ILM's 2019 End of Year Tracks & Albums Poll / VOTING AND CAMPAIGNING THREAD

Vote Here: https://forms.gle/ZxTDQ6DSz7n1WNo39

How to vote: enter your tracks and album ballots (up to 25 items on each), one item per line, in the appropriate fields. Please copy each line directly from the nominations lists; do not number your ballot. You can choose one of three ballot types, which determine how points are allocated to each item you vote for:

(1) Weighted: The first item on your ballot receives 50 points, the second receives 48 points, and so on, until the 25th item receives 2 points.

(2) Unweighted: Each item on your ballot receives 26 points.

(3) Mixed: To submit a mixed ballot, you must divide your ballot in two with an extra blank line. The upper portion of the ballot will be treated as weighted, with the first item receiving 50 points, and so on. The lower portion will be treated as unweighted, in that all items will receive the same number of points. The score allocated to items in the unweighted portion is calculated as 26 minus the number of items in the weighted portion (this is so that any weighted, unweighted or mixed ballot consisting of 25 items will allocate a total of exactly 650 points).

TRACK NOMINATIONS
On Pastebin: https://pastebin.com/94HATU8K
On Google Sheets: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1JO9R-BnMq4lcjGg0sYBdkTAwNtaW3kfQGLdxeu1VR0g/

ALBUM NOMINATIONS
On Pastebin: https://pastebin.com/6BW3XANF
On Google Sheets: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/19Yfj48roJeKbwo1fVcvDoMXQUoGGYv_7ZB3_ByDMTaI/

Playlists for your consideration:

Spotify Tracks Playlist
Spotify Albums Playlist

Voting will close at midnight PST on Friday, January 24th, 2019 (i.e. Saturday morning in the UK).

gonna start with "Crash Pad" by George Clanton and Nick Hexum of 311, one of those things that shouldn't work but does

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVHj8O_2evk

Another way of thinking about mixed ballot: each record in the unweighted part gets exactly half the points of the lowermost weighted record.

The Spotify albums playlist reached maximum size, with just ulysses' final EIGHT noms outstanding, as far as I can tell. LOL. The remainder is here for now: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6YYa2YH7Sfyo4Qpz7vhwKE

Looks like Johnny Fever's early "8/30" batch didn't make it the database, except for later duplicate noms.

Spreadsheet, rather.

I encourage any fans of musical theater to check out this demo of a song written (but not used) for Frozen II — it’s epic, and an absolute jam:

Kristen Anderson-Lopez & Patti Murin - I Seek the Truth

Anderson-Lopez, the songwriter, plays piano and sings the main (“Elsa”) part; Murin, who plays Anna on B’way, sings the “Anna” part.

Here's an excerpt from Edmund Finnis's The Air, Turning, for orchestra:

https://soundcloud.com/edmund-finnis/the-air-turning-excerpt

Softly ecstatic pastoralisms, very much rooted in the English tradition (from Vaughan Williams to Peter Maxwell Davies, Howard Skempton and beyond) with more than a dash of late Sibelius in its lexicon yet never so overwrought as to elicit skepticism. Nary a jolting dissonance in earshot, so post-Schoenberg naysayers shouldn't be afraid. To Richard Skelton fans: picture a more classically, academically-minded take on the man's aesthetic.

This is but an excerpt of many, as the album (also entitled The Air, Turning) features five additional compositions: a ghostlier, less immediately melodic work for violin solo, a slightly more nerve-wracked and chromatically contrasted piece for chamber orchestra, followed by an essay for string orchestra that flirts with light spectralism, as well as a more forceful series of four duets for clarinet and piano (featuring the ubiquitous Víkingur Ólafsson) and, in closing, a lyrically lavish mini-violin concerto that breaks no new ground but exudes an aura of its own. You can hear the latter's third movement here:

https://soundcloud.com/edmund-finnis/shades-lengthen-3rd-movement

All of it, I think, can rightly be called beautiful in the old sense. 'Boomkat classical' enthusiasts will likely enjoy this.

Looks like Johnny Fever's early "8/30" batch didn't make it the database, except for later duplicate noms.

― Nag! Nag! Nag!, Sunday, 5 January 2020 01:01 (twenty-six minutes ago) bookmarkflaglink

Fixed, thanks for catching!

Yes, ty!

I'd like to take this opportunity to urge you to VOTE & CAMPAIGN for your favourite METAL albums of 2019.

