If you have read my blog before you might know I have praised Japanese music lately. This is first non-Japanese list best albums of 2019. These are in no specific order.
Orville Peck: Pony
It is small miracle I found Orville Peck. It was one random Facebook status mentioning mask wearing country artist. Post didn’t mention he is openly gay. Well as openly as masked man can be. But that isn’t important. Music is. It is said this is country but it does remind lot of Roy Orbison. When I found Orville Peck he was most amazing thing ever. Good music and whole weird world of Orville Peck. You should check him even if you don’t like country.
Heilung: Futha
First time I heard about Heilung was at Tuska Open Air festival. When I read their introduction on Tuska’s site they sounded interesting band. I went see them without listening anything before. I thought I made big mistake going to near front row during first ten to fifteen minutes. Then it just started to work and I loved rest of the show. Video is from older show but song is from Futha. I wanted to show this video because it shows what Heilung’s live shows look like.
Protou: Anomalies
I guess it is time to add Cryo Chamber records here. I have bought almost everything they have released last few years. My relationship with the label is I trust everything they release will be something I like. Those few albums I haven’t bought are collaboration albums with hour long song. That long songs would mess up my playlists. Protou is one of my favorite artists on the label. Anomalies is her 2019 album.
Sur Austru. Meteahna Timpurilor
I have Avangarde Music subscription. They are not as reliable as Cryo Chamber. But when ever I think should I cancel my subscription they release something like Sur Austru’s Meteahna Timpurilor. Never heard of the band before but when I listened them I was completely blown away. Black metal is most interesting genre at the moment thanks to bands like Sur Austru.
Lana Del Rey: Norman F***ing Rockwell
I guess this is good point to have Lana Del Rey if I want to show I like all kinds of music. I was bit disappointed of her previous record but started to like it more as time has gone on. I didn’t have same problem with this one. Maybe all the time they took to make it paid off. I remember checking for ages when this come to preorder on iTunes.
Tool: Fear Inoculum
There was running joke “Tool releases new album before X happens”. Now we have that album. And it sold more than Taylor Swift which Swift’s fans didn’t like. I really hate the cover but I don’t have to watch it unless I am searching for video to add to this list. Music wise it was like they didn’t have the break. I don’t say it was worth the wait. There aren’t many bands who can make this kind of weird music work. I hope we don’t have to wait for next one this long.
Council of Nine: Davidian
I am running out of things to say about Cryo Chamber artists. All music they release aim to get you to similar mental state. Artists have differences. But if you play them back to back you have hard time telling which song is from which album unless it is one of those few albums which have something special on them or you don’t listen anything else than this genre. This similarity is not a bad thing. It is more of mark of quality and high standard label has. Council of Nine’s Davidian is one of the better Cryo Chamber releases.
Ghaal’s Wyrd: GastiR – Ghosts Invited
I waited for ages second God Seed album. It will never come. Ghaal’s Wyrd is Ghaal’s new band. I hope it releases more than God Seed. But you never know with Norwegian black metal projects. Artists make all-star bands which release one album and then go to next band. Ghaal’s Wyrd have same feeling I liked in God Seed and more really good songs. Not sure if this is all-star band, real band or Ghaal’s solo project.
Danko Jones: A Rock Supreme
Danko Jones released new album this year. Of course it is one of my favorite albums. I am not too much into basic rock n roll. Danko Jones is one of few artists in the genre I like and he has interesting podcast I have listened since the beginning. This either works or doesn’t. I guess it works for me since I have all his albums.
Julia Kent: Temporal
I might be little biased. Julia Kent liked one of my Instagram post. But I had her albums before that happened. I have soft spot for cellists’ solo albums. Should I say female cellists’. Or maybe I should say female cellists’ who are former members of Rasputina. Maybe not that last one. I like other cellists than Julia Kent and Zoe Keating too. Cello’s sound has something which makes it work as only instrument on a song or the main instrument. And cellist ladies make interesting cinematic music with it.
Ï guess this is good place to end this post. There will be at least two more best albums of 2019 posts coming. Current plan is one will be Asian edition and another Western edition. I might split the western edition two because there is probably more than enough good albums for it. Both are waiting albums to be released. I might not separate them by geography. Not sure yet.