2019 YEAR IN REVIEW: KXSC Staff & DJs' Favorite Albums of the Year
Greetings, dear readers! Hope this stretch of pre-holiday hecticness isn’t treating you too roughly, and that you have some relaxing times ahead. It’s hard to state any platitudes about a year’s musical offerings, given what different experiences of listening each of us has. I hope, therefore, that this set of staff members and DJs’ best-of-the-year lists paints a diverse and intricate picture of what various breeds of music fans loved in 2019. Have a lovely winter, and may 2020 bring you more bangers and bops.
LUCY TALBOT ALLEN, Music Writing Director
(Sandy) Alex G - House of Sugar
My top pick for the year is Philadelphia lo-fi god Alex G’s lush, moving record. Read my full review here.
Sheer Mag - A Distant Call
Another band with its roots firmly in the Philly DIY scene comes in at a close second. I reviewed their album for the newsletter this fall.
Orville Peck - Pony
Enigmatic outlaw country breakout Peck offered another stellar record this year. Here’s my review.
Cutting Room Floor - Sink/Swim
The genre-bending DIY trio released their first album in six years this summer, eliciting a new round of weeping and screaming from fans, like myself, of their last release. Read my review here.
Emile Mosseri et al. - The Last Black Man in San Francisco Original Soundtrack
Full disclosure: the “Talbot” in the middle of my name is the same one that belongs to Last Black Man director and co-writer Joe Talbot. Still, you don’t have to be Joe’s cousin to be moved to tears by his symphonic debut feature and its equally brilliant score. The artistic lovechild of Talbot and composer Mosseri, the score draws from the heavily orchestrated elegance of old Hollywood soundtracks and their later progenitors, composed by the likes of Michael Nyman. The soundtrack is laden with lush, haunting original melodies, but its crown jewel is a cover: an elegiac rendition of Scott McKenzie’s earnest hippie anthem “San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Flowers in Your Hair),” sung by Michael Marshall, the bay area vocalist best known for singing the hook on Luniz’s “I Got 5 On It.” Like the best covers, this version rewrites its source material through inspired arrangements and orchestration, molding the pop song into a poignant ode to the city’s imperiled outsider status.
Big Mood - Big Mood is for Lovers
I should issue another disclaimer for this addition--one of my dearest friends plays guitar on this record. But now that I’ve made my connection known, I urge you, dear reader, to check out the Western Mass power pop band’s debut album. Big Mood may belong to the region’s tight-knit DIY scene, but their sound more readily evokes 70s and 80s art rock than the music of their lo-fi punk peers. The first track, titled “Stop Making Sense” in a clear nod to fellow New England college-sourced weirdos the Talking Heads, is a sociable introvert’s anthem: “I've been feeling real glum / but when I think about it, things are on the up / I'm finally learning there's a hell of a lot more love / than I thought there was,” sings lead vocalist Judge Russell, whose voice evokes Tom Verlaine’s emphatic twang. The album delivers infectiously catchy choruses alongside wistful ponderings like “are you really the object of my affection? / or just the one my heart chose to project on?” evoking a litany of sensitive proto-indie rockers from Jonathan Richman to Television to REM.
Tankini - Twisted Up
According to Tankini’s bandcamp, the enigmatically mononymic Erica and Sadie share lead vocal duties for this Olympia pop punk band, whose last album, do u suk?, was released in 2015. The Sadie named above is the same one known best for helming the short-lived and well-loved hardcore band G.L.O.S.S., and I count her solo project, Dyke Drama, among my favorite current bands. Erica sings the first four blistering, moody two-minute tracks on Twisted Up, while Sadie sings the following two. The last, “Feel Good Song of the Summer,” is my personal favorite. It opens with an audio clip from the monologue delivered by Michael Stuhlbarg’s character toward the end of Luca Guadagnino’s Call Me By Your Name. “We rip out so much of ourselves to be cured of things faster, that we go bankrupt by the age of thirty and have less to offer each time we start with someone new,” Stuhlbarg says, over crashing drums and a plaintive guitar riff. “But to make yourself feel nothing so as not to feel anything―what a waste!” Sadie breaks into a powerful chorus: “you gotta hold on to whoever you have / hold them close, don’t let go, seize their hand and kiss their head / the world’s burning, mass killings every day / find isolation when you try to build community.” Tankini’s earnest call for (queer) affection in dark times brings their album close to my heart.
Jenny Lewis - On the Line
Veteran indie songstress Lewis provides on her latest album a somehow-uplifting symphony of lament and resignation. Here’s my newsletter review.
Ex Hex - It’s Real
Much like Sheer Mag, Ex Hex doesn’t shy away from the lively energy of hard rock, despite its connotations of allegiance with retrograde masculinity. Ex Hex’s source material isn’t the denim-vest metal favored by the former band, however, but the jangly guitar craft of those artists’ predecessors, bands like The Flamin’ Groovies, Big Star, and Blue Cheer. Frontwoman and lead guitarist Mary Timony shreds with aplomb while wryly admitting vulnerability in her lyrics: “Good times never felt so bad,” she sings on the opening track, “Tough Enough.” The album’s songs slide elegantly from tight, chugging verses to grand choruses with dulcet vocal harmonies. Its production is clean and stripped down, save for the flanger effect used sparingly on the vocals for “No Reflection” and “Talk to Me.” Timony’s riffs feel comfortingly familiar, like guitar solos from some 70s hit just out of your mind’s reach, but they bear an Ex Hex signature clearly identifiable as her own.