This way:

2019 Metal ’n’ Heavy Rock Poll: VOTING & CAMPAIGNING thread (open until the 7th of February)

do i vote for this great song? i first heard it in 2019 and it's from a 2019 album, but as a single it had been out since '18

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fuind6upxyc

Is 2019 the "year of impact?" Then sure.

Also, I'm listening to this song for the first time and I might vote for it too. My tracks ballot is going to be crazy this year because I wasn't really following along closely in 2019.

Hmm... I didn’t realize “Me vs. Us” was released in 2018 (I nominated it). It certainly “impacted” me in 2019! (when it appeared on her album)... but if it’s deemed ineligible, so be it.

Can the rule be something like — if a track was released as a single the previous year, but didn’t place on that year’s poll; and then appears on an album released in the year being polled, it’s eligible?

That's generally how it's always worked, but I'm not in charge anymore. I bet it's fine, though.

Seeing as my nominations were culled from Spotify by malevolent reactionary forces within Spotify I have struck a deal with Bob at YouTube to put them in their own playlist. Not sure how long it will last as industry insiders are already tracing this post

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJQPDp64kjw&list=PLYcYugGx0D5HOun6h6JQy3VD00vcbwT3T&index=1

It may be too late, it was coming from inside the house! Lets try again

http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLYcYugGx0D5HOun6h6JQy3VD00vcbwT3T

Thanks, saer <3

I've never campaigned before but when i nominated something that would seem to be in ILM wheelhouse, maybe this year should be different.

Clairo - Sofia:
https://youtu.be/L9l8zCOwEII

I guess I'll do a bit of campaigning too... I nominated both the album Tierra del Fuego and this track from the Mexican techno producer Tayhana, because she's pretty much the best completely new artist I've heard this year:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0o42VXjAnQ

I dunno if this even counts as techno, the synth riffs sound like they could be from some 90s horrorcore rap with their heavy, creepy vibe, and the beats are almost overwhelming in a way that recalls juke/footwork... It's really cool to come across an artist who has such an unique, fully formed sound straight off the gate on what is (AFAIK) her first official release.

Hmm... I didn’t realize “Me vs. Us” was released in 2018 (I nominated it). It certainly “impacted” me in 2019! (when it appeared on her album)... but if it’s deemed ineligible, so be it.

Can the rule be something like — if a track was released as a single the previous year, but didn’t place on that year’s poll; and then appears on an album released in the year being polled, it’s eligible?

― Into the Bro-known: One Dude’s ‘Frozen’ Podcast (morrisp), Sunday, 5 January 2020 05:27 (six hours ago) bookmarkflaglink

If it's on the nominations list you can assume it's eligible (unless it placed in a previous year and we didn't spot it). Then it's up to you to decide whether it feels "2019" to you.

looking forward to this rollout

How did Rosie Gaines - Closer Than Close get into the tracks list btw? It's from 1995!

How did Rosie Gaines - Closer Than Close get into the tracks list btw? It's from 1995!

Wow, I didn't notice that, otherwise I definitely would've said something, as I even have the 1995 album it's on.

big shout out for my fave video of the year from Sakanaction on the tracks list

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BxqYUbNR-c0

There's a double nomination on the Albums list:

DAWN - new breed
Dawn Richard - new breed

I'm not sure which you should go with as technically it was released under DAWN but past releases were under Dawn Richard

Thanks for catching - that could have messed things up. I picked the "Dawn Richard" version.

i think she was tired of being called "Richards" or whatever and has been trying to pivot to DAWN

I don't mind either way - the tracks were all entered as "Dawn Richard" so I went with that for the album too

Wisely, she ditched the triangle in place of the A pretty quickly.

there's another double nomination on the album list -

Caretaker - Everywhere at The End of Time Stage 6
The Caretaker - Everywhere at the End of Time - Stage 6

got it, thanks

voted! (+ decided to go ahead with including "me vs. us" lol)

👍

Sorry - the Maren Morris track labeled as "Feels" in the list should actually be "The Feels" (I botched the title when nominating).

(I doubt anyone will vote for that track but me, lol)

Also, one of my other noms (Summer Walker - Come Through) didn't seem to make it onto the list(s).

