Our Favorite Albums of 2020
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- Опубликовано: 7 сен 2024
- After giving a brief overview of the year in music, Jason, Kramzer, and Joe each make their picks for the best albums of 2020 and discuss what they think makes them so great.
CHECK OUT OUR INDIVIDUAL 100-MINUTE SPOTIFY PLAYLISTS FEATURING THE BEST SONGS OF 2020:
Joe's List - open.spotify.c...
Kram's List - open.spotify.c...
Jason's List - open.spotify.c...
Best-Selling Album: folklore by Taylor Swift
Longest No. 1 Single: The Box by Roddy Rich
Musicians Who Died: Leslie West, KT Oslin, Chad Stuart, Pelle Alsing, Charley Pride, Jim Tucker, Bones Hillman, Ken Hensley, Billy Joe Shaver, Jerry Jeff Walker, Spencer Davis, Tony Lewis, Gordon Haskell, Eddie Van Halen, Mac Davis, Helen Reddy, Lee Kerslake, Toots Hibbert, Justin Townes Earl, Frankie Banali, Pete Way, Trini Lopez, Wayne Fontana, Peter Green, Emitt Rhodes, Jamie Oldaker, Judy Dyble, Charlie Daniels, Tom Finn, Bonnie Pointer, Steve Priest, Jimmy Capps, Bob Kulick, Little Richard, Dave Greenfield, Florian Schneider, John Prine, Steve Farmer, Adam Schlesinger, Bill Withers, Alan Merrill, Joe Diffie
Top-Grossing Film: Bad Boys For Life
TIME’s Person of The Year: Joe Biden and Kamala Harris
Don't forget to comment below with your favorite albums of 2020!
Thanks for watching!
~~~
/ listographymusic
/ therecordranker
/ listographymzk
I'm astounded at the number of albums you guys listened to that came out this year. Not even close for me. And you still had time to make all those other videos....I hope your channel really blows up - u guys deserve it.
You all probably dont give a shit but does any of you know of a method to get back into an instagram account??
I somehow forgot the login password. I would love any tricks you can give me
@Noel Jace instablaster ;)
@Michael Kyrie I really appreciate your reply. I got to the site on google and Im in the hacking process now.
Seems to take quite some time so I will reply here later when my account password hopefully is recovered.
@Michael Kyrie It worked and I now got access to my account again. I'm so happy!
Thank you so much you really help me out !
@Noel Jace No problem :D
1. Paul Weller - On Sunset
2. 1975 - NOACF
3. Run the Jewels - RTJ4
4. The Cribs - Night Network
5. Working Men’s Club - Working Men’s Club
It took me 3 days to work through to the #1's taking the time to listen to the "Must Hear". Loved it all, with much new material to listen to. For me "Listography" was my best new find of 2020. Keep the reviews coming, thanks for the countless hours you all put in and onto 2021. Cheers David
We must protect Joe at all costs!
What I really like and appreciate about you guys, is that you see the big picture. IMO that is crucial to get your head around any kind of music coming out at a given time. You all know and dig into the catalog far back as 60's, and then up to present day. There are tons of reviewers and lists who look at classic artist's catalog. There is something easy and satisfying in reviewing Bowie's 20 plus albums; or Elton etc. But new music is constantly being pumped out; at top quality, and speed. Anyone living by the credo of "nothing good has been done since the 70's" is missing out on so much great stuff. By analyzing and reviewing classic 60's, disco, punk, synth 80's, grunge, hip hop you have built up credibility, and therefore pushing some of the '20 releases should make folks go out, and get behind some of these albums. I'm familiar w/ most of the titles, but I definitely got some pointers. Grae and Cut Worms e.g. I liked the way Joe spoke about Rina Sawajama's music. You could take all he said and apply it to Ween. Edit - Really surprised at Kramzer's #1.
Well done mates, appreciate all the time you put into doing a great job of reviewing the year and I loved the shout out.
This episode is an absolute home run. Getting details and commentary on 30 albums for the year is so great. Normally we only get commentary for the top album, so only 3, and maybe a few words about some of the runner ups.
I propose redoing albums of the year in this new format. I ordered 8 albums after this episode solely based on your commentary. Love it.
Not going to redo albums of the year quite yet, but this will be the format every December going forward. Glad ya liked it. -Jason
they are good aren't they
Glad to see the love for Bonnie Light Horseman, bought it on CD 6 months ago, don't know how it slipped under my radar as I already had fruit bats and mitchel on vinyl haha. Great stuff !
Just wanted to say how much I have enjoyed finding your channel over the last few months. I'd always been one for saying "they don't make music like they used to", but your videos have really got me looking into what else is out there, and it's been a real eye opener. Some of your 6-10 albums were kind of new to me, so will check them out. Keep up the great work....very much appreciated!!!
Thanks! Always great to hear something like that! Thanks for watching
Thanks for the terrific video. Wow, I really don’t listen to enough new albums! I have resisted paying for a streaming service, and can’t possibly buy so many albums. With my limited listening this year, I have to say that Good Souls Better Angels by Lucinda Williams is my favorite album. Though she also released 5 live in the studio cover albums this year that are fantastic as well.
My Top 10:
1. PARADISE LOST ´´Obsidian´´
2. NIGHTWISH ´´Human/Nature´´
3. DEEP PURPLE ´´Whoosh!´´
4. KATATONIA ´´City Burials´´
5. FISH ´´Weltschmerz´´
6. BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN ´´Letter to You´´
7. DARK TRANQUILLITY ´´Moment´´
8 . AC/DC ´´Pwr Up´´
9. PEARL JAM ´´Gigaton´´
10. MARC ALMOND ´´Chaos and Dancing Star´´
Greetings from Canary Islands
Dylans by a mile.....
I think the issue today generally is music is too computerized for my liking now. The good music doesn't normally reach the charts, that stuff is all generic and rubbish. Not gone on production that's too clean. I haven't heard all these records ye mentioned, so I will check them out.
By the way guys great stuff this year, my number 1 music channel. Really enjoy it, happy xmas and happy new year
Kramzer, you'll never get those Bieber minutes back!
10. The Flaming Lips - American Head
9. Anna Meredith - Fibs
8. Tame Impala - The Slow Rush
7. Nadine Shah - Kitchen Sink
6. Julianna Barwick - Healing is a Miracle
5. The Strokes - The New Abnormal
4. Bob Dylan - Rough & Rowdy Ways
3. Fleet Foxes - Shore
2. Gorillaz - Song Machine, Season One
1. Róisín Murphy - Róisín Machine
Great list!
Love this list. Pretty sure Fibs is last year though.
Julianna Barwick!
@@droquet6961 Oh yeah, so it is. Oops.
Jason's cat just submitted his own rankings. He's got Tea for the Tillerman 2 as his number one.
Rock is back! Good news, at least for me. Not only did many old friends return, some quite unexpected, but also the newer bands picked up real instruments again to play. Still, it is not a nostalgia year for me, my list is a mix of new and well established artists.
Since the dust of this year has not yet settled, I make a larger list this time. Albums, that I enjoyed more than average. These extras are in roughly top to bottom order.
Throwing Muses - Sun Racket
Bruce Springsteen - Letter to You
Pretenders - Hate For Sale
Joe Bonamassa - Royal Tea
Kraan - Sandglass
Outlaws - Dixie Highway
Flaming Lips - American Head
Deep Purple - Whoosh!
Dion - Blues With Friends
Paul Weller - On Sunset
Bob Dylan - Rough and Rowdy Ways
Smashing Pumpkins - Cyr
Half Japanese - Crazy Hearts
Blue Oyster Cult - The Symbol Remains
Jason Isbell - Reunions
Swamp Dogg - Sorry You Couldn't Make It
Wishbone Ash - Coat Of Arms
Magnetic Fields - Quickies
Carla Bley - Life Goes On
Eamonn McCormack - Storyteller
Mountain Goats - Getting Into Knives
Steve Earle - Ghosts of West Virgina
Buju Banton - Upside Down
The top list:
10. Strokes - The New Abnormal
9. Levellers - Peace
8. Terry Allen - Just Like Moby Dick
7. Psychedelic Furs - Made of Rain
6. Midnight Oil - The Makarrata Project
5. Bob Mould - Blue Hearts (Heart on my Sleeve is the title of the opening track, and it is an angry heart, gone is the sunshine. He rightfully rages against all the wrongs that beset him. Since he has the best band of his career on this album he turns rage into rock and roll like one can only wish for. And many may share his anger as well.)
4. Beths - Jump Rope Gazers (Their second album since 2018 and their debut was already wonderful but this one is a large step onwards. Jazz students from the University of Auckland who discovered their common love for pop-punk and made themselves quite a reputation as a live band before they ever considered to make a record. The melodies, hooks and harmony vocals are addictive.)
