2019

qb(X) – 2019 Smash Albums

Laurie Anderson / Tenzin Choegyal / Jesse Paris Smith – Songs from the Bardo (Smithsonian Folkways)
Bastarda – Ars Morendi (Time Released Sound)
Buck Young – Buck II: Where Do You Want It? (No Rent)
ENDON – Boy Meets Girl (Thrill Jockey)
Floating Points – Crush (Ninja Tune)
Lankum – The Livelong day (Rough Trade)
Kali Malone – The Sacrificial Code (iDEAL)
Kolida Babo – Kolida Babo (Mic)
Jessica Pavone – In the Action (Relative Pitch)
Matana Roberts – Coin Coin Chapter Four: Memphis (Constellation)
Sunn O))) – Life Metal (Southern Lord)
Tadzio – The Sick Room (BLIGHT.)

qb(x) – The 2019 Hit Singles

Sam Ashley & Werner Durand – “I’d Rather Be Lucky Than Good” – I’d Rather Be Lucky Than Good (Unseen Worlds)
Black to Comm – “Asphodel Mansions” Seven Horses for Seven Kings (Thrill Jockey)
Budos Band – “Veil of Shadows” – V (Daptone)
Kompromat – “Das Konterfei (Vacarme Rework)” – Traum Und Existenz (Clivage)
Laurice – “Please Mister Policeman” – Bad Boy (Mighty Mouth)
Marissa Nadler – “Blue Vapor” – For My Crimes (Sacred Bones)
Petra – “Ul” – Fliament (Gold Bolus)
Pharmakon – “Homeostasis” – Devour (Sacred Bones)
Philthy Dronez – “Sabor de la Cumbia” (Discos Más)
Tiny Ruins – “School of Design” – Olympic Girls (Ba Da Bing!)
Surplus 1980 Collectiv Ensembl with G.W. Sok – “Glory Hole” – Forget All This (Music ‘A La Coque)
Eerie Wanda – “Sleepy Eyes” – Pet Town (Joyful Noise)

Top Album Picks:

Angel Olsen – All Mirrors (Jagjaguwar)
Billie Eilish – When We All Fall Asleep Where Do We Go? (Interscope)
Big Thief – Two Hands (4AD)
Black Midi – Schelgenheim (Rough Trade)
Boy Scouts – Free Company (Anti)
Crumb – Jinx (S/R)
FKA Twigs – Magdalene (Young Turks)
Girl Band – The Talkies (Rough Trade)
Jay Som – Anak Ko (Polyvinyl)
Julia Jacklin – Crushing (Polyvinyl)
Kim Gordon – No Home Record (Matador)
King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard – Infest the Rats Nest (Flightless)
Lana Del Rey – Norman Fucking Rockwell (Polydor)
Mannequin Pussy – Patience (Epitaph)
Metz – Automat (Sub Pop)
Raconteurs – Help Us Stranger (Third Man)
Slow Hollows – Actors (Not Another Word)
Spoon – Everything Hits At Once: The Best of Spoon (Matador)
Surf Curse – Heaven Surrounds You (Danger Collective)
Thom Yorke – Anima (XL Recordings)
Weyes Blood – Titanic Rising (Sub Pop)

Y La Bamba – Mujeres (Tender Loving Empire)

Noteworthy EP:

Y La Bamba – Entre Los Dos (Tender Loving Empire)

Good riddance to 2019. Here’s to 2020!

My favorite albums of 2019

Eddy Current Suppression Ring – All In Good Time (Castle Face)
Yvonne and The No Regrets – World Of Women (S/R)
Peter Perrett – Humanworld (Domino Recording Co)
The Proletariat – Move (Boss Tuneage)
Heavy Metal – LP4 (Double LP) (Static Shock/ Static Age)
Taiwan Housing Project – Sub-Language Trustees (ever/never)
CTMF – Brave Protector (Damaged Goods)
Model Zero – S/T (Slovenly)
Teenage Cavegirl – Candy Cigarettes (S/R)
Judy and The Jerks – Friendships Formed In The Pit (Neck Chop)
Casual Burn – Mean Thing (Handstand)
Cindy – S/T (S/R)
The Mystery Lights – Too Much Tension! (Wick)
Warp – Traffic Control (Thrilling Living)
Golden Pelicans – Grinding For Gruel (12XU)

