MARK HUGHSON'S 2019:

2019 was a great year for music. It’s exciting discovering something new, but there’s also something special about old favorites returning with enjoyable albums. It’s like watching your kids grow up to become well-adjusted, successful adults. There’s a little of both on my list, and if you know me, think like me, and/or have musical taste like me, you know darn well the list could be much, much longer.

The Top 20

01. Laura Stevenson - The Big Freeze (Don Giovanni)
02. Meat Puppets - Dusty Notes (Megaforce)
03. Redd Kross - Beyond The Door (Merge)
04. Holly Herndon - Proto (4AD)
05. Control Top - Covert Contracts (Get Better)
06. Martha - Love Keeps Kicking (Dirtnap)
07. Sarchasm - Beach Blanket Bummer Pop (Asian Man)
08. PUP - Morbid Stuff (Little Dipper)
09. Tullycraft - Railway Prince Hotel (HHBTM)
10. Lucille Furs - Another Land (Requiem Pour Un Twister)
11. Damien Jurado - In The Shape Of A Storm (Loose)
12. Young Guv - Guv I and II (Run For Cover)
13. The Glow - Am I (Double Double Whammy)
14. French Vanilla - How Am I Not Myself? (Danger Collective)
15. Bob Mould - Sunshine Rock (Merge)
16. Amyl & The Sniffers - Amyl & The Sniffers (Rough Trade)
17. Lone Wolf - Together Alone (Stardumb)
18. Mikey Erg - Waxbuilt Castles (Don Giovanni)
19. Steve Mason - About The Light (Double Six)
20. Motherhood - Dear Bongo (Forward Music)

Reissues, Collections, and Random Stuff:

01. V/A - The World Of Keith Haring (Soul Jazz)
02. Sicko - In The Alternate Timeline (Red Scare)
03. Screaming Females - Singles Too (Don Giovanni)
04. Passable In Pink - Soundtrack (Omnivore)
05. V/A - Rough Guide to a World of Guitar (Rough Guide)

Bandcamp recommendations (for digital-only goodies):

Concrete City
concretecity.bandcamp.com

Vista Blue
wearevistablue.bandcamp.com

Crunchcoat
crunchcoat.bandcamp.com