December 10, 2020 by A.S. Van Dorston

Since early March when the life as we knew it suddenly became a thing of the past, a lot of album releases were delayed. Shows were canceled, venues shuttered, and the livelihood of many musicians took a big hit. One would have thought there would soon be a dearth of content, but that wasn’t the case. If anything, the amount of music released may have increased. The data is hard to come by, but it was documented that releases have increased from around 40,000 in 90s/00s, to over 100,000 in 2015. Now I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s over 150,000. Record labels still exist, and most (but not all — Chance the Rapper and Frank Ocean, for example) chart placing albums are on labels. But anyone can publish their music on Bandcamp, Soundcloud, and even get on big streaming platforms like Spotify and TIDAL without a label. Lesson learned, artists need to create, and corporate gatekeepers nor pandemics are going to stop them. Thank fuck for that, because people need music.

As humanity fails epically to learn its lesson from this pandemic (that if we keep trying to destroy nature, the earth will continue to issue antibodies so that it’s parasites do not destroy the host), and our collective lack of empathy for other living things will most certainly be our undoing, the one thing that superior alien beings will comment on when they stop by and collect their monoliths, long after we’re extinct, will be something like, “Tsk tsk, what a waste. At least they could tell a good story and sing a good tune.”

This year my favorite storytellers and tune singers were Motorpsycho. That top spot may not be shared by more that .01% of those reading this, but don’t fret. Dig in and you’ll find something you’re craving.

Genre

There isn’t any one genre that dominates music. While the AOTY aggregate list is dominated by solo women artists (Fiona Apple, Phoebe Bridgers, Taylor Swift, Dua Lipa, Waxahatchee, Yves Tumor, Rina Sawayama, Jessie Ware), they span many genres. Sure, if you look only at the charts, it might be a dumpster fire battleground between country pop, dance pop and pop rap. But if you step back and look at least at a widescreen snapshot of the music being released, the theme seems to be that artists are not staying loyal to any one genre. Many of them may have three, four, or more attributed to them, depending on where you look (mainly, I pay attention to the genres they attribute to themselves at the bottom of their Bandcamp pages, and on RYM). There isn’t any one new subgenre that’s taking over, but just a few names that might have been unfamiliar to many a few years ago are Bubblegum Bass, Funktronica, Afrobeats, Ambient Country, Cybergrind, Cyber Metal, Mathcore, Synthwave, Horror Synth, Vaporware, Blackgaze, among many others.

Search any of those previously obscure genres and you’ll come up with hundreds of albums to explore. If you want to go off the deep end, go to Rate Your Music. Some sub-genre distinctions are way too nitpicky for me to use. Do I really need Brutal Death Metal? Isn’t all death metal brutal? Perhaps, but not extra brutal. You’ll need to search those distinctions on RYM. Also, adding “atmospheric” to black and sludge metal means very little to me, as I can’t tell the difference. I guess if I spent several hundred more hours on those genres it would become clear, but not in this lifetime.

I’ve slightly tweaked the lists, and while there are literally dozens of possibilities (you can play with different combos yourself on the List Search), two of the main additions are Jam and New Age. The former has always lurked among the lists but the latter is something I’ve only started really paying attention to this past year. Last year I talked about making a Chillbient playlist to soothe the everyday rage. While there’s still a need for angry music to wring out that rage, and for me, my bread and butter of all kinds of permutation of psychedelic music, prog, metal and punk, one genre I, and apparently many others, given the popularity of Mary Lattimore, Teleplasmiste, Ana Roxanne, even the freaking Dalai Lama (!), is New Age. Yep, the genre I’ve probably most actively ridiculed of most of my life. Turns out during a global pandemic and an extremely stressful election, what we all needed was to turn our homes into therapeutic cocoons resembling a Scandinavian day spa.

Apparently even the kiddies playing fantasy video games need the soothing new age sounds of Gareth Coker, (the soundtrack to the game Ori and the Will of the Wisps is by far the highest rated new age album this year on RYM). Although to be fair, it’s the fourth highest in the Video Game Music category, a list topped by Ultrakill: Infinite Hyperdeath by Heaven Pierce Her from Finland (genres: Electronic, Drum n Bass, Industrial Metal, Ambient, Drill and Bass, Progressive Metal, Acidcore). I’m sure it won’t be long until Cybergrind/Mathcore artist Thøtcrime is commissioned for a game. But the success of several soundtracks by Coker indicate that the kids are stressed out too, and need to chill like the rest of us.

Comeback

This band had four nearly perfect albums between 1980 and 1983, then floundered with three more inconsistent albums for the next decade, before mostly going dormant. I did see them play a great live show around 2004. Back with all original members, X sounds like their old punkabilly selves again like it’s 1984, and Alphabetland is their lost fifth album. It’s not, but it sounds like it. Like a lot of bands sidetracked by unfortunate production trends and chasing the money they’ve woken from a decades-long slumber and remembered how to rock. Ironic, given how unfashionable guitar based rock music is lately in the mainstream. But this isn’t about the money, but rather just plain joy and passion for making music. Hence, the rocking.

Debut

Molassess is the winner here, though they are 4/5ths of Dutch occult psych noir/prog pioneers The Devil’s Blood. So halfway between debut and comeback, but either way, glad to have them. I look forward to seeing them live someday. Similarly, Coriky is Ian MacKaye and his partner Amy Farina, who previously released three albums as The Evens. Oh yeah, and they also have this bass player from a long forgotten band called Fugazi. So they’re also 1/2 of Fugazi. Does anyone even care? THIS GUY does! So who’s the freshest of fresh blood? We Here Now consists of veterans from bands throughout Brazil, Peru and the US. They may not be spring chickens, but their EP sounds pretty fresh.

Memorium

There’s been significantly more death this year due to the pandemic. I’m won’t dare say who is the most significant loss to the world, but personally, what stung me is Toots Hibbert, who I saw for the third and last time one beautiful summer evening in Chicago’s Addams Medill Park for the 2016 Reggaefest. He struck me as so youthful and vibrant . . . and swol! How a 74 man could look and move like that seemed unreal. The dude must have worked out big time. Not to mention the healing vibes of his joyful music that has absorbed the pain of people both oppressed and privileged for six decades. He had soul like Otis Redding and uplifting spirit like Curtis Mayfield, a true contemporary and rival of Bob Marley.

May they also rock in excelsis DIO and rest in pieces: Eddie Van Halen, John Prine, Spencer Davis, Peter Green, Charlie Daniels, Betty Wright, Little Richard, Florian Schneider, Tony Allen, Bill Withers, Bill Rieflin, Kenny Rogers, McCoy Tyner, Neil Peart, Adam Schlesinger, Phil May, Steve Priest, Judy Dyble, Emitt Rhodes, Wayne Fontana, Johnny Nash, Jerry Jeff Walker, Ennio Morricone, and many more.

Underrated

You know the drill. All of it, basically. Nearly every artist on this page is scarcely mentioned beyond this site. Last year while sitting through a neverending Tool concert, I had plenty of time to think. No, Tool are not underrated. But Motorpsycho is. To me, Motorpsycho is better than Tool in every way. Both bands started out with similar alternative hard rock and metal influences in the 90s, and both have stretched out into progressive territories. Of course, Motorpsycho are approximately ten times more prolific, and any of their last few albums are way, way better than Tool’s long awaited fifth album. The big difference is, like a lot of other European bands, the Norwegian members of Motorpsycho grew up in an environment where exposure to classical, avant garde jazz and experimental music was a more common occurrence than for most Americans. So those influences are more familiar, and they more easily connect with European audiences. Indeed, they’re big enough stars there, they don’t feel the need to tour North America. That’s great for them, sucks for us. Of course no one is touring anywhere right now, so it sucks for everyone.

Disappointment

This is tricky. When I explore the bottom quarter of my list, for the most part I enjoyed the albums enough that at least they made my list. So artists like Pearl Jam, Lamb Of God, Stone Temple Pilots, Taylor Swift may have over a thousand albums ranked above them, but eh, that’s fine. They’re doing fine. I like ’em just fine as they are, and do not expect more from them. One that gives me some pain is Witchcraft, whose Black Metal is basically a lo-fi solo acoustic demo from Magnus Pelander. I hate to pick on him, because the man is certainly going through some personal shit. Witchcraft were supposed to play Psycho Las Vegas in 2018, and were one of the reasons I made the trip. But they bailed last minute. Not cool man! They promised free tickets to everyone next time they came to the U.S., but that never happened. I’m not surprised, as I saw Pelander’s increasingly erratic posts on social media the past several years. The album is not garbage, but it’s also not great, and it’s hard to hear without pining for the glories of their first four albums. Hopefully he will heal and overcome, and bounce back someday with more great music.

I loved Fontaines D.C.’s debut album, but the new one is a bit of a dreary slog in parts. I still love the band, and it still made my top 100, but I was disappointed. Also worth mentioning, Jehnny Beth. Many are giving her the benefit of the doubt, and To Love Is To Live is showing up on some year-end lists. Diddling around with electronic pop is a tried and true tradition of many a restless front person, from David Byrne to Thom Yorke and Karen Oh. But please, please, plllleeeeeze, Jehnny, do not quit Savages! Oh, and Tame Impala. The disappointments keep on coming. I get that Kevin Parker wants to progress, but abandoning great psychedelic songwriting for boring, trendy synthpop and AOR? Come on dude, you can do better than that.

Surprise

The Primevals are punk blues/garage noir pioneers from Glasgow who started back in 1983, and were considered contemporaries of The Cramps and The Gun Club. Aside from their covers of Captain Beefheart’s “China Pink” and “Crazy Little Thing” on the 1988 tribute album Fast ‘n’ Bulbous (one that certainly left an impression), their import-only albums were impossible to find. I knew they’d kept making albums, but did not know how consistently great they were until I heard the new album, Second Nature (reviewed here). I went back and heard everything. Everything I love about longtime favorites Eleventh Dream Day, The New Christs, The Flaming Stars, Gallon Drunk, Grinderman and more can be found on their nine albums.

There’s Always Tomorrow

Right then. A shit year, but with a glimmer of hope. New president, vaccines, a slight possibility that enough people will stop being entitled asshats and not ruin things for the rest of us. And surprise, the quality of music did not suffer in tough times, but rather washed over us with waves of rejuvenating sound. Let’s take a dip, shall we?

Fester’s Lucky 13 – The Best Albums of 2020

1. Motorpsycho – The All Is One (Rune Grammafon/Stickman)

Formed in 1989 in Trondheim, Sør-Trøndelag, Norway, Motorpsycho have defied the odds. While most bands 31 years into their careers are either in steady decline or in a holding pattern cycle of farewell and reunion tours, these psychedelic Norsemen just keep getting better. Their final album in the Gullvåg trilogy, sixth double album, and (approximately) 24th album overall, is possibly their best. | Full Review | Buy

2. Elder – Omens (Armageddon)

Elder, originally formed outside of Boston, but lately based in Berlin, Germany, have always had a wide range of influences. This time their German kosmische and indie slowcore influences have risen closer to their smoky, multicolored surface, with added textures from new drummer Georg Edert, and guitarist/keyboardist Michael Risberg, now a permanent fourth member. There are now dozens of bands indebted to Elder’s own influence, but they continue to lead the pack. | Full Review

3. Molassess – Through The Hollow (Season Of Mist)

Molassess is the new project from Farida Lemouchi and three other members of the Dutch occult psych noir/prog pioneers The Devil’s Blood. It’s an exciting natural progression from the previous band that includes surprises like some disco prog and funk noir (new future genres?) without sounding awkward or out of place. | Full Review

4. Colour Haze – We Are (Elektrohasch/Ripple)

Colour Haze continue to surprise with their 13th album, inviting a new official fourth member, keyboardist Jan Faszbender. While technically this album was released December 2019, it wasn’t really. The physical release was not issued until March, and I had no clue where one could get the digital version. Thankfully that’s no longer a problem, as it’s now officially the first Colour Haze album to be released in North America, thanks to Ripple Music. Every few months, another album will be reissued, working back through the 13 album catalog. Next up will be a remastered version of In Her Garden (2017). Concise yet adventurous, We Are is an ideal entrypoint for newcomers.| Full Review

5. Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever – Sideways To New Italy (Sub Pop)

For about a week, Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever’s debut full length Hope Downs (2018) took the top spot in the year-end list aggregate. It settled at number 29, not bad for a jangle pop band from Melbourne, Australia. Their latest is even better, but of course the sparkle of novelty has worn off on the critics, so it’s back to normal, for the most part. This four guitar touring machine criss-crossed the world so many times from 2016-19 that I lost count. Hopefully they’ve used their time for another batch of songs. Keep ’em coming! | Full Review

