Jesse’s End of 2020 List

Vinyl - At the beginning of the pandemic we bought a sectional couch and moved the TV into the basement and the record player upstairs. It transformed the room, our evening, and our pandemic lives as my boys were relegated to the basement for video games and movies. Although it quickly became clear that there were some holes in my vinyl collection - notably all my wife’s favorite albums. That obviously had to change.

Comfort Music - With all the shit that went down last year -- and STILL MOTHERFUCKING GOING ON!!!!!! -- I keep falling back on old favorites to get me through the day, raging along to Algiers, family singalongs to the Head and the Heart, drinking to Frightened Rabbit, drinking to Yola, drinking Blitzen Trapper, and running to just about everything, especially classic/retro soul. Apparently, I can run for miles fueled by Otis Redding, Black Pumas, Los Coast, and Benjamin Booker. 

Algiers - There Is No Year - Speaking of Algiers, their new album was pure fire, even before 2020 really got going. Along with fellow Atlanteans Run The Jewels, Algiers catalog was at the center of my social justice playlists.

Jeff Rosenstock - NO DREAM - 2020 needed a punk album and was the one for me. Just the right mix of singalong, politics, humor, quiet/loud, and indie structural shifts to make it fun, engaging, and of the moment. Plus, Ellis I love to scream along to the title track.

Sunbathe - Somewhere In Between - I’m a longtime fan of Maggie Morris’ Genders and solo work, and this might be her finest. I just love the rolling reverb soaked wistful and longing lyrics. While she may be tired of drinking her feelings, I certainly needed it to moderate mine. Any other year, I would have gone to all her Portland shows.

DEHD - Flower Of Devotion - A wonderful recommendation from Larson! If I described some of the bonkers vocal hooks, you might not check it out, but just know it’s damn catchy, and it all works. One of a couple socially distant musical connections this year that filled me back up.

Girlhood - Girlhood - A late add that I picked up a brief mention on Hanif Aduraquib’s Instagram, and if I focused on the influences - 90s R&B, Sade, 90s British dance music, I probably won’t have listened, but it is so good. Try not to dance along to the closer!

Waxahatchee - Saint Cloud - First introduced to her one of these end of the year lists and love her last two albums. It’s been on heavy rotation all year.

Sturgill Simpson - Cutting the Grass - At the top of the list in a year full of cover songs and live albums. Although technically not either, the new bluegrass versions bring new life to some of my favorite songs. Maybe in 2020, artists and fans just needed to hear music they already loved a little bit differently.

KaiL Baxley - Beneath The Bones - A delicious mix of soul, gospel, blues and Americana. His smokey vocals pull it all together whether strutting across the floor or hunkering by the campfire. It’s practically soul food for me. 

KaiL Baxley · American Soul

2019 Survey Results - Top Albums 13 to 26

13. Alcest - Spiritual Instinct (3 votes)
“The band that introduced me to blackgaze and is still my favorite. More than delivered on my high expectations.”

14. Billie Eilish - When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? (3 votes)
“How does an 18 year old produce music like this????”

15. Brittany Howard - Jaime (3 votes)

16. Charly Bliss - Young Enough (3 votes)
“I truly can't get enough of this album - "Hurt Me" into "Hard to Believe" is a fantastic one-two punch.”

“I feel like this album was written for a much younger person than I but I'm happy to sing along to it. "Capacity" is amazing.”

17. Earth - Full Upon Her Burning Lips (3 votes)

“That tone...this is what guitars are supposed to sound like.”

“Is the an opposite to petrichor? Like a scent that comes after a long storm that forebodes of impending aridness, blistering hot wind and baked, cracked earth? The smell would accompany this band everywhere it went.”

18. James Blake - Assume Form (3 votes)

19. MIKE - Tears of Joy (3 votes)

20. Paul Cauthen - Room 41 (3 votes)

21. Pernice Brothers - Spread The Feeling (3 votes)
“Their strongest album in years. Always beautiful and insightful.”

22. Sturgill Simpson - Sound & Fury (3 votes)
“Oh shit. Ignored this release when I read the concept, but became a believer after watching the movie on Netflix. Now it is my go to road music. Pump that up and every ride is downhill.”

23. Taylor Swift - Lover (3 votes)
“I can't help it. I apparently love Taylor Swift and would gladly join her fan club.”

“‘Lover’ - The title track is a tremendous pop song, but there's plenty else on here to keep me coming back.”
“I don't know you guys, she's just good at what she does.”

24. Teskey Brothers - Run Home Slow (3 votes)

“Whoa. These blue-eyed Australians soul singers sound like they came straight of Muscle Shoals.”

25. The Head and the Heart - Living Mirage (3 votes)
“No hipster cred awarded, but damn this is a fun album that makes me smile.”

