185 really good-to-really great albums of new music. 60 laudable issuings of music recorded in another time. That, my friends, is an embarrassment of riches. Now: if that will rub off on general citizenship, good cheer, charming self-effacement, and energized civic action, we’ll be cooking with gas here.
My Album-Lover’s Honor Roll for 2019 – The Final Unscrolling
(bolded items are new additions to the list)
The Straight and Bent A’s:
- Little Simz: Grey Area
- Purple Mountains: Purple Mountains
- Jamila Woods: Legacy! Legacy!
- Junius Paul: Ism
- Rapsody: Eve
- Billie Eilish: WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO?
- Chance The Rapper: The Big Day
- Byron Asher: Byron Asher’s Skrontch Music
- Freddie Gibbs & Madlib: Bandana
- Snotty Nose Rez Kids: Trapline
- Royal Trux: White Stuff
- Ezra Furman: Twelve Nudes
- Laurie Anderson, Tenzin Choegyal, Jesse Paris Smith: Songs from The Bardo
- Peter Perrett: Humanworld
- Yugen Blakrok: Anima Mysterium
- Mexstep: Resistir
- Mdou Moctar: Ilana (The Creator)
- Danny Brown: uknowwhutimsayin
- Tomeka Reid Quartet: Old New
- J Balvin & Bad Bunny: OASIS
- DKV and Joe McPhee: The Fire Each Time
- Lightning Bolt: Sonic Citadel
- Tanya Tucker: While I’m Livin’
- Billy Woods & Kenny Segal: Hiding Places
- EARTHGANG: Mirrorland
The Tragically Flawed A- Team:
- 75 Dollar Bill: I Was Real
- Sheer Mag: A Distant Call
- Dumb: Club Nites
- Jeffrey Lewis: Bad Wiring
- Raphael Saadiq: Jimmy Lee
- Young Thug: So Much Fun
- Kel Assouf: Black Tenere
- James Brandon Lewis: An Unruly Manifesto
- Gard Nilssen Acoustic Unity: To Whom Who Buys A Record
- Teodross Avery: After the Rain–A Night for Coltrane
- Various Artists: Total Solidarity
- Lana Del Rey: Norman F***ing Rockwell
- Zonal (featuring Moor Mother): Wrecked
- Control Top: Covert Contracts
- Lizzo: Cuz I Love You
- Ifriqiyya Electrique: Laylet El Boore
- Elza Soares: Planeta Fome
- Abdullah Ibrahim: The Balance
- Damon Locks / Black Monument Ensemble: Where Future Unfolds
- Andres: Andres IV
- Denzel Curry: Zuu
- Pere Ubu: The Long Goodbye
- Rod Wave: Ghetto Gospel
- Eddy Current Suppression Ring: All in Good Time
- Dave: PSYCHODRAMA
- Moor Mother: Analog Fluids of Sonic Black Holes
- Various Artists: The Final Battle—Sly & Robbie vs. Roots Radics
- Rocket 808: Rocket 808
- 2 Chainz: Rap or Go to the League
- Planchettes: The Truth
- Joel Ross: Kingmaker
- JME: Grime MC
- I Jahbar: Inna Duppy SKRS Soundclash
- Lee Scratch Perry: Rainford
- Bill Orcutt: Odds Against Tomorrow
- Joe McPhee / John Butcher: At the Hill of James Magee
- Tyler Childers: Country Squire
- Pat Thomas, Dominic Lash, and Tony Orrell: Bleyschool
- Beyoncé: Homecoming
- Sote: Parallel Persia
- Jaimie Branch: Fly or Die II—Bird of Paradise
- SEED ENSEMBLE: Driftglass
- Arto Lindsay, Ken Vandermark, Joe McPhee, Phil Sudderberg: Largest Afternoon
- The Comet is Coming: Trust in the Lifeforce of the Deep Mystery
- Blacks’ Myths: Blacks’ Myths II
The No-Disgrace B+ Ticklers:
- The Coathangers: The Devil You Know
- Sudan Archives: Athena
- San Cha: La Luz de la Esperanza
- GRLwood: I Sold My Soul to the Devil When I Was 12
- P. P. Arnold: The New Adventures of P. P. Arnold
- Yazz Ahmed: Polyhymnia
- FKA Twigs: MAGDALENE
- Miranda Lambert: Wild Card
- Aquarian Blood: A Love That Leads to War
- Preservation Hall Jazz Band: Tuba in Cuba
- Quelle Chris: Guns
- Heroes Are Gang Leaders: The Amiri Baraka Sessions
- DaBaby: KIRK
- Ben Lamar Gay: Confetti in the Sky Like Fireworks
- Tanya Tagaq: Toothsayer EP