Hoping I'm not the only one to vote for this gorgeous slice of Manasseh produced laid back reggae

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_xrtkT_p0tQ

I just want to rep for a couple of my favourite songs real quick

https://youtu.be/5KBV_Kpcnbo

Purple Pilgrims - Sensing Me

Out on Flying Nun. I've been talking this act up in a few places. Video has a real strong goth component, which was not my impression at all from listening to Perfumed Earth--more like a trippier/spacier take on Arrival-era ABBA (the album's next track, "I'm Not Saying", makes the connection explicit). The chorus is undeniable imo and thr production lives up to copy which cites the duo's preoccupation with 'synthesized nature and ancient futurism'

https://multishiva.bandcamp.com/track/monoliitti-on-nyrkki-2

Multishiva - Monoliitti on Nyrrki

A complete 180 from Purple Pilgrims, this is some crazy-ass Finnish doom nuggets. I was into their 2017 album Time Messer as a sort of cross between High on Fire and Oranssi Pazuzu, but their new EP ups the game considerably, esp. on this howling slab of nightmare psych. They've pretty much fused BM fierceness with Hawkwind-style space rock, along with some Amon Duul II, and, idk, maybe Motorhead on a bad acid trip? If this EP had been just a little longer (only 25 minutes) it would absolutely have been in the top 3 of my albums ballot

Sorry - the Maren Morris track labeled as "Feels" in the list should actually be "The Feels" (I botched the title when nominating).

― BeerAdvocate in the streets, Wookiepedia in the sheets (morrisp), Monday, 6 January 2020 04:14 (nine hours ago) bookmarkflaglink

Also, one of my other noms (Summer Walker - Come Through) didn't seem to make it onto the list(s).

― BeerAdvocate in the streets, Wookiepedia in the sheets (morrisp), Monday, 6 January 2020 04:24 (nine hours ago) bookmarkflaglink

Fixed, thanks

Vote for everything by clipping. and These New Puritans

shiiit i assumed someone else would nominate Brighde Chaimbeul - The Reeling and now i'm sad i didn't myself. wonderful album.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MEqG6g55eJU

Haven't seen much love for this, it's so sweet and summery and is an ideal post Christmas pick me up.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5QS8vOsV4tw

We're all voting for Jogging, yes? OK yes good. That'll do for now

I know you will all vote for Go for the Top by Girl Ray so this post is totally superfluous. Anyways. Here the three North London girls flirt a little with the jazz flute and create a pop song with a melancholic melody that adds a little sunshine to these dark winter days.

https://girlray.bandcamp.com/track/go-to-the-top

Of course I meant Go to the Top.

"But imago, what's Jogging?"

"It is the veritable spirit of the age, my friend"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UGiQ_-Ktpvc

Hey, I'm interested in voting for the first time. Just curious, is there a minimum number of albums for a ballot?

I should be able to fill it up anyhow. I might've only had around a dozen 2019 albums I was excited about before, but I've already discovered a bunch more from dipping into all this.

(Sorry, LJ.)

unintentionally makes me feel even more alienated from English culture

Lol this is why I never got into Nothjng Important (though I sometimes wonder if the title track had made tracks poll instead of Vile Stuff)

I don't remember if I voted for Jogging, but I think I might have

Nothjng Important

Wow I'm super overdue for a vow of silence

au contraire you certainly ought to post more!

nothing important aotd obv

I wonder how the Sault vote held up. No mention of them here, but much excitement on dedicated thread. The potential for vote-splitting looked kinda extreme though.

When will rollout start?

usually about now

good, we need something nice to argue about

ludacris sez, start the roll out

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t21DFnu00Dc

good, we need something nice to argue about

See, this is what happens when the rollout doesn't start on time.

Save us Johnny Fever!

Lol, otm

I listened to Addiction to Blood once or twice and liked it but wasn't taken with it like I was the second clipping. album, which I still consider just totally jaw-dropping
and which easily makes any end-of-decade list of mine (& which I prob still under-rate tbh). I wonder if clipping. is just one of those bands where the first one you hear will always be your favourite

This seems likely

lol ok

The Highwomen win both the tracks and albums polls. All good here? Cool. Thanks for voting everyone. 👍

Nothing Important is like a conjuring for me but I couldn't get on with Peasant or 2020.

(Would be happy with the Highwomen clearing up, tbh. As it were.)

The Highwomen win both the tracks and albums polls. All good here?

you should see the irate face I'm making right now

What are the Highwomen.

Ok but have you even listened to it? I know how you feel about anything even vaguely country, but the songwriting is soooo good.

I did. It sucked.

Thanks, I hate it.

Or rather, I didn't like it (because it sucked) (dammit I can't even be gracious about it)

Well now I *really* hope it does well.

