Top 60 Songs of 2022

Alright, the top 60 songs of 2022. It wasn't supposed to be this many. It started as a top 20, then kept growing. And growing. And growing. It was like Billy Strings' fanbase. Like a live Goose song in the mid-summertime. Like a My Morning Jacket set at Red Rocks. 30....40....50.....I made it so far that I even got to sneak an eleven-year-old National callback joke in there. 

This is one of the best years of new music that I can remember. I had so much fun creating this list this year, I hope you gain some enjoyment from reading (and more important listening to it!). I created a playlist of these songs on Spotify which you can find HERE. (Just a heads up - the playlist on Spotify goes from the #1 ranked song to #60 - opposite of the order of this list). Happy listening! 

60. Burning Down the Prairie, Ian Noe - His new album didn't hit me as hard as his debut, but this one is dark and dirty, and really rips when it lets loose. I hope this kid's best work is still ahead of him though. 

59. Weird Goodbyes, The National (feat. Bon Iver) - I’ve had some fun making fun of the National over the years, but I’ve always respected their music. Matt Berninger’s voice gets better and more fitting with age, and he can kind of come off as a new-age Leonard Cohen at times. This one definitely fits that bill, and Bon Iver’s background flourishes complement it quite well. 

58. When It Comes to You, Sturgill Simpson - It was a pretty quiet year for Sturgill (tearing a vocal cord will do that to a fella), but this cover of John Anderson classic fits him perfectly. He does sound a bit raspier than he did before the tear, but hopefully, he’s on the mend. Sidenote: This entire John Anderson tribute album is definitely worth the ride. 

57. Once Twice Melody, Beach House - A lot of Beach House songs sound the same to me. They have a couple of songs over the years that I have absolutely loved, but for the rest, I just sit there wishing it was actually one of the ones I love. This song is that song from their new expansive album. 

56. Don’t Give It Away, Folk Implosion - Hooky and groovy. Stuck with me all year. 

55. Hypertension, King Gizzard & Lizard Wizard - I can't even keep up with these guys. I think they released like five albums in a week or something. Thankfully my good pal Cappy keeps pushing the cream of the crop my way. I did a crash course of all of their 77 releases this year and this one really jumped to the top of the pile. Not only did they release 980 songs this year, but a good number of those songs were 15 minutes or longer. I've never seen anything like it. If it sounds like I'm complaining, I'm not. I'm just trying to keep up! 

54. New Beginning, Automatic - A krautrock-y thumper. It sounds like it could be from any era since the 70's. Tensions run abound throughout. 

53. Do You, Ghost Woman - Spotify identified “neo-psychedelic rock music” as one of my favorite music genres this year. I don’t exactly know what that means, but I’m guessing this song fits squarely into that category. 

52. Night Vision, Kiwi, Jr. - Thanks to Casey G. for the heads up on this album. I dug it from the get-go and Spotify must have recognized it because it kept showing up on its “after an album finishes” playlists. Got better every time. 

51. Next to Normal, Lucius - Lucius has made as big of a name for themselves through their collaborations and guest appearances as they have from their own releases. Until this one. Brandi Carlile co-produced this album with Nashville super-producer, Dave Cobb. It doesn't sound much like Nashville though. It's a banging pop song about finding the perfect group of weird people who you fit in with so well. 

50. Silver Dollar (alternate version), Sierra Ferrell - Just a beautiful little earworm delight. So pure. 

49. Prester John, Animal Collective - This one suffers from being released as a single last year and being on an album that came out this year. It made it much higher when it was fresher to my ears on last year's list. That being said, this AC album is their best since their highmark Merriweather Post Pavilion (which took Album of the Year for me the year it came out). 

48. Hawk for the Dove, Amanda Shires - I’ve always had a major appreciation for this virtuoso talent (she started touring with the legendary Texas Playboys - of Bob Wills fame - when she was 15!?!?). I love her work in Jason Isbell’s band, and her amazing side project The Highwomen as well. That being said, her solo work hasn’t always done it for me. This is by far my favorite song from her entire catalog. That fiddle solo at the end sounds like it's made of razor blades.

47. Down, Hot Chip - I’ve missed this bunch. I love how the lyrics of this one are about getting broken down, but the music is so happy. It’s a perfect mixed message about the general feeling of the past year. I mean, I think it’s better…but man, what a time. Thankfully we have tunes like this to dance through the madness. 

46. Good to Go, The Deslondes - This one isn’t as good as their last album opener, but I continue to really dig this band’s sound, especially the songs where Riley Downing (aka the "deep voice guy") takes the lead. 

45. u dont kno me, Yacht Club - There are a couple of bands from the past few years who have sounded like demo tapes of the Strokes (Carseat Headrest is probably the king of this mountain). This album and song sound like Strokes demos re-recorded onto a cassette tape…which is still really freaking good.

44. Something in the Orange, Zach Bryan - If you like Jason Isbell, you’ll dig this one. Bryan released an enormous album (over 30 songs!) that I haven’t had the bandwidth to unpack yet. Huge talent though, and this one will haunt you. 

43. Street Breeze, Delicate Steve - Just a super chill vibe. A perfect addition to almost any playlist. Pretty sure Cappy put this guy on my radar a few years back as well. 

42. Selfish Soul, Sudan Archives - This is a great banger. She describes it as being “about women and the celebration of hair. It’s about representation of different hair textures and embracing all colors and textures of it,” which is a great message (greaI describe it as awesome.

41. new body rhumba, LCD Soundsystem - Let’s face it, LCD could probably release a Kings of Leon cover and still make this list. 

40. Because, Danger Mouse/Black Thought - This is the best of Danger Mouse’s sound with one of my favorite lyricists out there. Love this whole album as well. 

39. Problem With It, Plains - Waxahatchee continues her hot streak with this side project. Pugs, Fred Thunder, Liz, and I saw the live debut of this one at her solo show this summer. Smooth as butter, and I don’t have a problem with it (sorry…had to). 

38. You Have Bought Yourself a Boat, MJ Lenderman - This one struts like a funky old song from The Band. It’s a perfect soundtrack to the scene it describes - hanging out on a lake in the summertime. 

37. Los Chico Tristes, Hermanos Gutierrez - Dan Auerbach produced this album of dreamy acoustic Western soundtrackery. This song is an ultimate meditation and immediately made my “Relax, you turkey” playlist for when anxiety creeps in (it happens…and the playlist helps!) 

36. Oceans of Darkness, War on Drugs - This wall of sound didn’t make it on WoD’s latest album, but it’s a chugger that would be a cool, quick hitter in a live set. 

35. Can I Take My Hounds to Heaven?, Tyler Childers - Another funky one, Childers asks a very important question about heaven before agreeing to enter. The band really flexes here too. 

34. Higher, SAULT - This outfit released FIVE albums at once this fall (which trails only King Gizzard & the Wizard Lizard to my knowledge). I have more listening to do, but these albums didn’t hit me as hard as previous efforts. This one is wonderful though and embodies the best of this mysterious outfit’s sound. 

