grindy

I don't really like rating and ranking stuff so here's simply a bunch of releases from this year that I consider to be good and worth checking out.
The genre designations have been done quickly and sloppily.
I didn't bother to go any deeper than the very general "Jazz", "Electronica" or "Metal",
filed Krautrock albums under "Psychedelic Rock" and Math Rock albums under "Prog" or "AvantProg" and kept using the somewhat questionable label "Free Rock" and so on.
So take the genre tag as not more than a vague hint.
Hope some of you will find stuff here you enjoy.
Take care and happy holidays!


Aksak Maboul - Figures (Art Pop)
Alan Braufman - The Fire Still Burns (Jazz)
Alexandra Savior - The Archer (Pop)
Anna Högberg Attack - Lena (Jazz)
AukcYon - Mechty (Psychedelic Rock)
Automatism ‎- Immersion (Psychedelic Rock)
Backxwash - God Has Nothing To Do With This Leave Him Out Of It (HipHop)
Bastarda - Nigunim (Classical)
Ben Lukas Boysen - Mirage (Electronica)
Benjamin Vergara & Fred Frith - Fanfarrisimo (Free Improvisation)
Bohren & Der Club Of Gore - Patchouli Blue (Jazz)
Boris - NO (Rock)
Brian Marsella - Gatos Do Sul (Jazz)
Brian Marsella Trio - Intersection Of Dissections (Jazz)
Charles Hayward & Harmergeddon - Hayward Versus Harmergeddon (Free Rock)
Clarence Clarity - Dead Screen Scrolls (Ambient)
Clarice Jensen ‎- The Experience Of Repetition As Death (Classical)
Clipping. - Visions Of Bodies Being Burned (HipHop)
Consider The Source - F-k It! We'll Do It Live-Volume 3 (Fusion)
Container - Scramblers (Electronica)
Crisis Sigil - Small Towns (Grind)
Cryptic Shift - Visitations From Enceladus (Metal)
Dai Kaht - II (AvantProg)
Daimonji - Eutopia (AvantProg)
Dan Deacon - Mystic Familiar (Art Pop)
David Kollar & Arve Henriksen - Unexpected Isolation (Ambient)
Defeated Sanity - The Sanguinary Impetus (Metal)
Dextro - An Hour Is A Sea (Electronica)
Doctor Fluorescent - Doctor Fluorescent (Synth Pop)
Encenathrakh - Thraakethraaeate Thraithraake (Metal)
Erik Friedlander - Sentinel (Jazz)
Esoctrilihum - Eternity Of Shaog (Metal)
Ex Eye - Live At Saint Vitus (Metal)
Fire! Orchestra - Actions (Jazz)
Fren - Where Do You Want Ghosts To Reside (Prog)
Gavin Harrison & Antoine Fafard - Chemical Reactions (Prog)
Gupi - None (Electronica)
Hedvig Mollestad ‎- Ekhidna (Free Rock)
Horse Lords ‎- The Common Task (Psychedelic Rock)
I Like To Sleep - Daymare (Free Rock)
Igorrr - Spirituality And Distortion (Metal)
Imperial Triumphant - Alphaville (Metal)
Irreversible Entanglements - Who Sent You (Jazz)
Isobar - Isobar (Prog)
Ivar Grydeland & Henry Kaiser - Into The Arctic Dreamtime (Free Improvisation)
J. Peter Schwalm & Arve Henriksen - Neuzeit (Ambient)
Jessie Ware - What's Your Pleasure (Pop)
Jim O'Rourke - Shutting Down Here (Ambient)
John Ferrara & Seth Moutal - Live At The Museum Of Modern Renaissance (Prog)
John Zorn ‎- Baphomet (AvantProg)
John Zorn ‎- Beyond Good And Evil (AvantProg)
John Zorn ‎- Virtue (Folk)
Kazuhisa Uchihashi & Tatsuya Yoshida - Improvisations 5 (Free Rock)
Kazuhisa Uchihashi, Kenji Sato & Tatsuya Yoshida - SekkutsuJean vs Cho-Sokkyo (Free Rock)
King Gizzard And The Lizard Wizard - K.G (Psychedelic Rock)
Kitty - Charm And Mirror (Pop)
Krallice - Mass Cathexis (Metal)
Krononaut - Krononaut (Free Rock)
Le Grand Sbam - Furvent (AvantProg)
Liturgy - Origin Of The Alimonies (Metal)
Magick Brother & Mystic Sister - Magick Brother & Mystic Sister (Prog)
Majid Bekkas - Magic Spirit Quartet (Jazz)
Markus Reuter, Fabio Trentini & Asaf Sirkis - Truce (Prog)
