Favorite Albums of 2020

 

It’s once again that time of year where I normally find myself frantically scrolling through everyone’s “Best albums of the year” lists as I tirelessly work to compile my own year-end list. However, this year I decided to abstain from looking at year end lists completely in favor of compiling my list from what I had already discovered on my own throughout the year via blogs, Bandcamp, Tidal, etc.  By doing this, I feel that my list will be more representative of my daily listening, and I can hone in on the albums that truly meant a great deal to me in 2020. Also, I won’t continue to second guess my choices as I uncover more gems that had flown under my radar to this point, and the stress and overwhelm of making a perfect list will no longer be present. With that said, I welcome all of you to sound off in the comments about  any records that you feel should have been on my list.

2020 has taken us on a crazy ride that was seemingly never going to end, but the artists have spoken up loud and clear that there needs to be a much better platform than Spotify in which to promote and sell their music when they are unable to take the show on the road. The facts are that Spotify pays artists a paltry amount per stream that makes it practically impossible to make ends meet.  Damon Krukowski, the former drummer for indie rock band Galaxie 500, posted on his Twitter feed that in order to make the same amount of money as it takes to sell 2000 LP’s at $30, he would have to get over 8.8 million streams on Spotify.  This factors in at approximately .0038 cents per stream.  Now, you might say to yourself that this is only one means of income, and that he should be satisfied with whatever he gets. The problem with this line of thinking is that the owner of Spotify makes billions of dollars from the subscription fees it collects from its customers, while most of the artists featured on his service such as Damon are struggling to pay the bills. Most lesser-known artists are not going to easily sell 2,000 units of their record since the customer's preference is typically to gain access to millions of songs by paying a $20 monthly fee to Spotify, or another streaming service. 

In my personal opinion, these services owe a debt to the artists for making them relevant in the first place, and the artists should pull their music from Spotify if they aren’t being compensated appropriately for the music they create. This leads me to my next point which is that musicians typically earn the majority of their money through the sales revenues from concert tickets, t-shirts and other ephemera. If all of the music venues are closed until further notice, then how are the musicians supposed to make a living with the majority of people listening to their music through a service like Spotify.  

The answer to this happens to be right in front of our eyes with the innovative internet music service named Bandcamp. With Bandcamp, the artists and record labels are in complete control of how they sell the music, setting their own prices and even allowing fans to pay more if they are can afford it, as well as sometimes even providing digital downloads at a “Name your Price” option.  Almost every artist has their music on Bandcamp, which allows people to sample songs or full albums for a set amount of plays before asking them to purchase the album.  Bandcamp takes a 15% cut of sales made from their site, but this number is reduced to 10% of sales once an artist’s sales are greater than $5000. According to most artists, Bandcamp is a fair and decent company who really has the artist’s best interest in mind.

To further illustrate this, Bandcamp has made the first Friday of each month during the pandemic special by waiving its fees so the artist can receive almost the entire amount for the sales of music/merchandise on their site. I can honestly tell you that this has encouraged me to be more engaged in supporting artists that I love, and helping them in this great time of need. The bottom line is we all need to do better at supporting the artists, because they provide us with a respite from the day-in, day-out drudgery of the state of the world, and help us cope with the daily stressors of life. I don’t know where I would be without music in my life, so I plan to continue to support musicians as long as I have the means to do so. 

This year, I have decided to embed a Bandcamp streaming link for each artist on my list when possible, instead of sharing downloads of MP3’s via a file-sharing service.  I hope that you will go the Bandcamp link to listen to the records, and support the artist if you come across something that you like. This list is not in any order of importance, and each album was released sometime in 2020. I didn’t include any live albums, compilations or box sets to keep the focus on artists who released new music. Without further ado, I present to you my favorite albums of 2020.

Favorite Albums of 2020

Garcia Peoples- Night Cap at Wits’ End

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After honing their craft while collaborating with indie stalwarts like Ryley Walker and Chris Forsyth, Garcia Peoples have perfected a style that falls somewhere between stoned psychedelia and pastoral folk on its latest record.   It’s decidedly a more mature, song-based effort that splits the difference between the electrifying freak-out jams on “One Step Behind” with the more straight-ahead rock found on the band’s first two records. It sounds like a band that is truly coming into their own, and I can’t wait to see what lies ahead for them.

