Albums of 2020

[Mickey]

Gigaton sucks. Doesn't exactly inspire one to continue down the list.

My hot take is that the problems with this list start with the #1 slot.

[VinylGuy]

do you really put effort on those listens? or if something isnt grabbing you its over? Because its quite a list.

I listen to all of them from beginning to end. If they grab me, I usually listen again within a day or so. The best ones I listen to multiple times. I've heard each of those top ten albums, for example at least five times each. Maybe more.

does it feel like a job? Like you have a schedule and you are running behind?

Not at all. If it did, I wouldn't do it. All this extra time at home has been great for listening to music. This kind of consumption isn't normal for me, typically.

great

[Jorge]

Gigaton sucks. Doesn't exactly inspire one to continue down the list.

My hot take is that the problems with this list start with the #1 slot.

Truly piping hot

[psychobain]

Fontaines D.C (hottest irish band right now?)

Fontaines are really fucken good

Yeah thanks for the tip. This is good stuff.

Theyre about to release their LP2
You should check the debut also

[Higgs]

Gigaton sucks. Doesn't exactly inspire one to continue down the list.

My hot take is that the problems with this list start with the #1 slot.

Truly piping hot

Toasty even.

[tragabigzanda]

Top 10 maybe?
Hello Morning
Close Captioned
The Kill
Place/Position
Do You Like Me?
Latest Disgrace
Recap Modotti
Nightshop
Break
Life & Limb

I'd maybe bump Life & Limb for Epic Problem

[epilogue]

Gigaton sucks. Doesn't exactly inspire one to continue down the list.

My hot take is that the problems with this list start with the #1 slot.

Is it that you don't like the album at all, or that you don't like it at #1?

[Rangi Guy]

I've only heard of a handful of the albums of Joey's list.

Surprised Earth - EOB isn't on that list though. It'd probably be #2 or so if I did a list

[epilogue]

I've only heard of a handful of the albums of Joey's list.

Surprised Earth - EOB isn't on that list though. It'd probably be #2 or so if I did a list

Haven't heard it yet.

[Rangi Guy]

I've only heard of a handful of the albums of Joey's list.

Surprised Earth - EOB isn't on that list though. It'd probably be #2 or so if I did a list

Haven't heard it yet.

It's pretty great......or I think so at least

[epilogue]

I've only heard of a handful of the albums of Joey's list.

Surprised Earth - EOB isn't on that list though. It'd probably be #2 or so if I did a list

Haven't heard it yet.

It's pretty great......or I think so at least

I'll check it out.

[washing machine]

Can't get the guitar from "Processed by the Boys" out of my head today.

[Brett]

Mini-reviews of 2020, Part 4:

Vennart - "Dick Privilege"
Nasty fuzz and distortion fueled post-hardcore, this is Mike Vennart's sarcastic swipe at online hate mongers. It's a fun little throw-away tune that may or may not suggest the direction his next album is going. Side B's "Rat Catch" goes even harder, but it's less rewarding than the lead song. Mike's doing the Patreon thing now, and most of the sketches he's posted don't inhabit the same sound sphere as these songs.

Animal Collective - Bridge to Quiet
Most likely candidate to knock Gigaton from the top spot this year, this mini-album is a gorgeous revival of a band who have had a hard time balancing their need to constantly push their boundaries with a healthy dose of high-quality songwriting. They get it right this time, and if the live recordings of the new songs from last year's tour are anything to go by, the next proper album should be in the same league.

Sam Shalabi - Gecko
Trying to predict what a Sam Shalabi album will sound like can be a futile effort. The man follows nothing but his whims, and they can lead all sorts of places. Gecko is mostly instrumental and in a similar realm to some of Shalabi's more recent works; heavy on programmed beats and synths that mimic Arabic folk instruments in a fusion of Eastern and Western styles. It's also relatively accessible considering his past works tended to make frequent use of strange monologues intertwined with the songs.

Sam Shalabi - 20/20 comma
As above, re: unpredictability, this is Shalabi's first solo oud album which is a bit surprising as he's been playing the instrument for at least 25 years now and it lends itself well to being a singular voice. Furthermore, Shalabi chooses an unusual selection of pieces to play here, cycling through an original improvisation, a version of a free jazz tune, and piece based on a pop song based on a folk song. I've long thought that a solo oud album from Sam would be interesting, but the results are quite a bit different than I expected.

