During the first few months of our lock-down, each morning I’d wake up with a through-the-looking-glass sort of sensation. “I know this dream. It isn’t déjà vu. I’ve had this one like 200 times. Now I’m waking up into it? Fuck.” Then familiar flash of dread and panic would electrify me from the inside, out and send me to my phone.
As a result, I’ve done my best turn off panic this year. A side effect of that is I’ve also given up on any sense of time elapsing. How long has it been since I shaved, ate, clipped my toenails, plucked those dignifying hairs that grow from the surface of my nose? I don’t know … 5 minutes? 5 months? No way to know.
It’s March. I’m late. In mid December, Jake shared with me a charmingly well written list of his 2020 favorites (tons of wonderful metal I’d never heard of) and I thought, “I have some music to share. I’ll start on that.”, which I did. Then 2020 turned 21 and I was still feeling good – like I was on an OK track for being fashionably, pandemic-ly late. Once I missed the Lunar New Year, though, I was feeling shame. I agree with Beya … Writing is too hard.
Oh, my point? Well, one was to make a visual break between the above image and the content below. Secondly, it has been a bizarre year and I’m still desperate for some way to connect with you all. And finally, if you were interested, I’m sorry this is so late – If I lost your interest, I can understand that.
I hope you get something out of it. As always, forgive the lazy writing and grammatical failures. There are links throughout and a couple Spotify playlists nestled in the nether regions.
Adulkt Life : Book of Curses
Alphabetically and compulsively, thus begins my list, with the most “reminds me of Fugazi” album of my year. These Londoners master the wheezy, sneer and swagger that Guy Picciotto brought to our favorite DC band – and then they splattered it all over relentless drums and jabby guitars that could sear your ribeye.
Angelica Garcia : Cha Cha Palace
That this came from Spacebomb, the record studio of a sweet, soulful, southern gentleman, man-crush, Matthew E. White, was a big surprise! Cha Cha Palace is an experiment in super catchy, eclectic pop, celebrating Angelica Garcia’s East LA, Latinx roots. An unconventional singer, she is smooth when she wants to be but punctuates that with vocal wobbles and shrieks.
Armani Ceasar : THE LIZ
THE LIZ kicks off with muddy keys and drums that would have fit anywhere on Jeru the Damaja’s classic, The Sun Rises In the East. That is the caliber you get throughout this quick, no-filler album. Armani Ceasar’s (how about that name?) flow is vicious. The beats aren’t gentle either and for the most part they celebrate familiar, mid ’90s rap greats like the Wu, Jeru, Digable and Gangstarr.
Beaches : Second Of Spring
Heavy, fuzzed-out, psychedelic, surf guitar riffs give big sharp teeth to catchy, Charlatans and Primitives melodies.
Billy Nomates
Billy Nomates is a fast and sneaky grower. On first listen, I thought her style of sneer-speaking would be a distraction from the thunderous guitar rock. Yet she balances that sharpness with fitting melodies, cooing sticky, hooky, ear-worm choruses in her crystal clear singing voice. Sweet-n-salty feminist barroom rock with lots of punk guts strewn about.
Chicano Batman : Invisible People
Chicano Batman carries the torch lit by Hot Chip in their early days – sly, slinky, indie pop. Their version replaces Hot Chip’s snarky sharpness with breezy optimism and offbeat psychedelic, L.A. lounge vibes
Chubby and The Gang : Speed Kills
If you, like me, have some appetite for fast, hardcore, unmistakably-British punk that wreaks of bloodied knives after a crusty pub fight, check out Speed Kills. Chubby and The Gang would fit perfectly between the Damned and Motorhead, as a Young Ones episode musical interlude. Though, it isn’t all bratty and brash. Their earnestness is driven home by “Grenfell Forever” – lyrically, an ode to the Grenfell Towers fire and stylistically, a heavy nod to Billy Bragg.
CLT DRP : Without the Eyes
“It’s pronounced ‘clit drip'” … is the very first sound you hear on this album. So that’s what we’re getting into here. One of the 2 highest highlights from my year. Unsettling metallic, dissonance chews up some sweet pop hooks and spits them out mangled and scary. CLT DRP is ruthlessly feminist, brutally heavy, electro punk. I always thought Sleigh Bells could stand to be more caustic … Enter CLT DRP. Maybe sometimes, while running, I try to air guitar along with it.
Damu the Fudgemunk, Archie Shepp & Raw Poetic : Ocean Bridges
Of course I wanted the name “Damu the Fudgemunk” to make it onto this list but it earned that spot honestly. This album is straight jazz … And 100% Hip Hop, simultaneously. Raw Poetic has one of those effortlessly smooth and crisp flows, like Aceyalone or Black Thought. With all 3, you’re likely to overlook their skill when you’re wrapped up in the story they are telling.