 

Jennifer Castle- Monarch Season

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jennifer Castle’s latest longer player is a stunning, sublime record that is the soothing balm we need in these uncertain times. Accompanying the spare instrumentation of acoustic guitar, harmonica and piano is the distant chorus of crickets buzzing in the moonlight. With Monarch Season, Castle has crafted the perfect record to put on in the gloaming as the chaotic events of the day give way to a much needed moment of solace.

David Nance- Staunch Honey

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The first time I heard Nance was on the in-the-red, unhinged guitar attack from the title track on his 2017 album Negative Boogie.  While his follow-up, Peaced and Pulverized was a little more tempered and polished than the aforementioned record, it still featured extended guitar solos that reached for the heavens on nearly every song. With the exception of the blistering solo on the closer “If the Truth Ever Shows Up” Staunch Honey practically throws out the entire playbook from previous records, opting instead for melodic hooks, and acoustic guitar that essentially lends to an almost peaceful vibe. Make no mistake, there is still plenty of grit to be found underneath the polished exterior of this future classic.

 

Pink Siifu and Fly Anakin- Fly Siifu's

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

From the first moment I heard the crisp snares, sturdy bass and ominous piano chords on “Dollar Dr. Dream”, I knew this was going to be a special collaboration between two masters at the top of their game.  Throughout Fly Siifu’s, Fly Anakin’s razor-sharp rhymes provide a contrast to the smooth, buttery flow of Pink Siifu, as the two emcees trade off witty, intelligent bars over dusty, jazz-inflected samples. Other highlights include the euphoric “Mind Right” featuring a haunting piano chord, hypnotic backing vocals and a stunning guest verse from Liv.e., the hazy, claustrophobic production from Madlib on “Time Up” and the absolutely sublime “Richard Pryor”.  In a year that did nothing but take things from us, this record keeps giving back.

 

 Rose City Band- Summerlong

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Whenever Ripley Johnson (the lead guitar slinger and vocalist for psychedelic bands Wooden Shjips and Moon Duo) releases a record, it’s a cause for celebration. This is definitely the case on the Rose City Band’s ambitious follow-up to their stellar 2019 debut record.  The once buried vocals are placed front-and-center in the mix, showing that Ripley has always had a naturally melodic singing voice that was simply waiting for its time to shine.  By adding an actual drummer to the band, the sound has become more well-rounded, but no less psychedelic. On the extended jam sections in “Empty Bottle” and “Reno Shuffle”, it’s clear that Ripley has stumbled upon a magic mushroom patch in the psychedelic garden of his mind. Might as well just kick back and bathe in the aural sunshine. 

 

Quelle Chris- Innocent Country Part II

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After last year’s groundbreaking concept album Guns, it was anybody’s guess as to what Quelle would try next. I never would have imagined that he would venture the idea to collaborate with long time friend/producer Chris Keys to create a record that eschewed samples completely in favor of an electrifying live band complete with bass, drums and keyboards. Rather than focusing on specific tracks to highlight, I’m just going to recommend that you consume the record in its entirety to get the full experience. Quelle has said in other interviews that he hopes the record helps his fans get through a difficult time period in their lives with a fresh perspective that these negative vibes won’t last forever.  I can honestly say that I had an emotionally cathartic release the first time I listened to it that felt like a cleansing of the soul.  Listening to this record from beginning to end is a revelatory experience that I am fortunate enough to have every time I drop the needle on the first track. Do yourself a favor, and pick up this record.

