The best new music from the past year and decade, according to us.
2019 has come and gone like a buzzsaw Lumpy and the Dumpers track – rapid, fleeting, but oh so memorable. So without further ado, here’s our traditional rundown of all the best stuff of the year, with a spicy twist to account for the decade’s closure. What was your favourite album and song of the last ten years… yeah, that’s a toughie.
Tom Parker, Editor
Top Ten Albums of the Year:
1. Aldous Harding – Designer
2. Cate Le Bon – Reward
3. Big Thief – U.F.O.F.
4. Possible Humans – Everybody Split
5. Vanishing Twin – The Age of Immunology
6. Toro y Moi – Outer Peace
7. Swazi Gold – Jehovah’s Whispers
8. Surprise Chef – All News Is Good News
9. House Deposit – Reward For Effort
10. Digitalism – JPEG
Top Five Songs of the Year:
1. Aldous Harding – ‘The Barrel’
2. Big Thief – ‘Cattails’
3. Cate Le Bon – ‘Home to You’
4. Vanishing Twin – ‘Cryonic Suspension May Save Your Life’
5. Cool Sounds – ‘Around And Down’
Top Five Gigs of the Year:
1. DJ Koze at Meredith
2. Four Tet at Golden Plains
3. Thee Oh Sees at The Croxton
Top movie/TV show of 2019:
Stranger Things, season three
Favourite album of the decade:
Twerps – Twerps
Favourite song of the decade:
The War on Drugs – ‘Red Eyes’
Biggest music controversy of the decade:
One Year being shut down. Travesty.
One artist/band tour Australia needs in 2020:
Ty Segall
Caleb Triscari, Digital Editor
Top Ten Albums of the Year:
1. Lana Del Ray – Norman Fucking Rockwell!
2. The National – I Am Easy To Find
3. Julia Jacklin – Crushing
4. Angie McMahon – Salt
5. Bon Iver – i,i
6. The New Pornographers – In The Morse Code of Break Lights
7. The Japanese House – Good At Falling
8. Weyes Blood – Titanic Rising
9. Billie Eilish – When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?
10. Aldous Harding – Designer
Top Five Songs of the Year:
1. Sharon Van Etten – ‘Seventeen’
2. Laura Stevenson – ‘Living Room, NY’
3. The National – ‘Oblivions’
4. Aldous Harding – ‘The Barrel’
5. Japanese Breakfast – ‘Essentially’
Top Three Gigs of the Year:
1. CHVRCHES at Spilt Milk
2. Julia Jacklin at The Forum
3. Roisin Murphy at Meredith
Top movie/TV show of 2019:
The Other Two, season one
Favourite album of the decade:
The Jezabels – Prisoner
Favourite song of the decade:
Bon Iver – ‘Holocene’
Biggest music controversy of the decade:
Katy Perry being sued by nuns over owning a former convent.
One artist/band tour Australia needs in 2020:
C’mooooon Lana Del Rey
Kate Streader, Sub Editor
Top Ten Albums of the Year:
1. Julia Jacklin – Crushing
2. Vanishing Twin – Age of Immunology
3. Amyl and The Sniffers – Amyl and The Sniffers
4. Weyes Blood – Titanic Rising
5. Cate Le Bon – Reward
6. Aldous Harding – Designer
7. The Comet Is Coming – Trust in the Lifeforce of the Deep Mystery
8. Sun Kil Moon – I Also Want To Die in New Orleans
9. Sui Zhen – Losing, Linda
10. Sharon Van Etten – Remind Me Tomorrow
Top Five Songs of the Year:
1. Big Thief – ‘Not’
2. Tropical Fuck Storm – ‘Who’s My Eugene?’
3. Julia Jacklin – ‘Turn Me Down’
4. Sun Kil Moon – ‘Couch Potato’
5. Wand – ‘Thin Air’
Top Three Gigs of the Year:
1. Nick Cave & Warren Ellis at Hamer Hall
2. Kurt Vile at The Forum
3. Kirin J Callinan at The Croxton
Top movie/TV show of 2019:
The Nightingale
Favourite album of the decade:
Mitski – Be The Cowboy
Favourite song of the decade:
Kirin J Callinan – ‘Embracism’
Biggest music controversy of the decade:
Everything Morrissey did and said
One artist/band tour Australia needs in 2020:
Kate Bush
Alex Watts
Top Ten Albums of the Year:
1. Sharon Van Etten – Remind Me Tomorrow
2. Weyes Blood – Titanic Rising
3. Gang Starr – One of the Best Yet
4. Little Brother – May the Lord Watch
5. Julia Jacklin – Crushing
6. Sampa the Great – The Return
7. Rapsody – Eve
8. Aldous Harding – Designer
9. Jamila Woods – LEGACY! LEGACY!
10. Gena Rose Bruce – Can’t Make You Love Me
Top Five Songs of the Year:
1. Sharon Van Etten – ‘Seventeen’
2. Sampa the Great – ‘Final Form’
3. Julia Jacklin – ‘Body’
4. Lizzo – ‘Juice’
5. Billie Eilish – ‘bad guy’
Top Three Gigs of the Year:
1. Iggy Pop – Festival Hall
2. Sharon Van Etten – Hamer Hall
3. Fleetwood Mac – Rod Laver Arena
Top movie/TV show of 2019:
Us
Favourite album of the decade:
Dunno
Favourite song of the decade:
Dunno
Biggest music controversy of the decade:
Dunno
One artist/band tour Australia needs in 2020:
Bikini Kill
Ashley Diamantis
Top Ten Albums of the Year:
1. Tyler, The Creator – IGOR
2. FKA twigs – Magdalene
3. Lana Del Rey – Norman Fucking Rockwell!
4. No Rome – Crying in the Prettiest Places
5. Solange – When I Get Home
6. Roland Tings – Salt Water
7. Marina – Love + Fear
8. Charli XCX – Charli
9. Maggie Rogers – Heard It In A Past Life
10. Wiki – OOFIE
Top Five Songs of the Year:
1. The Garden – ‘Thy Mission’
2. The 1975 – ‘Frail State of Mind’
3. Grimes – ‘So Heavy I Fell Through the Earth’
4. FKA twigs – ‘home with you’
5. Tyler, The Creator – ‘NEW MAGIC WAND’
Top Three Gigs of the Year:
1. The 1975 at Margaret Court Arena
2. Tyler, The Creator at Beyond The Valley
3. FKA twigs at Dark Mofo
Top movie/TV show of 2019:
Pose
Favourite album of the decade:
Lorde – Melodrama
Favourite song of the decade:
Sky Ferreira – ‘Sad Dream’
Biggest music controversy of the decade:
Kanye West vs. Taylor Swift
One artist/band tour Australia needs in 2020:
Tyler, The Creator
Augustus Welby
Top Ten Albums of the Year:
1. Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds – Ghosteen
2. Purple Mountains – Purple Mountains
3. Cate Le Bon – Reward
4. Bill Callahan – Shepherd in a Sheepskin Vest
5. Kate Tempest –The Book of Traps and Lessons
6. Ferla – It’s Personal
7. Sarathy Korwar – More Arriving
8. Jenny Hval – The Practice of Love
9. FKA twigs – Magdalene
10. Sui Zhen -– Losing, Linda
Top Five Songs of the Year:
1. Perfume Genius – ‘Eye In The Wall’
2. Rapsody – ‘Ibtihaj’
3. Sampa the Great – ‘OMG’
4. Dave – ‘Black’
5. Honey 2 Honey – ‘Under the Hangar’
Top Three Gigs of the Year:
1. Cate Le Bon at the Croxton Bandroom
2. Jack Ladder at Artheater, Cologne
3. Cash Savage & the Last Drinks at the 3RRR Performance Space
Top movie/TV show of 2019:
Aretha Franklin: Amazing Grace
Favourite album of the decade:
Fiona Apple – The Idler Wheel…
Favourite song of the decade:
Alex Cameron – ‘Take Care of Business’
Biggest music controversy of the decade:
Kanye Maga
One artist/band tour Australia needs in 2020:
R.E.M.