33. B-Side, Leon Bridges & Khruangbin - Another sleek single from this uber cool collaboration. Leon Bridges keeps his unstoppable streak going. Meanwhile, Khruangbin keeps their hot streak of collaborations going with this EP as well as another smooth effort with Vieux Farka Toure (which is definitely worth a spin as well). 

32. Bad Love, Dehd - This Chicago trio is fantastic. They remind me a bit of Dead Moon. I’m dying to catch this crew live in a dingy club somewhere. 

31. Mistakes, Sharon Van Etten - Her new album didn’t hit me like her previous effort (which took Album of the Year for me a few years back), but there are brilliant moments. This one is the best from it. 

30. Bird Without a Tail/Base of My Skull, Wilco - A somewhat simple ditty that has an amazing breakdown in it that reminds me of an acoustic “Impossible Germany.” The riffs in the bridge also kind of sound like softer versions of the riffs from the bridge of Pearl Jam’s “Insignificance,” which I don't mind. It takes you on a long meandering journey where the band flexes their chops, then brings you back home with the return of the final lyrical stanza (....even though this stanza confirms the demise of the narrator). 

29. Goodbye Mr. Blue, Father John Misty - A gorgeous number that embodies yearning and the acceptance of loss. I think it’s actually about a cat, but that cat serves as a damn good metaphor for losing someone/something. 

28. LET’S DO IT AGAIN, Jamie xx - One of the coolest dance-type numbers  I’ve heard in years (...and, yeah, I call them "dance-type numbers"). The pulsating vocals beg to be unleashed. This makes the breakthroughs of “Aahhhhhhhh’s” that much more scintillating. I hate clubs, but I would go to a club and dance my arse off all night if this song was playing. 

27. Remembering Me, Cate Le Bon - This one really just does it for me. Sexy and sleek with a side of tension via weird angular swirls of synths and (maybe?) guitars. She always impresses. 

26. Taking Me Back, Jack White - This is perhaps the most radio-ready song of JW’s solo career. Not that he strives for that, or that needs to strive for it, but hot damn, it’s nice to have a catchy Jack White song dominating the airwaves again. Well, my airwaves at least. 

25. Hungersite, Goose - Goose is on the rise as one of my favorite live bands. Much like many of their jammier forefathers, the studio doesn’t always live up to the live material, but this one does. It features everything I love about Goose - especially meandering yet soaring guitar work that is just made for an outdoor summer show. 

24. All the Good Times, Angel Olsen - The 1-2 punch of this song and “Big Time” were on of the best 1-2 punches I heard on any album this year. I love the tight countrypolitan sound of this one. Bonus: Check out the re-recording of “Big Time” as a duet with Sturgill Simpson as well. 

23. It’s So Hard to Hold On, Trampled by Turtles - TbT released another gem of an album this year and this is the highlight. A great tune about perseverance, which serves as a salve as we continue to assess the damage from the pandemic. 

22. Bittersweet, TN, Kevin Morby - A stunningly gorgeous love letter to youth, love, and loss. Just perfect. Morby describes it better than I ever could though: “Bittersweet, TN’ is a love song dedicated to time. It is about the abundance and scarcity around it that I feel almost always – that there is either a daunting amount or not enough but regardless – time is always on my mind. I tell this love story to the backdrop of America, or rather a Bittersweet, Tennessee – which like time itself can be a very beautiful or very tragic thing, depending, and one may not exist without the other.” 

21. My Babe, Spoon - I don’t know if my buddy Peter has ever even said this, but I could see him calling this one a “hip-hugger.” Grab your significant other and sway. 

20. Runner, Alex G - This song was stuck in my head so much this year. Shout out to my boy Corey who reminded me that Alex G. opened for Dr. Dog at a Sun King Brewery Birthday Bash a few years ago. The takeaway then was, “Wow, they were good, but they got pretty weird there for a bit.” I guess some things don’t change. 

Brent Side Note - I’d also like to say that I cannot believe this Alex G. song only made it to 19. I freaking love this song. What a great year in music!!! 

19. This is a Photograph, Kevin Morby - This was an incredible, manic introduction to this brilliant album. Check out this excellent episode of Song Exploder to learn a lot more about it. (Song Exploder is one of my favorite podcasts as they interview artists who describe and dissect how a specific song came together). 

18. Too Late Now, Wet Leg - This is the one that hooked me on this band and this album. It kicks off like a Yeah Yeah Yeah’s demo before completely falling apart when you expect it to start taking off. Don’t worry, it still gets there though. Just a brilliant, theatric meltdown, followed by a bubble bath. 

17. Hangover Game, MJ Lenderman - Perfect for getting out on the road or on a bar room jukebox, this one rules. I’d love to have played this one at Higgins in Chicago (RIP). The tongue-in-cheek analysis of Michael Jordan’s “Flu Game” is hilarious, but somehow still humanizes MJ(ordan), even if it is all a lie. 

16. Angel Band, Tyler Childers - Let the gospel ring! I’m not a gospel music guy, but this one could convert me. I was really diving into this song just as I lost a dear friend, Sam Bell, this fall. It helped me cope with that...on repeat. 

Hallelujah, jubilee
I can hear the angel band
I was blind but now I see
And I'll jump right in amongst them
When I reach the glory land.

15. Protection, Steve Gunn/Mdou Moctar - An absolutely gorgeous meditation. This was a go-to all year long and always brought me peace and joy any time it came on (it also made the “Relax, You Turkey” playlist). 

14. Country, Good Morning - Another great road trip builder. I love the bleeps and blips. They kind of remind of the bleeps and blips at the end of Radiohead’s “Let Down,” which will never get old. 

13. Certainty, Big Thief - This one is a perfect representation of this expansive album. Quirky lyrics, excellent rhythm, and hooky melodies combine for a lovely ride. 

12. You Will Never Work In Television Again, The Smile - This was the first single from this new side project and really kicked the doors of expectation open for this band. Thom is at his manic best here, tearing through some excellent anti-authority lyrics. It rips. 

11. A Lifetime to Find, Wilco - Jeff Tweedy has a hilarious conversation with Death in this one that has shades of John Prine’s silly songs about death as well. An extremely catchy tune with a perfect chorus, “It takes a lifetime to find, a life like the life you had in mind.” 

10. Some of Us Are Brave, Danielle Ponder - Stunning. Her voice is gorgeous and haunting. If this had a little bit more underneath those vocals, this could be a Bond theme song. (I literally think she even says “Golden Eye” at one point…I might be wrong…but I don’t want to look it up so I can keep believing!). Also, this is another strong and positive message as we (hopefully) come out of the worst of the pandemic. Best song title of the year! 

9. Fisher Island Sound, Beirut - I’ve never been a huge Beirut fan, but have always respected the hell out of them. I once caught a show with Andrew Smithka (aka “Lil Smithka”) and really loved that, but I still need to dive into their catalog. This enchanting number just absolutely did it for me and should be a perfect launching point for a deeper dive. A perfect opener for a playlist, a run, or a road trip, it takes me to a wonderful place. 

