Some may say this is an article and round-up of 2019 which is long overdue. Others might say that they've been awaiting this with baited breath. I'd retort with the fact I've been a busy man stuck in a busy month at a busy job, yet we've finally arrived - aren't we all so excited?! Glad we agree. Without further ado, please read below my Top 30 Gigs, Top 30 LPs, Top 30 Singles, and Top 10 Emerging Artists of such a wonderful year - the very last of such a wonderful decade of music.
Be sure to check out many of the playlists and previously-written reviews linked below.
Best Gigs of 2019
30. Stella Donnelly at Scala, London
29. Kero Kero Bonito at Studio 9294, London
28. Vampire Weekend at Alexandra Palace, London
27. Mothers at Oslo, London
26. King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard at Alexandra Palace, London
25. Anna Calvi at The Roundhouse, London
24. Daughters at The Dome, London
23. Weyes Blood at Islington Assembly Hall, London
22. J.I.D at O2 Forum Kentish Town, London
21. Pup at Electric Ballroom, London
20. Squid at Studio 9294, London
19. Vein at New Cross Inn, London
18. Oh Sees at Troxy, London
17. HMLTD at Xoyo, London
16. Ty Segall at Oval Space, London
15. Post Malone at The O2 Arena, London
14. Bring Me The Horizon at All Points East Festival, London
13. FKA twigs at Alexandra Palace, London
12. Adrianne Lenker at Union Chapel, London
11. Charli XCX at Pitchfork Music Festival, Paris
10. Lizzo at O2 Academy Brixton, London
"This is going to be one of the greatest nights."
Spoken from this year’s leading soulful philanthropist, singer, rapper, and model Lizzo, she ultimately slid into the top 10 for this year's gigs, showcasing one of the most enjoyably positive pop albums of the decade to the empowered crowd of Brixton.
Read the full review here.
9. Black Midi at Bloc, London
Venturing into the vacuous lands of Stratford, otherwise known as an atypical Friday night, my heightened senses came into full force rather timely for one of the most eccentric bands surfacing the underground punk scene from this year - Black Midi.
Read the full review here.
8. Tierra Whack at Village Underground, London
"You lost. It's a game. Life's a game."
In the midst of one of her interactive crossword games on stage, the rising Philadelphia rapper Tierra Whack gave this piece of heavy-handed reality. And with that, produced one of the most compelling nights of modern, educational rap in the East end of London.
Read the full review here.
7. Kamasi Washington at O2 Institute, Birmingham
"Our diversity is not something to be tolerated but celebrated."
The supernatural jazz musician and composer Kamasi Washington hauled his 8-piece entourage across the pond and into the depths of Birmingham - packing his renowned effervescent style of jazz. Ultimately marking his authority within contemporary jazz and spearheading his various cohorts forward into another decade of the ever-transforming genre.
Read the full review here.
6. Black Midi, New Road at Windmill, London
“Well, the boys in the Christmas land.”
What a special time of year this proved to be: two of the most notable underground bands in London came together in a one-off collaboration charity show at Brixton’s Windmill. Producing one of the most indelibly experimental performances one can ever witness Black Midi, New Road effortlessly spurred through bouts of soloing and hypnotic rhythms.
Read the full review here.
5. Big Thief at The Roundhouse, London
“There must be at least 16 or 17 people here…”
Having performed in scattered coffee shops across New York 7 years ago, the enigmatic indie-folk outfit Big Thief found themselves in uncharted territory - a sold-out show at London’s historic Roundhouse. And boy, did they rise to the challenge - exuding the vocal and lyrical prowess of frontwoman Adrianne Lenker which was left to permeate through the capacious venue.
Read the full review here.
4. Tyler, The Creator at O2 Academy Brixton, London
“I’m so wet...who wants to lick it off?”
