THE BEST ALBUMS OF 2020
Andy Shauf-The Neon Skyline(Anti-)
Genre: Chamber Pop, Singer/Songwriter, Indie Pop, Indie Folk, Soft Rock
Why It's Good: Here's a little secret...this is the best album of the year so far. It will be hard to beat. This is not only one of the best albums of this year, it's one of the best albums I have heard...period. This is a bit deceptive. It is basically just Indie Pop/Rock but it is executed so well that there is literally not a single wasted note or lyric. This is a concept album about a night out on the town where the narrator realizes that his ex is back in town and him and his friends barhop and eventually run into her(Judy) and how it impacts this one guy on this one night. Andy plays every single note on this as well as handling all production and recording duties. It is a feat that doesn't come along that often and rarely this successful.
Fiona Apple-Fetch The Bolt Cutters(Epic)
Genre: Art Pop, Singer/Songwriter, Progressive Pop, Piano Rock, Jazz Pop, Cabaret.
Why It's Good: What can you say about this album that hasn't already been said. I think it's a bit unfair of Pitchfork to throw a perfect 10 onto this. I do think it is a modern masterpiece and a classic in Fiona Apple's catalog. Do I think it's her best album? Not yet. I might in the future as each of her albums has grown on me more and more with each passing year. Is this one of the best Singer/Songwriter albums ever? Yeah it just might be. With a focus on percussion this time out Fiona crafts one of her most spontaneous and "out there" albums of her career. There are touchpoints to this sound in her catalog but nothing really that would explain what she made here. This is highly recommended and another great album from one of the greatest songwriters going today.
David Dondero-The Filter Bubble Blues(Fluff And Gravy)
Genre: Singer/Songwriter, Progressive Folk, Alt Country, Contemporary Folk
Why It's Good: Easily the best political album of the year. Definitely also the best political album released during the Trump administration. This cuts deep and leaves a battered red state in it's wake. Exposing the stupid never gets old and this is a nice addition to that camp.
BC Camplight-Shortly After Takeoff(Bella Union)
Genre: Art Pop, Art Rock, Chamber Pop, Psychedelic Pop.
Why It's Good: This is an excellent example of Indie Pop done right. The sound on this is very reminiscent of the classic late 90s early 2000s Indie classics like Flaming Lips' Soft Bulletin and Grandaddy's The Sophtware Slump. This is sometimes orchestral, sometimes really crunchy and rockin' and always inventive. Should not be missed if you are a fan of the amazing heyday of turn of the millennia Indie Pop.
Angelica Garcia-Cha Cha Palace(Spacebomb)
Genre: Art Pop
Why It's Good: The closest comparison I have for this would be a down to earth East LA version of Kate Bush. There is so much more since she draws a lot from modern pop music and injects it with a heavy dose of her Mexican heritage, culture and politics.
#6
Natan Wojtyla-Vacant Alley(Self Released)
Genre: IDM, Post Industrial, Glitch, Wonky, Industrial Techno
Why It's Good: Amazing Techno album indebted to the best IDM Warp Records sounds from the 90s. This stuff is super rhythmic and dark and exciting.
Quarter Rats-All Parades Must Pass EP/The Quarantine Tapes(Self Released)
Genre: Noise Rock, Hardcore Punk, Post Hardcore, Garage Punk.
Why It's Good: Quite simply the best current Noise Rock band going right now. The first EP is an excellent continuation of the sound they established on the first EP. In fact I would consider it a perfect companion piece to the first EP. This means blistering Noise Rock filled with amazing melodies bubbling just under the surface. This is Noise Pop that leans much more towards the Noise side but definitely keeps your feet tapping while it pummels you over the head. The Quarantine Tapes are self recorded songs the band made while under the shelter in place order in New Orleans this year. They definitely made great use of their time with this excellent set of self recorded songs. The tempos are a bit slower but the intensity remains the same. This is definitely a band to watch!
Chill Parents-At The Barracades(Self Released)
Why It's Good: What can I say about this? It's an excellent hardcore album that is political, funny and adventurous. It takes the basic framwork of Hardcore Punk and adds a bunch of interesting elements(piano interludes, sampling and electronic effects). All of these add up to blast a breath of fresh air to an otherwise mostly formulaic genre. I commend you Chill Parents for making anything but "chill" music.
