Maybe it’s simply the kind of music I like but I felt 2020 was quite barren for new music. I bought a lot of music this year but was surprised by how little of it was new from this year when I did my top 10 list a page or two back
I agree, for sure. Every year, if you look, you can find lots of good to great new music--this place is invaluable in that regard. However, this year, it seemed like so much good music just kept coming out month after month after month. Maybe the Covid -19 Quarantine changed my perspective on it, or just had more time to find and explore it. Seemed like an exceptionally good year for music, most of it made pre-covid, reflecting the end of the innocence...
Yep. This is especially true, I believe, for Jazz. Killer year with many fantastic, fresh new releases.
Many of the year’s purchases were reissues but have found the following to be my favourite newly produced albums for 2020: Jody Wisternoff - Nightwhisper CRi - Juvenile The Flaming Lips - American Head Lane 8 - Cross Pollination Johann Johannsson - Personal Effects. Kelly Lee Owens - Inner Song. The Front Bottoms - In Sickness and in Flames. Probably not most people’s cup of tea but thankfully everyone is different. Best album purchase of 2020 was Elvis - 24 Karat Hits (Living Stereo triple album) for two reasons. Quality is exceptional and when my lovely other half heard it she was gobsnackrd. I can only listen when I’m not tired as I’m not an Elvis fan but to keep my other half happy it was the best album of the year.
Someone started a "worst album cover of 2020" thread, but I don't see a best of 2020 thread. There is a thread covering the last 20 years that I posted two from this year in, but someone should start one, or I guess just post your pick here as a subtopic.
It's folk with Indian Sarangi bowed instrument and jazz touches. Just listened to it again on headphones this morning; beautiful.
You don't see best of 2020 album (or covers?) thread? I'd thought about it today too. A new thread needed? Or?
My eclectic little top 10, for what it's worth: 1. Sojourner - Premonitions - Symphonic Death Metal, with strong melodies throughout. Beautiful, powerful, epic. Album of the year. 2. The Beths - Jump Rope Gazer - The perfect antidote to a dreary year. Catchy, bouncy power pop that incorporates fuzzy and jangly guitars. The songs are about the ups and downs of young adult relationships, but Elizabeth Stokes' pretty, wistful vocals always sound upbeat and hopeful. 3. Ulcerate - Stare Into Death And Be Still - Dense and doomy, this album is like being stalked by a demon monster in an underworld so thick with fog you can barely see or breath. It's not suffocating, though, with soft passages and melodies scattered throughout. Love the rumbling, jazzy drums. 4. Chris Stapleton - Starting Over - Proof that there is still room in this world for good country music. Songs about love, heartbreak, Arkansas and whiskey, sung with singer/songwriter Stapleton's wonderfully world-weary, soulful drawl. Ballads, rockers and simple country tunes - this has it all. 5. Nightwish - Human :II: Nature - I don't care how many people hate this, I love it. Disc One is Symphonic Metal mixed with a little folk, in some ancient storytelling. Is Disc Two a bit too ambitious for its britches? Yeah, but it's nice evocative mood music, reminiscent of Lord of the Rings. 6. Immanuel Wilkins - Omega - Wilkens conveys so many textures and moods with his wonderful saxophone work. He's ably assisted by his combo (especially the drummer), who give much of the album an improvised feel. (Note: Wilkens has something deep to (musically) say with this album that involves race issues. That can't be discussed here, but gives the music extra gravitas IMO. However, this album can be enjoyed purely on a musical level). 7. Anaal Nathrakh - Endarkenment - Blistering thrashy Power-ish metal with vocal styles all over the place (in a good way). Hard to categorize, but it gets my blood pumping. 8. Emmy the Great - April - Emmy graces us with a full length LP this year of her soothing voice and creative, minimalist music. I think of these as lullabies for adults, with Emmy's personal, poetic lyrics of her search for self during her time back in China. 9. Havukruunu - Uinuos Syomein Sota - Finnish Death Metal drinking songs? I don't know how to describe this, but it's non-stop boisterous fun. 10. Testament - Titans of Creation - Nothing groundbreaking for these legends, just 12 tracks of solid metal with nary a misstep. An undercurrent of groove is a nice counterpoint to the blistering thrash.
In no particular order... Pallbearer Facs Activity Porridge Radio Algiers Wolf Parade Idles Rolling Coastal Blackout Fever Coricky Fontaines D.C.
I see you're hip to and current with the new music. Besides the two I bolded the only one I know here is Wolf Parade. I'm curious about the two I bolded. These two bands were new last year or the year before right? and these are their sophomore albums right? I cant keep up with it all, but know these two got lots of buzz for their debuts and, now, their 2020 albums. Do you have both by both, how do they compare (albums not artist)??
I am shocked by how few new albums I purchased this year, although I did listen to quite a few but found there was little I was interested in buying. My favourites were as follows: Good Souls Better Angels - Lucinda Williams The Dangerous Age - Kate Ceberano, Steve Kilby and Sean Sennett Hate For Sale - Pretenders Rough And Rowdy Ways - Bob Dylan Letter To You - Bruce Springsteen La Vita Nuova - Maria McKee I Am Not A Dog On A Chain - Morrissey And I loved Robert Plant’s Digging Deep too. There were only about 12 that I purchased and the above were the ones that I loved and played the most. As for reissues, my favourites are: This Far - Sade boxset Jewel Box (Deluxe Edition) - Elton John Sign ‘O The Times (Deluxe Edition) - Prince
I forgot about Maria McKee. Heard it was great. I assume you concur? I love the Robert Plant 2 Cd collection as well. I Must get Hate 4 Sale!
Firstly I realized I wrote the name wrong, it’s Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever. Yes both are on the second albums and they are excellent continuations of their firsts. Coriky is Ian and Joe from Fugazi. If you like Fugazi there’s no reason you shouldn’t like Coriky.
Here's mine: 1. The Avalanches - We Will Always Love You 2. Gorillaz- Song Machine, Season One: Strange Timez 3. Run the Jewels - RTJ4 4. Mac Miller - Circles 5. Tame Impala - The Slow Rush 6. Destroyer - Have We Met 7. Flaming Lips - American Head 8. Lady Gaga - Chromatica 9. Sam Amidon - Sam Amidon 10. Wagon Christ - Recepticon I wrote a little about them here: I AM HICKS Some outstanding reissues/archival releases: Tom Petty - Wildflowers and All the Rest Grateful Dead - Workingman's Dead and American Beauty 50th Anniversary Deluxe Editions Bobby Hutcherson - Oblique Tone Poet Release
10. Epitaph - Pyramaze 9. Fish - Weltzschmerz 8. Pineapple Thief - Versions of The Truth 7. Armored Saint - Punching The Sky 6. Kansas - Absence of Presence 5. Needtobreathe - Out of Body 4. Drive by Truckers - Unraveling 3. Norah Jones - Pick me up off the floor 2. AC/DC - Power Up 1. Chris Stapleton - Starting Over