My Album-Lover’s Honor Roll for 2019 (as of June 3, 2019)
(bolded items are new additions to the ongoing list)
- Little Simz: Grey Area
- Various Artists: A Day in the Life–Impressions of Pepper*
- Jamila Woods: Legacy! Legacy!
- Beyoncé: Homecoming
- Royal Trux: White Stuff
- Control Top: Covert Contracts
- Senyawa: Sujud*
- Billie Eilish: WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO?
- Yugen Blakrok: Anima Mysterium
- James Brandon Lewis: An Unruly Manifesto
- Damon Locks / Black Monument Ensemble: Where Future Unfolds
- Kel Assouf: Black Tenere
- The Comet is Coming: Trust in the Lifeforce of the Deep Mystery
- Aesop Rock & TOBACCO: Malibu Ken
- Heroes Are Gang Leaders: The Amiri Baraka Sessions
- Mdou Moctar: Ilana (The Creator)
- 2 Chainz: Rap or Go to the League
- Dave: PSYCHODRAMA
- Quelle Chris: Guns
- Ben Lamar Gay: Confetti in the Sky Like Fireworks
- Tanya Tagaq: Toothsayer EP
- Steve Lacy: Apollo XXI
- Various Artists: Weaponize Your Sound
- Lizzo: Cuz I Love You
- DKV and Joe McPhee: The Fire Each Time
- The New Orleans Dance Hall Quartet: Tricentennial Hall Dance 17. October
- Joachim Kuhn: Melodic Ornette Coleman—Piano Works XIII
- The Coathangers: The Devil You Know
- Megan Thee Stallion: Fever
- Lee Scratch Perry: Rainford
- Joel Ross: Kingmaker
- Flying Lotus: Flamagra
- Angel-Ho: Death Becomes Her
- Usted Saami: God is Not a Terrorist
- Youssou N’Dour: History
- Guitar Wolf: Love & Jett
- LPX: Junk of the Heart (EP)
- Deerhunter: Death in Midsummer
- Various Artists: Typical Girls Three
- Various Artists: Travailler, C’est Trop Dur–The Lyrical Legacy of Caesar Vincent
- Nots: 3
- Judy and The Jerks: Music for Donuts
- Tyler, The Creator: IGOR
- Fennesz: Agora
- Salif Keita: Un autre blanc
- Robert Forster: Inferno
- Harriet Tubman: The Terror End of Beauty
- The Art Ensemble of Chicago: We Are On the Edge
- Ibibio Sound Machine: Doko Mien
- Solange: When I Get Home
- Freddie Douggie: Live on Juneteenth
- Joe McPhee / John Butcher: At the Hill of James Magee
- Branford Marsalis Quartet: The Secret Between the Shadow and the Soul
- Helado Negro: This is How You Smile
- Ahmed Ag Kaedy: Akaline Kidal
- Lost Bayou Ramblers: Rodents of Unusual Size (Soundtrack to the Motion Picture)
- slowthai: Great About Britain
- Silkroad Assassins: State of Ruin
- Mekons: Deserted
- Zeal & Ardor: Live in London
- Que Vola: Que Vola
- Miguel: Te Lo Dije EP
- Mary Faust: Farm Fresh
- Kelsey Lu: Blood
- Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni Ba: Miri
- Hama: Houmeissa
- Steve Earle: Guy
- Mdou Moctar: Blue Stage Session
- Beth Gibbons with the Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra (conducted by Krzysztof Penderecki): Henryk Gorecki—Symphony #3 (Symphony of Sorrow Songs)
- Ill Considered: 5
- Leyla McCalla: Capitalist Blues
- Girls on Grass: Dirty Power
- Stella Donnelly: Beware of the Dogs
- Matthew Shipp Trio: Signature
- Weyes Blood: Titanic Rising
- Shovels & Rope: By Blood
- The King Khan Experience: Turkey Ride
- Angel Bat Dawid: The Oracle
- Better Oblivion Community Center: Better Oblivion Community Center
- Alfredo Rodriguez and Pedrito Martinez: Duologue
- Spiral Stairs: We Wanna Be Hyp-No-Tized
- Our Native Daughters: Songs of Our Native Daughters
- Rosie Flores: A Simple Case of The Blues
- CZARFACE & Ghostface Killah: Czarface Meets Ghostface
- Jenny Lewis: On the Line
*Technically, these are 2018 releases, but for now, I’m claiming their impact is being felt more strongly this year.
New Releases of Older Material
- Eric Dolphy: Musical Prophet
- Burnt Sugar: 20th Anniversary Mixtapes—Groiddest Schizznits, Vols. 1-3
- Various Artists: Outro Tempo II–Electronic and Contemporary Music from Brazil 1984-1996
- Various Artists: All the Young Droogs–60 Juvenile Delinquent Wrecks
- Primal Scream: Maximum Rock ‘n’ Roll—The Singles
- Various Artists: Rhapsody in Bronze
- Sir Shina Peters and His Internation Stars: Sewele
- Various Artists: Nigeria 70–No Wahala, Highlife, Afro-Funk & Juju 1973-1987
- Lee Moses: How Much Longer Must I Wait? Singles & Rarities 1965-1972
- Terry Allen & The Panhandle Mystery Band: Pedal Steal + Four Corners