3. Drive-By Truckers - The Unraveling (They made the album that so many others - Springsteen, Neil Young, or Dylan - were unable to make but that had to be made. In 1979 The Clash were titled "the only band that matters" on the background of the state of their home country at that time. The Truckers reveal what the death of the American Dream means for the common people - and those need not be Americans to feel the ripples all over the planet.)
2. Allman Betts Band - Bless Your Heart (Those are Devon Allman and Duane Betts, Gregg's and Dickey's sons respectively. Both are well in their forties and seasoned musicians with other associates of the Allman Brothers "family" in the band or guest list. Of course - and nobody can blame them - they play southern rock and everything reminds of their father's band. But it is rather the "spirit" of the first version of the ABB that makes them great, not some "re-heating". They have enough power and new ideas to stand well on their own feet.)
1. Songhoy Blues - Optimisme (Barre ruclips.net/video/6tbSCwXlI8o/видео.html is my song of the year, it means "Change" and includes political and social changes. They talk of their homecountry but all their messages are global. Their lead guitarist is a distant relative of the late Ali Farka Toure, the legendary Mali desert blues musician, but the young generation are no traditionalists. They mix the complex rhythms and guitar lines of their tradition with hard rock and psychedelia into three minute statements, 11 in just 35 minutes, that are inventive and powerful like nothing else heard before - unless you by chance heard their debut in 2015 Music in Exile - forget the second album, this is their third and best. They are refugees who had to flee from islamic jihadists and struggled for survival in refugee camps south of the Sahara. Their music is about persistence, the will to survive for a better world and, most important, optimism - the best message for this weird year. Do not miss this record!)
Did you hear the newer Drive-By Truckers that came out a week or 2 ago? I think it’s even better than the unraveling. -Jason
@@TastesLikeMusic I listened to it and...I think it is a very temporary release, very much out of the moment, I think they recorded it in October. I wrote about my view here www.allmusic.com/album/the-new-ok-mw0003434055/user-reviews
One album in common. Can’t believe it. - Joe
So happy to see Songhoy Blues on this list. I don't have this album but do have Resistance. They are an incredible band.
@@burmajones803 Resistance is their weakest in my opinion. The debut Music in Exile was better. The 2020 Optimism (3rd album) is by far their best - so far...
great show - i will be checking out 12 of your choices - haven't done my own yet - impressive descriptions
These are incredibly impressive lists. I'm astounded by the amount of music you listen to. No wonder I've always enjoyed your channel so much.
I only listen to this much new music to keep up with Jason 😂. - Joe
Yeah I usually can get to 100 per year within two to three years. But this is our life now
A long overdue thank you to Joe for recommending The Beths. They are my new favourite band and I'm really looking forward to their new album in September. Hope you'll review that one.
Here's my top 10, I just so happened to do an article writing about this very subject so I've got it ready to go. Grimes and Soccer Mommy just missed my list.
1. Run The Jewels - RTJ4
2. SAULT - Untitled (Black Is)
3. Phoebe Bridgers - Punisher
4. Lianne La Havas - Lianne La Havas
5. HAIM - Women In Music, Pt. III
6. Mac Miller - Circles
7. SAULT - Untitled (Rise)
8. Four Tet - Sixteen Oceans
9. Rina Sawayama - SAWAYAMA
10. Fleet Foxes - Shore
5 The New Abnormal - The Strokes
4 Gigaton - Pearl Jam
3 The Slow Rush - Tame Impala
2 Chemical Reactions - Gavin Harrison
1 Versions Of The Truth - The Pineapple Thief
Really interesting listen guys...thank you. You are very knowledgeable and articulate about your choices...fascinating stuff. I was pleased to own 11 of your combined top 10's and a couple of the honourable mentions including Phoebe Bridgers(my ranking=1),Daniel Romano(2), Waxahatchee(3), CMA(4), Walter Martin(10),Bonny Light Horseman(18) who incidentally back in January I saw their first ever European show in Glasgow, and BC Camplight (32). Nice to see the latter mentioned who I saw a year or two back supporting Phosphorescent over here in the UK. Keep up the good work!
1. Gorillaz- Song machine
2. Napalm death- Throes of joy in the jaws of defeatism
3. JID, Earthgang and Spillage Village- Spilligion
4. Denzel Curry- Unlocked
5. Katatonia- City burials
BIG 5
1. RTJ4 by Run the Jewels
2. West of Eden by HMLTD
3. Set My Heart on Fire Immediately by Perfume Genius
4. Ultimate Success Today by Protomartyr
5. American Head by Flaming Lips
And den...
6. Myopia by Agnes Obel
7. Feel Feelings by Soko
8. The New Abnormal by The Strokes
9. When We Stay Alive by Poliça
10. Ceremony by Phantogram
✌🏼🎧
Gigaton is the best Pearl Jam album since Riot Act, nice pick Joe.
Thanks for all the content Joe, Kramzer and Jason. Your channel is always interesting, thought provoking and has turned me onto new artists. 🤟😀 happy new year to you all..
1. AC/DC: Power Up
2. Ozzy Osbourne: Ordinary Man
3. Pearl Jam: Gigaton
4. The Killers: Imploding the Mirage
5. Stone Temple Pilots: Perdida
My list:
1. Muzz: Muzz
2. The Flaming Lips: American Head
3. Cavern of Anti-Matter: In Fabric soundtrack
4. Jeff Tweedy: Love Is the King
5. My Morning Jacket: The Waterfall II
1. Richard Edwards - the Soft Ache and the Moon
Field Medic - floral prince
Ryan Adams - Big Colors
Pinegrove - Marigold
Ryan Adams - Wednesdays
Alberta Cross - what are we frightened of
Future Islands - As long as you are
Bruce springsteen - letter to you
Frances Quinlan - Likewise
Jonsi - Shiver
The Mountain Goats - getting into knives
Only heard something like 35 albums from 2020, which is basically nothing compared to you guys, but I managed to come up with a pretty decent top 10 despite that. Haven't heard all of the albums on your lists either, but I have one different album in common with the three of you. Of those albums, the Daniel Romano one was the biggest surprise, since I knew nothing of his music before discovering this channel. And one of the albums on Kramzer's lists (Notes on a Conditional Form) ended up being one of the worst albums of the year for me. At least we both really liked Made of Rain!
Honourable mentions:
Arctic Monkeys - Live at the Royal Albert Hall ★★★½
Fiona Apple - Fetch the Bolt Cutters ★★★
My Morning Jacket - The Waterfall II ★★★½
Pretenders - Hate for Sale ★★★½
Dishonourable mentions:
The 1975 - Notes on a Conditional Form ★
Lady Gaga - Chromatica ★
Yo La Tengo - We Have Amnesia Sometimes ★
10. Morrissey - I Am Not a Dog on a Chain ★★★½
9. X - Alphabetland ★★★★
8. The Psychedelic Furs - Made of Rain ★★★★
7. Daniel Romano's Outfit - How Ill Thy World Is Ordered ★★★★
6. Fleet Foxes - Shore ★★★★
5. The Killers - Imploding the Mirage ★★★★
4. Bruce Springsteen - Letter to You ★★★★
3. The War on Drugs - Live Drugs ★★★★½
2. Deafheaven - 10 Years Gone ★★★★½
1. Bob Dylan - Rough and Rowdy Ways ★★★★½
★★★★★ - Masterpiece
★★★★½ - Really great
★★★★ - Great
★★★½ - Really good
★★★ - Good
★★½ - OK
★★ - Bad
★½ - Really bad
★ - Awful
½ - The worst
Albums in common with you guys:
Jason: 1 album (How Ill Thy World Is Ordered)
Joe: 1 album (Imploding the Mirage)
Kramzer: 1 album (Made of Rain)
Listening to all of the albums you guys brought up in order. I've found all of them to be good to great thus far. You guys have great taste!