8. Held, Spoon - When I first heard the lyrics on this one, I thought “Wow, ‘For the first time in my life, I let myself be held, like a big ol’ baby,’ is a really interesting line for Britt Daniel to write.” Then I realized they had covered a song from one of my favorite albums, Smog’s Knock Knock (Bill Callahan’s original moniker). Before this re-recording, this wasn’t even one of my favorite tracks on the album, but it certainly is now. Where Callahan’s version is more loose and bouncy, Spoon turns it into a brooding builder that is the perfect album opener (and ***Best album opener of the year!***). 

7. Burning, Yeah Yeah Yeah’s - Karen O’s voice is still an absolute weapon and it’s ohhh so good to have this band back. While the slicing guitars aren’t as prevalent, the YYY’s bring a futuristic almost apocalyptic sound on their new offering. This one almost has a soul backdrop with Karen O’s vocals slithering around it. And don’t worry, there are still some fuzzy guitars that lead to the soaring chorus. I mentioned Bond soundtracks earlier…if that movie franchise ever comes to the YYY’s for a song, they should just send them this one 

Brent Sidenote: I have no idea how or why this sudden James Bond theme arose, I’ve honestly never even seen an entire film in the series. I do have a strange obsession with Bond songs though. “Live and Let Die” sets a pretty high bar. Aaaaand back to the countdown… 

6. Free in the Knowledge, The Smile - This is “Radiohead” at their eerie best. It knocked me back the first time I fully absorbed it. The reflective chorus could be about the pandemic as much as it could be about the Russian invasion of the Ukraine as much as it could be about a relationship. If this is just a bad moment And we are fumbling around But we won't get caught like that Soldiers on our backs We won't get caught like that Yorke has a 30 year run of writing lyrics that could apply to so many things. There is mystery here, but this one sounds as relevant as it gets. I talk to the face in the mirror But he can't get through Turns out we're in this together Both me and you 

5. midnight sun, Nilufer Yanya - Speaking of Radiohead, the beginning of this songs sounds like it could be from somewhere between Ok Computer and In Rainbows Radiohead. I love the patience here and when the acoustic guitar riffs comes in at 1:46, it sets an amazing stage. You may spend the rest of the song hoping there’s a huge payoff (like Radiohead might do), and if you’re patient, you will be rewarded. This song is probably the song that was in my head the second most this year. I just couldn’t quit it. The rest of the album is still growing on me (A LOT), but this one remains the clear standout. By the end of it, you won’t be able to turn it up loud enough. 

4. Knife Fighter, Peter Matthew Bauer - This enchanting number came out early in 2022 and caught me right away. It has been mesmerizing me ever since. I ordered one of the first 200 copies of this album on vinyl and PMB included a special booklet with descriptions of each song on the album (as of this writing, there are still four available!). I thought the below description of this song from that booklet was really cool.

3. A Random Act of Kindness, Kevin Morby - Triumphant. Among Morby’s best. As more albums come out, it’s getting hard to rank them all. He’s on an absolute heater and this is so perfect. Another great way to start a run or a road trip…SUN. COMES. UP. 

2. Red Moon, Big Thief - This song best embodies the freewheeling spirit of this masterpiece folk album. Such a simple ditty but such great hooks, and by golly, if you don’t shake your head and smile as Adrianne Lenker exclaims “That’s my grandma!” then you’ve probably wasted a lot of time getting this far into this list. Liz and I will often exclaim this around the house, sometimes when the song is on, sometimes just when it’s stuck in one of our heads. Go ahead, try it now….That’s my grandma!!! 

1. Wild, Spoon - I’ve worked really hard to try to figure what makes this song so perfect. I think it has something to do with this: It sounds like a modern-produced Rolling Stones song…musically, it could also pass as a U2 epic from the 80’s. It could also be Moby. Or Bowie. It’s a timeless masterpiece that is every moment of rock n roll ever and the best moments of Spoon that builds through sequence after sequence of tiny explosions. Or, maybe it was just a song with the chorus, “...and the world, still so wild, called to meeeee” is exactly what we needed to hear as we took timid steps out of the (hopefully) worst of pandemic. Yeah, that could be it too. Wild. 

Aaaaaand that’s a wrap. Happy listening!! I'll have my Top Albums list out soon. In the meantime....That’s my grandma!!!

Brent's 2020 Year End Music List

As I worked this year's list of my favorite music, a word that kept coming up for these songs and albums was "meditation." I've thought a lot about meditation this past year, and not necessarily the kind that involves sitting silently letting thoughts float by like clouds in the sky. Instead, I've been thinking more about the phrase, "Make it the meditation," with a mindset that anything, any time, anywhere, can be the meditation. And maybe a secret of existence is to learn to make the even worst parts of the ride the meditation as well. If you can find a way to enjoy the time in your mind while even undergoing the most annoying of tasks, that's some pretty powerful stuff. 

For me, music is often the best way and most accessible way for me to meditate. Many of the songs and albums on this list made the list simply for how they made me feel and where they took my mind while listening. This often had very little to do with the words or the genre of a song or album, but more just the feel. And in 2020, we all needed to feel more than ever. Back to the hits! 

First of all, we'll start with my year-end mix (available HERE via Spotify). I took a much different approach for this mix. While I usually try to build a 74 minute or less playlist since that's what you used to be able to burn onto a single CD, this year there was just way too much. So, you can find my playlist HERE. It's about 3x the usual length of this mix, but hey, this year felt like it was three years...so...yeah. I didn't put it in any kind of order beyond the first and last song, it was just too much. So, I recommend starting it at the first track (the only way this playlist could have started), then putting it on shuffle. I'll warn you, you may end up listening to an acoustic Neil Young song after a Billie Eilish song, but I've listened to this mix a lot over the past few weeks, and it has all seemed to work. Everything on there was released this year, with a couple of exceptions of songs that were released last year, but blew up this year. I hope you enjoy and find a thing or two that inspires you to dig a bit deeper. 

2020 Honorable Mention and Other Odds & Sods (Top Albums are below as well)

The Year of the Album Opener - Here’s an interesting observation that seems like an appropriate way to kick things off - this is the best year of album-opening tracks that I can remember. I usually open my yearly playlist with the best album-opening song I heard all year. That would have been impossible this year. Luckily, if there ever was a year where you could throw rules out the window, it was 2020. Besides, there was only one track that could open this year’s playlist, and it’s not even been released on an album yet. 

However, any of these album openers certainly could have been in the running for best opening song in 2020 (I’m open for discussion on which is the best!): Dehd - “Desire,” Rose City Band - “Only Lonely,” Chicano Batman - “Color My Life”, Destroyer - “Crimson Tide,” John McKiel - “Mourning Dove,” Thao & the Get Down Stay Down - “Temple,” Run the Jewels - “Yankee & the Brave ep. 4, EOB (aka, Ed O’Brien from Radiohead), “Shangri La,” and Paul McCartney, “Long-tailed Winter Bird” to name a few. 