Mary Halvorson’s Code Girl - Artlessly Falling (Jazz)
Mary Lattimore - Silver Ladders (Ambient)
Merzbow, Mats Gustafsson & Balazs Pandi - Cuts Open (Noise)
Moon Hooch - Life On Other Planets (Jazz)
Mr. Bungle - The Raging Wrath Of The Easter Bunny Demo (Metal)
Neon Heart - Neon Heart (Psychedelic Rock)
Neptunian Maximalism - Eons (AvantProg)
NES, Black String, Majid Bekkas & Nguyen Le - Jazz At Berlin Philharmonic X-East-West (Jazz)
Nicolas Jaar - Cenizas (Electronica)
Nicolas Jaar - Telas (Electronica)
Nihiloxica ‎- Kaloli (Electronica)
Nils Frahm - Tripping With Nils Frahm (Electronica)
NYUK - Live At Goodman 2013 (Free Rock)
NYUK - Live At Pit Inn 2013 (Free Rock)
Odraza - Rzeczom (Metal)
Oh Sees - Levitation Sessions (Psychedelic Rock)
Oh Sees - Metamorphosed (Psychedelic Rock)
Oh Sees - Protean Threat (Psychedelic Rock)
Okuden Quartet - Every Dog Has Its Day But It Doesn't Matter Because Fat Cat Is Getting Fatter (Jazz)
Opal Ocean - The Hadal Zone (Flamenco)
Oranssi Pazuzu - Mestarin Kynsi (Metal)
Orchestra Of The Upper Atmosphere - θ5 (Free Rock)
Peter Brötzmann, Maalem Moukhtar Gania & Hamid Drake - The Catch Of A Ghost (Jazz)
Peter Evans - Being & Becoming (Jazz)
Petra Haden - Songs For Petra: Petra Haden Sings The Zorn/Harris Songbook ‎(Jazz Pop)
Pinkish Black & Yells At Eels - Vanishing Light In The Tunnel Of Dreams (Free Rock)
Psychic Markers ‎- Psychic Markers (Art Pop)
Pure Reason Revolution - Eupnea (Prog)
Pyrrhon - Abscess Time (Metal)
R.A.P. Ferreira and The Jefferson Park Boys - Purple Moonlight Pages (HipHop)
Red Fiction - Visions Of The Void (AvantProg)
Rina Sawayama - Sawayama (Pop)
Ring Van Möbius - The 3rd Majesty (Prog)
Roisin Murphy - Roisin Machine (Disco)
Roots Magic - Take Root Among The Stars (Jazz)
Samuel Rohrer, Max Loderbauer, Stian Westerhus & Tobias Freund - KAVE (Free Rock)
Scherzoo - 05 (AvantProg)
Sc'ööf - Weaving Elephants (AvantProg)
Shabaka And The Ancestors - We Are Sent Here By History (Jazz)
Sightless Pit - Grave Of A Dog (Electronica)
Skaphe - Skaphe³ (Metal)
Skeletons - If The Cat Come Back (Art Pop)
Skeletons - SONGS (Art Pop)
Slift - Ummon (Psychedelic Rock)
Smokemaster - Smokemaster (Psychedelic Rock)
Sonar with David Torn - Tranceportation Vol.2 (Prog)
Sparkle Division - To Feel Embraced (Electronica)
Squarepusher - Be Up A Hello (Electronica)
Stian Westerhus - Redundance (Art Pop)
Sumac - St Vitus 09-07-2018 (Metal)
Sunwatchers - Oh Yeah (Free Rock)
The Devil's Staircase - The Devil's Staircase (Avant Prog)
The End - Allt Är Intet (Free Rock)
The Garden - Kiss My Super Bowl Ring (Punk)
The Necks - Three (Jazz)
The Physics House Band - Metropolis (Prog)
The Pineapple Thief - Versions Of The Truth (Prog)
Thumbscrew - The Anthony Braxton Project (Jazz)
Tom Misch & Yussef Dayes - What Kinda Music (Pop)
Trees Speak - Ohms (Psychedelic Rock)
Tricot - 10 (Rock)
Two Fingers - Fight! Fight! Fight! (Electronica)
Ulcerate - Stare Into Death And Be Still (Metal)
Ulver - Flowers Of Evil (Synth Pop)
Underworld & The Necks - Appleshine Continuum (Electronica)
Underworld & The Necks - Drift (Electronica)
Vespero - The Four Zoas (Psychedelic Rock)
VoidCeremony - Entropic Reflections Continuum: Dimensional Unravel (Metal)
Wailin Storms - Rattle (Punk)
Will Guthrie ‎- Nist-Nah (Ambient)
Wobbler - Dwellers Of The Deep (Prog)
Wyxz - Odyx (AvantProg)
Yair Elazar Glotman & Mats Erlandsson - Emanate (Classical)
Yussef Dayes Trio - Welcome To The Hills (Jazz)
Zebra Katz - Less Is Moor (Hip Hop)

