Did my Due Diligence and bought a few more of the 2020 musical offerings I'd either missed (but found now thanks to all y'all) or that I had been sitting on the fence on, or that just got released (Elvis).... So, This Afternoon, at my Local, I picked up: EOB ~ Earth Flaming Lips ~ American Head Elvis Costello ~ Hey Clockface The Waterboys ~ Good Luck, Seeker Tomberlin ~ Projections (an Ep, and a picture disc!) Kathleen Edwards ~ Total Freedom These 5 above, are all based on recommendation up thread, and then I found one new artist I've never heard, of nor seen mentioned: Selah Sue ~ Bedroom Ep A 10- inch, of whom I know nothing, but it looked intriguing. Much listening homework to do! Cheers!
Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit - Reunions Bob Dylan - Rough and Rowdy Ways Sturgill Simpson - Cuttin' Grass* Jeff Tweedy - Love is the King* Pokey La Farge - Rock Bottom Rhapsody American Aquarium - Lamentations Jaimie Wyatt - Neon Cross Kurt Vile - Speed, Sound, Loneliness KV (ep)* Fleet Foxes - Shore* Matt Berninger - Serpentine Prison *= Awaiting vinyl release which may change the list order as I give them more attention Have been digging into new release Americana and Country this year it seems! Best vinyl re-issues of 2020 (not that anyone asked): Jane's Addiction - Ritual de lo Habitual (Rhino Rocktober) John Coltrane - A Love Supreme (Verve/ Acoustic Sounds) Uncle Tupelo - Anodyne (Rhino SYEOR) PJ Harvey - To Bring You My Love, and To Bring You My Love Demos Wilco - Summerteeth Deluxe
I find that the vinyl is a lot more pleasing for me than the download was because it's so darned long and you can listen to just one side and also you can hear better (the download I got was just mp3, I didn't get the more expensive one at HD Tracks) and most importantly side four has no programmed drums on it. If you listen too just side 1 and side 4 it's like a really good old school record and that kind of scratches my itch right now.
Top 10 of 2020 1. VANDENBERG - 2020 2. PRIMAL FEAR - METAL COMMANDO 3. H.E.A.T - II 4. PERECT PLAN - TIME FOR A MIRACLE 5. VOLCANO - GODSPEED 6. ONE DESIRE - MIDNIGHT EMPIRE 7. BIFF BYFORD - SCHOOL OF HARD KNOCKS 8. JOE SATRIANI - SHAPESHIFTING 9. MAGNUM - THE SERPENT RINGS 10. TOKYO MOTOR FIRST - LIONS
I've been a fan since Fearless. And never closested. From the moment I heard her I thought she was a remarkable, precocious writer. I think Folklore was the album she was born to make and that I and many fans I think have been waiting for her to make. I think it towers above her other work actually, the only other album of hers that I think comes close is Red. In contrast to you, I'm not a big fan of 1989. There's some terrific stuff on that, but I find it spotty and repetitive and lacking in a lot of the qualities that made me a Swift fan in the first place, especially the visual, cinematic, character-driven storytelling. (Lover I think is half a great album, half not so good, and is even more musically repetitive in terms of lyric rhythm shape, the first nine or so songs are great mostly, then I turn it off). The only thing on 1989 that I thought was up to par with the best Swift work is "Clean." It's not album album I go back to very much, in contrast to Red or Fearless or Speak Now or Folklore. I think with 1989 Swift seemed to become less and less interested in storytelling and detail and the inner lives of people and more and more interested in how things played on CHR radio, what the hot sonic trends were, and what people were saying about her, and her work started slipping. Red, had a perfect balance. Fearless and Speak Now, though spottier, had that storytelling and inner life of characters insight that I fell in love with (Fifteen might still be, for me, the ultimate Taylor Swift song and possibly my favorite). 1989, not so much (I think we all agree Reputation was a low point). I just listened to Folklore again last night and I was knocked out all over. One of my favorite albums ever. I has all those qualities that drew me to Swift's writing in the first place, plus a great breadth of lyrical topics, better than ever storytelling full of visual detail and the inner life of characters, great emotional maturity, and a nice musical change up and diversity. I'm hoping we never get another 1989 from her, and instead continue to get mature, emotionally rich, character driven, storytelling albums written without a concern for what radio format they fit into or how the songs might sound played in a stadium. I'm also hoping she continues to find new and different and surprising people to collaborate with. It was clearly inspiring in this case. And I hope she's mostly done with collaborating with Jack Antonoff. He seems to feed here worst creative instincts.