Death Valley Girls : Under the Spell of Joy
They knew their sound when they named themselves. Under the Spell of Joy sounds like a dusty, desert cave with a half empty bag of mushrooms. Upbeat, psychedelic, spooky, witchy punk.
Deerhoof : Love-Lore
Deerhoof never ages or phones it in. This year they delivered 2 solid, ear-twisting albums. One album of original material, and then this carnival ride of experimental pop-jazz, heard by the ears of a 5 year old in the 80’s. Each song is a jazz inspired medley of eclectic favorites. While one 3 minute track melds Knight Rider, Raymond Scott, Mauricio Kagel, Eddie Grant and Gary Numan another takes you on a 19 minute journey from The Police and Kraftwerk, to the B52s, the Jetsons and Maxwell House theme songs, Stravinsky, Caetano Veloso, and on and on while sounding distinctly and warmly Deerhoof.
Divino Niño : Foam
Divino Niño is the music playing at my imagined hotel bar in space. Just easy going, Latinx, psychedelic love songs.
DREAM NAILS
Effortless, fun, outsider, punk-pop like the Ramones or the Decendents. They are juvenile in all the fun ways while still clever and brutally feminist. There seems to be a bullshit expectation that music by political women isn’t fun … Dream Nails is fun, funny, empowering and celebratory.
Floral Tattoo : You Can Never Have a Long Enough Head Start
Listening to Floral Tattoo gives me a familiar-old-friend feeling. Their dense, sweetly orchestrated guitar rock is cut from a similar mold as melodious, crunchy, post-hardcore bands like Juno and Mogwai. You Can Never Have a Long Enough Head Start echoes all of that but with the charming vocals up front.
Gunn-Truscinski Duo : Soundkeeper
There seems to be a small and fertile hive of heavy, instrumental, blues, surf-guitar right now. Gunn-Truscinski Duo has an obvious place beside the excellent Khruangbin. But for my money, Gunn-Truscinski Duo is a little more interesting. They lean a bit harder on deeper, heavier, repeating Sabbath riffs than just the rolling blues rock waves.
Hum : Inlet
I’ve loved Hum since their 2 flawless albums in the 90s. For the last 20+ years I have been begging friends to adore them the way I do. With a brand new album I hope they’ll get their due and graduate from “some band Adam liked in college but who cares.” Inlet is as lush, fuzzy, heavy and melodic as ever. Since 1998’s perfect Downward is Heavenward, they’ve folded in some of the spacewalking, psychedelia of their post-Hum projects, Centaur and Glifted.
Hypoluxo
There are a few very familiar bits here, bundled into a brand-new sort of post-punk. Some of Gang of Four’s vaulting rhythms … a mix of Johnny Marr’s and The Talking Heads’ cheerful guitar jangles … And then the true punk-rock beast that compels them to shatter that jangly groove with a Frank Black shriek and a guitar assault.
Ian Isiah : AUNTIE
Silky, slithery, sexy, electro-funky Prince channelled through Cameo. Ian Isiah’s, Auntie is super freaky fun. Seamlessly faithful production by Chrome asserts their place as the masters of smirky, throwback funk.
Junglepussy : Jp4
“Junglepussy”. What do you expect but some dirty, greasy, freaky, funk. Junglepussy is art. Creative, provocative, funny and self-empowering. That’s all laid out in the intro to “Morning Rock”: “(audible spit) … / What a waste of toothpaste … / Brushin’ my teeth only to smile in your face? / Brushin’ my teeth hopin’ that you want a taste?” followed later with “What now? / I guess I’ll play the Beetles. / My pussy is drugs. / No. No needles.” She has the pop hooks, Hip Hop braggadocio, trip-hop psychedelia and really greasy funk.
The Koreatown Oddity : Little Dominiques Nosebleed
The vivid storytelling and jazzy hooks recall classic rap albums while the tape-hiss, vinyl crackle and offbeat sampling nod to the independent projects of the golden era. The Koreatown Oddity is funny and poignantly autobiographical on an album with a distinctly L.A vibe.
Lee Paradise : The Fink
The Fink is a fun, dystopian, musical trip. Lee Paradise’s psychedelic electro-rock nails all the right spots: A rattle and bounce The Liars would cop; Lush orchestral experiments of The Flaming Lips; And the haunted, crusty bass echoes of Joy Division.