Lil Nas X - 7
The overwhelming success of “Old Town Road” this year was a touching sign of these times’ joyful possibilities. That a country-inflected rap song by a gay, internet-reared twenty-year-old from a housing project in suburban Georgia could not only set a record for most weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, but also prompt a widespread cultural conversation about the limitations of genre definition and the history of black Americans’ contributions to country music, is the sort of miraculous happenstance that reminds us that the world wide web still has some democratizing power. With his debut EP, Lil Nas X has proved he’s more than the one-hit wonder behind an admittedly hugely important novelty song. On 7, he offered another radio hit, the emo-rap earworm “Panini,” as well as the Travis Barker-produced pop-punk banger “F9mily (You & Me),” and the wistful personal anthem “C7osure (You Like).” The songs on 7 may not all be as unique as “Old Town Road,” but they indicate a bright post-hit future for the young rapper’s career.
Honorable Mention: TRAP GIRL - TransAmerican Chokehold
Released a week ago, the LA punk band’s new record came out too late to make my official top 10, but I strongly recommend it to anyone with an affinity for the blistering hardcore that came out of this city in the 80s, and particularly its infusion with wry and radical resistance to transphobia.
SIENNA ESTRADA, DJ
Nothing Happens – Wallows
Wallows is made up of Cole Preston, Dylan Minnette, and Braeden Lemasters. They’re one of the many bands that my friends and I collectively love. Just like the band, we’ve been together for years. You can hear their friendship amid their songs, and I think that’s one of the reasons why my friends and I are so drawn to them. They’re kind of a reflection of us.
The band’s first song, “Pleaser” dropped at the end of our senior year of high school. From then on, their music became an anthem for myself and my friends, transitioning into a stage of adulthood as we entered our freshman year of college.
Seeing them at The Fonda this past May, my friends and I had the time of our lives. We danced and sang along to Clairo’s part on “Are You Bored Yet?” We felt the fireworks in our hearts during the dreamily chaotic outro of “Worlds Apart”. We levitated as the hums of the synth during the transition between “I’m Full” and “Do Not Wait” traveled through our bodies.
Even though each song weaves into the next extremely well, you won’t know what to expect to feel. But you’re bound to feel something when listening to Nothing Happens.
“Bags” by Clairo
Easily one of my most listened to songs of the year. No matter how many times I listen, I can never get tired of it. I feel like I can listen to it at any time of day, and it’s going to feel different every time. The simplicity of the production and the complexity of the lyrics create a balance that is perfect for a song about the positive and negative feelings and experiences that come with love. Clairo’s soft voice makes the song sound like a sigh; sad but kind of expecting that declaring her love would bring its consequences.
Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. - HUNNY
The title of this album is exactly how I feel whenever I listen to it. The band is definitely a pick-me-up. Even if I’m not in the greatest mood, I’m going to be tapping my foot to each song’s irresistible rhythm.
HUNNY’s definitely one of the bands that brings me and my friends closer together. They’re having a show nearby? We’re there. If we play them in the car, we’re bound to blast the speakers. They evoke New Order, The Cure, and Depeche Mode, but still have their own sound that’s very distinguishable from other bands today. The casual sadness in “Smarter Ways of Saying It,” The energetic guitar riff in “Everything Means Everything Meant Everything”; It’s all so harmonious and, at the same time, chaotic, capturing those feelings of youth and love.
My friends and I went to see them at Amoeba Records Hollywood, where they performed the album for the first time. Their energy shines brighter than their purple and yellow guitars, teal bass, and fluorescent clothing. The crowd also got involved in the performance, either chanting the “Hey!’’s in “Lula, I’m Not Mad” or singing the feature from Bleached on “Saturday Night.” Despite the high heat on that day in July, we danced recklessly between the aisles, among the CDs. HUNNY made us completely forget about it.
Heaven Surrounds You - Surf Curse
Art. Pure Art. I first listened to this album in a hotel room at night. When I looked outside the window at the view of Los Angeles, I felt invincible. It made me want to dance in the street, wrapped in the edgy green and red lighting seen on the album cover. I still feel that way.
The band, buds Nick Rattigan and Jacob Rubeck, know how to bring to life the ecstasy and angst found in the transition into adulthood. While “Maps to the Stars” and “Disco” get me off my feet, other tracks like “Safe” make me feel small in the best way possible. Then, a song like “Jamie” makes me want to hug my friends and never let them go. Jacob sings, “It was meant / To be like this / All of your friends / Really make things clear.” Everyone comes into your life for a reason. You have to surround yourself with friends who make you happy and strengthen your place in the world. In “Hour of the Wolf,” when Nick longingly sings the album title, you will feel heaven literally surrounding you. In this album, you will feel the warmth, the brightness, the sadness, the hope. It’s beautiful.