I am going to add The Ghost of Paul Revere "Good at Losing Everything" to my previous list. Update; The Dave Alvin disc I got this week is really great. Covers but he does them justice.
Kate Rusby- Everglow Joan Osborn-Trouble And Strife https://m.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLSpBGpNWr93BUIXGCBuwabQXguEtOVoQb
1 - Muzz - Muzz 2 - Fontaines D.C - A Hero's Death 3 - The Strokes - The New Abnormal (These 3 are well above the others) 4 - Matt Berninger - The Serpentine Prison 5 - Pearl Jam - Gigaton 6 - Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever - Sideways to New Italy 7 - Deftones - Ohms 8 - Wolf Parade - Thin Mind 9 - Real Estate - The Main Thing 10A- Psychedelic Furs - Made of Rain 10B - Silverbacks - Fad 10C - Stone Temple Pilots - Perdida
Hi @WHMusical! Glad you found my list & uploads helpful. I'll respond in the order you posted: Lilly Hiatt - that blue one you refer to is, I believe, appropriately, Royal Blue, her 2nd. I came in on this year's Walking Proof, but did hear songs from that on one of her live-streams & would say that's lighter, less intense definitely than Trinity Lane (the red cover). I did purchase Trinity Lane, probably about a month after Walking Proof. Initially, wasn't as crazy about Trinity Lane, but put it aside a little while (My methodology w/music purchases: I never force it if/when I'm not feeling it to comply w/any return periods, b/c I figure there was something I liked about it to have purchased in the 1st place & it will usually just amount to a different head-space, so bide my time). About a month or so later, returned to it & do enjoy it. It's just a little different in that it skews a little more rock over country, Royal Blue more country over rock. Walking Proof, I'd say falls right in the middle & from what I have heard of her catalog, to date, is a career highlight - in what looks (hopefully) to be a long & rewarding one! Teddy Thompson does not sound like his folks, so I wouldn't go into his thinking that. He's uber-talented, but has his own sound & style (included on my post). I discovered him by playing on another thread matching album covers & matched a Linda Thompson one w/an Enya one - which led me to wonder who is Linda Thompson. Went to Amazon & read some customer reviews (as well as listened to samples); I didn't care so much for her (or her husband, Richard, Teddy's Dad, when I did same). - However, you state that you do love the folks & I have seen that a number of people do thoroughly enjoy all of them. - A number of reviewers were speaking very highly about Teddy & this was @ just the right moment in time - it was about a month before Heartbreaker Please release date. Heard a couple of early teasers & pre-ordered immediately. Liked what I'd heard so much, roamed around his back catalog a bit & in that meantime, ordered Separate Ways - also VG++. I just listened to Chris Isaak last night & this morning & stand firm in my best description of Teddy's work on Heartbreaker Please as a sort of blend between Chris & The Everly Brothers w/some songs also having a bit of a stax R&B sound, too & if you enjoy Chris Isaak, then you'll probably figure that he's got a bit of a Roy Orbison thing going on. That's the fullest descrp. I can give & I don't think that Teddy's parents sound like any of that, from what I heard. Waxahatchee (& Lydia Loveless) - Both release Different albums, different sounds. Waxahatchee's Saint Cloud is very americana. Again, this was right timing. I'd been investigating