The tune Redesigning Women is so full of regressive stereotypes about women (Changing our minds like we change our hair color + And if the shoe fits, we're gonna buy 11 + Running the world while we're cleaning up the kitchen) that I was actually quite taken aback considering that it's supposed to be a song about...redesigning women. What the song was trying to do was so far from what it achieved that it turned me off checking out the rest of the project. Open to suggestions if there's better songs on there.

"Cocktail and a Song" is the keeper for me.

Redesigning Women is the only song on the album I routinely skip. I haven't heard it in a long time.

I love country but I did not like the Highwomen album at all. Mostly I didn't like the singing, too mannered.

I wish they done more harmony work and less just all singing the same melody at once much of the time, but 10 of the 12 songs on the album are exactly my vibe. If they'd ditched Redesigning Women and My Only Child, I'd consider it perfect.

so is Moka doing the rollout then

Moka is keeping to their own timeline here. plz be patient as no set time to start was ever announced.

we should just wait another year to start the rollout, for a laugh.

It's the modus operandi for the film poll, and it honestly works pretty well. I can wait :)

2019 is cancelled

I will literally die if this doesn't start in the next hour

highwomen album is incredibly great, i know a lot of people here are allergic to dave cobb's production but it really works on it, rich with shadow but the guitar tones glow through it, making it feel like you've walked into a candlelit room. i've said this before but "loose change" is the best maren morris song of the year, and "if she ever leaves me" is maybe the best explicitly gay country song i've ever heard

i don't even mind "redesigning women" though the lyric is very clunky

"My Only Child" is one of the two or three best songs. Love how she hints at but doesn't directly resolve the question of why...leaves it up to the listener who may have their own experience. Hemby is the strongest piece of that puzzle, with a sharp eye for details and stories. Still listen to Puxico regularly.

The whole Highwomen project felt forced and calculated from the beginning, quite the opposite of the Annies, which have a better handle on real lives and struggles and have far more interesting things to say about them. There is nothing here with half the guts of "Best Years of My Life."

"Crowded Table" might be one of the stronger songs, but I find the four of them singing the whole thing together grating. I'm sure it translates live in some rousing acoustic closer but it doesn't work for me on the album.

hm peering into the highwomen album trying to discover the pistol annies album within seems to be missing the point to me. also i could say that no pistol annies album has a song as devastating as "cocktail and a song" but that would also be meaningless

I absolutely love the Highwomen album, including / especially the title track.

...sorry, I meant “Redesigning Women”! Why did I think it was the title track, lol

It's early morning where Moka is so give her a chance! All will be revealed in due course.

xp (probably because it’s so awesome, the entire album revolves around it for me)

I don't think anyone here is seriously angry with Moka. Take all the time you need (for real)!

hey while you're waiting why not vote here:
ILX's Best Television of 2019 Poll / VOTING AND CAMPAIGNING THREAD / Voting Ends January 31

pomenitul do u want me dead

xp and here:

2019 Metal ’n’ Heavy Rock Poll: VOTING & CAMPAIGNING thread (open until the 7th of February)

Campaign in the metal thread, it will increase your life expectancy.

without blood I shrivel

how was this range forgotten:

78-whatever: I guess this really is my shit and only my shit

hm peering into the highwomen album trying to discover the pistol annies album within seems to be missing the point to me. also i could say that no pistol annies album has a song as devastating as "cocktail and a song" but that would also be meaningless

― american bradass (BradNelson), Monday, January 27, 2020 9:20 AM (fourteen minutes ago) bookmarkflaglink

Comparing the relative strengths and weaknesses of contemporary, popular, all-female country acts doesn't seem like a stretch to me. The Highwomen are a much more capital-s Serious group that demanded the industry take them Seriously, much like Carlile (who's very talented, but makes mostly boring music). Like many supergroups, it was a calculated idea--they'd never met or worked together (Wikipedia history below), and I hear that in the music.

"In 2016, when Shires was finishing her record, My Piece of Land, in music producer Dave Cobb's studio, Shires had an idea to create a female country supergroup in homage to the legendary Highwaymen country supergroup (consisting of Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Kris Kristofferson and Willie Nelson). At the same time, the lack of representation of women artists on country music radio and at country music festivals had been publicly discussed by many, influenced by the Me Too movement and journalists like Marissa Moss. While on tour in her van, while listening to country radio, Shires kept a running list of artists and noticed that there were few women. When she called to request they play more women artists, she was directed to a Facebook page lottery system. Cobb recommended Shires call Carlile, whom she didn't know. Carlile thought it would be fun, and would be an interesting creative project."

the circumstances under which the supergroup was formed only makes the coherence of the album more impressive to me