Best Music of 2020

Even if you don't speak French, I highly recommend Canadian singer-songwriter from Montréal, Québec, Chloé Pelletier-Gagnon. She goes by the stage name Klô Pelgag. Her sophomore album Notre-Dame-des Sept-Douleurs is a dark whimsical journey that will transport you to some sort of fantasy land. 🧙‍♂️🧚‍♀️
 
I went back to work (which means I spend half my day in a old, loud VW that inhibits softer music) at the start of June and spent the month mostly listening to podcasts or the RTJ / RATM discographies on repeat. Probably the least amount of new music I've listened to over the course of a several month span since 2018 when there were times where my entire existence was dedicated to editing film.

Point being- a) I had no idea Armand Hammer had a new album and will need to check that out and b) there aren't as many new additions to this as usual c) any of the stuff in bold is liable to move around

Tier 1 (Masterpiece):
1) Fiona Apple: Get the Bolt Cutters [singer / songwriter]
2) Run the Jewels: IV [hip-hop]
3) Dua Lipa: Future Nostalgia [pop]
4) Grimes- Miss Anthroposcene [indie electronica / indie pop]

Tier 2 (Excellent):
5) Porridge Radio- Every Bad [post-punk]
6) Yves Tumor: Heaven to a Tortured Mind [psychedelic rock]
7) HAIM: Women in Music Pt. III [indie rock]
8) Nicolas Jaar- Cenizas [downtempo, ambient]
9) Caribou- Suddenly [electronic]
10) Yaeji: What We Drew [hip-house]
11) Phoebe Bridgers: Punisher [folk]
12) Moses Boyd- Dark Matter [nu-jazz / acid house]
13) Car Seat Headrest- Making a Door Less Open [indie rock / electronica]
14) Perfume Genius: Set My Heart On Fire Immediately: [art pop / indie rock]

Tier 3 (Great):
15) Sorry- 925 [art rock]
16) Moses Sumney- grae: Part 1[experimental r&b]
17) Medhane: Cold Water [hip-hop
18) Royce Da 5’9: The Allegory [rap]
19) Soccer Mommy: Color Theory [indie rock]
20) Katie Pruitt: Expectations [indie rock]
21) R.A.P. Ferreria: Purple Moonlit Pages [hip-hop]
22) Westside Gunn: Pray for Paris [rap]
23) A.A.L: 2017-19 [techno]
24) Shabaka and the Ancestors: We are Sent Here By History [nu-jazz]
25) Jessie Ware: What’s Your Pleasure [art pop, disco]
26) Jay Electronica: A Written Testimony [hip-hop]

Tier 4 (Good):
27) Allie X: Cape God [pop]
28) Conway the Machine: No One Mourns the Wicked EP [rap]
29) Freddie Gibbs, The Alchemist: Alfredo [rap]
30) Haley Williams: Petals for Armor (art pop, new-wave)
31) Armand Hammer: Shrines [hip-hop]
32) Four Tet: Sixteen Oceans [downtempo, ambient techno]
33) I Break Horses: Warnings [dream pop]
34) Laura Marking: Songs for Our Daughter [folk]
35) U.S. Girls: Heavy Light [psychedelic pop, indie rock]
3Somni: Home [downtempo electronic]
37) Ka- Descendants of Kain [hip-hop]
38) NNAMDI: Brat [electro pop, experimental hip-hop]

EDIT: Spent like 10 hours today listening to music while putzing around in RD2. Got repeat listens in on some of the newer stuff (Haim, Ware, Sorry) and had Color Theory fully click for the first time (was a big fan of Clean). Updated the list accordingly.
 
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DownIsTheNewUp said:
I went back to work (which means I spend half my day in a old, loud VW that inhibits softer music) at the start of June and spent the month mostly listening to podcasts or the RTJ / RATM discographies on repeat. Probably the least amount of new music I've listened to over the course of a several month span since 2018 when there were times where my entire existence was dedicated to editing film.

Point being- a) I had no idea Armand Hammer had a new album and will need to check that out and b) there aren't as many new additions to this as usual.

