EVERYTHING OF THE YEAR 2019
THE BEST ALBUMS, GAMES, FILMS & TELEVISION SERIES RELEASED IN THE LAST YEAR
BY COREY PUTNEY
ALBUM OF THE YEAR
1. VAMPIRE WEEKEND
FATHER OF THE BRIDE
To be completely honest, I knew this was going to be my favorite album of the year the moment I heard "Harmony Hall", which, if I remember correctly, was back in January or something of last year. Ever since that first Instagram post from frontman Ezra Koenig describing the album, it's length, their diligence - I knew it was going to be nothing short of an instant classic. To craft an album nearly twenty songs in length in which track has it's own reason for being there, void of any nonsensical filler, is reason enough to make anyone believe that Father of the Bride was worthy enough for the top spot. Vampire Weekend is at it's most adventurous and most vulnerable state on this album and tracks such as "Hold You Now", "Sunflower", "Big Blue" and "Sympathy" make that extremely evident. To me, this is one of those rare "perfect" albums that don't come around every single year - but fortunately for us, we got at least one in 2019 and this is it.
2. BON IVER
I, I
5. LANA DEL REY
NORMAN FUCKING ROCKWELL
8. JAMES BLAKE
ASSUME FORM
11. THE NATIONAL
I AM EASY TO FIND
14. ANDERSON .PAAK
VENTURA
17. JPEGMAFIAA
ALL MY HEROES ARE CORNBALLS
20. COPELAND
BLUSHING
23. (SANDY) ALEX G
HOUSE OF SUGAR
3. TYLER THE CREATOR
IGOR
6. THE JAPANESE HOUSE
GOOD AT FALLING
9. HARRY STYLES
FINE LINE
12. OSO OSO
BASKING IN THE GLOW
15. REX ORANGE COUNTY
PONY
18. ANGEL OLSEN
ALL MIRRORS
21. THOM YORKE
ANIMA
24. CHANCE THE RAPPER
THE BIG DAY
4. FKA TWIGS
MAGDALENE
7. CLAIRO
IMMUNITY
10. SLOWTHAI
NOTHING GREAT ABOUT BRITAIN
13. BROCKHAMPTON
GINGER
16. KEVIN ABSTRACT
ARIZONA BABY
19. DANNY BROWN
UKNOWHATIMSAYIN?
22. JAMILA WOODS
LEGACY! LEGACY!
25. TAYLOR SWIFT
LOVER
HONORABLE MENTION
DENZEL CURRY - ZUU
FREE NATIONALS - FREE NATIONALS
KAYTRANADA - BUBBA
DANIEL CAESAR - CASE STUDY 01
FREDDIE GIBS & MADLIB - BANDANA
GIRLPOOL - WHAT CHAOS IS IMAGINARY
BETTER OBLIVION COMMUNITY CENTER - SELF TITLED
THE DANGEROUS SUMMER - MOTHER NATURE
GUS DAPPERTON - WHERE POLLY PEOPLE GO TO READ
STEVE LACY - APOLLO XXI
GAME OF THE YEAR
1. STAR WARS JEDI: FALLEN ORDER
RESPAWN ENTERTAINMENT
This year was kind of a floater year when it comes to video games. The next-gen consoles hit store shelves next year and a lot of the big AAA titles that we've been anticipating were pushed to next Spring. Despite this, one of the best third party releases of recent memory saw the light of day just a year and a half after it was announced. And in a year that saw the end of Skywalker Saga and the beginning of The Mandolorian on Disney+, we also got one of the best Star Wars games ever made. Jedi: Fallen Order doesn't do much that's new but instead, takes the best parts of your favorite games and mashes them up into one clever, intuitive, action-packed, out-of-this-galaxy experience that stands toe to toe with any other third person action adventure game that you've played previously. Sure, the main character is a little vanilla but once you gain all of your powers and start force pushing and pulling your way around, you won't want to stop doing so.