My top 5
5. 2020 (Bon Jovi)
4. Ordinary Man (Ozzy Osbourne)
3. Whoosh ! (Deep Purple)
2. Even The Devil Believes (Stryper)
1. Power Up (AC/DC)
Top 50 Albums of 2020:
1. Nap Eyes - Snapshot of a Beginner
2. Rina Sawayama - Sawayama
3. Gabe Lee - Honky Tonk Hell
4. Perfume Genius - Set My Heart on Fire Immediately
5. Ulcerate - Stare into Death and Be Still
6. Dope Body - Crack a Light
7. Aesop Rock - Spirit World Field Guide
8. Svalbard - When I Die, Will It Get Better?
9. Imperial Triumphant - Alphaville
10. The Koreatown Oddity - Little Dominique’s Nosebleed
11. Idles - Ultra Mono
12. Protomartyr - Ultimate Success Today
13. Phoebe Bridgers - Punisher
14. Bob Mould - Blue Hearts
15. Natalia Lafourcade - Un Canto por Mexico, Vol. 1
16. -(16)- Dream Squasher
17. Marrasmieli - Between Land and Sky
18. METZ - Atlas Vending
19. Bully - Sugaregg
20. Spirit Possession - Spirit Possession
21. clipping. - Visions of Bodies Being Burned
22. Infant Island - Beneath
23. U.S. Girls - Heavy Light
24. Uniform - Shame
25. Screeching Weasel - Some Freaks of Atavism
26. Chris Stapleton - Starting Over
27. Moor Jewelry - True Opera
28. Vengeful Spectre - Vengeful Spectre
29. Napalm Death - Throes of Joy in the Jaws of Defeatism
30. Bad Moves - Untenable
31. The Spits - VI
32. Primitive Man - Immersion
33. Kvaen - The Funeral Pyre
34. Throwing Muses - Sun Racket
35. The Night Flight Orchestra - Aeromantic
36. Boris - NO
37. Vredehammer - Viperous
38. Matmos - The Consuming Flame
39. Undeath - Lesions of a Different Kind
40. Kvelertak - Splid
41. Slick Shoes - Rotation and Frequency
42. Light Beams - Light Beams
43. Laura Marling - Song for Our Daughter
44. R.A.P. Ferreira - Purple Pages
45. …and You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead - X: The Godless Void
46. Destroyer - Have We Met
47. Moses Sumney - grae
48. Spanish Love Songs - Brave Faces Everyone
49. Algiers - There Is No Year
50. Deerhoof - Future Teenage Cave Artists
Honorable mentions:
Duma - Duma
Armand Hammer - Shrines
House of Harm - Vicious Pastimes
Touché Amore - Lament
Elliott Brood - Keeper
X - Alphabetland
Lido Pimienta - Miss Colombia
Black Dresses - Peaceful as Hell
Merry Christmas guys, hope you all have a good one today!
-Alice Ivy - Don't Sleep
-Smashing Pumpkins - Cyr
-The Killers - Imploding the Mirage
-Marilyn Manson - We Are Chaos
-Jessie Ware - What's Your Pleasure?
AOTY: Bob Dylan - Rough and Rowdy Ways
🏆
I only have 7 for this year
1. The New Abnormal - The Strokes
2. After Hours - The Weeknd
3. RTJ4 - Run The Jewels
4. Future Nostalgia - Dua Lip
5. A Hero's Death - Fontaines D.C.
6. The Slow Rush - Tame Impala
7. K.G. - King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard
I noticed that Joe referred to himself as a "former bass player"... You're a young man, Joe!! Don't give up the low end, brother!!
Haha, I still love the bass but I switched to lead guitar about 3 years ago. - Joe
Congratulations and love the three-way discussion and presentation perspectives. Keep up the great work!
😎👍
Alfredo - Freddie Gibbs & The Alchemist
Folklore - Taylor Swift
Gold Record - Bill Callahan
Gaslighter - The Chicks
A Hero’s Death - Fontaines D.C
Childish Gambino - 3.15.20
Weightlifters - Car Seat Headrest
When The Grid Go Down... - Public Enemy
Ungodly Hour - Chloe x Halle
Walking Like We Do - The Big Moon
Drive-By Truckers - The New Ok
A Written Testimony - Jay Electronica
Alphabetland - X
Burden of Proof - Benny the Butcher
Stephen Malkmus - Traditional Techniques
Great job, guys. I loved almost all of your choices and so much more; 2020 may have been a crappy year but it was an excellent year for music. We’ll be doing a top five favorite bass performances of 2020 on our Bass to Bass program soon so I have listened to many of your choices for research and I must say that “Live in Favor of Tomorrow” by the Lemon Twigs is a contender. Thank you for all of the great videos and I’m looking forward to 2021. ✌️♥️💚🎶🎶🎶
A lot of our old classic rock friends returned and had great success this year!
Top Ten:
Nick Cave - Idiot Prayer
The Pineapple Thief -Versions Of the Truth
Cats In Space -Atlantis
Kansas - The Absence Of Presence
The Flaming Lips -American Head
Magenta -Masters of Illusion
Fiona Apple -Fetch the Bolt Cutters
Fleet Foxes -Shore
Pvris -Use Me
Tame Impala -The Slow Rush
For consideration:
Sparks -A Steady Drip Drip Drip
Hats Off Gentlemen It's Adequate -Nostalgia For Infinity
I Am the Manic Whale - Things Unseen
Pure Reason Revolution -Eupnea
HAIM -Women in Music, Pt. 3
Jason Isbell -Reunions
Alanis Morissette -Such Pretty Forks In the Road
Black Pumas - s/t
Bob Dylan Rough and Rowdy Ways
Bruce Springsteen Letters To You
Ghost Rhythms -Imaginary Mountains
Pain of Salvation -Panther
Pearl Jam -Gigaton
Wobbler -Dwellers of the Deep
The Tangent -Auto Reconnaissance
Stephen Malkmus -Traditional Techniques
Squarepusher - Be Up a Hello
Deftones -Ohms
Katatonia -City Burials
Chris Stapleton -Starting Over
Joe Bonamassa -Royal Tea
Airbag - A Day At the Beach
Glad to see that the channel is getting love :)
1.Nas - King's Disease
2.Royce Da 5'9 - The Allegory
3.Dua Lipa - Future Nostalgia
4.Logic - No Pressure
5.The Weeknd - After Hours
6.Eminem - Music To Be Murdered By
7.Joyner Lucas - ADHD
8.Big Sean - Detroit 2
9.Black Thought - Streams Of Thought Vol 3
10.Run The Jewels 4
Other Albums I Dig From 2020:
Lil Wayne - The Funeral
Childish Gambino - 3.15.20
DaBaby - Blame It On The Baby
Jhene Aiko - Chilombo
Megan Thee Stallion - Good News
2 Chainz - So Help Me God!
Jack Harlow - That's What They All Say
T.I. - L.I.B.R.A.
Kehlani - It Was Good Until It Wasn't
Ariana Grande - Positions
Busta Rhymes - Extinction Level Event 2
The Pineapple Thief-Versions of the truth
Puscifer-Existential reckoning
Shiner-Schadenfreude
Hum-Inlet
Fates warning-Lond day good night
Deftones-Ohms
Elder-Omens.
Human Impact-S/T
Local H-Lifers
Motorpsycho -All is one
Wobbler-Dwellers of the deep
Thanks to you guys for giving me some musical homework to research. Lol... great job - again.
Also..."Jump Rope Gazers" is so good!! Glad to see one of ya enjoyed it as well! Ok....I'm off to check out Rina!
Thanks guys. Awesome video once again. So many albums I need to check out. Cheers
10. "Zopp" Zopp
9. "KG" King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard
8. "Versions of the Truth" The Pineapple Thief
7. "Weltschmerz" Fish
6. "I Grow Tired But Dare Not Fall Asleep" Ghostpoet
5. "Alles in Allem" Einsturzende Neubauten
4. "Fetch the Bolt Cutters" Fiona Apple
3. "Dwellers of the Deep" Wobbler
2. "Made of Rain" Psychedelic Furs
1. "A Steady Drip, Drip, Drip" Sparks
Thanks to my discovery of your channel this past year, and my admiration of the sheer amount of listening you've all done, I've resolved to spend more time giving whole new albums repeated listens in 2021, rather than latching on to loose tracks and having them stand in for the larger artistic statements being made. My tastes tend to skew more towards the musical fringes of ambient / noise / jazz / post-punk / experimental rather than pop, classic rock or roots Americana, but I'm pledging to keep a more open mind about more conventional sounds done well. Also, to keep more of a list of records listened to...
Keen to spend more time with Perfume Genius, Dua Lipa, Blake Mills, Róisín Murphy, Chris Stapleton, Jessie Ware, and to check out the Rina Sawayama, and latest Gorillaz and Flaming Lips...
Daniel Romano's Outfit was the last indoor show I caught before the COVID curtain came down (@ Hamilton, ON's This Ain't Hollywood (RIP)) -- the man can play and I quite enjoyed the bulk of his prodigious output this year. Dying to catch live music again at some point in 2021...
A brighter new year to everyone here -- cheers!
Great work guys! I am really enjoying your work. Have you ranked Lou Reed’s albums??????? Best for 2021!
