2020
It’s been many years since I have written a music blog.
I’ve decided to wrap 2020 into one large blog of a collection of personal favorites, others picks whom are either widely recognized (Rolling Stone & NPR, among others), and people I tend to fall in line with on music taste (Largehearted Boy).
In similar fashion to my previous posts, I have created a sort of playlist of songs I have chosen from albums released in 2020. As noted below, I’ve also included EPs.
Reaching far out, I have included some I am not necessarily an immediate fan of. There were a handful of moments I was struggling to find ONE song I liked off an album. However, I can stand by this playlist and would listen to it in full.
Some notes I would like to add: I can feel the American pandemic experience in some of these songs. Our year was such a whirlwind. The beating drum of not backing down is prevalent. Music is such a powerful gift, such a tangible vaccine to the emotional pandemic Americans faced this year. I feel I owe it to music to write this love letter of a blog. Music gives me my theme of the day, it gives me my own carpool karaoke, it takes a walk with me and my Beats headphones, and it connects us even when we are not physically together.
Since this is a rather long playlist, I’ve categorized the picks in groups based on my connection with the artist. Lastly, I would normally add tour dates to my blurbs but you know, Covid.
Enjoy!
2020 Albums Released:
Personal Fav Artists from the last several years:
"One More Try" from Perfume Genius's 5th album Set My Heat on Fire Immediately
Michael Hadreas is a stunning work of art. I saw him on 7/16/17 at the Revolution Hall in Portland Oregon. I had no idea what concert I was going to. Suddenly this beautiful being in red lipstick, high heels, pinstripe pants folded up like a pirate boot, and a white tank took over the stage with his heart piercing voice with “Otherside”. My jaw dropped and I never got control of myself through the rest of the show. The building could have caught on fire, yet I would have only had eyes for Perfume Genius. Sadly I was supposed to see him over the summer 2020 (with Tame Impala) but the show was canceled. As for the pick “One More Try”, I’m on the edge of my seat listening his quivering voice sing about why he hid his love. Tears.
"Los Angeles" from Haim's 3rd album Women in Music Pt III
When Haim came onto the music scene in 2013, I needed them badly. I’m pleased to see them take their time and soak their success of their first album. I chose “Los Angeles” due to the lyrics of talking about needing to be home, about losing faith, about not wanting to be in cold New York (the best city in the world). The saxophone so towards the end of the song is such a bonus. Thank you Haim sisters! You can hear amazing women artists influences in this album. But the sisters make it their own with their vocal harmonies and originality in their song writing.
"Lost in Yesterday" from Tame Impala's 4th album The Slow Rush
Australian neo-psychedelia bank Tame Impala birthed the same year as my blog! 2007. What I love about Tame Impala (Kevin Parker) is he doesn't skimp on the length of the songs on this album. You can loose yourself listening to each track, great driving music. Indeed a "slow rush". I'm not sure how many times I Shazamed "Lost in Yesterday" in 2020 just so I could have it readily available to jam to.
"Baby" from Four Tet's 10th album Sixteen Oceans
Brit Kieran Hebden is the mastermind behind Four Tet. If you're considered an essential "folktronica" artist, you know you've made it. They are like combining Disney's Electrical Parade with space jazz Sun Ra. And if that doesn't send you rushing to listen to Four Tet, I can't help you.
"Let's Start Again" from Frazey Ford's third album U kin B the Sun
Canadian Frazey Ford is an original member of The Be Good Tanyas, whose track The Littles Birds has worn through from being played on repeat in my head. When Frazey Ford recorded solo I was nervous because I love the harmonious vocals from the Tanyas. Quickly I was schooled by the amazing soul of her voice on her own. U kin B the Sun will be an album I will listen to often and for years to come.
“Holding to the Edge of Night” from Samantha Crain’s album A Small Death
Oklahoman Samantha Crain wrote this album after surviving three major car accidents. I can feel her pain and endurance in "Holding to the Edge of Night", well throughout the entire album. Her folk rock voice in High Horse sends me to a visual of a sky full of stars and the air full of fireflies. This is another album I don't want to forget about in the near future.
“I’m Not My Season” from Fleet Foxes’ fourth album Shore
The sounds of waves and seagulls between songs is a brilliant move to bring you to Shore with Fleet Foxes. The lyrics threw me, "If we ride a winter long wind, well time's not what I belong to". Exactly. I'm not the season I'm in. This is definitely one of those albums you listen to from beginning to end without skipping through a track. I love where "Quiet Air" takes me, I'm a sucker for piano rolling waves.
“Everything Else Has Gone Wrong” from Bombay Bicycle Club’s 5th album Everything Else Has Gone Wrong
Ironically this Brit band released this album on 1/17/2020. Little did they know shit was really going to blow up. Literally everything has gone wrong in the world. I think everyone needs to find their peace again and their second wind, as lead singer Jack boasts over and over.
“America” from Sufjan Stevens’ 8th album The Ascension
A Detroit native, this indie rocker transcends his listeners with his smooth electronica ways. There's less banjo and more layers of synthesizer sounds in this latest album of Sufjan's. Ascension fits with the cold, non-organic, rollercoaster of a year of 2020. Take a nice 80 minute walk in the cold brisk air to this album and you will have a lovely companion to feed off your winter blues. The 12 minute pick America will have you reeling.
“Count on Me” from The Lone Bellow’s 4thalbum Half Moon Light
Another future seer, this album came out February 7, 2020. You know, before the world turned upside down. This ballad of poignant lyrics catches me right from the get-go. The drum intro gives me the auto nod to the beat. "Let it break you. Let it help you lay down what you held onto. Let it break you. You can count on me, I can count on you". It's the song that plays in my brain when I think of my friends and family who I can't see during the pandemic but still want them to know I am here for them. I don't really care if that is cheesy as fuck. Truth, man. Truth. I've been a fan of The Lone Bellow since the broke out in 2013 Since then I always keep my eye out for these Brooklynites music.
“Looking for you” from Nada Surf’s 9th album Never Not Together
This early 90''s band keeps on going with this latest album, managing to keep up with the morphing music creates with time. New York's Nada Surf is a band I always think I know and then I realize I reintroduce them to myself every few years. I wrote about them in my January 30 2012 blog music entry and I should really get my shit together.
“Home” from Caribou’s 5th album Suddenly
Canadian Daniel Snaith performs under three monikers: Caribou, Manitoba, and Daphni. As Caribou, he has had the most recognition and is the one I'm most familiar with. I found a blog draft I never posted in 2010 about Caribou's Swim. Inspired me to post all blogs, complete or not. This song was released way before the 2020 pandemic, but is exactly where I stayed all year long: Home. Side note, I really dig the track "Lime" as well.
"valentines day" from MisterWives 3rd album SUPERBLOOM
I had the pleasure of seeing this amazing New York band in 2015 at the MusicFestNW in Portland, OR. Valentines Day is such a haunting track that pulls me out of my own head-mess and feel the heartbreak of the story. Don't worry, the other tracks like "The End" and "WhyWhyWhy" don't feel like such a rainy day as said Valentines... Who wouldn't want to hear more after their 2015 hit "Reflections"? I am not disappointed.
On several “best of” lists this year that I had already heard prior to my investigations for this blog:
"Savage Remix (feat. Beyonce)" from Megan Thee Stallion's debut album Good News
I watched Texan Megan Thee Stallion sing “Savage” on SNL this Fall and wanted more. I’m not impressed with her WAP song, but this mega hit remix with Beyoncé is the badass mantra a woman can listen to while walking solo down the street.
