Chronicle Critics Choose Their Top 10 Local Albums
10 lists by 10 of our music writers
By The Music Staff, Fri., Dec. 20, 2019
Thomas Fawcett
1) Black Pumas (ATO)
2) Charley Crockett, The Valley (Son of Davy)
3) Bill Callahan, Shepherd in a Sheepskin Vest (Drag City)
4) Grupo Fantasma, American Music Vol. VII (Blue Corn Music)
5) Los Coast, Samsara (New West)
6) Croy & the Boys, Howdy High-Rise (Spaceflight Records)
7) Jackie Venson, Joy
8) Frederico7, Exótico Americano (Lion's Lair)
9) Third Root, Trill Pedagogy: Winter Flex/Spring Semester
10) Golden Dawn Arkestra, Darkness Falls on the Edge of Time (11A Records)
Doug Freeman
1) Mike & the Moonpies, Cheap Silver & Solid Country Gold (Prairie Rose)
2) Patty Griffin (PGM Recordings)
3) Little Mazarn, Io (Self Sabotage)
4) Paul Cauthen, Room 41 (Lightning Rod)
5) Black Pumas (ATO)
6) Croy & the Boys, Howdy High-Rise (Spaceflight)
7) Charley Crockett, The Valley (Son of Davy)
8) The Deer, Do No Harm (Keeled Scales)
9) Shinyribs, Fog & Bling (Mustard Lid)
10) Robert Ellis, Texas Piano Man (New West)
Raoul Hernandez
1) Black Pumas (ATO)
2) Jackie Venson, Joy
3) Gary Clark Jr., This Land (Warner Bros.)
4) Moving Panoramas, In Two (Modern Outsider)
5) Duel, Valley of Shadows (Heavy Psych Sounds)
6) Cherubs, Immaculada High (Relapse)
7) Shinyribs, Fog & Bling (Mustard Lid)
8) Altamesa, Idol Frontier (Frontera del Sueno)
9) Mike & the Moonpies, Cheap Silver & Solid Country Gold (Prairie Rose)
10) Delbert McClinton & Self-Made Men, Tall, Dark & Handsome (Hot Shot)
Abby Johnston
1) Bill Callahan, Shepherd in a Sheepskin Vest (Drag City)
2) Black Pumas (ATO Records)
3) Hovvdy, Heavy Lifter (Double Double Whammy)
4) Gary Clark Jr., This Land (Warner Bros.)
5) Jackie Venson, Joy
6) Megafauna, Ghost Coast (Danimal Kingdom)
7) Dayglow, Fuzzybrain
8) Bruce Robison & Kelly Willis, Beautiful Lie (The Next Waltz)
9) Spoon, Everything Hits at Once: The Best of Spoon (Matador)
10) A Giant Dog, Neon Bible (Merge)
Alejandra Ramirez
1) Black Pumas (ATO)
2) Altamesa, Idol Frontier (Frontera Del Sueno)
3) Duel, Valley of Shadows (Heavy Psych Sounds)
4) Moving Panoramas, In Two (Modern Outsider)
5) Townes Van Zandt, Sky Blue (Fat Possum)
6) Gary Clark Jr., This Land (Warner Bros.)
7) Montopolis, The Legend of Big Bend (Wren and Shark)
8) Brockhampton, Ginger (RCA/Question Everything)
9) Dallas Acid, The Spiral Arm (All Saints)
10) USA/Mexico, Matamoros (12XU)
Kahron Spearman
1) Hovvdy, Heavy Lifter (Double Double Whammy)
2) VVV, Entanglement (Aurawire)
3) Black Pumas (ATO)
4) Vapor Caves, Feel Yourself
5) Dallas Acid, The Spiral Arm (All Saints)
6) Montopolis, The Legend of Big Bend (Wren and Shark)
7) Megafauna, Ghost Coast (Danimal Kingdom)
8) Pinkish Black, Concept Unification (Relapse)
9) Jordan Moser, Long Night (Keeled Scales)
10) Jackie Venson, Joy
Tim Stegall
1) Nowherebound, Mourning Glory (Drunken Ship)
2) Teenage Cavegirl, Candy Cigarettes
3) Roger Wallace, Live at the White Horse
4) The Ugly Beats, Stars Align (Get Hip)
5) Sorted Scoundrels, Cause & Solution
6) Larry Seaman, Resurrectionist (Classified)
7) Trumpcard, Use Your Collusion (Golden Shower Productions)
8) Rebel Flesh, Kill With Your Kiss
9) The Dead Coats, Nice
10) Willie Nelson, Ride Me Back Home (Legacy)
Michael Toland
1) Jon Lundbom & Big Five Chord, Harder on the Outside (Hot Cup)
2) Glassing, Spotted Horse (Brutal Panda)
3) Church on Monday, For Being There (Cherrywood)
4) Cherubs, Immaculada High (Relapse)
5) Megafauna, Ghost Coast (Danimal Kingdom)
6) The Well, Death & Consolation (RidingEasy)
7) Paul Cauthen, Room 41 (Lightning Rod)
8) Nolan Potter's Nightmare Band, Nightmare Forever (Castle Face)
9) Jacob Wise Quartet, Paseo
10) Think No Think, Nothing Really Matters (Spaceflight)
Jay Trachtenberg
1) Grupo Fantasma, American Music, Vol. VII (Blue Corn Music)
2) Golden Dawn Arkestra, Darkness Falls on the Edge of Time (11A)
3) Church on Monday, For Being There (Cherrywood)
4) Black Pumas (ATO)
5) Los Coast, Samsara (New West)
6) Jeff Lofton, Jericho
7) Graham Reynolds, Marfa: A Country & Western Big Band Suite (Golden Hornet)
8) Moving Panoramas, In Two (Modern Outsider)
9) Paul Cauthen, Room 41 (Lightning Rod)
10) Texas Horns, Get Here Quick (Severn)
Derek Udensi
1) Jackie Venson, Joy
2) Black Pumas (ATO)
3) Jake Lloyd, MoonLit Mornings (Keyz Street)
4) Gary Clark Jr., This Land (Warner Bros.)
5) Abhi the Nomad, Modern Trash (DeepMatter)
6) LNS Crew, Mixtape
7) Madi Meeks (Madi Meeks Music)
8) Quin NFN, 4NUN (TenThousand Projects)
9) Mike Melinoe, Clajidu (Gold Ain't Cheap)
10) Mélat, After All: Episode One (TALEM)