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adidasss

And yet No Fiona Apple?? IT.IS.THE.MOST.IMPORTAINT.ALBUM.OF.OUR.TIME!!

Also, thanks, I'll try to check some of those out.

P.s. The Oh Sees are now officially Osees.

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OccultHawk

Goddamn son

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Marie Monday

you really delivered here man. Hope you're well, and happy holidays to you too!

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fire

I don't have a lot. maybe one or two. I will try to search.

From bandcamp

Airs
by Mhairi Hall

This one was my favorite so far in 2020.
Marie Monday not sure if you will like it.


Solas an Lae - The Light of the Day
by Eoghan Ó Ceannabháin & Ultan O'Brien

This one is ok, a bit long, I only liked one song from the album very much Cúirt Bhaile Nua.


First Steps
by Brown Boots

This was ok, nice, I don't remember very much only listened once (a long time ago) but the first listening was enjoyable.


Ag Iascaireacht
by Brían Ó Laoi

This was cute. Very short.


Tranquility in Tureencahill
by Bryan O'Leary

Listened yesterday, it was nice.


Den Kaldsteikte
by Guro Kvifte Nesheim & Mats Edén

This was nice at first listening.


Uilleann Piping from County Waterford
by Caoimhín Ó Fearghail

This was nice, I don't have a lot to say about it, first listening I enjoyed it.


The Old Favorite
by Benjamin Foss


Not my thing really, but it was ok.


The Airing
by Rebecca Hill

This was ok, first listening.


The Green Hills
by Aoife Blake

This was ok, first listening, not sure about it.

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Anteater

My top 21 is in my sig. Some gems there that might appeal to a few of you.

grindy, that list is fantastic. I was also unaware the boys from Pinkish Black put out something new. Gonna go dig through the ones on your list I haven't heard.

__________________
Anteater's 21 Fav Albums Of 2020

Anteater's Daily Tune Roulette

bob.

my top 23 (in memory of Genesis) with some comments on my top ten of 2020.....

