Favorite Song Discoveries of 2019
These aren't necessarily new songs but they were new to me this year.
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1. "Dusted" by Leftfield and Roots Manuva. "This style is not free. This style is expensive."
2. "Summon The Fire" by The Comet Is Coming. Shabaka Hutchings is the most fun saxophonist out there.
3. "Strange Ways" by Speech Debelle. Dreamy rap with acoustic guitar.
4. "Cattails" by Big Thief. Their song "Not" gets more attention but I prefer this quieter traveler's tale.
5. "hope is a dangerous thing for a woman like me" by Lana Del Rey. "24/7 Sylvia Plath"
6. "Partita for 8 Singers: No. 3 Courante" by Roomful of Teeth, Caroline Shaw. Haaaaaaaaaaa.
7. "Hollywood Lawn" by Jenny Lewis. "Your demons got reasons to fight"
8. "Dermatillomania" by Laura Stevenson. "So scar up where it counts"
9. "What It Is" by Angel Olsen. "You just wanted to forget / That your heart was full of shit"
10. "Up All Night" by the Viagra Boys. "I've been building a machine."
11. "Worlds Apart" by Bruce Springsteen.
I knew most of the songs on The Rising but had never listened to the album in full so I had missed this beautiful scorcher.
12. "Tarhatazed" by Mdou Moctar. A little after the half way point, is the best guitar solo of the year.
Notable Tracks from Great 2019 Albums
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1. "You Shadow" by Sharon Van Etten.
2. "Bullshit" by Palehound.
3. "This Life" by Vampire Weekend.
4. "Capacity" by Charly Bliss.
5. "Decor" by Empath.
6. "Burkhalter" by Lowlight
7. "Gotta Get To Know Ya" by Seratones.
8. "Wayfaring Stranger" by Rhinannon Giddens.
9. "Heart Sutra Song - Gone Beyond" by Laurie Anderson, Tenzin & Jesse Paris Smith
10. "People's Faces (Streatham Version)" by Kate Tempest