2020 Year In Review

2020 was a weird one alright. A pandemic brought the globe to its knees. People flooded the streets to protest racial injustices in the middle of said pandemic. The most divided election in U.S. history dragged on for weeks. Shoot, even Bob Dylan sold his entire catalog to Universal Music Group (get ready for loads of commercials featuring your favorite Dylan tunes), but that’s another can of worms entirely.

All strife and troubles aside, it was a pretty damn fine year for new music. Granted, our listening and enjoyment experiences were limited to our bedrooms, cars, living spaces, and then back to our bedrooms, at least 2020 wasn’t a total wash.

Acts like Fiona Apple, Swamp Dogg, The Avalanches, and, yes, even Bob Dylan came out from hiding under their rocks. We saw a number of surprisingly great releases from groups like Haim, Waxahatchee, and U.S. Girls, and some truly amazing albums from contemporary heavyweights like Run The Jewels, Moses Sumney, Phoebe Bridgers and Khraungbin. And a handful of newcomers like Country Westerns, Dinner Party, and newly-formed supergroups Muzz and Bonny Light Horseman all debuted spectacularly. But, let’s be honest, Taylor Swift out quarantined everyone, and that’s totally awesome with us because she did some remarkable work this year.

It’s damn near impossible to narrow down a bite-size list of our favorite picks, let alone a top ten, but here it is:

TOP 10 ALBUMS

Run The Jewels - RTJ4

Fiona Apple - Fetch The Bolt Cutters

Waxahatchee - Saint Cloud

Moses Sumney - Græ

Bob Dylan - Rough and Rowdy Ways

Swamp Dogg - Sorry You Couldn’t Make It

Khruangbin - Mordechai

Muzz - Muzz

Phoebe Bridgers - Punisher

The Avalanches - We Will Always Love You

FAVORITE ALBUMS

Gil Scott Heron & Makaya McCraven - We're New Again: A Reimagining by Makaya McCraven Antibalas - Fu Chronicles

The Strokes - The New Abnormal

Hamilton Leithauser - The Loves of Your Life

Margo Price - That’s How Rumors Get Started & Perfectly Imperfect at The Ryman

Sylvan Esso - Free Love

Haim - Women In Music Pt. III

Thundercat - It Is What It Is

Megan Thee Stallion - Good News

Tame Impala - The Slow Rush

U.S. Girls - Heavy Light

Perfume Genius - Set My Heart On Fire Immediately

Freddie Gibbs & The Alchemist - Alfredo

Yves Tumor - Heaven To a Tortured Mind

Deep Sea Diver - Impossible Weight

Dinner Party - Dinner Party

Ultraísta - Sister

Soccer Mommy - color theory

Fontaines D.C. - A Hero’s Death

My Morning Jacket - The Waterfall II

Holy Fuck - Deleter

Andy Shauf - The Neon Skyline

Matt Berninger - Serpentine Prison

Chris Stapleton - Starting Over

Adrianne Lenker - songs

Working Men’s Club - Working Men’s Club

SAULT - Untitled (Black Is) & Untitled (Rise)

Taylor Swift - folklore & evermore

Sturgill Simpson - Cuttin’ Grass Vol. 1 & 2

Monophonics - It's Only Us

Fleet Foxes - Shore

Caribou - Suddenly

H.C. McEntire - Eno Axis

Songhoy Blues - Optimisme

Marcus King - El Dorado

Country Westerns - Country Westerns

Bill Callahan - Gold Record

Bonny Light Horseman - Bonny Light Horseman

FAVORITE EP'S AND SINGLES

Orville Peck - Show Pony

Khruangbin & Leon Bridges - Texas Sun

Bedouine, Waxahatchee & Hurray for the Riff Raff - Thirteen

Bon Iver - AUATC

Twin Peaks - Side A

Ben Harper & Rhiannon Giddens - Black Eyed Dog

Mountain Man - Single Series

John Prine - I Remember Everything

Adia Victoria - South Gotta Change

Muzz - Covers