Best albums of 2020:
1. Rough and Rowdy Ways - Bob Dylan
2. Optimisme - Songhoy Blues
3. Punisher - Phoebe Bridgers
4. Fetch the Bolt Cutters - Fiona Apple
5. Women in Music, Pt III - Haim
6. The Ascension - Sufjan Stevens
7. A Private Road - Laura Groves
8. The New Abnormal - The Strokes
9. The Slow Rush - Tame Impala
10. Storm Damage - Ben Watt
Runners-up:
Shore - Fleet Foxes
Working Men’s Club - Working Men's Club
England is a Garden - Cornershop
Off Off On - This Is The Kit
Top tracks of the year:
Let Down by Michigander and Barre by Songhoy Blues
Barre is my song of the year and Optimisme my #1 album. I did not really expect anyone here to come up with it as well, quite a surprise.
@@roxannewalsh Always had a soft spot for Malian music and Songhoy Blues are the latest great representation of it. And Optimisme really rocks
Thanks Joe for the new Pearl Jam album recommendation! Had kind given up on them feeling like they've been mailing it in for a while. Best album they've released in a long time. Sounds like they're having fun again...
Nice. Glad you enjoyed it. You’re welcome! - Joe
I love that you keep track of how many albums you listen to.
Since 2005 -Jason
These days I’m lucky if I get to listen to a dozen new albums each year, but the ones that stand out to me are The Strokes’ The New Abnormal, Dua Lipa’s Future Nostalgia, The Big Moon’s Walking Like We Do and my personal favourite, Jessie Ware’s What’s Your Pleasure? Keep up the good work guys 👍
I usually have a pretty defined list by now but I think this year is a bit all over the place for me. It's possible that the order of my choices could change dramatically over the next few weeks, which I've dedicated to really delving into all the 2020 releases I haven't got on top of yet, before 2021 really gets going.
My current un-laminated list...
1) Fiona Apple - Fetch the Bolt Cutters
2) Jeff Rosenstock - No Dream
3) Neptunian Maximalism - Eons
4) Protomartyr - Ultimate Success Today
5) Osees - Protean Threat
6) Phoebe Bridgers - Punisher
7) Gnod & Joao Pais Filipe - Faca Del Fogo
8) Coriky - Coriky
9) Slift - Ummon
10) Jason Isbell - Reunions
11) Oranssi Pazazu - Mestarin kynsi
12) Napalm Death - Throes of Joy in the Jaws of Defeatism
13) Fake Names - Fake Names
14) Adrianne Lenker - Songs/Instrumentals
15) Jeff Parker - Suite for Max Brown
16) Hey Colossus - Dances/Curses
17) Bob Dylan - Rough and Rowdy Ways
18) Run The Jewels - RTJ4
19) Emma Ruth Rundle & Thou - May Our Chambers Be Full
20) Bob Mould - Blue Hearts
21) Terry Allen - Just Like Moby Dick
22) Chubby and the Gang - Speed Kills
23) The Strokes - The New Abnormal
24) Bent Arcana - Bent Arcana
25) The Microphones - In 2020
Favorite Albums of 2020:
(alphabetical order)
Bob Dylan - Rough and Rowdy Ways
Elvis Costello - Hey Clockface
Fiona Apple - Fetch The Bolt Cutters
Fleet Foxes - Shore
HAIM - Women In Music Pt. III
Jeff Tweedy - Love Is The King
Lucinda Williams - Good Souls Better Angels
Lucinda Williams - Lu’s Jukebox Series Vol. 1-6
Moses Sumney - græ
Pat Joe Birney - The Birney Sensations
Perfume Genius - Set My Heart on Fire Immediately
Sufjan Stevens - The Ascension
Great to see Kramzer's pick of American Head for album of the year. Love that one.
American Head is their best since Embryonic, which for me is their best. Let us see how we rank those for 2009. It came at #14 in my list which in 2020 is still pretty high up, everything up to #20 were four stars or more.
@@roxannewalsh Embryonic is pretty psychedelic if I recall correctly. Been ages since I heard it but I will definitely listen again. I'm betting it's one of those albums that gets better the more you hear it. What do you think of their early stuff, like before "She Don't Use Jelly?"
@@179rich Psst. The issue with this big jump from 1996 to 2020 is that we will deal with all the years in between in the coming weeks - I would rather not spoil the fun. But in a nutshell, I think Embryonic goes back to their early days (call it psychedelic if you like) and from there goes back to their roots, Faust and other Krautrock. Anyway, it is sure worth another listen as is American Head.
@@roxannewalsh I love Krautrock. Love the fearless experimentalism.
@@roxannewalsh Did you like The Flaming Lips and Heady Fwends? I know it's not a proper FL album, but I still think it's one of their best.
10. Rose Tattoo - Outlaws
9. Tom Petty - Wildflowers & All the Rest
8. Richie Kotzen - 50 For 50
7. Outlaws - Dixie Highway
6. Biff Byford - School of Hard Knocks
5. Rory Gallagher - Check Shirt Wizard: Live in '77
4. Eternal Champion - Ravening Iron
3. Armored Saint - Punching the Sky
2. Deep Purple - Whoosh!
1. Blue Oyster Cult - The Symbol Remains
1. Sam Lee - Old Wow
2. Rose City Band - Summerlong
3. Fleet Foxes - Shore
4. Doves - The Universal Want
5. Gorillaz - Song Machine, Season one: Strange Timez
For the sake of being a completionist I thought I would drop the 2020 list on the back of 2017 onwards, really great vid guys, really great year when I started putting the list together I realized how many great albums there were I don't allocate stars to the albums but go on how many listens and then the impact they have on me.
(1) Sault-Untitiled- They released two albums this year I think of them as a double and love them both, one is more R and B the other more house/disco but both are great and have been on the spin all the way into this year.
(2) The Avalanches-We will always Love You- This one came out in December and had a massive impact, often with a lot of guests albums generally splinter but this really works from Johnny Marr to MGMT.
(3) Moses Boyd-Dark Matter- Jazz meets dance, really great album that rewards multiple lessons, Moses pops up on lots of people's records and is always great.
(4) The Weekend-After Hours- Finally this guy puts together a really consistent album and this really works, to me it is a pop masterpiece.
(5) Sparks-Steady, Drip, Drip, Drip- These two never fail to hit the heights, the last 3 or 4 albums have all been operating at a high level both musically and lyrically, Lawnmower has to be on of the tracks of the year.
(6) Lapsley-Through Water- Discovered this artist this year and this album is really impressive eno esqe pop/
(7) Protomartyr-Ultimate Success Today- They are keeping the Detroit vibez alive, real rock is still alive.
(8) Clipping-Visions of Bodies Being Burned-I do like a bit of horrorcore and this is in the premier league my rap album of the year.
(9) The Flaming Lips-American Head-a real return to form, some great melodies and a great concept.
(10) Rustin Man-Clockdust- This is Paul Webb ex of Talk Talk, very reminiscent of Robert Wyatt which can onyl be a good thing.
Near Misses- Gia Margaret-Mia Gargaret- Very Ethereal and ambient, Paul Weller-On Sunset a little uneven but really love Earth Beat the second single. Afel Bocum-Linde-Great African album, one of his best. Steve Earle-Ghosts of West Virginia- My country album of the year. I could keep going and going but will sign off, thanks for the vid and keep up the good work.
Some of my faves from a shitty year:
Soccer Mommy - Color Theory
Hum - Inlet
Roisin Murphy - Roisin Machine
Run the Jewels - RTJ4
Mr Bungle - Raging Wrath of the Eater Bunny
Autechre - Sign
Black Sugar Transmission - Dream Finisher
Collider - Entanglement
Jason Bieler - Songs from the Apocalypse
KMFDM - In Dub
You can do better than that. - Joe
@@TastesLikeMusic You're right - there are a lot of people discussing music on RUclips
Hope y'all had a happy holiday! Your videos are always entertaining with the entertaining variety of opinions. Keep it up!
Thank you!
1. Mary Halvorson's Code Girl-Artlessly Falling 2. Death Valley Girls-Under The Spell Of Joy 3. Morwan-Zola Zemlya 4. Cinder Well-No Summer 5. Dumama & Kechou-Buffering Juju 6. Optic Sink-S/T 7. Cut Worms-Nobody Lives Here Anymore (I think this one may appeal to Jason) 8. Monophonics-It's Only Us 9. The Left Outsides-Are You Sure I Was There? 10. The William Loveday Intention-Will There Ever Be A Day That You're Hung Like A Thief?
Thumbs up for including Cinder Well.
@@Sir_Eyeball I heard her on the radio one morning and was immediately entranced. I was also happy to find out she is friends with another band I'm fond of called Lankum.
@@johnlefsky8731 I don't know that band actually but I consider the Cinder Well record for my 2020 list, but it will take a while for me to make that list. It's a great album.
Yeah, the Cut Worms just missed my Top 10. Their previous record was my #1 of 2018, but we’ll still if it can hold on to that title. There’s another record that has come on strong from that year. -Jason
@@TastesLikeMusic I just rewatched the video and somehow missed that Joe picked Cut Worms. Me bad. Just started watching your videos and find them very entertaining, but sometimes I'll watch a few at a time, late at night, and may be under the influence and not paying as much attention as I should.