6. The Sonic Dawn – Enter The Mirage (Heavy Psych)

This Danish psych band is seriously on a roll, after being runner-up album of the year just last year with Eclipse. Their fourth album once again makes the Lucky 13. This band kind of slips between the cracks of the large underground community of bloggers who support heavy stoner psych, doom and metal, and the indie reviewers who give way too much attention to Tame Impala, and miss out on amazing psych pop bands like The Sonic Dawn. | Full Review

7. Protomartyr – Ultimate Success Today (Domino)

Detroit garage art/post-punkers Protomartyr had their critical moment in the sun with their fourth album Relatives In Descent (2017). Great album, but this is even better, simultaneously more listenable, and ferociously intense, along the lines of Tropical Fuck Storm. Idles fans will also find a compatible energy here. Jaded ears have already drifted away in search of new novelties, but these ears are glued to Protomartyr (also check out their many videos for the album). | Full Review

8. Custard Flux – Oxygen (Custard Flux)

Acoustic psych prog including harpischord, harmonium, violin, saxophone (courtesy of Mars Williams) and double bass sounds like Custard Flux should be well mannered chamber pop/baroque folk, but actually shares some of the explosive energy of Mahavishnu Orchestra and the jagged prog pop of 1982-84 era XTC. Curvey has been doing this for three decades (The Luck Of Eden Hall), so hop aboard and trust him to conduct this psychedelic train. He’ll keep it (mostly) on the rails. | Full Review

9. Coriky – Coriky (Dischord)

Talk about low key. The trio that includes 1/2 of Fugazi quietly recorded this album a year ago, let it sit in the can without even a name for the band, then unceremoniously released it in July with very little warning and fanfare. When you’re grown-ass middle age people with lives and jobs, you get to do that. No interviews, no tours, just plop this masterpiece in our laps. You’re welcome. | Full Review

10. Spirit Adrift – Enlightened Eternity (20 Buck Spin)

The cover art could appear that Spirit Adrift has gone full on traditional epic battle metal, plus doggies. In reality there’s far more lurking beneath the surface, which what makes this band so consistently rewarding to revisit, and why they’re pretty highly regarded by a fairly diverse cross section of people, from doom to extreme metalheads. Last year Divided By Darkness was #13. Still, quite a big jump would be required to reach at least Mastodon audience levels, but it’s possible! | Full Review

11. Bambara – Stray (Wharf Cat)

I kind of hoped Idles’ Joe Talbot constantly talking up their former tourmates Bambara would help push this amazing band to the top of the lists for those who can appreciate Southern Gothic and crime noir literary influences, blackened Americana and rockabilly wrapped up in gnarly post-punk. So much to love. | Full Review

12. Elephant Stone – Hollow (Fuzz Club)

This Montreal band’s fifth album was released on Valentine’s Day, same day as Tame Impala subjected us to their dismal failure of a fourth album, The Slow Rush. Elephant Stone has followed similar trajectories, both releasing fabulous psych albums with their sophomore efforts in 2012-13. Both got a bit lost in disappointing synthpop that completely lacked the charm of their psychedelic origins. The difference is that Tame Impala are still lost in disappointing MOR and electronic textures, while Elephant Stone made a delightfully dark post-apocalyptic sci fi psych prog concept album. Every critic that included Tame Impala on their list and ignored this should write a thousand word essay justifying their crimes. | Full Review

13. Algiers – There Is No Year (Matador)

When Algiers’ third album was released on January 24, it was bizarrely ridiculed and dismissed. Some thought it wasn’t political enough, others too much so. The band never applied for the job of soapbox preachers, but did take the opportunity, on the avant-jazz single “Can The Sub_Bass Speak?” to rant at the racists and all the bullshit stereotypes Franklin James Fisher encounters as a “black man who doesn’t rap.” In light of all the events this year, I think this album is owed a critical re-evaluation. Big time. “Dispossession” could easily have replaced the cover of Nina Simone’s “Sinnerman” on Lovecraft Country, it’s message so much more on point — America burns, and “you can’t run away.” | Full Review

Bonus cut. On October 30, they released “Cleveland 20/20,” a 50 minute version of their 2017 song, adding the names of 232 black people killed in the past three years. Algiers may not have wanted to be exclusively associated with protest music, but their voices are just as important as anyone’s this year, alongside Mourning [A] BLKstar, SAULT, Shabaka and the Ancestors, Dinner Party, Public Enemy, Jyoti, and many more.

Spotify Mix

Slift – Ummon (Stolen Body) | France | Bandcamp
Algiers – There Is No Year (Matador) | USA | Bandcamp
Lord Buffalo – Tohu Wa Bohu (Blues Funeral) | USA | Bandcamp
Causa Sui – Szabodelico (El Paraiso) | Denmark | Buy
Sweven – The Eternal Resonance (Van) | Sweden | Bandcamp
We Here Now – The Chikipunk Years EP (Elektrohasch/Homemade Gifts) | Brazil/Peru/USA | Bandcamp
All Them Witches – Nothing As the Ideal (New West) | USA | Bandcamp
Gulch – Impenetrable Cerebral Fortress (Closed Casket Activities) | USA | Bandcamp
Vincas – Phantasma (Learning Curve) | USA | Bandcamp
The Blinders – Fantasies of a Stay at Home Psychopath (Modern Sky) | UK
The Pink Moon – Cosmic Heart Attack (Crispin Glover) | Norway | Bandcamp
The Primevals – Second Nature (Triple Wide) | UK | Bandcamp
Pottery – Welcome To Bobby’s Motel (Partisan) | Canada | Bandcamp
Lucifer – Lucifer III (Century Media) | Sweden | Buy
Rose City Band – Summerlong (Thrill Jockey) | USA | Bandcamp
Fassine – Forge (Trapped Animal) | UK | Bandcamp
Katie Gately – Loom (Houndstooth) | USA | Bandcamp
Ist Ist – Architecture (Kind Violence) | UK | Bandcamp
Shaman Elephant – Wide Awake But Still Asleep (Karisma/Dark Essence) | Norway | Bandcamp
My Dear Mycroft – Heaven’s Entertainment (My Dear Mycroft) | USA | Bandcamp
Paul Molloy – The Fifth Dandelion (Spring Heeled) | UK | Buy
Smalltown Tigers – Five Things EP (Area Pirata) | Italy | Bandcamp
Kings Of The Valley – Kings Of The Valley (Wonderful & Strange) | Norway | Buy
Kimono Drag Queens – Songs Of Worship (Copper Feast) | Australia | Bandcamp
The White Kites – Devillusion (Deep Field) | Poland | Bandcamp
Mother Island – Motel Rooms (Go Down) | Italy | Bandcamp
The Hanging Stars – A New Kind Of Sky (CRO) | UK | Bandcamp
Coogans Bluff – Metronopolis (Nois-o-lution) | Germany | Bandcamp
RVG – Feral (Fire) | Australia | Bandcamp
Turtle Skull – Monoliths (Art As Catharsis) | Australia | Bandcamp
Dead Visions – A Sea Of Troubles (Slimer) | Italy | Bandcamp
Karkara – Nowhere Land (Stolen Body) | France | Bandcamp
Crippled Black Phoenix – Ellengast (Season Of Mist) | UK | Bandcamp
Population II – À La Ô Terre (Castle Face) | Canada | Bandcamp
Lykantropi – Tales To Be Told (Despotz) | Sweden | Bandcamp
Cable Ties – Far Enough (Merge) | Australia | Bandcamp
Eternal Champion – Ravening Iron (No Remorse) | USA | Bandcamp
Kate NV – Room For the Moon (Rvng) | Russia | Bandcamp
Hilary Woods – Birthmarks (Sacred Bones) | UK | Bandcamp
Witchwood – Before The Winter (Jolly Roger) | Italy | Bandcamp
Country Westerns – Country Westerns (Fat Possum) | USA | Bandcamp
Thiago Nassif – Mente (Gearbox) | Brazil | Bandcamp
Witchskull – A Driftwood Cross (Rise Above) | Australia | Buy
Maggot Heart – Mercy Machine (Rapid Eye) | Germany | Bandcamp
High Spirits – Hard To Stop (Professor Black) | USA | Bandcamp
Rick Hromadka – Better Days (SodaStar) | USA | Buy
Straw Man Army – Age of Exile (D4MT Labs) | USA | Bandcamp
Emile – The Black Spider / Det Kollektive Selvmord (Heavy Psych) | Denmark | Bandcamp
The Buttertones – Jazzhound (Innovative Leisure) | USA | Bandcamp
Sons Of Southern Ulster – Sinners And Lost Souls (HT) | UK | Bandcamp
Figueroa – The World As We Know It (Nomark) | Brazil | Bandcamp
The Black Watch – Fromthing Somethat (Atom) | USA | Bandcamp
Public Practice – Gentle Grip (Wharf Cat) | USA | Bandcamp
…And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead – X: The Godless Void And Other Stories (Dine Alone) | USA | Buy
Garcia Peoples – Nightcap At Wit’s End (Beyond Beyond Is Beyond) | USA | Bandcamp
White Denim – World As A Waiting Room (Radio Milk) | USA | Bandcamp
Shadow Show – Silhouettes (Burger/Stolen Body) | USA | Bandcamp
Shopping – All Or Nothing (Fatcat) | UK | Bandcamp
The Homesick – The Big Exercise (Sub Pop) | Netherlands | Bandcamp
Death Valley Girls – Under The Spell Of Joy (Suicide Squeeze) | USA | Bandcamp
Vitskär Süden – Vitskär Süden (Vitskär Süden) | USA | Bandcamp
Haunt – Flashback (Church) | USA | Bandcamp
Idles – Ultra Mono (Partisan) | UK | Bandcamp
Dune Sea – Moons Of Uranus (All Good Clean) | Norway | Buy
Rattlesnake Milk – Rattlesnake Milk (Feels So Good) | USA | Buy
The Devil’s Trade – The Call Of The Iron Peak (Season Of Mist) | Hungary | Bandcamp
Fiona Apple – Fetch The Bolt Cutters (Epic) | USA | Buy
Fuzz – III (In The Red) | USA | Bandcamp
Fooks Nihil – Fooks Nihil (Unique) | Germany | Bandcamp
Uffe Lorenzen – Magisk Realisme (Bad Afro) | Denmark | Bandcamp
Acid Mess – Sangre De Otros Mundos (Spinda) | Spain | Bandcamp
Lunatic Soul – Through Shaded Woods (Kscope) | UK | Bandcamp
Loose Fit – Loose Fit EP (FatCat) | Australia | Bandcamp
It’s Immaterial – House For Sale (Burning Shed) | UK | Buy
Hollow Ship – Future Remains (PNKSLM) | Sweden | Bandcamp
Suzie Stapleton – We Are The Plague (Negative Prophet) | UK | Bandcamp
Blues Pills – Holy Moly! (Nuclear Blast) | Sweden | Buy
Smalltown Tigers – Five Things EP (Area Pirata) | Italy | Bandcamp
Valkyrie – Fear (Relapse) | USA | Bandcamp
The Lancashire Hustlers – Four Hands, Two Voices (Steep Hill) | UK | Bandcamp
Sheverb – Once Upon A Time In Bombay Beach (Ladies Of Reverb) | USA | Bandcamp
The Moons – Pocket Melodies (Colorama) | UK | Buy
Wytch Hazel – III: Pentecost (Bad Omen) | UK | Bandcamp
Oh Sees – Metamorphosed (Castle Face) | USA | Bandcamp
Wailin Storms – Rattle (Gilead) | USA | Bandcamp
SAULT – Untitled (Rise) (Forever Living Originals) | UK/USA | Bandcamp
Mourning [A] BLKstar – The Cycle (Don Giovanni) | USA | Bandcamp

See full list of 1,700+ albums here.

2020 Breakdown: Genre Lists

As always, you can deep dive any of these these genres with the list search. While previously I had limited an album to one genre list, it didn’t accurately reflect the multi-genre nature of many of these albums. So this year an album will show up in multiple lists. I have a widget that automatically pulls from the database, so as albums are added and moved around in the future, this will reflect it.

Psych
I’ve often said that almost all music contains traces of psychedelic music. Why shouldn’t it? Life is a weird, psychedelic trip. So should be the music. We Here Now came out of nowhere (or rather, Brazil, Peru and the US), dropped this EP, but not on any streaming services, and has zero social media presence. Will they come back? Who knows, but their EP is a must hear. I’ve written about all the bands here, so go ahead and explore!

