Ugh.
During the penultimate weekend of February 2020, I was in in the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill triangle for what was dubbed “rock n roll weekend” as my old college buddy and I designed a weekend of escapism that involved seeing the Archers of Loaf on Friday Feb 21 at the Cat’s Cradle in Carrboro, NC, consuming copious amounts of barbecue, Bojangles, bourbon, and Time-Out chicken biscuits, hooking up with a cadre of musical pals and playing lots of loud music of our own, and culminating with seeing Sloan in the “back room” of the Cat’s Cradle that Sunday.
During this trip, I also made a pit stop in Richmond, Virginia to sign the final paperwork on a three-year-old personal injury lawsuit surrounding a car accident that happened in March 2017 which would forever alter my back, neck, and strength of each. The settlement was nice, but I think I would rather not have a lifetime of brain fog and chiropractic visits to wrestle with moving forward.
Consider all this with the fact that in January, the lady friend and I had just seen one of the best shows in some time when Yola (who was the #1 record of 2019 here at the Strangers Almanac) came through our Nation’s Capital and played the shit out of the Nightclub 9:30!
So it would seem that 2020 was off to a good start, yeah?
No.
Less than a month after that Sloan concert at the Cradle, the President declared a National Emergency due to the COVID-19 Pandemic that was, at that time, raging on the east coast from New York down to Maryland & DC. Soon after, the community college where I crunch numbers closed our campus, and the four-year private college where I adjunct followed suit. All of a sudden we were scrambling for technology, toilet paper, milk, eggs, and peanut butter as businesses shuttered doors, hospital ICUs overflowed, doctors, nurses, and frontline workers made some heart-wrenching sacrifices. In addition, there was gross mismanagement by both federal and state governments blanketing the nation under a cloud of confusion and fear.
It’s probably presumptuous to note that I am only stating the obvious above for when folks read this post years down the road (viva la Strangers Almanac!) - because god knows none of us need to re-live it now, at the close of 2020.
The thing is, 2020 was a shit year for reasons beyond the Pandemic. My pops had a scary visit to the cardiologist that resulted in immediate open heart surgery (which, silver lining, likely saved his life). We lost Alex Trebek to pancreatic cancer. And our nation erupted in a renewed effort to bring racial injustice to the forefront of the national agenda in the wake of the murders of George Floyd, and Breonna Taylor by police, and Ahmaud Arbery by two white men who hunted him down and murdered him in his own neighborhood.
But it will be hard to talk about 2020 without the losses experienced directly and indirectly from COVID-19. I had dear friends who contracted the disease, and thankfully survived. But I also had friends and colleagues lose loved ones to it. A subset of Americans, egged on by the President, politicized damn near every safety precaution that they felt infringed on their freedoms, and left the rest of us feeling like the ones in the group who wind up doing all the work on a class project while the others fuck off.
The impact of COVID-19 on music writ large is still accumulating. As someone who averages 50-100 concerts per year, my show list in 2020 stands at 6 shows: 2 local, and 4 regional. My band, Dumb Valley has grinded to a halt - and the few times we’ve tried to get together there’s been a scare from someone’s family member possibly being exposed to COVID, or kids with the sniffles.
Caution is currency.
We’ve also seen several venues close their doors as revenues dried up in the absence of performers and patrons. If there has been any silver lining during all this, it is that since the lady friend and I have saved so much money by NOT going to shows and traveling, it has allowed us to donate directly to venues (i.e., Save Our Stages) and artists through their virtual tip jars while they did livestream performances, or via their Patreon accounts.
Perhaps the silverest of linings is that being home ALL THE DAMN TIME meant lots of time to consume music. And consume music I did! Despite the river of shit that flowed constantly through this year, there were a LOT of stellar records released this year; some highly anticipated and critically acclaimed (i.e., Fiona Apple and the Dixie Chicks), some anticipated releases by newer independent artists (i.e., Zephaniah OHora), and new artists who hit the radar this year (see below for more on that).
So yeah. Fuck 2020.