Bronius Zumeris
Top Ten Albums of the Year:
1. Broken Social Scene – Lets Try The After Vol 2
2. Stephen Cummings – Life Moves On
3. Steve Earle – Guy
4. Marianne Faithfull – Negative Capability
5. Foals – Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost Vol 2
6. Dave Graney & The Mistly – Zippa Dee Doo
7. The National – I Am Easy To Find
8. Pet Shop Boys – Agenda
9. Sun Kil Moon – I Also Want to Die in New Orleans
10. Swans – Leaving Meaning
Top Five Songs of the Year:
1. Dave Graney & The Mistly – ‘Gloria Grahame’
2. Elbow – ‘Weightless’
3. Karen O – ‘Anti-Lullaby’
4. Lana Del Rey – ‘Cinnamon Girl’
5. The Specials – ‘10 Commandments’
Top Three Gigs of the Year:
1. Black Cab at Northcote Social Club
2. Bryan Ferry at Margaret Court Arena
3. Huxton Creepers at The Curtin
Top movie/TV show of 2019:
Joker
Favourite album of the decade:
The National – High Violet
Favourite song of the decade:
Karl Hyde & Brian Eno – ‘Lilac’
Biggest music controversy of the decade:
Not a controversy, just the loss of too many iconic musicians. Bowie, Cohen, Reed, Savage, Smith, Vega, for starters.
One artist/band tour Australia needs in 2020:
Talking Heads
Claire Morley
Top Ten Albums of the Year:
1. Taylor Swift – Lover
2. Ariana Grande – thank u, next
3. Denzel Curry – ZUU
4. Vampire Weekend – Father of the Bride
5. Billie Eilish – When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?
6. Miley Cyrus – SHE IS COMING
7. Solange – When I Get Home
8. The National – I Am Easy To Find
9. Tyler, The Creator – IGOR
10. Methyl Ethel – Triage
Top Five Songs of the Year:
1. Taylor Swift – ‘Lover’
2. Ariana Grande – ‘7 rings’
3. The Bennies – ‘Waiting For Dave’
4. Denzel Curry – ‘RICKY’
5. Miley Cyrus – ‘The Most’
Top Three Gigs of the Year:
1. Arctic Monkeys at Rod Laver Arena
2. Greta Van Fleet at The Forum
3. Boy & Bear at The Forum
Top TV show of 2019:
Fleabag
Favourite album of the decade:
The National – High Violet
Favourite song of the decade:
The National – ‘Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks’
Biggest music controversy of the decade:
The rise of streaming services, and the question of whether they fairly compensate artists.
One artist/band tour Australia needs in 2020:
Taylor Swift, man. Though Kanye tried to convert us all in 2019, TS won me over.
Dan Watt
Top Five Albums of the Year:
1. Foals – Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost Part 1
2. FIDLAR – Almost Free
3. Baroness – Gold & Grey
4. Clinic – Wheeltappers and Shunters
5. Beirut – Gallipoli
Top Five Songs of the Year:
1. Foals – ‘Exits’
2. FIDLAR – ‘Can’t You See’
3. Baroness – ‘Tourniquet’
4. Clinic – ‘Laughing Cavalier’
5. Beirut – ‘We Never Lived Here’
Top Three Gigs of the Year:
1. Vasco Era at The Corner
2. DJ Boring at Revolver Upstairs
3. Joyce Manor at The Corner
Top movie/TV show of 2019:
The Righteous Gemstones
Favourite album of the decade:
Protomartyr – The Agent Intellect
Favourite song of the decade:
friendships – ‘Big Farm In The Sky’
Biggest music controversy of the decade:
Courtney Barnett’s 2013 Like A Version of ‘Black Skinhead’ – an example of someone so ‘woke’ they fell asleep.
One artist/band tour Australia needs in 2020:
Bongripper!
David James Young
Top Ten Albums of the Year:
1. FONTAINES D.C. – Dogrel
2. 100 gecs – 1000 gecs
3. Brittany Howard – Jaime
4. Copeland – Blushing
5. Great Grandpa – Four of Arrows
6. Totally Unicorn – Sorry
7. Slipknot – We Are Not Your Kind
8. Better Oblivion Community Center – Better 9. Oblivion Community Center
10. American Football – American Football
Top Five Songs of the Year:
1. Lil Nas X feat. Billy Ray Cyrus – ‘Old Town Road [Remix]’
2. blink-182 – ‘Darkside’
3. EGOISM – ‘Enemies’
4. Post Malone – ‘Circles’
5. Goo Goo Dolls – ‘Miracle Pill’
Top Three Gigs of the Year:
1. IDLES at The Lansdowne
2. Childish Gambino at Qudos Bank Arena
3. The Flaming Lips at Sydney Opera House
Top movie/TV show of 2019:
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
Favourite album of the decade:
Fiona Apple – The Idler Wheel…
Favourite song of the decade:
Future Islands – ‘Seasons (Waiting On You)’
Biggest music controversy of the decade:
That shit reggae band from Sydney.