Pokey LaFarge-Rock Bottom Rhapsody(New West)
Genre: Rhythm & Blues, Vocal Jazz, Americana.
Why It's Good: Another great album from a great voice of American music. He sounds as old timey as it gets but this time around I feel like there is a huge Andrew Bird reference coming in. Especially Bird's album The Swimming Hour(my fave). The orchestration on this album is really tasteful and in certain spots completely jaw dropping. This also has my favorite love song so far this year in "Lucky Sometimes".
Zebra Katz-Less Is Moor(The Vinyl Factory/ZFK)
Genre: Experimental Hip Hop, UK Bass, Industrial Hip Hop, Deconstructed Club, Trap, Ballroom, Hip House, Glitch Hop
Why It's Good: After a long as shit wait from this guy we finally get his debut full length and it doesn't disappoint at all. Imagine a great MC flowing over Arca beats and that's about the closest comparison you will get it. This album sounds metallic and really creates a picture of dread and menace.
Sun Araw-Rock Sutra(Sun Ark)
Genre: Neo Psychedelia, Dub, Sequencer And Tracker, EAI, Exotica.
Why It's Good: A totally trippy amazing tropical exotica influenced Art Rock album. Supposedly these songs were all recorded live in one take. It's pretty incredible because these sessions sound both inventive and effortless. Super laid back. Kind of like Exotica on crack or something akin to Ween making laid back tropical weirdness. Highly recommended to pair with a tropical drink in the heat of the summer.
Mammock-Itch(Self Released)
Genre: Noise Rock, Math Rock, Post Hardcore, Art Punk
Why It's Good: Probably the best Noise Rock album on the list. Think more in the vein of Mclusky and Jesus Lizard than the more metal influenced stuff. This is Noise with pop sensibility.
Poppy-I Disagree(Sumerian)
Genre: Alternative Metal, Industrial Metal, Electro Industrial, Nu Metal, Dream Pop
Why It's Good: I would have never thought I would be putting a Nu Metal influenced Dream Pop on a list...pretty much ever but here we are! This stuff is incredibly creative and relentless. A lot of people will hate this because they wont be able to stomach the Nu Metal but for those with a patient and exploratory ear this is one of the year's best.
The Bobby Lees-Skin Suit(Alive)
Why It's Good: A rip roaring kick ass Garage Punk record. This one blasts by with some of the best written fast paced nasty rock n roll. None other than Jon Spencer produced this kick ass album.
Walter Martin-The World At Night(Ile Flottante Music)
Genre: Chamber Pop, Singer/Songwriter, Indie Folk, Indie Pop
Why It's Good: An excellent whimsical album made by one of the chief songwriters of the Walkmen. This one is for late nights and Halloweens. He writes a lot of children's music and while this is not one of those albums he does let the fantastical songwriting seep into this serious collection of tunes.
Illuminati Hotties-Free I.H.: This Is Not The One You've Been Waiting For(Self Released)
Why It's Good: The about face she performs on the first few tracks on this album knocked my socks off. Her debut was solid for sure but it still easily fit in with most Indie Rock/Pop of the moment. This though, wow! It's filled with vitriol and jittery rhythms and just an overall what I'm sensing anger or just a feeling of wanting to burn it all down and start again. This music harkens back to the best of Riot Grrl and Punk and a nice dose of Noise Rock. I feel a strong early Marnie Stern influence as well and that's a damn good thing!
Natalia Lafourcade-Un Canto Por Mexico Vol.1(Sony Music)
Genre: Mexican Folk Music, Ranchera, Mariachi, Son Jarocho, Bolero, Cumbia Mexicana, Son Istmeno.
Why It's Good: Quite simply the best Mexican Folk music I have ever heard. Nothing more, nothing less.
Asher Gamdze-Dialetic Soul(On The Corner)
Why It's Good: A perfect mix between traditional Jazz and Free Jazz. Not a single moment on this album is boring. It always keeps you on your toes. I would almost call this accessible Free Jazz, maybe Free Jazz you can get your friends who hate Jazz into. Something like that, something that bridges the gap between chilling out and losing your mind. Throw a little spiritual Jazz influence on top and there you go, one of the best Jazz albums of the year.