Let’s talk about the ungodly amount of music consumed while ass-fixed to my home office chair. The “top ten” records of 2020 are followed by a list of “elevens”, that is, records that could have easily been # 11, but are included together as w group because any one of them could be the true #11 depending on the day. Also ,below this paragraph is a Spotify playlist with each of the “Standout Tracks” for the listed records (with one standalone addition of Ben Gibbard’s “Proximal B”, which has not yet been released on a full record. Feel free to listen along while you read. Also, each album cover is linked to the album on Spotify. Click those if you want to hear more (highly encouraged!)
::The Rank Stranger’s Favorite Songs of 2020:
A Playlist::
Thirty-Five Elevens
(in Alphabetical Order)
2nd Grade ::HIT TO HIT:: Fun record that has the slack philosophy of Pavement, and the indie spirit of a Chapel Hill band circa mid 1990s. 2nd Grade are one of an impressive cadre of acts currently calling Philadelphia home. There’s a mix of musical stylings on HIT TO HIT, and the guitar solo on “100 hrs” is worth the price of admission.
Standout Track: “100 Hrs”
American Aquarium ::LAMENTATIONS:: Singer/Songwriter BJ Barham is arguably one of the more hard-working and resilient musicians of his generation. Six years sober, & a slate of new musicians making up the band whose moniker he plucked from a Wilco song fifteen years ago when the band stared; Barham is writing the most mature and important songs of his career on LAMENTATIONS
Standout Track: “The Long Haul”
John Anderson ::YEARS:: Part of the reason Yola’s WALK THROUGH FIRE landed at the top spot on this list last year was the gorgeous production of The Black Keys’ Dan Auerbach. Anderson, who tapped Auerbach to produce YEARS, is quoted on his website saying about recording vocals: “Let’s get everything because I might not wake up.” That’s a hell of a motivating force for a 66 year-old country giant.
Standout Track: “Tuesday I’ll Be Gone” (feat. Blake Shelton)
Fiona Apple ::FETCH THE BOLT CUTTERS:: This record will no doubt end up toward or at the top of many year-end lists. An overheard take on FETCH THE BOLT CUTTERS that resonated around here was “the songs on this record sound like what anxiety feels like.” However relatable, this record is worth of the praise it continues to garner. But be careful, one listen and you’ll find yourself with the songs stuck in your head for days…
Standout Track: “Shamekia”
Bad Moves ::UNTENABLE:: DC Punk/Hardcore/Indie torchbearers come correct with their follow-up to 2018’s stellar TELL NO ONE. The songs on UNTENABLE live up to the album name - songs about personal, social, and personal crisis set over riffs and pop hooks. With three songwriters contributing, there’s likely more to come from a group that quickly cemented their place among the brutalist DC scene.
Standout Track: “Cape Henlopen”
Andrew Bryant ::SENTIMENTAL NOISES:: Some artists have an ability to translate “place” into “sound.” Adam Faucett (Central Arkansas), early Whiskeytown (Eastern North Carolina), and Andrew Bryant with Northern Mississippi. Every record Bryant releases sounds like it could be the soundtrack to a hazy, humid, Mississippi evening around dusk…the perfect environment for secrets and loneliness.
Standout Track: “Lucky Cigarette”
The Chicks ::GASLIGHTER:: Country music has a storied history of “bucking the system.” In 2003, the formerly “Dixie” Chicks found themselves embroiled in controversy after singer Natalie Maines noted “we’re ashamed that that President of the United States is from Texas” in reference to the US participation in the Iraq war. After two albums with underwhelming sales and a nearly 10 year hiatus, the Chicks - who dropped “Dixie” in the wake of racial injustice and tension in America, realizing the negative connotation associated with the word - are back with GASLIGHTER; a record steeped in anthems for social unrest (“March March”), empowering women (“Juliana Calm Down” with its refrain of “put on your best shoes and strut the fuck around like you’ve got nothing to lose.”), and of course, dudes being shitty (“Sleep at Night”). GASLIGHTER is as timely as it is good!