 

Magik Markers- 2020

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Aside from Elisa Ambrogio’s solo venture The Immoralist and Pete Nolan’s Spectre Folk project releasing a record in 2017, it’s been nothing but crickets in Magik Marker land. I never realized I had missed the band so much until I heard that a new record was slated to be released this October, and the first single “CDROM” had premiered on Bandcamp.  It had all of the trademark Markers sounds - disaffected, creepy vocals, tribal drumming and hair-raising, experimental guitar shredding that could peel the paint off of your walls. Considering this, I was fully prepared for a caterwauling cacophony of epic proportions, but the band has once again confounded my expectations. While the opening track “Surf’s Up” has the classic slow-burn Marker’s vibe, it also has a melancholic beauty to it that I haven’t heard in their music before. Speaking of beauty, I never would have expected to hear Ambrogio sing as sweetly as she does on “Quarry”. Next, the utterly catchy “You Can Find Me” will haunt your dreams with its infectious melodies buried underneath sheets of noise, and for fans of the classic Marker’s sound, you can never go wrong with “Find You Ride”, “That Dream (Shitty Beach)” and the aforementioned “CDROM”.  With 2020, Magik Markers have created a genuinely heartfelt meditation on life that will keep you coming back for more.

 

Armand Hammer- Shrines

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have been relatively late to the game when it comes to Billy Woods/Armand Hammer, but this was quickly remedied last year when I went on a deep dive into the back catalog of Armand Hammer, Billy Woods and Elucid. Armand Hammer is a collaborative duo between Elucid and Billy Woods, two of the most cerebral, innovative rappers in the game. I’ve heard their sound be described as apocalyptic rap, and this would definitely make sense if you were making this assessment after only hearing their last two records Rome and Paraffin. Shrines, however, is in a whole other league with an almost ambient, lush production courtesy of multiple guest producers including Earl Sweatshirt, Child Actor and Nicholas Craven. Lyrically, this record is so complex and thought provoking that it could take multiple listens before you’re able to unpack exactly what the emcees are saying, but the group brought a diverse mix of guests along for the ride like Akai Solo, Moor Mother, Quelle Chris, KeiyaA and Pink Siifu to get the perfect balance of light and heavy, gritty and beautiful. My favorite tracks on the record are “Bitter Cassava”, “King Tubby”, “Flavor Flav” and “The Eucharist”, but the entire album is an essential listen.

 

Mosses- T.V. Sun

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I was already familiar with Ryan Jewell from his countless collaborations with artists like Chris Forsyth, Ryley Walker, Elkhorn and Matt Valentine, but this record is essentially his brainchild where he plays multiple instruments and is the lead vocalist. If I was hard-pressed, I suppose I would categorize this as psychedelic, but that doesn’t begin to scratch the surface of the sound of T.V. Sun. From the dramatic, melancholic opener “Tall Bearded Iris Speckled” containing an assortment of instruments including, flute, bells, organ and piano, to the repetitive metronomic drum patterns on “T.V. Sun” that slowly unfurl into a psychedelic wonderland of lysergic guitars and electronic plinks, it’s clear that this record is well on its way to greatness. Other highlights include the backward masking interlude “Moonstone”, the epic hard-rockin’ jam “MSR” with a mind-blowing organ/synth breakdown and the manic, breakneck tempo of the psychedelicized “Time in Your Mind” that ends with the sound of an unhinged person laughing/screaming followed by close to a minute of pure cacophony. Whether you’re into experimental, folk, electronic or psychedelic music, you will certainly find something hear that strikes your fancy.

Stonegrass- S-T

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My first exposure to Stonegrass was hearing the mind-melting jam “Tea” on Jeff Conklin’s fantastic WFMU show, Avant Ghetto back in May of 2020. I had no information about the record other than it was going to be self-released, and that it was a new side project from an artist named Matthew “Doc” Dunn who was based out of Canada. I searched for more info on it for a couple months to no avail, and then it was finally revealed that the record was set to be released in September. Upon receiving this info, I pre-ordered it immediately and awaited the record’s arrival in the mail with bated breath.  Words can’t describe the feeling I experienced when I first put the needle on the record, but it was somewhat close to euphoric. “Lady on the Moon” effectively sets the stage for the rest of the record to unfold with a combination of psychedelic guitar and effects laid over a bed of softly-strummed acoustic guitar. This leads into the aforementioned “Tea” which is essentially a thirteen minute, flying-off-the-rails jam filled with so much wah-wah and distortion that you will be instantly transported to the heyday of the 60’s psychedelic movement. The rest of the record has a slow, stoned groove to it that feels like a perfect come-down after the party the night before. Dig in, and zone out!

