Music Banter's Top Albums of 2020
 

What were y'alls top albums?

I'll start. Maybe we could vote on a consensus of 10 albums we all liked idk.

10 Your Arms are My Cocoon - S/T

I've followed this particular artist on insta for some time now and he's now released this impressive collection of songs that combine bedroom pop sensibilities with screamo. There's an array of different instruments used and song structures go everywhere, it's very like Brave Little Abacus in that way.

9 M Geddes Gengras - Time Makes Nothing Happen

The sound design I heard on a previous album of his was immaculate so I had to check out what was billed as a progressive electronic/minimal techno album and it surely delivers. It's glitchy, it's dancey, it checks all the boxes for what I want in a techno album.

8 Code Orange - Underneath

I checked out Swallowing the Rabbit Whole when I was waiting for my therapist to call me in to the office before COVID started and it was some heavy ****. Probably one of the Industrial Metal albums most worthy of holding that title, since it's clanging, dissonant, has crazy production, and it's hard to decide b/w this and Methwitch's album from this year as this spot because that one is even more dissonant and chaotic.

7 Denzel Curry x Kenny Beats - Unlocked

I put Denzel on last years list but I think this one is more deserving of a spot, the bars are more memorable, the production is tighter, the length is perfect. Pig Feet is an incredibly moving song and I'm disappointed that it came out after this project. Though the two are very different, idk I just like having singles on albums.

6 Oranssi Pazuzu - Mestarin kynsi

Kvlt ****. Wish Mondo was still here so we could talk about how good this **** is. Some of the most demonic and frightening **** metal has to offer in this day and age.

5 Against All Logic - 2017-2019

A collection of songs that vary wildly in style. The first track is my favorite, I used to play it while stocking at Food Lion. The rest of the tracks range from tech house to ebm to a track featuring Lydia Lunch. It's good techno for sure.

4 Arca - KiCk i

I bought this **** on vinyl hell yeah. This year, neoperreo became something I really got into and I'm glad Arca includes those reggaeton influences all over this project. Speaking of, it's easily Arca's most accessible stuff but that's not a bad thing at all. It's catchy, it slaps. What more can I say? It sounds like Aphex Twin pop numbers. Very good stuff.

3 Mucoid - Disaster!

I have a split with Dan but this album stands on it's own. It's outsider house with breakbeats and hypnagogic samples all culled from video games and heavily edited.

2 Machine Girl - MG Demo Disc

I was listening to this when COVID started shutting down concerts and I was about to start working my first job of the year. It's really good, idk. I like Machine Girl's digi-hardcore stuff a lot but I also groove down to their Hardcore Breaks/Footwork stuff so I'm glad there's more of that in the world bc of this album.

1 Wednesday - I Was Trying to Describe You to Someone

This album truly grew on me to become my favorite of the year. It's shoegaze with bedroom pop sensibilities and some really great lyricism and melodies. It's really a shoegaze favorite now and deservedly so. It also helps that this particular artist is local, from Asheville, NC. Hopefully someday I'll be able to meet them :)



What are some of y'alls favs?

My favorite this year is Wednesday - I Was Trying to Describe You to Someone. I wanted to buy the vinyl but didn't :(. I don't know enough to sort out what's worth really worth it and make a list out of it. I've checked "2020 albums you're digging" and I only posted 3 albums.

Another fan of that album that’s awesome! I think the vinyl is still available I checked recently

My listening habits have been drifting away from current releases a lot over the last two years but these are the albums I heard this year that I enjoyed.

Protomartyr - Ultimate Success Today
Yo La Tengo - We Have Amnesia Sometimes
Horse Lords - The Common Task
Dan Deacon - Mystic Familiar
The Necks - Three

Horse Lords might edge out the rest as my fav.

