Guidelines for my list: First, I can’t use songs from any of the top albums I’ve listed. Second, song selection is more about my personal favorites and less about what I think are the “best” individual songs of the year – it’s a list reflecting what I listened to most during the year and what I found myself turning to for comfort or celebration.

Some years there’s more looking for comfort, some years more celebration. After sorting through my songs this time and looking at what percolated to the top I did notice a couple unintentional trends.

Genre wise, there’s less variety in my top 10 songs then I’ve had in previous years. With a few exceptions the list is dominated by what I’d describe as fairly straight-up “alt rock” tracks with alternating dynamic structure (i.e. a quiet-loud-quiet type thing). Then lyrically, I noticed common themes around the passing of youth (“Seventeen”, “Run Wild” ) and what it means to get older (“Nullarbor”, “Foreve Cul-De-Sac”, “Big Softy”). And strangely, there’s also a disproportionate number of Australian artists (Floodlights, Angie McMahon, Middle Kids).

Not sure what all this might say about my year but whatever the case I think the music kicks ass.

Happy New Year!

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FAVORITE SONGS OF 2019

1. “Seventeen,” Sharon Van Etten – Building up slowly, climaxing almost in a scream, this is future you looking back at past you, this is life-weary adult pleading with naive youth.

2. “Red Shoulder,” Squirrel Flower – Probably my favorite surprise of the year: I stumbled onto this track randomly browsing through some Spotify rabbit hole. Forty-four seconds in the guitar riff comes rolling out and I was hooked.

3. “Nullarbor“, Floodlights – The jangling guitars, muddy bass, and slight reverb on the vocals create a sound perfectly matched to the imagery of contemplating life in the isolated flats of South Australia. “I’m hoping for a grand epiphany, That comes to me, I’m struggling, but if I trek a little further, Into the dust, into the bush.”

4. “Forever Cul-De-Sac,” Ages and Ages – An easily overlooked Portland band put out this combination anthem and funeral dirge for those of us wondering what comes next.

5. “All Kindsa Don’t“, Pan Amsterdam – Utilizing a jazz groove that oozes cool, Leron Thomas skillfully puts down a rap laced with dry humor that always leaves me looking for another verse.

6. “Run Wild“, Twain & The Deslondes – To the casual listener, a hillbilly rocker on the ragged edge, but the song carries a slightly haunting undertone as the narrator knows the struggle to hold onto youth is futile.

7. “Pasta“, Angie McMahon – The first two and half minutes of this song staggers along in a charming shambles of guitar before building into a bedroom dance party release. (Canine dancing companions recommended.)

8. “Big Softy“, Middle Kids – A wonderful slide guitar riff in another rocker from Down Under. “It is sometimes hard to go on, I used to kill it, but now those days are gone.”

9. “Faithless“, Operators – Dan Boeckner is part journeyman rocker, part troubadour. During their show this year at the Doug Fir the driving beat of this synth-lead track was the standout moment and the recorded version does a pretty damn good job as well.

10. “Dylan Thomas“, Better Oblivion Community Center – The best track from an album by two great song writers (Conor Oberst and Phoebe Bridgers) but it’s the unexpected mixing of their voices that captured me.

I clearly haven’t spent much time on the blog this year – but I keep meaning to at least post a few highlights. The trip to Japan, projects done on the house, Thanksgiving with the family… There’s still time, right? For now though, I’ll at least try to keep the tradition (habit? compulsion?) of documenting my year-end music recommendations.

As I finished writing this up, I quickly read through some critics’ top 10 lists, curious to see how my list compared. It looked like my choices might fall more outside the norm than in past years but this wasn’t an intentional attempt to highlight lesser known artists. I think it’s more a reflection of my list leaning towards sounds I felt a natural connection with inside a vast sea of rapidly evolving and diverging musical content. Like most years before, there’s a fair bit of diversity in the final rundown so I hope all of you are able to come away with something new and exciting.

More to come soon with a list of my favorite songs.

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FAVORITE ALBUMS OF 2019

1. When I Have Fears, The Murder Capital – What pulled me in was dark, brooding music that swirls together early 90’s post-punk (think Fugazi) and 80’s English new wave (maybe Joy Division). While the album’s tempo ebbs and flows, the emotional intensity rages fearlessly from beginning to end. This is the kind of album I wish I could play for the 16 year old me and watch as my face lights up in amazement.

2. Hiding Places, Billy Woods, Kenny Segal – billy woods actually put out two impressive albums this year. Both are filled with his deceptively tense lyrics on personal and societal conflict, mixing comedy and tragedy in a way that keeps you off balance but leaning in. For me though, the production that Kenny Segal brings to Hiding Places makes this the standout album with groves that balance woods’ jarring imagery of a dystopia that seems increasingly hard to hide from.

