This year was pretty massive in music. There were so many standout tracks and I often found myself humbly wondering if the “album is dead” like the kids say these days. If this list of 55 tunes is any indication, tracks reign supreme–those total bangers you want to sink your teeth into over and over again, kick up your heels and maybe a little dust, and rinse repeat like there’s no tomorrow and no more music to be had.
Zanimal and I decided to collaborate yet again on our top tracks of the year, and while we whittled it from more than 100, we could never quite convince ourselves of a tidy 50. And we even dropped tracks we really liked from artists like Yaeji and avoided too many repeat bands or artists. But, we created 3+ hours of pure danceable, singable joy.
This year included a plethora of stalwart events like Pitchfork Music Festival in Chicago, but also introduced us to wild new things–like Sophie on a harbor cruise in Boston as part of Together Music Festival, a night worth remembering with a track from Sophie’s 2018 record Oil of Every Pearl’s Un-Insides.
Rigamarole, of course, includes that the podcast is available for streaming and download at mixcloud. And read all about, or wander through past episodes, over here.
Check out Zanimal’s other great mixes, particularly is long running mixtape series, while you’re at it.
Happy 2019, kids.
Tracklist:
Parquet Courts – Wide Awake 00:00
Grapetooth – Violent 02:37
Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever – Taking Straight 06:10
Christine and the Queens feat. Dam-Funk – Girlfriend 09:49
U.S. Girls – Rosebud 13:05
Leikeli47 – Iron Mike 16:12
Santigold – Coo Coo Coo/Run the Road 19:10
The Presets – Downtown Shutdown 27:01
Childish Gambino – This Is America 32:13
The Carters – BOSS 35:50
Drake – God’s Plan 39:52
Little Dragon – Lover Chanting 43:04
Sylvan Esso – PARAD(w/m)E 46:21
Kero Kero Bonito – Time Today 49:49
Rex Orange County – Loving Is Easy 51:50
Frankie Cosmos – Being Alive 54:16
Mitski – Nobody 56:32
Amber Mark – Love Me Right 59:41
Let’s Eat Grandma – Hot Pink 1:03:56
Matthew Dear feat. Tegan and Sara – Bad Ones 1:07:52
Sharon Van Etten – Comeback Kid 1:12:10
Unknown Mortal Orchestra – Everyone Acts Crazy Nowadays 1:15:01
Trevor Powers – Clad In Skin 1:19:11
Robyn – Honey 1:22:10
Georgia – Started Out 1:26:54
The Voidz – Leave It In My Dreams 1:30:31
Iceage – Thieves Like Us 1:34:18
Middle Kids – Mistake 1:38:02
Hinds – Soberland 1:41:30
Kali Uchis feat. Steve Lacy – Just A Stranger 1:44:09
Tirzah – Gladly 1:46:56
DJ Koze – Pick Up 1:50:34
Cassius – W18 1:55:30
Boston Bun feat. DVNO – Spread Love 2:00:08
Handbraekes – Discow 2:02:55
Toro y Moi – Freelance – 2:05:06
Superorganism – Sprogrnsm 2:08:44
Adeline – Hi Life 2:12:00
Charli XCX – Focus 2:15:47
Chromeo feat. DRAM – Must’ve Been 2:19:05
EASYFUN – Be Your USA 2:22:32
Myd – Muchas 2:25:22
Gorillaz – Humility 2:28:25
Natalie Prass – Short Court Style 2:31:40
Jorja Smith – Where’d Did I Go? 2:35:13
Anderson .Paak – ‘Til It’s Over 2:38:18
Travis Scott feat. Drake – SICKO MODE 2:41:32
Janelle Monae feat. Grimes – Pynk 2:46:45
Snail Mail – Pristine 2:50:45
Interpol – The Rover 2:55:38
Courtney Barnett – Charity 2:59:10
The Beths – Future Me Hates Me 3:03:19
Porches – Goodbye 3:07:20
SOPHIE – Immaterial 3:10:10
Ty Segall – My Lady’s On Fire 3:13:49
