Best of 2020
My annual round-up of music that did it for me. This year was a decent split between heavy post-punk, shoegaze, and imaginary soundtrack music.
Neubauten made a stylish comeback this year. A. A. Williams was a new find in the vein of Sharon Van Etten. Agnes and Anna deliver their welcome signature sounds while another new find Cuesta Loeb straddles the Best Coast/Dum Dum Girls wall of guitars. Emma Ruth Rundle’s album with Thou borders on metal and Idles continue to hammer away. Mrs. Piss is a grinding collab between Chelsea Wolfe and Jess Gowrie. Lithics, Porridge Radio and Shopping hark back to 80s post-punk bands like Au Pairs and Gang of Four. A Medicine Boy album is like a letter from an old friend who has relocated to Berlin. Sea Lion is sad and Midwife provides layers of distortion. Links (non-affiliate) to the albums on Spotify, Deezer, and Apple are provided for your listening pleasure.
Listen to the playlists below. They include many other brilliant tracks I came across in 2020 that were either just singles or were from albums that didn’t make it to my shortlist. Some great tracks by Lera Lynn, Angel Olsen, Drab City, Lingua Ignota, Orville Peck, BOYO, Twelv, Chromatics, Sightless Pit, Peaking Lights, Max Richter, Nils Frahm, Purity Ring, and Perfume Genius among others.
As always, one is UP (for the music with a noisy pulse) and the other DOWN (for the more sad introspective stuff). I do a lot of writing and research, so tend to gravitate to the quieter stuff as it helps me think. The rest is for swearing at white Toyota Corolla’s that start with F-number plates that travel at 40 in a 60 zone (if you live and drive in Johannesburg, you’ll understand)
Click HERE for the DEEZER Playlist
Click HERE for the DEEZER Playlist
Roughly in alphabetical order
Einsturzende Neubauten – Alles in Allem
Spotify Link – Deezer Link – Apple Music Link
A. A. Williams – Forever Blue
Spotify Link – Deezer Link – Apple Music Link
Agnes Obel – Myopia
Spotify Link – Deezer link – Apple Music Link
Anna Von Hauswolff – All thoughts fly
Spotify Link – Deezer Link – Apple Music Link
Cuesta Loeb – Grass it grows EP
Spotify Link – Deezer Link – Apple Music link
Emma Ruth Rundle/Thou – May our chambers be full
Spotify Link – Deezer Link – Apple Music Link
Idles – Ultra mono
Spotify Link – Deezer Link – Apple Music Link
L.A. Witch – Play with fire
Spotify Link – Deezer Link – Apple Music Link
Leandro Fresco – Una Presencia En La Brisa
Spotify Link – Deezer Link – Apple Music Link
Lithics – Tower of age
Spotify Link – Deezer Link – Apple Music Link
Medicine Boy – Take me with you when you disappear
Spotify Link – Deezer Link – Apple Music Link
Midwife – Forever
Spotify Link – Deezer Link – Apple Music Link
Mrs. Piss – Self surgery
Spotify Link – Deezer Link – Apple Music Link
Porridge Radio – Every bad
Spotify Link – Deezer Link – Apple Music Link
Sea Lion – I heard there’s music on the town
Spotify Link – Deezer Link – Apple Music Link
Shopping – All or nothing
Spotify Link – Deezer Link – Apple Music Link
Wray – Stream of youth / Blank world
Spotify Link – Deezer Link – Apple Music Link
Although not new or original material, I did love these:
PJ Harvey Demos from ‘To bring you my love’ and ‘Dry’. Grandaddy’s ‘The Sophtware slump’ played on a wooden piano, and ‘Jolene’. and ‘Wicked Game’ covers by Lingua Ignota: