Music: Best album of 2020
- Thread starter Thucydides
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plank
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Thucydides
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- Dec 24, 2009
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The War on Drugs announce new live album due out November 20th. Stoked, but bummed, was hoping for some new Drugs music this year. Fingers crossed we get a new album in 2021 and a COVID vaccine happens and they are able to tour on it. Until then, this will have to do.
Saturated Fats
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If you are a post-hardcore/screamo fan, the new Touché Amoré album Lament is friggin outstanding
plank
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Sturgill Simpson - Cuttin' Grass Vol. 1
10/16/20
Sturgill Simpson Bluegrass Album ‘Cuttin’ Grass Vol. 1′ Coming
10/16/20
Sturgill Simpson Bluegrass Album ‘Cuttin’ Grass Vol. 1′ Coming
ItsFineImFine
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- Aug 11, 2019
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I can't believe I slept on listening to the new Happyness album. Sounds like Elliot Smith being done by a British band with a very 90s take but it's good and didn't take very long to get into.
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Another pretty hot new-release Friday, with:
Open Mike Eagle
Matt Berninger (of The National)
Autechre
Sturgill Simpson
Kevin Morby
I will get back to y'aaaaaalllll
Open Mike Eagle
Matt Berninger (of The National)
Autechre
Sturgill Simpson
Kevin Morby
I will get back to y'aaaaaalllll
plank
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Saturated Fats
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Another big new release Friday. The big dog is, of course, the record from Bruce. But the first album I listened to this morning was the new solo work songs. from Adrianne Lenker, lead singer of the stellar folk-rock outfit Big Thief. It's really, really good. Her voice has this intimacy and tenderness that perfectly complements the folksy guitar-forward tracks. She's been compared to Joni, but I liken it more to Stevie Nicks or Elizabeth Fraser of Cocteau Twins. It's gorgeous.
Also on deck, the new ones from Gorillaz, clipping., Jeff Tweedy, and Local Natives.
Also on deck, the new ones from Gorillaz, clipping., Jeff Tweedy, and Local Natives.
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Thucydides
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- Dec 24, 2009
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Roo Returns
Skjeikspeare No More
Torrential Downpour an experimental metal band from Northern New Jersey just dropped a new album yesterday. Concise, experimental, but also accessible and catchy. Jordan Rudess from Dream Theater guests.
TwentyTwentyTwenty, by Torrential Downpour
TwentyTwentyTwenty, by Torrential Downpour
Saturated Fats
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Lot of stuff I've gotten around to in the last two weeks. Has been a solid couple for new releases, though I don't love many of 'em.
Adrianne Lenker - songs. (& instrumentals) - I'm a big fan of Big Thief, and also quite enjoyed Lenker's first real solo effort, abysskiss. But this album takes it a step up, with songwriting that is deeply melancholic, while still feeling immensely warm at times, and vitally necessary. The control she exercises as a singer, juxtaposed with subtle but appropriate and skillful accompanying acoustic guitar makes this album hit all the right notes for me. It is a wonderful work of authenticity, and I've already come back to it two or three times in full. 9/10
Kevin Morby - Sundowner - Like Lenker, this is a subtle album of mostly acoustic meditations. I've never been the biggest Morby fan, but I quite enjoyed the production values and experimentation he plays around with here. Songs like 'Brother, Sister' and the title track are clearly going for a very specific aesthetic, and while it (elevated campfire songs) doesn't necessarily work for me, it's good and worthy enough to celebrate in parts. 6/10
Open Mike Eagle - Anime, Trauma & Divorce - One of my favourite hip-hop artists going, follows up the outstanding Brick Body Kids Still Daydream with another emotional and revelatory work that delves into his (clearly fragile) psyche. This really sarcastic, almost gallows-humour at times (include extremely appropriate references to being tired of 2020) make it a very 'present' album, and there are some moments in which it's really quite inviting and fascinating - but it's also veers into the boring side on some tracks, and doesn't feel like much of an evolved sound in others. I'll revisit it, but only because I appreciate him as a lyricist. 6/10
Matt Berninger - Serpentine Prison - 5/10
Klô Pelgag - Notre-Dame-des-Sept-Douleurs - 8/10
clipping. - Visions of Bodies Being Burned - 4/10
Gorillaz - Song Machine, Season 1 - 6/10
Jonsi - Shiver - 3/10
Autechre - Sign - 5/10