Bubbling under: Hollow Ship, Blues Pills, Oh Sees, SUSS, soapeyed, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard. | More | Spotify

Colour Haze – We Are (Elektrohasch/Ripple) | Germany | Bandcamp
Slift – Ummon (Stolen Body) | France | Bandcamp
Causa Sui – Szabodelico (El Paraiso) | Denmark | Buy
Sweven – The Eternal Resonance (Van) | Sweden | Bandcamp
We Here Now – The Chikipunk Years EP (Elektrohasch/Homemade Gifts) | Brazil/Peru/USA | Bandcamp
All Them Witches – Nothing As the Ideal (New West) | USA | Bandcamp
Rose City Band – Summerlong (Thrill Jockey) | USA | Bandcamp
Kimono Drag Queens – Songs Of Worship (Copper Feast) | Australia | Bandcamp
The White Kites – Devillusion (Deep Field) | Poland | Bandcamp
Turtle Skull – Monoliths (Art As Catharsis) | Australia | Bandcamp
Karkara – Nowhere Land (Stolen Body) | France | Bandcamp
Garcia Peoples – Nightcap At Wit’s End (Beyond Beyond Is Beyond) | USA | Bandcamp
Fuzz – III (In The Red) | USA | Bandcamp

Psych Pop & Prog Pop
That Fiona Apple album was quite an event. I love how many people gave it such a focused listen when it came out April 17. If only more albums got that sort of attention. Unsurprisingly, it appears to be the consensus album of the year. I really dug it, but there’s of course lots of other stuff that I listen to even more. Those who want to be surprised by an unusual sounding, innovative album, try out Kate NV.

Bubbling under: The Alex Butter Field, Daniel Romano’s Outfit, Of Arrowe Hill, Juniore, Fleur, Cheer-Accident, El Goodo, Field Music, TTRRUUCES, Pure Reason Revolution, Once & Future Band, Cleaners From Venus. | More

The Sonic Dawn – Enter The Mirage (Heavy Psych) | Denmark | Bandcamp
Custard Flux – Oxygen (Custard Flux) | USA | Bandcamp
Elephant Stone – Hollow (Fuzz Club) | Canada | Bandcamp
Fassine – Forge (Trapped Animal) | UK | Bandcamp
Paul Molloy – The Fifth Dandelion (Spring Heeled) | UK | Buy
Mother Island – Motel Rooms (Go Down) | Italy | Bandcamp
Kate NV – Room For the Moon (Rvng) | Russia | Bandcamp
Rick Hromadka – Better Days (SodaStar) | USA | Buy
White Denim – World As A Waiting Room (Radio Milk) | USA | Bandcamp
The Homesick – The Big Exercise (Sub Pop) | Netherlands | Bandcamp
Fiona Apple – Fetch The Bolt Cutters (Epic) | USA | Buy
The Lancashire Hustlers – Four Hands, Two Voices (Steep Hill) | UK | Bandcamp
The Moons – Pocket Melodies (Colorama) | UK | Buy

Kosmische & Space Rock

Slift seemed to grab the ears of people who don’t necessarily always listen to space rock. For sure, the French band is firing on all afterburners on their second album, a convincing step up from La planète inexplorée (2018). Everyone who were draw to that will also love Karkara, also from France (Toulouse), and French Canadians Population II. I’m not exactly a Francophile, just a coincidence.

Bubbling under: Stone From The Sky, We Believe In Hyperspace, Kiko Dinucci, Horse Lords, The Burning Brain Band, Kairon; IRSE!, Modern Studies, Ozric Tentacles, Sex Swing, Vespero. | More.

Slift – Ummon (Stolen Body) | France | Bandcamp
Karkara – Nowhere Land (Stolen Body) | France | Bandcamp
Population II – À La Ô Terre (Castle Face) | Canada | Bandcamp
Dune Sea – Moons Of Uranus (All Good Clean) | Norway | Buy
Oh Sees – Metamorphosed (Castle Face) | USA | Bandcamp
Kadavar – The Isolation Tapes (Robotor) | Germany | Buy
REZN – Chaotic Divine (REZN) | USA | Bandcamp
Orchestra Of The Upper Atmosphere – Theta Five (Discus) | UK | Bandcamp
Oh Sees – Protean Threat (Castle Face) | USA | Bandcamp
Kairon; IRSE! – Polysomn (Svart) | Finland | Bandcamp
Korb – II (Dreamlord) | UK | Bandcamp
Flavor Crystals – Five (Mpls Ltd) | USA | Bandcamp
Kanaan – Double Sun (El Paraiso) | Norway | Buy

Jam

When I was younger, I had a distinct aversion to things like the second live disc of Cream’s Wheels Of Fire and most Grateful Dead. I had hippie values, but felt the extended jams were noodly and pointless. Hawkwind, Can and the jazz fusion of electric Miles Davis, Mahavishnu Orchestra and Herbie Hancock’s Headunters began to open my ears to the stimulating possibilities. Let’s just skip over the 90s jam bands, shall we, though I will acknowledge Phish can be sometimes great. Cosmic Americana, American Primitivism, stoner and space rock are most often the producers of excellent extended jams these days. The great Danish band Causa Sui is certainly one of the most artful jam merchants currently active.

Bubbling under: Ozric Tentacles, Ellis Munk Ensemble, Øresund Space Collective, Heavy Moon, Atlanta, The Band Whose Name Is A Symbol, The Texas Gentlemen, Siena Root, Radar Men From The Moon, Temple Fang, The Third Mind, Chris Forsyth & Garcia Peoples, Mosses. | More.

Causa Sui – Szabodelico (El Paraiso, 2020) | Denmark | Buy
Garcia Peoples – Nightcap At Wit’s End (Beyond Beyond Is Beyond, 2020) | USA | Bandcamp
Oh Sees – Metamorphosed (Castle Face, 2020) | USA | Bandcamp
Automatism – Immersion (Tonzonen, 2020) | Sweden | Bandcamp
John Jeffrey – Passage (John Jeffrey, 2020) | Canada | Bandcamp
Ellis Munk Ensemble – San Diego Sessions (El Paraiso, 2020) | Denmark | Buy
Arbor Labor Union – New Petal Instants (Arrowhawk, 2020) | USA | Bandcamp
Wax Machine – Earthsong Of Silence (Beyond Beyond Is Beyond, 2020) | UK | Bandcamp
Mythic Sunship – Changing Shapes: Live At Roadburn (El Paraiso, 2020) | Denmark | Buy
Rhyton – Krater’s Call (Rhyton, 2020) | USA | Bandcamp
Elkhorn – The Storm Sessions (Beyond Beyond Is Beyond, 2020) | USA | Bandcamp
Circles Around The Sun – Circles Around The Sun (The Royal Potato Family, 2020) | USA | Buy
Gunn-Truscinski Duo – Soundkeeper (Three Lobed, 2020) | USA | Bandcamp

Noir (Folk, Garage, Psych, Punk, Surf)
For a minute it seemed like menacing garage noir with Western/Americana/blues influences had fallen out of favor, but then along came Australia’s Jack Harlon & The Dead Crows and Lord Buffalo from Austin, TX to put a heavy stoner/desert psych spin on it. Haunting violin is incorporated, bringing to mind a heavy The Dirty Three. The band cites inspiration from Chelsea Wolfe, David Eugene Edwards (Wovenhand, 16 Horsepower) and All Them Witches, but the ghost of Jeffrey Lee Pierce (Gun Club) presides imperiously above them all.

Bubbling under: Suzie Stapleton, Sheverb, Lucifer, Wailin Storms, Holy Trinity, The Janitors, The Cravats, Juniore, The Death Wheelers. | More .

Molassess – Through The Hollow (Season Of Mist) | Netherlands | Bandcamp
Protomartyr – Ultimate Success Today (Domino) | USA | Bandcamp
Bambara – Stray (Wharf Cat) | USA | Bandcamp
Lord Buffalo – Tohu Wa Bohu (Blues Funeral) | USA | Bandcamp
Vincas – Phantasma (Learning Curve) | USA | Bandcamp
The Blinders – Fantasies of a Stay at Home Psychopath (Modern Sky) | UK
The Primevals – Second Nature (Triple Wide) | UK | Bandcamp
Lucifer – Lucifer III (Century Media) | Sweden | Buy
My Dear Mycroft – Heaven’s Entertainment (My Dear Mycroft) | USA | Bandcamp
Dead Visions – A Sea Of Troubles (Slimer) | Italy | Bandcamp
Maggot Heart – Mercy Machine (Rapid Eye) | Germany | Bandcamp
The Buttertones – Jazzhound (Innovative Leisure) | USA | Bandcamp
Figueroa – The World As We Know It (Nomark) | Brazil | Bandcamp

Psych Prog
I’ve noticed more bands self-identifying as psych prog on Bandcamp pages and such, which is an excellent development. The hybrid showed so much creative potential in 1968-72, then it was dropped like yesterday’s leftovers. A resurgence since the 00s is bringing more and more bands under its umbrella. Other bands that started out, for example as simply stoner doom in Elder’s case, have drifted over. Even Radiohead flirted with psych prog on their last album!

Bubbling under: Witchwood, Vitskär Süden, Acid Mess, Hollow Ship, Louise Patricia Crane, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, The Earth Below. | More.

Motorpsycho – The All Is One (Rune Grammofon/Stickman) | Norway | Buy
Elder – Omens (Armageddon) | USA | Bandcamp
Molassess – Through The Hollow (Season Of Mist) | Netherlands | Bandcamp
Colour Haze – We Are (Elektrohasch/Ripple) | Germany | Bandcamp
Elephant Stone – Hollow (Fuzz Club) | Canada | Bandcamp
Slift – Ummon (Stolen Body) | France | Bandcamp
We Here Now – The Chikipunk Years EP (Elektrohasch/Homemade Gifts) | Brazil/Peru/USA | Bandcamp
Shaman Elephant – Wide Awake But Still Asleep (Karisma/Dark Essence) | Norway | Bandcamp
Kings Of The Valley – Kings Of The Valley (Wonderful & Strange) | Norway | Buy
Kimono Drag Queens – Songs Of Worship (Copper Feast) | Australia | Bandcamp
The White Kites – Devillusion (Deep Field) | Poland | Bandcamp
Coogans Bluff – Metronopolis (Nois-o-lution) | Germany | Bandcamp
Population II – À La Ô Terre (Castle Face) | Canada | Bandcamp

Prog

These first few aren’t the bands that you’ll read about in Prog Magazine. Valkyrie started out as a twin guitar rock machine influenced by Thin Lizzy and NWOBHM. It seems that after Pete Adams left Baroness, he got the urge to pour more complex creativity into his main band. No complaints here. Ethan Lebovics and Jon Allen have been working together for over 30 years, ranging from metal (Gneissmaker) and avant/math rock (Command Module). Their current project, Command Casual, is ultra cool — simply drums, sequencers, and guitar, soundtracking a Thomas Pynchon style crime noir (but darker and better than Inherent Vice).

Bubbling under: Gungfly, Wobbler, The Grand Astoria, Sólstafir, J.G. Thirlwell & Simon Steensland, Henrik Palm, Fish, Hällas, Rick Wakeman & The English Rock Ensemble, Jakko M. Jakszyk, Arcing Wires. | More.

Sweven – The Eternal Resonance (Van) | Sweden | Bandcamp
Crippled Black Phoenix – Ellengast (Season Of Mist) | UK | Bandcamp
…And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead – X: The Godless Void And Other Stories (Dine Alone) | USA | Buy
Valkyrie – Fear (Relapse) | USA | Bandcamp
Neptunian Maximalism – Éons (I, Voidhanger) | Belgium | Bandcamp
The Ocean – Phanerozoic II: Mesozoic | Cenozoic (Metal Blade) | Germany | Bandcamp
Command Casual – Don’t Let’s Start That Again (Command Casual) | USA | Bandcamp
Dungen – Live (Mexican Summer) | Sweden | Bandcamp
Glass Hammer – Dreaming City (Glass Hammer) | USA | Bandcamp
Dead Quiet – Truth And Ruin (Artoffact) | Canada | Bandcamp
Gazpacho – Fireworker (Kscope) | Norway | Bandcamp
Lör – Edge Of Eternity (Lör) | USA | Bandcamp
Grayceon – Mothers Weavers Vultures (Translation Loss) | USA | Bandcamp

Punk
Fontaines D.C. is the sexy, literate critic’s choice this year, and while I really dig that band, especially last year’s debut, I like Sons Of Southern Ulster even better in terms of loquacious, literate Irish post-punk (they’re a bit older so less sexy). Idles fans all need to get Protomartyr and Bambara. More people also need to listen to Pottery. Sure they may seem spastic and dorky, but people who initially thought that about Talking Heads and dismissed them looked pretty dumb by the time Fear Of Music and Remain In Light redefined what post-punk could sound like. This Montreal band isn’t there yet, but they’ve got a great start.