Phoebe Bridgers - I absolutely loved a lot of the songs on her album (especially “Kyoto,” “ICU”, and the closer), but half the album I just wasn’t in to. I may prove myself wrong in the future with more listens, but sorry Phoebe, even though you are immensely talented, not this year. 

Kevin Morby, Sundowner - Another great album in a string of even greater ones. This one didn’t catch me as much as City Music (an all-timer for me) or Oh My God (another masterpiece), but, it may still grow on me with time. Anything this dude releases is worth a good number of listens for me.

Khruangbin/Leon Bridges - This was a smooth collaboration that didn’t necessarily exceed the sum of its parts, but was more pleasantly surprising for how well the parts just fit together. I would have loved to see these two forces cross-pollinate at a festival where they both had solo sets. Alas, maybe next year. “Texas Sun” was one of the best songs of the year. The chillest of chill vibes. 

The Texas Gentlemen - Beyond the barroom jazzier opening numbers, this album plays like a cross between Blitzen Trapper and Raconteurs’ Brenden Benson-led songs. These guys have chops though, and it’s clear that their musical acumen runs deep. However, sometimes the problem with having so many members with so many chops is finding a unifying direction (like their fellow Austinites, Band of Heathens). If their sound does anything for you, check out their previous effort, TX Jelly. It rules. 

Neil Young, Homegrown - Are you kidding me?!?!? A man can sit on a song like “Vacancy” for 46 YEARS?!? For 99% of other bands, this would be their biggest hit. For Young, it was just an album that sat on the shelf for almost half a century because...it was too sad?? If we’re going by that standard then half the albums in Young’s catalog shouldn’t have been released. This isn’t a masterpiece, but it’s still in the top half of NY releases (of which there are MANY). It features members of Crazy Horse, The Band, Emmylou Harris and more. 

The Killers - I’ve never been a big fan of the Killers. I’ve never hated them, but I worked at a karaoke bar for a long time and heard more than my fill of them there. The frequency of their requests let me know that they were a really big deal to people who were just a bit younger than me. Then, this year, I heard their song, “My Own Soul’s Warning.” My head and my heart were torn. This was some anthemic rock that I had been craving and it sounded like a more slick, more produced, more bombastic version of the War on Drugs. 

After much back and forth, I convinced myself that I loved it. I played it on repeat. I then learned that a dude from War on Drugs produced their album and that the WoD’s lead singer even appeared on a track. Totally forgiven for ripping off the Drugs’ biggest hit (listen to them back to back and tell me they didn’t rip it off). This entire time, Liz could just never buy into it. It just sounded too much like WoD. And, after much flipping and flopping all year, I can now definitively say...#@$&. THE. KILLERS. Enjoy your career resurgence while riding on the coattails of authenticity. War. On. Drugs. For. Life. And thank you, Liz. 

 All of that being said, the Killers and the War on Drugs are both just kind of ripping off Bruce Springsteen with this sound, who was really just ripping off Dylan and Elvis, who were really just ripping off Woody Guthrie and Ike Turner respectively. So yeah, apparently we owe the history of rock ‘n’ roll to Woody Guthrie and Ike Turner?!? Whatever. #@$& the Killers. 

War on Drugs, Live Drugs - Speaking of the War on Drugs, their new live album is one of the best live albums I’ve heard in years. I don’t think most publications include live albums on their year-end rankings, but this is by far one of my favorite listens this year. My only complaint is that every song doesn’t go on for 10 minutes longer and that more songs weren’t included (especially “In Chains” and “Meet Me in the City”). 

I’m a real sucker for lead singers who play lead guitar, and WoD’s singer and primary songwriter, Adam Granduciel, takes all lead duties, shredding solos while singing and “Wooo”-ing to his heart’s content. The version of deeper cut, “Buenos Aires Beach” is majestic, and their cover of Warren Zevon’s heart-crushing song, “Accidentally Like a Martyr” is superb. In case you didn’t believe me on the heart-crushing part, check out the lyrics to the chorus: 

“We made mad love, shadow love, random love and abandoned love, 

 Accidentally, like a martyr. The hurt gets worse, the heart gets harder.” 

Hot. Damn. They then follow that up with an even more ballad-y version of “Eyes to the Wind,” into the epic, driving “Under the Pressure.” Simple perfection. Great album to run to, great one for a long drive, and yeah...it’s a great one. Ok, one other quick complaint, the album cover looks ok online, but the vinyl cover just looks so drab and boring. They really missed an opportunity for a majestic live photo on the cover. The inner gatefold almost makes up for it (featured in the background of this video) but not quite. 

My Morning Jacket, Waterfall II - Fans of the Rocky series know that Rocky II is kind of a drag. It’s kind of the same movie as Rocky, but Adrian goes into a coma, dragging out the film until the dramatic fight at the end (JUST. WIN!!!). While the conclusion was great (and was the beginning of a trend of no rubber matches in the franchise - you’re telling me Mr. T just fell off the face of the earth after going 1-1 versus Rocky??? Maybe Creed 3 will answer this question...I digress), it couldn’t live up to the waves the first film made. 

 MMJ’s Waterfall (part 1) was a universally praised album of front to back MMJ glory. While Jim James was careful to point out that these songs were NOT b-sides, but more just songs that didn’t fit into the final vision of the Waterfall (part 1). Uhh...isn’t that what b-sides are, Jim? I don’t know. But one thing I do know: this album features some of the most iconic MMJ songs of all time. So, if that makes them NOT b-sides, then so be it. 

For me, one of the marks of any MMJ album is the Red Rocks Playability Factor (RRPF - i.e. how badly would I want to see them play this song live at Red Rocks?). I can’t think of too many bands who would sit on a song like “Feel You” for five years (although some artists sit on brilliant albums for more than 4o years...more on that later). 

Put simply, half of the songs on this leftovers (NOT b-sides) album pass the RRPF. “Feel You,” “Magic Bullet,” “Run It” (I mean, come on...this song was MADE to be played as a come down at Red Rocks...imagine them fading out a slow jam of “Phone Went West” gently into this or vice versa?? Swoon.), “Wasted,” and “Welcome Home” would all be welcome additions to any Red Rocks setlist. That’s not to say any of the others wouldn’t, but 5 out of 10 songs passing the RRPF ain’t bad for an album of leftover songs (NOT b-sides!). In summation, the highs of this album match the highs of Rocky II, and the lows just feel like b-sides (sorry, Jim). 

Tom Petty, Wildflowers - Shortly after graduating college, a friend who wasn’t into music at all (Webeck for you Wallies), hit me up telling me he was looking to expand his musical palette and asked me for the greatest albums I’d ever heard. I put a lot of thought into it, and I can’t tell you anything about that list today except that I was surprised when this album popped up on that list. 