I never manage to keep up with current music, but of what I heard the standouts were:
Fiona Apple - Fetch the Bolt Cutters. What a wonderful surprise
Thumbscrew - The Anthony Braxton Project. Introduced me to a new world of music, and Mary Halvorson. Thanks Frown
Phoebe Bridgers - Punisher. I wasn't into her music before, but this clicked, and the last track was a catalyst for working through a lot of unprocessed emotions. Bless Phoebe
Anna Högberg Attack - Lena. Listening to it right now actually. Moving and powerful
My Cat is an Alien - Eternal Beyond II. thanks Frown x2
Star Feminine Band - s/t. It sparks so much joy that I'm amazed nobody made it illegal

My top albums of the year:

Tame Impala - The slow rush - they just keep putting out excellent stuff, this one was full of earworms, very dancey.

Waxahatchee - Saint Cloud - Excellent, catchy folk/alt. country. Tried her earlier albums and they are either too noisy or not catchy enough.

HAIM - Women In Music Pt. III - Very catchy pop album, they are getting better with each release.

Perfume Genius - Set My Heart On Fire Immediately - Maybe his best, or at least, the most consistent and listenable album.

Fleet Foxes - Shore - Back to a more traditional sound after the experimentation of Crack-up. I appreciate it. (Saw them live a few years ago, they were excellent)

Destroyer - Have We Met - Never heard about this guy before this album, then went back through a few of his last albums, I prefer Kapput but this one has one of my favorite lyrics of all time:

You throw yourself down on the playground
Skid to a halt on the runway
You cast a poisonous look to the sun
You know it just doesn't happen to anyone
You know this doesn't just happen to anyone

So visual, so dramatic. Love it.

Grimes - Miss Anthropocene - Probably her most accessible album. Just a great dance album. Love to listen to it on the headphones.

Edit: The Killers - Imploding the mirage - I haven't payed much attention to these guys in many years, this album seems like a return to form, chock full of catchy songs and lots of great energy.

I saw them live I guess about ten years ago and enjoyed it. Good band.

havent really been keeping up with new music

like u said Machine girl & BMTH new music was pretty good this year

SUGIZO 絶彩 (feat. 京) [LIVE IN TOKYO]... was a pretty dope Duet with KYO

Code orange drop a album at the perfect time COVID ground zero

i think im missing some stuff but yeahhh .... im still stuck on all the ollldd stuff 2000-2019

o and Mr bungle released a pretty good thrash Demo :P

I hardly keep up with new music, so I to cram really hard overnight for this test.

Wednesday - I Was Trying to Describe You to Someone
I found this album (on discog.com) back when it was release earlier this year and loved it from the start. I played it a dozen times, so it's my most played album released in 2020. They have those slightly distorted driving guitar and clean arpeggios a la Weezer. However they're not slavishly reproducing =W=. Their sound is more like =W= 2.0

Culk ‎– Zerstreuen Über Euch
Culk is an Austrian band. The moody Dark Wave is just delectable.

Rumer ‎– Nashville Tears: The Songs Of Hugh Prestwood I have to admit I'm so far out of the Country music loop I didn't know anything about him before I heard this album - though I'm familiar with the singer. This is her third album of cover songs and she dedicated this album to the songs of Hugh Prestwood. I enjoy his songwriting. The lyrics unfold a story like Bobby Russell. Rumer sings with the sincerity of Kate Wolf. I don't know how it ranks to other Country albums this year. Hey for all I know it could be shot down by Country aficionados - idk. I just enjoy the album.

Nilovic & The Soul Surfers ‎– Maze Of Sounds
Janko Nilović is 79 y/o and has been playing music since the 1950s. The music sounds very much like it's straight from 70s, but there's modern elements to it. I were to break it down I would say the bass playing and drumming sound like they are paying homage to 70s style (mostly Funk, among other things), but Janko's playing sounds authentically 70s.

So so much I haven’t heard but this is on my AOTY TOP SOMETHING 2020 list that I have heard.

So is this: Silver Ladders by Mary Lattimore

https://marylattimoreharpist.bandcam...silver-ladders

http://narcmagazine.com/wp-content/u...70.172.108.jpg