Music: Best Albums of 2019

[Thucydides]

New Sharon Van Etten album out today. Pitchfork gives it “best new music” first time she’s received it. Maggie Rogers also has a new album out today “Heard it in a past life”.

 

[Ceremony]

The actual best album of 2019 was also released today:

 

[Thucydides]

The actual best album of 2019 was also released today:

Yeah? It’s good? I’ll check em out.

Listened to Maggie Rogers album. 6.5 or 7/10. She put a couple songs off the EP on her full length and the vibe wasn’t the same as her new stuff. Some real catchy songs though “light on” and “falling water” were catchy.

It’ll be more interesting to see what she does next , in my opinion.

 

[Ceremony]

Yeah? It’s good? I’ll check em out.

Listened to Maggie Rogers album. 6.5 or 7/10. She put a couple songs off the EP on her full length and the vibe wasn’t the same as her new stuff. Some real catchy songs though “light on” and “falling water” were catchy.

It’ll be more interesting to see what she does next , in my opinion.

I've not listened to it yet (well, I'm at 4/11ths technically) but yes, it is

 

[Thucydides]

For fans of Sufjan Stevens album Carrie and Lowell.

 

[Tapu Coco]

Shaping up to be a very strong year, mostly on the hinges of projects delayed from 2018 (Purity Ring, MBV, Vampire Weekend), but also expecting new albums from Tame Impala, Diiv, Real Estate, Mac Demarco, The Drums among others.

Also listening to the Better Oblivion Community Center (Phoebe Bridgers x Conor Oberst) album right now and I like what I've heard so far.

 

[Spring in Fialta]

I just listened to one of the new Vampire Weekend songs, Harmony Hall. I don't think it was very good at all.

 

[Peter Zezel]

I saw on twitter EL-P listened to the un-mixed Danny Brown album. He said it's instant classic material.

 

[Dolemite]

Let’s be reality.

The music that’s been put out this year is a steaming pile of crap across the board. There’s no talent in music today.

 

[Mikeaveli]

Let’s be reality.

The music that’s been put out this year is a steaming pile of crap across the board. There’s no talent in music today.

Aesop Rock released an album just last week.

 

[NyQuil]

I'm loving the new Toro y Moi album entitled Outer Peace.

 

[beowulf]

Let’s be reality.

The music that’s been put out this year is a steaming pile of crap across the board. There’s no talent in music today.

What a bloody wrong and blanket statement.

 

[Thucydides]

Let’s be reality.

The music that’s been put out this year is a steaming pile of crap across the board. There’s no talent in music today.

We are just over three weeks into the year. It’s still early . It should be a better year than 2018, which had a handful of strong albums, but nothing overly “wow”.

For this year, I thought the Sharon Van Etten album from track 4 onward was good.

Deerhunter was kind of disappointing , but I really liked the song “Plains”.

I liked a few tracks off that Phoebe Bridgers and Oberst album. She’s really branching out and doing lots of stuff . It would be cool to hear another album from her this year or next. Her solo stuff is great and her next album is going to have tons and tons of hype around it.

 

[Dolemite]

What a bloody wrong and blanket statement.

Granted Kendrick Lamar is the new Prince and there’s been some great electronic music that’s come out but the rest is crap. No originality. Lyrically limp. Mostly DOA when it’s released.

 

[NyQuil]

Granted Kendrick Lamar is the new Prince and there’s been some great electronic music that’s come out but the rest is crap. No originality. Lyrically limp. Mostly DOA when it’s released.

https://entertainment.theonion.com/pitchfork-gives-music-6-8-1819569318

 

[Mikeaveli]

Granted Kendrick Lamar is the new Prince and there’s been some great electronic music that’s come out but the rest is crap. No originality. Lyrically limp. Mostly DOA when it’s released.