 I was no doubt introduced to Tom Petty by my much cooler older brother. Petty was a whimsical wizard of sorts in the 80’s, cranking out hit after hit and owning the all-important Mtv airwaves. I was coming of age in a way (a much different way than Tom) and this coming of age album, for whatever reason beyond the hits, really struck a chord with me from top to bottom. Deep cuts like “To Find a Friend” stayed in my head for years, teaching me something about the forgiveness of adults who gave up on a life to pursue a different happiness. 

This album remained with me through adulthood (I can picture the gold CD still) and once I started getting into vinyl, it quickly rose to the top of my list of most sought after pieces. This album was released when vinyl was all but dead so there were very few copies, and I apparently the only one who wanted it because whenever it would show up at Reckless it was $100 or more. There were longtime rumors that it would receive a deluxe re-release, so I abstained. 

That re-release took decades to happen, but it finally arrived this year, three years after Tom’s unfortunate passing in 2017. The album here shines as brightly as ever and the outtakes, demos, and live cuts all prove how much of a masterpiece this album was, and how it was an absolute peak of Tom’s creativity. He wrote the entire song “Wildflowers” as he played and sang it for the first time...he just picked up the guitar, pressed record, and it came out. According to “Someone Else’s Wizard,” Rick Rubin, Petty wrote many songs from this era just like that. 

Petty's new record label at the time famously told him to shorten the album's playlist when he first submitted it. Rubin was shocked that Petty acquiesced to this request (he was famous for sticking by his artistic guns, as well as standing up for his fans. However, in this case, he listened to the label and shortened the playlist to a single album. I kind of hate to say it, but I think the label was right in this case. I remember thinking the album was really long when I was a kid, and don't know that I could have handled much more at that time. I'm also definitely on one of the lowest rungs of age brackets of people who could be superfans of Petty. So, now that I'm at the age that Petty was when he released this album, hearing it again in this new light, as well as the absolute treasure trove of bonus material, allows me to enjoy and connect with it in a whole new way. 

Speaking of Rubin, I highly recommend his podcast, Broken Record, available everywhere. He has two episodes on the making of Wildflowers that provide additional insights to that era for Tom. The episode with Rick and Tom’s daughter is one of the best interviews I heard all year. He also did interviews (not Tom Petty-related) with Sturgill, Tame Impala, Jeff Tweedy, The Boss, Win Butler and many more this year (there are also rumors of a multi-part series with McCartney in 2021). Finally, HERE is a great oral history of the making of Wildflowers with the great music writer, Steve Hyden. If you’d like to jump further down this rabbit hole, hit me up...I have more. 

Top Albums 2020

Alright, below are my top 24 albums (Kobe!) of the year 2020. 

24. Paul McCartney, McCartney 3 - Macca recorded every instrument and vocal on this himself, an incredible feat in and of itself for any 78 year old. Pile on the fact that at least half of the songs on this album are absolutely amazing, and this late entry is worth a mention on this list. The album opener is bliss. In other Beatles related news, Peter Jackson just released a sneak preview of his upcoming Beatles documentary, Get Back, and it looks incredible. It’s just amazing that there’s still footage of these guys that we haven’t seen yet. It looks like it could also rewrite the narrative around the tone of the Let It Be sessions that were supposedly so toxic.

23. Tyler Childers, Long Violent History - This album is a great meditation of traditional standard tunes that Childers recorded during the pandemic (just in case you aren’t feeling bad enough about your productivity during the pandemic, he also taught himself to play the fiddle, which is featured throughout the album). All of these traditional songs serve as an appetizer platter for the album’s final piece, “Long Violent History,” where Childers offers a scathing review of those calling out racism in America. In a powerful statement upon the album’s release, Childers stated: 

“What if we were to constantly open up our daily paper and see a headline like ‘East Kentucky Man Shot Seven Times on a Fishing Trip?’ Or a headline like ‘Ashland Community and Technical College nursing student shot in her sleep?’”

“What form of upheaval would that create? I’d venture to say if we were met with this type of daily attack on our own people, we would take action in a way that hasn’t been seen since the Battle of Blair Mountain in West Virginia. And if we wouldn’t stand for it, why would we expect another group of Americans to stand for it? Why would we stand silent while it happened? Or worse, get in the way of it getting rectified.”

100% of net proceeds from Long Violent History will support underserved communities in the Appalachian region through the Hickman Holler Appalachian Relief Fund, a nonprofit organization that Childers co-founded to bring awareness and financial support for philanthropic efforts in the Appalachian Region.

22. Pearl Jam - With each release, legacy rock acts have a mountain to climb based on previous success. Pearl Jam threw their hat into the ring this year after a seven-year studio hiatus. Few bands have a taller mountain to climb than Pearl Jam, who many may argue peaked with their first album. However, PJ has maintained relevance through a solid catalog of subsequent releases as well as through their epic live shows that cater to the “their best album was Ten crowd,” as well as the “If you haven’t seen “Hard to Imagine” live, you’re not a real fan” crowd. 

This super fan is 100% fine admitting that their last couple of albums leading up to Gigaton have been...lackluster, minus a few choice nugs. After a series of early album outtakes, b-sides, and easter eggs to keep their rabid fanbase satisfied, recent releases made it seem like the band was satisfied to just finish an album’s worth of songs to be able to tour again. I honestly questioned if they were capable of putting out something that challenged listeners, and perhaps more importantly, challenged themselves as musicians.

And, much to my pleasant surprise, they did just that with Gigaton, their most diverse, risky, and off-the-wall release since No Code (this writer’s favorite PJ album). And the results are astounding. From straight up super hooky rockers to ballads to a solo acoustic Vedder masterpiece (“Comes then Goes” - Seriously, who else could write this song? A solo acoustic song with flashes of the punk rock strumming,Vedder’s other wheelhouse).

Even the sounds that turn farthest from PJ’s most recognizable sounds, songs like “Alright,” “Dance of the Clairvoyants,” offer new ways for the band to build sonic landscapes for the band’s most identifiable weapon, Vedder’s vocals, to ride the wave over. Oh, and “Quick Escape” is already one of my favorite live songs and it’s never even been played live. 

21. Sufjan Stevens, The Ascension - As my good friend Cappy put it, this album feels like a sister album to Stevens’ Age of Adz. Much like on that album, Stevens builds an electronic landscape throughout this one. The lyrics are more direct this time around, and Stevens seems to be wrestling with different demons (although some are the same). His takedown of the forces in charge of America (on the song “America”) is a highlight, as is “Video Game,” an extremely hooky single that will stick with you long after it’s run time ends.

I think we are at a point in Stevens’ career where we seriously need to start giving this dude some serious recognition. He’s a one-man Radiohead  and if you put Thom Yorke’s vocals over any of these songs, and it would be on par with anything they are releasing (that being said, Stevens’ and Yorke’s vocals aren’t all that different). I cannot think of one “miss” in his catalog and he’s nothing shy of a genius. I’m honestly not sure why he’s not considered one of the great artists of our time. It’s time. 

20. The Flaming Lips, American Head - After being a super-fan of this band since the early 2000’s (Yoshimi came out in college and I saw them open for Beck and back him up on his Sea Change tour, and have been hooked ever since), it’s hard to imagine that new album nearly 30 years later could make me feel closer to them than ever. But American Head did just that. 

