Categories
Best Of Playlist record reviews

2020 Best Of Playlist – Songs

I tried to break out this year’s playlist into a few zones to make them a little less unwieldy. What’s fun about this is it lets me make room for songs I played constantly, even if I didn’t love the whole record. Also putting these in different posts so it’s not too much to bite off.

Songs features tunes that lean a little more pop-oriented, usually with lyrics or dance beats. 

Spaces deals in compositions and improvisations that are a little more abstract and usually instrumental. 

Obviously, more than a few things could have fit on either.

Parting Gifts features people who’ve passed this year – heavier on jazz because it feels like COVID took a bigger bite out of living legends in that category, but obviously loss doesn’t miss any of us.

Here’s the first batch, mostly “songs.” For notes, basically, what I’d blather at you when I queued it up on a jukebox, continue reading below.

Merch Table Link courtesy Hype Machine: https://hypem.com/merch-table/3ENpeOuJ31RoF6c6CKkdjm

Categories
Best Of record reviews

Best of 2020 – Recorded Music

2020 Best Of – Recorded Music (And Playlist)

Music was the single biggest balm for me in this fucked-up time. I tried to take advantage of the additional time at home to dig into records with a fervor I’m sorry to admit I’d let slip away from me for a few years. 

I heard a couple hundred new records in full and it was hard winnowing down to 40ish, even harder getting to these 20 but these felt like they glowed together when I started looking at the track I kept. I’d be surprised if I’m not still taking these out and talking fondly in a few years.

I’ll also have a couple playlist posts last week of the month with songs from each of these and other songs I loved throughout the year.

  • Lilly Hiatt, Walking Proof
  • Don Bryant, You Make Me Feel
  • Jerry David DeCicca, The Unlikely Optimist and His Domestic Adventures
  • Kassa Overall, I Think I’m Good
  • Angel bat Dawid, LIVE
  • Todd May, Let’s Go Get Lost (couldn’t find a Bandcamp link, hit me up with one)
  • Nicole Atkins, Italian Ice
  • Makaya McCraven, Universal Beings E&F Sides
  • Jaime Wyatt, Neon Cross
  • Mourning [A] BLKstar, The Cycle
  • Ingrid Laubrock, Dreamt Twice, Twice Dreamt
  • Brandy Clark, Your Life is a Record (couldn’t find a bandcamp link)
  • Sa-Roc, The Sharecropper’s Daughter
  • Dave Douglas, Marching Music
  • Nubya Garcia, Source
  • Resistance Revival Chorus, This Joy
  • Quintron and Miss Pussycat, Goblin Alert
  • William Basinski, Lamentations
  • Busta Rhymes, ELE2: The Wrath of God (couldn’t find bandcamp link)
  • Joel Ross, Who Are You? (couldn’t find bandcamp link)