To a sea of 3,000 enamoured fans crammed into Brixton’s O2 Academy, the fluorescent-suit-wearing/bowl-cut-sporting Californian rapper emphatically returned to the U.K. for the first time in over 4 years. In a cesspool of sweat, suspense, and hysteria, Tyler, The Creator brought one of this year's best records to the hotly-anticipated streets of South London.
Read the full review here.
3. Rosalía at Somerset House, London
“When I was 16, I came here to study English. You can hear it didn’t work.”
English may not have been Rosalía Vila Tobella’s first language, yet in a music scene where flamenco was the communal language, this recent pop sensation proved emphatically fluent - starring as one of my favourite, genre-engaging artists of the past couple years with her latest LP, El Mal Querer, impeccably performed on this gloriously warm summer's evening.
Read the full review here.
2. Childish Gambino at The O2 Arena, London
“This is church.”
Ascending to the pulpit of London’s O2 Arena through a stark beamlight, the modern ‘Renaissance Man’ Donald Glover proceeded to impart a wholly religious experience to his worshippers under the musical guise of Childish Gambino for the very last time. Stretching the very depths of his recent catalogue of quirky, tongue-in-cheek take on the rap genre, Gambino undoubtedly takes this list's silver medal spot.
Read the full review here.
1. Janelle Monáe at Glastonbury Festival, Somerset
"This is the place with the most juice."
And, at last, we arrive to the number one spot - undoubtedly held with the same level of vim, vigour, and sexual prowess as Janelle Monáe. Very few gigs have lived up to the heightened indelibility of this societally-benchmarked set, masterfully rounding off this festival's 2019 year and I'm sure very few gigs will ever have the same impact again. A rare 10/10 performance.
Watch the live set here.
Listen to the full playlist of acts here.
Honourable Mentions:
Best Albums of 2019
30. Dorian Electra: Flamboyant
29. Sharon Van Etten: Remind Me Tomorrow
28. Purple Mountains: Purple Mountains
27. Ana Frango Elétrico: Little Electric Chicken Heart
26. 100 Gecs: 1000 Gecs
25. King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard: Infest the Rats’ Nest
24. Lana Del Rey: Norman Fucking Rockwell!
23. Brockhampton: Ginger
22. Vampire Weekend: Father of the Bride
21. Lingua Ignota: Caligula
20. Fontaines D.C.: Dogrel
19. Quelle Chris: Guns
18. The Comet is Coming: Trust in the Lifeforce of the Deep Mystery
17. Danny Brown: uknowhatimsayin?
16. JPEGMAFIA: All My Heroes are Cornballs
15. Matana Roberts: Coin Coin Chapter Four
14. Caroline Polachek: Pang
13. Freddie Gibbs and Madlib: Bandana
12. Little Simz: Grey Area
11. Denzel Curry: Zuu
10. Richard Dawson: 2020
From the obscure northern heights of Dawson's latest folk LP - this singer-songwriter from Newcastle produced his best record yet searing through the darkened, tainted corners of Dawson's songwriting capabilities conjuring an effective reflective period for this country.
9. Big Thief: U.F.O.F.
The regularly favourited indie-rockers came through with not just one, but two albums this year - with this record personally appealing to my inane need for ethereal, spacious, folk music courtesy of Adrianne Lenker's intrepid mind.
Read the full review here.
8. Slowthai: Nothing Great About Britain
The rapper from Northampton burgeoned himself onto the U.K. rap scene with this debut LP, offering biting societal commentaries in a Brexit-occupied world coupled against his tongue-in-cheek delivery.
7. FKA twigs: Magdalene
Beauty rarely conjures itself in such elusive and intriguing ways in the popsphere, yet the English singer-songwriter masterfully arrived this year with her first LP in 5 years with some of the most mesmerisingly beautiful and poetic sounds of her career.
6. Lizzo: Cuz I Love You
The Houston-raised modern soul-star not only featured highly on the coveted Top 30 Gigs list, but also on this one with an abrasively fresh and self-determined take on pop, soul, funk, and an all-empowering reclamation of self-worth on this record.