 

Homeboy Sandman- Don’t Feed the Monster

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When I heard that Homeboy Sandman had a new record coming out, and that it was going to be produced entirely by Quelle Chris, it was difficult to contain my excitement. From the first verse on the lead single “Trauma”, it’s clear that Sandman is on a mission to exorcise some demons on this record that have likely been pulling him down for most of his life.  In “Trauma”, he speaks candidly about incredibly difficult subject matter like being sexually abused by a woman acquainted with his father when he was five years old, memories of his mother beating him when he was a kid and the confusion that he experienced when he was told to lie to DHS about the things that he experienced.  After the heavy subject matter on the first few songs, Sandman provides some much needed levity with the light-hearted “Hello Dancer”, “Waiting on My Girl” and “Biters”.  Throughout the entire record, Quelle Chris keeps the record anchored with top-notch, sample-heavy and wildly eclectic production.  From the funky and soulful sample on “Hello Dancer” to the menacing vocal sample and minor key guitar on “Don’t Look Down, there is guaranteed to be something here that grabs your ear.

 

Deerhoof- Future Teenage Cave Artists

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In 2020, prolific is the word that best encapsulates Deerhoof, as they managed to release four astoundingly creative records in the course of six months: Surprise Symphonies, Future Teenage Cave Artists, To Be Surrounded by Beautiful, Curious, Breathing, Laughing Flesh is Enough and Love Lore. With Future Teenage Cave Artists, the band is harking back to the more shape-shifting  sounds of landmark records like Friend Opportunity, Breakup Song and La Isla Bonita  where many songs switch tempos at the drop of a dime.  I especially love how the clipped classic rock guitar solo in “Sympathy for the Baby Boo” comes out of nowhere, how the guitar sounds like it’s being broadcast from a spacious cavern on “O Ye Saddle Babes” and how the thirty second slide guitar break in the middle of “New Orphan Asylum for the Spirited Deerchildren” with the infectious refrain “You Gotta Be Good” sends chills up my spine.  Listening to this record is akin to being a little kid in a candy store, except the store is filled with a cornucopia of effects pedals, catchy hooks, thunderous drums, loud guitars and booming bass.

 

Chris Forsyth- First Flight

Chris Forsyth’s latest record First Flight is comprised of two long jams recorded live during an artist residency at Nublu last September featuring Chris Forsyth, Dave Harrington, Ryan Jewell and Spencer Zahn.  It’s not clear to me whether there was an actual audience for this recording as there is no discernible crowd noise heard at the end of each song, but it is undoubtedly an exhilerating performance.  While Forsyth’s previous records have been a mix between instrumental and vocal songs, this is two instrumental jams played by a group who instinctually knows where the song needs to go next.  Like the output from a great jazz improviser like Ornette Coleman or John Coltrane, these songs take shape slowly, unfolding into panoramic vistas of sound that ebb and flow at the whim of each member. On “Nublu Jam 1” the band spends the first several minutes gradually getting acquainted with the listener, until Forsyth sprays shards of guitar shrapnel over a rumbling rhythm section at the eight minute mark, setting the stage for the dynamics to take off in full flight. Sometimes the track gets so intense that another member of the band pulls back just enough to give it room to breathe again. While I haven’t had the opportunity to see Forsyth at a live concert, this record serves as a substitute for the real deal  until concert venues have reopened their doors to the public again.

 

Gunn Truscinski Duo- Soundkeeper

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Steve Gunn has been collaborating with John Truscinski for almost a decade, but the potential of this duo has been fully realized on their extraordinary new double album Soundkeeper.   It starts out unassumingly enough  with the quietly strummed guitar on “Into” leading into the distorted, droning  guitar and shuffling drums on “Gam”.  This song is more reminiscent of Gunn’s previous experimental work with the collective GHQ, and sounds light years away from his recent solo records.  Neither Gunn or Truscinski dominate the hypnotic, slow-motion daydream “Distance” as each player subtly adds tonal colors to the overall sound.  The first single from the record, “Valley Spiral”,  is the first track where Truscinski’s drumming picks up the pace, though I hesitate to describe it as upbeat. Otherwise, there are two live extended jams called “Pyramid Merchandise” and “Soundkeeper” that really display Gunn’s  virtuosic talents on guitar, as well as how Truscinski’s drumming complements him every step of the way. Whether you are looking for something to soothe your soul or to have your skull blasted with distorted guitar, Soundkeeper is there for you.