Standout Track: “March March”
Tyler Childers ::LONG VIOLENT HISTORY:: Artists on the top of their game have been known to completely break from their sound to disrupt the monotony. Neil Young did so with TRANS and RE-AC-TOR, Uncle Tupelo with MARCH 16-20, 1992, more recently Sturgill Simpson with SOUND & FURY (more on him later). Though, in Childers’ case, an album of old fiddle tunes is less a stretch, as these same ancient tones have graced both PURGATORY and COUNTRY SQUIRE, albeit dressed up with drums and electric guitars. Still, it is pretty bold to release a 9-song record where 8 songs are instrumental fiddle tunes. But the closing track packs a heavy message…best explained by Tyler himself.
Standout Track: “Squirrel Hunter”
Dawes ::GOOD LUCK WITH WHATEVER:: Nine songs clocking in at 40 minutes, Dawes play it safe on their seventh studio album with more Laurel Canyon Dad Rock (not a bad thing). Slightly more uneven than prior efforts, but still a pleasant escape to warmer, breezier sounds during the cold, stale pandemic.
Standout Track: “Good Luck With Whatever”
Dead Stars ::NEVER NOT HERE:: Brooklyn, NY power pop/fuzz pop band Dead Stars released their 4th record NEVER NOT HERE in early 2020 (Feb. 21), and it has remained in heavy rotation. Gen X kids reared on mid 90s grunge should find a lot of purchase with Dead Stars. Indeed, fuzzed out pop hooks evoke early Superdrag and any number of bands on those old Sub Pop compilations. The songs and hooks stand on their own while scratching that itch for Doc Martens and flannel.
Standout Tracks: “Hold My Breath”; “Story of Your Life”
Diet Cig ::DO YOU WONDER ABOUT ME:: Diet Cig’s latest record in a word: CATCHY! In the throes of pandemic lockdowns on the east coast, Alex Luciano’s saccharine indie pop was a needed boost. Regardless of your age, the songs on DO YOU WONDER ABOUT ME have the ability to make the listener temporarily return to more youthful bliss.
Standout Track: “Broken Body”
Drive-By Truckers ::THE UNRAVELING:: One of two releases by DBT in 2020 (THE UNRAVELING released in January, and THE NEW O.K. released in October), both records share in themes of social unrest and heavy political messaging from characters who are no stranger to the down and out. THE UNRAVELING shows up here simply because there was more time to let the album sink in. Patterson Hood sounds more like a Southern Professor shouting to an auditorium of students in a Cultural History course than he does a guy on a rock stage. While Mike Cooley brings songs that continue to sound like the brink of disaster if things don’t go just right. The more spins this album gets late into the year, the more important it feels.
Standout Track: “Thoughts and Prayers”
Kathleen Edwards ::TOTAL FREEDOM:: One of the most anticipated releases of 2020, and one of the few artists where we tuned into a livestreamed performance of this record in its entirety at Edwards’ coffee shop Quitters in Stittsville Ontario. TOTAL FREEDOM is Edwards’ first release since 2012’s VOYAGEUR, which was co-produced by Bon Iver, and the last record she made before deciding to quit music. We’re all the better for Edwards deciding to quit quitting and return to music. Produced by longtime friend and collaborator Jim Bryson, TOTAL FREEDOM can rightly be called a “return to form” (though one may argue that Edwards’ writing has been fairly consistent over the years since FAILER was released in 2003). Indeed, if any of the 35 records in this section were the true #11, this would be it.
Standout Tracks: “Options Open”; “Who Rescued Who”
The Jayhawks ::XOXO:: The Jayhawks have been making music together in some form or fashion for an impressive thirty-five years. Most known as a band featuring the dual songwriting and harmonies of Gary Louris and Mark Olson, one may find it shocking to consider that Olson left the band in 1997, only to return on one other Jayhawks record: 2011’s MOCKINGBIRD TIME. But sinde 1997, the Jayhawks have primarily consisted of Louris, drummer Tim O’Reagan, bassist Marc Perlman, and keyboardist Karen Grotberg. One oft overlooked component of this era of the Jayhawks is the strength of O’Reagan’s songwriting. For example, “Dogtown Days” is peak Minneapolis, and sounds like a lost Tommy Stinson-penned Replacements tune. O’Reagan’s and Grotberg’s harmonies with Louris are also every bit a sweet as those heard with Olson in the band’s salad days. Don’t sleep on Louris’ great lead guitar playing. Overall, a really strong effort by this veteran “alt-country” band.