Nashville Minimalism Unit - Brenda Leigh
The first NMU album collects three pieces recorded in concert by Toronto fixture Joe Strutt. Long-form instrumental psych-country with a bit more jazz flavor than usual with leader Kurt Newman switching from pedal-steel to regular electric guitar and piano in place of the more typical fiddle. It seems as though Kurt's drifted away from the spacier style of the first few NMU tracks he put out, but it's still pretty fun to listen to him jam out with his revolving cast of collaborators.

Nashville Minimalism Unit - Soldier's Joy
And here's the first true studio album from this collective. The fiddle returns to duel over leads with Newman's pedal-steel while banjo and guitar fill in texture and an upright bass and two drummers lay down some old-school country rhythms. This verges even further into a more pop territory which concerns me slightly that Kurt's future inclinations may drive this band out of my sphere of interest, but for now I'm still keeping a close ear on this project.

[psychobain]

Mini-reviews of 2020, Part 4:

Vennart - "Dick Privilege"
Nasty fuzz and distortion fueled post-hardcore, this is Mike Vennart's sarcastic swipe at online hate mongers. It's a fun little throw-away tune that may or may not suggest the direction his next album is going. Side B's "Rat Catch" goes even harder, but it's less rewarding than the lead song. Mike's doing the Patreon thing now, and most of the sketches he's posted don't inhabit the same sound sphere as these songs.

Animal Collective - Bridge to Quiet
Most likely candidate to knock Gigaton from the top spot this year, this mini-album is a gorgeous revival of a band who have had a hard time balancing their need to constantly push their boundaries with a healthy dose of high-quality songwriting. They get it right this time, and if the live recordings of the new songs from last year's tour are anything to go by, the next proper album should be in the same league.

im a huge Oceansize fan, i need to spin some of his solo stuff
and that new AC for sure

[psychobain]

***Are you Even Real? by James Blake

[kreng]

I've only heard of a handful of the albums of Joey's list.

Surprised Earth - EOB isn't on that list though. It'd probably be #2 or so if I did a list

lol i thought there was a new Earth album i somehow missed. i looked it up on spotify and started playing it and was utterly confused by the sound. this album is not bad though.

[epilogue]

I've only heard of a handful of the albums of Joey's list.

Surprised Earth - EOB isn't on that list though. It'd probably be #2 or so if I did a list

lol i thought there was a new Earth album i somehow missed. i looked it up on spotify and started playing it and was utterly confused by the sound. this album is not bad though.

I had no idea who/what EOB was. I also thought the album Rangi was referencing was called "Surprised Earth." So it took me forever to find the thing he was talking about.

Don't worry, team! I got there. I got there.

[verb_to_trust]

Estimation of Benefits

[Brett]

Mini-reviews of 2020, Part 4:

Vennart - "Dick Privilege"
Nasty fuzz and distortion fueled post-hardcore, this is Mike Vennart's sarcastic swipe at online hate mongers. It's a fun little throw-away tune that may or may not suggest the direction his next album is going. Side B's "Rat Catch" goes even harder, but it's less rewarding than the lead song. Mike's doing the Patreon thing now, and most of the sketches he's posted don't inhabit the same sound sphere as these songs.

Animal Collective - Bridge to Quiet
Most likely candidate to knock Gigaton from the top spot this year, this mini-album is a gorgeous revival of a band who have had a hard time balancing their need to constantly push their boundaries with a healthy dose of high-quality songwriting. They get it right this time, and if the live recordings of the new songs from last year's tour are anything to go by, the next proper album should be in the same league.

im a huge Oceansize fan, i need to spin some of his solo stuff
and that new AC for sure

I knew you were a fellow 'size fan, but I can't recall, did you find The Demon Joke underwhelming, or was it the British Theatre stuff you weren't keen on? For sure, though, check out the Vennart albums, especially the second one.

[verb_to_trust]

Greg? Dulli says there is going to be a Twilight Singers box set with a rarities disc. Just take my money Greg?.