 

Ka- Descendants of Cain

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When I finished listening to Ka’s latest album, Descendants of Cain, for the first time, I felt as if my mind, body and soul had been provided with some much needed nourishment. For those familiar with Ka, it won’t come as a surprise to you that Descendants of Cain has a biblical theme to it as past albums have covered themes including chess, Japan’s ancient warrior culture and Greek mythology. Not your standard hip-hop fare by any stretch of the imagination. After hearing so many mainstream rappers talk about the same tired clichés, it’s refreshing to hear Ka’s reinterpretation of the story of Cain and Abel as it compares to his days growing up, dealing drugs and trying to keep his head above water. Lyrically, there is no one in the game who can touch the complexity of his rhyme schemes while delivering them in a seemingly effortless manner, and the intoxicating  production by Ka, Roc Marciano, Preservaton and Animoss is second to none.  On the stunning “The Eye of a Needle” Ka’s hushed, thoughtful delivery is perfectly complemented by the subtle orchestral backdrop, and the insistent, creepy bassline on “Unto the Dust" fits the track like a glove.  The record is over in just over a ½ hour, but your mind will feel like you just left a master class on the inner workings of ghetto life as told by Aristotle. 

Blu and Exile- Miles

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The ever prolific Blu emerged with his first full-length record with DJ/producer Exile since their outstanding Below the Heavens debuted in 2007. Even though Blu had released two records as recently as 2019, there was apparently a breadth of material that the two had been cooking up in their studio as this triple-album reaches the one-hundred minute mark. In a day and age, where you’re lucky if you get a thirty minute record from some artists, it’s astonishing that Blu and Exile were able to create a quality record of this length with virtually no skips. It would be really difficult to go over each individual track in a year-end round up review, but the standouts for me are the jazzy “Miles Davis”, the old-school  “Music is my Everything”,  the lyrically masterful “Blue as I Can Be and the epic, nine minute “Roots of Blue” where Blu lists just about every African-American who has influenced him throughout his life. This record really is a special gift to the fans who have waited patiently for the return of Blu and Exile ever since Below the Heavens dropped in 2007.

 

Astute Palate- S-T

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

While I was scrolling through Twitter for recommendations on the last Bandcamp Friday, I came across a cryptic message from someone by the handle Testostertunes that said “New tune streaming- Great day to consider pre-ordering”. It turns out that this was an announcement for the pre-order for a new band named Astute Palate, but I still knew nothing about this band.  Thankfully, I was curious, clicked on the link and was blessed with the lead single “Loose Wings”. Once the first verse began, the mystery was solved and I knew that this was a new project from the underground rock hero, David Nance.  Towards the middle of the aforementioned track, the entire band is in complete lockstep with one another as the tempo of the song steadily increases to a head-nodding, neck snapping climax. The rest of the record has a similar vibe to it, sounding like it was recorded live to tape with no overdubs or additional mixing. It makes me pine for the day when we can go see live concerts again, but until then, we can revisit this album over and over again to experience that same state of euphoria that occurs when seeing live music. It’s been quite a prolific year for Nance, considering that he just released a record called Staunch Honey in November to critical acclaim, and he certainly doesn’t show any signs of slowing down.

 

Small Bills- Don’t Play it Straight

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Small Bills is a ground-breaking collaboration between the prolific rapper Elucid and underground producer/guitarist The Lasso.  If you’re familiar with Armand Hammer, then you will recognize the unmistakable flow of Elucid, but the live instrumentation on this record sets it apart from his previous material. When I first heard the funk-inflected, jaunty single “Safehouse”, it sounded like a genre-hopping wonder of sound and color.  Long time collaborator, Billy Woods, lends his unquestionable talents to the ominous, hilariously titled “Sometimes Care Looks Like Leave me the Fuck Alone”.  The second single “ET Diamond” has a dark, foreboding sound to it lead by programmed synthesizer blips and subtle percussion that finally give way to the phenomenal guest verse from Koncept Jackson before Elucid’s verse destroys all that comes in its vicinity. “Hush Harbor” features hard-hitting drums that complement Elucid’s aggressive delivery while the rapper Nosaj delivers the chorus over a backdrop of saxophones. With Don’t Play It Straight, Elucid and the Lasso have crafted an imaginative hip-hop record that foregoes the use of samples in favor of using drum machines, sax, bass, effects, percussion and synthesizers.