Les Mamans du Congo : Les Mamans du Congo & Rrobin
Les Mamans du Congo – a collective of women led by Gladys Samba – sing with enthusiasm for the emancipation for Congolese women. French producer, RRobin arranges them into an album of ass-shaking fun with an eclectic canvas of unconventional, electro-pop beats.
Leyla McCalla : Vari-Colored Songs: A Tribute to Langston Hughes
Warm, poetic songs of Haitian folk, twisted up in southern acoustic folk, without the southern twang that tends to turn me off. This is the rare rootsy acoustic album that works for me. Vari-Colored Songs is a tribute to Langston Hughes (catch the subtitle), celebrating Black identity. I guess this is about 6 years old (just picked up for re-release by Smithsonian Folkways). What I know is, I’ve listened to it a ton and was charmed by it’s variety, depth and warmth.
Locate S,1 : Personalia
Locate S,1 … What she lacks in band naming, she makes up for with song naming, like “Whisper 2000” and “Community Porn”. Personalia is one of my most listened to albums this year. Sweet but strange, electro-pop, twisted up with cyborg Blondie funk.
Lowrider : Refractions
Stoner rock may be soft-ball-metal to some but that sludgy stuff really speaks to me. Lowrider’s desert rock is stuffed with dense riffs, velcro hooks, and vocals that are reminiscent of Alice in Chains’ Layne Staley.
Mammoth Penguins : There’s No Fight We Can’t Both Win
Mammoth Penguins’, There’s No Fight We Both Can’t Win has a warm, familiar feeling to it. In part, that’s due to Emma Kupa’s voice which I recognized from another great band, Standard Fare; but also because it is straightforward, unfussy, indie rock’n’roll. Where Standard Fare was kind of twee indie, Mammoth Penguins punches up the punk-ish guitars to match Kupa’s powerful voice.
Marlowe : Marlowe 2
The duo of L’Orange & Solemn Brigham brought a decadent, second helping of Marlowe when I was still enjoying the last. Marlowe 2 (too literal?) is so much of the same great production and insightful rap that you’d want from these two and then more. Solemn Brigham’s flow has a bigger, easier bounce now, along with the skill to quicken his cadence, sacrificing none of his perfect clarity (as “Spring Kick” opens the album). The production from L’Orange is, again, some of the best sci-fi, b-movie sampling in Hip Hop.
Melanie Charles : The Girl with the Green Shoes
Badu and Simone soul, chopped & screwed, then Herbie-Hancock-ed up into a Hip Hop jazz-soul ride.
Milk For The Angry : Gliders
Through most of my 24 years here, SF costs have pushed our artists to flee like lemmings. I can’t imagine how or where, but I’m proud to see that Milk for the Angry has found the means to hammer and lash these San Franciscan babies of glam rock into existence.
Mr. Lif & Stu Bangas : Vangarde
Mr. Lif?! Has it really been almost 20 years since I Phantom was on daily rotation? Maybe I shouldn’t have let myself be seduced by that hyphy movement. As Vangarde, he and Stu Bangas come out hungry and swinging in an album speaking directly to the unfolding viral pandemic, as well as the continuing one, of violence against black family and friends. I’ve never heard Lif quite like this before. He was always nerdy-cool and cerebral … Now he’s cerebral, thoughtful and wound-the-fuck-up!
Namir Blade : Aphelion’s Traveling Circus
Aphelion’s Traveling Circus could be Hip Hop from a jazzed-up, Afro-futuristic comic book. Nashville’s multi-instrumentalist, singer, rapper, Namir Blade’s skillful, luxuriating flow draws you in really easily and keeps you captivated for the whole ride.
Nothing : The Great Dismal
Warm, sweetly sung, sturdy, guitar rock with a big fuzzy bottom and bites of Siamese Dream guitars – complete with the little bendy notes that smells like homage.
Open Mike Eagle : Anime, Trauma and Divorce
I wasn’t sure I was ready for the content of Anime, Trauma and Divorce while trudging through this year full of disease, fire, injustice and autocracy. Leave it to Open Mike Eagle to make his, autobiographical, probably-worse-than-your-year so much fun to listen to. His painfully personal rap has all the humor of early De La. He breaks down his own, real divorce with “The Black Mirror Episode” in hilarious, specifics: “The Black Mirror episode ruined my marriage / … / Happy home go to hell cause of text shit. / Well my shit went to hell cause of Netflix!”
pardoner : Playin’ On A Cloud
I’ve been excitedly watching this young, local band for a few years now, so I’m not sure how I missed that they dropped this album in 2019. I even bought a t-shirt with the album title scrawled across the chest at a concert down the street (remember concerts?). It took me another year to catch that. So far this is my favorite by these 90’s inspired fledgelings, as well as being their catchiest set of songs. All the crusty guitar gusto of Bug-era Dinosaur Jr. mushed into something a little reminiscent of JFA and the late 90’s hardcore I used to sweat it out to in the all-ages clubs.