late last year & was going back & forth between Cerulean Salt & Out In The Storm. Put both on wishlists to review at a later date. When I heard a couple of teasers from Saint Cloud, pre-ordered immediately. After viewing 2 or 3 of her livestream events, the one I most lean toward next would be Ivy Tripp. Lydia Loveless seems to be kinda known for cowpunk, or as allmusic puts it country w/a r'n'r attitude. Daughter is milder. The farther back you go in her catalog, the more cowpunk. If Daughter is not strong enough, then I'd recommend Somewhere Else. I believe the one in between, Real is more of an effort to cross over to mainstream - I don't have that one or the earlier ones, other than Somewhere Else. Wolf Parade - Thin Mind is a more accessible record than their earlier ones. 1st one I've purchased - again, a pre-order last November from 1 or 2 early teasers; just felt this would be the one which would connect for me. I'd viewed Cry, Cry, Cry in '17 & liked it some, but not enough to purchase it. I think a good number of their fans love the debut, Apologies To The Queen Mary - no matter when I've given a listen to some of those songs to consider purchase, I just don't care for it very much. I also love the side-project one-off Dan Boeckner w/Britt Daniel of Spoon *"A Thing Called Divine Fits". Spun that one a lot for a couple of years & still take it out for a listen, after purchasing around '14, or so, but I think it released some years earlier. After enjoying Thin Mind so much, too, I investigated further & found Dan has also had 2 additional side-projects (as I believe Spencer Krug has, as well) - Handsome Furs (I also purchased "Face Control" & enjoy it...happy w/that decision). And, also purchased Wolf Parade's earlier Expo 86 (that's the title; not the year it was made!) - which I also enjoy very much. I don't recall the name of Dan's other side-project. EOB, I see you already purchased Earth. I hope you did read my description & sampled it. I am not a Radiohead fan, so I can't speak of how it compares w/their material. *Leaving an upload of in-studio KEXP performance; several songs.
@BlackCircleVinyl & @WHMusical Ohhh, yes, Neon Cross is also another VG+ '20 release! I'd been checking it out, but I've been purchasing in more rapid succession than I usually do, so put that one on a back-burner. That falls right into Lilly Hiatt & Lydia Loveless territory!
Thanks for the detailed and lengthy replies, LTD! A couple of quick thoughts: Sounds like a pass on Lily, like I said, got two already and never play them. Sounds like more of the same. Re: Teddy Thompson, I like him a lot. Very familiar with the whole Thompson clan, LOVE Linda and Richard, and I know Teddy is his own man and singer/songwriter. I got his first two, then wandered off... Might have to check out his new one based on your praise... Waxahatchee I´ve re-found and plan to spin soon. Gonna pass on Linda Loveless and Wolf Parade. Ed O´Brien I bought without hesitation when I saw that Laura Marling guests on it. Big Radiohead Ed (and Phil) fan too, especially after seeing that Neil Finn documentary. Thanks again for your detailed information on all these 2020 releases, You Rock! Cheers!
The Gnosis - The Gnosis Wytch Hazel - Pentecost Kruhangbin - Mordechai AC/DC - Power Up Idles - Ultra Mono Paradise Lost - Obsidian The Big Moon - Walking Like We Do Hexvessel - Kindred Katie Pruitt - Expectations Ozzy Osbourne - Ordinary Man With these guys at the top for a reason. Magical stuff, and varied...