2. POKEMON SWORD & SHIELD
GAME FREAK
5. CRASH TEAM RACING: NITRO FUELED
BEENOX
8. KATANA ZERO
ASKIISOFT
3. SUPER MARIO MAKER 2
NINTENDO ENTERTAINMENT
6. LUIGI'S MANSION 3
NEXT LEVEL GAMES
9. OUTER WILDS
MOBIUS DIGITAL
4. THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: LINKS AWAKENING
NINTENDO ENTERTAINMENT
7. BORDERLANDS 3
GEARBOX SOFTWARE
10. DEATH STRANDING
KOJIMA PRODUCTIONS
HONORABLE MENTION
TOM CLANCY'S THE DIVISION 2
CONCRETE GENIE
AFTERPARTY
RESIDENT EVIL 2
KINGDOM HEARTS 3
MARVEL'S ULTIMATE ALLIANCE 3
UNTITLED GOOSE GAME
KNIGHTS & BIKES
TRIALS RISING
ANTHEM
FILM OF THE YEAR
1. ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD
QUENTIN TARANTINO
Somehow, some way, Quentin Tarantino has done it again. One of the greatest directors of our time - or any time, really, is nearing the end of his career and his possible second-to-last film is nothing short of a stunner. Once again, Tarantino tells a story that doesn't really follow the norms of film making - it ebbs and flows whilst capturing the lives of a couple of actors in Hollywood and the struggles they're going through at this particular time as the age of television is changing - one of which being a band of hooligans out to kill them for no reason what-so-ever - but even that isn't brought to light until the films final moments. The beauty of Once Upon A Time exists within it's ability to showcase the genius of Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt and the rest of the ensemble - it simply drops them into a scene and then asks that they demand your attention immediately simply by doing what it is they do best. If this movie fails to win a single Oscar, I'll eat my shoe - one of the one's that I wear while I mow the lawn, even.
2. THE PEANUT BUTTER FALCON
TYLER NILSON & MICHAEL SCHWARTZ
5. AVENGERS: ENDGAME
ANTHONY & JOE RUSSO
8. UNCUT GEMS
JOSH & BENNY SAFDIE
3. MARRIAGE STORY
NOAH BAUMBACH
6. TOY STORY 4
JOSH COOLEY
9. JOJO RABBIT
TAIKA WAITITI
4. JOKER
TODD PHILLIPS
7. THE RISE OF SKYWALKER
JJ ABRAMS
10. US
JORDAN PEELE
HONORABLE MENTION
A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD
ROCKETMAN
AD ASTRA
GOOD BOYS
LONG SHOT
BOOKSMART
DETECTIVE PIKACHU
EL CAMINO: A BREAKING BAD MOVIE
GUAVA ISLAND
THE LION KING
TELEVISION SERIES OF THE YEAR
1. STRANGER THINGS
NETFLIX
Every time a new season of Stranger Things is released to the masses it feels like a spectacle - more so than any other show in recent memory except for maybe Game of Thrones but I don't get down with that fantasy business. I personally thought this season was the best one yet and the way that the Duffer brothers handle these characters' growth as young adults experiencing love, loss and everything in between all while living in a messed up world filled with demons and monsters is remarkable. There's a certain balancing act they must go through that I'm sure is difficult to do because different fans of the show want different things from it - some may scream for action while others may demand relationships and character building and this fourth season excels at delivering just enough of both to keep everyone satisfied. The slick new "summer" vibe this season gave to us paired with the 4th of July release date was a perfect storm that I won't soon forget.
2. THE MANDALORIAN
DISNEY+
5. GLOW
NETFLIX
8. BROAD CITY
COMEDY CENTRAL
3. THE MORNING SHOW
APPLE TV+
6. YOU'RE THE WORST
FXX
9. THE GOOD PLACE
NBC
4. WATCHMEN
HBO
7. THE END OF THE FUCKING WORLD
NETFLIX
10. I THINK YOU SHOULD LEAVE
NETFLIX