Pink Siifu & Fly Anakin : FlySiifu’s
Strolling down a sunny city street bordering Fort Greene and Sesame Street you pop into a subterranean record shop full of Gangstarr, DJ Quik and Bobby Hutcherson.
Psychic Lemon : Freak Mammal
Their Bandcamp page describes them simply as “Space rock power.” That’s pretty spot on. Swirling, euphoric, thundering, vein-popping, guitar thrashing, psychedelic, instrumental rock.
Quelle Chris & Chris Keys : Innocent Country 2
My second favorite Quelle Chris … Only after Everything’s Fine with Jean Grae. Quelle Chris makes complete Hip Hop albums with a thoughtful beginning, middle and end – and humor. Innocent Country 2 is concise, socially astute, as fun as ever, and a few shades more laid back than I’ve heard him in the past.
Reginald Omas Mamode IV : Where We Going?
Where We Going? is the kind of quiet-storm, Hip Hop/soul blend that could only come out of London, where artists seem to marinade in the deeper, sometimes quieter pockets of American soul and Hip Hop along with its local West Indian diaspora. Calm Stevie Wonder vibes blend with lovers rock, golden-era Hip Hop and African folk in Reginald Omas Mamode IV coolest album yet.
Rudy De Anda : Tender Epoch
Rudy De Anda blends latin, soul and classic, pop-rock in a stew of contemporary, seaside, indie rock that sounds new but feels as if I’ve heard this record since my childhood
Sa-Roc : The Sharecropper’s Daughter
“It’s mostly tha voice…” Guru said it and Sa-Roc has it. A smokey and forceful voice, landing every syllable like an axe. For my money, MC’s with unbeatable voices are Chuck D, Chubb Rock, Method Man, Scarface and Guru … And now Sa-Roc. And she’s got the flavor and skills to go toe-to-toe with most on that list. The production by her partner, Atlanta’s Sol Messiah never competes with her voice and sounds a bit like classic Hi-Tek.
SACRED//PAWS : Run Around The Sun
A unique sort of super rhythmic, jangly, indie guitar pop. The slightly detached singing is balanced with more accessible, chanting harmonies – horns fill in, bouncing alongside meticulously picked guitar melodies. It makes me feel, more than ever, that Vampire Weekend could have been a more interesting band if they weren’t more obsessed with their influences than their actual songs.
serengeti : With Greg from Deerhoof
You haven’t heard anything like this album by serengeti and Greg Suneir (“Greg from Deerhoof”) – one of the mad-scientists behind Deerhoof’s absurdist pop creativity and a supernaturally gifted drummer. serengeti is just about absurd enough to keep pace, and spirit with Greg’s abstract rhythms. In the wrong hands, With Greg From Deerhoof is the kind of project that could be a pretentious, masturbatory mess. Instead it is loose, clever, fun that never takes itself remotely seriously.
Small Bills : Don’t Play It Straight
A flow that marries the deep, Godzilla monster growl of DOOM and accent-heavy clarity of Lif. Euclid’s gift for jumping between the abstract content and straight-talk feels perfectly natural: “A fire rise for the tide to smolder on top the sand / Hidden hand / Guilty feet got no rhythm, that’s my jam / Do your dance, motherfucker, do your dance.”
Stas Thee Boss : Sang Stasia!
Stass Thee Boss’s flow rides a seductive groove reminiscent of Bahamadia. Where Bahamadia’s straight, Golden Era Hip Hop borrowed from jazz, Sang Stasia! abstracts and experiments, not just borrowing from, but becoming, a jazz album.
Steven Adams and The French Drops : Keep It Light
Here we have a big, easy breath amid the dissonance and confrontation that easily dazzles me. Just beautiful, understated, indie pop songwriting and a vivid lyricist with echoes of Wilco’s, Summerteeth. Steven Adams and The French Drops shift from intimate acoustic confessions, to lively rock’n’roll with the pianos and harmonies – even the occasional, electrified, Malkumus-like rocker. Instead of feeling chopped up or jostled around in its variety, Keep it Light is reinforced, and even elevated by it.