My favorites:
1. Courtney Marie Andrews - Old Flowers
2. S.G. Goodman - Old Time Feeling
3. Pacific Range - High Upon the Mountain
4. Bonny Light Horseman - Bonny Light Horseman
5. Rose City Band - Summerlong
6. Waxahatchee - Saint Cloud
7. Bob Dylan - Rough and Rowdy Ways
8. Jason Molina -Eight Gates
9. Garcia Peoples - Nightcap at Wit's End
10. Lucinda Williams - Good Souls Better Angels
11. Neil Young - Homegrown
12. Pearl Jam - Gigaton
13. Trummors - Dropout City
14. Arlo McKinley - Die Midwestern
15. Sturgill Simpson - Cuttin' Grass Vol. 1
I don't get the 'Perfume Genius' love tbh
Honey Harper was a great new find for me this year.
Mostly bands from 30+ years ago: 7) American Head -Flaming Lips 6) Good Souls Better Angels -Lucinda Williams 5) Power Up -AC/DC 4) Sigma Oasis -Phish 3) Gigaton -Pearl Jam 2) Mordechai -Khruangbin 1) The Symbol Remains -Blue Oyster Cult.
Your channel is really fuckin great. Especially the trio format. Keep it up!
Favourite for 2020
1. Deftones - Ohmes
2. Idles - Ultra Mono
3. Working Men’s Club - WMC
4. The Strokes - The New Abnormal
5. Ryan Adams -Wednesdays
6. Bob Mould - Blue Hearts
7. AC/DC - Power Up
8. Jason Isbell - Reunions
9. Field Music - Making a New World
10. The Killers - Imploding the Mirage
The prog world is still very vital and to me the most consistently excellent genre that deserves more attention. So much great music that has almost no outlet unfortunatly.
This was an interesting experience - we parted in 1996 and jumped to 2020, that is almost 25 years (or 10000 albums? in between). So it was really some surprise how tastes may have developed over such a long period.
It’s going to get weird. 2000 is when I really started listening to new albums. And was my formative teenage years, so it may go totally off the rails. - Joe
Back in 2020 I didn’t listen to that much music, so I had to go back and listen to a lot of albums. There are some albums that just missed the 5-star mark, only one record made it up to 5 stars this year.
(Honourable Mentions: Cinder Well - No Summer, The Smashing Pumpkins - Cyr)
Good Albums (3 Stars):
10. Dua Lipa - Future Nostalgia
9. Selofan - Partners in Hell
Really Good Albums (4 Stars):
8. Schonwald - Abstraction
7. Benee - Hey u x
6. Amy MacDonald - The Human Demands
The Top 5:
5. Rina Sawayama - Sawayama
(Thank you Joe for recommending this album! I liked it a lot. The first half is definitely the best Pop music of 2020, the second half is not as good unfortunately. I had a lot of fun listening to this album though.)
4. Lebanon Hanover - Sci-Fi Sky
(A step down from their last album but still a great Darkwave album. There are 4 different types of songs, tackled twice by each of the band members and two songs that stand alone. I like this concept. For example, Tracks 1 and 2 are classic Darkwave tracks, one sung by the male singer and the other by the female singer. Tracks 3 and 4 are Black Metal and Dark Rock inspired and so on.)
3. Linea Aspera - Linea Aspera LP II
(9 years between their debut and this one, which is their second album. Interesting. Great melodies on this Synth-Pop album, if you like ‘A Broken Frame’ by Depeche Mode, you may like this one as well. Amazing singing on this album also.)
2. Fontaines D.C. - A Hero’s Death
(This is an album where the highs are very high. There are some songs on this Post-Punk album that are just average, but the slower songs are amazing. On ‘Sunny’, for example, they attempt their own take on what - believe it or not - The Beach Boys did in their prime. The ending of the song, starting at around 3:00 min is an attempt at making an own ‘God Only Knows’ ending. Of course, it is nowhere near as good as the ‘‘original’’, but it still is an amazing beautiful ending. Other highlights on this one are ‘Living in America’ and ‘You Said’.)
Amazing Albums (5 Stars):
1. Phoebe Bridgers - Punisher
(Wow, what an amazing album this is! Thanks to Kramzer for recommending this one as well. ‘Kyoto’ is the standout on the album, sonically and quality-wise, the song of the year. But every other song is really interesting and creates a cool atmosphere. I also like the last song, which is really meant to be the last song on the album. I love the album. Album of the year 2020.)
American Head = Dark Side of the Moon for the pandemic. But it’s the Bard with Rough & Rowdy for me. Enjoyed it guys, much to check out.
Hello Boys & Community: Catching up on some older videos. Channel growing fast - At 3K subs when you did this video and almost twice that many now! Congrats. Let me start with my top 5 for 2020:
1. The Big Moon - Walking Like We Do
2. Ratboys - Printer's Devil
3. Wolf Parade - Thin Mind
4. Dream Wife - So When You Gonna
5. Bad Moves - Untenable
Second appearances for The Big Moon (1st win), Wolf Parade, and Dream Wife.
Boys: Interesting lists. Will need to check some of those out. Didn't really have any of your picks close to my top albums, and only listened to maybe a handful (The Killers, for one). Do you have an opinion on any of my picks? Jason might like Ratboys. Maybe The Big Moon for Joe and/or Kram. (Hard to say . . )
Joes, I did not like Fiona Apple's Fetch the Bolt Cutters, either.
Nice preview of March Badness with Bon Jovi's 2020, Kram. :)
Jason, Like you, my lists tend to be narrow. I think that's fine. Honestly, if you don't like a particular genre why get into you least-worst pick in that genre??
As to your top picks:. I actually listened to Waxahatchee's St. Cloud prior to the video based on press it rec'd but didn't get into it (Too Country??) Flaming Lips are a band I just never liked. (Good example of not liking a band within a genre you prefer.) Sampled this one but idk - too dreamy?? Joe, I think I like your pick the best. I never heard of this artist before. She has diverse styles for sure. I plan to finish that particular album.
Anyway, Boys, I'm gonna go try some AOTY videos I missed and see what you have to say and post my picks. (mostly these will be 90's. but some late 60's, early 70's as well).
Later . . .
Not sure I listened to any of your top 5 but I’ll give em a shot. - Joe
@@TastesLikeMusic If you get a chance that would be great, Joe. I'm curious to get your opinion. Thx.
The channel "Sea of Tranquility" has a Top 40 (x2) out for rock, progressive rock and other forms of rock in 2020. I honestly haven't heard of most of the bands nor albums on that list. Early on it was radio or TV-programs, then came MTV. Now it's easier than ever to find music but many (including myself) seems stuck upon older music or just certain acts. Which is a bit of a shame. I often see rants about how current music sucks. I wonder how many albums from Sea of Tranquility-show or your lists they even heard of. It's pretty dumb to say a big amount of music is terrible without even hearing it... Isn't it?
In no special order:
#. "Whoosh" by Deep Purple. If I remember right you guys wasn't that impressed with this one but I like the production and the flow of the album. I don't think any song is a Top 10 or even Top 20 Deep Purple song but I still enjoy it as a whole.
#. "The Symbol Remains" by Blue Öyster Cult. First all new album in decades and it has good variation and probably a lot better than most fans would have thought. Quite long album but probably their best since their classic line-up many years ago.
#. "Aeromantic" by The Night Flight Orchestra. Members from one swedish and one american band made a lighter side project and the result is The Night Flight Orchestra which now has five albums out. This is the latest and has great hooks. Sort of AOR but very unique. If you don't need rock to be extremely heavy I definitely recommend this band. Very 80's in a way but still fresh.
#. "Coat of Arms" by Wishbone Ash. A band who was rather big in the 1970's but lost a lot of commerical appeal after that. Still been doing lots of albums and this is a really good one. Clean production and as always very good work on the guitar.
#. "Weather" by Huey Lewis & The News. A short album that is more like an EP but a nice loveletter to the fans. These guys are older than you might think and while not anything spectacular it is a nice addition to their catalog.
Nothing bothers me more than the ‘new music sucks’ stance. My unofficial mission statement for this channel, before Kram and Joe ever joined, was to close the gap between old and new by covering both with equal respect. Sea of Tranquility is great though. All any of us can do is talk about what we know and love and Pete is very knowledgeable. - Jason
@@TastesLikeMusic That's a good choice of direction on the channel! I can't write for everyone but I listened and seen so much about classic rock that most videos doesn't give me much. Not saying I know everything but it tends to get stale. Fun to see other things too.
I also think many people just like to chat/listen/write about things they already know. I might be wrong but I think many rock listeners just want to show off what they know and talk nostalgia. They are not interested in anything new and put a bottle on anything post a certain date. Some "wise-ass" thinking around it all at times too.