Tier 1:
1) Fiona Apple: Get the Bolt Cutters [singer / songwriter]
2) Run the Jewels: IV
3) Dua Lipa: Future Nostalgia (pop)
4) Grimes- Miss Anthroposcene [indie electronica / indie pop]

Tier 2:
5) Car Seat Headrest- Making a Door Less Open (indie rock / electronica)
6) Porridge Radio- Every Bad [post-punk]
7) Yves Tumor: Heaven to a Tortured Mind [psychedelic rock]
8) Moses Boyd- Dark Matter [nu-jazz / acid house]
9 Caribou- Suddenly [electronic]
10) Sorry- 925 [art rock]... (thanks Stereogum, this one could wind up a lot higher)
11) Yaeji: What We Drew [hip-house]
12) Perfume Genius: Set My Heart On Fire Immediately: [art pop]
13) R.A.P. Ferreria: Purple Moonlit Pages [hip-hop]

Tier 3:
14) Medhane: Cold Water [hip-hop]
15) Nicolas Jaar- Cenizas [downtempo, ambient]
16) Phoebe Bridgers: Punisher [folk]
17) Katie Pruitt: Expectations [indie rock]
18) Moses Sumney- grae: Part 1[experimental r&b]
19) Haley Williams: Petals for Armor (art pop, new-wave)
20) Jessie Ware: What’s Your Pleasure [art pop, disco]
21) Shabaka and the Ancestors: We are Sent Here By History [nu-jazz]
22) A.A.L: 2017-19 [techno]
23) Westside Gunn: Pray for Paris [rap]
24) I Break Horses: Warnings [dream pop]

Tier 4:
25) Freddie Gibbs, The Alchemist: Alfredo [rap]
26) Allie X: Cape God [pop]
27) Jay Electronica: A Written Testimony [hip-hop]
28) Four Tet: Sixteen Oceans [downtempo, ambient techno]
29) Soccer Mommy: Color Theory (indie rock)
30) U.S. Girls: Heavy Light [psychedelic pop, indie rock]
31) Ka- Descendants of Kain [hip-hop]
32) Somni: Home [downtempo electronic]
33) NNAMDI: Brat [electro pop, experimental hip-hop]
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Love your list-- great to see Sorry! I've been buying their singles and following them for a couple of years so I was so happy to finally get their debut. They had a show at Moroccan Lounge in March with Porridge Radio opening that was cancelled at the last minute just as covid was starting. I was so excited and I know it will never get rescheduled, at least at that venue.
 
McGlam said:
Love your list-- great to see Sorry! I've been buying their singles and following them for a couple of years so I was so happy to finally get their debut. They had a show at Moroccan Lounge in March with Porridge Radio opening that was cancelled at the last minute just as covid was starting. I was so excited and I know it will never get rescheduled, at least at that venue.
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I honestly only found it this morning via that Stereogum list that got posted but I'm now on my third play through and absolutely adore it. It got bumped up my list twice while I was working on it and is preventing me from playing RD2 (which is how I had planned to spend my day).

For the unaware (and if you dig Porridge Radio, art rock or post-punk it should be up your alley):





Also, I was trying to go to that Porridge Radio show! That and the Idles / Mannequin Pussy show at Pappy and Harriets are the two shows I was saddest about losing. (Though Oysterhead at the Greek would have been a ton of fun too).
 
Pitchfork (rightfully) gave Jessie Ware’s new album BNM this morning. Think HAIM received it on Thursday.

HAIM has been a band that I consider an excellent live act but whose albums have been very hit or miss for me. Their new one, however, is hitting me hard. Pt III is ambitious and eclectic yet cohesive.

It’s turning into a really well rounded year of music.
 
ITrustMyGuitar said:
As with most events, I was late to the Phoebe Bridgers party. But, I arrived and Punisher is on my list. And very close to the top.
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yeah. I had been listening to and enjoying it— but on mediocre blue tooth speakers. Tonight I played the FLAC version, good speakers— after a couple rips from the bong—and it was a game changer. What a gorgeous record from a production standpoint.

(Same goes for Jaar’s Cenizas which I just listened to for the first time in several months).
 
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Here's my list at the halfway point. It has way more albums on it than it usually does at this point for me.

