In 2019, we released lots of great albums: Sam Carp Select Few (2013-2018), Pumpkin Mouth‘s Tooth Salad, Sidney Lindner & the Silver Wilderness Collective Summer Ghosts / Nightfalls, Tiger Saw The Featherweight,Mehetable s/t, The Orchards Sing Birds, In Your Shrinking Woods, Guy Capecelatro III Feeling of Falling, Boring Songs About Dumb Things by Charlotte Moroz and Guy Capecelatro III.
We hope that you’ll check them out. We asked some of our friends and family for their favorites from 2019 to share with you. Enjoy!
Guy Capecelatro III
Top 21 Albums ordered by length:
RY X Unfurl
Soak Grim Town
Florist Emily Alone
Big Thief Two Hands
Carla Geneve s/t ep
Purple Mountains-s/t
American Football LP 3
Anna Tivel The Question
Craig Finn I Need a New War
Henry Jamison Gloria Duplex
Shane Leonard Strange Forms
Miracle Whips The Art of Facts
The National I Am Easy To Find
Mount Eerie Lost Wisdom, Pt. 2
Better Oblivion Community Center s/t
Bear’s Den So That You Might Hear Me
Matthew and the Atlas Morning Dancer
Damien Jurado In the Shape of a Storm
Bill Callahan Shepherd in a Sheepskin Vest
Slaughter Beach, Dog Safe and Also No Fear
Charlotte Cornfield The Shape of Your Name
Top 10 Movies:
Parasite
Booksmart
Jojo Rabbit
Midsommar
Marriage Story
A Hole in the Ground
Deadwood: The Movie
The Peanut Butter Falcon
Standoff at Sparrow Creek
El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie
Top 14 TV Shows:
Killing Eve
His Dark Materials
Happy
Broad City
Preacher
Watchmen
Fleabag
Russian Doll
Euphoria
Mindhunter
Better Call Saul
Deadly Class
Stranger Things
Barry
Justin Carloni (Eastern Sleds)
I’ve been more or less cocooning for 2019, but here is what I know and what brought me joy in no particular order:
TV Series: Chernobyl – While there was no joy in this HBO series, it did an exquisite job of putting the viewer into a story where the haunting cautionary tale of this tragedy comes alive again.
Poem: Charles Bukowski, Born Into This– Only because I had watched Chernobyl.
Album: Summer Ghosts/Nightfalls by Sidney Lindner & the Silver Wilderness Collective – In an area awash in incredible music and talented musicians this project found heavy rotation at my house for its ethereal soundscape that brought an odd warmth to my world weariness.
Song: “Tattooed Man and The Saint” – Dan Blakeslee from Owed To The Tanglin’ Wind
Song: “How Now” – Snowblink, Returning Current
Game: Bananagrams –Legitimately losing to my daughter and wife at Bananagrams on a weekly basis has been an activity I have come to enjoy.
Bakery: Polish Princess, Lancaster NH
Book: Sapiens- Yuval Noah Harari- Who knew it requires great ideas of fiction to create society?
Influencer: Greta Thunberg- Hers is the earth’s voice incarnate.
Collage: All we are saying– Wayne Atherton
J.R. Gallagher
My Top 10 Favorite Songs of 2019
1. “Miami Memory” by Alex Cameron
2. “That’s Just The Way That I Feel” by Purple Mountains
3. “Work” by Foxygen
4. “All Mirrors” by Angel Olsen
5. “Divorce” by Alex Cameron
6. “hand solo” by Marika Hackman
7. “Keep Runner” by Jackie Cohen
8. “She’s Lily Riptide” by Kyle Craft
9. “Not” by Big Thief
10. “Red Bull & Hennessy” by Jenny Lewis
Jordan Holtz
Top 10 List for 2019 / most memorable and enjoyed media and happenings from the year 2019 in my honest opinion, feel free to disagree, up to you.