Tropical Fuck Storm : A Laughing Death in Meatspace
Another of the two absolute stand-out albums from this year … I was just a couple years late finding it. Tropical Fuck Storm is an Australian, Voltron-like super-group with the goal to feature mainly women (with a lone man as their snarling singer). Lyrically, they are clever and cutting: “Hey hold your fire, man. Don’t shoot. / Here comes the Oompah-loompah with the nukes”. With a bottomless and caustic sound, A Laughing Death in Meatspace twists, pounds, grinds and seduces in a menacing stew of “Maggot Brain”, The Jesus Lizard, JMascis, John Spencer, and a dose of The Flaming Lips Psychedelia.
Tim Burgess : I Love The New Sky
The Madchester scene fizzled out close to 30 years ago and – while I still love those Stone Roses, Happy Mondays and Charlatans – I really don’t consider what any of them are doing today (especially knowing Ian Brown is a giant twitter turd). So I had no idea that Tim Burgess, lead singer for the Charlatans, is a humble indie superhero. He is not sitting around eating biscuits, throwing beer bottles, shouting, “Don’t you know who I am?!”. Since this world-flipping virus smothered us all, he’s been the host to online listening parties, propping up new bands, celebrating under-sung older albums and anything interesting in between. His recent release, I Love The New Sky, is warm and refreshing in ways that most of this list is not. Gentle, English, indie pop that pays humble homage to decades of predecessors … The Kinks, Love, Robyn Hitchcock, Belle and Sebastian.
TV FREAKS : PEOPLE
Savage, psychedelic, barroom, post-punk. It has the familiar best bits of all the best … The Make-up, The Minutemen, The Fall, Joy Division and a knack for obscuring pop hooks in ugly, gritty, warty, reverb like Hüsker Dü.
Ty Segall : Segall Smeagol
This time, Ty Segall does his favorites from Harry Nilsson’s, Nilsson Schmilsson. If it sounds great, it is much better. Ty slathers the bass in bacon fat, fuzzes out the guitars, and growls Nilsson’s classic pop songs for a deep and sinister funk.
Yves Tumor : Heaven To A Tortured Mind
Space-aged, tripped-out Prince-ly funk. Greased up and electrified Kate Bush psycho-ballads. Heaven To A Tortured Mind is Thundercat with some frightening, psychedelic, metallic grit and way more sex appeal.
Your Spotifinoculation
A couple jabs from each on the list, plus a handful of extras that barely missed the cut, given to you in one scan-able, clickable playlist
Memories, trinkets and baubles:
This year was the last for this beautiful man. A cool, sweet, salt of the earth gentleman who made some of the nicest songs ever … “Can We Pretend”, “Harlem”, “Just the Two of Us” … I admire a lot of musicians but Bill Withers is one of the very few who I assume, even up close, would not have been a disappointing turd. I bet he gave a great hug. Here’s a short set.
He’s been eulogized by many, way better than I can – but I do have a special spot for this kind-of-ordinary, weirdo, geek, genius. The first time I heard him on 3rd Bass’ “The Gas Face” I asked my rap mentor, Jeremy, if he knew anything about that guy. 20 steps ahead, he had already grabbed the promo of Mr Hood from The Sound Barrier. You want some favorites?
BRAINIAC: TRANSMISSIONS AFTER ZERO (documentary)
Brainiac was my perfect band: wild, experimental, punk-ethos, and a mystical, soul swagger. That ended abruptly with Timmy Taylor’s freak car accident (1997). Only 3 albums of perfect, freaky rock and an incomplete end. Transmissions After Zero is a traditional music documentary that doesn’t get too clever in trying to imitate the band’s creativity – It simply to pays homage. Recommended for anyone who has meant to, but never checked-out Brainiac … And those 2 people who just trust my taste.
I revisited M.O.P.’s massive, classic, shouty, “Warriorz” early during California’s lock-down, thinking it might be some easy fun on my sweaty, breathless runs. Instead, I found that I had completely overlooked this record’s brilliance. Today, I get out of breath even thinking about listening to it. The production by (and inspired by) DJ Premier bounces with all the gusto of rap’s golden-era. Billy Danze and Lil’ Fame both have relentless, quick, sledgehammer flows. I recommend you get into, or back into this for a good cathartic cannon of classic Hip Hop.
Another gem that I dusted off this past year. But since I failed to convince anyone as a monotone-college-radio-DJ during the 90’s, I’m not expecting to be any more persuasive as I near middle age. Now, many years later, I’m more convinced than ever that Hammerhead was a fantastic, and sadly underrated, band. They made all that rhythm-heavy noise rock before I ever heard the term noise-rock. Born alongside the early Sub-Pop classics, and with clear similarities – what set Hammerhead (aptly named) apart was a uniquely propulsive rhythm section driving their guitar frenzy.