Part One
Part Two
Part Four
Part Five
Part Six
Part Seven
Bart – Today, Tomorrow & The Next Day (Idee Fixe Records, 2019)
Diving into a new day and chapter three of this year-end saga. Starting from Toronto with a song from the wonderful new Bart album. This one just sounds heavenly good. Rich arrangements, beautiful harmonies, gorgeous singing.
Matt Woods – Natural Disasters (Lonely Ones Records, 2019)
Back to Nashville via Knoxville, Tennessee for some awesome country and rock’n’roll from long time favorite Matt Woods.
Matt Woods at Facebook
Matt Woods Website
Leslie Stevens – Sinner (LyricLand, 2019)
Next off to Los Angeles to meet up with Leslie Stevens and her great new country record called Sinner.
Leslie Stevens at Facebook
Leslie Stevens Website
Jake Xerxes Fussell – Out Of Sight (Paradise of Bachelors, 2019)
A release of new Jake Xerxes Fussell album is always a parade-worthy event.
Jake Xerxes Fussell at Facebook
Paper Beat Scissors – Parallel Line (Forward Music Group, 2019)
Back in Canada and Montreal for some magical chamber folk from Paper Beat Scissors aka songwriter Tim Crabtree.
Paper Beat Scissors at Facebook
Paper Beat Scissors Website
Kelsey Waldon – White Noise / White Lines (Oh Boy Records, 2019)
It’s been fantastic to see John Prine’s label Oh Boy Records giving a platform to some great artists. There’s at least Tre Burt album coming in 2020 and in 2019 we got this fabulous country record from Nasville-based songwriter Kelsey Waldon.
Kelsey Waldon at Facebook
Kelsey Waldon Website
Justin Peter Kinkel-Schuster – Take Heart Take Care (Big Legal Mess Records, 2019)
This little year in review post continues in Fayetteville, AR with another excellent solo album from Justin Peter Kinkel-Schuster. My only recommendation concerning Water Liars catalogue and the solo catalogues of Justin Peter Kinkel-Schuster and Andrew Bryant is buy all and everything.
Justin Peter Kinkel-Schuster at Facebook
Justin Peter Kinkel-Schuster Website
Continuing with the solo treasures. An incredible album from Courtney Hartman that you may know from Della Mae. Especially the first half of this record is almost otherwordly. Pure magic.
Courtney Hartman at Facebook
Courtney Hartman Website
Eamon Fogarty – Blue Values (Jealous Butcher Records, 2019)
Thanks to Adeline Hotel and Dan Knishkowy for guiding me into the arms of Blue Values. Just a magical record by songwriter Eamon Fogarty from Santa Barbara CA. The whole record is magnificent, but I love Utopia Blue, If the Spirit and God’s Guts madly.
Benjamin Tod – A Heart of Gold Is Hard to Find (independent, 2019)
One of the late treasures of the year is this solo album from Benjamin Tod that came out in the end of November. The Lost Dog Street Band album Weight of A Trigger is also excellent and could be on this list just as well.
Benjamin Tod at Facebook
Lost Dog Street Band at Facebook
Joshua Ray Walker – Wish You Were Here (State Fair Records, 2019)
Back in the Texas country zone. This amazing record from singer-songwriter Joshua Ray Walker came out early in the year and stayed with me throughout the year. Canyon is the standout and probably would be one of my songs of the year, if I didn’t already include it as one of the best songs of 2018. There’s far more treasures here though than just Canyon. A great record altogether.
Joshua Ray Walker at Facebook
Joshua Ray Walker Website
VanWyck – Molten Rock (Maiden Name Records, 2019)
Next stop Amsterdam, Netherlands and the new album Molten Rock from wonderful dutch folk songwriter VanWyck. Full of really strong songwriting.
VanWyck at Facebook
VanWyck Website
Simon Joyner – Pocket Moon (BB*Island, 2019)
Simon Joyner is a true poet and one of the finest songwriters of the past couple of decades. His 2015 album Grass, Branch & Bone would be one of the first picks, if I did the decade list. This new one is also brilliant and full of powerful songwriting.
Vetiver – Up On High (Mama Bird Recording Co / Loose Music, 2019)
Vetiver and Andy Cabic have had a huge influence on my music taste. Thing of the Past and Andy Cabic interviews were my treasure vaults in the 00s. So if you dig the direction this blog has taken during the years, Andy is part of the reason. So how cool is that Vetiver has a magical new record on my favorite label in the world, Mama Bird Recording Co. Well pretty damn cool.
Rachel Toups – Sundog (Peconic, 2019)
Wrapping up the third chapter of this story with one of my favourite new finds of the year. Rachel Toups is a songwriter, musician and visual artist from Los Angeles and her album Sundog is haunting and mesmerizing. I love the whole record, but Foxes and There have been biggest favorites since the beginning. I can’t decide which one to put here, so here they are both.