Movies:
Parasite
Knives Out
Music:
Albums
Bethlehem Steel “Bethlehem Steel”
Ezra Cohen “3 Songs”
Song
Lina Tullgren “Bad at Parties”
TV / Streaming
Barry – Season 2
I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson
Savage x Fenty Show
Live Shows
Washer, Kiss Concert and Little My / Heavy Pockets at Sue’s in Rollinsford, NH
Meat Puppets at 3S Artspace in Portsmouth, NH
Sean Hood (Eastern Mountain Time)
Top 10 Albums of 2019:
- Taylor Swift, Lover
- Alex Cameron, Miami Memory
- Better Oblivion Community Center, Better Oblivion Community Center
- Purple Mountains, Purple Mountains
- Big Thief, Two Hands
- Jenny Lewis, On The Line
- Sturgill Simpson, Sound & Fury
- Weyes Blood, Titanic Rising
- Chance The Rapper, The Big Day
- Jay Som, Anak Ko
Top 10 Movies of 2019:
- The Dead Don’t Die
- Jojo Rabbit
- Booksmart
- Once Upon A Time… In Hollywood
- Us
- Knives Out
- Motherless Brooklyn
- Midsommer
- Good Boys
- The Lighthouse
Top 10 Concerts (Chronologically):
- Kacey Musgraves & Natalie Prass @ MTELUS (Montreal, QC – 1/12/19)
- Alex Cameron & Lola Kirke @ Great Scott (Boston, MA – 3/2/19)
- Cass McCombs & Sam Evian @ Exit/In (Nashville, TN – 3/14/19)
- Morrissey @ MTELUS (Montreal, QC – 4/29/19)
- Phosphorescent @ Higher Ground (Burlington, VT – 6/18/19)
- Rodrigo Amarante @ Club Metronome (Burlington, VT – 6/26/19)
- Little Wings @ ArtsRiot (Burlington, VT – 9/30/19)
- Big Thief & Palehound @ Higher Ground (Burlington, VT – 10/12/19)
- Jay Som & Boy Scouts @ ArtsRiot (Burlington, VT – 10/27/19)
- Alex Cameron & Holiday Sidewinder @ Theatre Fairmount (Montreal, QC – 11/16/19)
Top 5 Comedy Shows (Chronologically):
- Jenny Slate @ The Wilbur (Boston, MA – 5/25/19)
- Marc Maron @ The Vermont Comedy Club (Burlington, VT – 6/8/19)
- Pete Holmes @ Just for Laughs Festival (Montreal, QC – 7/26/19)
- Nick Kroll @ The Flynn Theater (Burlington, VT – 9/26/19)
- Nikki Glaser @ The Vermont Comedy Club (Burlington, VT – 10/19/19)
Dylan Metrano (Tiger Saw)
- Faye Webster Atlanta Millionaires Club. Out of nowhere- this, to me, is such a unique, surprising, and utterly satisfying release. A delectable combination of soul, country, and hip-hop, but it all sounds so natural, confident, and sultry. Webster is young, and just getting started. I hope this is the beginning of a long, fruitful career.
- Michael Kiwanuka Kiwanuka. His last record is still in constant rotation at my house, and the follow-up doesn’t disappoint. Some different textures this time around, and some indelible hooks. A great exploration of rock and soul.
- Damien Jurado In the Shape of a Storm. Jurado just keeps knocking them out of the park, decades into his career, and makes the most moving, emotional, stirring songs today.
- Whitney Forever Turned Around. Endless plays in the café this summer. They own this intelligent AM radio sound today.
- Kevin Morby Oh My God. Kevin Morby goes to church. A spiritual heir to Lou Reed, perhaps. Singalongs for everyman.
- Karen O & Danger Mouse Lux Prima. An epic exploration where two disparate minds come together for a hallucinatory adventure, maybe the best thing either has done.
- Purple Mountains s/t. RIP David Berman. A sad record made even sadder by his death. Berman had a way with words like no other.
- Big Thief Two Hands. Especially the single “Not”. A fierce, raw, emotional rock record, and one of two albums they released this year.
- Little Wings Ropes in Paradise. Released in Japan with the new originals-album “People”, this record is country music as could only be played by Kyle Field. A nice compliment to Karl Blau’s “Introducing Karl Blau”, if you’re a fan of that album.
- Country Music: A Film By Ken Burns Soundtrack. Five discs featuring so much great classic and obscure country music, going back to the beginning. A listen enriched by watching the terrific PBS documentary.
