Ashton’s Top Releases of 2019
Chris Farren - Born Hot
One of my favorite things in the world is the juxtaposition between Chris Farren's online presence/stage persona and his lyrical content/actual personality. 'Born Hot' is the perfect example of everything I love about Farren starting with the music and going all the way down to the oven mitts and hot sauce that were released as part of his merchandise line. All jokes and bits aside, this record reminds you that it's ok to feel everything on the entire spectrum of emotions and that it's relation to you and the ones you love does not define your life- just that tiny moment in time.
The Band Camino - tryhard
Since I already touched on this EP earlier in the year, I'll just leave everyone with this: It is absolutely ridiculous how much I listened to this release this year (so much that The Band Camino topped my top artists on Spotify). These boys found exactly where they were meant to be this whole time while writing this EP and that alone has made these songs shine brighter than every star in the sky. It's been months and these perfect pop songs are still floating around my head on a constant basis.
Briston Maroney - Indiana
Last year's 'Carnival' (and a couple live shows) introduced me to Briston Maroney as 2018 came to a close, and as this decade is now wrapping up, I'm back again at his doorstep. Not often do I find a release that has me enthralled from top to bottom, but this release is the 2nd one in a row from Maroney that has done so. Many of the tracks on this project carry a slower tempo and a nostalgic tone, allowing you to fall deeply into the intricacies of guitar-driven melodies and heart-wrenching storytelling. I can't imagine my year, or my life, without these songs.
The Greeting Committee - I’m Afraid, I’m Not Angry
An absolute kick in the chest is the only way that I can think to describe this EP. A full range of sound and sanity is held within the tracks of this project, and every little detail leaves traces of who you were at the time and who you feel like you're becoming in your memory. I feel as though it's crucial to listen to this EP front to back every single time I'm reminded of it because the flow and production between each track and transition is impeccably executed and cannot be missed. The Greeting Committee has become one of my favorite bands for many a reason, and this EP is a huge one.
Renny Conti - The Horse
With 5 of his songs gracing my top listens of the year, it's safe to say that Renny Conti is one of my favorite songwriters that I've had the pleasure of finding in the past few years. 2018's 'People Floating' and this year's 'The Horse' offer a full spectrum of lovely, lonesome, and lively tunes, this time around being hosted by a full band arrangement. The varied tempos and complete lack of genre are the unlikely strings linking each track on this release; the variety simply adding to how genuine every tiny detail feels with each listen.
Nightly - Twenty Something
I don't have much to say about this track because my appreciation of it is simply overwhelming. If you've kept up with this site at all since it's creation 4 years ago, you've seen Nightly's name quite a few times, and that is obviously not going to end anytime soon (sorry not sorry). With a hypnotizing instrumental and lyrics that read like the transcript of a late night phonecall, this ambient-inspired track is one of Nightly's best efforts thus far. My personal biases aside, this is one damn good pop song.
Liily - I Can Fool Anyone In This Town
Liily is by far my favorite band that I have seen perform this year. End of story. This EP was their first collective release and was written during the band’s teen years, but now into their 20s, they’ve hunkered down and honed in on all of their successes and amplified them by 10 fold. It’s nearly impossible to throw this release on and not let it replay for days due to the consistent flow of energy between every track from start to finish. Although most of the songs from this release have already been phased out of the band’s live set, that doesn’t mean that they should be overlooked from this list.
Dayglow - Fuzzybrain
At this point in time, I don't think that any record has ever brought me as much joy just from it's integral sound than 'Fuzzybrain' has. The whimsy of this record is right in the surface from the start but is just one of the thousands of little things to love. The perspective of each track's lyrics is one not found in a lot of music- one of acceptance, calling out your own bullshit, getting a little sad from time to time, but knowing that's ok. Each song walks you through a feeling you know you've had in the past but maybe didn't know how to handle, and now you can take it in stride (or in dance due to how groovy this record is) and look towards brighter days.
Valley - MAYBE
One of the things I always look forward to when diving into a new record is the variety of tracks included, and 'MAYBE' gave me one of my favorite grab-bags of the year. Each and every track sounds like none other than Valley, but just as you can feel like a new person in a new outfit, they transform into a new band with each concept. With this record also including acoustic and orchestral versions of a few tracks, Valley really left no musical stone unturned with this record but still somehow stayed the course with their sound. This record (as well as 'Fuzzybrain') won my vote for "Most Fun Had While Listening".
SWMRS - Berkeley’s On Fire
Overall, I'd say that 2019 was a pretty angry year for the majority of people my age, and all that was summed up better than any of us could've done it with this record. SWMRS are always on top of social and political issues, but that doesn't mean my jaw will avoid falling to the floor every time they release a rock record for the gods using those themes. On top of the importance of the content of most of the songs, each one is crafted perfectly as to never leave your head or your car stereo. This record was one of my sleeper favorites of the year because I would go a period without listening to it, be reminded of one of the songs, then suddenly be swept back into the midst of the record for the next 3 weeks as if it had never gone away. SWMRS is one of the most powerful bands of our generation- this record and this year proved that.