Run The Jewels-RTJ4(BMG)
Genre: Hardcore Hip Hop, Political Hip Hop, Experimental Hip Hop.
Why It's Good: Just pure energy. This album blasts out of the gates from track 1 and doesn't let up until it's done. This is future Hip Hop ala in the vein of stuff like Death Grips and Jpegmafia. This is where Hip Hop should be going. This is all forward momentum. When it dropped during the beginning of the BLM and Defund the Police protests it felt like the perfect soundtrack for the pointed intelligent anger the protests were confronting wrongdoers with.
Young T.O. And DaBoii-Demon And Mufasa(Empire)
Genre: West Coast Hip Hop, G Funk, Trap.
Why It's Good: Quite simply one of the best Hip Hop albums of the year. Why is this great? Well by melding classic West Coast Hip Hop tropes such as G Funk and the overall flow style of late 80s Hip Hop(mostly N.W.A.) with Trap they came out with an excellent classic sound that was touched upon a little bit last year by Denzel Curry. The lyrical content is often hilarious and their devotion to the past with one eye toward the future is what makes this great.
Sports Team-Deep Down Happy(Island)
Genre: Indie Rock, Post Punk.
Why It's Good: Following in the style of bands like Art Brut and Idles(mostly in the vocals) this band brings humor and fun to a very stagnant Post Punk scene. The singer has an insane amount of charm and wit and the music follows him with every step. From their band name down to all the little one liners these guys are knocking it out of the park and laughing all the while.
Inventions-Continuous Portrait(Temporary Residence Ltd.)
Genre: Post Rock, Ambient.
Why It's Good: Great mood music from members of Explosions In The Sky and Eluvium. This is really fun and exploratory music. Even though it has the Post Rock genre tag above it really doesn't fall too into any of the boring cliche tropes that genre has had to offer lately. This is Post Rock filtered through interesting and electronic instrumentation. So the songs are structured like typical Post Rock but it sounds fresh and new because of how it's done. It's very atmospheric and chilled out.
Mac Miller-Circles(Warner Records Inc.)
Genre: Neo Soul, Pop Rap, Psychedelic Soul
Why It's Good: I never thought in a million years I would recommend a Mac Miller album, let alone put it on any kind of non-weekly list. Well here it is. Why? Well it's understated, there is hardly any of his rapping on it and it comes across as more of a late night alternative Soul album rather than anything else he put out. He teamed up with Jon Brion on this one and it shows. The music matches his wonderfully lazy delivery and Jon has helped make this one of the best Posthumous albums in recent memory.
Shit And Shine-Malibu Liquor Store(Rocket)
Genre: Neo Psychedelia, Experimental Rock, Noise Rock.
Why It's Good: An absolutely bonkers jammy sound. This is Rock deconstructed, ripped apart and then put back together again with some not so great glue. These guys haven't disappointed in bringing fresh new sounds to Rock and Experimental music for the past few years and this is no exception. Imagine your favorite old Rock bands tripping out on acid and half forgetting how to play their instruments yet somehow it works almost as good if not better than the original music. Then throw on some samples and production trickery and this is what you get. Yes I will be stopping off at the liquor store on the way home. Need anything?
AJJ-Good Luck Everybody(AJJ Unlimited LTD)
Genre: Anti Folk, Indie Folk, Psychedelic Folk
Why It's Good: Great Anti-Folk political album that shits all over Donald Trump and our current position in society.
Gulch-Impenetrable Cerebral Forces(Closed Casket Activities)
Why It's Good: Along with Chill Parents, these guys are making some of the most adventurous Hardcore Punk/Metal these ears have ever heard. Not a single dull moment with these guys stop and start energy. It shoots by like a breeze but not before kicking your ass all around the room.
Car Seat Headrest-Making A Door Less Open(Matador)
Genre: Indietronica, Indie Rock, Alternative Dance, Synthpop.
Why It's Good: There has been and still is a lot of hate for this album. I don't get it. He added some synths and more overt electronics to the mix and his fans lost their minds. One thing I did notice is the non diehard fans are the ones who really like this. I think it sounds pretty darn amazing. Pairing his awesome laid back voice with electronic beats is an idea he should explore more. Supposedly his band had a heavier hand in regards to writing these songs and that's a great thing! It provides for a lot of variety and surprising moments within their catalog. Don't sleep on this just because the haters can't handle it!