Bubbling under: Shadow Show, Shopping, The Homesick, Idles, Loose Fit, Fontaines D.C., Slum Of Legs, Lonely Leary, Smarts, All Hits, Fearing, X, Latitude. | More. | Spotify

Protomartyr – Ultimate Success Today (Domino) | USA | Bandcamp
Spectres – Nostalgia (Artoffact) | Canada | Bandcamp
Bambara – Stray (Wharf Cat) | USA | Bandcamp
Algiers – There Is No Year (Matador) | USA | Bandcamp
Gulch – Impenetrable Cerebral Fortress (Closed Casket Activities) | USA | Bandcamp
Vincas – Phantasma (Learning Curve) | USA | Bandcamp
The Blinders – Fantasies of a Stay at Home Psychopath (Modern Sky) | UK
The Primevals – Second Nature (Triple Wide) | UK | Bandcamp
Pottery – Welcome To Bobby’s Motel (Partisan) | Canada | Bandcamp
Ist Ist – Architecture (Kind Violence) | UK | Bandcamp
RVG – Feral (Fire) | Australia | Bandcamp
Cable Ties – Far Enough (Merge) | Australia | Bandcamp
Maggot Heart – Mercy Machine (Rapid Eye) | Germany | Bandcamp

Garage Rock
It’s been a while since I thought about that terrifying scene in Salem’s Lot (1979) where the vampire kid scratches at the window, summoning his brother. Athens, GA ‘s garage noir/deathrockers Vincas revive that image in “Let Me In,” and all kinds of other creepy imagery that leans toward the Birthday Party end of the goth/post-punk spectrum. Their third album brings it all together in a cohesive, terrifying whole.

Bubbling under: Suzie Stapleton, Sheverb, Oh Sees, Wailin Storms, A. Swayze & The Ghosts, Painted Doll. | More.

Protomartyr – Ultimate Success Today (Domino) | USA | Bandcamp
Bambara – Stray (Wharf Cat) | USA | Bandcamp
Vincas – Phantasma (Learning Curve) | USA | Bandcamp
The Blinders – Fantasies of a Stay at Home Psychopath (Modern Sky) | UK
The Primevals – Second Nature (Triple Wide) | UK | Bandcamp
My Dear Mycroft – Heaven’s Entertainment (My Dear Mycroft) | USA | Bandcamp
Smalltown Tigers – Five Things EP (Area Pirata) | Italy | Bandcamp
Mother Island – Motel Rooms (Go Down) | Italy | Bandcamp
RVG – Feral (Fire) | Australia | Bandcamp
Dead Visions – A Sea Of Troubles (Slimer) | Italy | Bandcamp
Country Westerns – Country Westerns (Fat Possum) | USA | Bandcamp
Maggot Heart – Mercy Machine (Rapid Eye) | Germany | Bandcamp
Straw Man Army – Age of Exile (D4MT Labs) | USA | Bandcamp

Hard Rock
Ever since Ross Robinson and other producers like him ruined hard rock for everyone, hard rock has been the ugly, unpopular stepchild, with few exceptions. It’s not just the embarrassment of nu metal, but the assembly line of generic sounds all locked to a time and pitch grid that squeezed the roll, the blues and the dirt out of rock. You just need to look underground to find all sorts of great bands that don’t have that problem.

Bubbling under: Dead Quiet, Horisont, Rickshaw Billie’s Burger Patrol, Troll Teeth, Cortez, Night, The Death Wheelers. | More.

Molassess – Through The Hollow (Season Of Mist) | Netherlands | Bandcamp
Coriky – Coriky (Dischord) | USA | Bandcamp
All Them Witches – Nothing As the Ideal (New West) | USA | Bandcamp
The Pink Moon – Cosmic Heart Attack (Crispin Glover) | Norway | Bandcamp
Lucifer – Lucifer III (Century Media) | Sweden | Buy
Shaman Elephant – Wide Awake But Still Asleep (Karisma/Dark Essence) | Norway | Bandcamp
Witchwood – Before The Winter (Jolly Roger) | Italy | Bandcamp
Witchskull – A Driftwood Cross (Rise Above) | Australia | Buy
Maggot Heart – Mercy Machine (Rapid Eye) | Germany | Bandcamp
High Spirits – Hard To Stop (Professor Black) | USA | Bandcamp
…And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead – X: The Godless Void And Other Stories (Dine Alone) | USA | Buy
Idles – Ultra Mono (Partisan) | UK | Bandcamp
Valkyrie – Fear (Relapse) | USA | Bandcamp

Stoner/Desert/Fuzz

Bubbling under: The Earth Below, Psychlona, Enigma Experience, Dead Quiet, Khan, Familiars, Troll Teeth.

Elder – Omens (Armageddon) | USA | Bandcamp
Colour Haze – We Are (Elektrohasch/Ripple) | Germany | Bandcamp
Lord Buffalo – Tohu Wa Bohu (Blues Funeral) | USA | Bandcamp
Causa Sui – Szabodelico (El Paraiso) | Denmark | Buy
All Them Witches – Nothing As the Ideal (New West) | USA | Bandcamp
Kings Of The Valley – Kings Of The Valley (Wonderful & Strange) | Norway | Buy
Turtle Skull – Monoliths (Art As Catharsis) | Australia | Bandcamp
Witchskull – A Driftwood Cross (Rise Above) | Australia | Buy
Vitskär Süden – Vitskär Süden (Vitskär Süden) | USA | Bandcamp
Dune Sea – Moons Of Uranus (All Good Clean) | Norway | Buy
Sheverb – Once Upon A Time In Bombay Beach (Ladies Of Reverb) | USA | Bandcamp
Places Around The Sun – Places Around The Sun (Places Around The Sun) | Portugal | Bandcamp
Lowrider – Refractions (Blues Funeral) | Sweden | Bandcamp

Heavy Metal
Sometime in the last few years, there’s been a subtle but noticeable shift. Patronizing variations of the “new old wave of traditional heavy metal” tag were abandoned for simply “heavy metal,” or sometimes “epic heavy metal.” Power metal is mentioned without sneer or irony, and magazines like Decibel have finally started acknowledging the greatness of bands like Eternal Champion, Spirit Adrift, Haunt, Megaton Sword and Cirith Ungol. Hell’s Heroes III in Houston was scheduled for a killer lineup on April 18th, including Candlemass, Satan, Slough Feg, Night Demon, Eternal Champion, Haunt, High Spirits, Magic Circle, Gatekeeper, Smoulder and Traveler. Damn. Alas, it wasn’t to be. I was looking forward to it, because these smaller metal fests are a great time, a tight knit community of passionate metal fans. I experienced this at the Doomed & Stoned fests which started in Indianapolis in 2016, and even Roadburn in the Netherlands, which has grown, but is still in that magical sweet spot where it’s not a hassle to get into the rooms, and it’s more about music than money. Either way, the great albums continued to roll out, and with some luck, all these bands will rock stages later in 2021. Hails! | Full Heavy Metal Rundown

Bubbling under: Dark Forest, Night, Rough Spells, Lady Beast, Cirith Ungol, Brimstone Coven, Freeways, Traveler. | More. | Spotify

Spirit Adrift – Enlightened in Eternity (20 Buck Spin) | USA | Bandcamp
Lucifer – Lucifer III (Century Media) | Sweden | Buy
Eternal Champion – Ravening Iron (No Remorse) | USA | Bandcamp
High Spirits – Hard To Stop (Professor Black) | USA | Bandcamp
Haunt – Flashback (Church) | USA | Bandcamp
Valkyrie – Fear (Relapse) | USA | Bandcamp
Wytch Hazel – III: Pentecost (Bad Omen) | UK | Bandcamp
Butterfly – Doorways Of Time (High Voltage) | Australia | Bandcamp
Ironflame – Blood Red Victory (Divebomb) | USA | Bandcamp
Megaton Sword – Blood Hails Steel – Steel Hails Fire (Dying Victims) | Switzerland | Bandcamp
Unleash The Archers – Abyss (Napalm) | Canada | Bandcamp
Haunt – Triumph (Church) | USA | Bandcamp
Lör – Edge Of Eternity (Lör) | USA | Bandcamp

Doom

Over a couple thousand doom albums get votes from my geezers at Doom Charts every month. Their ability to sniff out the doom from the dankest corners of the internet continuously confound and inspire me. I listen to every album that makes the monthly top 25 and I often get doom overload, but the community that supports this music is heroically tireless. From my backyard in Chicago comes the third album from REZN. There’s certainly no shortage of psychedelic stoner doom along these lines, but nothing this year short of Elder that’s quite this confident and masterful.

Bubbling under: Sons Of Otis, Zakk Sabbath, Crystal Spiders, SpellBook, King Witch, Mountain Tamer, Yarrow, Witchfugger, Tortuga, Sun Crow. | More.

Lucifer – Lucifer III (Century Media) | Sweden | Buy
Witchskull – A Driftwood Cross (Rise Above) | Australia | Buy
REZN – Chaotic Divine (REZN) | USA | Bandcamp
Elephant Tree – Habits (Holy Roar) | UK | Bandcamp
Shedfromthebody – A Dead and Aimless Hum (Shedfromthebody) | Finland | Bandcamp
BleakHeart – Dream Griever (Sailor) | USA | Bandcamp
Troll Teeth – Goes Nowhere, Does Nothing (Troll Teeth) | USA | Bandcamp
Pallbearer – Forgotten Days (Nuclear Blast) | USA | Bandcamp
Pale Divine – Consequence Of Time (Cruz Del Sur) | USA | Bandcamp
In The Company Of Serpents – LUX (ITCOS) | USA | Bandcamp
The Death Wheelers – Divine Filth (RidingEasy) | USA | Bandcamp
Superlord – Vs. Gargantuan (Gargantuan) | UK | Bandcamp
Brimstone Coven – The Woes Of A Mortal Earth (Ripple) | USA | Bandcamp

Metal

Decibel magazine always used the tagword “extreme metal,” and currently it’s “extremely extreme,” despite the fact that they’re finally giving props to the likes of Eternal Champion, Spirit Adrift, Haunt and Megaton Sword. While those are the kind of bands I spend more listening time with, documented in the Heavy Metal list above, I’ve been impressed by the collective output of the extreme metal scene more than ever. It largely remains truly underground, unconcerned with market forces and social trending. It’s often the most progressive, ambitious, challenging music around, and even has me coming back to some black metal, which I got kind of sick of a decade ago. NYC’s Imperial Triumphant has been one of the more adventurous bands, pushing genre boundaries since 2005. Named after Jean-Luc Godard’s 1965 dystopian futurist sci-fi film Alphaville, the release of their fourth album was truly an album release event worth anticipating, and a welcome distraction from real-world dystopia by closely listening to their latest fusion of avant-jazz, classical music, technical death metal, black metal, prog, and industria. It also includes unique covers of Voivod’s “Experiment,” and the Residents’ “Happy Home.”

Berlin’s The Ocean Collective also started in 2005, specializing in progressive sludge and post-metal and focusing on geologic themes, both arcane and scientific. The debut of Finnish death proggers Omnivortex made a big splash too. Special mention to an album that isn’t on any other lists that I know of as it’s not officially out until December 18. Not a great date to release an album that does deserve to be on lists. This is the fifth album of progressive sludge from the San Francisco band Grayceon. They’re not the only band to have used cello, but they integrate it into the heavy music remarkably well.

Bubbling under: Molten Chains, Duma, The Ocean, Oceans Of Slumber, Bütcher, Oranssi Pazuzu, Question, Yarrow, Bedsore, Sumac, Haken, Sun Crow, Bogwife, Finntroll, Faceless Burial, Green Carnation, Dark Quarterer, Sweven, Expander, Emma Ruth Rundle & Thou, Saturnalia Temple, ACxDC, Ulthar, Light Field Reverie, Necrot, Napalm Death, Wayfarer, Dixie Goat, Thøtcrime, Majestica, Sightless Pit. | More.