My favorites EPs of 2019

Disco Junk – Underage Punk (Hozac)
David Nance Group – Meanwhile (Third Man)
The Dogmatics – She’s The One (Rum Bar)
Jackson Reid Briggs and The Heaters – Hide Away (Grubby Productions)
Miss June – Best Girl (Frenchkiss)
Unhappy Fly – The Vision and The Poison (Emotional Response)
Jack Oblivian and The Sheiks – Every Little Thing Goes Wrong (Chaputa!)
Michael Beach – Curtain Of Night (Tall Texan)
The Cool Greenhouse – Crap Cardboard Pet (Lumpy)
Rubber Blanket – New Garbage Truck (Spacecase)

My favorite reissues of 2019

Echo & The Bunnymen – The John Peel Sessions 1979-1983 (Korova)
Anemic Boyfriends – Fake ID (Hozac)
Peter Ivers – Becoming Peter Ivers (Rvng Intl)
Gino and The Goons – Rip It Up (Slovenly)
Alex Chilton – From Memphis to New Orleans (Bar/None)
Malaria! – Compiled 2.0/ 1981-1984 – Full Emotion (Moabit Musik)
The Victims – S/T (In The Red)
Dum Dum Boys – Let There Be Noise (In The Red)
Revenge – Our Generation (In The Red)
V/A – Were Were Living In Cincinnati: Punk and Underground Sounds From Ohio’s Queen City
1975-1982 (Hozac)

My favorite shows of 2019

Scientists – Mosswood Park, Oakland – July 7
CTMF – Starline Social Club, Oakland – July 6 & 7
Chandra – Elbo Room, Oakland – June 21
Misfits – Oakland Arena, Oakland – September 11
Miss June – Rickshaw Stop, San Francisco – November 4
Robert Forster – Swedish American Hall, San Francisco – November 8
Amyl & The Sniffers – Thee Parkside, San Franciso – March 22
Roy Erickson – The Chapel, San Francisco – April 19
Peter Murphy – Chapel, San Francisco – March 13
Fatty Cakes & The Puff Pastries – Full Circle Brewing Co, Fresno – April 15
Just Head – Thee Knockout, San Franciso – April 13
Sugar Hill Gang with Grandmaster Melle Mel and Scorpio – New Parish, Oakland – April 20
Tav Falco – Thee Parkside, San Franciso – May 9
Sweet Knives – Thee Parkside, San Franciso – June 22
Weird Al – Meadowbrook Pavilion, Gilford, NH – July 18
KRS-One – Cornerstone, Berkeley, CA – October 12
Cock Sparrer – USS Hornet, Alameda, CA October 19
Amy Rigby – Starline Social Club, Oakland – November 7
Nots – Bottom Of The Hill, San Francisco – November 13
Jon Spencer – Slim’s, San Francisco – February 24
Flatworms – Thee Knockout, San Francisco – April 27

My favorite movies of 2019

Pain and Glory
Dolemite Is My Name

Automatic – Signal (Stones Throw)
Devendra Banhart – Ma (Nonesuch)
Black Marble – Bigger Than Life (Sacred Bones)
Boy Harsher – Careful (Nude Club)
Shana Cleveland – Night of the Worm Moon (Hardly Art)
Chris Cohen – Chris Cohen (Captured Tracks)
Alessandro Cortini – Volume Massimo (Mute)
Crumb – Jinx (s/r)
Nicola Cruz – Siku (ZZK)
Carla dal Forno – Look Up Sharp (Kallista)
Ami Dang – Parted Plains (Leaving)
Death & Vanilla – Are You A Dreamer? (Fire)
Deerhunter – Why Hasn’t Everything Already Disappeared? (4AD)
Earthen Sea – Grass And Trees (Kranky)
Filmmaker – The Love Market (Detriti)
Föllakzoid – I (Sacred Bones)
Nico Georis – Shirley Shirley Shirley! (Wednesday Sound)
Ghosts of Dance – Walking Through Gardens (Dark Entries)
Helado Negro – This Is How You Smile (RVNG)
Jeanines – Jeanines (Slumberland)
Joy O – Slipping (Hinge Finger)
Kit Sebastian – Mantra Moderne (Mr. Bongo)
Cate Le Bon – Reward (Mexican Summer)
Lorn – Rarities (Wednesday Sound)
Omni – Networker (Sub Pop)
Tim Presley’s White Fence – I Have To Feed Larry’s Hawk (Drag City)
Sea Urchin – Tahtib (Bokeh Versions)
Sessa – Grandeza (Boiled)
Skyminds – Skyminds (Auasca)
Smoke Bellow – Isolation 3000 (Ehse)
somesurprises – somesurprises (Drawing Room)
Stratocastors – Opinions (Black Totem)
Ulla Straus – Big Room (Quiet Time)
Vanishing Twin – The Age of Immunology (Fire)
Various Artists – The Time Released Sound Around The World Ambient Program (Time Released Sound)
Various Artists – You’re Not From Around Here (Numero Group)
Juan Wauters – La Onda de Juan Pablo (Captured Tracks)

