Best of 2019: Albums

This is my list of favorite albums for 2019. Perennial favs Robedoor released another slab of their murky sludge. Of relatively local note, Lea Bertucci's Resonant Field was recorded in the grain silos at Silo City in Buffalo and sounds wonderful. There wasn't a new Zaïmph album, but Marcia Bassett did release a couple of things on her Yew label. There was a live recording of a trio with Margarida Garcia and Manuel Mota as well as Kyle Eyre Clyd's Eggshell CD. Both recordings are great.

It's awesome that Constellation, Kranky, and Skin Graft are still putting out records after all these years.

I know I left off or missed a couple of albums, but that's kind of the point of making a list. I knew some stuff was going to be on here from the get go and did a little nitpicking to figure out the last couple of items. Usually what I listened to more was the deciding factor, which is why Craow made the list, but Lightning Bolt didn't, for example. As an aside, I never found a store to buy Kim Gordon's record.

As always any album had to be released in the calendar year and I had to listen to it a lot. And if you are one of those types who needs a definitive album of the year, then that honor goes to Honey by Lungbutter on Constellation. The Nivhek project by Liz Harris was up there for my top album, too. However, it deservedly made many a year end list already so I went with the abstract no wave power trio from Montreal as the best of 2019. Lungbutter rocks.

The list goes band/album/label for those with questions of that nature.

01. Caterina Barbieri - Ecstatic Computation - Editions Mego
02. Marcia Bassett, Margarida Garcia, and Manuel Mota - Here They Rest Immobile - Yew
03. Lea Bertucci - Resonant Field - NNA Tapes
04. Child Abuse - Imaginary Enemy - Skin Graft
05. Craow - Branded Influence - National Waste Products
06. The Dead C - Rare Ravers - Ba Da Bing! Records
07. Jessica Ekomane - Multivocal - Important
08. First Tone - Reactions - Spectrum Spools
09. Forest Management - Passageways - Whited Sepulchre
10. Hiro Kone - A Fossil Begins To Bray - Dais
11. Loscil - Equivalents - Kranky
12. Lungbutter - Honey - Constellation
13. Karrot Kake - Zinc Finger - Nonexistant Records
14. Kyle Eyre Clyd - Eggshell - Yew
15. Nivhek - After its own death/Walking in a spiral towards the house - Yellowelectric
16. Pedestrian Deposit - Dyers' Hands - Monorail Trespassing
17. Pharmakon - Devour - Sacred Bones Records
18. Purple Pilgrims - Perfumed Earth - Flying Nun
19. Robedoor - Negative Legacy - Deathbomb Arc
20. Shimmer - And I Revel - Decoherence Records

Best of 2019: Cassettes

I bought a lot of tapes over the last twelve months and these were the highlights. In terms of sound, I mainly prefer synths, experimental compositions, some techno, and varying degrees of noise.

It felt like I didn't check out many different or newer labels this year. For as consistent as the regulars have been, I enjoy random finds for new music. Personal favorite Not Not Fun had a quiet year with only three tapes, but after being around for so long, they can take it easy if they would like. Their partner in crime, 100% Silk, did send a few more cassettes out into the world.

I capped any label at two tapes, which made it extra tough when selecting from Hausu Mountain and No Rent. No Rent is probably the best entity releasing music these days. The diversity of the artists they work with is amazing.

I really like the title of "Rural Electronics" for the compilation tape released by Grant and Rachel Evans. The Alone In The Dark comp on Hot Releases features a slew of great bands, including Glochids, Aether Jag, Tether, Housefire, C. Lavender, Secret Boyfriend, and more. Each song fits together for an even listening, a rare feat for most compilations.

As always any tape had to be released in the calendar year and I had to listen to it a lot. And if you are one of those types who needs a definitive cassette of the year, then that honor goes to Death's Head Speaks by Simulation on Hausu Mountain. Simulation is the experimental synth pop duo of Laura Callier from Gel Set and Whitney Johnson from Matchess.

The list goes band/album/label for those with questions of that nature.

01. Akasha System - Echo Lost - 100% Silk
02. Atariame - Voiceless - Not Not Fun
03. Bonnie Baxter - Axis - Hausu Mountain
04. Lea Bertucci & Kyle Eyre Clyd - split - Ultra Violet Light
05. Emily Cook & Dana Ma - Cook/Ma - Crucible Sound
06. Marilu Donovan & Tristan Kasten-Krause - Nowhere - Unifactor
07. Dreamers Cloth - Vitrospection: 2008-2009 - Not Not Fun
08. Flesh Narc - Understanding Reality - Decoherence Records
09. Hoarding - Self Imposed - Fusty Cunt
10. Moon Ra - Musica In Different Inutili Services - Unifactor
11. Nadia & Apologist - Situational Plays - No Rent
12. Opaline - Thought Texture - Constellation Tatsu
13. Alina Petrova & Kira Weinstein - Sad Ko - Never Anything Records
14. Prayer Generator - Eleutheromania - Patient Sounds
15. Rose - Night Places - Constellation Tatsu
16. Rusalka - Flux A & B - No Rent
17. Rust Worship - Live Coaxial - Obsolete Units
18. Simulation - Death's Head Speaks - Hausu Mountain
19. various artists - Alone In The Dark - Hot Releases
20. various artists - Rural Electronics - Adversary