- Bobby Watson, Vincent Herring, and Gary Bartz: Bird at 100
- Ghostface Killah: Ghostface Killahs
- Various Artists: Weaponize Your Sound
- Earl Sweatshirt: FEET OF CLAY
- Maxo Kream: Brandon Banks
- BaianaSystem: O Furturo Nao Demora
- Aesop Rock & TOBACCO: Malibu Ken
- DaBaby: Baby on Baby
- Megan Thee Stallion: Fever
- Sleater-Kinney: The Center Won’t Hold
- Dan Weiss Trio + 1: Utica Box
- Davido: A Good Time
- Michael Kiwanuka: Kiwanuka
- Saul Williams: Encrypted & Vulnerable
- Young M.A.: Herstory in the Making
- Ken Vandermark: Momentum 4—Consequent Duos 2015-2019
- Poncho Sanchez: Trane’s Delight
- Gang Starr: One of the Best Yet
- The New Orleans Dance Hall Quartet: Tricentennial Hall Dance 17. October
- Mario Pavone: Philosophy
- Alcorn/McPhee/Vandermark: Invitation to a Dream
- Joachim Kuhn: Melodic Ornette Coleman—Piano Works XIII
- Chuck Cleaver: Send Aid
- Rachid Taha: Je Suis Africain
- Barrence Whitfield Soul Savage Arkestra: Songs from The Sun Ra Cosmos
- The Sensational Barnes Brothers: Nobody’s Fault But Mine
- GoldLink: Diaspora
- Harriet Tubman: The Terror End of Beauty
- Usted Saami: God is Not a Terrorist
- Mantana Roberts: COIN COIN Chapter Four—Memphis
- Various Artists: Travailler, C’est Trop Dur–The Lyrical Legacy of Caesar Vincent
- black midi: Schlagenheim
- Nots: 3
- Guitar Wolf: Love & Jett
- Robert Forster: Inferno
- Aziza Brahim: Sahari
- Jacob Wick & Phil Sudderberg: Combinatory Pleasures
- Ingrid Laubrock & Aki Takase: Kasumi
- LPX: Junk of the Heart (EP)
- Helado Negro: This is How You Smile
- Joe McPhee and Paal Nilssen-Love: Song for the Big Chief
- G & D: Black Love & War
- Boris: Love & Evol
- Girl Band: The Talkies
- Steve Riley & The Mamou Playboys: 30 Years Live
- Kris Davis: Diatom Ribbons
- Gilberto Gil: OK OK OK
- JPEGMAFIA: All My Heroes Are Cornballs
- Ras Kass: Soul on Ice 2
- Flying Lotus: Flamagra
Hey! A “B” is a Decent Grade!:
- Angel-Ho: Death Becomes Her
- The Paranoid Style: A Goddamn Impossible Way of Life
- Bobby Rush: Sitting On Top of the Blues
- JD Allen: Barracoon
- Big Thief: Two Hands
- Kele Okereke: 2042
- Various Artists: Queen & Slim—The Soundtrack
- Tinariwen: Amadjar
- Various Artists: Typical Girls Three
- Leyla McCalla: Capitalist Blues
- Tyshawn Sorey and Marilyn Crispell: The Adornment of Time
- Tropical Fuck Storm: Braindrops
- Santana: Africa Speaks
- Judy and The Jerks: Music for Donuts
- Tyler, The Creator: IGOR
- Rodney Whitaker: All Too Soon—The Music of Duke Ellington
- Sault: 5
- Whit Dickey Tao Quartets: Peace Planet / Box of Light
- The Art Ensemble of Chicago: We Are On the Edge
- Nick Dunston: Atlantic Extraction
- Ibibio Sound Machine: Doko Mien
- Warren Storm: Taking the World by Storm
- Solange: When I Get Home
- Freddie Douggie: Live on Juneteenth
- Ranky Tanky: Good Time
- Ahmad Jamal: Ballades
- Dump Him: Dykes to Watch Out For
- Branford Marsalis Quartet: The Secret Between the Shadow and the Soul
- Little Brother: May the Lord Watch
- Blood Orange: Angel’s Pulse
- Lost Bayou Ramblers: Rodents of Unusual Size (Soundtrack to the Motion Picture)
- Doja Cat: Hot Pink
- Kelsey Lu: Blood
- Dopolarians: Garden Party
- Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni Ba: Miri
- Hama: Houmeissa
- Ill Considered: 5
- Girls on Grass: Dirty Power
- Stella Donnelly: Beware of the Dogs
- Matthew Shipp Trio: Signature
- Shovels & Rope: By Blood
- Angel Bat Dawid: The Oracle
- Spiral Stairs: We Wanna Be Hyp-No-Tized
- Our Native Daughters: Songs of Our Native Daughters
