Mid-Year 2020 Lists (Best of 2020 Thus Far) • Page 2

I will 4 u. honestly don't know any of his stuff except MIA and 200 MPH, neither of which made me want to dig deeper

 

kind of in order, but eventually is just a list

Andy Shauf - The Neon Skyline
Dryjacket - Going Out of Business
Katie Pruitt - Expectations
Jeff Rosenstock - No Dream
Tyson Motsenbocker - Some Day I'll Make It All Up to You
Ken Yates - Quiet Talkers
Dance Gavin Dance - Afterburner
Dua Lipa - Future Nostalgia
Futurebirds - Teamwork
Circa Waves - Sad Happy
Joywave - Possession
Beach Bunny - Honeymoon
Boston Manor - Glue
big loser - love you, barely living
Dolorifics - Welcome to Dolograd
Pictures of Vernon - Bug
Charli Adams - Good at Being Young EP
I'm Glad It’s You - Every Sun Every Moon
Gladie - Safe Sins
Moaning - Uneasy Laughter
Gasoline Heart - Allergic to Wood
Slotface - Sorry for the Late Reply

 

Here are the albums I've enjoyed most so far this year, in no order.

BLACKSTARKIDS - Surf
The 1975 - Notes On A Conditional Form
Dance Gavin Dance - Afterburner
Talker - Wax EP
Rina Sawayama - SAWAYAMA
All Time Low - Wake Up, Sunshine
Pearl Jam - Gigaton
Dua Lipa - Future Nostalgia
The Weeknd - After Hours
070 Shake - Modus Vivendi
Halsey - Manic
Poppy - I Disagree

 

absolute faves:
Fiona Apple - Fetch The Bolt Cutters
Waxahatchee - Saint Cloud
The 1975 - Notes on a Conditional Form

love:
Perfume Genius - Set My Heart on Fire Immediately
Soccer Mommy - Color Theory
Frances Quinlan - Likewise
Beach Bunny - Honeymoon
The Strokes - The New Abnormal
Katie Malco - Failures
Tennis - Swimmer
MAITA - Best Wishes
Hayley Williams - Petals for Armor
Christian Lee Hutson - Beginners
Mac Miller - Circles
Nnamdi - Brat
Run The Jewels - RTJ4
Carly Rae Jepsen - Dedicated Side B

really like:
Snarls - Burst
Caveboy - Night in the Park, Kiss in the Dark
Tame Impala - The Slow Rush
Allie X - Cape God
Bombay Bicycle Club - Everything Else Has Gone Wrong
Purity Ring - Womb

enjoying but haven't listened to as much as the above:
Diet Cig
Retirement Party
Ratboys
Orlando Weeks
Naeem
Phantogram
Gladie
Kehlani
Laura Marling
Tenci

 

Orla

 

Thundercat - It Is What It Is
Freddie Gibbs - Alfredo
Boldy James - The Price of Tea in China
Code Orange - Underneath
Four Tet - Sixteen Oceans
Soccer Mommy - Color Theory
Higher Power - 27 Miles Underwater
King Krule - Man Alive!
Andrea - Ritorno
Mac Miller - Circles
Three Knee Deep - S/T
Choir Boy - Gathering Swans
Drain - California Cursed
Charli XCX - How I’m Feeling Now

 

If this year were over tomorrow, I'd have a stronger top tier of new music than I've had in an entire calendar year for the past I dunno how long:

Hayley Williams - Petals for Armor
Poppy - I Disagree
Charli XCX - how i'm feeling now
Rina Sawayama - Sawayama
The 1975 - Notes on a Conditional Form
Yaeji - WHAT WE DREW 우리가 그려왔던

Also dig new Run the Jewels, Soccer Mommy (which I haven't spent a ton of time with), & that Hayley Kioko EP.

 

thanks for reminding me that I need to revisit Yaeji, I've only listened twice but really enjoyed it!