- Aldous Harding Designer. Another odd, beguiling release from the intense, mysterious singer. “The Barrel” is, of course, the odd, beguiling video of the year.
- D’Angelo “Unshaken”. D’Angelo gave us one new song this year, on the soundtrack to a video game. Deep, unshakable groove.
- Dead Gowns New Spine EP. Gorgeous, melancholic weepers from Portland, Maine.
- Chris Staples Holy Moly. One of the great contemporary pop songwriters. Every line a hook.
- Solange When I Get Home. An obtuse, reaching record, from the most ambitious singer of our time. Presented with long-form videos, museum exhibitions, and modern dance.
- Dylan Earl Squirrel in the Garden. Yesterday’s sounds today / tomorrow’s sounds last night. Modern / classic country at it’s best. A showman and a gentleman at the top of his game.
- Friendship Dreamin’. No one else today sounds like Friendship. Literate explorations of country, indie, and folk idioms.
- Rhye Spirit. More excellent candlelit hymns while we wait for the return of Sade.
- Charlotte Cornfield The Shape of Your Name. A favorite new discovery, and a singular voice.
- Jason Anderson “Halloween”. Anderson’s been digging through the vaults, and releasing “lost sessions” all year, in anticipation of his new album in 2020. This one-off song is his strongest in years, and is all heart and mood. Keep ‘em coming!
- Seun Kuti & Egypt 80 Night Dreamer Direct to Disc Sessions. A+ Afrobeat, cut live to vinyl. Another incredible release from the new king.
Eric Ott (Eastern Sleds)
Top 10 Things, 2019
- Purple Mountains – Debut: I think I have listened to this CD well over 75 times and think this could be the best thing David Berman has done. Love & light Mr. Berman, you will be missed.
- The Kominsky Method – Netflix: This show is brilliantly written. Alan Arkin steals the show.
- Up On High – Vetiver: This LP is like a nice warm blanket on a cold night. Great songs, and gorgeous production.
- Plastic Soul – Mondo Cozmo: I had no idea this existed. Not sure how I came about it, but I love this LP. Great songs and eclectic production.
- Better Oblivion Community Center – Debut: What more could you ask for? Conor Oberst and Phoebe Bridgers. This LP is perfection.
- Wilco – Ode To Joy: I really dig the stark sound on this record. Not much cymbals, and the drums sound like a carboard box. Tusk like production.
- Lists – I am a huge proponent of lists. I create custom lists for different projects or goals.
- The Chef Show – Netflix: I could pretty much watch anything regarding food. The Chef Show features director, actor Jon Favreau and chef Roy Choi.
- Mindhunter – Netflix: Crime drama, serial killers – Super addicting.
- Illiterate Light – Show at the Word Barn: This duo puts on such an amazing show. A drummer and a guitar player also using bass pedals. They just released an album on Atlantic Records.
Jesse Rifkin (Walk on the Wild Side Tours NYC)
Records:
- Purple Mountains – s/t
- Kim Gordon – No Home Record
- Chemical Brothers – No Geography
- Lana Del Rey – Norman Fucking Rockwell
- Chinatown Slalom – Who Wants to Be a Millionaire
- Mount Eerie & Julie Doiron – Lost Wisdom Pt. 2
- Octo Octa – Resonant Body
- Blarf – Cease and Desist
- Cate LeBon – Reward
- Madlib & Freddie Gibbs – Bandana
- Clairo – Immunity
- Nick Cave – Ghosteen
Movies:
- Under the Silver Lake
- Once Upon A Time in Hollywood
- Loro
- Booksmart
- Jojo Rabbit
- Us
- Midsommar
- Villains
- Rolling Thunder Revue
- Motherless Brooklyn
- John Wick 3
Jim Rioux
Top Ten Albums 2019
1. Purple Mountains, Purple Mountains
2. I am Easy to Find, The National
3. Shadowboxer, Mansionair
4. Ode to Joy, Wilco
5. All Encores, Nils Frahm
6. Ghosteen, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
7. Further, Richard Hawley
8. Anima, Thom Yorke
9. Somebody’s Knocking, Mark Lanegan Band
10. In the Shape of a Storm, Damien Jurado
burst & bloom records 