Standout Track: “Bitter Pill” [listen to that chick’in pickin!!]
Will Johnson ::EL CAPITAN:: Arguably the most prolific songwriter of his generation, former centro-matic quarterback released his 8,371st record of his career this year, and it’s every bit as cryptic, bleak, and sparse as we’ve come to expect. Just gorgeous and lonely soundscapes all around.
Standout Track: “Ocean/Sea”
Ruston Kelly ::SHAPE & DESTROY:: If 2018’s DYING STAR was a glimpse into the late-night, drug-and-drink-hazy East Nashville exploits of a broken character trying to tame his blaze into a flicker, SHAPE & DESTROY is about those same characters - now sober - dealing with episodes of relapse. You get the sense that the narrator of these songs was doing really well…and then just fucked up. These songs seem to drip with sorrow and regret; from characters who still haven’t shaken the poison out of their system from the night before and trying to decide if their first call is to their lover or their sponsor. Knowing Ruston Kelly’s backstory, it might not be a stretch to think these songs are mostly autobiographical. If nothing else, his presentation of them is definitely believable.
Standout Track: “Changes”
Kestrels (Feat. J Mascis) ::DREAM OR DON’T DREAM:: Lush shoegaze out of Halifax, N.S., Kestrels stand on their own as a badass trio with a HUGE guitar sound and gorgeous vocal harmonies. But why stop there? To push the limits, they enlisted J fucking Mascis to litter glorious lead guitar all over the songs. This record is incredibly fun.
Standout Track: “Grey and Blue”
Khruangbin w/ Leon Bridges ::TEXAS SUN:: (EP) Whereas Khruangbin’s full-length MORDECHAI will likely show up on more year-end lists, this marriage between the eclectic Texas trio and Houston soul/R&B singer Leon Bridges was a fine match. The title track is a bona-fide two-windows-down jam; the perfect soundtrack to a road trip across the Lone Star State, chasing the fading daylight.
Standout Track: “Texas Sun”
The Lees of Memory ::MOON SHOT:: If there ever were a band made for pandemic-era music-making, it’s the Lees of Memory. Former Superdrag alum John Davis and Brandon Fisher have been crafting DIY records since 2014’s SYSYPHUS SAYS, and doing so often. MOON SHOT is the band’s fourth full-length record in six years (and one of those four was a double-album). One benefit of being able to craft and demo music at your home all day is it left room to explore new sounds. For example, recent Lees’ records featured pedal steel and sitar on some tracks. But MOON SHOT comes closest to those old shoegazey, fuzzy, poppy, Beatlesesque Superdrag records of old, and we ain’t mad about it.
Standout Track: “Crocodile Tears”
Jason Molina ::EIGHT GATES:: “Ghosts” are no stranger in the songs of Jason Molina. Fitting that this posthumous release features sparse, eerie arrangements and waif-like vocals - as if Molina himself is the ghost in these songs. It’s not all gloom as the listener can catch birds singing in the background between each track - a comforting touch to balance the darker songs. An interesting inclusion comes in the back-and-forth between Molina and whomever else was in the room at the beginning of "She Says” where Molina quips “The perfect take is just as long as the person singing is still alive…” These takes may not be perfect; hell, many of them aren’t even complete songs, but this is a ghost that can keep haunting our ears for years to come.
Standout Track: “Shadow Answers The Wall”
Mandy Moore ::SILVER LANDINGS:: Without getting into the drama that has plagued Mandy Moore throughout her life (including her marriage to this asshole), one thing that has emerged in recent years is that Moore has been trying her hand at songwriting, working to break away from the teen pop star moniker and establish herself as a songwriter. SILVER LANDINGS sounds like Moore catching a new stride. It helps that she assembled some crack shot musicians for this project, including current husband and Dawes frontman Taylor Goldsmith, who also has a “composer” credit "(alongside some other noted names such as Chris Walla of Death Cab for Cutie, Lori McKenna, and Natalie Hemby, known for working with top 40 country artists, and as a member of the Highwomen). Goldsmith’s brother Griffin contributes percussion, and Nickel Creek alum/I’m With Her founder Sara Watkins who contributes vocals and fiddle. This is all to say that SILVER LANDINGS is rich with musical textures, grounded in a breezy Laurel Canyon rock/Fleetwood Mac vibe. The narrator in these songs sounds older, more mature, and is offering advice to the listener on how to shrug off past mistakes and life choices that may have not been as beneficial as they seemed at the time. Looking forward to continued growth from Moore in this format.