23. Uniform - Shame
22. Bob Mould - Blue Hearts
21. Steven Von Till - No Wilderness Deep Enough
20. Kairon; IRISE - Polysomn
19. Wire - Mind Hive
18. Drain - California Cursed
17. The Residents - Metal, Meat and Bone: The Songs Of Dyin' Dogs
16. Eisturzende Neubauten - Alles In Allen
15. Run The Jewels - RTJ4
14. Dark Buddha Rising - Mathreyata
13. Couch Slut - Take A Chance On Rock N Roll
12. Rome - The Lone Furrow
11. Idles - Ultra Mono
10. Today Is The Day - No Good To Anyone
Steve Austin's 11th full length and fuck does
he still hate humans.....This is an amazing mixture of classic noise rock
with experimental metal arrangements....a constant reminder that to
truly be misanthropic you have to hate yourself the most
9. Brainbombs - Cold Chase
9th album by the Swedish noise rock legends and they finally added a
little production....a softer feel to their earlier work....but still
unbelievably relentless in the lyrical delivery and assault on the
listener....and still enamored with serial killers
8. Chief Tail - Chief Tail
It's not everyday an up and coming band formed out the dead and
infamous Richmond VA band PCP Roadblock gets to record their debut
with Steve Albini...the result is an absolute rocket ride down Am Rep era
noise rock....this album is short...dirty...and to the fucking point
7. The Goners - Good Mourning
this makes me think of Time To Die era Electric Wizard getting really
drunk and doing a bunch of blow then attempting garage punk
album.....really heavy b-horror film inspired lyrics....these Swedish guys
made a kick ass rock record....hands down
best album cover of 2020
6. Hum - Inlet
In 2015 my friend Carson and i traveled to Portland OR to catch a Hum
reunion show.....just a couple of months later we met again in Santa Cruz
to catch a Ride reunion and was nostalgic over these great 9 rock bands
getting back together and hopefully releasing new material....Ride did it a
year later and now Hum.....this is....in my opinion...and amazing
comeback....albeit a little repetitive....this album picks up right where
they left off 20 years ago.....which is fine by me
5. Jesu - Terminus
Justin Broadrick can do no wrong in my mind.....and this is just a
continuation of the feeling I feel like he has always tried to invoke with
Jesu....the last Godflesh album was an amazing return to that wonderful
pounding industrial sound....and this is an amazing return to long fuzzing
feelings of absolute despondency
4. Human Impact - Human Impact
There is no denning that i will 100% love anything Chris Spencer
touches....but putting a band together with ex members of Unsane, Cop
Shoot Cop, Swans, Angels of Light, and Flux Information
Sciences....FUCK....mind blown.....I remember
a few years ago when he release the fist UXO album and my friend told
me...."this just sounds like Unsane" and I responded with...."It sounds
like Unsane if Today is the Day wrote the guitar arrangements"....this
sounds nothing like Unsane....and is an album that forces the listener to
look at themselves and see the horrible things they have done to this
world....the musical arrangements are amazing as to be expected from
such an amazing group of musicians
3. Soccer Mommy - Color Theory
My before mentioned friend got me onto this album mid year and I
listened to it constant for a couple of months.....there is no way around
it...Sophie Allison has amazing song writing ablity....she writes damn near
perfect songs that make me smile as much as they pull my deepest heat
strings....i thought for sure Color Theory would be my album of the year
until I found these last two and was floored
2. Hoaries - Rocker Shocker
I love noise rock.....this is nothing short of noise rock gold....I remember
hearing in an interview about Lubricated Goat that the Aussies will also
create great music because they ****ing love the Stooges....these guys
are from Dallas and rose from the ashes of the amazing band White
Drugs (RIP)...and they hold to that statement....this is noise rock at it's
best...to quote their label...."For **** sake, they even manage to make a
SADÉ cover work"
1. Phoebe Bridgers - Punisher
Two really strange things happened for me this year......I agree with what
is considered the greatest book of 2020....The Boy, The Mole, The Fox
And The Horse....is the greatest book written and defines everything we
all really need right now....i literally dropped tears all over myself reading
it.....and I agree with this amazing multi Grammy nominated album as
being the best album of 2020.....a co-worker asked me if I had heard
this....I replied no and asked for a link...a couple of days later I pulled her
up on Spotify....I liked Garden Song.....loved Kyoto.....Really loved
Punisher.....fell more in Love with Moon Song....and absolutely melted
with I Know The End....I went back and listened to her career and it's all
really good....but not this good....this is what I will listen to when I reflect
on this contrived year.....especially I Know The End....the melancholy
beginning....the middle build up....fucking
amazing.....that scream at the end....she has managed to encompass all
of my emotions in this crazy year....and I will love her forever for this
album

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Ninetales

oh damn did not know they were back. Loved their other three albums quite a lot when they came out. They had such a unique sound and could really deliver catchy hooks. I've never really been super into "prog" (which maybe only applied to The Dark Third), but they scratched an itch not many other similar bands have. Looking into this immediately.

OccultHawk

Fantastic contribution

Making MB Great Again

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bob.

Thank you man....seriously means a lot

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A kiss is the beginning of cannibalism.

Reach out, pierce the fine fabric of the sheltering sky, take repose.