 

Gillian Welch and David Rawlings- All the Good Times

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It’s been a surprisingly fruitful year for Gillian Welch and David Rawlings with the Lost Songs trilogy being released as a box set, in addition to the new limited edition vinyl record entitled All The Good Times being released in late October, with the record being available in digital format as early as July. While this is not new material, the spin that Welch and Rawlings put on these cover songs make them appear to be their own.  Lovingly recorded on a reel-to-reel player in their living room with only acoustic instruments, the duo breathe new life into old traditional songs like “Poor Ellen Smith”, and “Fly Around my Pretty Little Miss”, as well as covers by Bob Dylan, John Prine, Norman Blake and Elizabeth Cotton. The most mesmerizing thing about these two is how their voices blend and intertwine with each other to culminate into beautiful harmonies.  If you are looking for some music to wind down to at the end of a long week, this will perfectly suit that mood. Let their wondrous melodies wash over you.

Nick Mitchell Maiato- Pino Carrasco

Most of you probably won’t recognize the name, but Nick’s full time gig is as the singer songwriter/guitar player for the rock band One Eleven Heavy.  Since this band wasn’t able to tour, or able to get together to record new material, Nick decided to take some songs that he had written in mind for One Eleven Heavy, and release them as a solo record. The result is Pino Carrasco, a fantastic exercise in making the best of working with home recording equipment to create something daring and unique.  These songs employ percussion, guitar and bass, but somehow come off sounding like a complete band, truly a testament to Nick’s prodigious recording techniques. Considering that many of these songs have counter harmonies, the vocals had to be multi-tracked, lending to the illusion that this is a full-band recording. “Show Yourself”, the lead single off the record, has an exuberant, upbeat tempo to it that immediately makes me think of driving on a summer day with the windows down and my hair blowing in the breeze. Other tracks of note are the epic, melodic, sing-along jam “Ode to What” that changes shape multiple times, evoking The Grateful Dead and Neil Young without completely succumbing to the jam band label and “City of Grit” with its shuffling rhythm, sure-footed vocals and compact guitar solos. Overall, this is a record that deserves repeated listens.

 

Moor Mother and Billy Woods-Brass

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Backwoodz Studios has been firing on all cylinders this year with five new releases including new records by Shrapknel, Armand Hammer and this new record by Moor Mother and Billy Woods.This is another record that snuck in just under the wire as I was about to finalize my list when I received the notice that it had been released.  I took a gamble on this one, considering that I like just about everything that Billy Woods releases, and it paid off in spades. While I’m not as familiar with Moor Mother, I was incredibly impressed with her vocal techniques and her flows easily hold their own with consummate emcees like Billy Woods, Elucid, Mach Hommy and Navy Blue.  Standout tracks include the menacing, slow-motion nightmare sound of “Maroons” and “Arkeolgy, the monumental, flute-driven posse track with Woods, Moor Mother and Mach Hommy and the stunning, peaceful turned to sinister sample switch-up on “Giraffe Hunts”. Even though I haven’t spent as much time with this record, it’s clear that it deserved to be included on this list.