26. Yola - Walk Through the Fire (3 votes)

“Dusty In Memphis's influenced many, but few have Yola's chops. And some of her lyrics just slay me.”

Eric’s Favorite Albums from 2016

1.  Frightened Rabbit - Painting of a Panic Attack    

Love me some Frightened Rabbit. The National's Aaron Dessner's fingerprints are all over this album, and the partnership is a hauntingly beautiful one. Somehow, this album is both deeply sad and uplifting at the same time. Seeing this album performed live flawlessly was also an amazing experience.      

2. Paul Cauthen - My Gospel     

Great throwback country album; cut from the same cloth as Merle and Waylon. This album probably benefitted the most from being released late in the year, because its been front of mind for the last few weeks, and I can't stop listening.   

          

3. Augustines - This is Your Life

Of course, by now I'm super predictable with my Augustines love, but even after nearly a decade of Augustines/Pela fandom, I still find the passion and emotion in their songs to be nothing short of addicting. If they are truly calling it quits for good, I will forever miss putting their albums in my top ten lists.              

4. Sturgill Simpson - A Sailor’s Guide to Earth    

 

Another country throwback who can channel the great ones with his own creativity. Clearly, the album is revered in and out of the country music scene and its really not surprising why. 

      

5. Photo Ops - Vacation

I think most people needed a good feel-good album during this rather dark 2016, and Vacation was that album for me. Echoing the harmonies and patience of Pet Sounds, this album washes over you like a warm summer day and lifts the spirits like an ice cold High Life.

6. Michael Kiwanuka - Love & Hate        

One of the more thought-provoking and emotional albums of the year for me. Kiwanuka gives his powerful tracks time to develop, which may turn some people off, but damn does he do a good job of capturing the mood. This is a brilliant album. 

7. Lake Jons - Explore EP              

I don't usually put EPs on my top ten albums list, but this one did an exception job of winning me over with just six stellar tracks. Watch out world, Finland's coming!     

        

8. The Record Company - Give It Back To You    

Rock and roll, people, doesn't lie. The Record Company gets down to business with some bluesy, rockin' tracks that come straight at you like some of the best bands from the 70s.  

9. Kings of Leon - WALLS             

KoL bounces back from the mailed-in Mechanical Bull album with WALLS. Do I love WALLS beginning to end? No. However, the 7 or 8 tracks that I do like are good enough to carry this album into the Top 10 for me. What can I say, I just like Kings of Leon.  

10. The Bones of J.R. Jones - Spirit’s Furnace      

Folksy, bluesy, and catchy... you put this on, and people will want to know who it is, how you found him, and when he's coming to town.     

11. Pete Yorn - ArrangingTime  

"She Was Weird" was my favorite track, but there are a lot of memorable songs packed into this album. A very pleasant collection of organized, multifaceted tracks.     

12. The Cave Signers - Banchee

One of favorite "acquired taste" bands. I kept forgetting about and then remembering this album, and listened to it a ton at work. The Cave Signers are certainly not for everyone, but this album works for me.           

13. Daniel Ellsworth & The Great Lakes - Bemidji     

        

Another EP! "Always/Never" is the track that drew me end, but the rest of the album makes you want to stay. I definitely over-listened to this album.    

14. Kishi Bashi - Sonderlust        

I am a huge Kishi Bashi fan and love his live show. This album dropped off a little bit for me from his prior releases, but his talent and songwriting are still astounding.   

15. Kaleo - A/B 

The best tracks off this album have been out as singles for quite some time, so I didn't feel as excited by the full album when it dropped. With a little more polish, this band should be able to do amazing things in the upcoming years.

JT's Favorite Albums from 2016

1. Margo Price - Midwest Farmer's Daughter     

It's country because it's classified that way, and because it has to be when the singer lived in a trailer, lived in a tent, went to jail, grew up on her daddy's farm before he lost it, and mentions whiskey in more than half the songs. But it's also country by way of stellar songwriting, a Sun Records recording, and Jack White producing. If any of those are your cup of tea, you may listen to it over and over. And if you ever wondered what Loretta Lynn would have sounded like if she recorded a disco funk song with BB King cutting a solo in the middle of it, then check out "Four Years of Chances."    

             

2. The Head and the Heart - Signs of Light           

Major label signing and a major directional shift for Head and the Heart. Some folks didn't dig the transition from moody Northwest folk of the 2010s to sunny SoCal harmonies of the 1970s. (They even walked on stage at the show I saw to The Eagles) It took me about a half dozen listens before it clicked, but once it did, I was hooked.  