This album is a return to form of the excellent Soft Bulletin (a 10/10 masterpiece for this writer) and Yoshimi after the Lips spent the past decade largely avoiding full album releases. Coyne’s lyrical content focuses mainly on human relations on this effort (although he does slip a few dinosaurs in there, because….of course he did). From interviews with Coyne at the time of its release, it seems as though he was doing some deep exploring and mining of his own past as this one came together. 

Coyne, perhaps inspired by becoming a new father, digs back into his youth that was at best, pretty fucked up. However, it’s a youth that many Heads can relate to in small town America. Coyne also reflects on his famous Long John Silvers incident where he was held up at gun-point and thought he was going to die. Kacey Musgraves (perhaps filling Miley’s shoes as the Lips’ new muse?) has solid contributions throughout this one as well. Though it lacks anything resembling a hit, it’s the latest Lips masterpiece. 

A couple of other notes: I highly recommend Coyne’s Marc Maron interview and can we make 2021 the year that we bring back the Zaireeka Party? We are long overdue. We just need to get our hands on four CD players.

P.S. Maybe it was this album that made me feel closer to the Lips than ever, or, maybe it was the Cameo from Wayne Coyne that Liz got me for our anniversary. Wow. Still unfathomable. 

19. Swamp Dogg, Sorry You Couldn’t Make It - I had never heard of Swamp Dogg before 2020, who was a Dogg long before being a Dogg was cool. This album likely popped on my radar due to the two stellar duets with the late, great John Prine. Dogg first covered Prine for his 1970 album, giving one of Prine’s most empathetic numbers, “Sam Stone” a slow, steady soul treatment, squeezing a few extra drops of heroin-infused grief out of the brilliant ballad. 

In 2020, the Dogg set out to release a country soul album. There is not a single miss on this album. I picked it up on vinyl and have not regretted it one bit since. Dogg also once again partnered with Prine on two tracks about approaching the tail end of life, “Memories” and “Please Let Me Go Round Again.”  While the Dogg is still going around with us, unfortunately, Prine’s plea was unanswered in 2020. Dogg’s own writing chops are also on display here, with a highlight being, “I’d Rather Be Your Used to Be” with the great chorus line of, “I’d rather be your used to, than your supposed to be.” If this piques your interest, I recommend this recap of Dogg’s life, which includes a recap of how he ended up on J. Edgar Hoover’s secret list of “un-American” citizens.

18. Thao & the Get Down Stay Down- From the album opening spaced-out-surf-rock riff that quickly settles into one of the best grooves of the year, this one struts. I’m not going to pretend to be an expert on this band. They’ve popped on my radar a few times but nothing had stuck in the past. This album certainly changes that. I don’t need to say much that the album-opening riff can’t say on my behalf, if that one gets you, the rest won’t disappoint.

17. Bob Dylan, Murder Most Foul - This entire album plays like a long meditation, and 2020 had plenty of time for that. This one is full of extemporaneous musings from Dylan’s 79 years on the planet. Given my ADHD, it makes me a bit nauseous to think about sitting down to listen to a 17-minute ballad about the assassination of JFK, but the few times it’s come on my Sirius radio, it has sucked me in for the entire circular, loping ride. His ability to pull you away from where he’s taking you, and surprise you almost every time you land back at home is mesmerizing. 

There have long been rumors about Dylan’s health and his selling of his entire catalog (a seemingly un-Dylan move if there ever was one), raises those questions even louder. If this is a sendoff, it’s among the best of all time, which is nothing new for the greatest American artist….ever? Best time to listen: At the end of a long day, sipping whiskey on the back porch.

16. Dehd, Flower of Devotion - I so badly want to see this band in a Chicago club. This Chicago three-piece pumps out bleeding heart anthems with a primal rawness that takes me back to Dead Moon as well as other early 90’s lo-fi rock outfits. They feature only the most basic elements of a rock outfit - guitarist/vocalist, bassist vocalist, and a drummer who’s simple stand up kit that makes Meg White’s kit look like Neil Peart’s. In the spirit of their sound, I’ll keep this review sparse, but I cannot wait to see this band live.

15. Bill Callahan, Mellow Gold - Through his initial project (a solo band called Smog, check out the album Knock, Knock if you haven’t. It’s produced by Jim O’Rourke and is a lo-fi masterpiece), and now a solo career under his own name, Callahan has quietly built a catalog of masterpiece after masterpiece. Much like a John Prine, Callahan is a flavor, many may say an acquired flavor, who is fine with wallowing in the depths of the pathos in search of his next brilliant musing. 

This album features 1o songs that were released 10 weeks in a row as stand-alone singles before the album came out. This slow rollout allowed fans to spend time with each one, and build a playlist as they arrived, which was quite fun (I’m all for any additional creativity that comes with an album’s release - Long Live the Album!). Gold Record features some of Callahan’s best stories, including the album opener. 

Like Prine, Callahan is a master of infusing humor into his songs (a really hard thing to do) both with the lyrics and with how he spaces out their annunciation. At the same time, like Prine, he can also deliver a line that just wallops you over the head with its simplicity and complexity all jumbled into one line.

One example of this is “The McKenzies.” Callahan starts with a pretty basic story of a car breaking down and a neighbor coming to his aid. As simple and straightforward as it begins, it quickly becomes obvious that there is more happening than meets the eye here. The first time I played this album, I had it on in the background while doing something else, and wasn’t really taking it in fully. However, despite having not listened to the story of “The McKenzies,” I couldn’t help but zero in as he delivered the final lines “It’s ok, we’re ok.” Not fully knowing why, I became overwhelmed with emotion and immediately knew I had missed something important. I sat down with it and played it a second time while reading the lyrics. Without giving anything more away, let’s just say, that unbeknownst feeling I had experienced was spot on.

14. Sturgill Simpson, Cuttin Grass Vols 1 & 2 - (Disclaimer: The Second Edition came out very late in the year, and at this point, it’s hard for me to distinguish between the two, so I put them together here)

Sturgill said he’d release an album this year if his fans bought enough merch to raise a lot of money for charity. After the totals came in, Sturgill then announced he’d be doubling that output and releasing not one, but two albums this year. There were hints of bluegrass sessions with a few of the genre’s living legends, then Sturgill performed a brilliant live stream at the Ryman in Nashville.

While it’s amazing to hear his catalog reworked as bluegrass numbers (in many cases, the stripped down background sounds further reveal the brilliance of the vocals), the previously unreleased and tracks from an old band shine just as brightly. A particular standout, “I Don’t Mind” tugs at the heartstrings as Sturgill sings of a love slipping away. Sturgill seems to be happily married (now with 3 boys...sounds like a future band in the making if I’ve ever heard of one), so we haven’t heard as much of this side (the “lost love” side)  of his writing. Unsurprisingly, he’s brilliant at that genre as well. 