 

1. The 1975 - Notes on a Conditional Form
2. Andy Shauf - The Neon Skyline
3. Run the Jewels - RTJ4
4. Car Seat Headrest - Making a Door Less Open
5. The Strokes - The New Abnormal
6. Take Impala - The Slow Rush
7. Fiona Apple - Fetch the Bolt Cutters
8. STRFKR - Future Past Life
9. Waxahatchee - Saint Cloud
10. Born Ruffians - Juice

 

Her music is wonderful! Love this new EP so much.

 

As of right now, in no particular order:

Soccer Mommy - color theory
Ratboys - Printer’s Devil
NNAMDI - BRAT
Hayley Williams - Petals for Armor
Christian Lee Hutson - Beginners
Perfume Genius - Set my Heart on Fire Immediately
Fiona Apple - Fetch the Bolt Cutters
Car Seat Headrest - Making a Door Less Open
Dogleg - Melee
Frances Quinlan - Likewise

 

listen to la dificil, la Santa, vete, yo perreo sola

 

Here's a big list because I am 1) crazy and 2) countering the idea that this has been a weak year in any sense. Still a few from the first half I am waiting for (Phoebe Bridgers, Jessie Ware, HAIM, Pottery) but I'm bored so now is as good a time as any to throw this out there.

1. Charli XCX - how i'm feeling now
2. Porridge Radio - Born Confused
3. Lil Uzi Vert - Eternal Atake
4. Caribou - Suddenly
5. The 1975 - Notes on a Conditional Form
6. Arca - KiCK i
7. Waxahatchee - Saint Cloud
8. Yves Tumor - Heaven to a Tortured Mind
9. Perfume Genius - Set My Heart on Fire Immediately
10. Medhane - Cold Water
11. Braids - Shadow Offering
12. Lyra Pramuk - Fountain
13. Moses Sumney - grae
14. Ellis - Born Again
15. Headie One & Fred again.. - GANG
16. King Krule - Man Alive!
17. Trace Mountains - Lost in the Country
18. KeiyaA - Forever, Ya Girl
19. Dogleg - Melee
20. India Jordan - For You
21. Yaeji - WHAT WE DREW 우리가 그려왔던
22. Half Waif - The Caretaker
23. 070 Shake - Modus Vivendi
24. Beatrice Dillon - Workaround
25. Fiona Apple - Fetch the Bolt Cutters
26. Lil Uzi Vert - LUV vs. the World 2
27. Rina Sawayama - SAWAYAMA
28. Frances Quinlan - Likewise
29. Soccer Mommy - color theory
30. Destroyer - Have We Met
31. Four Tet - Sixteen Oceans
32. Sorry - 925
33. Christine and the Queens - La Vita Nuova
34. Banoffee - Look at Us Now Dad
35. Polo G - The GOAT
36. U.S. Girls - Heavy Light
37. Planet 1999 - Devotion
38. Purity Ring - WOMB
39. Blake Mills - Mutable Set
40. Kate NV - Room for the Moon
41. Katie Malco - Failures
42. Against All Logic - 2017-2019
43. Grimes - Miss Anthropocene
44. Long Neck - World's Strongest Dog
45. Sega Bodega - Salvador
46. The Weeknd - After Hours
47. Dua Lipa - Future Nostalgia
48. Bad Bunny - YHLQMDLG
49. The Soft Pink Truth - Shall We Go On Sinning So That Grace May Increase?
50. Denzel Curry and Kenny Beats - Unlocked

 

edited to add Christian Lee Hutson
also when Phoebe drops next week I'm fully expecting it to end up in the first category

 

This list is going to be changed around as the year progresses.... but considering what a nightmare 2020 has been, the music has been good at least