I remember seing someone who stopped listening to new music in 1990. That was 30 years ago! You guys went to kindergarden. Isn't it time to explore something new at that point? I love The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath and Whitesnake too.. But something new once in a while doesn't hurt!
I always give those older bands that have given me much pleasure in my life at one time or other a try with their new albums. Deep Purple, Wishbone Ash and even Blue Oyster Cult have made it into my extended 2020 selection. Their releases are returns to form for them and in all cases better than most they have done in the past 20 years. They managed to solve the gap between old fan's expectation and staying relevant pretty well. It is false expectation of listeners to expect some album of the year stuff from them still (or even expect that somebody would create another Machine Head or Argus in 2020). I really love those classic releases like I will always love Exile on Main Street or Astral Weeks but that does not prevent me from making great discoveries in today's music as well.
Listening to music is a Never Ending Journey, a fool who thinks to already have heard it all...
Well done for giving: The Symbol Remains a shout. I consider myself a devoted fan of the band and you are right in saying that it was a lot better than most fans were expecting. I was also surprised that Pete Pardo made it his number one album of the year because he really knows his stuff. At the moment I don't think it's their best since their glory days because: Heaven Forbid is still superior but it could all well change with time and more listens. The best album for me this year is from Rory Gallagher - Check Shirt Wizard, live recordings from 1977. Thanks for that, Roxanne and of course for also mentioning: The Symbol Remains in your picks for the year.
@@jesuschambers Yeah, I know Joe hates it but I really like it. I don’t why anyone wouldn’t because the production sounds find to me lol
2020 already guys....that's a 23 year leap!!! Anyway here's what I came up with...
As you guys might remember I've been going old school alot with my Rushathon, Costello tour, completing my Beefheart quest and getting into Frank Zappa and Judas Priest of late....among others, so my unofficial no.1 is actually Sad Wings of Destiny from 1974 having listened to it constantly for last 3 weeks....and 2112 would be no.2 ....they are etched on my mind....
But ok my top 11 (because I have listened to 11 in total published in 2020 lol....) ....are...
11 Sixteen Oceans Four Tet 6.5/10....not as catchy and vibrant as the previous New Energy....a more contemplative Kieren Hebden....
10 P McCartney III 6.5/10...nothing on here as strong as the best in Egypt Station (which id give 8/10) but it's ok because it doesn't have fuh you on it....
9 Quadra Sepultura 6.5/10....it's not bad, their best since way way back but not ground breaking or really exciting...
8 Song Machine Gorillaz 7.5/10...very good collection just lacks the cohesiveness of previous albums.....
7 Shore Fleet Foxes 8.5/10 gorgeous.....has their debut vibes and more besides here....a lush listen
6 The Smashing Pumpkins, CYR 8.5/10.....further proof the reforming of most the original band is paying off...the Pumpkins in synth mode...that beat on Adrennalyne pwaw!!!..and really appealing textures.....only recently listened to this sprawling double album but i know i will keep going back for more...so takes the potential grower of the year award...could become no.1
5 Human:: Nature Nightwish 8.5/10 ... loved this straight away but it's not the all-timer like Endless Forms for sure after many listens... maybe i overplayed....
4 The New Abnormal The Strokes 9/10 Perfect album for start of lockdown last March...lifted my spirits ...A revitalized Strokes writing good songs again....
3 Ultra Mono by Idles 10/10, a big up to the band formed in my home town Bristol....just listen to the lover....think Pixies meets The Sex Pistols meets The Fall meets summut else entirely....
2 Bob Dylan, Rough and Rowdy Ways 10/10... brilliant album full of self made poetic mysticism that does not feel full of self centered ego...more like an aged fanboy saying thanks...feels bard like and so cool
1 A Steady Drip, Drip, Drip Sparks 10/10.....it is my third must own full marks album from the year. Best effort from Sparks since the perfect Hello Young Lovers for sure. They never cease to amaze me. They continue making fab albums
On to do list an Ordinary Man Ozzy Osbourne...
Appreciate what you guys are doing. Hope you stick with it.
Ideas for videos, totally based on bar conversations in my friend group.
1. Best American Rock band of all time. This one is fun when you realize how many of the greats are actually British. Always a fun topic for myself and friends to butt heads over.
2. Best track one from a debut album from a band or artist.
3. Sophmore album that was better than a debut by a band.
I just was arguing best American Rock band with some people on Facebook the other day. - Joe
@@TastesLikeMusic It's fun, especially while drinking. I change my answer every time. Then when people are good and drunk you throw in something like "Ween" to really polarize people just for fun, then back up the statement.
Would be a great topic.
@@TastesLikeMusic Also, the other fun part of that topic is agreeing on the criteria in the first place.
The answer to #2 is good times, bad times
@@ryankramzer1256 Usually my answer as well.
Inhaler , they have released singles, but I don't know about a full album, but I think they are great...Band from Dublin, Eli is the son of Bono, and you can hear it in his voice. He's so good, the band has a 80s vibe, poppy, but not copied, sounds refreshing and clean.
Top 10 (in no order)
1. ATA Records - The Library Archive Vol. 1
2. Okvsha - Kamala's Danz
3. Green-House - Six Songs for Invisible Gardens
4. Kahil El Zabar's - Spirit Groove
5. Westerman - Your Hero Is Not Dead
6. Christian Lee Hutson - Beginners
7. Surprise Chef - Daylight Savings
8. Beverly Glenn-Copeland - Transmissions
9. Andrew Wasylyk - Fugitive Light And Themes Of Consolation
10. Fountaines D.C. - A Hero's Death
Runners Up (in no order)
1. Circles Around The Sun - Circles Around The Sun
2. Maniacs! - Flamingosis & The Kount
3. The Flaming Lips - American Head
4. Fleet Foxes - Shore
5. Alabaster Deplume - To Cy & Lee: Instrumentals, Vol. 1
I’ve heard of one of your top 10. - Joe
@@TastesLikeMusic Ha, yeah. I'm pretty left field. I think you'd find my 5 and 6 the most accessible. Westerman is like Peter Gabriel, very artsy lyrics and arrangements. The Begginers album is very Sufjan Stevens meets Elliott Smith meets Paul Simon. Beautifully delivers devastating content; lullabies for bruised adults.
I haven’t heard very many 2020 albums yet, but so far Fiona Apple - Fetch The Bolt Cutters, The Strokes - The New Abnormal and The Flaming Lips - American Head probably stood out most from what I did hear so far. My dishonorable mention would be The Magnetic Fields - Quickies, easily my least favorite in their discography.
I’ll be sure to check out as many of the albums from all three of your lists as I can during my journey where I expand my collection of albums from the last 15 years in particular. Discovering this channel was one of the major bright spots of my 2020 for sure.
I liked that magnetic fields... Nothing earth shattering... But very enjoyable
@Ryan Kramzer I’m sure I would hate Bon Jovi’s 2020 more if going by new releases by artists I’m familiar with (I’ve heard all their albums up to 2002 and the highest I’d go with any of them is 3 stars, so a late period *parody* might be brutal for me 😂) but compared to 50 Song Memoir and how the concept of Stephin Merritt actually writing about his own life seemed to get a lot more clever rhymes and musical ideas out of him than there had been in awhile, Quickies definitely has way too many overly slight throwaways for me.
@@ryankramzer1256 "Nothing earth shattering" and "least favorite" are both terms I would agree on. It depends on your expectations if that automatically means "dishonorable". My review gave them 3 1/2 out of 5, which is in deed low for them and I noted "You can listen to a handful of them on any occasion and in any mood, just like nibbling a piece of chocolate between meals. " after all, they are Quickies.
@Roxanne Walsh It’s a 2-1/2 star album from me (my least favorite before this one was Realism which I give 3 stars, and everything else is at least 3-1/2 or higher). I guess it’s one that might play better on shuffle, since there are a handful of pretty good songs I wouldn’t mind hearing again (“The Day The Politicians Died” and “Kraftwerk In A Blackout” are probably my favorites), but as an album it feels waaaay longer than 46 minutes with too many dumb novelties. Maybe I’m just spoiled by all the masterful quality short tracks on 69 Love Songs that I overplayed at the height of my obsession with that album like “Reno Dakota”, “The Cactus Where Your Heart Should Be” and “Very Funny”.
Old guy here: several great choices but BOCs The Symbol Remains should have cracked a Top 10. Its a 4.5, could have been a 5 with 2-3 fewer songs.
That's not a take that's going to be taken well around here. I didn't listen to it but I know Kram and Joe both absolutely hated it. -Jason
Literally my second least favorite of the year out of 114 - kram
I played this at 1.75 speed since it's so long. Worked out well, the theme song sounds good too. Thanks guys, I always scribble down stuff to check afterwards.
