Best of 2019 – Audio Edition

Nice Girls Don't Stay For Breakfast

Retrograde sassiness.

Yellow Eyes

Sort of loony, and while I'm not sure what the kids call metal these days, it certainly has the metal song structure in that the structure is all over the place. Proggy in that there is a lot of Intelligent chords / rhythm going on. Four slight headbangs through noise canceling headphones out of five.

Virus/Priest

Something kind of Cher-like about this, and I mean that in the best way. Others can attest to their consistency — careful in construction of a vibe while not mindlessly imitative — better than I.

Pretty/Terror Jr.

This was an anthem for me for a while in Seattle.

Galileo (Lead Into Gold Mix)

This is not a Puscifer recommendation. This was my eclipse song: sat out on the steps staring up at the moon while people would move by, look at me, follow my gaze, look back, look awkward...

Rad Drugz/MISSIO

Hipster youth pastor vibes? Yes, a bit. But it's somehow an oddly wholesome counterpart to e.g. Post Malone.

Cry Little Sister vs. Hello Zepp/Celldweller

Have I mentioned recently that I'm trash?

Veneno/Anitta

Don't sleep on her. Downtown??? Yes, it is

Freak

Hear that Kylie Minogue vocal/production touch on the chorus? No? Just me?

CEASE AND DESIST

Do you miss Aural Vampire? Do you enjoy mishearing song lyrics?

Don't Fuck With My Money

Listen to that synth bass though. So catchy! Disco vocals!

She Bad/Cardi B, YG

I think this guy is skeezy, but I don't really care because he has one of those Snoop Dogg voices that I want to have read textbooks as audio books.

We Appreciate Power/Grimes, HANA

Grimes, what the fuck happened to you? Elon Musk, really?

Evolution Once Again/Big Data

I know we all know them for that Joywave/Big Data thing, right? Anyway, this makes me think I'm going to hear vocal fry era Britney and then something else emerges! Excellent. Vocal harmonies! Lovely.

Bad Girl(s)

Lyrics a little edgelordy I'm Not Like The Other Girls, but the vibe is excellent.

Gravedigger

Somehow reminds me of Lana Del Rey, but if her maneating thing were less wistful and more aggro vampire.

Martyrs / Soen

So I like a lot of brainy metal, but I always favor ones that have some kind of satisfying chorus, and being able to bellow along “SPIRIT OF THE WATER” with this chorus is just great.

Munchhausen by Proxy

violin! unexpected synth break! feel like you are in a 22nd century carnival

Proper Funds

It's 92 seconds you won't want back.

hope is a dangerous thing for a woman like me to have

Let me be very explicit: being a young woman into Sylvia Plath is a cliche I have chosen to embrace, and Lana Del Rey has explicitly chosen to sing about, and I never stood a chance against it.

Love You Wrong

This is up there with “Tear You Apart” in terms of stuff that would get some kind of “Possessiveness” tag on AO3 but has such an unironic color that your inner teenager is deeply pleased.

Karchata

This is the kind of thing I like listening to while I program. >Oh, crow chicks are in the mountains, and girls are in the valley, >Cut and chop the trees, it's all green wherever you look, crow chicks. Ukrainian, Not Russian.

needy

The kids are all right.

Balalaika Metal

This is great for programming.

Scherzo No. 5 in Death Minor

Give it past the intro. Good instrumental one for programming playlists.

I've Had It

If I jogged, I would have this on that playlist.

12 Years

If ASMR is something I have ever experienced, it was with this song.

Keep It Real Dumb

Catchy, there's cowbell... Feels like good 2000s indie.

Spider Heard

I don't understand this but I love it.

Crazy Milk

It's like a classic Neyo song or something, but.... kawaii electronic music?

No Going Back

5/4, you know my weakness.

Nuts

Sort of a cross between Rico Nasty and Grimes? Somehow?

Dreezy

Are we all up on Dreezy by now?

Alina Baraz

Got into a relationship, got all into the music you put on playlists with euphemistic names, what a cliche

Millennial Falcon

Is the pun not enough? Sleazy guitar sound I love.

Belinda

I miss her. So this song that has her voice in it, I of course went nuts for.

Spectral Friends

“weeeee are spectral friends, dananaNAna no... you know....”

Lady Macbeth's Lament

Did you think you'd gotten away with so little stark female vocal acapella?

Creature Kind

This one is good to dance around to in your apartment.

Dale Gas/Snow Tha Product

I will never give up on her.

Can't Stop Now/Allie X

Queen.

Honorable Mentions

...baby one more time