1. Jeff Rosenstock - NO DREAM
2. Run the Jewels - RTJ4
3. Spanish Love Songs - Brave Faces Everyone
4. Phoebe Bridgers - Punisher
5. The Weeknd - After Hours
6. All Time Low - Wake Up, Sunshine
7. Soccer Mommy - color theory
8. Charli XCX - how i'm feeling now
9. Tame Impala - The Slow Rush
10. Mac Miller - Circles
11. Lil Uzi Vert - Eternal Awake
12. The Strokes - The New Abnormal
13. Denzel Curry & Kenny Beats - UNLOCKED
14. Hayley Williams - Petals for Armor
15. Yves Tremor - Heaven For a Tortured Mind
16. Thundercat - It Is What It Is
17. Freddie Gibbs & The Alchemist - Alfredo
18. Perfume Genius - Set My Heart On Fire Immediately
19. Hot Mulligan - you'll be fine
20. Future - High Off Life
21. Caribou - Suddenly
22. The 1975 - Notes on a Conditional Past
23. Polo G - THE GOAT
24. Teyana Taylor - The Album
25. Car Seat Headrest - Making a Door Less Open
26. Gunna - WUNNA
27. 070 Shake - Modus Vivendi
28. Four Year Strong - Brain Pain
29. Dua Lipa - Future Nostalgia
30. Pigeons Playing Ping Pong - Presto

 

Charli XCX - how i'm feeling now
Tame Impala - The Slow Rush
Dua Lipa - Future Nostalgia
The 1975 - Notes on a Conditional Form
Waxahatchee - Saint Cloud
Yves Tumor - Heaven to a Tortured Mind
Polo G - THE GOAT
Purity Ring - WOMB
Perfume Genius - Set My Heart on Fire Immediately
The Weeknd - After Hours

 

R.A.P Ferreira - Purple Moonlight Pages
Jeff Rosenstock - NO DREAM
Hayley Williams - Petals For Armor
Fiona Apple - Fetch the Bolt Cutters
Run the Jewels - RTJ4
Charli XCX - How I'm Feeling Now
AJJ - Good Luck Everybody
Poppy - I Disagree
Beach Bunny - Honeymoon
The 1975 - NOACF
the Mountain Goats - Songs for Pierre Chuvin
Dogleg - Melee

 

I’ve listened to A LOT of music this year so far but still real excited / cool to see artists on these lists that I’ve never heard of or even seen in writing in all my searching. Gonna be a fun week to catch up on some of these.

 

Top 15 (Not in Order)

Spanish Love Songs - Brave Faces Everyone
Katie Pruitt - Expectations
Brian Fallon - Local Honey
John Moreland - LP5
Tyson Motsenbocker - Someday I'll Make It All Up To You
Caityln Smith - Supernova
Gabe Lee - Honky Tonk Hell
Steve Moakler - Blue Jeans
Hailey Whitters - The Dream
Jill Andrews - Thirties
Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit - Reunions
Kelsea Ballerini - Kelsea
Ken Yates - Quiet Talkers
Ruthie Collins - Cold Comfort
Richard Edwards - The Soft Ache and the Moon

 

Where do y’all find most of these super unknown bands.

 

Probably weren't talking to me but personally I do a lot of browsing of this site, listen to playlists curated by Spotify/Apple music for the genres I'm interested in, check out all the new releases every week in Apple Music for the genres I like, and visit a few other music websites.

 

Been a wildly good year for music, considering how much literally everything else about 2020 has been a piece of shit. Working on my list right now and looking forward to grabbing some recs from this thread.

 

Saint Cloud

 

1. Katie Pruitt - Expectations
2. Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit - Reunions
3. Brian Fallon - Local Honey
4. Mandy Moore - Silver Landings
5. Mt. Joy - Rearrange Us
6. Diet Cig - Do You Wonder About Me?
7. Hamilton Leithauser - The Loves Of Your Life
8. Drive-By Truckers - The Unraveling
9. John Moreland - LP5
10. Esme Patterson - There Will Come Soft Rains

It's been a bad year for me for any kind of discovery -- this list is entirely artists that I've listened to for a long time/knew about/followed etc. Between finishing my thesis, applying for jobs, and everything else, I just haven't been able to do it like I usually do.