2019 Longlist Part 1

It's that time of year again. I just finished whittling an extremely long longlist down to my Top 20 albums - which I'll be revealing on December 31st on UMFM as part of the 15th annual countdown show that Station Manager Jared McKetiak and I host.

But before that, I'll be posting the rest of the albums I considered before arriving at that Top 20. Pivoting from how I've done it in prior years, where the longlist has been somewhat randomized, or alphabetized, the first post this year carries a touch more weight than the rest. THESE are the final 10 records I removed from consideration. And while they are not presented in a rank order below, if I was doing a Top 30 these are the titles that would occupy the 21-30 spots. I was particularly hard-pressed to cut these ones and it came down to the wire.

Consider these my most honourable mentions.

**Where possible I have linked to the Bandcamp for these artists so you can support them directly if you dig the preview tune. Not every artist has a page though, so you'll get the occasional Soundcloud and Youtube link.

Tiny Ruins - Olympic Girls [Milk! Records]



The Cactus Blossoms - Easy Way [Walkie Talkie]



Haviah Mighty - 13th Floor [Self-Released]



Sudan Archives - Athena [Stones Throw]



Emma Elisabeth - Melancholic Milkshake [Ferryhouse]



Black Pumas - Black Pumas [ATO Records]



Joel Ross - KingMaker [Blue Note]



Durand Jones & The Indications - American Love Call [Dead Oceans]



SPAZA - SPAZA [Mushroom Hour Half Hour]



Sarah Tandy - Infection in the Sentence [Jazz re:freshed]

Dexter Story - "Shuruba Song ft. Hamelmal Abate"

Here's the guest list (beyond Hamelmal Abate featured on this first single):

Kibrom Birhane
Sudan Archives
Haile Supreme
Jimetta Rose
Marie Daulne
Endeguena Mulu
Miguel Atwood-Ferguson
Josef Leimberg

Here are Dexter Story's credits:
multi-instrumentalist for Sa-Ra Creative Parners
manager for Snoop Dogg
producer for Dayme Arocena's Cubafonia
worked with Kamasi Washington on his most recent single, "Wejene Aola"

Here's the label Story's album Bahir is coming out on:
SOUNDWAY

If all of this doesn't get you exited for the May 15th release of the sophomore release from this LA. musician, take a liten to "Shuruba Song" below and put the date in your calendar.