Sweven – The Eternal Resonance (Van) | Sweden | Bandcamp
Gulch – Impenetrable Cerebral Fortress (Closed Casket Activities) | USA | Bandcamp
Imperial Triumphant – Alphaville (Century Media) | USA | Buy
The Ocean – Phanerozoic II: Mesozoic | Cenozoic (Metal Blade) | Germany | Bandcamp
Omnivortex – Diagrams Of Consciousness (Concorde) | Finland | Bandcamp
Grayceon – Mothers Weavers Vultures (Translation Loss) | USA | Bandcamp
Gama Bomb – Sea Savage (Prosthetic) | UK | Bandcamp
Huntsmen – Mandala Of Fear (Prosthetic) | USA | Bandcamp
In The Company Of Serpents – LUX (ITCOS) | USA | Bandcamp
Sumoken – Prajnaparadha (SMKM) | USA | Bandcamp
Enslaved – Utgard (Nuclear Blast) | Norway | Bandcamp
Boris – No (Boris) | Japan | Bandcamp
Sun Of Grey – Outerworld (Sun Of Grey) | USA | Bandcamp

Avant, Experimental, Post-Rock, Modern Classical, Drone

Thiago Nassif’s second album, Mente, was a collaboration with Arto Lindsay, who, in addition to producing, contributed vocals, guitar and songwriting. A fierce fusion of raging no wave with Brazilian art pop and it’s rich traditions (samba, bossa nova, Tropicália, MPB).

Bubbling under: Trees Speak, Cheer-Accident, Horse Lords, Shabaka and the Ancestors, Anna von Hausswolff, Satorinaut, Stone From The Sky, We Believe In Hypserspace, Kikno Dinucci, Vinnum Sabbathi, Sólstafir, Rob Mazurak / Exploding Star Orchestra, Jeff Parker, Ambrose Akinmusire, Moor Mother, Crippled Black Phoenix, Ikitan. | More.

Algiers – There Is No Year (Matador) | USA | Bandcamp
Crippled Black Phoenix – Ellengast (Season Of Mist) | UK | Bandcamp
Thiago Nassif – Mente (Gearbox) | Brazil | Bandcamp
Imperial Triumphant – Alphaville (Century Media) | USA | Buy
Neptunian Maximalism – Éons (I, Voidhanger) | Belgium | Bandcamp
Epic45 – Cropping The Aftermath (Wayside And Woodland) | UK | Bandcamp
Kairon; IRSE! – Polysomn (Svart) | Finland | Bandcamp
Shedfromthebody – A Dead and Aimless Hum (Shedfromthebody) | Finland | Bandcamp
A.A. Williams – Forever Blue (Bella Union) | UK | Bandcamp
Dim Gray – Flown (Grim Day) | Norway | Bandcamp
irr. app. (ext.) – Nocturnal Emissaries (Errata in Excelsis) | Canada | Bandcamp
Hey Colossus – Dances / Curses (Wrong Speed) | UK | Bandcamp
Onsègen Ensemble – Fear (Svart) | Finland | Bandcamp

Industrial & Noise

Katie Gately’s debut full-length Color (2016) was an impressive fusion of collage work with her vocals along the lines of Björk and Matmos, and recent experimental pop of Julia Holter, Holly Herndon and Zola Jesus. Her second album reflects the emotional intensity of her experience caring for her dying mother, refining her art to an early, impressive pinnacle.

Bubbling under: Moor Mother, The Bug & Dis Fig, ONO, Special Interest, Girls In Synthesis, FACS, Twin Wizard, Stian Westerhus. | More

Protomartyr – Ultimate Success Today (Domino) | USA | Bandcamp
Katie Gately – Loom (Houndstooth) | USA | Bandcamp
Maggot Heart – Mercy Machine (Rapid Eye) | Germany | Bandcamp
clipping. – Visions Of Bodies Being Burned (Sub Pop) | USA | Bandcamp
Spectres – It’s Never Going To Happen And This Is Why (Little Cloud) | UK | Bandcamp
Vladislav Delay + Sly Dunbar + Robbie Shakespeare – 500 Push-Up (Sub Rosa) | Finland/Jamaica | Bandcamp
Narrow Head – 12th House Rock (Run For Cover) | USA | Bandcamp
Lonely Leary – Through the Park, Almost There (Taihi) | China | Bandcamp
irr. app. (ext.) – Nocturnal Emissaries (Errata in Excelsis) | Canada | Bandcamp
Einstürzende Neubauten – Alles In Allem (Potomak) | Germany | Buy
Hey Colossus – Dances / Curses (Wrong Speed) | UK | Bandcamp
Avenade – Vice Versa In Such Things (No Agreements) | USA | Bandcamp
Ganser – Just Look At That Sky (Felte) | USA | Bandcamp

Ambient & New Age

While ambient and new age isn’t the main element in Turtle Skull’s stoner psych, it’s kind of the special sauce that makes them stand out. As I discussed at top, these therapeutic sounds aren’t just boring aural wallpaper anymore.

Bubbling under: Ana Roxanne, Ólafur Arnalds, Andrew Tuttle, Craven Faults, Tunde Adebimpe, X.Y.R., Yardsss, Ezra Feinberg, Yamaneko, Gareth Coker, Silent Island, The Soft Pink Truth, Iceblink, Jon Hassell, Ichiko Aoba, I.B. Sundström, Black Hill, Fen Walker, Nyx Nótt, The Light In The Ocean, Oneohtrix Point Never, Unwed Sailor. | More. | Spotify

Turtle Skull – Monoliths (Art As Catharsis) | Australia | Bandcamp
Hilary Woods – Birthmarks (Sacred Bones) | UK | Bandcamp
SUSS – Promise (Northern Spy) | USA | Bandcamp
Shabason, Krgovich & Harris – Philadelphia (Idee Fixe) | Canada | Bandcamp
Moon Wiring Club – The Most Unusual Cat in the Village (Gecophonic) | UK | Bandcamp
Mary Lattimore – Silver Ladders (Ghostly) | USA | Bandcamp
Matt LaJoie – Everlasting Spring (Flower Room) | USA | Bandcamp
North Americans – Roped In (Third Man) | USA | Bandcamp
Julianna Barwick – Healing Is A Miracle (Ninja Tune) | USA | Bandcamp
Epic45 – We Were Never Here (Wayside And Woodland) | UK | Bandcamp
Rootless – Docile Cobras (Flower Room) | USA | Bandcamp
Hania Rani – Home (Gondwana) | Poland | Bandcamp
Sigur Rós – Odin’s Raven Magic (Krunk) | Iceland | Bandcamp

Art Pop & Dream Pop

Art pop has become a pretty ubiquitous genre tag among relatively mega-selling pop artists, but the most interesting and rewarding stuff remains pretty underground.

I need to mention that late entry Fassine scratches an itch that continues from a string of seemingly unrelated cross-genre bands like Peluché, Body Type and Patio. They all achieve a kind of ethereal, hypnotic vibe that plenty of artists strive for via electro/ambient pop/chillwave approaches, but lack the organic element of the above bands that draw on post-punk as well as art pop, trip hop and such. Peluché came up with the tag “trip jam” that’s growing on me, and can loosely be attributed to all these bands. Fassine had two previous albums that were more cinematic trip hop, but their third has hit on a truly special chemical reaction with art and prog pop. And trip jam!

Bubbling under: The Asteroid No. 4, Ringo Deathstarr, Einstürzende Neubauten, bdrmm, Hum, Juniore, Lavender Blush, Kairon; IRSE!, Modern Studies, Pantayo, Swallow the Rat, Sorry, TTRRUUCES, Yves Tumor, Angelica Garcia, Pure Reason Revolution, Soft Kill, Rïcïnn, bdrmm, Richard Wileman. | More. | Spotify

Fassine – Forge (Trapped Animal, 2020) | UK | Bandcamp
Katie Gately – Loom (Houndstooth, 2020) | USA | Bandcamp
Kate NV – Room For the Moon (Rvng, 2020) | Russia | Bandcamp
Hilary Woods – Birthmarks (Sacred Bones, 2020) | UK | Bandcamp
Thiago Nassif – Mente (Gearbox, 2020) | Brazil | Bandcamp
The Black Watch – Fromthing Somethat (Atom, 2020) | USA | Bandcamp
Fiona Apple – Fetch The Bolt Cutters (Epic, 2020) | USA | Buy
It’s Immaterial – House For Sale (Burning Shed, 2020) | UK | Buy
Shabason, Krgovich & Harris – Philadelphia (Idee Fixe, 2020) | Canada | Bandcamp
Epic45 – Cropping The Aftermath (Wayside And Woodland, 2020) | UK | Bandcamp
Kairon; IRSE! – Polysomn (Svart, 2020) | Finland | Bandcamp
Spectres – It’s Never Going To Happen And This Is Why (Little Cloud, 2020) | UK | Bandcamp
Flavor Crystals – Five (Mpls Ltd, 2020) | USA | Bandcamp

Shoegaze

It’s unsurprising that Finland’s Kairon; IRSE! came out with the best shoegaze (+ space rock, post-rock and psych prog) album of the year with their fourth album, as it reaches close to the peaks of their second and best album, Ujubasajuba (2014).

Bubbling under: Dollar Tree, Soft Kill, RAY, Servo, Tapeworms, Black Moon Mother. More.

Kairon; IRSE! – Polysomn (Svart) | Finland | Bandcamp
Spectres – It’s Never Going To Happen And This Is Why (Little Cloud) | UK | Bandcamp
Flavor Crystals – Five (Mpls Ltd) | USA | Bandcamp
Shedfromthebody – A Dead and Aimless Hum (Shedfromthebody) | Finland | Bandcamp
soapeyed – We Saw It Coming (soapeyed) | USA | Bandcamp
BleakHeart – Dream Griever (Sailor) | USA | Bandcamp
Ancient River – The House of Stone (Cardinal Fuzz) | USA | Bandcamp
Narrow Head – 12th House Rock (Run For Cover) | USA | Bandcamp
The Asteroid No. 4 – Northern Songs (Cardinal Fuzz) | USA | Bandcamp
Ringo Deathstarr – Ringo Deathstarr (Reverberation Appreciation Society) | USA | Bandcamp
Avenade – Vice Versa In Such Things (No Agreements) | USA | Bandcamp
bdrmm – Bedroom (Sonic Cathedral) | UK | Bandcamp
Hum – Inlet (Earth Analog) | USA | Bandcamp

Indie Rock, Pop & Jangle Pop

I can’t believe it’s already been over three years since RVG’s debut album, A Quality of Mercy (2017). The follow-up perhaps doesn’t have quite the same impact, but it’s a great album, and should not be forgotten amidst the mountains of indie rock that still pours out every week. They were supposed to be signed to Sub Pop, not sure what happened with that. They did open for Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever on a recent US tour, which I got to see. Ah live shows, good times.

I should mention The Black Watch, who I was a bit late in adding. I totally missed their two releases until after I published. I was waiting for Witches! (2018) to become available on Bandcamp (it never did), I blinked, and missed Magic Johnson (2019) and now these. Like many artists, John Andrew Fredrick likes to proclaim his latest release his best ever. His 19th album may be in his top five, close to Led Zeppelin Five (2011), which is a pretty remarkable achievement this far along. Newcomers can check out the three compilations available on Bandcamp, including 31 Years of Obscurity If you get obsessed and want to own it all, you can get The Completed Works 1988-2019 on a USB thumb drive for $75 at ATOM Records.

Bubbling under: Phoebe Bridgers, Borrowed Books, El Goodo, Field Music, Sorry, The Reds, Pinks And Purples, Porridge Radio, Soft Kill, Pedaljets. | More.

Spectres – Nostalgia (Artoffact) | Canada | Bandcamp
Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever – Sideways To New Italy (Sub Pop) | Australia | Bandcamp
Coriky – Coriky (Dischord) | USA | Bandcamp
Mother Island – Motel Rooms (Go Down) | Italy | Bandcamp
RVG – Feral (Fire) | Australia | Bandcamp
The Black Watch – Fromthing Somethat (Atom) | USA | Bandcamp
…And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead – X: The Godless Void And Other Stories (Dine Alone) | USA | Buy
White Denim – World As A Waiting Room (Radio Milk) | USA | Bandcamp
Shadow Show – Silhouettes (Burger/Stolen Body) | USA | Bandcamp
The Moons – Pocket Melodies (Colorama) | UK | Buy
Cafe Racer – Shadow Talk (Born Yesterday) | USA | Bandcamp
Exploding Flowers – Stumbling Blocks (Exploding Flowers) | USA | Bandcamp
Smokescreens – A Strange Dream (Slumberland) | USA | Bandcamp

Jazz

It’s not that there has been a revival of jazz as there has been an increase in interest in jazz. There’s always a ton of great jazz being made in any year, even back in the 90s when everyone was ignoring it. I’m no expert, but the Maria Schneider Orchestra’s latest progressive big band project really caught my attention. Funded on ArtistShare, everything about this is over the top, from the preparation and thought put into the concepts of the digital world (data lords) luring us into submission, and the natural, magical world, the 96 minute length of the double album, the elaborate artwork and packaging, and even the price ($24.95 for digital). It’s worth it!