At some point this year, I meant to put Volume 1 on shuffle to pull it apart in a different way, but accidentally put his whole catalog on shuffle. Surprisingly, the new album was the biggest outlier. You can track his trajectory from honky tonk hero to scuzz rock god somewhat linearly, but then the bluegrass just throws everything off. However, in many ways, it’s just Sturgill’s influences and upbringing coming full circle.

While at times curmudgeonly, Sturgill is a true artist and will follow the path that makes most sense to his own brain, even if it makes no sense to anyone else’s (including his former label, whose contract he negotiated an early exit from). Now that he’s a free agent, look out. This dude has put himself in a position to do whatever he wants. And ironically, despite living in the middle of nowhere, being what seems to be a great father, and cranking out amazing album after amazing album, is still one of the most “outlaw” country musicians around. 

13. Strokes, The New Abnormal - As mentioned on the Pearl Jam section, it’s hard for more legacy rock acts to remain vital these days. Release something that sounds like your previous catalog, and you get lambasted for not evolving. Release something too experimental and people just clamor for the glory days. With their latest release, the Strokes struck a perfect balance between these two worlds, and still got seemingly little credit for it. At this point, I honestly cannot imagine the Strokes releasing a better, more relevant album than this one. Rick Rubin did his thing, boiling things down to their essence and chopping up songs to reach new heights, and the Strokes leaned into their now diverse influences to deliver their most compelling release since the good ol’ days. 

12. Jason Isbell, Reunions - I was prepared to be underwhelmed by this album. Isbell’s album peak remains the rip-the-band-aid-off confessional, “Southeastern.” That one may never be topped, but since then, he has continued a brilliant streak of empathy-inducing albums that kick you in the gut with feeling as much as they do with the southern rock riffs. Surprisingly, it’s the rockers on this one that just didn't do it for me. While I love the message of “Be Afraid,” it doesn’t catch me as a song I need to put on repeat. 

That being said, the empathy songs are as strong as ever. Isbell already has multiple “first dance at our wedding” songs ("Cover Me Up," "If We Were Vampires"), and on this album, he’s added a song that countless dads will play as their song at their daughter’s wedding, “Letting You Go.” Good luck not tearing up on that one, girl dads! 

However, the absolute highlight of this one for me is “Dreamsicle.” The lyrics take me back to when I was a teenager and paint a perfect picture of growing up in the 80’s nostalgia with a single mother. I was painting the back porch this summer the first time I really grasped the line, “New sneakers on a high school court, and you swore you’d be there,” and I almost fell off the ladder. All I can say is, “Too soon, Mr. Isbell. Too soon.” 

11. John McKiel, Bobby Joe Hope - The story of how this album came together is almost as fascinating as the end product. This Aquarium Drunkard article tells the story of how McKiel collaborated...with a ghost....to create the album. He bought a reel-to-reel tape recorder online and it came with some tapes included. On these tapes, McKiel discovered snippets of sound from a previous owner and was fascinated by what he found. So, he decided to incorporate them into the album he was working on, creating a collaboration with an unknown stranger (...or...a ghost?).

The album has an awesome sound that unfurls with more listens. It reminds me a bit of a more subdued Foxygen or a hazier, lighter MGMT. Sun-drenched, light psychedelia for the soul.  It gets weird at points (like, “Animal-Collective-repetitive-mantra” weird, which is fine by me, but not for everyone), but, what's life in 2020 without a little weird?

The story of how this album was made also reminded me of how Think Tank Comedy once acquired a slide projector with a bunch of old slides from one of my high school buddies, Brian Fuhrman. We were obsessed with all things analog and incorporating it into our comedy shows. I think this pick up was inspired by some weird projector stuff that Animal Collective was doing at the time. Anyway, we took those slides from Brian childhood and built an entire themed show around them for a performance in Indy. 

P.S. I wouldn't be surprised if, in like 10 years, we learn that it was actually someone like Jack White or Beck who recorded those snippets for someone to eventually find.

10. Haim, Women in Music, Pt. 3 - I say this every year, but one of my favorite music genres is what I deem sophisticated pop music. Perhaps nothing embodied this more in 2020 for me than Haim’s latest effort. I’ve known of them since they stormed the airwaves a few years back, but never taken the plunge into any of their albums. The infectiousness of the single “The Steps” reeled me into this one and the rest of the album obviously did not disappoint.

Despite 2020’s efforts, it was impossible to not feel better while listening to this glistening ball of hope. Sidenote: Spotify has a deluxe version of this album up, and the b-sides are every bit as good as the songs on the album, and in some cases better (three of the bonus tracks, “Summer Girl,” “Now I’m In It,” and “Hallelujah,” are among their top 10 most popular songs on there).

9.  SAULT, Untitled (Rise) - This mysterious British collective released this album late in 2020. You can read more about them HERE, but there’s honestly very little information out there about them (producer Inflo, who has worked with Michael Kiwanuka, is confirmed to be involved, but beyond that, it’s a mystery). They put a modern gloss over R&B, funk, and house to form this most majestic, modern sound. And, if you dig this sound, they actually released two albums this year. This was the second. The first, Untitled (Black Is), is just as good. The second effort just resonated more with me.

8. Rose City Band - Let me drag you all down the wormhole that is Ripley Johnson (the primary contributor to the Rose City Band) real quick. First of all, this dude definitely "someone else's wizard." You may have heard of his primary band, Wooden Shjips. A few of us caught them at a street fest a couple of summers ago and their album V. made my top albums list a couple of years back as well. If anything it's only gotten better with age ("Red Line" and "Ride On" are highlights). Perfect spaced out jams for expanding the mind.

 

Being the primary contributor of one amazing band would honestly be enough, but not for Johnson. A few months back, another band popped up on my Spotify Weekly that made me think, "Ooh...this is kind of like an electronic Wooden Shjips...nice!" Then I looked up the band, Moon Duo, up, and what do you know, Ripley Johnson was 1/2 of the creative force for that one too. It's kind of like Wooden Shjips with some added electronics and bleeps and blops like at the end of Radiohead's "Let Down." A perfect extra layer to a more traditional sound. Moon Duo's 2019 album, Stars Are the Light is amazing, with "Lost Heads" being a high mark. 

 

So now, let's fast forward to this spring. A new band popped up on my radar when Rose City Band's "Rip City" song caught my ear (first of all, I love that band name and the song title). Second of all, I listened to the track and thought, "Wow...this sounds kind of like a stripped-down, more folky version of Wooden Shjips!" So, I look them up, and, you guessed it....Ripley Johnson strikes again. I first fell for their self-titled album, but their new one this year, Summerlong, is a perfect summer sunset soundtrack, and one of my favorite albums of the year so far. There are some Grateful Dead vibes in there for sure, as well as some country (he taught himself to play the pedal steel for it). There's a great interview about this new album with Johnson HERE. 