Jockstrap-Wicked City EP(Warp)
Genre: Art Pop, Glitch Pop, Progressive Pop, Deconstructed Club, Singer/Songwriter.
Why It's Good: Probably has the biggest WTF? moment of 2020 so far. I'm not gonna say much aside from pointing out you MUST listen to all of track 1 and the lead in to the second track. This might be offputting for some but to me it's perfect for my A.D.D. listening tendencies and one of the most creative releases of 2020.
Homeboy Sandman-Don't Feed The Monster(Mello Music Group)
Genre: Conscious Hip Hop, East Coast Hip Hop.
Why It's Good: Simply put, this album had the best lyrics for any Hip Hop album in 2020. The music was extremely interesting as well. Solid Hip Hop for an oft overlooked great in the game.
Against All Logic-2017-2019(Other People)
Genre: Tech House, Post Industrial, IDM, Deconstructed Club, Microhouse, Industrial Techno, Outside House
Why It's Good: A big improvement over the last AAL album by means of being more abstract and using very overt pop samples. It's dirtier, grimier and more experimental and Nicolas Jaar's best work yet.
Ian William Craig-Red Sun Through Smoke(130701)
Genre: Tape Music, Ambient, Choral, Modern Classical, Drone
Why It's Good: Great combination of experimental tape loops and choral samples make this sound like the most experimental Beach Boys inspired album yet to come out. Like a church on drugs.
The Homesick-The Big Exercise(Sub Pop)
Genre: Indie Pop, Art Punk, Post Punk, Math Rock, Psychedelic Pop
Why It's Good: Really great experimental Indie Pop album that draws from Zappa, Ween and Ariel Pink. These guys also throw in a ton of Prog influences from mostly the British side of things. All this amounts to one of the most interesting and fun listens of the year.
Frankie Reyes-Originalitos(Stones Throw)
Genre: Latin Electronic, Bolero, Library Music.
Why It's Good: This is perfect for lounging around. It has a lot in common with the Plantasia album but gives it a nice modern twist and the fact that he is covering old Mexican tunes is really cool as well. Moreso than any other album on this list, the cover really reflects the sounds you hear inside. Perfect for chilling out on a hot day with a drink in your hand.
Chip Wickham-Blue To Red(Lovemonk)
Genre: Soul Jazz, Spiritual Jazz.
Why It's Good: This album is pure throwback sound. This could easily be an Exotica album from the late 50s early 60s. This music was meant for cocktail parties all across the world. For dark bars with tropical drinks flowing, thatched huts on the beach and perfect party music for the sophisticated music aficionado ready to chill out or cut a rug on the dance floor. This is throwback to an era that doesn't get looked at enough as a place to revisit. Sexy swinging shit for sure!
Armani Caesar-The Liz(Griselda)
Why It's Good: By far the best female MC of this year. This was the first woman released by Griselda and it's a damn good one. The woozy beats give it a very RZA/Wu Tang feel and usher in a great debut for Griselda. This has a lot in common soundwise to what Earl Sweatshirt is doing as well. The whole thing has a dusty and sort of creepy vibe to the whole proceedings. All of this adds up to one of the best Hip Hop albums of the year. She is one to watch for sure.
Slauson Malone-Vergangenheitsbewaltigung(Grand Closing)
Why It's Good: The son of Wynton Marsalis does it again! This guy is masterful at making awesome sample based woozy dream like music. I could listen to this for hours and hours and not get bored. Every nook and cranny is filled with awesome ideas and new sounds. Plunderphonics artist would be doing themselves a favor by looking toward this guy for some good ideas.
#39
Sam Coomes-True Death(Self Released)
Genre: Indie Rock, Alternative Rock, Experimental Pop.
Why It's Good: If you like synths and organs and keyboards this is the album for you in 2020. This is the Quasi frontman doing what he does best solo. He lays on the echo reverb and takes you on a really fun and often times creepy ride. His key work here is very impressive and you really get to hear great use of interesting synths. Highly recommended for fans of the early 2000s Indie Rock scene.
Eric Copeland-Dumb It Down(Post Present Medium)
Why It's Good: Black Dice member takes his experimental psychedelic dub influenced madness and "dumbs it down" to make his version of a pop album and ends up making what would be a great album for The Residents and Ween and we are all better for it.