3. Crushing, Julia Jacklin – Simple but poignant songwriting, a vulnerable voice delivering a confident message, and layers of crunchy guitar sounds. There isn’t anything flashy or overtly cutting edge about Crushing. It’s just a great rock and roll album about the reality of relationships.

4. Kiwanuka, Michael Kiwanuka – Kicking off the first track with a joyous groove, it’s easy to get swept up in an album that’s richly textured in soul, funk and R&B creating a magically timeless sound. But as we learned from his stellar album three years ago (Love & Hate), Kiwanuka isn’t here simply to make us snap our fingers and sing along. It’s a album layered with heartache and anguish about the state of society today. Whether he leaves us with a final sign of hope is hard to say. (“The young and dumb will always need one of their own to lead.”) Like any really great story, the resolution is left for the audience to complete.

5. Dogrel, FONTAINES D.C. – The first track on Dogrel comes barreling out of the gate with a swagger and intensity that skirts the edge of obnoxious but crash lands in charming. Like IDLES with a bit less frenzy and a little more James Joyce, these are post-punk anthems from Ireland with the power to lift up the downtrodden – or at least make you feel not so alone in your ire. (Note: Yes, for those that are counting, this is the second “post-punk” band from Ireland on my list, but that is purely coincidence… or is it?)

6. Vagabon, Vagabon – Every track on this album is a silky, smooth slow groove that invites you in like warm, sunlit waters. But there’s something powerful lurking under the surface. “All the women I meet are fired up. They get ready to kill with their love.”

7. Ilana (The Creator), Mdou Moctar – Mdou Moctar adds to an amazing string of albums released by Tuareg guitarists over the last decade. This summer, as I spent hours driving around the deserts of SE Oregon, I would play Ilana and imagine myself being serenaded across lonely stretches of the Sahara by some re-imagined 70’s guitar god.

8. PSYCHODRAMA, Dave – An extremely mature and personal album from a young British rapper, it works well as a cohesive piece while containing some powerful, standalone tracks. There are uniquely English aspects to his lyrics but overall he captures a story that is universally engaging.

9. Let Love Run the Game, Daniel Norgren – I’ve never been a Grateful Dead fan. (One of my favorite bumper stickers: “Jerry’s dead. Phish sucks. Get a job.”) But after falling for this album I’m starting to wonder if I was closer to a Dead fan than I realized. The differentiator here in Daniel’s work is the simplicity that Garcia and his crew so often lacked – simplicity in song structure and production. The album has a slow build, settling into an intelligent, relaxed, back-porch-gathering vibe without any of the pretentious jamboree distractions. (Note: In reading that back to myself I do realize how pretentious I sound and the irony is not lost on me.)

10. Between the Country, Ian Noe – I imagine this album could have been played across AM airwaves in the year I was born. Channeling Nick Drake through the filter of Eastern Kentucky, this is folk music done as authentically and as intensely as I’ve seen from any singer-songwriter in some time.

Honorable Mention: We’ve Sobered Up, Say Sue Me – This album was actually released a year or two ago but I discovered it as a US reissue this year so I’m going to tag it on the end of my 2019 list. And for good reason: it’s shoe-gazer surf rock from South Korea and it’s cool as fuck.

As Part 2 for this year, here’s my distilled list of favorite songs from 2018. There’s one track I left off the list that absolutely deserves recognition. Childish Cambino’s “This Is America” should probably be on top of everyone’s list but I wasn’t sure what I could say about it that hadn’t already been written much more eloquently and its certainly had plenty of media attention already. So, with that notable exception, I tried to capture the individual tracks I played the most and the songs that kept getting stuck in my head on repeat.

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Favorite Songs of 2018

1. “Danny Nedelko,” IDLES – Sounding as if it were a lost track from the late 70’s second wave of punk, this is a quintessential masterpiece of the genre. But just like the best punk, this song punches directly through to the frustrations of the moment – populism gone awry, Brexit and Trump inspired hate.

2. “Bad Bad News,” Leon Bridges – In a year that’s been filled with dark, depressing news, things have often seemed overwhelming, like there’s no point in looking forward. Then comes a badass groove and Bridges’ smooth as silk vocals like a miracle cure.

3. “What a Time to Be Alive,” Superchunk – The title may be tongue-in-cheek but Superchunk has made a track (and corresponding album) that’s energizing at the same time it’s calling out all the B.S.

4. “Suburbia,” Press Club – A straightforward garage rock anthem from Down Under that I kept singing in my head all year.

5. “Nina Cried Power,” Hozier feat. Mavis Staples – Anthemic rock gospel that sounds like a modern remake of a 60’s protest song.