Bubbling under: Nyx Nótt, GoGo Penguin, Spencer Zahn, Nubya Garcia, Joshua Redman, Brad Mehldau, Christian McBride, Brian Blade, Irreversible Entanglements, Susan Alcorn Quintet. | More. | Spotify

Maria Schneider Orchestra – Data Lords (ArtistShare) | USA | Buy
Muriel Grossman – Quiet Earth (RR Gems) | France | Bandcamp
Shabaka and the Ancestors – We Are Sent Here By History (Impulse!) | South Africa | Buy
Mary Halvorson’s Code Girl – Artlessly Falling (Firehouse 12) | USA | Bandcamp
Rob Mazurak / Exploding Star Orchestra – Dimensional Stardust (International Anthem) | USA | Bandcamp
Lemon Quartet – Crestless (Last Resort) | USA | Bandcamp
Jeff Parker – Suite For Max Brown (International Anthem) | USA | Bandcamp
Ambrose Akinmusire – On the Tender Spot of Every Calloused Moment (Blue Note) | USA | Buy
Fra Det Onde – Fra Det Onde Feat. The Legendary Emil Nikolaisen (El Paraiso) | Denmark | Buy
Moor Mother – Circuit City (Don Giovanni) | USA | Bandcamp
Sun Ra Arkestra – Swirling (Strut) | USA | Bandcamp
Martin Rude & Jakob Skøtt Duo – The Dichotomy of Control (El Paraiso) | Denmark | Buy
Martin Rude & Jakob Skøtt Duo – The Discipline of Assent (El Paraiso) | Denmark | Buy

Jazz Fusion & Jazz-Funk

When Germany’s Epitaph mixed prog with American Southern Rock on their landmark Outside The Law (1974) album, it’s surprising that more bands didn’t pick up on this tasty combo. They did, but it took over 40 years to simmer before bands like Crypt Trip, Bask and Monarch, and now Germany’s Coogans Bluff were ready to cook up their own batches. The Germans flavor theirs with some jammy jazz fusion elements, saxophones, mellotrons, Farfisa and Moog. You’d think they would sound more along the lines of King Crimson (which they do fleetingly, such as on “Creatures of the Night”), but then you have the easygoing countrified Americana of “Sincerely Yours” and “Hit And Run.” The contrasts could be jarring to some ears, but they merge together beautifully on the chooglin’ “Soft Focus,” and the Motorpsycho-level intensity of “Gadfly” in particular. “The Turn I & II” builds from a sinister atmospheric piece and is rockin’ by the close of part II. The subsequently released The C-Side of Metronopolis EP is an essential addition for those impressed by the first album, making for a most satisfying hour of adventurous psych prog.

Bubbling under: Baron Crâne, Mary Halvorson’s Code Girl, The Heliocentrics, Once & Future Band, Sven Wunder, The Budos Band, Lightning Orchestra, Raúl Monsalve y los Forajidos, Mildlife, Badge Époque Ensemble, Kanaan, Sunwatchers. | More.

Coogans Bluff – Metronopolis (Nois-o-lution) | Germany | Bandcamp
Neptunian Maximalism – Éons (I, Voidhanger) | Belgium | Bandcamp
John Jeffrey – Passage (John Jeffrey) | Canada | Bandcamp
The Silence – Electric Meditations (Drag City) | Japan | Bandcamp
Hedvig Mollestad – Ekhidna (Rune Grammofon) | Norway | Buy
Martin Rude & Jakob Skøtt Duo – Dichotomy Of Control (El Paraiso) | Denmark | Buy
Martin Rude & Jakob Skøtt Duo – The Discipline Of Assent (El Paraiso) | Denmark | Buy
Kanaan – Odense Sessions (El Paraiso) | Norway | Buy
Wax Machine – Earthsong Of Silence (Beyond Beyond Is Beyond) | UK | Bandcamp
Onsègen Ensemble – Fear (Svart) | Finland | Bandcamp
Rhyton – Krater’s Call (Rhyton) | USA | Bandcamp
Miyamoto Is Black Enough – Burn / Build (National Sawdust) | USA | Bandcamp
Circles Around The Sun – Circles Around The Sun (The Royal Potato Family) | USA | Buy

Global, Reggae, Dub & Afrobeat

Obviously just a tiny scratch on the surface, this list is definitely biased toward my leanings to global psych, dub and Afrobeat. The creative fusion of many cultural influences without being precious about traditional authenticity makes this huge category always diverse and exciting. This is one area I often continue to discover more over the next months, so bookmark this if you want to keep tabs. We Here Now is the most obviously rock entry, but with this EP, consider me enticed. I hope they produce more.

Bubbling under: Angelica Garcia, Kiko Dinucci, Sven Wunder, The Budos Band, Lightning Orchestra, Raúl Monsalve y los Forajidos, Antibalas, Nemegata, Compro Oro With Murat Ertel & Esma Ertel, Songhoy Blues.| More.

We Here Now – The Chikipunk Years EP (Elektrohasch/Homemade Gifts) | Brazil/Peru/USA | Bandcamp
Kimono Drag Queens – Songs Of Worship (Copper Feast) | Australia | Bandcamp
Thiago Nassif – Mente (Gearbox) | Brazil | Bandcamp
Mourning [A] BLKstar – The Cycle (Don Giovanni) | USA | Bandcamp
Vladislav Delay + Sly Dunbar + Robbie Shakespeare – 500 Push-Up (Sub Rosa) | Finland/Jamaica | Bandcamp
Bananagun – The True Story Of Bananagun (Full Time Hobby) | Australia | Bandcamp
Cornershop – England Is A Garden (Ample Play) | UK | Bandcamp
Rhyton – Krater’s Call (Rhyton) | USA | Bandcamp
Miyamoto Is Black Enough – Burn / Build (National Sawdust) | USA | Bandcamp
Tony Allen & Hugh Masekela – Rejoice (World Circuit) | Nigeria/South Africa | Buy
Horse Lords – The Common Task (Northern Spy) | USA | Bandcamp
Keleketla! – Keleketla! (Ahead Of Our Time) | UK | Bandcamp
Khruangbin – Mordechai (Dead Oceans) | USA | Bandcamp

Electronic

From 1997 to 2002, Brazilian transplant Amon Tobin released four of the most stunningly original electronic albums, fusing drum ‘n’ bass and jazz that far outclassed any contemporaries. The inspiration seemed to subside over the years, but it wasn’t gone, just stagnant in IDM hell. Tobin has been chewing at his shackles with some collaborations, but Figueroa is where his muse is fully uncaged, in the format of psychedelic folk! It’s completely electronic, with no acoustic instruments (other than human voices), yet also a guitar album. What? Or the Bandcamp page claims — “And so we have something of an anomaly.” Quite so. Well I’ll take this anomoly over the entire history of electronic based music, so, carry on, good sir. Program those guitars and let the valkyries and unicorns ride free!

Bubbling under: Master Boot Record, The Soft Pink Truth, Dan Deacon, Slasher Dave, P A T H S パス, Fen Walker, White Boy Scream, DEADLIFE, Gorillaz. | More.

Katie Gately – Loom (Houndstooth) | USA | Bandcamp
Figueroa – The World As We Know It (Nomark) | Brazil | Bandcamp
Moon Wiring Club – The Most Unusual Cat in the Village (Gecophonic) | UK | Bandcamp
Vladislav Delay + Sly Dunbar + Robbie Shakespeare – 500 Push-Up (Sub Rosa) | Finland/Jamaica | Bandcamp
Och – II (Rocket) | Sweden | Bandcamp
irr. app. (ext.) – Nocturnal Emissaries (Errata in Excelsis) | Canada | Bandcamp
Dead Sheeran – A National Disgrace (Basket Case) | UK | Bandcamp
Julianna Barwick – Healing Is A Miracle (Ninja Tune) | USA | Bandcamp
Trees Speak – Ohms (Soul Jazz) | USA | Buy
Trees Speak – Shadow Forms (Soul Jazz) | USA | Buy
Justin Pinkerton – Aak’Ab (El Paraiso) | USA | Buy
Sven Wunder – Wabi Sabi (Light In The Attic) | Turkey | Bandcamp
Craven Faults – Erratics & Unconformities (The Leaf) | UK | Bandcamp

R&B, Soul & Funk

When the mysterious SAULT came out with their first two albums last year, there was plenty of intrigue over who’s in this bi-coastal project. I like the fact that they did no promotion, and kept the focus on the music rather than the idea of a lone genius running the show. Untitled (Black Is) was allegedly recorded in just three days in response to the police killings. Mythmaking or reality? Either way it’s pretty amazing, and Untitled (Rise), is even better for having a bit more time spent on it. I know who the members are, and am not sure if they’re still trying to keep it a secret, so I’ll just leave you to dig if you need to know.

Bubbling under: Butcher Brown, Swamp Dogg, The James Hunter Six, The Weeknd, Eddie Chacon, Ghost Funk Orchestra, Roy Ayers, Adrian Younge, Ali Shaheed Muhammad, Nana Adjoa, KeiyaA, Tkay Maidza, Little Barrie & Malcolm Catto. | More.

SAULT – Untitled (Rise) (Forever Living Originals) | UK/USA | Bandcamp
Mourning [A] BLKstar – The Cycle (Don Giovanni) | USA | Bandcamp
SAULT – Untitled (Black Is) (Forever Living Originals) | UK/USA | Bandcamp
Martin Rude & Jakob Skøtt Duo – Dichotomy Of Control (El Paraiso) | Denmark | Buy
Martin Rude & Jakob Skøtt Duo – The Discipline Of Assent (El Paraiso) | Denmark | Buy
Monophonics – It’s Only Us (Colemine) | USA | Bandcamp
Jyoti – Mama, You Can Bet! (SomeOthaShip) | USA | Bandcamp
Bette Smith – The Good, The Bad And The Bette (Ruf) | USA | Buy
Pantayo – Pantayo (Telephone Explosion) | Philippines/Canada | Bandcamp
Surprise Chef – Daylight Savings (Mr Bongo) | Australia | Bandcamp
The Budos Band – Long In The Tooth (Daptone) | USA | Bandcamp
Thundercat – It Is What It Is (Brainfeeder) | USA | Bandcamp
A Certain Ratio – ACR Loco (Mute) | UK | Bandcamp

Hip Hop & Rap

As on last year’s There Existed an Addiction to Blood (2019), Los Angeles’ clipping. explores horrorcore with much success. Less a sequel than the second half of a planned diptych, Visions of Bodies Being Burned brings to my mind the powerful, horrifying imagery recently referenced in both the Watchmen (2019) series and Lovecraft Country (2020) of the Tulsa massacre in 1921. They give the genre inspired by Gravediggaz a Jordan Peele style literary treatment influenced by Ernest Dickerson, Clive Barker, Shirley Jackson, Lovecraft as well as filmmaker Tobe Hooper (Eaten Alive!, 1976) featuring Tortoise’s Jeff Parker and experimental drummer Ted Byrnes. “Final Piece” is based on a Yoko Ono text score from 1953! The band’s parting words of wisdom on their lengthy Bandcamp liner notes — “. Never, ever, under any circumstances, assume the killer is dead.”

It looks like Rory Allen Philip Ferreira is undertaking a P-Funk/Prince level transformation of identity and creativity. He released six solid hip hop albums from 2014-18 as Milo and Scallops Hotel. Then in March he released his new project as R.A.P. Ferreira, leveling up with some killer jazz poetry. He self describes on his Bandcamp page — “freeman r.a.p. ferreira fka milo aka scallops hotel, the esoteric elotero, Black Orpheus, hi-yello the sly rebel, brother of the wind in the wisdom body, lord skipio, the corduroy coon prince, cosmo dark, the be’er aka boogiepops is a poet and con artist from no where. utopic thinking for hire. whimsy resurrector. Him Who Has The Filthy Fits.” Now he’s dropped another album, a tribute to beat poet Bob Kaufman, via a virtual cafe (Bob’s Son: R.A.P. Ferreira in the Garden Level Cafe of the Scallops Hotel), in which you have to crack the code to access the album, or otherwise wait until January 1 to hear.