3. Sturgill Simpson - A Sailor's Guide to Earth  

   

A throwback concept album that's not nearly as _fun_ as Sturgill's "Metamodern Sounds" but probably even better from an artistic standpoint. Nods to Motown are throughout, but there's really not a single sound to pin down, it's truly an album worth listening to in order, in its entirety. And his Nirvana cover kicks serious ass.

4. Shovels & Rope - Little Seeds

I’ve loved everything from Shovels & Rope, but I really like the first half of this album as much as anything they've done. Overall, I think it's a big step forward from their last one ("Swimming Time") which seemed a little rushed to capitalize on their "O' Be Joyful" breakout. There's a lot here that invokes the White Stripes and the Kills.       

        

5. The Lumineers - Cleopatra     

Like every sequel except "Empire Strikes Back," it suffers because it's not as good as what came before. Part of the reason may be that they're trying really hard to replicate the "Hey Ho" earworm. I was skeptical after hearing O-O-phe-LIA for a few months over and over. But I really did wind up liking it. In fact, if I listen to it shuffled with the debut, it all just kind of blends together. Which could be good or bad, depending on your perspective.   

QuickCrit's Top 25 Albums of 2016

1. Frightened Rabbit - Painting of a Panic Attack


“No one sells depression and pain better than Scott Hutchinson. If you need richly toned songs about lives half-lived, crumbling relationships, and regrets, this album should be your first stop.”- Paul

“The National's Aaron Dessner's fingerprints are all over this album, and the partnership is a hauntingly beautiful one. Somehow, this album is both deeply sad and uplifting at the same time.” -

Eric

“Their mastery of celebratory self-loathing is peerless.” - Jesse

“On heavy rotation.” - Nesto

2. Beyonce – Lemonade


“The Lemonade film is the most amazing example of music and video I have ever seen. I cannot watch/listen to it without tearing up. I think that it is the women of the world who are going to get us out of some of the terrible bullshit going on these days. I’m with HER.” - Larson

“All hail Queen Bey! A surprise album drop full of deeply personal but instantly catchy songs? Yeah, that was pretty damn cool, but did you see that video??? That thing is stop-you-in-your-tracks beautiful. Oh, and Jay-Z, you better watch yourself or you're going to end up with a six-inch heel stuck in your back.” - Paul

“If you have not watched Lemonade, stop what you are doing and do so. You can come to my house and watch it. Be warned that I cry every time I watch.” - Serena

3. The Avalanches – Wildflower


“I listened to Since I Left you so much that I was honestly fine if nothing else ever came out of the Avalanches camp. Their ability to create familiarity out of that which is unfamiliar is astonishing.” - Eric

“Worth the wait!! Also the video for Because I'm Me is a joyful celebration of black bodies.” - Serena

“I'll be unpacking this album for all of 2017 too.  Dense with carefully curated samples and something like 14 years in the making.” - Tex

4. Kanye West - The Life of Pablo


“I’m a pretty mellow guy for the most part. However, if you try to tell me this isn’t art I hope you’re ready for me to talk at you for an hour.” - Larson

“Kanye West, I'm mad at you. You put out an amazing album and then did everything you possibly could do to 1) not let me hear it and 2) make me never want to hear you speak again.” - Paul

“Name one genius that ain't crazy, amirite!?” - Serena

5. Sturgill Simpson - A Sailor's Guide to Earth


“Driving straight past his Nashville ascendance, this Waylon-loving iconoclast headed west to Memphis for a countrified soul epic.” - Jesse

“A country throwback who can channel the great ones with his own creativity. Clearly, the album is revered in and out of the country music scene and it’s really not surprising why.” - Eric

“Nods to Motown are throughout, but there's really not a single sound to pin down, it's truly an album worth listening to in order, in its entirety. And his Nirvana cover kicks serious ass.” - JT

6. Augustines - This is Your Life


“Even after nearly a decade of Augustines/Pela fandom, I still find the passion and emotion in their songs to be nothing short of addicting. If they are truly calling it quits for good, I will forever miss putting their albums in my top ten lists.” - Eric

“Pull me along on their stumbling late night anthems in a way that U2 and their ilk never could. Take a shot, spread your arms, and soar.” - Jesse

“An appropriate finale scene.” - Nesto

7. DJ Shadow - The Mountain Will Fall

“I have routinely listened to "Nobody Speak" really loud while dropping my kids off to school (Kindergarten and First Grade). I suggest you do the same.” - Larson

“no words diks, right” - Dan

8. Radiohead - A Moon Shaped Pool


“An album that is content to lurk in the background without overwhelming the listener. The quiet allows the impassioned singing of Thom Yorke to shine in a way that somehow gets lost on more complex Radiohead albums. This is truly one of their best.” - Paul

9. Radiation City – Synesthetica


“‘Fully realizing their breathtaking potential. So many layers of art pop awesomeness.” - Jesse

