- I don't like to live in the past. With most pop-culture, I like to maintain a healthy appreciation for the classics, but I also try to always be in on the conversation around the latest and greatest. But with music - especially here in the ultra-fragmented, hyper-personalized landscape that is 2019 - it can be hard to keep up. Especially when your interest is primarily in rock - a genre where one has to be increasingly proactive to stay current. That's why, for the last few years, I've made it a point to spend some time at the end of the year seeking out the must-listen new music that I missed over the previous several months. It's kind of fun, and it makes for a great supplement to the new music I discovered organically throughout the year.
All that said, the defining musical moments of 2019, for me, mostly involved finally seeing some true legends perform live.
For the first time ever, I saw Sir Paul McCartney in concert - at a huge, epic show held at Dodger Stadium. I was never a huge Beatles fan growing up, but my appreciation for The Beatles and for Sir Paul has really grown in recent years. I was amazed at how great of a show McCartney could still put on in 2019, and just how musically gifted the man truly is. Plus, bonus: Ringo himself showed up and got behind the drums for a trio of songs to close out the show. Amazing.
I also finally saw Iron Maiden live this year - my first time! - and the legendary metal band did not disappoint. At LA's huge Banc of California stadium, Iron Maiden wowed the amped-up crowd with classic song after classic song. Pumping my fist to rock anthems like Fear of the Dark and Run to the Hills was an experience I will not soon forget.
I actually kicked off the year by seeing KISS live as part of their supposedly-final tour. Final or not, the show was a lot of fun, and they had the Forum in LA rocking with plenty of vintage hits. KISS never skimps on the pyrotechnics or theatrics, and Paul Stanley is a uniquely charismatic frontman. As a longtime KISS fan, it was awesome seeing them live one more time.
Another amazing show took place at the Hollywood Bowl in late Summer. I saw a double-bill of Joan Jett and Heart, and man, it was an incredible show. Joan Jett had long been on my concert bucketlist - as she's one of my all-time favorites. It was amazing - and kind of surreal - to finally see her play some of my favorite songs ever, like Bad Reputation, live and in person. I'd seen Heart once before, so I knew they'd be great. But once again, I was absolutely blown away by the ethereal power of Ann Wilson's vocals and the electrifying, mesmerizing guitar-playing prowess of sister Nancy.
I saw Avril Lavigne in concert for the first time ever. Yep, I'm the one person who saw both Avril Lavigne and Iron Maiden live this year. But hey, it's well-documented that I've always been a fan of Avril's semi-guilty-pleasure pop-punk stylings, so it was a fun nostalgia rush to see her live at the Greek Theater and get to sing along to her pretty-impressive catalog of hits.
And finally, I once again saw the one and only "Weird" Al live. Hell yeah. Also taking place at the Greek Theater, this was another uber-fun show from the living legend. Every time I see Al in concert, I'm amazed at the multiple generations of fans who show up, smiles plastered on faces, everyone just happy to experience a night of good vibes and hilarious parody songs. The man is truly a national treasure.
Anyways, on with the show. After all, you can't be content to simply live in the past. So here are my picks for the best of 2019.
DANNY'S TOP ROCK SONGS OF 2019:
1.) Gary Clark Jr - "Pearl Cadillac" / "This Land"
- Gary Clark Jr. has been around for a while now, but he was new to me in 2019. But I'm glad I stumbled onto him - his new album has heavy rock leanings, mixing the funky stylings of Prince with the epic rock balladry of late-period Guns n' Roses. Check out Pearl Cadillac for a hypnotically awesome, funktastic power-ballad. And give This Land a listen for a truly unforgettable, fight-the-power screed against racism.
2.) The Darkness - "How Can I Lose Your Love" / "We Are the Guitar Men"
- The Darkness have been a reliable source for good, ol'-fashioned, no-shame rock n' roll since their early-in-the-decade comeback. And their newest album, while not quite as strong as earlier efforts, still features its share of bombastic, over-the-top rockers that are worthy of The Darkness name. The band always has some tongue in cheek cheekiness in its songs, so even the endearingly earnest Guitar Men seems to coming at us with a knowing wink and a smile.
3.) Weezer - "End of the Game"
- Weezer is having a moment, in what's been a remarkable career of highs and lows. In my opinion, almost every era of Weezer has had its high points - and while it's been a long time since the band put together a whole album's worth of goodness, each album release usually has at least one or two gems. And so it may go with their 2020 release Van Weezer (love the title ...). The first single - End of the Game - is vintage Weezer power-pop wrapped up with an 80's Van Halen-esque bow. I'll take it.
4.) Sleater-Kinney - "Can I Go On" / "Bad Dance"
- Legendary alt-rockers Sleater-Kinney delivered their first album post parting ways with drummer Janet Weiss, but it was, even so, a banger. A couple of favorite songs from the release include the can-do anthem Can I Go On and the apocalyptic party song Bad Dance. These badass women have still got it.
5.) Billie Eilish - "Bad Guy"
- This song was everywhere in 2019, and deservedly so. It's a catchy and mesmerizing piece of futuristic dance-pop-rock, and it helped to make Eilish one of the breakout pop stars of the year. I'll be honest, a lot of pop stuff this year left me pretty cold. But this song stood out as an instant-classic earworm that will likely have some serious staying power.
6.) Ozzy Osbourne - "Under the Graveyard"
- Ozzy dropped some surprise singles towards the end of the year, in anticipation of a new 2020 album. And - wow! - Under the Graveyard is legit. It's a vintage Ozzy song - in 2019 - that conjures up the black magic of 80's-era Ozzy (though with some more modern flourishes). But this is a real-deal head-banger that may just make you bark at the moon.
7.) Tool - "Fear Inoculum"
- I've never been a Tool die-hard, but I have always had a healthy appreciation for the moody, complex, industrial-rock prowess of the band. And of course, I've often used their songs as background when I'm writing and trying to get into a particularly dark and ominous mindset. Anyways, it's easy to see why their long-awaited 2019 album release was a bonafide rock music event. No one does this kind of music quite like Tool - they are practically a genre unto themselves. The album title track, Fear Inoculum, is the new song that grabbed me most.
8.) The Black Keys - "Lo/Hi"
-The Black Keys returned in 2019 with a new album that returned the band to their original alt-rock sound. Lo/Hi feels like vintage Black Keys - something that had been sorely missing from the rock scene for the last couple of years. As soon as those fuzzy guitars kick in, you know you're off to the races.
9.) Sam Fender - "The Borders"
-If you haven't heard Sam Fender, he's a British dude who seriously channels the kind of soulful, introspective rock made famous by the likes of Bruce Springsteen. The Borders is a great example of his style - a song with cinematic lyrics and a driving, fist-pumping rhythm (not to mention a Boss-esque sax interlude). This is some seriously good stuff - I think this guy may be going places.
10.) Yonaka - "Rockstar" / "Fired Up"
- Yonaka is one of those artists who just sounds like the future. Mixing dance-pop with rock guitars, her songs are guaranteed to get you moving and bopping. Fired Up is an energy-filled dance song that's a guaranteed crowd-pleaser, and Rockstar is a similarly get-up-and-dance kind of song.
Just Missed the Cut:
11.) Tenacious D - "Hope"
12.) Simple Creatures - "Drugs"
13.) Doll Skin - "Outta My Mind"
14.) Jenny Lewis - “Red Bull & Hennessy"
15.) Charly Bliss - "Hard to Believe"
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