Bubbling under: Butcher Brown, Gorillaz, Mulatu Astatke + Black Jesus Experience, Aesop Rock, Tkay Maidza, Quelle Chris & Chris Keys, Quakers, Public Enemy, Black Thought, Freddie Gibbs & Madlib, Kenny Segal & Serengeti, Growing Concerns Poetry Collective, Blu & Exile, Pink Siifu & Fly Anakin, Freddie Gibbs & The Alchemist, Spillage Village, Bad Bunny, Amaarae, J Hus, Obongjayar, Jay Electronica, Goodie Mob. | More.

clipping. – Visions Of Bodies Being Burned (Sub Pop) | USA | Bandcamp
R.A.P. Ferreira – Purple Moonight Pages (Ruby Yacht) | USA | Bandcamp
Megan Thee Stallion – Good News (300) | USA | Buy
Backxwash – God Has Nothing To Do With This Leave Him Out Of It (Grimalkin) | Canada | Bandcamp
KA – Descendants Of Cain (Iron Works) | USA | Buy
Run The Jewels – RTJ4 (RBC/BMG) | USA | Buy
Miyamoto Is Black Enough – Burn / Build (National Sawdust) | USA | Bandcamp
Bob Vylan – We Live Here (Ghost Theatre) | UK | Bandcamp
Riz Ahmed – The Long Goodbye (Mongrel) | UK | Bandcamp
Sa-Roc – The Sharecropper’s Daughter (Rhymesayers) | USA | Bandcamp
Open Mike Eagle – Anime, Trauma And Divorce (Auto Reverse) | USA | Bandcamp
Zebra Katz – Less Is Moor (ZFK) | USA | Bandcamp
R.A.P. Ferreira – Bob’s Son: R.A.P. Ferreira in the Garden Level Café of the Scallops Hotel (Ruby Yacht) | USA | Crack the Code

Folk, Americana & Country

For a minute it seemed like menacing garage noir with Western/Americana/blues influences had fallen out of favor, but then along came Australia’s Jack Harlon & The Dead Crows and Lord Buffalo from Austin, TX to put a heavy stoner/desert psych spin on it. Haunting violin is incorporated, bringing to mind a heavy The Dirty Three. The band cites inspiration from Chelsea Wolfe, David Eugene Edwards (Wovenhand, 16 Horsepower) and All Them Witches, but the ghost of Jeffrey Lee Pierce (Gun Club) presides imperiously above them all.

Bubbling under: Matthew ‘Doc’ Dunn, The Left Outsides, Matt LaJoie, North Americans, Bobby Lee, Jack Sharp, Elkhorn, Rootless, Arbouretum, El Goodo, Gunn-Truscinski Duo, Loose Koozies, Pacific Range, Dyble Longdon, Andrew Tuttle, Hexvessels, Trummors, Lydia Loveless, Lidia Blackwell, Mapache. This list also includes country rock and cosmic Americana. For slick Nashville country pop, you maybe will find something near the bottom of the expanded list after 100. | More.

Lord Buffalo – Tohu Wa Bohu (Blues Funeral) | USA | Bandcamp
Rose City Band – Summerlong (Thrill Jockey) | USA | Bandcamp
The Hanging Stars – A New Kind Of Sky (CRO) | UK | Bandcamp
Country Westerns – Country Westerns (Fat Possum) | USA | Bandcamp
Emile – The Black Spider / Det Kollektive Selvmord (Heavy Psych) | Denmark | Bandcamp
Rattlesnake Milk – Rattlesnake Milk (Feels So Good) | USA | Buy
The Devil’s Trade – The Call Of The Iron Peak (Season Of Mist) | Hungary | Bandcamp
Fooks Nihil – Fooks Nihil (Unique) | Germany | Bandcamp
Lunatic Soul – Through Shaded Woods (Kscope) | UK | Bandcamp
Sheverb – Once Upon A Time In Bombay Beach (Ladies Of Reverb) | USA | Bandcamp
Wailin Storms – Rattle (Gilead) | USA | Bandcamp
The Flaming Lips – American Head (Warner/Bella Union) | USA | Buy
Spencer Cullum – Spencer Cullum’s Coin Collection (Full Time Hobby) | USA | Bandcamp

Non-Metal For Metalheads

This is as good as place as any to talk about the collaboration between Finnish power noise/post-industrial experimentalist Vladislav Delay and the legendary reggae rhythm duo Sly & Robbie. They met while recording the Nordub (2018) project with Nils Petter Molvær. Delay reunited with them in Kingston to record some jams and field recordings and he brought the recordings home to Finland to give his signature treatment. The result is startling and innovative, following the ghostly dub paths of Lee “Scratch” Perry, Scientist and On-U Sound.

Bubbling under: Hilary Woods, A.A. Williams, Automatism, Sumac, Still House Plants, ONO, Mountain Caller, Special Interest, Light Field Reverie, Ingrina, Twin Wizard, Annie Barbazza, Stian Westerhus, (yeah I know Napalm Death is in there, ignore that), Empress, Jesu. | More.

Algiers – There Is No Year (Matador) | USA | Bandcamp
Katie Gately – Loom (Houndstooth) | USA | Bandcamp
Thiago Nassif – Mente (Gearbox) | Brazil | Bandcamp
Neptunian Maximalism – Éons (I, Voidhanger) | Belgium | Bandcamp
BleakHeart – Dream Griever (Sailor) | USA | Bandcamp
Vladislav Delay + Sly Dunbar + Robbie Shakespeare – 500 Push-Up (Sub Rosa) | Finland/Jamaica | Bandcamp
irr. app. (ext.) – Nocturnal Emissaries (Errata in Excelsis) | Canada | Bandcamp
Einstürzende Neubauten – Alles In Allem (Potomak) | Germany | Buy
Huntsmen – Mandala Of Fear (Prosthetic) | USA | Bandcamp
Nightshift – Nightshift (Trouble In Mind) | UK | Bandcamp
Witch ‘n’ Monk – Witch ‘n’ Monk (Tzadik) | UK | Bandcamp
Cheer-Accident – Fringements One (Skin Graft) | USA | Bandcamp
Horse Lords – The Common Task (Northern Spy) | USA | Bandcamp

Reissues

Look out Postcard and Flying Nun, it turns out Scotland and New Zealand did not horde all the jangle in the 80s. It turns out a whole lot of American bands jangled from 1983-87 besides R.E.M. Strum & Thrum: The American Jangle Underground is an amazingly well curated collection. I was unfamiliar with nearly every track, and a surprisingly high proportion are worth repeated listens. I don’t get Black Sabbath’s super deluxe version of Paranoid — they did basically the same thing several years ago already.

Various – Strum & Thrum: The American Jangle Underground 1983-1987 (Captured Tracks)
Trees – Trees (50th Anniversary) [4CD] (Earth, 1970-1971) | Bandcamp
Pylon – Pylon Box (New West, 1980-1983) | Bandcamp
Iggy Pop – The Bowie Years [7CD] (Virgin, 1977)
Sir Lord Baltimore – The Complete Recordings 1970-2006 [3CD] (Cherry Red)
Prince – Sign O’ The Times Deluxe Edition [3CD] (Warner, 1987)
Rush – Permanent Waves: 40th Anniversary Edition (Anthem/UMe, 1980)
Motorhead – Ace Of Spades 40th Anniversary [2CD] (Sanctuary, 1980)
Oneness Of Juju – African Rhythms 1970 – 1982 (Strut) | Bandcamp
Love Tractor – Love Tractor (HHBTM, 1981)
The Wild Poppies – Complete Collection 1986-1989 (Omnian)
Tom Petty – Wildflowers and All the Rest (Warner, 1994)
Cycle – Cosmic Clouds (Rise Above Relics, 1971-75)

Bubbling under: The Stooges – Live At Goose Lake, Neil Young – Homegrown, Jon Hassell – Vernal Equinox, Nina Simone – Fodder On My Wings, Pale Saints – Comforts of Madness

Late Entries

Years ago I used to publish my list between Xmas and New Year’s. I would get too obsessed with chasing down every interesting album that shows up on lists that I hadn’t heard yet, that I moved it to earlier in the month so I could take some time to chill and enjoy the holidays. And um, the list season. Well duh, it’s not like I’m gonna stop listening to music! A few favorite lists that would come out after mine are Bandcamp (they decided to go alphabetical this year, in a pretty annoying way, and I ranted about it on FB.) One of my favorites is by Raven Sings The Blues.

Like me, a one-man show, and every album is worth checking out, including over a dozen I didn’t have on my lists, including half the list below. RSTB has a focused, refined aesthetic that makes my own site look like a lumbering, slavering beast with vulgar tastes. Andy’s year-end lists are instead a lovingly curated work of art, featuring many artists who get zero attention elsewhere. In comparison, most other lists appear to be assembled by lemmings jumping on the critical consensus bandwagon.

Fassine – Forge (Trapped Animal) | Bandcamp
The Black Watch – Fromthing Somethat (Atom) | Bandcamp
Suzie Stapleton – Suzie Stapleton (Negative Prophet) | Bandcamp
Stiff Richards – State Of Mind (Legless) | Bandcamp
The Galileo 7 – Decayed (Fool’s Paradise) | Buy
Epic45 – Cropping The Aftermath (Wayside And Woodland) | Bandcamp
The Black Watch – Brilliant Failures (A Turntable Friend) | Bandcamp
Automatism – Immersion (Tonzonen) | Bandcamp
John Jeffrey – Passage (John Jeffrey) | Bandcamp
Moths & Locusts – Exoplanets (The Weird Beard) | Bandcamp
Lonely Leary – Through the Park, Almost There (Taihi) | Bandcamp
Smarts – Who Needs Smarts, Anyway? (Feel It) | Bandcamp
Smokescreens – A Strange Dream (Slumberland) | Bandcamp

Bubbling under: Och, Lör, Ringo Deathstarr, All Hits, Neptunian Maximalism, Latitude, Jefertitti’s Nile, Arbor Labor Union, The Alex Butter Field, Wax Machine, Matthew ‘Doc’ Dunn, irr. app. (ext.), Khan, Personality Cult, Matt LaJoie, North Americans, Rhyton, Mollo Rilla, Witch ‘n’ Monk, Keeley Forsyth, Rootless, Bobby Lee, Miyamoto Is Black Enough, Lavender Blush, Loose Koozies, Trees Speak – Shadow Forms, Ellis Munk Ensemble, Surprise Chief, Hania Rani, Ulcerate, Molten Chains, Andrew Tuttle, Marker Sterling, Kaskadeur, Ezra Feinberg, Bitch Falcon, Dawnwalker, Dboy, Hydra, Arcing Wires, Yardsss.

New Old Discoveries

I’m constantly finding older music that’s new to me. This year I kept track of them, and it’s over 800 albums. That’s on top of the 1,700+ new albums. This list is heavy on early 80s, when I dug deep for my Between the Cracks: 1981 Un-American piece, which was triggered by hearing the full double album Little Figures (1981) by Athens, GA band The Method Actors for the first time. I’d had the This Is Still It compilation which had some of the tracks, but man, what a missed opportunity to properly reissue the full thing, the London Calling/Metal Box of the U.S. indie post-punk scene.

The Method Actors – Little Figures (Press/Armageddon, 1981)
801 – 801 Live (Island, 1976)
TV21 – A Thin Red Line (Deram/Cherry Red, 1981)
Link Wray – Link Wray (Polydor, 1971)
Insides – Euphoria (Guernica/4AD, 1993)
The Nomads – Outburst (What Goes On, 1984)
Barracudas – Mean Time (Closer/Lemon, 1983)
J.J. Cale – Naturally (Shelter, 1971)
Television Personalities – The Painted Word (Fire, 1984)
Empire – Expensive Sound (Dinosaur/Drastic Plastic, 1981)
Local Heroes SW9 – Drip Dry Zone (Oval, 1980)
Fischer-Z – Red Skies Over Paradise (Liberty, 1981)
Alain Markusfeld – Le désert noir (Egg, 1977)

Bubbling under: The Primevals, On Trial, William Eaton, The Sleepers, Hoelderlin, The Things, Earwig, Alec K. Redfearn and the Eyesores, The Cynics, The Unknowns, The White Kites, Carpet, The Fast Camels, The Greek Theatre, Cleaners From Venus, The Geroge-Edwards Group, The Muffins.