Bruce Springsteen - Letter to You - 7/10 (maybe my favourite of his since Nebraska)
Adrianne Lenker - songs. (& instrumentals) - I'm a big fan of Big Thief, and also quite enjoyed Lenker's first real solo effort, abysskiss. But this album takes it a step up, with songwriting that is deeply melancholic, while still feeling immensely warm at times, and vitally necessary. The control she exercises as a singer, juxtaposed with subtle but appropriate and skillful accompanying acoustic guitar makes this album hit all the right notes for me. It is a wonderful work of authenticity, and I've already come back to it two or three times in full. 9/10
Kevin Morby - Sundowner - Like Lenker, this is a subtle album of mostly acoustic meditations. I've never been the biggest Morby fan, but I quite enjoyed the production values and experimentation he plays around with here. Songs like 'Brother, Sister' and the title track are clearly going for a very specific aesthetic, and while it (elevated campfire songs) doesn't necessarily work for me, it's good and worthy enough to celebrate in parts. 6/10
Open Mike Eagle - Anime, Trauma & Divorce - One of my favourite hip-hop artists going, follows up the outstanding Brick Body Kids Still Daydream with another emotional and revelatory work that delves into his (clearly fragile) psyche. This really sarcastic, almost gallows-humour at times (include extremely appropriate references to being tired of 2020) make it a very 'present' album, and there are some moments in which it's really quite inviting and fascinating - but it's also veers into the boring side on some tracks, and doesn't feel like much of an evolved sound in others. I'll revisit it, but only because I appreciate him as a lyricist. 6/10
Matt Berninger - Serpentine Prison - 5/10
Klô Pelgag - Notre-Dame-des-Sept-Douleurs - 8/10
clipping. - Visions of Bodies Being Burned - 4/10
Gorillaz - Song Machine, Season 1 - 6/10
Jonsi - Shiver - 3/10
Autechre - Sign - 5/10
Bruce Springsteen - Letter to You - 7/10 (maybe my favourite of his since Nebraska)
John Price
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- Sep 19, 2008
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Tasty Biscuits
with fancy sauce
Sombastate
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Mike has been a friend of mine since we performed together in 2012. It's SO cool to see him getting the respect he deserves.
frisco
Some people claim that there's a woman to blame...
Best album so far:
Katatonia - City Burials
Honorable mentions (in no particular order):
Haken - Virus
My Drying Bride - The Ghost of Orion
Dawn of Solace - Waves
Unleash the Archers - Abyss
Biggest disappointment:
Demons and Wizards - III (was so pumped for new D & W and it is just flat out no bueno).
EDIT: Looking forward to Dark Tranquillity - Moment and also still have yet to check out the new Deftones album.
Katatonia - City Burials
Honorable mentions (in no particular order):
Haken - Virus
My Drying Bride - The Ghost of Orion
Dawn of Solace - Waves
Unleash the Archers - Abyss
Biggest disappointment:
Demons and Wizards - III (was so pumped for new D & W and it is just flat out no bueno).
EDIT: Looking forward to Dark Tranquillity - Moment and also still have yet to check out the new Deftones album.
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plank
Registered User
I wound up purchasing 22 new releases this year. This is how I rank them:
22. Datura4 - West Coast Cosmic Highway
21. The Nude Party - Midnight Manor
20. Rouse the Boroughs - Cosmic Creatures
19. Bette Smith - The Good, The Bad and The Bette
18. Pearl Jam - Gigaton
17. Sturgill Simpson - Cuttin' Grass Vol. 1
16. Arlo McKinley - Die Midwestern
15. Neil Young - Homegrown
14. Jason Molina - Live at La Chapelle
13. Trummors - Dropout City
12. Angel Olsen - Whole New Mess
11. Son Volt - Live at the Orange Peel
and the top 10 countdown!
22. Datura4 - West Coast Cosmic Highway
21. The Nude Party - Midnight Manor
20. Rouse the Boroughs - Cosmic Creatures
19. Bette Smith - The Good, The Bad and The Bette
18. Pearl Jam - Gigaton
17. Sturgill Simpson - Cuttin' Grass Vol. 1
16. Arlo McKinley - Die Midwestern
15. Neil Young - Homegrown
14. Jason Molina - Live at La Chapelle
13. Trummors - Dropout City
12. Angel Olsen - Whole New Mess
11. Son Volt - Live at the Orange Peel
and the top 10 countdown!
plank
Registered User
Saturated Fats
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There are a few holdouts on the year that I need to dive into (Aesop Rock, Natalia Lafourcade, The Weeknd, Eartheater) and the new Avalanches record coming out mid-December, but I feel like my list is pretty locked in. I'll post a top-25 or something in a few days.
Dang. I wasn't tracking Aesop released a new album this year. Gotta check it out!
plank
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Franck
eltiT resU motsuC
DMA's - THE GLOW is my big discovery of the year so far, Australian band making nightclub-friendly indie rock that is heavily inspired by British 90's bands like Oasis, Stone Roses and the Verve.