5. Black Midi: Schlagenheim
One of only 3 top debut LPs in this top 10 list, the London-based outfit pulled tropes of post-punk, art-rock, and spoken word emphatically together on one of this year's most boundary-pushing albums.
4. Weyes Blood: Titanic Rising
Peering through the lens of the once-popular chamber-pop sounds of the 1970's, Natalie Mering produced an modernised version of such stoic tropes caught amongst a world of introspectiveness and ethereal, romantic wonder.
3. Billie Eilish: When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?
Upon first listen, this may have barely scraped through my most likened collection of sounds, however, with the passage of time and multiple listens, my ultimate realisation has been this: a captivating, forward-thinking record inverting much of the overblown pop landscape which has undoubtedly saturated our minds for far too long.
Read the full review here.
2. Charli XCX: Charli
Merging the pinnacles of glitch-pop with PC experimentalism popularised through this past decade, the English singer-songwriter reached near-perfection with this infectiously catchy, heartfelt, feature-driven set of tracks showcasing the very best of collaborative and inventive pop for the youth of today.
1. Tyler, The Creator: IGOR
And the top spot is taken by none other than the lauded Tyler, The Creator. Proven brash and controversial in the past, the Californian rapper has masterfully reinvented himself on his 4th LP - marking the growth and death of an intimate relationship illustrated in a world of bass-ridden rap and psychedelic neo-soul.
Honourable Mentions:
Brittany Howard: Jaime
Hobo Johnson: The Fall of Hobo Johnson
Inter Arma: Sulphur English
Liturgy: H.A.Q.Q.
Otoboke Beaver: Itekoma Hits
Pile: Green and Gray
Rapsody: Eve
Sunn O))): Pyroclasts
Thom Yorke: Anima
Ty Segall: First Taste
Best Singles of 2019
30. Aldous Harding: ‘Fixture Picture’
29. Sharon Van Etten: ‘Seventeen’
28. Rex Orange County: ‘Pluto Projector’
27. Caroline Polachek: ‘So Hot You’re Hurting My Feelings’
26. The Comet is Coming: ‘Summon the Fire’
25. Angel Olsen: ‘All Mirrors’
24. Big Thief: ‘Not’
23. Squid: ‘Houseplants’
22. Purple Mountains: ‘Margaritas at the Mall’
21. Denzel Curry: ‘Ricky’
20. Quelle Chris: ‘Obamacare’
19. J.I.D: ‘151 Rum’
18. Mannequin Pussy: ‘Drunk II’
17. Little Simz: ‘Selfish’
16. Thom Yorke: ‘Dawn Chorus’
15. Tierra Whack: ‘Unemployed’
14. Algiers: ‘Can the Sub_Bass Speak?’
13. Rosalía: ‘A Palé’
12. Black Midi: ‘Talking Heads’
11. Lizzo: 'Juice'
10. JPEGMAFIA: ‘Jesus Forgive Me, I am a Thot’
If this was a list based upon the finest song title then this might've taken the biscuit, yet the track still ends up in the top 10 with a much smoother approach from the abrasive rapper dipping his toe into a water of R&B sensualities.
9. Danny Brown: ‘Dirty Laundry’
The neurotically-humorous traits of Danny Brown returned in full force this year with our first taste welcomed by the lead single from Brown's latest LP. Yet all he wanted to sort was some dirty laundry.
8. Charli XCX & Christine and The Queens: ‘Gone’
Intimately coming together in this hit single from the aforementioned champion of pop this year, Charli XCX and Christine and The Queens pull off one of the most entertaining PC-pop hits of 2019 whilst getting caught in the rain.
7. King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard: ‘Planet B’
Surging forward with a similar vigour as Greta Thunberg, this newly-transformed thrash metal group also produced two LPs in 2019, yet this track proved to be the true cream of the crop which pertinently bolsters Thunberg's rhetoric.