One artist/band tour Australia needs in 2020:
Great Grandpa
Eddy Lim
Top Ten Albums of the Year:
1. Angie McMahon – Salt
2. Julia Jacklin – Crushing
3. Big Thief – U.F.O.F.
4. Jay Som – Anak Ko
5. Long Beard – Means to Me
6. 30/70 – Fluid Motion
7. Gang Starr – One of the Best Yet
8. Little Simz – Grey Area
9. Rachael & Vilray – Rachael & Vilray
10. Vulture Street Tape Gang – Mature Themes for Childish People
Top Five Songs of the Year:
1. Cory Wong – ‘Companion Pass’
2. Wilsen – ‘Ruiner’
3. Foals – ‘Neptune’
4. Tiana Khasi – ‘Georgia’s Track’
5. WAAX – ‘FU’
Top Three Gigs of the Year:
1. Foals – Margaret Court Arena
2. Alvvays – Corner Hotel
3. Phoebe Bridgers – Croxton Bandroom
Top movie/TV show of 2019:
El Camino
Favourite album of the decade:
Julien Baker – Sprained Ankle
Favourite song of the decade:
Julien Baker – ‘Good News’
Biggest music controversy of the decade:
Something Kanye West, go ahead and pick for yourself.
One artist/band tour Australia needs in 2020:
A boygenius tour (with each member also having a set of their own).
Eliza Booth
Top Ten Albums of the Year:
1. Foals – Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost Part 1
2. BENEE – FIRE ON MARZZ
3. Lizzo – Cuz I Love You
4. POND – Tasmania
5. Anderson .Paak – Ventura
6. Pixies – Beneath the Eyrie
7. Toro y Moi – Outer Peace
8. LEISURE – Twister
9. Friendly Fires – Inflorescent
10. Goldlink – Diaspora
Top Five Songs of the Year:
1. Foals – ‘On the Luna’
2. Genesis Owusu – ‘WUTD’
3. Lizzo – ‘Juice’
4. BENEE – ‘Wishful Thinking’
5. Spacey Jane – ‘Good for You’
Top Three Gigs of the Year:
1. BENEE at The Workers Club
2. Northeast Party House at The Forum
3. Horsehunter at The Tote
Top movie/TV show of 2019:
Looking for Alaska
Favourite album of the decade:
Tame Impala – Currents
Favourite song of the decade:
Foals – ‘My Number’
Biggest music controversy of the decade:
Katy Perry vs Flame lawsuit.
One artist/band tour Australia needs in 2020:
Garbage
Fergus Neal
Top Ten Albums of the Year:
1. Aldous Harding – Designer
2. Stella Donnelly – Beware of the Dogs
3. Liam Gallagher – Why Me? Why Not.
4. Carla Geneve – Carla Geneve
5. Milky Chance – Mind the Moon
6. Two People – First Body
7. Jess Ribeiro – LOVE HATE
8. Julia Jacklin – Crushing
9. Gena Rose Bruce – Can’t Make You Love Me
10. King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard – Fishing For Fishies
Top Five Songs of the Year:
1. Banoffee – ‘Tennis Fan’
2. Liam Gallagher – ‘Once’
3. Julia Jacklin – ‘Don’t Know How To Keep Loving You’
4. Tame Impala – ‘It Might Be Time’
5. Two People – ‘Dream Steppin’
Top Three Gigs of the Year:
1. Didirri at 170 Russell
2. Marlon Williams at Zoo Twilights
3. Dylan Moran at Hamer Hall
Top movie/TV show of 2019:
The Australian Dream
Favourite album of the decade:
Arctic Monkeys – AM
Favourite song of the decade:
Lorde – ‘Tennis Court’
Biggest music controversy of the decade:
Not enough cowbell solos.