 

Anyway, it's been quite the journey with this dude, and it's all squarely in my wheelhouse. Any of these bands would be good to listen to on some psychedelics, but they work just fine sotally tober as well. I hope you guys get some of the same enjoyment out of this prolific musician (between these 3 bands, he has released 8 albums and an EP since 2017!!!) as I inadvertently have.

7. Black Pumas (Self-titled) - This Austin-based band has an incredible origin story, and an even more incredible sound. They have a great episode of Song Exploder where they explain the making of their song “Colors”. They also talk more about their origin and how the collaboration grew. If you’re a fan of Charles Bradley, Michael Kiwanuka, and/or any tight modern soul bands in the vein of the Dap Kings, this will absolutely do it for you. Start with the aforementioned "Colors" as well as "Fire." If those two do it for you, dive in deeper!

6. Tame Impala, The Slow Rush - There is a great divide in the releases of 2020: those that came before the pandemic struck, and those that came after. The Slow Rush is in the former category, which makes it feel like it was released three years ago. After a painfully long wait, this album was destined to be a contender for "album of the summer." And while it still may have been, this past summer, like everything else in 2020, just wasn’t the same. We didn’t get those epic outdoor moments with this soundtrack burned into the background of our brains. We didn’t get to see this band live in an arena at their absolute peak (to this point) either. After an incredibly long wait, we simply couldn’t enjoy Tame Impala music in the best ways it is meant to be consumed.

Musically, this album builds upon the sonic shift in Tame Impala’s sound that started on Currents. Many casual fans may not even be able to tell which songs are on which album. But that’s fine. These songs are still so good, so simple yet so complex, that they are every bit as good as the best tracks on Currents.

The main drawback with this album for me is the big dumb album opener, "One More Year," where Kevin Parker incessantly reminds us how many days there are in a year. DUDE. We get it...ONE MORE YEAR. I’m surprised he didn’t break down how many seconds there are in a year (31,536,000 seconds for those of you keeping track at home or looking to make an even more extended remix of this song). By the end of it, I was afraid the song was going to go on for one more year. Perhaps this should be the "Song of the Pandemic."

After the opener, things escalate quickly and the album runs deep (“It Might Be Time,” perhaps my favorite song of the past two years, doesn’t even appear until side 3). This album is littered with hit after hit, and is so good, that Parker left the brilliant, dizzying “Patience” off the album (it now fittingly lives as a stop-gap between the two albums, the second of which took waaay too long to get here, but hey….Patience).

5. Run The Jewels, RTJ4 - The album freaking jumps and RULES. RTJ have had their thumb on the pulse of many of the things that came to light in 2020 for a long time. So long, and so well, that upon release, RTJ4 felt prophetic in a way. But just because many things came to light in 2020 doesn’t mean that they haven’t been happening for a very long time. Rap with a meaningful, powerful message that can teach its listener, is as powerful of a weapon in any form of art right now. And this is the epitome of that. These guys kick in the teeth of the establishment with a badass blend of education and empathy. Run to this one. And good luck stopping once it gets going! Also, these guys were slated to open for Rage Against the Machine this year. CAN YOU FREAKING IMAGINE?!?! Let's chalk that up as yet another thing we hope can happen in 2021.

4. Fiona Apple, Fetch the Bolt Cutters - No album affected me emotionally this year more than this one did. Apple’s blend of vulnerability and empowerment seems impossible and is unsurpassed. She makes you feel what she feels. She makes you feel what so many women feel and cannot act upon. Her music is an assassin’s bullet to the heart. The production here is impeccable as well. The flashes of household sounds that come and go make this feel like one of the greatest home-recorded albums of all time...and it is just that. Fiona recorded most of it at home on Apple’s most basic recording app, GarageBand. Time will tell if it is in fact the greatest home-recorded album ever, or even in the past two years. In the meantime, enjoy the throne, Mr.Springsteen.

3. Fleet Foxes, Shore - The first words that Fleet Foxes singer, Robin Pecknold, utters by himself on this album appear on track #2, “Sunblind,” and go like this:  

For Richard Swift, for John and Bill

For every gift lifted far before its will

Judee and Smith, for Berman too

I've met the myth hanging heavy over you

I loved you long, you rose to go

Beneath you, songs, perfect angels in the snow.

Richard Swift is the producer (one of my favorite producers of all time, here’s a beautiful recap of his life an many talents) from the Pacific Northwest who left us all too soon last year. John and Bill? John Prine and Bill Withers. Then come Judee Sill and Elliott Smith followed by David Berman (go HERE for a more complete analysis of these lyrics). This is a roll call of artists who we lost too soon, and couldn’t possibly be much more squarely in the “Brent Wheelhouse.” Ok, you’ve got my attention, Mr. Pecknold. The rest of the album unfolds with songs that feel so familiar upon first listen, it’s hard to believe you haven’t known them for years. That being said, there are still countless layers to unpeel here (as the above lyrics and description above showcase). 

This is also a remarkably “up” album for being written in 2020. Apparently, most of the music was written pre-pandemic, with the lyrics coming right in the thick of it. This contrast provides countless layers of depth that unfurl upon each listen.

On another note, if the depths of the darkest winter of our lifetime engulfs you in its grip in the coming months, go back and check out FF’s previous effort, Crack Up. It felt very obtuse to me when it came out, and I never fully digested it. I fully regret that decision now, but it came back to me at just the right time.

Just before the announcement of this new album, I developed a yearning for Fleet Foxes and decided to give it another chance. In the depths of the pandemic, it made perfect sense and “Third of May” may well be my song of the pandemic. Pecknold seemed a couple of years ahead of everyone else with that complex, dark, and traversing album. Hopefully the same will hold true with this new set of songs, and in a couple of years, we’ll be able to ride their waves of bliss at a festival or theater. 

2. Chicano Batman, Invisible People - This was just the smoothness and feel-good music I needed in 2020. It’s a shame that this album didn’t get its dues to compete for “Album of the Summer” (sorry, Tame Impala, maybe you'll be able create the Album of Summer in....ONE MORE YEAR) because it’s a perfect one to put on from front-to-back for your backyard BBQ. However, those hooks and bouncy melodies only tell part of the story. The actual stories of these songs are often much more complex than first meets the ear. This juxtaposition against the bubblegum pop sound makes each additional listen that much more rewarding.

1. Waxahatchee, Saint Cloud - Not much was smooth in 2020, but this album was like a warm knife cutting through butter. The path to get there was anything but smooth, Katie Crutchfield (the creative force behind the Waxahatchee moniker) got sober, had trouble writing while sober, and found love with her fellow brilliant indie artist, Kevin Morby (read more about their mid-quarantine collabs HERE), only to have a pandemic strike just as the album took off.

On this amazing effort, Crutchfield infuses pop elements into an Americana sound perfectly. and underneath the bubblegum earworms throughout this album are layers of pain and growth that continue to unveil themselves with more listens. Producer Brad Cook (former bandmate of Justin Vernon, member of Megafaun, and producer of many of my favorite albums of the last 20 years) works his magic and serves each song remarkably. Come for the hooks, stay for the exploration, pain, and growth! (hashtag: 2020).