6. Vampire Weekend: ‘Harmony Hall’
The modern pioneers of the indie climate which we currently know, returned emphatically after 4 years away from the scene with a larger-than-life sheen to their jolly, Simon & Garfunkel-esque traits exuded by Ezra Koenig & Co.
5. Weyes Blood: ‘Everyday’
Natalie Mering has featured heavily on this coveted list of 2019, yet her modernised take on Carly Simon's and Joni Mitchell's of the world proves all the more compelling in the midst of her criticisms of modern dating.
4. Tyler, The Creator: ‘EARFQUAKE’
This animated rapper at last marked his return to the fray of music, and ultimately London earlier this year, with one of the smoothest R&B ballads exclaiming his love for a significant other. On constant repeat with Tyler's elusively evolving vocal style and fascinating reincarnation into his alter-ego character Igor.
3. Billie Eilish: ‘bury a friend’
Imminently exuding a punk-esque style featuring shades of Kanye West's seminal track 'Black Skinhead', this track ultimately marked the beginning of Eilish's fame which we've come to recognise today - showcasing her raw, natural talent for infectiously bass-heavy, glitch-pop vignettes.
2. Black Country, New Road: ‘Sunglasses’
From the stardom of a pop singer, to the obscurity of an underground 8-piece act pulling together tropes of post-punk and free-spirited jazz, this band have proven themselves this year as a collective worth watching in spite of their 2-track discography. This single ultimately takes the silver medal for its sheer audacity in journeying us through a transcendental 9-minute adventure.
1. FKA twigs: ‘Cellophane’
Truly the most stunning track of 2019, FKA twigs proved to mark the best comeback bar none - confiding in us once again the trials and tribulations surrounding her romantic life. Levelling against the heightened likes of Kate Bush and Björk, the singer-songwriter reentered our lives with a sumptuously written piece of music that is every bit mesmerising as it is genre-defining.
Listen to the full playlist of singles here.
Honourable Mentions:
(Sandy) Alex G: 'Gretel'
Bon Iver: 'Hey, Ma'
Brittany Howard: '13th Century Metal'
Foals: 'In Degrees'
Ibibio Sound Machine: 'Tell Me (Doko Mien)'
Lana Del Rey: 'Venice Bitch'
Nilüfer Yanya: 'In Your Head'
Slowthai, Denzel Curry: 'Psycho'
Stormzy: 'Vossi Bop'
The 1975: 'People'
Ty Segall: 'Taste'
Best Emerging Artists of 2019
This list is not just for the artists who began publishing music this year, but for those who well and truly sprung to my personal radar during 2019 and whom should be given the time of day to be recognised as seminal artists.
10. Chai
Daring to subvert such generic stereotypes against society's female identity is Japan's Chai - a 4-piece, all-female entourage every bit as 'cute' as they are punk. Releasing their sophomore LP, Punk, earlier in 2019, the abrasive victors of Japanese punk undoubtedly match well against their fellow contemporaries Otoboke Beaver.
9. Fontaines D.C.
This Dublin-based act also announced themselves to the music scene this year with the release of their critically-acclaimed debut LP, Dogrel, strictly tied to their Irish roots - as if led by the writings of James Joyce with each and every step this band takes forward.
8. The Comet is Coming
Jazz has shaped itself in many different formalities recently, however, this British nu-jazz act have soared these tropes to astronomical heights through the audacity of their recent LP and composed leadership of Shabaka Hutchings - truly marking himself as one of the country's most seminal jazz musicians of the decade.
7. Slowthai
Rather than from the South end of London's grime scene, this rapper from Northampton has reinvigorated the U.K.'s rap scene and extended its ubiquity with a uniquely fresh take on a gripping genre. Courtesy of his enticing, tongue-in-cheek delivery splurged throughout his debut LP, Slowthai has effectively captured the voice of a disenfranchised generation yearning to be heard and reckoned with.