Yeah, a bit of a marathon. We’ll be back under 20 minutes next week. Hope one of those scribbles turns into a new favorite for you. Thanks for watching! -Jason
Cheers Jason. Listened to Daniel Romano, (never before) a little samey at times but enjoyed it a good bit. The guitar early on was indeed great. Loved it when it kicked in and left me wanting more. Favourite track is A Secret Still to be Betrayed. Need to listen all the way through again but very enjoyable the first time through 👍
Highly recommend checking out his album Modern Pressure from 2017. It’s even better. -Jason
@@TastesLikeMusic sweet, ok will do!
@@TastesLikeMusic will definitely check it out but might try and give this one another spin first, btw also I got a Tom Petty vibe throughout. It’s his phasing at times maybe
And also the Beatles ofcourse
Don’t know if you like country at all but his country stuff is amazing as well.
I assume that there will be no extra video for live albums of the year?
Of course I am talking about albums released in 2020 that have been recorded before. I have just one and it has been my most played album of 2020. The live release of the millenium so far, brilliant recordings released for the first time from one of the artist to whom the stage and his audience meant everything. :
Rory Gallagher - Check Shirt Wizard - Live In '77
It represents a period that has up to now not been covered by any of his live records. Technically brilliant restauration by his brother of recordings made with the Rolling Stone Mobile on the 1977 UK Tour. Phenomenal performances of the best band he ever had and nobody knows why this was not released at the time...this almost challenges my favourite Live album of all times...which, by the way, is from the same artist anyway.
No video planned... But best live albums of the decade for the album of the year series when the time comes.
I love live albums maybe the most of any of us 3... But didn't get to many this year
I need to check my list but my impression is that there weren't many archive live recordings of note released in 2020. Some years they dominate what I buy.
Rory Gallagher is a strange artist for me. I have Live In Europe, Irish Tour and Stage Struck which tend to be in my 8/10, very good grade. Logically I can see that he's a great artist but I don't love anything I've heard and I don't understand why.
I don't remember anything of him in my teen years (the 70s) and didn't have any friends who liked him. Yet by the mid 80s, he and his 70s work seemed to be highly praised. He's on my list to investigate more but he doesn't rise to the top.
@@paulsimister944 Rory Gallagher is my #2 on the list of favourite guitarists. He never had hits and I have no idea about how well known he was in America. In the rest of the world he still has a loyal fan base 25 years after his death. His influence is still present in those guitar players that go for tone and atmosphere rather than shredding notes, like The Edge, Johnny Marr or Joe Bonamassa, even Slash or Alex Lifeson called him their largest influence. Put him at the side of Richard Thompson into the league of greatest unknown guitarists since they never played for the mainstream.
@@roxannewalsh I listened to Calling Card this morning and I was really enjoying it at the beginning. I was thinking I need to immerse myself in one album and really get to appreciate it, and then that will fire up my enthusiasm for others.
However, I think you may have inadvertently given me a clue to my problem loving Rory Gallagher. I think I have the same problem as I do with Richard Thompson and it's over his voice. Fine for a few songs but I find both their singing to be wearing over an entire album. It stops me hitting the replay button and instead, I go to look for something else to play.
@@paulsimister944 I heard some people saying this about Thompson's voice. So you are not alone, even if in both cases for me it is just the opposite, both are guitarists/singers with their own style and voice/tone and I love their uniqueness. But there is nothing you can do to enforce it, I have the same issue with artists that many other people love.
Dylan had the best album this year. I Made my mind to give my self to you is hauntingly beautiful. His tone in his voice and the lyrics are amazing.
@ Listography Jason did the album move up in your Dylan ranking list .
I think it’s still probably in the same spot. Great album though. -Jason
I agree. Love that song but it's only my #5 on the album!
@@realCaptainSanta 3 for me still a great album
“I like it a good bit” is definitely my choice Listography drinking game catchphrase.
“Return to form”
Fetch the Bolt Cutters isn't just the best album of 2020. It's one of the best albums of all time, and I feel its legacy will be exactly that. It's rare when artist puts something out so fully and totally unique that ONLY that artist could possibly have created it. And it achieves that without sacrificing an ounce of adventure, enthusiasm, or experimentation. The more I hear it, the more I think it's up there with the very greatest. For an album so universally acclaimed, I'm convinced the estimation of it will only go up over time.
Agree. Was listening to it last night plus the others on the boys' lists. It really stood out as easily the most original most accomplished recording. Extraordinary Machine by Fiona Apple is another really good one by her.
Hearing how many different albums you've listened to this year makes me wonder how that compares to other years. Have you listened to that many from 2019? 1992? 1975? I am just having a hard time wrapping my head around how it feels to listen to a new album every 2 or 3 days. I don't think I've ever listened to that many new albums in any one year (was impossible to do before streaming--didn't have enough money to buy that many albums!) and I wonder if I did listen to that much new music if any of it would really have a chance to imprint on my brain. I find that the best albums or songs get better with repeated listenings and the very best get better each time I listen. Do you think that any of these 2020 albums will rate higher for you in a couple of years?
I started keeping track of the new releases I listened to in 2005. I have no idea how many albums I've heard from years prior to that, but since then I usually clock in somewhere between 200-250. The most I ever listened to was 320 in 2017. Looking back at my older lists, the order has changed some but in general the stuff I liked then is the stuff I still like. I still managed to get a bunch of repeat listens for most of them, at least the ones that made the top 100. This year, some of the repeated listening dropped off due to the amount of other albums I had to listen to for the channel, but that was offset some by all the extra time I was given thanks to COVID. I think I've gotten pretty good being able to tell IF a record might grow on me. Even if it doesn't hit me right away I can still have a sense that it will down the line. If a record doesn't at least give me that feeling I move on. Maybe I'm missing out on stuff I would love by operating that way, but I could also miss out by not listening to as much as possible. So who knows. There's no right or wrong way to do it. I just love discovering music and hearing a lot of different stuff. -Jason
And just to give you further sense of my listening habits, its 1:20 in the afternoon right now and I've listened to 5 albums already today.
@@TastesLikeMusic I just wonder if any of 2020 albums will compare better to any of your 1970s faves after they've had a chance to imprint on your brain. As you know, youtube commenters on a lot of the reaction channels lament how much worse modern music is than the music of their youth. As you may be able to guess, a theory I am thinking about is that music one has been listening to for 50 years has made a much stronger imprint on the brain than recently discovered music and is thus "better" than newer, less familiar music. Not to mention the possibility that music one listened to as a teen and twentysomething made a mark at a much more crucial time in life and is thus perceived as being "better." You guys present a curious case, however, because you didn't listen to 70s music at the time of its release so actually might offer some "proof" that 70s music is objectively better. I am mostly interested in thinking about how the brain works and how music impacts and works on the brain, but I'd be lying if I didn't also say that I am an aggrieved Gen X'er who desperately wants to debunk this myth that Boomers lived during the best musical age. Sincerely--Don Quixote.
@@burmajones803 A lot of the music of the past decade already ranks among my all-time favorites. I think the 70's is still my favorite decade, but its not all that far ahead of the the 00's and 10's. The big difference is going to be that in 50 years absolutely no one will agree on which albums from the past 20 years were the 'classics' whereas classic rock radio has basically built up this canon of classic 70's rock. The boomers are just better at marketing.
@@TastesLikeMusic That's a great point. A canon of 70s and 80s rock is well-established. I don't feel as though the canon for the 90s has been as well-established, and the canon for the past 20 years is extremely fluid, if it exists at all, and dependent on who you're talking to. We'll probably never have a musical canon like the 70s and 80s ever again given the splintered and self-curated nature of popular culture in the past 25 years. Probably a good thing?
Just now getting around to hearing 2020's Ghosts by Cowboy Junkies and it is wonderful. I was already a fan of their Trinity Sessions album and especially Black Eyed Man.
Music now is better than it's ever been. How many albums from 1970 have you listened to?
Enough to know it’s 1000x better than anything that came out in the last decade. But Jason and Kram probably disagree. - Joe
Well boyzzzz.... that’s 2020 done and my year seems to be dominated by the girrrrllllzzz
#1 misadventure by Diana DeMuth - a very late discovery and possibly my #1 as I lived in a hotel last year for too long (if you haven’t heard it Jason check it out)
Otherwise Nadia Reid - the lady can seemingly do no wrong
Megan thee stallion - I mean what’s not to like
The other two slots will probably be filled by nye
It’s been a pleasure watching you boyz and discovering new music some great, some not so great and don’t even get me started on a couple of choices....