Have you heard the Earl Sweatshirt record Some Rap Songs? If you're looking for originality and lyrics in this era that is a good album imo. I actually somewhat agree with you, to me outside of electronic and hip-hop there aren't nearly as many great albums coming out today compared to the past. And even then I do prefer other eras in those genres (the 90's-mid 00's for both). But saying there is no talent in music today is just wrong.

 

[forsbergavs32]

Looking forward to the new Megadeth album with how good Dystopia was. If it comes out this year.

 

[izlez]

Conor Oberst and Phoebe Bridgers released an album together as Better Oblivion Community Center

I haven't heard it yet, but it should be interesting

 

[plank]

Josh Ritter - Fever Breaks 4/29/2019

Produced by Jason Isbell and backed by The 400 Unit
Hear Josh Ritter’s New Song ‘Old Black Magic’ – Rolling Stone

 

[Thucydides]

Beirut just released the first great album of 2019, Gallipoli.

Album is really strong the whole way through, but the last two tracks “we never lived here” and “fin” are a great 1-2 punch.

 

[Peter Zezel]

I've given the Twilight Sad and Beirut albums a few listens. They are good but fully feeling them.

The two songs Andrew Bird put out, Bloodless and Sisyphus, are really good I think. His new album My Finest Work Yet is set to release on March 22.

 

[Shareefruck]

I actually somewhat agree with you, to me outside of electronic and hip-hop there aren't nearly as many great albums coming out today compared to the past. And even then I do prefer other eras in those genres (the 90's-mid 00's for both). But saying there is no talent in music today is just wrong.

I wasn't going to comment because it's such a touchy subject for those that do like modern music, but I definitely feel as though the bar appears to have gotten so low that even what's considered the best stuff (even though I can grasp it enough to agree that it's better than the stuff that's straight up awful) is not anything that I find worth listening to compared to the stuff that I do like listening to, personally. Every time I decide to take a deep dive into what's revered in modern music these days, I've come out of it pretty much completely empty handed (like, literally, my success rate is pretty close to zero, unless I'm forgetting something). It's why I don't post in these threads or even feel much motivation to read through them anymore. I don't get it, and I find it very frustrating.

I would never equate that to the idea that there's no talent, but in practice and on a purely selfish level, the result may as well be that for me.

People say things like "There's still great music, you just have to dig for it", but for me, it seems to be buried so deep that I'm completely unable to find it.

I agree that hip hop and electronic music shows the most promise when it comes to registering as anything for me, and that that mostly feels like remnants of the 90s-00s that aren't quite as good.

--

Actually, since we're on the subject and our favorites seem to have a bit of overlap with the older stuff, I'm curious, what would you consider the standouts from 2010s that are comparable to those, if there are any? Not just things that can be considered enjoyable/talented, but...... have there been any arguable masterpieces released in the past ten years for you?

 

[Aladyyn]

My favorite artist Laura Stevenson announced a new album coming in March the other day, I'm super excited.


First track is already super exciting, looks like a "return to the basics" of sorts after the more loose Cocksure (which was disappointing after 2 stellar releases).

 

[SomeDude]

I liked a few tracks off that Phoebe Bridgers and Oberst album. She’s really branching out and doing lots of stuff . It would be cool to hear another album from her this year or next. Her solo stuff is great and her next album is going to have tons and tons of hype around it.

Saw her open for Oberst on his last solo tour. She is phenomenal. Their album is pretty good, "Chesapeake" is the highlight for me after a few listens. Was hoping to see them on their tour, but scalpers ate up most of the tickets.

 

[Nalens Oga]

This new White Lies album is really solid, no bad songs. I think it's more consistent than the Twilight Sad album but it only has 9 songs on it and the atmosphere and sound isn't as good as The Twilight Sad's album. Also the Ladytron album (their first in 8 years) leaked and it seems quite good, four or five good songs within a few listens.

I realize that I'm in the minority on this opinion though, this board's music taste seems to be either metal/pre-90s music or Pitchfork type American indie.