I’m limiting myself to one song per artist. Enjoy!
Work by Foxygen
(Inspired by 70s music, a motivational message about getting your work done. Yet delivered with a fair amount of wit)
Harmony Hall by Vampire Weekend
(I could have done without the bugs in the video. I prefer the lyrics on Unbearably White, but HH has an appealing upbeatness and charming melody)
Happy Not Knowing by Carly Rae Jepsen
(“I don’t have the energy” is a lyric that hits home. Sounds like a leftover from the E·MO·TION sessions)
Deep Delirium by Lamb
(The stand out on their latest album was surprisingly a jazzy instrumental!)
I’m A Stranger Now by The Tallest Man On Earth
(Not his best album though there are some beautiful moments)
Heads Gonna Roll by Jenny Lewis
(A fine vocal performance with Beatles-like drums by Ringo Starr. Lyrics about mortality)
Incapable by Róisín Murphy
(Formerly of trip hop group Moloko, Murphy released one of her best solo recordings with this hypnotic disco/house single)
Time Rider by Chromatics
(Nice and dreamy, as you’d expect from Chromatics. If you look closely, the video teases the apple from the Dear Tommy artwork)
Retrograde by Maggie Rogers
(She impressed Pharrell in the Masterclass series. An album track that should have been a single)
With My Whole Heart by Sufjan Stevens
(Very romantic. We all want to be loved)
Honorable mentions:
hope is a dangerous thing for a woman like me to have – but i have it by Lana Del Rey
(I don’t tire of her haunting vocal even when her lyrics are not at the same level)
Don’t Feel Like Crying by Sigrid
(Simple, joyous pop)
Heaven Forbid by Holy Ghost!
(My favorite from the new album with lyrics about being late)
What do you think? As always, comments are welcome
moviesandsongs365.wordpress.com 
I have heard of “Time Riders” by the Chromatics. I like that song. Waiting for their new album.
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@ninvoid99: Hopefully a Chromatics album in the near future. I urge you to check out the Sufjan Stevens I shared here which is in the vein of his Call Me by Your Name soundtrack music.
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Jepson, Lewis, and Chromatics are the only tracks I’m familiar with here. All good picks, with the Lewis one being a particular highlight from her album.
I need to check l out the latest Sufjan Stevens; I wasn’t aware he’d released anything.
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@J: The Jenny Lewis pick is kind of a female Beatles song.
Sufjan released two tracks this year. The other track Love Yourself I didn’t like as much which is a reworking of a 1996 demo.
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Cool. I’ll check out both of the tunes, though I’ll expect a wee bit less from Love Yourself.
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Jenny Lewis is still my highlight from the list above, but I must check out the new Foxygen record because I really enjoyed their last one.
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@Rol: Loved the first 5 tracks on Lewis’ LP, was less keen on the rest.
I think you’d enjoy the wit of Foxygen’s latest which also has plenty of fun hooks. I expect it to be in my top 10 albums of 2019.
Was wondering if you were going to review the new Divine Comedy since I remember Foreverland was your #1 of the year.
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I will, but I’m still settling in with it. Good record, but not on a par with Foreverland.
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Very grateful to you for alerting me to the Vampire Weekend video – I absolutely adore bugs/creepy crawlies etc. so the film was actually a real treat for me! I’ve heard the song quite a bit on the radio over recent months and like it a lot – the super footage of fascinating tiny creatures has turned out to be an added bonus.
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@C: I’ve read the HH lyrics might be about anti-semitism in universities. Regarding the bugs in the video, I wonder if the cryptic chorus ” I don’t wanna live like this, but I don’t wanna die” could also be about nature and endangered species. It’s open to (mis)interpretation! in recent times, articles have warned that insects are slowly dying out . Very worrying for the future of the planet.
(https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/feb/10/plummeting-insect-numbers-threaten-collapse-of-nature).
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Right I’m going to explore these recommendations….last year to my eternal disappointment I found a grand total of zero new music I liked. This year I need to look far and wide
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@Jeremyjames: If you listen to the charts it makes sense you found nothing. Today’s mainstream pop is in a bad state and often unlistenable. Last year, I did love ”Shallow” by Lady Gaga though.
I really like the 11-20 picks here, although I consider the top 10 I just posted a few minutes ago to be the cream of the crop. Hope you find something you enjoy!
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Cheers Chris – i didn’t just go to the charts last year, I was looking into all the alternative press trying to find something I liked….came away empty handed
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A lot of girls on this list and an eclectic mix too. Love how you are so unashamedly open-minded to everything Chris – Old, new, pure pop, niche… . Wonderful.
Fond of Roisin and Sigrid from this list.
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@Alyson: In new music, the female vocalists attracted me most so far this year, with some exceptions. Sigrid and Roisin are certainly on opposite ends of the spectrum, one is young and just starting out, the other a seasoned artist
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Indeed – I too like music of all genres and have no preference to old or new artists, it just has to strike a cord.
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I liked Maggie Rogers’s live performances on SNL but her album is so fake sounding, overproduced and way too pop for me. Lana needs to release a new album i am sick of tracking her individually released songs, it feels like she released 20 of those since her last record
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@Sati: Yep, sometimes what makes an artist distinct gets lost in overproduction & autotune. I liked Rodgers’ vocal on the song Retrograde but couldn’t get into the rest. Maybe she needs to do an acoustic album.
This week, Lana said her new album is out in two months: https://www.thefader.com/2019/06/24/lana-del-rey-norman-fucking-rockwell-release-august-2019
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Great list! Really appreciate that you link to the songs; makes for easy listening. I’m digging “Time Rider” a lot. Going to check out some of the others now!
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@Alex Withrow: Thanks, glad the links are useful.
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