CLAIRE BAI, Program Director
I’ve come to realize that I am what one would call an “obsessive listener,” as in I project all my feelings onto one album and listen to those tracks exclusively for a given three week period at any point in the year. I certainly did not need Spotify Wrapped to remind me that my life playlist is made up of just five songs. So without further ado, here’s what’s gotten me through the last year of the 2010s:
Kacey Musgraves - Golden Hour
Oh, what a world Kacey has introduced me to. I had denounced country music for the rest of my life, and then she came swinging around with “High Horse,” and the rest of Golden Hour hit me with the entire emotional range of Adam Driver’s acting (which is to say, all too much and also all I needed). I’d actually found “High Horse” quite annoying upon my first encounter with it on Top 40 radio, and yet, now unsurprisingly (with that muted bass intro), it ended up on my top songs of 2019. Lesser played tracks I’d recommend include “Wonder Woman” and well, “Oh, What a World.”
Maggie Rogers - Heard It In a Past Life
I had the great honor to attend Maggie Rogers’ performance at the Greek back in September, and it was all I had expected it to be and more. Ms. Rogers is so comfortably herself, it is impossible not to love her at first sight and first listen. The entirety of Heard It In a Past Life is, frankly, perfect; Maggie’s ear for mixing and mastering is truly impeccable. Top tracks are “Say It,” “Back In My Body,” and “Fallingwater” (and the rest of the album).
Blood Orange - Angel’s Pulse
Like any normie millennial, I was initially attracted to Blood Orange’s work because of his very aesthetically pleasing stage name, but had the happy accident of stumbling upon an incredibly interesting and talented artist. Released in mid-July, Angel’s Pulse is a haunting and tugging mixtape that features several up-and-coming artists like Kelsey Lu, JOBA of Brockhampton, and Tinashe. Favorite songs? “Benzo,” “Tuesday Feeling (Choose to Stay),” and “Dark and Handsome.”
Carly Rae Jepsen - Dedicated
Another undeniably dedicated (ha) and precise musician, CRJ jumped back into the spotlight with an album that feels very much like smooth progression down a timeline of her past artistry. I did not listen to this quite as obsessively as I did Emotion (2015), but tracks like “Too Much” and “Want You In My Room” took some deep cuts out of my emotional capacity for the year. I also found myself rolling through 2012’s Kiss, which bears some bangers, like “Curiosity” and “Tonight I’m Getting Over You.”
Angel Olsen - All Mirrors
Angel Olsen has had a fascinating evolution from dropping heart-wrenching, jilted-in-the-rain indie to straight up emotional grenades. I described All Mirrors to a friend as simply “heavy.” It requires you to ask yourself, “Are you in the right headspace to receive [an album] that [will] hurt you?” Required media consumption: the “Lark” music video. Recommended tracks: “New Love Cassette” and “Spring.”
Other mentions: Caroline Polachek’s “Pang” (which I already reviewed, so won’t ramble more about), FKA twigs’ “Magdalene” (decadent, melting art pop), Ariana Grande’s “thank u next” (solidifies Grande’s pop [and a bit of R&B?] queen status), Daniela Andrade’s “Tamale” (smooth indie), Lana Del Rey’s “Norman Fucking Rockwell” (best work to date), Karen O and Danger Mouse’s “Lux Prima” (auditory ether), and revivals of Rihanna’s “Anti” (2016) and Kylie Minogue’s “Fever” (2001)
EDWARD SWAN, DJ
Vampire Weekend - Father of the Bride
Taylor Swift - Lover
Wilco - Ode to Joy
Pup - Morbid Stuff
Better Oblivion Community Center - self titled
Tyler the Creator - Igor
Brittany Howard - Jamie
Jenny Lewis - On the Line
Anderson Paak - Ventura
Oso Oso - Basking in the Glow
Lana Del Rey - Norman Fucking Rockwell
The National - I am Easy to Find
Mannequin Pussy - Patience
Sharon Van Etten - Remind Me Tomorrow
Angel Olsen - All Mirrors
Frankie Cosmos - Close it Quietly
Megan Thee Stallion - Fever
Danny Brown - uknowhatimsayin?
King Princess - Cheap Queen
Earl Sweatshirt - Feet of Clay
JUDITH SHRUTI, DJ
Joy Crookes - Reminiscence
Ari Lennox - Shea Butter Baby
Doja Cat - Hot Pink
Favorite Mixtape: Megan Thee Stallion - Fever
SEAN MORGENTHALER, Music Director
Lucki - Freewave 3
Headie One - Music X Road
Shed - Oderbruch
Robb Bank$ - Road to Falconia
Yamaneko - Spirals Heaven Wide
Whitehouse Studio - Da House, Vol. 1
DJ Nate - Take Off Mode
Kohh - Untitled
DJ Richard - Dies Irae Xerox
Brodinski - Evil World