"Break My Heart" from Dua Lipa's 2nd album Future Nostalgia
“It is what it is (feat. Pedro Martin)" from Thundercat’s 4th album It is what it is
"St Cloud" from Waxahatchee's 5th album Saint Cloud
"Si Veo a Tu Mama" from Bad Bunny's album YHLQMDLG
"Garden Song" from Phoebe Bridgers album Punisher
"Dynamite" from BTS's album Be
“Spotlight” from Jessie Ware’s album What's Your Pleasure
Never heard of these Winners:
“Blinking Light” from Half Waif’s album Ordinary Talk
“Circling” from Porridge Radio’s album Every Bad
“Hannah Sun” from Lomelda’s album Hannah
“The Quiver to the Bomb” from U.S. Girls’ album Heavy Light
“Impossible Weight (feat. Sharon Van Etten)” from Deep Sea Diver’s album Impossible Weight
“Ladies for Babies (Goats for Love) from Nadine Shah’s album Kitchen Sink
“Til a Mermaid Drags You Under” from Mary Lattimore’s album Silver Ladders
"Further away" from beabadoobee's album Fake it Flowers
"Yellow is the Color of Her Eyes" from Soccer Mommy's album Color Theory
"Flagey God" from Bartees Strange's album Life Forever
“Take it With You When You Go” from Kathleen Edwards’ album Total Freedom
"The Recuerdos" from The Mavericks' album En Espanol
"STFU" from Rina Sawayama's album Sawayama
"NTE" from Buscabulla's album Regressa
"Son Shine" from Sault's album Untiled (Black is)
"Love Her" from Kate Pruitt's album Expectations
"Melt!" from Kelly Lee Owens album Inner Song
"Del Mar (feat. Doja Cat & Sia)" from Ozuna's album Enoc
"ooh la la" (feat. Greg Nice & DJ Premier) from Run the Jewels's album RTJ4
"Sins of the Father" from Waylon Payne's Album Blue Eyes, The Harlot, The Queer, The Pusher, and Me
"Utakata" from The Microphones album Microphones in 2020
"Together Is A Beautiful Place To Be" from Nubya Garcia's album Source
"Nada" from Lido Pimienta's album Miss Columbia
"Marafon 15" from Kate NV's album Room for the Moon
"4/EM" from Grimes's album Miss Anthropocene
"The Wind, She Whispers" from Tall Tall Trees' album A Wave of Golden Things
"Automatic Driver" from La Roux's album Supervision
"Cut Me" from Moses Sumney's album græ
The MTV Music Awards:
“Plastic Hearts” from Miley Cyrus’ album Plastic Hearts
"exile (feat. Bon Iver)" from Taylor Swift's album Folklore
"My Hair" from Ariana Grande's album Positions
"Sine from Above (feat. Elton John)" from Lady Gaga's album Chromatica
"Alanis' Interlude (feat Alanis Morrisette)" from Halsey's album Manic
"Heartless" from The Weeknd - After Hours
"Julianna Calm Down" from The Chicks album Gaslighter
One should always download at least part of the album if not all the following artists music released:
"I'm a Fool to Want You" from M. Ward's album Think of Spring
"Damsel in Distress" from Rufus Wainwright's album Unfollow the Rules
"Lightning Fields (feat. k.d. lang)" from The Killers' album Imploding the Mirage
"Under the Table" from Fiona Apple's album Fetch the Bolt Colters
"ACC Kirtan" from Stephen Malkmus' album Traditional Techniques
"House Music All Night Long" from Jarvis Cocker & Jarv IS' album Beyond the Pale
"Wild (feat. Gary Clark Jr.)" from John Legend's album Bigger Love
"Man Without a Soul" from Lucinda Williams' album Good Souls Better Angels
"Fortune" from Laura Marling - Song for Our Daughter
"Power is Taken" from Moby's album All Visible Objects
"Murphy's Law" from Roisin Murphy's album Roisin Machine
"Heartbroken, Day After" from Norah Jones' album Pick Me Up Off the Floor
The Heavy Hitters:
"Quick Escape" from Pearl Jam's album Gigaton
"Shot in the Dark" from AC/DC's album Power up
"My Own Version of You" from Bob Dylan's album Rough and Rowdy Ways
“Ghosts” from Bruce Springsteen’s album Letter to You
“Missing the Miracle” from Alanis Morissette’s album Such Pretty Forks in the Road
EP's:
"Stop Breaking Down" from The Rolling Stone's EP Turning Blue and Lonesome
"Scarlet (feat. Jimmy Page)" fromThe Rolling Stone's EP Rainbow
"Piggy Knows" from Animal Collective's EP Bridge to Quiet
"If We Make it Through December" from Phoebe Bridgers EP If We Make it Through December
"Are you listening?" from twst's EP TWST0001 - EP
"Deep End" from Holly Humberstone's EP Falling Asleep at the Wheel
"Oblivion" from Alaska Reid's EP Big Bunny
"La vita nuova (feat. Caroline Polachek)" from Christine and the Queen's EP La vita nuova
Singles:
“Bang!” by AJR
“My Future” by Billie Eilish