One artist/band tour Australia needs in 2020:
Banoffee
Greta Brereton
Top Ten Albums of the Year:
1. Bon Iver – i,i
2. Angie McMahon – Salt
3. Maggie Rogers – Heard It In A Past Life
4. Denzel Curry – ZUU
5. Mansionair – Shadowboxer
6. Loyle Carner – Not Waving, But Drowning
7. Matt Maeson – Bank On The Funeral
8. Still Woozy – Lately
9. Local Natives – Violet Street
10. Georgia Maq – Pleaser
Top Five Songs of the Year:
1. Goth Babe – ‘Sometimes’
2. Yoke Lore – ‘Dead Ringer’
3. Khruangbin & Leon Bridges – ‘Texas Sun’
4. Northeast Party House – ‘Dominos’
5. FIDLAR – ‘By Myself’
Top Three Gigs of the Year:
1. Glass Animals at Prince Bandroom
2. Red Hot Chili Peppers at Rod Laver Arena
3. Watching my Indonesian friend and her band perform at a little bar in Lombok – she’s so small but has the most powerful voice. Indonesia’s own Ariana Grande.
Top movie/TV show of 2019:
Sex Education
Favourite album of the decade:
Tourist History by Two Door Cinema Club, Odesza’s In Return, Frank Ocean’s Channel ORANGE and anything from The Wombats.
Favourite song of the decade:
This is literally an impossible question; I genuinely don’t think I can choose.
Biggest music controversy of the decade:
The number of sexual abuse allegations that have come to light and how these have been handled. We’ve still got a long way to go in stamping this out in the first place.
One artist/band tour Australia needs in 2020:
Goth Babe
Holly Denison
Top Ten Albums of the Year:
1. N.Y.C.K. – Wild Streak
2. Taylor Swift – Lover
3. Bastille – Doom Days
4. Billie Eilish – When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?
5. Hilltop Hoods – The Great Expanse
6. Thelma Plum – Better in Blak
7. Holy Holy – My Own Pool of Light
8. Dyson Stringer Cloher – Dyson Stringer Cloher
9. Lucianblomkamp – Motto
10. James Arthur – YOU
Top Five Songs of the Year:
1. Billie Eilish – ‘bad guy’
2. Sam Smith – ‘How Do You Sleep?’
3. N.Y.C.K. – ‘All the Birds’
4. Bastille – ‘Joy’
5. Katy Perry – ‘Never Really Over’
Top Three Gigs of the Year:
1. Melbourne Music Week: Kllo, Baths, Lucianblomkamp + Lonelyspeck
2. Festival X
3. Groovin’ the Moo in Bendigo
Top movie/TV show of 2019:
Alita: Battle Angel
Favourite album of the decade:
The Wombats – This Modern Glitch
Favourite song of the decade:
The Wombats – ‘Techno Fan’
Biggest music controversy of the decade:
Wil Wagner and Georgia McDonald.
One artist/band tour Australia needs in 2020:
Baths
Jacob Colliver
Top Ten Albums of the Year:
1. The Crooked Fiddle Band – Another Subtle Atom Bomb
2. Freddie Gibbs / Madlib – Bandana
3. Flying Lotus – Flamagra
4. black midi – Schlagenheim
5. King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard – Infest The Rats’ Nest
6. American Football – American Football (LP3)
7. 65daysofstatic – replicr, 2019
8. Kate Tempest – The Book Of Traps And Lessons
9. The Comet Is Coming – Trust In The Lifeforce Of The Deep Mystery
10. Bad Religion – Age Of Unreason
Top Five Songs of the Year:
1. Fat White Family – ‘Tastes Good With Money’
2. Devin Townsend – ‘Genesis’
3. China Bowls – ‘Before I Knew You’
4. Miles Brown – ‘Shudder Speed’
5. DZ Deathrays, Briggs, Jesswar & Trials – ‘Front Row Hustle’
Top Three Gigs of the Year:
1. Penny Arcade Expo 2019 at Melbourne Exhibition Centre
2. Tom Walker – Very Very at ACMI
3. Demi Lardner – Ditch Witch 800 at Greek Centre
Top movie/TV show of 2019:
I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson
Favourite album of the decade:
Tom Waits – Bad As Me
Favourite song of the decade:
Either Mister Lies – ‘False Astronomy’ or Willis Earl Beal – ‘Evening’s Kiss’.