7″

• Collate – Communication (Market Square)
• Current Affairs – Buckle Up (…)
• Kelly Finnigan – Catch Me I’m Falling (Colemine)
• Terry – Who’s Terry? (Upset the Rhythm)
• Tight Knit – Too Hot (Not Unloved)
• Tyvek – Changing Patterns Of Protective Coating (Doubles Tapes)

LP

• Blues Lawyer – Something Different (Mt. St. Mtn.)
• Mick Trouble – …here’s the Mick Trouble LP (Emotional Response)
• Neutrals – Kebab Disco (Emotional Response)
• Pscience – Pscience (Space Taker Sounds)
• Patio – Essentials (Fire Talk)
• Vanishing Twin – The Age Of Immunology (Fire)
• Bobby Oroza – This Love (Big Crown)
• Conditioner Disco Group – CDGLP (Maternal Voice)

Cassette, Downloads, Etc.

• Cochonne – Cochonne (Sorry State)
• The Cool Greenhouse – Crap Cardboard Pet (Hidden Bay)
• Erik Nervous & The Beta Blockers – LP (Gold Recs)
• Galore – Galore Demos (S/R)
• The Umbrellas – Maritime e.p. (Discontinuous Innovation)
• Vivienne Styg – Rose of Texas (S/R)

Cate Le Bon – “Mother’s Mother’s Magazines” – Reward (Mexican Summer)
Devendra Banhart – “Now All Gone” – Ma (Nonesuch)
Douye – “Desafinado” – Quatro Bossa Nova Deluxe (Groove Note)
Faye Webster – “Room Temperature” – Atlanta Millionaire’s Club (Secretly Canadian)
Fea – “Pelo Suelto” – No Novelties (Blackheart)
French Vanilla – “Real or Not” – How Am I Not Myself? (Danger Collective)
Guaxe – “Povo Marcado” – Guaxe (Oar)
Hayes Carll – “Fragile Men” – What It Is (Dual Tone)
Holydrug Couple – “Hyper Super Mega” – Hyper Super Mega (Sacred Bones)
Iggy Pop – “James Bond” – Free (Loma Vista/Concord)
Jesca Hoop – “Red White and Black” – Stonechild (Memphis Industries)
Lee Fields & The Expressions – “It Rains Love” – It Rains Love (Big Crown)
Lizzo – “Boys” – Cuz I Love You (Atlantic)
Michelle Blades – “Ring” – Visitor (Midnight Special)
Middle Ages – “Wound Up” – The Middle Ages (Ripe)
Midnite Snaxx – “She Don’t Want That” – Music Inside (Slovenly)
Necking – “Boss” – Cut Your Teeth (Mint)
New Pornographers – “Leather on the Seat” – In the Morse Code of Brake Lights – (Concord)
Pure Bathing Culture – “Black Starling” – Night Pass (Infinite Companion)
Sacred Paws – “Is This Real” – Run Around the Sun (Merge)
Automatic – “Signal” – Signal (Stones Throw)
Tijuana Panthers – “Garbage Person” – Carpet Diem (Innovative Leisure)
Tinariwen (w/Cass McCombs) – “Kel Tinawen” – Tinarawen + 10.1 (Anti)
Vanishing Twin – “Language Is a City (Let Me Out) ” – The Age of Immunology (Fire)
Velveteen Rabbit – “Mind-Numbing Entertainment” – Mind-Numbing Entertainment (Hozac)