#41
Amine-Limbo(Republic)
Why It's Good: Great modern Hip Hop with a great old school twist to the sound. His use of Soul samples is near perfect. This one is equal parts a head trip and a dance party. Highly recommended for driving down the street on a sunny weekend day.
Sonic Boom-All Things Being Equal(Carpark)
Genre: Neo Psychedelia, Synthpop.
Why It's Good:This is insanely good, especially for a second solo album in 31 years! This is insanely good! It feels like it's full circle from his producing Panda Bear. It sounds like he really admired Panda Bear and took some of it in his own hands. This is a hypnotic trance like listen full of color and little bubbles of interesting musical flourishes. It's an amazing alien wonderland of an album and I'm really thankful he is back!
Boat-Tread Lightly(Magic Marker)
Genre: Indie Rock, Indie Pop.
Why It's Good: Sounding a lot like the Unicorns and Daniel Johnston with a touch of every single awesome Indie Rock bands of the late 90s and early 2000s. These guys nail(at this point) this throwback style perfectly. It's a style of music that never really went away but has remained a quiet little sweet spot of some of the best albums in the past 10 years. You can slide this album amongst the best of them. It has an amazing off the cuff feel to it complete with studio fuckups. If you like classic Indie Rock you gotta check this out!
Snorlax-II(Brilliant Emperor)
Genre: Black Metal, Death Metal
Why It's Good: The best Black and Death metal album of the year. It is intense without being overbearing, honors the past without being reductive and just blows all the other stuff out of the water.
All Them Witches-Nothing As The Ideal(New West)
Why It's Good: This is all around a kick ass Rock record that recalls the best of Masters Of Reality and Queens Of The Stone Age but with a bit of a more stretched out Psychedelic aspect to it. So far this is my favorite of their albums and one of this years most cohesive and interesting Rock records.
Paddy Hanna-The Hill(Self Released)
Genre: Indie Folk, Chamber Pop, Folktronica, Singer/Songwriter.
Why It's Good: So let me say that there is a small microcategory of albums from the late 90s-early 2000s that really embraced the "out there"ness of really getting into a studio and taking a base framework of Indie Rock and then blowing it up to grandiose cinematic heights. Albums in this category are Flaming Lips Soft Bulletin, Mercury Rev Deserter's Songs, Grandaddy's Sophtware Slump and Tripping Daisy's Jesus Hits Like The Atom Bomb, to name a few. You can add this Irish singer to that list as well. This has all the hallmarks of that sound and more. It's very ambitious in it's scope and any fan of the cream of the crop of Indie Rock from back in the day should really get a lot out of this.
Moses Sumney-Grae(Jagjaguwar)
Genre: Art Pop, Ambient Pop, Neo Soul, Psychedelic Soul, Progressive Pop.
Why It's Good: So far this is the best Soul album of the year. It's very inventive and very understated as well. These songs feel lived in and you feel a real human connection with his music. His falsetto blends perfectly with everything around him it's kind of amazing at the end of it all. This is the direction Soul music needs to go in. Inventive, arty and with a lightness of being that brings the listener in.
Arbor Labor Union-New Petal Instants(Arrowhawk)
Genre: Indie Rock, Post Punk, Cowpunk
Why It's Good: Awesome country fried indie rock with hooks all over the place.
Viagra Boys-Common Sense EP(Year 0001)
Genre: Post Punk, Art Punk, Neo Psychedelia
Why It's Good: Super solid confrontational post punk album. This is what Nick Cave wishes he were doing, or better what I wish Nick Cave was doing...then maybe the critical acclaim would be warranted. Can't wait for their full length.
HMLTD-West Of Eden(Lucky Number)
Genre: Glam Punk, Art Pop, Art Rock, Dance Punk, Post Punk, Synth Punk, Punk Blues, Dark Cabaret
Why It's Good: An extremely weird debut album from a very weird band. Each song is basically a different genre. Some of it is straight forward Indie Rock, some is weird Dark Cabaret and very musical theater kid, some is dark Post Punk in the vein of Joy Division. This thing is all over the place and might put off some listeners, but there is bound to be something for everyone on this album.
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