This Weekend I’ll Mostly be Listening to… Tracks and music of 2019

Not a fantastic year, at least in my book. I’m still using emusic despite its diminishing selection, and granted some gems appear there. But bandcamp is as useful in finding new music. And old music, as always remarkable how many groups continue to put out interesting albums, even well into their careers.

So here’s a selection of stuff I really liked, mostly tracks, though all the albums these are drawn from, where applicable, are worth a listen in my opinion.

All your lists and recommendations very welcome.

Monoloc – Mufon
Mentioned before – fantastic atmospheric techno.

Pye Corner Audio – Descent
Close to, but not quite the same, as hauntology, and on the Ghostbox Label.

Quadratschulz – Opportunity Cost
IDM updated, or reworked for the 2010s.

The Utopia Strong – Konta Chorus
A sort of prog-rock/electronica supergroup which features Kavus Torabi, Michael J. York and Steve Davis, yes, that Steve Davis. Saw them live in Whelans last night. Fantastic.

Priests – The Seduction of Kansas
Political, feminist, and cracking tunes.

Oh Baby – Part of the 80’s
Also mentioned before, pop music but not quite.

Hawklords – One Way Trip
They just keep going – an album a year, this spin-off from Hawkwind has across the 2010s carved out its own unique identity in the space rock area.

Goodbye Ivan – Comptine POL Remix
I like the original album by Goodbye Ivan, but I also like the remixes. Particularly this one.

Galactic Protector – Space Year 1422
Electronic!

Fontaines D.C. – Too Real
Have to have an Irish band, and this is pretty excellent. Given their tickets sell out in seconds flat I’ve no hope about seeing them any time soon. They’re like a cross between The Fall, Cathal Coughlan’s solo output, particularly Fatima Mansions (on the vocals, albeit with a Dublin rather than a Cork accent) and a hint of Joy Division. Which is just fine in my book.

Freeloader – The Thing To Do
A spin-off from perhaps the best AC/DC like band that isn’t AC/DC, that is the late lamented Upper Crust! Nat Freedberg’s Freeloader is a weird little sleaze-rock offering with some fine songs.

Ex Hex – Good Times
Not an album I warmed to, unlike their remarkable first one from years back, but a great track.

Deepchord – Garden
On one of a series of De:tuned EPs (DE:10:02) released this year as a celebration of the label this is mighty fine ambient techno. Can’t work out whether it is new or an old track reworked. Either way, excellent.

Bob Mould – Sunny Love Song
He just keeps on going. Effortless.

Apex Manner – Where My Mind Goes
Not sure how I found this, but there’s a weird blend of Grandaddy style American indie with more shoe gaze inflected sounds. A lot to like.

The Coathangers – Hey Buddy
Great angry feminist rock.

Lorelle Meets the Obsolete – Líneas en Hojas
Mexican psych shoe gaze that is going on their most recent album in adventurous and noisy territory. But not noisy as in shoe gaze, more noisy as in post-punk.

Linda Guilala – Mucho Mejor (remixed by Soft Regime)
Very fine, as is the original, and from Elefant Records

Hawkwind – 65 Million Years Ago
I guess one could have a dinosaur joke in there. But the great survivors survive.

Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith – Tides IV
An instrumental album of soothing near-ambient.

Robyn Hitchcock/ Andy Partridge – Planet England
Mentioned before, and still one of the great tracks of the year.

Sobrenadar – Cruce (Mark Peters Remix)
Have to throw this in, not least due to the way in which Mark Peters has reworked the song.

Tone Depth – Free
I just like this.

Haav – Under
And this too!

Acid Mothers Temple & The Melting Paraiso U.F.O. – Disco Pink Lade Lemonade

Squalls of feedback, garage-rock, psychedelia and so on. And all that in one track, lasting many minutes long! Actually every time I hear them I think one track, any track is probably just about enough. But what a track! Okay, the version I was listening to isn’t actually this one above although both were recorded the same time, though the one I particularly like was released this year. Whereas the one above was released in 2017. Does it matter? Probably not. On to 2020.