January 8, 2020 Playlist

THE BEST OF 2019
Featuring the
KOSMIK RADIATION TOP 25!
"Face Stabber" by Oh Sees (2019)
 
CLASSIC ALBUM OF THE WEEK
Oh Sees "Face Stabber"  2019 (USA) 
The Kosmik Radiation top album from my best of the year list gains automatic entry into the classic album hall of fame. The selection for 2019 is a fitting conclusion to the decade just passed, seeing as John Dwyer's various musical outfits - Oh Sees, formerly Thee Oh Sees, sometimes OCS, and also his "solo project" Damaged Bug - have been consistently making my best of the year lists for most of the history of this show. Face Stabber is his 16th album to make one of my lists (easily topping any other artist), but the first time he's had my #1 album. I think it's the best (Thee) Oh Sees album yet: a couple years ago Dwyer revamped the band in a jammier, proggier direction, which included the addition of a second drummer. The evolution from their punkier garage band roots has reached full flower on this album's central jams like the 21-minute "Henchlock" - it's still a little punk/garage and they've always had a touch of krautrock in their grooves, but now they're jazzy and frankly have turned into the 21st century's leading San Francisco jam band.
More highlights of the year: my favorite new bands I discovered in 2019 are Australia's pastel surf-rock hippies The Babe Rainbow, whose album Today created one of the most consistent and pleasant aural soundscapes of the year, and (yes here we go again) the fabulous Japanese nerd girl prog-pop band Dempagumi.inc - here's the baffling music video that introduced me to them (Mirin is wearing a stuffed pig in a bikini as a hat!)
As far as 20th century geezers, Meat Puppets nearly claimed the top spot this year with Dusty Notes, their best album in a quarter century and my favorite record of 2019 in terms of classic songwriting, while Kim Gordon finally released her debut solo album No Home Record eight years after Sonic Youth broke up - it sounds 100% like you'd expect a Kim Gordon album to sound (I mean that as a compliment!)
(N) = New Release
   
Artist Song Album Year Country
The Babe Rainbow Something NewToday (N)
(Kosmik Radiation #3 album of 2019)
2019 (Flightless/ATO)Australia
Moon Duo FlyingStars Are The Light (N)
(Kosmik Radiation #20 album of 2019)
2019 (Sacred Bones)USA
Stephen Malkmus Rushing The Acid FratGroove Denied (N)
(Kosmik Radiation #10 album of 2019)
2019 (Matador)USA
The Claypool-Lennon Delirium Easily Charmed By FoolsSouth of Reality (N)
(Kosmik Radiation #13 album of 2019)
2019 (ATO)USA
Psychedelic Porn Crumpets Digital Hunger
   / Dezi's Adventure
And Now For The Whatchamacallit (N)
(Kosmik Radiation #24 album of 2019)
2019 (Marathon)Australia
The Mystery Lights Too Much TensionToo Much Tension! (N)
(Kosmik Radiation #22 album of 2019)
2019 (Daptone)USA
 
 
Guided By Voices Good Morning SirZeppelin Over China (N)
(Kosmik Radiation tied for #23 album of 2019)
2019 (GBV Inc.)USA
Guided By Voices Dead Liquor StoreWarp And Woof (N)
(Kosmik Radiation tied for #23 album of 2019)
2019 (GBV Inc.)USA
Guided By Voices Heavy Like The WorldSweating The Plague (N)
(Kosmik Radiation tied for #23 album of 2019)
2019 (GBV Inc.)USA
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard The Bird SongFishing For Fishies (N)
(Kosmik Radiation tied for #6 album of 2019)
2019 (Flightless/ATO)Australia
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard Planet BInfest The Rats' Nest (N)
(Kosmik Radiation tied for #6 album of 2019)
2019 (Flightless/ATO)Australia
Ty Segall Freedom Band Squealer / Breakfast Eggs (live)Deforming Lobes (N)
(Kosmik Radiation tied for #11 album of 2019)
2019 (Drag City)USA
Ty Segall When I Met My Parents part 1
   / I Sing Them
   /
When I Met My Parents part 3
First Taste (N)
(Kosmik Radiation tied for #11 album of 2019)
2019 (Drag City)USA
   
 
Oh Sees HenchlockFace Stabber (N)
(Kosmik Radiation #1 album of 2019)
CLASSIC ALBUM OF THE WEEK
2019 (Castle Face)USA
Oh Sees The Daily HeavyFace Stabber (N)
(Kosmik Radiation #1 album of 2019)
CLASSIC ALBUM OF THE WEEK
2019 (Castle Face)USA
   
 
Dempagumi.inc Inochi No Yorokobi ("Joy Of Life")single (N - forthcoming album in 2020)2019 (Meme Tokyo/Toy's Factory)Japan
Dempagumi.inc FD3, Dempa Rocket Go!!Wareware Wa Dempagumi.inc Da (N)
("We Are Dempagumi.inc")
(Kosmik Radiation #8 album of 2019)
2019 (Meme Tokyo/Toy's Factory)Japan
Poppy Concretesingle (N - forthcoming album "I Disagree" in 2020)2019 (Sumerian)USA
BABYMETAL Night Night Burn!Metal Galaxy (N)
(Kosmik Radiation #5 album of 2019)
2019 (Babymetal Records/Toy's Factory)Japan
Santana BatongaAfrica Speaks (N)
(Kosmik Radiation #9 album of 2019)
2019 (Concord)USA/Mexico
DAOKO Chocho Ni Natte ("Become A Butterfly")Shiteki Ryokou ("Private Trip") (N)
(Kosmik Radiation #16 album of 2019)
2018 (Toy's Factory)Japan
   
 
Chris Forsyth Tomorrow Might As Well Be TodayAll Time Present (N)
(Kosmik Radiation #21 album of 2019)
2019 (No Quarter)USA
Ariel Pink Something About Michael LandonOdditties Sodomies Vol. 2 (N)
(Kosmik Radiation #25 album of 2019)
rec. 1996-2003 (2019 Mexican Summer)USA
Fat White Family Kim's SunsetsSerf's Up! (N)
(Kosmik Radiation #15 album of 2019)
2019 (Domino)UK
ORB General ElectricThe Space Between (N)
(Kosmik Radiation #18 album of 2019)
2019 (Flightless)Australia
DMBQ So The Word Of Good SpreadKEEENLY (N)
(Kosmik Radiation #17 album of 2019)
2018 (Drag City)Japan
   
 
Royal Trux Year Of The DogWhite Stuff (N)
(Kosmik Radiation #19 album of 2019)
2019 (Fat Possum)USA
Kim Gordon Don't Play ItNo Home Record (N)
(Kosmik Radiation #7 album of 2019)
2019 (Matador)USA
Cheer-Accident Like Something To ResembleChicago XX (N)
(Kosmik Radiation #12 album of 2019)
2019 (Complacency)USA
Wand Rio GrandeLaughing Matter (N)
(Kosmik Radiation #4 album of 2019)
2019 (Drag City)USA
Meat Puppets OutflowDusty Notes (N)
(Kosmik Radiation #2 album of 2019)
2019 (Megaforce)USA
   
 
Swans My Phantom Limbleaving meaning. (N)
(Kosmik Radiation #14 album of 2019)
2019 (Young God/Mute)USA
      
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