6. Squid
Formulating the infectiously rhythmic yet abrasive tropes of art-rock and punk, Squid have consistently been a band at the forefront of this country's underground dancehalls - enticing audiences through the gripping grooves of their debut EP of 2019, Town Centre.
5. Little Simz
The North London rapper has been a force of heart and soul in 2019, ever since the indelible release of her lead single 'Selfish', from her latest 3rd LP. Cutting her teeth against the social stigmas hurled against feminism and female rappers, Little Simz forcefully stakes her claim as one of this country's most critical young rappers of today.
4. Black Country, New Road
Rounding this year off with a duet between this band and contemporaries Black Midi was a treat too sweet - for some of the most memorable moments of this country's live scene have spawned from this mammoth-sized 8-piece band looking to create an elixir of music extracted from a plethora of genres. Considering this act only have two officially released tracks so far, Black Country, New Road ultimately remain so indelible.
3. Billie Eilish
The young, American idol seems ubiquitously famous right now - splurged over every magazine cover known to any music listener or lover. Yet much of it seems warranted through the rocketing rise to stardom in 2019, solidifying her status as one of the genre's most successful young stars with just a single LP and EP released to date - and long may her recognition continue.
2. Black Midi
For this silver medal spot, the London-based post-punk act effectively redefined their genre's tropes through the release of their debut LP this year, Schlagenheim. Combining this with their unpredictable live shows and it seems like the U.K. have somewhat found an answer to its struggling 'rock' scene of late - perhaps soon-to-be saviours?
1. Lizzo
2019 has been the year of Lizzo - a royal Queen in the making, yet she would contest that she already has become one. Through the empowering sounds of her latest LP, Cuz I Love You, as well as her holistic live shows, this American singer-songwriter should be marked in music history as one of the most integral performers in entertainment of 2019 - regardless of which musical, sexual, racial, or societal box you confide yourselves to. Lizzo has been the ultimate champion of 2019.
Honourable Mentions:
100 Gecs
Caroline Polachek
Dorian Electra
Best Gigs TO LOOK FORWARD TO In 2020
FEBRUARY:
Black Country, New Road at Village Underground, London
Algiers at Village Underground, London
Angel Olsen at Eventim Apollo, London
(Sandy) Alex G at EartH, London
Fontaines D.C. at O2 Academy Brixton, London
Lana Del Rey at The O2 Arena, London
Big Thief at Eventim Apollo, London
MARCH:
Michael Kiwanuka at O2 Academy Brixton, London
JPEGMAFIA at EartH, London
Brittany Howard at O2 Kentish Town Forum, London
Caroline Polachek at Heaven, London
Shabaka Hutchings' One Fest at EartH, London
Princess Nokia at EartH, London
King Krule at O2 Academy Brixton, London
Richard Dawson at Barbican Centre, London
APRIL:
Squid at Scala, London
MAY:
Black Midi at Queen Elizabeth Hall, London
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds at The O2 Arena, London
Brockhampton at O2 Academy Brixton, London
Swans at EartH, London
Sun Kil Moon at Union Chapel, London
JUNE:
The National at O2 Academy Brixton, London
My Chemical Romance at Stadium MK, Milton Keynes
Thom Yorke at Eventim Apollo, London
JULY:
Billie Eilish at The O2 Arena, London
AUGUST:
Slipknot at National Bowl, Milton Keynes
SEPTEMBER:
Stormzy at The O2 Arena, London
NOVEMBER:
Elton John at The O2 Arena, London
Listen to the full playlist of this year's best acts here.
For much, much more of the latest and greatest music of 2020 visit EarsMelt.com
Well, if you've made it this far into the article - I have to say, I'm impressed. Let me know your thoughts on these lists - Did you care for it? Did you know many of them? Do you even know me? Whoever you may be, I want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart for all the support over the past year or so on this Ears Melt music ride - here's to the next number of years! I'll see you at a gig very soon.