6. “Over Rainbows and Rainier,” Damien Jurado – Jurado’s gentle, quiet wish for salvation and a better future. Something to soothe the heart.

7. “Everybody Wants to Be Famous,” Superorganism –  Like a quirky nursery rhyme turned into EDM. This is infectious alt-pop poking fun at society (and itself).

8. “Peach Scone,” Hobo Johnson – Frank Lopes Jr. oozes goofy charisma like the slightly spassy art geek kid in class who may not have been popular but you couldn’t help rooting for.

9. “Happy Man,” Jungle – Have you lost your swagger? Need to add a little strut to your walk? Here you go.

10. “Love It If We Made It,” The 1975 –  Filled with 80’s influences (am I the only one reminded of Billy Joel’s “We Didn’t Start the Fire” and even a bit of R.E.M.’s “It’s the End of the World As We Know It”?) it’s the driving rhythm and a simple urgency in the chorus that make this track undeniably catchy.

I’ll keep the preamble to a minimum and get quickly to this year’s list of my favorite albums. There were some albums I really loved this year but I will say that when I pulled together my list of candidates for the Top 10 it was a shorter list than most years. In the end though I’m happy with these choices. I hope you enjoy.

As usual, in Part 2 I’ll share some of my favorite songs.

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FAVORITE ALBUMS OF 2018

1. boygenius, boygenius – When I first heard Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers and Lucy Dacus were collaborating on a joint project I knew it had a good chance at ending up on the top of my annual list. I would consider Baker, Bridgers and Dacus the front runners in the new wave of American singer-songwriters. They have each put out intensely emotional and listenable solo projects. (Dacus’ best work coming out this year – see Album #4.) They each possess a uniquely beautiful vocal style and a captivating writing style. But in the musical world, putting three great voices together often equals far less than the sum of the parts. Thankfully, boygenius avoids the usual traps and comes across as three performers getting the best out of each other.

2. How to Socialize and Make Friends, Camp Cope – When I first put this album high on my list I wondered if I might be subconsciously jumping on the #MeToo bandwagon but the truth is I keep going back to this album just for the simple rock hooks. This is rock with just enough 90’s retro style, plenty of rage, raw jangle and emotional range – the kind of music that speaks to me no matter the political climate. The fact that Georgia Maq rips a new-one in the misogyny of the indie rock scene is frankly just icing on the cake.

3. Whack World, Tierra Whack – Enjoyed as a video montage, an album, or individual sound-bite-like songs, Tierra Whack’s release is creative, catchy and hard to deny as just plain fun. I’m most impressed by the way she’s able to be a serious artist without taking herself or rap too seriously.

4. Historian, Lucy Dacus – With her first album in 2016 Lucy Dacus initially caught my attention as someone who had lyrical chops and a subtly mesmerizing voice. For some reason I wasn’t immediately taken in by her 2018 release. I think I might have been jaded by the plethora of quiet, melancholy, female singer-songwriter releases in the last couple years.  But whenever I returned to Historian it took more shape and added more depth, making clear to me it deserved attention.

5. CARE FOR ME, Saba – There were a lot of critically acclaimed rap albums this year. Like several others, CARE FOR ME possessed unique artistic style and expertly crafted hooks. But what set it apart for me was the tone, the attitude. Whether it’s purely a product of the tragic story behind the album’s theme or something that Saba would have channeled anyway, the vulnerability, introspection and uncertainty expressed is rarely seen in rap music and adds significant power.

6. POST-, Jeff Rosenstock – Rosenstock has no shortage of energy or charisma. He’s one of those “hardest working man” types whose mostly flown under the radar. The album hinges on two epic tracks (“USA” and “Let Them Win”) but it screams out with so many anthemic hooks it can not be denied.

7. El Mal Querer, Rosalia – I have no idea what Rosalia is singing about and it frankly doesn’t matter. She could be singing about her grocery list, her plantar fasciitis, or her favorite table cloth. Whatever the case, if this intriguing blend of flamenco rhythms and R&B doesn’t put you in the mood (for any number of things) than you may be dead inside.

8. Future Me Hates Me, The Beths – This is catchy pop-rock with a bright energy. The band and the compositions are tight, the songwriting is smart. There’s a little 90’s feel to it but I could see this album rocking college radio across several decades.

9. Years, Sarah Shook & The Disarmers – I couldn’t tell you exactly how she does it, but Sarah Shook has managed to make something that sounds completely new while also being “classic country.”  Mixing traditional country sounds with tough-as-nails attitude, she and her band made an album that feels more genuine than anything you’ll hear on country radio today.