“Oh, Radiation City, you've gone and made an amazing album! Beautifully paced, it holds back just enough to allow those moments when it lets loose with the soaring vocals to truly stand out. How will you ever top this? Oh, you're going to breakup and never make another album together? Yeah, seems reasonable.” - Paul

10. Sheer Mag – III


“Cranking up this album makes any day feel like Friday night and every beer taste like a High Life.” - Jesse

“Not an album. I know right?! These guys can do in 4 songs what it takes some bands 4 albums to do. If you aren’t moved by “Worth The Tears” I doubt you and I have much to talk about.” - Larson

11. Martha - Blisters In The Pit Of My Heart


“I am in love with the trend of new young bands playing 90s style music with more technique and production. This band reminds me of a mash-up of Idlewild lyrics and fury with Hefner complexity and Boy/Girl vocals. I love this album.” - Larson

“They draw me in with their popping duets, but deceptively clever in their quirkiness.” - Jesse

12. Paul Cauthen - My Gospel


“Great throwback country album; cut from the same cloth as Merle and Waylon. This album probably benefitted the most from being released late in the year, because it’s been front of mind for the last few weeks, and I can't stop listening.” - Eric

“Is most listened to in Houston, Stockholm, Manhattan, and Austin. Win.” - Nesto

13. Candace - New Future


“Just packed with killer dreamy shoegaze. And as you'd hope, it's fantastically noisy live.” - Jesse

“The perfect amount of reverb. Crunchy and droning guitars. Vocals that almost fade into the background. This is shoegaze at its best.” - Paul

14. David Bowie – Blackstar


“I didn't like this album. I loved the man. I listened to this album more times than ANY other album this year and it's the only album that made me cry again and again...” - Rain

15. Kishi Bashi – Sonderlust

“Everybody wants a honeybody someday.” - Nesto

“I am a huge Kishi Bashi fan and love his live show. This album dropped off a little bit for me from his prior releases, but his talent and songwriting are still astounding.” - Eric

16. The Lumineers – Cleopatra


"They're trying really hard to replicate the "Hey Ho" earworm, and after hearing O-O-phe-LIA for a few months over and over I really did wind up liking it. In fact, if I listen to it shuffled with the debut, it all just kind of blends together." - JT

17. Bat For Lashes - The Bride


“I listened to this album while trying to fall asleep on Tuesday November 7th 2016, or what I like to refer to as the worst night of sleep ever. It helped.” - Larson

18. Manatee Commune - Manatee Commune


“The song ‘Second Guess’ was a standout track in a late night KEXP listening session. So clean and chilled out and technical without losing the human element. Listen to it start to finish and I bet you’ll want do it again.” - Larson

19. Photo Ops – Vacation


“I think most people needed a good feel-good album during this rather dark 2016, and Vacation was that album for me. Echoing the harmonies and patience of Pet Sounds, this album washes over you like a warm summer day and lifts the spirits like an ice cold High Life.” - Eric

“I hear some Fleet Foxes in these guys, just smelling less of campfire, which could mean they both just build on sweet Beach Boy indebted harmonies.” - Jesse

20. Summer Cannibals - Full Of It

“Damn, these songs are explosive. Feeling this righteous anger more than ever.” - Jesse

“Fast, fierce, and over in 33 minutes.” - Paul

21. The Record Company - Give It Back To You


“Rock and roll, people, doesn't lie. The Record Company gets down to business with some bluesy, rockin' tracks that come straight at you like some of the best bands from the 70s.” - Eric

“Only knock against this great retro soul/blues album is I started rocking half the songs so long ago that they sound fresh again. Luckily, the new songs are some of the best.” - Jesse

22. Margo Price - Midwest Farmer's Daughter

“It's country because it has to be when the singer lived in a trailer, lived in a tent, went to jail, grew up on her daddy's farm before he lost it, and mentions whiskey in more than half the songs. And if you ever wondered what Loretta Lynn would have sounded like if she recorded a disco funk song with BB King cutting a solo in the middle of it, then check out "Four Years of Chances." - JT

23. The Head and the Heart - Signs of Light


“Major label signing and a major directional shift for Head and the Heart, from moody Northwest folk of the 2010s to sunny SoCal harmonies of the 1970s. It took me about a half dozen listens before it clicked, but once it did, I was hooked.”' - JT

24. King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - Nonagon Infinity


“I saw these Australian weirdos play and it felt at times like the place was going to explode. The non-stop energy of this band combined with zero fucks given of the crowd made for an incredible experience. They have songs with names like "Gamma Knife" and "Evil Death Roll"!!! Plus the album sequenced to play in a loop. Do it.” - Larson

25. Lucius - Good Grief


“Art pop masters let their identical hairdos down and get noisy.” - Jesse