@jonahpwll I am FB friends with Quin Kirchner's mom, and you have made her very happy (along with other critics). I don't know Bobby Previte's mom, but I imagine she's also very pleased
I love it when parents/relatives of the musician express joy on social media inre one of my posts. It's a special kind of happy that I can't explain but it's genuinely felt.
Surprised at how many of those best of albums I had in my Random Radio four-parter best-of mix. I need to check a few of those others out as well! Thanks for a fine list.
Great list, as always @jonahpwll . I particularly like that you focus on some off-the-beaten-track artists that don't get the attention they deserve. And I always enjoy the discussion around the NPR "mother of all polls (who also tips other polls well)". The NPR aggregation of polls always leans towards the tried and true, but that's probably not surprising given the demographics of most of the critics and the disproportionate marketing budgets available to the majors. London seemed to be the breakout star this year, almost to the point of being trendy with critics. (Not to say there wasn't fantastic music coming out of London and UK last year - last few years, in fact - but it was funny to see a lot of lists that were the usual "big name artists who were big in the 1960s" + 1 token London artist.
Quin Kirchner has a new release coming in the next few weeks, and I'm looking forward to hearing it. (Sounds like it will take the jazz/classical crossover a step further for him, which seems to be a bit of a trend with some Chicago composers - Matt Ulery and Orbert Davis come to mind, too).
Looks like the best of 2019 lists have started (it still bugs me that people do this in early December, when there is still music yet to be released. It's like declaring the winner of a 100 meter race at the 90-meter mark).
I’m with @Germanprof about early Decembering these; always means next year’s lists having something from Dec. of the previous year. Structural problem, though, that nobody wants to look back in Jan.
The end of the year is upon us, which means that it's time once again
for an Annual Brainwashed Readers Poll. As the longest running online
interactive music poll which allows the readers to BOTH nominate and
vote, we once again open up the nomination round.
As always, please review all the releases that have been entered before submitting, because if duplicates are entered, your whole entry will be deleted!
Nomination round will run for 2 weeks. Voting round will begin
December 22nd and last through the end of the calendar year. Results
will be posted in 2020.
Thanks for these lists. I admit that for most there is nothing I've downloaded this year, other than Ted Gioia's second 100, where I have three. It reflects that I've bought less this year, whilst catching up on downloads from previous years. There are a few albums though that I will follow up on Spotify.
For me, Gioia has nearly always been too NPR-hippish, but this really is surprisingly varied for him. The Shteamer fellow (first time hearing of him) has interesting picks and perspectives. Thanks guys.
The Gioia list usually works for me as a way to find a couple of interesting things I missed. It also makes me a little jealous - I wish I had that much time and music budget.
3. Caterina Barbieri - Ecstatic Computation 38. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Ghosteen 40. Cosey Fanni Tutti - TUTTI 48. Christian Wolff - Preludes, Variations, Studies and Incidental Music 56. Matmos - Plastic Anniversary 79. Oliver Coates - John Luther Adams’ Canticles of the Sky / Three High Places 83. Félicia Atkinson - The Flower And The Vessel 86. Carter Tutti Void - Triumvirate
Ted Gioia: John Luther Adams - Become Desert Laurie Anderson / Tenzin Choegyal / Jesse Paris Smith - Songs From the Bardo Jeffrey Brooks - The Passion Kronos Quartet - Terry Riley: Sun Rings
- And none from the Honorable Mentions
NPR: 7. Caroline Shaw / Attacca Quartet Orange 21. John Luther Adams Become Desert
Pitchfork: None, but there's a Fennesz album I hadn't noticed
As for Ted Gioia's list, I always find it an interesting read, but remain a bit "meh" about a list of 100 "best" albums provided only in alphabetical order. That sort of implies "I recommend all 100 of these albums equally", and if you recommend every album, do you really recommend ANY album? :-) I have no problem with lists that avoid ranking, but at least they narrow the field a bit in most cases. But, hey, it's his list, and he clearly is passionate about music, so I can live with my pet peeve...
I guess you really have to have a dedicated process of listening to something and then filing it away ... then the next item that you listen to either goes in front of or behind the previous releases that you heard ... and so on, to create that final list at the end of the year. Maybe this is part of the life of a music writer.
Comments
Best of 2018:
Noteworthy Recordings
- A most interesting list (with Autechre on top)
I need to check a few of those others out as well! Thanks for a fine list.
Quin Kirchner has a new release coming in the next few weeks, and I'm looking forward to hearing it. (Sounds like it will take the jazz/classical crossover a step further for him, which seems to be a bit of a trend with some Chicago composers - Matt Ulery and Orbert Davis come to mind, too).
I’m with @Germanprof about early Decembering these; always means next year’s lists having something from Dec. of the previous year. Structural problem, though, that nobody wants to look back in Jan.
I remember a time when I agreed with the A.V. Club , but I’m surprised to have found the list on the Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2019/12/2019-best-music-albums/603286/ or even the NY Times more interesting for 2019. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/05/arts/music/best-albums.html?action=click&module=RelatedLinks&pgtype=Article
I do still appreciate the depth in considering a whole decade, though. https://music.avclub.com/the-50-best-albums-of-the-2010s-1839776060
The end of the album also appears to be written on the wall, with “best songs” lists encroaching on album lists’ territory.
As always, please review all the releases that have been entered before submitting, because if duplicates are entered, your whole entry will be deleted!
Nomination round will run for 2 weeks. Voting round will begin December 22nd and last through the end of the calendar year. Results will be posted in 2020.
The Shteamer fellow (first time hearing of him) has interesting picks and perspectives.
Thanks guys.
I saw that Rolling Stone list the other day, you could spend all day.
No sign of the NPR critics' poll yet. I think/hope Terri Lynne Carrington has a shot at the top spot
3. Caterina Barbieri - Ecstatic Computation
38. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Ghosteen
40. Cosey Fanni Tutti - TUTTI
48. Christian Wolff - Preludes, Variations, Studies and Incidental Music
56. Matmos - Plastic Anniversary
79. Oliver Coates - John Luther Adams’ Canticles of the Sky / Three High Places
83. Félicia Atkinson - The Flower And The Vessel
86. Carter Tutti Void - Triumvirate
Ted Gioia:
John Luther Adams - Become Desert
Laurie Anderson / Tenzin Choegyal / Jesse Paris Smith - Songs From the Bardo
Jeffrey Brooks - The Passion
Kronos Quartet - Terry Riley: Sun Rings
- And none from the Honorable Mentions
NPR:
7. Caroline Shaw / Attacca Quartet Orange
21. John Luther Adams Become Desert
Pitchfork:
None, but there's a Fennesz album I hadn't noticed
Perhaps I will do the Bandcamp later . . .
The 25 Best Classical Music Tracks of 2019
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2019/dec/03/50-best-albums-of-2019