It's that time of the year again! The best tracks of 2020 unfurled over the next 31 days in all their glory. I chose the odd number of 31 because I couldn't cut down the list any more than these tracks.
First up is The 1975with a banger of a tracker called Yeah I Know from Notes On A Conditional Form
West Yorkshire's proudest sons The Cribs are back with their eighth full-length record. Wow, has it really been that long? I suppose so given they started their career back in the Dudes With Guitars era.
Their new album is called Night Network and all the usual Cribs-y stuff is present (love, loss, pain, yearning) plus a much wider sound. The lads keep growing and searching!
LA's Wallows have a brand spanking new EP out called Remote and it is completely MEGA. I continue to hope and pray that they continue to carry the torch of "Dudes with Guitars."
When I first became a teenager, some adults in my hometown told me that if I listened to AC/DC, I was going to go to hell. In fact, they encouraged me to burn any AC/DC albums I had to save myself from eternal damnation.
I didn't listen.
And now AC/DC is played at all major sporting venues and a wide variety of family events all across the United States.
For those about to rock, WE WON.
AC/DC is still going strong after all these decades. Their new record, PWRUP, is all the things we love about the band and more. It just rocks like crazy and reminds me of my early teenage years. Nostalgia is something we all really need right now!
I miss the club. I really, really do. Being able to dance, sweat, and meet interesting people doing strange things on the floor is something I will cherish even more when the pandemic has passed.
Thankfully, we have Tobacco (AKA Thomas Fec). The Pennsylvania native just dropped his fifth record and it is a great salve for those of us missing going out. The whole record makes me feel like I'm there!
Hearing that Sydney's own Midnight Oil had a new record coming out sent me into a prolonged state of absolute glee that has lasted for several weeks. This is a band from youth, Gen X in all its glory. And they haven't made a record in 18 years!
The Makaratta Project is a stunning achievement not merely for the band but also for First Nations peoples all over Australia. Here is the first track.
Montreal's own Plants and Animals are back with their fifth full-length record and it is quite wonderful. The Jungle has a very chill, destress vibe which I really need right now. It makes my mind go to new frontiers...
There are some days when an inordinate amount of fun is required from music. The Mountain Goats fit that need perfectly. The Claremont, California natives have been making music for nearly three decades and they've always been a blast. Getting Into Knives is their latest effort and I highly recommend it.
Norway's own Boy Pablo has just dropped their first record and it is a dreamy kiss. Wachito Rico is thirteen tracks of sheer wonder. So many musical styles and so much insight into the human condition. I look forward to this artists's future output!
London's own Emmy The Great is back with her fourth full-length record. April / 月音 is a great achievement of introspection. Her music fills me with hope!
The Boss is back with a truly amazing record called Letter To You. This deeply personal album hits all the right marks and is perfect for our lonely times. Dude is still relevant in now his sixth decade in music. Wow.