- Rosie Flores: A Simple Case of The Blues
- Aki Takase Japanic: Thema Prima
- Mekons : Deserted
- Lee Scratch Perry: Life of the Plants (EP)
- Marquis Hill: Love Tape
- Serengeti: Quail (EP)
New Releases of Older Material
A = Thoroughly Enjoyable:
- Peter Laughner: Peter Laughner
- Eric Dolphy: Musical Prophet
- Burnt Sugar: 20th Anniversary Mixtapes—Groiddest Schizznits, Vols. 1-3
- Creedence Clearwater Revival: Live at Woodstock
- The Royals: Gish Abbai
- Various Artists: Bulawayo Blue Yodel
- Merle Haggard & The Strangers: Live in Austin, ‘78
- Various Artists: Put The Whole Armour On—Female Black Gospel 1940s and 1950s
- Various Artist: WXAXNXD Sessions
- Screaming Females: Singles Too
- Sonny Sharrock: Ask the Ages (Bill Laswell Remix)
- Jessie Mae Hemphill: Run Get My Shotgun
- Chic: The Chic Organization: 1977-1979
- Griot Galaxy: Kins
- Various Artists: Mogadisco—Dancing Mogadishu (Somalia 1972-1991)
- Various Artists: No Other Love—Midwest Gospel (1965-1978)
- Horace Tapscott and the Pan Afrikan Orchestra: Why Don’t You Listen–Live at Lacma, 1998
- The Jewell Gospel Trio: Many Little Angels In The Band
- Various Artists: Love is All I Bring—Reggae Hits & Rarities by the Queens of Trojan Records
- Johnny Griffin and Eddie Lockjaw Davis: Ow! Live at the Penthouse
A- = You’ll Barely Notice the Rough Spots:
- Various Artists: Outro Tempo II–Electronic and Contemporary Music from Brazil 1984-1996
- Various Artists: All the Young Droogs–60 Juvenile Delinquent Wrecks
- David S. Ware New Quartet: Theatre Garonne, 2008
- Various Artists: Cadillac Baby’s Bea & Baby Records—The Definitive Collection
- Gregory Isaacs / Ossie All-Stars: Mr. Isaacs
- Various Artists: Jambu
- Erroll Garner: Closeup in Swing
- Clifford Jordan: Glass Bead Games
- James Booker: Live at Onkel PO’s, Carnegie Hall, Hamburg 1976
- Cornell Campbell: I Man a the Stall-A-Watt
- Various Artists: World Spirituality Classics 2—The Time for Peace is Now
- Various Artists: J-Jazz–Deep Modern Jazz from Japan 1969-1983 (Volume 2)
- John Coltrane: Blue World
- Moondog: The Stockholm 1981 Recordings
- Tubby Hayes: Grits, Beans and Greens—The Lost Fontana Studio Sessions 1969
- Star Band de Dakar: Psicodelia Afro-Cubana de Senegal
- Smokey Haangala: Aunka Ma Kwacha
- Big Stick: Some of the Best of Big Stick
- Various Artists: Blues Images Calendar Companion, Volume 17
- Primal Scream: Maximum Rock ‘n’ Roll—The Singles
- Masayuki Takayanagi New Directions Unit: April is the Cruellest Month
- Various Artists: Rhapsody in Bronze
- Various Artists: Fania Goes Psychedelic
- Various Artists: Brutal Africa—The Heavy Metal Cowboys of Botswana
- Stan Getz: Getz at the Gate
- Sir Shina Peters and His Internation Stars: Sewele
- The Heptones: Swing Low
- Sounds of Liberation: Sounds of Liberation
- Prince: Originals
- Various Artists: Nigeria 70–No Wahala, Highlife, Afro-Funk & Juju 1973-1987
B+ = A Three-Beer Buzz:
- Lee Moses: How Much Longer Must I Wait? Singles & Rarities 1965-1972
- John Carter & Bobby Bradford Quartet: No U-Turn
- James Wayne: Junco Partner–The Very Best Of James Wayne 1950-1955
- Various Artists: Siya Hamba! 1950’s South African Country and Small Town Sounds
- Johnny Shines: The Blues Came Falling Down–Live 1973
- Terry Allen & The Panhandle Mystery Band: Pedal Steal + Four Corners
- Neil Young & The Stray Gators: Tuscaloosa
- The Replacements: Dead Man’s Pop
- Scientists: Not for Sale (Live, 1978-1979)
- Abdallah Oumbadougou: Anou Malane
Living To Listen 