 

Horse Lords- The Common Task

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Anyone who has regularly visited my blog knows that I’ve had a penchant for avant-garde/noise music but over the years I’ve had less tolerance for this type of music. I still enjoy it when I listen to it, but I don’t find myself turning to it very often.  This is where a band like Horse Lords comes in, and changes my view of what can be done within the strict definition of avant-garde music. The band’s latest long player confounded my expectations of what this music was supposed to contain, and allowed me to simply breathe in the record as an entire recorded statement.  With only five songs, and one song taking up an entire side of the album, it’s one of those records where they had to strike gold with every track.  The repetitive, angular poly-rhythmic jam “Fanfare for Effective Freedom” grabs the listener by the jugular and never lets go until the final note hits the ground.  It’s the centerpiece track on the record, and a perfect introduction to the record that follows. The next track “Against Gravity” is an unrepentant, rhythmic beast of a song that sounds like a Tuareg guitar collective was swallowed up by an improvisational jazz group.  This leads into practically the only respite from full-on interlocking rhythmic bliss with the bagpipe-drenched “The Radiant City”.  The tempo on the penultimate track on the record, “Integral Accident”, doesn’t even get going until about the 9 minute mark, but the band fires on all cylinders with a groove that doesn’t stop until the climactic two minutes where the instruments are blended to resemble the sound of a plane taking off. 

Aesop Rock- Spirit World Field Guide

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Aesop Rock’s latest record is an epic, 21-track, 63-minute tour-de-force through the overactive imagination of a master lyricist. Sometimes, I think he writes rhymes while he sleeps, but then again, I don’t think he ever sleeps.  With the spoken-word introduction track “Hello from the Spirit World”, Aesop lays the groundwork for the listener, letting them know what to expect for the duration of the record. With a record of this length with no features, it’s asking a lot of the listener’s attention span to stick it out for the entire record.  But it’s hard to turn away when the production is as dazzling as this, and the verses are stacked to the gills with tongue twisters and non sequiturs. Aside from a couple tracks, Aesop produced the entire record with an intoxicating mix of fat drum snares, trippy guitars, video-game sounds and ominous synthesizers. There are too many standouts to mention, but I particularly liked the seamless flow on “Gauze”, the creepy soundscapes on “Salt”, the unorthodox rhyme schemes that precisely match the beat on “Side Quest” and the complex beat-switch on “Marble Cake”.  I wish the best for the rest of the emcees out there, but honestly they don’t stand a chance.

 

Navy Blue- Ada Irin

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There have been a plethora of lyrical prodigies emerging from the underground in the past couple years, and Navy Blue is a recent discovery of mine. It turns out that as I began writing this review, I received a notification in my e-mail that he just dropped a new album featuring guest verses from Billy Woods and Yasiin Bey.  This is how amazing of a year it has been for underground hip hop, that a rapper of Navy Blue’s caliber releases two quality albums in the same year.  I haven’t even heard the record yet, but I know that I’m going to like it based on the pedigree. Ada Irin is a thoughtful, concise record at just under 30 minutes, but good things often come in small packages.   The powerful “With Sage” is moving and poetic with sped-up soul samples, while on “Life’s Riddle”, Navy Blue lays razor sharp rhymes over a slow but insistent groove.  There is not one moment wasted on this stellar record, but “In Good Hands” featuring the incomparable lyricist Ka leaves no stone unturned.  As a Zambian slow-groove organ sample serves as the backing track, Navy Blue and Ka both simply deliver masterful, heartfelt rhymes that seem to be elevating to a higher plane of consciousness. This record is no joke, so don’t sleep on it.

Lithics- Tower of Age

Usually, I like to pepper the list with a few local bands, but due to there not being any live music since March, I haven’t discovered or listened to much music coming out of Portland.  Lithics’ latest LP was the outlier to this, as I came across a message that their new album was about to be released on Bandcamp in early June. The slinky groove with spiked guitars on “Hands” recalls the best of Gang of Four’s rhythms with vocals that channel the spirit of Bush Tetras.  There is no chorus, but in its place is an exhilarating clash of drums, guitars and bass that all come together at the perfect time.  At times on “Beat Falls” it sounds like the whole thing is going to fall apart, but the band hold it together with popsicle sticks and glue.  “An Island” features the most straight-ahead melodic vocals from the band that I’ve heard to date, while the solid bass lines dance around serrated guitar patterns. This record is only 34 minutes, but the band manage to make good use of every second on it, filling it with inventive musical ideas from beginning to end.