Thought I'd add my top ten songs: 1. Garden Song - Phoebe Bridgers 2. Healing is a Miracle - Juliana Barwick 3. We Don't Know How To Say Why - The Innocence Mission 4. Antietam - Tobin Sprout 5. Blue Commanche - Westerman 6. August - Taylor Swift 7. Murder Most Foul - Bob Dylan 8. Nothing At All - Perfume Genius 9. Northern Rain - Tim Bowness 10. Inspirit - Juliana Barwick
Good stuff. Healing is a Miracle is a very nice album, funny, I just grabbed her name from your post and searched to see if I had responded to your initial list since JB and The Innocence Mission are big favorites on my list too, and only your two posts showed up. Hmm... then I realized you misspelled her name Anyway, some very nice albums this year. Curious if you've listened to the Less Bells Mourning Jewelry album? It's become one of my big favorites this year, and you may really like it, primarily Julie Carpenter with some other musicians, and some similarities to JB and that mix of ambient, experimental, and modern classical, really nice, I've made a few posts around about it, but here's the words of someone else (and a reference to Julianna Barwick as well) ... Less Bells: Mourning Jewelry – “an album for solitude to escape everyday burdens”
Top by miles. It's the most thrilling, arresting, interesting, and intelligent record I own. Pick any adjective. There is a fighting chance that this record is the best example of it. There are some songs which have amazing sections or sounds that I just love and this record is like having the great bits of Let England Shake, Andy Warhol, Bauhaus's Mask, Musette and Drums or the REM car alarm song carrying on for a whole album. 1 Fiona Apple: Fetch The Bolt Cutters Trailing, but still good in a reasonable year - lockdown meant I played so much music, I just had to find good new stuff (I had no other albums for seven of the top 10) 2 Muzz: Muzz 3 Tony Allen, Hugh Masekela: Rejoice 4 Jenny O.: New Truth 5 Wasted Shirt: Fungus II (My favourite album cover) 6 Revolutionary Army of the Infant Jesus: Nocturnes 7 Baxter Dury: The Night Chancers 8 Deerhoof: Love-Lore 9 Jonathan Wilson: Dixie Blur 10 Bdrmm: Bedroom Best reissue - it reaffirmed them as one of the best bands ever, and maybe the best. New Order: The John Peel Sessions 1982
Thank you, PW, and others for recommending the Phoebe Bridgers album. It’s every bit as great as everyone promised. Really love this and will be playing it a lot more over the next few days.
Ordered by release date (too hard to rank!) Stephen J. Malkmus - Traditional Techniques Dana Gavanski - Yesterday Is Gone The Orb - Abolition Of The Royal Familia / Abolition In Dub Ghostpoet - I Grow Tired But Dare Not Fall Asleep Mogwai - ZEROZEROZERO (A Mogwai Soundtrack) Cavern Of Anti-Matter - In Fabric OST Sonic Boom - All Things Being Equal Nadine Shah - Kitchen Sink JARV IS... - Beyond The Pale Thurston Moore - By The Fire
In no particular order: The Fleshtones - Face of the Screaming Werewolf The Dream Syndicate - The Universe Inside Bob Mould - Blue Hearts AC/DC - Power Up Dramarama - Color TV Bruce Springsteen - Letter to You Sparks - A Steady Drip, Drip, Drip Guided by Voices - Surrender Your Poppy Field Datura 4 - West Coast Highway Cosmic X - Alphabetland
Bruce Springsteen- Letter to You- fabulous latter day release from my favorite artist, the theme of loss really struck a chord with me, hope we all live long enough to hear some of these new classics in concert, especially Ghosts, I’ll See You in My Dreams, and Last Man Standing Bob Dylan- Rough N Rowdy Ways- what a treat it was to immerse myself into the richness of Murder Most Foul during the lockdown Ray LaMontagne- Monovision- love the ethereal sounds of Highway to the Sun, Rocky Mountain Healing, We’ll Make it Through, and I Was Born to Love You Psychedelic Furs- Made of Rain- always have been a fan of Richard Butler’s singing and it was worth the 21 year wait, Stars just takes me away Josh Ritter- See Here, I Have Built You a Mansion- one of the best songwriters out there in my eyes, Time is Wasting, Miles Away, Waiting on You all noteworthy, as is his cover of Dire Straits’ Brothers in Arms Black Swan- Shake the World- quality hard rock featuring Reb Beach, Jeff Pilson, and Robin McCauley Israel Nash- Topaz (EP)- Southern Coasts, Canyonheart, Closer, all superb Pearl Jam- Gigaton- found River Cross to be a wonderful dirge, Comes and Goes, Great Escape and Seven 0’clock are keepers as well Biggest disappointment- The Killers- Imploding the Mirage- the last 2 albums just have not connected with me