1. Dua Lipa - Future Nostalgia
2. Run the Jewels - RTJ4
3. Sam Hunt - SOUTHSIDE
4. Son Little - aloha
5. Holy Hive - Float Back To You
6. Khruangbin & Leon Bridges - Texas Sun
7. Monophonics - It’s Only Us
8. The Weeknd - After Hours
9. Jay Electronica - A Written Testimony
10. Tall Tall Trees - A Wave of Golden Things
11. Moses Sumney - Grae
12. Born Ruffians - JUICE
13. Childish Gambino - 3.15.20
14. Bishop Nehru - Nehruvia: My Disregarded Thoughts

Others I've enjoyed:
-Thomas Dybdahl - FEVER
-Noah Cyrus - The End of Everything
-Caroline Rose - Superstar
-Thao & The Get Down Stay Down - Temple
-Orion Sun - Hold Space for Me
-Marcus King - El Dorado
-Mac Miller - Circles
-Nathaniel Rateliff - And It’s Still Alright
-Algiers - There Is No Year
-The James Hunter Six - Nick of Time
-Thundercat - It Is What It Is

Albums I like but haven't listened to enough to find a spot for them on the list yet:
-Nicole Atkins - Italian Ice
-Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit - Reunions
-Norah Jones - Pick Me Up Off the Floor
-Jessie Ware - What’s Your Pleasure?
 
I'll have to admit, I've scrapped my list from Q1 and remade it several times over. This list is a lot more honest and reflective of what I've listened to, but albums will be moving up and down (as well as added) over the coming weeks. Also differing from the Q1 list is that it is in very rough descending order. I'll also be perusing others' lists and checking out unfamiliar titles.
If you don't mind @DownIsTheNewUp, I'm gonna steal your format for my list. A fourth tier will be added for honorable mentions in time.

Tier I (excellent):
1) Laura Marling - Song For Our Daughter [singer-songwriter]​
2) Dua Lipa - Future Nostalgia [dance-pop]​
3) Alabaster DePlume - To Cy & Lee: Instrumentals Vol. I [avant-garde jazz]​
4) Caribou - Suddenly [electronic]​
5) Yves Tumor - Heaven to a Tortured Mind [psychedelic rock, art rock]​
Tier II (great):
6) Phoebe Bridgers - Punisher [indie folk]​
7) Charli XCX - How I'm Feeling Now [electropop, quarantine jams]​
8) Boldy James & The Alchemist - The Price of Tea in China [gangsta rap, boom bap]​
9) Somni - Home [downtempo electronic]​
10) Jeff Parker and the New Breed - Suite for Max Brown [nu jazz]​
11) Shabaka and the Ancestors - We are Sent Here by History [nu jazz, spiritual jazz]​
12) Bonny Light Horseman - Bonny Light Horseman [indie folk]​
13) Deserta - Black Aura My Sun [shoegaze, dream pop]​
14) Fiona Apple - Fetch the Bolt Cutters [art pop, singer-songwriter]​
15) Run the Jewels - RTJ4 [hardcore hip-hop]​
16) R.A.P. Ferreira - Purple Moonlight Pages [abstract hip-hop, jazz rap]​
17) Moses Boyd - Dark Matter [nu jazz, acid house]​
Tier III (good):
18) Allie X - Cape God [pop]​
19) Freddie Gibbs & The Alchemist - Alfredo [gangsta rap]​
20) Jessie Ware - What's Your Pleasure? [dance-pop, disco]​
21) Against All Logic - 2017-2019 [industrial techno, deconstructed club]​
22) Grimes - Miss Anthropocene [indie electronic, art pop]​
23) nthng - Hypnotherapy [ambient techno]​
24) Rina Sawayama - Sawayama [dance-pop, alternative metal]​
25) HAIM - Women in Music Part III [indie rock, pop rock]​
26) Hum - Inlet [shoegaze, alternative metal]​
27) Nicole Atkins - Italian Ice [singer-songwriter]​
28) Soccer Mommy - color theory [indie pop]​
29) Leo Takami - Felis Catus and Silence [new age, ambient]​
30) Chloe x Halle - Ungodly Hour [alternative R&B, trap]​
 
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