10. Clean, Soccer Mommy – Simple, clear and intimate. Sophie Allison reminds me of a more laid-back Liz Phair, possessing a little less bite but plenty of natural charm. Clean is an easily accessible album (and I mean that in the best possible way) with a streak of melancholy, a sprinkling of snarkiness, and just enough guitar to keep it from getting bland.

Before putting my list together this year, I spent some time looking back over the previous ten years in “Best of” posts. I was curious to see whether I’d still agree with my picks, how they’d hold up with time. There were a few oddballs in there (some intentional, some not). My early lists (which was pre-Spotify and the onset of unlimited access to new music) lacked some diversity. But for the vast majority of it I’d still endorse my picks.

As with other years, my favorite albums of 2017 have a bit of variety. Some rap, some indie-pop, electronic pop, folky stuff, singer-songwriter tunes. One area lacking this year was in the alt-country/Americana front. Most of my picks will probably be found on other “Best of” lists you see, but as usual I threw in a couple dark horse selections which may not resonate with others but they’re still my favorites and what I’d like to help make sure folks know about.

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FAVORITE ALBUMS OF 2017

1. Run the Jewels 3, Run the Jewels – These guys are easy to take for granted or underestimate, but this album is the obvious, no-doubt-about-it, standout album of the year for me. This is the album I’ve turned to far more then anything else in the last 12 months. It’s the album that’s been my sounding board. It’s been my antidote to waves of Trumpism, kept me buoyed during darker times, helped me celebrate when I was looking for an instant party. This isn’t just great rap; it’s smart, powerful music with a social conscience.

2. Jacob the Horse, Jacob the Horse – This album could be the soundtrack to the best John Hughes movie we all somehow missed. From start to finish this album is my favorite kind of rock n roll. Whether by intent or simple dumb luck, these guys perfected the deceptively difficult balancing act of creating catchy, straight forward rock with undertones of sarcasm, self-depreciation, humor and irony.  What might start off sounding like melodramatic 80’s era overkill is undercut by tongue-in-cheek wit, tipping us off to the contradictions that make music/life interesting.

3. DAMN., Kendrick Lamar – Another smart, powerful, rap album. There’s no denying the originality and creativity, but while other recent trend-setting rap artists ended up with music that lacked flow, I think Lamar’s album maintains a musical soul that keeps me engaged along with the complex content.

4. Process, Sampha – A meditative set of songs that sound like the 70’s soul music of Otis Redding, Sam Cooke, and Marvin Gaye channeled through the lens of today’s electronic R&B. The stand out track is Sampha’s heartbreakingly beautiful “(No One Knows Me) Like the Piano” but there’s plenty here to enjoy.

5. Turn Out the Lights, Julien Baker – Julien Baker is small, quiet, awkward, and unassuming but if you’re not careful, if you let yourself listen, she will break your heart. She did it with her debut album in 2015 and she’s come back even stronger here. It’s her specialty. I’ve warned you. (And if you see her perform live, you’re really in for it.)

6. Everybody Works, Jay Som – I hadn’t realized how much I enjoyed this album until I looked at my end-of-year track summary from Spotify and saw that I listened to it almost as much as anything else. That may demonstrate the subtle but beguiling nature of Duterte’s song writing. A mix of jangly pop and shoe gaze, the album sounds intimate but is full of masterfully catchy tracks which quickly build a sense of familiarity like the best pop music should.

7. Aromanticism, Moses Sumney – I came to this album late in the year and feel like I’ve only scratched the surface of what’s there but I knew it was special. In some ways, it makes me think of a classical rhapsody composition done with R&B styling. Beautiful, complex and genre defying music.

8. Preservation, Nadia Reid – I don’t think I can explain exactly why, but there are certain female voices that have an extra resonance for me. Folks like Neko Case and Jenny Lewis have been my prime examples but recently Nadia Reid has also joined that club. I don’t know much about the New Zealand artist but I stumbled onto her 2015 debut album and kept going back to it. Probably falling somewhere in the category of “indie-folk,” her new album Preservation added a bit more song writing complexity, a little more to the production value, while maintaining the succulent voice and rich layers of sound.

9. What Now, Sylvan Esso – A bit of an electro-pop chameleon, What Now can feel like a dance album, or dark and brooding, or sultry, or light-hearted and fun. I think all those layers are there and it just depends on what mood you project when you listen – which makes it a versatile album and I expect something that will hold up well over time.

Honorable Mention: Together at Last, Jeff Tweedy – If this album was a collection of new music, it would have made the top of my list. To be honest though, it’s really just a “best of Jeff Tweedy” collection done with new solo acoustic arrangements. But what a collection. Along with many others, I’ve argued for years that Jeff Tweedy is the best modern (and maybe beyond) song writer. These stripped down acoustic tracks highlight his lyrical craft and allow for a reflection on an amazing career that we’re all just lucky to benefit from.