Been rolling through Phoebe's entire catalog this morning... Both solo albums, boygenius, Better Oblivion Community Center. It's all so good. I think she's easily my favorite artist of the last several years.
Album Of The Year Tier: Beach Bunny -- Honeymoon Futurebirds -- Teamwork STRFKR -- Future Past Life Phoebe Bridgers -- Punisher My Morning Jacket -- The Waterfall II The Beths -- Jump Rope Gazers Country Westerns -- Country Westerns Fleet Foxes -- Shore Also Very Good: Tennis Andy Shauf Khruanginbin/Leon Bridges Best Coast Run The Jewels Stagbriar Pretty Good/OK/Decent/Meh: Soccer Mommy Pearl Jam Carseat Headrest Stephen Malkmus Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever Bully Daddy's Beemer Dear Blanca Could Not Get Into Tame Impala Real Estate Hayley Williams Jay Electronica Still Evaluating: Fiona Apple Taylor Swift Smashing Pumpkins Deftones Jason Isbell SAULT Perfume Genius Bob Dylan IDLES
Albumoftheyear.org has a pretty cool feature this year. Maybe they had it previously but if so I didn’t know it. If you bring up an album it will show you what “lists” they made for year end 2020. Some of the lists are more centered around certain genres that always floats some shit out there you may not have heard of. I then get sucked into endless listening until something sticks or I get sick of lists. Favorite thing I found so far is Young Jesus. There’s no real way to describe them without potentially insulting someone but if you have some time I think it’s worth a listen. Really dig the 2020 album, going to peruse through their catalog. They are unique but certainly not hard.
I started my list like seven times and all I do is end up in an infinite loop. It’s like I’m a dog and they just keep throwing the ball.
My top 8 is solid but I'm still running through more stuff that might make it. Added a few from Pitchfork's Top 50 last night. Dehd is pretty cool
Absolutely zero desire, never liked his style. However pump some PJ Masters of War into my veins all day long.
Haha, that was my initiation into Masters of War as well. I've never been a Dylan guy but I read his autobiography this year and got into his first albums a little bit. Intrigued whether this record is actually that *good* or if everyone just feels the need to give him legacy honor. Kinda like that Leonard Cohen album last year/year before
I've got a Roots show from a while back where they do a great cover of Masters of War as well don't think I've ever actually heard the original
Three year end accolades I hate the most. Legacy, Posthumous and finally the 20 year hiatus. Doesn’t mean they’re all bad, but 95% of them are.
Maggie Rogers put out an album of old unreleased recordings, and holy shit is it good. I was already a fan, but I wish her music still sounded like this.
I sat down and listened all the way yesterday and was pretty underwhelmed. Long as hell at 20 tracks, but nothing really grabbing me. The titles sound more exciting than the songs actually are — “Confessions of a Dopamine Addict” etc. That song “Ramona” gets in your head, but not necessarily in a good way
Can this count in the favorite albums of the year lists? If so, it's right near the top and Little Joys may be my favorite song.
My personal top 10: 1. Yves Tumor - Heaven to a Tortured Mind 2. Spanish Love Songs - Brave Faces Everyone 3. Jeff Rosenstock - No Dream 4. Bruce Springsteen - Letter to You 5. Deftones - Ohms 6. Charmer - Ivy 7. Dogleg - Melee 8. Guitar Fight - Soak 9. Touche Amore - Lament 10. Young Jesus - Welcome to Conceptual Beach Gotta admit, not my favorite year. Retreated to familiar songs/bands in the crazy year of uncertainty. Very few new bands blew me away and was kind of underwhelmed by a lot of the hype albums this year. Here's to another year and a Foxing record in 2021.
I think CTownND hit the nail on the head, really not my favorite year. My favorite album of the year was Jason Isbell's but I don't try to force that in here since we have a separate thread for that stuff. Alpha order: The Airborne Toxic Event - Hollywood Park Andy Shauf - The Neon Skyline Beach Bunny - Honeymoon The Beths - Jump Rope Gazers Country Westerns - Country Westerns Fontaines D.C. - A Hero's Death Gum Country - Somewhere HAIM - Women in Music, Pt. III Phoebe Bridgers - Punisher Spanish Love Songs - Brave Faces Everyone Tre Burt - Caught It from the Rye This list really makes me sad.
I like that Jeff Rosenstock record a lot, but it's his 4th best album of the last 6 years (maybe 5th if I include his side project album with Chris Farren from 2018 that was probably better too), and it's pretty easily a top 5 album this year for me. Part of that is my fault, didn't pursue as much new stuff as I usually do and all the highly regarded albums this year (RTJ4, Fiona Apple, Phoebe, etc.) just didn't connect with me for various reasons. Also, no live shows to connect with this stuff at hurt.
That's not your fault, I don't get the Fiona Apple album either. Although I think this was like the only place that had dissenters the day it came out that wasn't hailing it as "album of the year."
looks like I'm in the same boat as a number of you, working on my list but nothing really grabbed me to the point that I'd consider it to be album of the year
heres my top 10 and then best of the rest pure x - pure x jessy lanza - all the time sault - untitled (black is) / untitled (rise) kelly lee owens - inner song westerman - your hero is not dead tan cologne - cave vaults on the moon in new mexico khraungbin & leon bridges - texas sun yumi zouma - truth or consequences (alternate versions) nicolas jaar - cenizas against all logic - 2017-2019 cindy lee - cat o nine tails ela minus - acts of rebellion us girls - heavy light ao gerber - another place to need southern shores - siena helena deland - someone new stephen malkmus - traditional techniques the avalanches - we will always love you
I can kind of agree there wasnt as much good music this year, but probably more because I listened to significantly more new music than I normally would with being at home since march so the hit rate wasnt as high.
Probably leaving out a few but this was my heaviest rotation. Same deal, nothing that was out of this world to me, but combined its enough. Fontaines DC Porridge Radio Idles Protomartyr Vintage Crop The Homesick Metz
The new Avalanches “We Will Always Love You” is fantastic. I’m not usually a fan of different guest vocals throughout but this album pulls it off well.
stagbriar has been on a few of our best of lists... they’re playing a virtual show at 9:30. check em out!
Never been a Dylan fanatic but I definitely respect the writing. I caught a show in the early 2000's that I don't remember much about it now. I perfer the early electric stuff through the Rolling Thunder era as for as the sound goes. I just skipped through the new album. Musically it sounds about as dated as the album cover looks. Here's MoW for you guys.
I always look forward to this time of the year in this thread. You guys make for some excellent road trip music. Cheers.
Takes some digging but you can find some really solid year end lists on Spotify. Kind of wish it was a bit easier on the phone but generally I just start with a song I like and dig in from there.
just caught up and dished out a shit load of likes. Hello, friends. I missed you all on that note, a while back Preoccupations announced they've got a new album in the works. Will be soooooo happy when that drops
some tunes from the past few months that I did not see posted new Goat Girl album out in late January!!