Biggest music controversy of the decade:
The death of many Aussie festivals signalled a disruption to the golden live-music era – Summadayze and Homebake in 2012, Future Music Festival and Soundwave in 2015, and of course, Big Day Out in 2014 (to name a few).
One artist/band tour Australia needs in 2020:
Tom Waits, but it’ll never happen, so Maximum the Hormone.
James Lynch
Top Ten Albums of the Year:
1. Kevin Morby – Oh My God
2. Gamjee – Legacy Project
3. Hierophants – Spitting Out Moonlight
4. Cate Le Bon – Reward
5. Hand Habits – Placeholder
6. Hobsons Bay Coast Guard – Hobsons Bay Coast Guard
7. Ty Segall – First Taste
8. House Deposit – Reward For Effort
9. Gonzo – Do It Better Again
10. Alex Cameron – Miami Memory
Top Five Songs of the Year:
1. Gamjee – ‘A Painter’
2. Eggy – ‘Bar Fred’
3. Kevin Morby – ‘Hail Mary’
4. Terrible Signal – ‘Look in the Water’
5. Cool Sounds – ‘Around and Down’
Top Three Gigs of the Year:
1. The Ocean Party at Boogie 13
2. The Stroppies at The Curtin
3. Me Channel at The Retreat Front Bar
Top movie/TV show of 2019:
The End of the F***ing World, season two
Favourite album of the decade:
Ty Segall – Manipulator
Favourite song of the decade:
Parquet Courts – ‘Total Football’
Biggest music controversy of the decade:
Eggy EP launch at Nighthawks.
One artist/band tour Australia needs in 2020:
Wand
Jonathan Reynoso
Top Ten Albums of the Year:
1. black midi – Schlagenheim
2. Tyler, The Creator – IGOR
3. King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard – Infest the Rats’ Nest
4. Thee Oh Sees – Face Stabber
5. Weyes Blood – Titanic Rising
6. Little Simz – GREY Area
7. BROCKHAMPTON – GINGER
8. Denzel Curry – ZUU
9. Flying Lotus – Flamagra
10. FKA twigs – Magdalene
Top Five Songs of the Year:
1. black midi – ‘953’
2. Weyes Blood – ‘Movies’
3. Tyler, The Creator – ‘A BOY IS A GUN*’
4. King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard – ‘Planet B’
5. BROCKHAMPTON – ‘BOY BYE’
Top Three Gigs of the Year:
1. Devo at Desert Daze Music Festival
2. Tyler, The Creator at Camp Flog Gnaw Carnival
3. Khruangbin at Desert Daze Music Festival
Top movie/TV show of 2019:
Jojo Rabbit
Favourite album of the decade:
Frank Ocean – Blonde
Favourite song of the decade:
Tame Impala – ‘Apocalypse Dreams’
Biggest music controversy of the decade:
Kanye West being a Donald Trump supporter.
One artist/band tour Australia needs in 2020:
Not sure, I don’t live in Australia!
Leland Tan
Top Ten Albums of the Year:
1. Loyle Carner – Not Waving, But Drowning
2. Tourist – Wild
3. Lana Del Ray – Norman Fucking Rockwell!
4. Flume – Hi, This Is Flume
5. Jenny Hval – The Practice of Love
6. Vampire Weekend – Father of the Bride
7. Max Cooper – Yearning for the Infinite
8. IDK – Is He Real?
9. BROCKHAMPTON – GINGER
10. James Blake – Assume Form
Top Five Songs of the Year:
1. Peggy Gou – ‘Starry Night’
2. Choker – ‘Lucky’
3. slenderbodies – ‘take you home’
4. Stil & Bense – ‘One in a Million (Lunar Plane Remix)’
5. Ben Böhmer, Nils Hoffmann, Malou – ‘Breathing (Extended Mix)’
Top Three Gigs of the Year:
1. Laneway Fremantle
2. Boiler Room x Sugar Mountain
3. Gerd Janson at Brown Alley
Top movie/TV show of 2019:
Parasite
Favourite album of the decade:
Frank Ocean – Channel ORANGE
Favourite song of the decade:
Flume + The Notorious B.I.G – ‘Juicy Insane’
Biggest music controversy of the decade:
Separating art from artist – Michael Jackson, R. Kelly, XXXTentacion
One artist/band tour Australia needs in 2020:
Frank Ocean
Sam Howard
Top Ten Albums of the Year:
1. Tunnelvisions – Channel Tropico
2. Loods – Steel City Dance Discs, Volume 11
3. Jura Soundsystem – Monster Skies
4. Loure – Avenues
5. Floating Points – Crush
6. Ed Longo & Applied Arts Ensemble – The Other Fantasy
7. Axel Boman – Le New Life
8. Young Marco – Bahasa
9. Mildlife – How Long Does It Take?
10. Local Artist – Touch Tone
Top Five Songs of the Year:
1. Seb Wildblood – ‘amelia’
2. CZ Wang & Neo Image – ‘Just Off Wave’
3. Grant Turismo – ‘Eshays in Laneway’
4. Love Deluxe – ‘Souvenir’ feat. dip in the pool
5. Drugface – ‘In The Clouds’ (Beat Escape’s ‘Spaced Out’ Mix)
Top Three Gigs of the Year:
1. Tornado Wallace at Inner Varnika Festival
2. Seb Wildblood at Dance Flaws
3. Regular Fantasy at A Weekend With
Top movie/TV show of 2019:
N/A
Favourite album of the decade:
Cut Copy Presents: Oceans Apart
Favourite song of the decade:
Bruce Trail – ‘Bridgework’
Biggest music controversy of the decade:
When H&M tried to claim Harvey Sutherland’s track – a big mistake when the Melbourne legend is a music lawyer.
One artist/band tour Australia needs in 2020:
Nu Guinea’s full band
Scott Hudson
Top Ten Albums of the Year:
1. Thelma Plum – Better in Blak
2. Ari Lennox – Shea Butter Baby
3. Little Simz – GREY Area
4. Stella Donnelly – Beware of the Dogs
5. Angie McMahon – Salt
6. Jordan Rakei – Origin
7. Montaigne – Complex
8. Kilns – You Can Bet Your House On Me
9. Winston Surfshirt – Apple Crumble
10. Meg Mac – HOPE
Top Five Songs of the Year:
1. Joji – ‘Sanctuary’
2. DZ Deathrays, Jesswar, Briggs & Trials – ‘Front Row Hustle’
3. Saint Lane – ‘Compliment My Shirt’
4. Greta Stanley – ‘Pour’
5. Angie McMahon – ‘Pasta’
Top Three Gigs of the Year:
1. Hobo Johson at The Corner
2. Sampa the Great at Zoo Twilights
3. K.Flay at Howler
Top movie/TV show of 2019:
End of The F**cking World, season two
Favourite album of the decade:
Gang Of Youths – Go Farther in Lightness
Favourite song of the decade:
Moses Sumney – ‘Plastic’
Biggest music controversy of the decade:
N/A
One artist/band tour Australia needs in 2020:
Moses Sumney
Sosefina Fuamoli
Top Ten Albums of the Year:
1. Mark Ronson – Late Night Feelings
2. Brittany Howard – Jaime
3. Flying Lotus – Flamagra
4. Little Simz – GREY Area
5. James Blake – Assume Form
6. FKA twigs – Magdalene
7. Sampa the Great – The Return
8. Tyler, The Creator – IGOR
9. Jamila Woods – LEGACY! LEGACY!
10. Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds – Ghosteen
Top Five Songs of the Year:
1. Mark Ronson – ‘Don’t Leave Me Lonely’
ft. Yebba
2. Glass Animals – ‘Tokyo Drifting’ ft. Denzel Curry
3. ROSALIA – ‘Con Altura’
4. Sampa the Great – ‘Final Form’
5. FKA twigs – ‘Cellophane’
Top Three Gigs of the Year:
1. Sampa the Great at The Forum
2. FKA twigs at Dark Mofo
3. Glass Animals at Prince Bandroom
Top movie/TV show of 2019:
Big Mouth
Favourite album of the decade:
Frank Ocean – Channel ORANGE
Favourite song of the decade:
Frank Ocean – ‘Novocane’
Biggest music controversy of the decade:
Fyre Festival
One artist/band tour Australia needs in 2020:
Rage Against the Machine
Tammy Walters
Top Ten Albums of the Year:
1. Lana Del Rey – Norman Fucking Rockwell!
2. FKA twigs – Magdalene
3. Tool – Fear Inoculum
4. Thom Yorke – Anima
5. The Raconteurs – Help Us Stranger
6. Vampire Weekend – Father Of The Bride
7. Tyler, The Creator – IGOR
8. Billie Eilish – When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?
9. King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard – Infest The Rats’ Nest
10. Olympia – Flamingo
Top Five Songs of the Year:
1. Thom Yorke, Flea, Wynton Marsalis – ‘Daily Battles’ (Motherless Brooklyn Soundtrack)
2. Lana Del Rey – ‘Fuck It I Love You’
3. Billie Eilish – ‘everything i wanted’
4. Vampire Weekend – ‘Harmony Hall’
5. Thelma Plum – ‘Better In Blak’
Top Three Gigs of the Year:
1. Arctic Monkeys at Rod Laver Arena
2. John Mayer at Rod Laver Arena
3. Red Hot Chilli Peppers at Rod Laver Arena
Top movie/TV show of 2019:
Once Upon A Time In Hollywood/Mr Robot
Favourite album of the decade:
Car Seat Headrest – Teens Of Denial
Favourite song of the decade:
Violent Soho – ‘Covered In Chrome’
Biggest music controversy of the decade:
Leaving Neverland documentary.
One artist/band tour Australia needs in 2020:
Radiohead
Tobias Handke
Top Ten Albums of the Year:
1. Julia Jacklin – Crushing
2. Lewis Capaldi – Divinely Uninspired To A Hellish Extent
3. Rapsody – Eve
4. CZARFACE – CZARFACE Meets Ghostface
5. mxmtoon – the masquerade
6. Sampa the Great – The Return
7. Nilufer Yanya – Miss Universe
8. Denzel Curry – ZUU
9. Bruce Springsteen – Western Stars
10. Little Simz – GREY Area
Top Five Songs of the Year:
1. Lil Nas X – ‘Old Town Road (Remix)’ ft. Billy Ray Cyrus
2. Julia Jacklin – ‘Body’
3. Angel Olsen – ‘Lark’
4. The Highwomen – ‘Highwomen’
5. Summer Walker – ‘Come Thru’ (ft. Usher)
Top Three Gigs of the Year:
1. Eagles at Rod Laver Arena
2. Arctic Monkeys at Rod Laver Arena
3. Little Simz at The Corner
Top movie/TV show of 2019:
Midsommar/Barry
Favourite album of the decade:
Kanye West – My Dark Beautiful Twisted Fantasy
Favourite song of the decade:
Robyn – ‘Dancing On My Own’
Biggest music controversy of the decade:
Kanye West.
One artist/band tour Australia needs in 2020:
Bruce Springsteen
Will Brewster
Top Ten Albums of the Year:
1. James Blake – Assume Form
2. Young Thug – So Much Fun
3. FKA twigs – Magdalene
4. Jacques Greene – Dawn Chorus
5. Freddie Gibbs & Madlib – Bandana
6. Solange – When I Get Home
7. Floating Points – Crush
8. Holy Holy – My Own Pool Of Light
9. Faye Webster – Atlanta Millionaires Club
10. Thom Yorke – ANIMA
Top Five Songs of the Year:
1. James Blake – ‘Can’t Believe The Way
We Flow’
2. Bonobo – ‘Linked’
3. Holy Holy – ‘Teach Me About Dying’
4. Earthgang – ‘Proud Of U’ ft. Young Thug
5. Sampa the Great – ‘Freedom’
Top Three Gigs of the Year:
1. Sunday night at Splendour In The Grass with Matt Corby, James Blake and SZA
2. Peggy Gou at Let Them Eat Cake
3. Iggy Pop at Festival Hall
Top movie/TV show of 2019:
Super niche answer, but Jungle’s guest programmer episode on Rage in August was absolutely bonkers.
Favourite album of the decade:
Jamie xx – In Colour
Favourite song of the decade:
Frank Ocean – ‘Pyramids’
Biggest music controversy of the decade:
2018 Kanye was pretty dicey, although Kids See Ghosts is still a killer album.
One artist/band tour Australia needs in 2020:
Far-fetched, but can you imagine if D’Angelo did a 20th anniversary tour for Voodoo? Sheesh!