Always good to find stuff that passed you by the first time or re-appraise other artists buy Nu metal and hair metal will have to wait
I've now listened to some of the albums on your top ten lists and I have to say that the Rufus Wainwright album is amazing. As Jason said, the melodies are phenomenal and the arrangements really add something to the songs. He really holds back on showing off his voice but when he does it's actually really moving. I'll have to listen to his back catalogue. Jason refers to it as a pop album, but I don't think I would have said so. but I'm not sure how I would categorize it. Overall it was well produced but the arrangements did go a bit overboard at times.
I realized after listening to this album why those by Courtney Marie Andrews
and Saint Cloud - Waxahatchee sound nice but don't do a lot for me. I think they lack the added texture I need for songs these days. I tend to get bored by the more basic singer/songwriters for the most part I guess who depend heavily on just a piano/guitar. In those cases I need a voice to really take the songs to the next level, which is really difficult.
When I said pop I just meant not classical/opera. If you’re going to venture into his back catalogue I’d recommend Poses next. I think it’s his best.
@@TastesLikeMusic ah ok. I've added it to my list for 2001 to make sure I don't miss it.
Yay! I nominated a dishonourable mention...and gave it 10/10.....yay...my year hath been madeth
Haha I just don’t like that style. - Joe
Oh yeah... You're the b.o.c. mega fan right?
Or are you talking about idles
Punk piano? Ok Fetch the Bolt Cutters is on my to do list...😯
Any of you guys like What's Your Pleasure by Jessie Ware?
I gave it 3/5 - kram
Love you too.
The Strokes----The New Abnormal.
Brilliant album.
I haven’t listened to many albums released in 2020, but I really enjoyed American Foursquare by Denison Witmer.
The Symbol Remains is literally BÖC’s best album since Fire of Unknown Origin. I don’t get why you guys are hating it so much! Lol
But yeah, that Bon Jovi 2020 is garbage!
The Man of the People hating on the inimitable BÖC?! “The Alchemist” was my favorite song from 2020. “Holy Satanchrist, Batman!” Give that man a gold demerit. Bah humbug!!
BOC of 2020 is not the same BOC I once knew and loved. - Joe
@@TastesLikeMusic ~ That’s cool, man. I was just bummed out. They were never the same once they lost the Bouchard brothers on bass and drums, but they still put out some good stuff. To each their own. Still dig you, da boyz and the channel. Happy New Year from Noo Yawk, ova heyah! Rock on!!
Great vid, gents! I'm off to go check out Zephaniah OHora .....
When r/popheads on Reddit did their top 10 albums of the year Sawayama won.
They must have great taste. - Joe
It's hard to put a firm rating on albums I haven't heard that many times and are yet to stand the test of time. Hopefully there will be some here I return to regularly and enjoy tremendously. At the moment, I am stuck in the 8s (very good).
I've bought more current albums this year than perhaps any other. Will you see the same names as others are recommending? Some but probably not a lot.
Church House Blues - Crystal Shawanda 8.5
Former Canadian Native American country singer continues to sing the blues. I have an earlier album where she mainly sings blues standards but here we have more self-penned originals.
Ailm - Blackbird & Crow 8
Haunting Irish folk with hints of blues. Dark and mesmerising. In two years time, this could be free and clear as my album of the year for 2020.
Post Neo Anti: Arte Povera In The Forest Of Symbols - Close Lobsters 8
What is it with this Scottish jangle band and strange titles? I recommended their debut Foxheads Stalk The Land in 1987. After a very long break, they bring us the results of five years of off and on recording and it's as catchy and upbeat as ever.
Heart On The Line - Vanessa Collier 8
This blues singer-songwriter-saxophonist increases the elements of funk and soul in her music. Perhaps her weakest album to-date but still very good.
Ghosts - Cowboy Junkies 8
The band describe it better than I can as "a suite of songs revolving around grief, pain, fear, anxiety, beauty; a set of songs examining the complexity of emotions that subsume us after losing a parent." This isn't a Covid inspired album because the mother of the three siblings in the band passed in 2018, shortly after they released their last album. However it is highly appropriate.
Blues With Friends - Dion 8
You'll know his early 60s hits like The Wanderer but he's concentrated on the blues for years. Here Dion is joined by a large number of well known stars to create a very user-friendly blues album.
Weltschmerz - Fish 8
It's supposed to be his last album and he's going out on a high. Good enough to persuade me to dig deeper into his post Marillion solo albums. Surprisingly soulful.
Last Light On The Highway - Robert Jon 8
Underrated Southern rock with hooks. I'm surprised they are not better known.
El Dorado - Marcus King 8
This young blues rock singer and guitarist loses his band and delivers a quieter, more soulful album.
Self Made Man - Larkin Poe 8
These sisters play high quality blues rock.
Masters Of Illusion - Magenta 8
This Welsh prog rock band have produced a fine concept album based on the lives of six horror film actors. Very melodic and refined, recalling Yes, Genesis and Camel in their early 70s prime.
Love Over Fear - Pendragon 8
High quality prog rock from this longstanding English band with Gilmour-esque guitar.
Sideways To New Italy - Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever 8
An injection of jangle pop happiness in a dismal year. This Australian band is a delight on this melodic second album. This could be another grower as the hooks dig into my brain.
The Making Of You - Snowgoose 8
Lovely British folk recalling the late 60s and early 70s albums of Fairport Convention and Pentangle. Critics detect influences from the Laurel Canyon period as well.
Blues Comin' On - Joe Louis Walker 8
He's been performing since the 60s, had a career break and returned in the mid 80s. Here he is joined by his friends and delivers a wide ranging blues album. Vanessa Collier played saxophone in his touring band which is how I started paying attention to him.
Forever Blue - AA Williams 8
An album for the pandemic as it focuses on isolation and loneliness.
We share the Dion album, you gave it 8, I said 4 stars - I am always amazed by this man who had #1 hits before The Beatles went to Hamburg and still sounds like he is in his 40s...I did not warm up to the Cowboy Junkies, I think they lost me some years ago. Fish/Marillion were never my cup of tea, so I did not even check this one.
@@roxannewalsh I've only started listening to Fish in the last six months so it's never too late. I was dismissive of Marillion too but, because I've liked a couple of recent Fish albums, I've gone back to Marillion when Fish was still their lead singer.
I sampled your #1 a couple of days ago. It didn't tempt me to dig in further. Perhaps I'll try again. I've liked a bit of West African music in the past but I've never bought any.
The next group of albums are all good recordings but I have concerns over how often I'll revisit them.
Songs For The General Public - The Lemon Twigs 7.5
Catchy imitation of 70s rock channelling Ziggy, T. Rex, Meat Loaf and punk. This is fun but the original influences were from my era.
Cry Out - Kat Riggins 7.5
Another female blues album I've enjoyed a lot.
Bonnie Light Horseman - Bonnie Light Horseman
Very accessible folk album.
Hurricane Riders - Snake Oil & Harmony 7
An acoustic folk rock album in the style of bands like CSN from a pair of singer songwriters who used to be much noisier.
City of Love - Deacon Blue 7
One of "my bands" that I buy out of loyalty. Very enjoyable but I feel I'll always turn to Raintown and their live album first.
McCartney III - Paul McCartney
Over the last five years I've opened myself up to McCartney's post 70s albums. There have been rave reviews in the press for this one which exaggerate it's charms but it is well worth hearing.
Letter to You - Bruce Springsteen 7
The problem for The Boss is that every album with the E Street Band is compared to Born To Run, Darkness..., the River etc. It recalls past glories but never matches them.
Folklore - Taylor Swift 7
I streamed this for my partner and, while I was listening, I was thinking this is quality. I think this could be a grower and one of her albums I'm happy to hear.
We Fly Free - When Rivers Meet 7
Good British blues rock bought on impulse.
Still - Malaya Blue 7
A classy British blues singer where many of the songs are co-written with Dennis Walker who wrote for Robert Cray on his breakthrough album, Strong Persuader. I have all three of her albums. Some critics say it's her best but it's not hooked me yet.
New Illusion - Magnolia Boulevard
This is a short EP but it's a fine filler for anyone missing the Tedeschi Trucks Band. The singer sounds very like Susan and there is some fine slide guitar.
I give you 3 albums that you didn't mention that I like a lot. Beabadoobe- Fake It Flowers, Haim- Women In Music Part 3 and Spanish Love Songs-Brave Faces Everyone. Kramzer I'm glad you like The 1975's new record but I think it could've been much better album if the trimmed the fat of this record.
I think Haim was in all three of our top 25s or close to it anyway (edit: not Jason, he didn’t have it in his top 100 and Kram gave it 3.5 stars , somewhere between 19-39) I had a song of theirs on my end of year playlist as well. I didn’t like Beabadoobe much at all but Kram did. - Joe
I rated Beabadoobe and Haim pretty well. Check out the community tab for our extensive lists! - Kramzer