Dark Romance Metal (Symphonic, Fantasy Metal)
One last gift from Fester & Krampus, the genre tag is coined by Hermi Flagglenack. Sweden’s Majestica may have made this symphonic Christmas power metal opera just for Hermi. There’s probably over 50 albums that could qualify for this, but I have not made it through that many. But if you want it, here’s a playlist! So. Much. Romance.

Majestica – A Christmas Carol (Nuclear Blast) | Sweden | Buy
Delain – Apocalypse And Chill (Napalm) | Netherlands | Bandcamp
A Sound Of Thunder – Parallel Eternity (ASOT) | USA | Bandcamp
Diabulus In Musica – Euphonic Entropy (Napalm) | Spain | Bandcamp
Beyond The Black – Hørizøns (Napalm) | Germany | Bandcamp
Seven Spires – Emerald Seas (Frontiers) | USA | Buy
Scardust – Strangers (M-Theory) | Israel | Bandcamp
Fairyland – Osyrhianta (Massacre) | France | Buy
Elegy Of Madness – Invisible World (Pride & Joy) | Italy | Buy
Ignea – The Realms Of Fire and Death (Kadabra) | Spain | Bandcamp
Nightwish – Hvman. :||: Natvre. (Nuclear Blast) | Finland | Buy

Labels
A whopping 17 albums by Nuclear Blast made my list, including Blues Pills, Pallbearer, Enslaved, Oranssi Pazuzu and Majestica, and I reckon they released more than twice that this year. Quite an achievement this year in particular. I’d consider subscribing to them on Bandcamp if they offered it, as Ripple did. With 14 releases making my list, that works out to less than $3 an album, and that doesn’t include a couple albums I probably didn’t get around to ranking on my list. Metal labels dominated the top 7, plus prog label InsideOut and Finnish label Svart that has pretty wide variety of psych, post-punk and experimental.

Nuclear Blast
Ripple
Century Media
Svart
Metal Blade
InsideOut
Season Of Mist
Domino
Heavy Psych
Castle Face
Drag City
Sub Pop
El Paraiso

Bubbling under: Thrill Jockey, Fuzz Club, Trouble In Mind, Fire, 4AD, New West, Cruz Del Sur, 20 Buck Spin, Cardinal Fuzz, Relapse, Blue Note, ATO, Prosthetic, Profound Lore.

Singles

Aw hell no.

Videos

470+ and counting!

Shows

🙁

Movies

Unlike music, the film releases came close to grinding a halt this year. Most of these were available straight from various streaming apps. Enola Holmes is based on a not-exceptional mystery series by Nancy Springer. Luckily, Netflix made a really fun, solid movie out of the first book, featuring Millie Bobby Brown of Stranger Things.

Soul
Enola Holmes
Troop Zero
Palm Springs
Emma.
Borat: Subsequent Moviefilm
Shawn the Sheep – Farmageddon
Saint Frances
Miss Fisher and the Crypt of Tears
Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn)
Stardust (Bowie biopic)
White Riot
Dolittle

Decent: Hamilton, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, Roald Dahl’s The Witches, The Whistlers, The King Of Long Island, How To Build A Girl, Onward, Bill & Ted Face the Music, The Willoughbys, The Invisible Man, To All The Boys: P.S. I Still Love You, Sound Of Metal.

Haven’t seen yet: Antebellum, Save Yourselves!, Over the Moon, An American Pickle, David Byrne’s American Utopia, The Assistant, Babyteeth, Bad Education, Boys State, First Cow, I’m Thinking Of Ending Things, Never Rarely Sometimes Always, Nomadland, Portrait of a Lady on Fire, Shirley, Swallow, The Vast of Night, What the Constitution Means to Me, ZZ Top: That Little Ol’ Band from Texas, Uncle Frank, The Boys In The Band, I Used To Go Here, Misbehaviour, On The Rocks, You Don’t Nomi, Mank, Kajillionaire, The Booksellers, Weathering With You, Run, Relic, Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey, Dating Amber, Zappa, Blood On Her Name, Feels Good Man, The Go-Go’s, Spontaneous, Wolfwalkers, Mystify: Michael Hutchence, Driveways, Dick Johnson Is Dead, The Prom, Black Bear.

Television

With the stream of new quality content slowing down, Lovecraft Country is truly a gift from the Cthuhlu gods. I was inspired to subscribe to HBO for the first time in 20 years in order to catch up on the first two seasons of The Boys, last year’s amazing treatment of Watchmen which surpassed the movie and even the original comic, and now Lovecraft Country, from creator Misha Greene and executive producer Jordan Peele. Like Watchmen, it feels very relevant with it’s realistic approach to racial trauma, both shows centering their righteous rage on the Tulsa race massacre of 1921, the single most horrific incident of racial violence in American history, which of course was covered up and ignored in textbooks and schools until quite recently. Loosely inspired by the stories of H.P. Lovecraft, this show has it all — a Japanese fox demon, vampire-like monsters, time and space travel, transformation spells, extremely gross sex, and even an Indiana Jones style archeological adventure. Every episode is full of jaw-dropping surprises, and is seriously a contender for the best horror series of all time. Eat your heart out Stranger Things!

Lovecraft Country
Schitt’s Creek S06
The Good Fight S04
After Life S02
The Boys S02
The Haunting of Bly Manor
Sex Education S02
Belgravia
Never Have I Ever
The Crown S04
Awkwafina is Nora from Queens
PEN15 S02
Jordskott

Bubbling under: Grace & Frankie, The Komisnky Method, Dash & Lily, The Umbrella Academy S02, Iliza Schlesinger Sketch Show, Deadwater Fell, The Mandalorian S02, Killing Eve S03, Baptiste, The Schouwendam 12, Hidden, Teenage Bounty Hunters, Better Things S03, Big Mouth S04, Catastrophe, Fleabag, Altered Carbon S02, Dead to Me S02, I Am Not Okay With This S01, What We Do in the Shadows S02, Truth Seekers S01, Upload S01, High Fidelity, Ramy S02, Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist S01, Girlboss, Feel Good S01, The Vow, Oktoberfest: Beer & Blood, A Year In Music, The Top Ten Revealed.

Cozy Brittania & Nordic Noirs on Acorn, PBS Masterpiece, Britbox: The Bletchley Circle: San Francisco, Agatha Christie’s Agatha Christie’s The Pale Horse, The ABC Murders, Ordeal By Innocence, Witness By The Procecution, Ms. Fisher’s Modern Murder Mysteries, Dead Still, Rebecka Martinsson S02, Professor T, Frankie Drake Mysteries, Mystery In Paris, Wisting, Blood S02, London Kills S02, Mystery Road S02, Murderland, Deadwater Fell, Murder In Suburbia, Queens of Mystery, Last Tango In Halifax S01-05, Endeavor, Grantchester, Father Brown, Death In Paradise, Shakespeare & Hathaway. Dabbled in Prime Suspect, Midsomer Murders, Vera, A Touch Of Frost.

Haven’t seen: Love Life, Doom Patrol S02, Search Party S02, I May Destroy You, Perry Mason, Normal People, Tales From the Loop, The Feed, Tokyo Vampire Hotel, Modern Love, The Beat, The City and the City, Knife + Heart, The Fall, Undone.

Books

I realized I’ve fallen behind in my reading because I no longer take the train to work. I would normally read my Kindle for the entire commute — the .55 mile to the train, the waiting, the 20-30 minute ride, the .18 mile to work, which worked out to about 1.5 hours a day. Now I read about 15-2 minutes before I fall asleep, and a little on the weekends. A lot of time, as you can imagine, is spent on this site. Nevertheless, the list isn’t all that much difference. Half music books, one high profile sci fi book, and some fiction, satire/comedy and urban fantasy. The Mike Barnes book is, understandably, for a limited audience of prog nerds. He also wrote a book on Captain Beefheart, so this was essential reading for me, and did not disappoint. I love how William Gibson doesn’t decide what to call his trilogies (“Bridge,” “Blue Ant”) until they’re nearly completed. At the time I reviewed Agency, no where was it mentioned that it was part of “The Jackpot Trilogy”. That’s his name for the major 21st century environmental collapse/extinction event in the books. It can be read without reading The Peripheral (2014), because it’s a totally different story with only a couple characters shared between the books. Highly recommended.

A New Day Yesterday: UK Progressive Rock and the Seventies – Mike Barnes (Omnibus, 2020)
Agency (The Jackpot Trilogy 2) – William Gibson (2020)
They Can’t Kill Us Until They Kill Us – Hanif Abdurraqib (2017)
Remain In Love: Talking Heads, Tom Tom Club, Tina – Chris Frantz (2020)
Complicated Fun: The Birth of Minneapolis Punk and Indie Rock 1974-1984 – Cyn Collins (2017)
Cool Town: How Athens, Georgia Launched the Alternative Music Scene and Changed American Culture – Grace Elizabeth Hale (2020)
The Good, The Bad and the Smug – Tom Holt (2015)
Never a Dull Moment: 1971 The Year That Rock Exploded – David Hepworth (2016)
Alan McGee and the Story of Creation Records – Paolo Hewitt (2015)
Piranesi – Susanna Clarke (2020)
Bloodsucking Fiends Trilogy – Christopher Moore (1995, 2007, 2010)
Doughnut – Tom Holt (2015)
Tuners – Aaron Frale (2020)

Not read yet:

Shakespeare for Squirrels – Christopher Moore (2020)
New Atlantis – Lavie Tidhar (2020)
The Constant Rabbit – Jasper Fforde (2020)
Interior Chinatown – Charles Yu (2020)
Utopia Avenue – David Mitchell (2020)
The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires – Grady Hendrix (2020)
Marc Bolan Killed in a Car Crash: A musical novel of the 1970s – Ira A. Robbins (2020)

Quarantine Survival Supplies (or last minute shopping list)

If you’ve been good kiddies and voted, avoided murdering any elderly and vulnerable friends and family at Thanksgiving gatherings, then maybe Santa will give you something. If not, well, you probably already woke up sore in strange places on December 6 (the morning after Krampusnacht).

Everything on the list are items I own that have made being quarantined for the past 9 months just a bit more bearable, except for the speakers (I have Zu Audio Omen Dirty Weekend connected to my NAD D3020, which aren’t for everyone.) I recommend floor standing speakers because most people use stands with bookshelves that take up the exact same footprint. You might as well get a deeper range without having to add a subwoofer. The NAD is a great little amp, and can drive most headphones too. The latest headphone I reviewed, the ZMF Vérité Closed, is too expensive for most who don’t geek out with the headphone hobby. But the Massdrop x Sennheiser 58X Jubilee, at $170, is one of the best you can get at that price, considering it used to be a $600 headphone. Eve V is a crowd sourced hybrid tablet/laptop developed in Finland (I participated in suggesting design elements) that competes with Microsoft Surface Pro 7. Why 100% dark chocolate? I’m cutting down on sugar, and that has none. It’s an adjustment, like switching from sugary cocktails to single malt scotch. The small squares are good for portion control.

I’m not normally an advocate for hyperconsumerism, but desperate times demand Hygge Life!

When the Grammys bites
When Masked Singer sings
When I’m feeling sad
I simply remember my favorite things
And then I don’t feel so bad

A good pair of headphones (Sennheiser 58X Jubilee)
NAD D3020 V2 integrated amplifier (Crutchfield)
Speakers (ELAC or Q Acoustics)
Kindle Paperwhite (Amazon)
Eve V hybrid tablet/laptop (Eve Devices)
Flex Task Chair (Drop)
CAP Adjustabell Dumbells 5-50 lbs (Amazon)
Perfect Fitness Multi-Gym Doorway Pull Up Bar and Portable Gym System (Amazon)
Pralus 100% Madagascar dark chocolate bulk squares (Chocosphere)
British Breakfast bulk 250 tea bags (Republic of Tea)
Bee Bold coffee subscription (Thanksgiving Coffee)
Streaming subscriptions to Acorn TV, Hulu, Netflix, Britbox, Prime
Eco-friendly refillable subscriptions for handsoap, cleaning supplies, shampoo, laundry soap, toothpaste, sponges, etc. (Blueland, Plaine Products, Free The Ocean)

Posted in: Audio Gear, Bandcamp, Books, Features, Film, Listicles, Lucky 13, News, Rants, Reissues, Reviews, TV, Videos/Singles

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