 

Wax Machine- Earthsong of Silence

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When I purchased Wax Machine’s debut record, I had only heard the trippy, groove-based jam “Shade”, but this was enough for me to know that it would be right in my wheelhouse. The rest of the record rides the wave of psychedelic rock, spiritual jazz, tropicalia and folk, landing smack dab in the pleasure center of your brain. Highlights for me are the groovy-as-hell “Truth” with it’s rapid-fire drum break, the thrilling last minute of the ever-changing “Patterns” the hypnotic, metronomic groove on “Turiya” and the lazy but catchy vocal refrain on “Mysty Mountain”.  Wax Machine have created an indelible, delightful psychedelic record with the perfect amount of strong melodies, deep rhythms and heavy guitar solos.

 

Run the Jewels- RTJ4

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My first taste of this record was when “Ooh La La” was played during the closing credits of the Ozark season 2 finale, and it had me beyond chuffed to hear the full record by these two masters of the craft. This is likely going to be the only record on my list that receives critical acclaim across the board, and it is well deserving of these accolades.  From the opening bars of “Yankee and the Brave”, you can tell that these guys are simply not playing around. Killer Mike’s first verse on the opening track is bold, politically-charged and headed straight for your jugular. It perfectly gels with the hard-hitting beats courtesy of EL-P, and then EL-P hits you with a stunning verse of his own. The piano sample on the next track “Ooh La La” is so perfect that it gives me chills, and Killer Mike and El-P’s rhyme patterns are next-level throughout the entire track.  The rest of the record is equally dope, and begs to be listened to repeatedly. RTJ have created a record that is perfect for this time in history when the world seems to have lost its way, and rebellion appears to be the only answer to right the wrongs of society.  Listen up, cause these two have something important to say!

Sunwatchers- Oh Yeah

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ever since hearing the debut record by the Sunwatchers in 2016, I have been following their career trajectory to see what daring leaps of faith are just around the corner.  While Sunwatchers II was a good record, it didn’t quite make my list in 2018. Last year, in a true return to form, the band released the eclectic, hair-raising amalgamation of jazz, psych and prog called Illegal Moves. Fast forward to 2020, and the band has released a new exciting chapter in their discography with Oh Yeah. On the opener, “Sunwatchers vs Tooth Decay,” saxophones muscle up against guitars for a fight to the death. It’s anyone’s guess as to who took the crown, but it was sure fun to watch it unfold before our ears.  Next is “Love Paste” with its down-tempo turn with moody saxophones and guitars that color just outside the lines. Following this is the frenetic, show-stopping  “Brown Ice” with saxophones that go up and down the scales while rumbling guitars crawl just beneath the surface until the middle of the track where the guitars and saxophones clash in an otherworldly cacophony.  Wrapping up this record like a bow is the epic, close to 20 minute,  jam “The Earthsized Thumb” that gradually builds, but finally comes to a boil at the 15 minute mark where the strangled guitar tones and persistent keyboard lines wrap around each other like the coils of a snake. Oh yeah, indeed!

 

Kawaguchi Masami’s New Rock Syndicate and Kryssi Battalene- S-T

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Mountain Movers secret weapon was the lead guitar shredder Kryssi Battalene, also a member of the mind-blowing psych-rock band Headroom, and she has joined Kawaguchi Masami’s band on this surprisingly eclectic record.  There are barnstormer psych tracks like the opener “Fade Away” and “Pieces of You”, but there are also a variety of moods on the record such as the upbeat, but sensual “Two Hearts” with a mesmerizing vocal turn from Battalene and the sprawling 11 ½ minute mellow psychedelic jam “Sunday Afternoon” that gently hints at the track moving into heavier territory, but pulls back at the perfect time.  This is a heady record that can be enjoyed in one sitting easily, as it clocks in at just under 40 minutes. So kick back and let the sounds envelop you like a warm blanket.

Honorable Mentions

Ryan Garbes- Tabbed View
Oh Sees- Protean Threat
Causa Sui- Szabodelico
The Koreatown Oddity- Little Dominique’s Nosebleed
Population II- A La O Terre
Your Old Droog- Dump YOD: Krutoy Edition
Rhyton- Krater’s Call
Tambourinen- Wooden Flower
Elkhorn- The Storm Sessions
Shrapknel- S-T