

‘Twelve nudes’ gets a second song after all. I had a bit of space over and it fits well here.  Fear I may never hear this live but my it’s good…

20.  ‘Heart worm’ – Oh Sees

…as is this. Relentless, brutal, brilliance. John Dwyer is an absolute genius.

21.  ‘Going Norway’ – Girl Band

Where Richard Dawson is showing the rest of them how it’s done cerebrally, Girl Band are still doing very much the same on the noise front. A number of listeners may well have left us by this point…but I think if you enjoyed the last few then you’ll like this too.

Hopefully you’ve enjoyed at least a little…

X

PS …I still stubbornly persist with a number of CDs in the full knowledge half of the recipients won’t have anything to play it on. For the first time ever though, everything can actually be found on S**tify…so a playlist can also be found here…