Standout Track: “I’d Rather Lose”
John Moreland ::LP5:: If you’re ever unfortunate enough to hit rock bottom, let’s hope John Moreland is not the soundtrack. because his songs take you by the arm, pull you down to rock bottom, then hand you a jackhammer and tell you to keep digging. LP5 features new textures (digital drum sounds and more esoteric keyboards), but the cut-to-the-bone lyrics that put Moreland on the map are still here.
Standout Track: “I Always Let You Burn Me To The Ground”
Miss Lonelyheart ::THE NOTES THAT MATTER:: Local Frederick, Maryland, and DC hardcore-adjacent Miss Lonelyheart likely didn’t envision THE NOTES THAT MATTER to be their final record. After all, the band was enjoying a renewed activity in the region, particularly locally. But in January that would change when guitarist Dan Gallagher tragically and unexpectedly passed away. This record is a fitting tribute to Gallagher’s pop and punk chops. His sharp and biting Fender Stratocaster through Dr. Z Maz 18 tone cuts straight through the songs. Miss Lonelyheart has been one of the best discoveries since moving to Frederick back in 2017 and getting more rooted in the music scene here. This band, and Dan’s voice are already missed.
Standout Track: “Sound of the Season”
Mr. Husband ::WEST VIRGINIA:: Definitely winning the award for best album art, local Frederick, Maryland trio Mr. Husband - tired of waiting on Sufjan Stevens - decide to release their own “state record” for WEST VIRGINIA; a dream pop homage the home state of songwriter Kinny Husband. Though probably seen as a gimmick befitting Mr. Husband’s usual schtick, this former West Virginian thinks the songs’ content is a brilliant 20 minute history lesson in some of the lesser known WV facts and annoyances. For example, after relaying to folks where in WV we live, at least once we’ve been asked “oh, is that near Richmond?” Hence the opening song “West Virginia (A Whole Other State). There’s history (“Meemaw” who “washed away in the ‘85 flood”, the pioneer who founded the settlement that is present day West Virginia - “Morgan Morgan”, the urban legend of the Mothman, and the more recent Teacher Strike). The closing track is chock-full of Mr. Husband schtick, where Kinny calls out Sufjan in good humor. This record is worth 20 minutes of your time.
Standout Track: “Round Bale Wrasslin’”
Nada Surf ::NEVER NOT TOGETHER:: Some bands find a lasting formula that works. Nada Surf is one of those bands. The core trio of songwriter/guitarist Matthew Caws, bassist Daniel Lorca, and drummer Ira Elliot have been crafting catchy power pop songs since 1996’s HIGH LOW, where the band was written off as a one-hit-wonder after failing to “capitalize” (by music industry standards) on the success of the single “Popular.” Nearly 25 years later, Nada Surf is still crafting gorgeous pop music, fueled by Caws’ off-the-beaten vocal melodies, and huge guitar sounds from odd chords and alternate tunings (and the help of sometime-member/guitarist Doug Gillard) all present on NEVER NOT TOGETHER. Though released on Feb 7th, before many states and localities instituted lockdowns in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the title NEVER NOT TOGETHER is fitting given these songs are about ways in which human beings strive to stay and feel connected to one another, be it physically or emotionally or other. An all-too important message this year.
Standout Tracks: “Live Learn and Forget”; “Crowded Star”
Zephaniah OHora ::LISTENING TO THE MUSIC:: Brooklyn New York honky-tonk crooner (you heard that right) releases a solid follow-up to 2017’s THIS HIGHWAY. Produced by the late Neal Casal, who expertly captured OHora’s gift for crafting late 60’s era crooner country music, the songs on MUSIC alternate between raucous (“Black & Blue”), political (“All American Singer”), and wistful (“It’s Not So Easy Today”; “When I’ve No More Tears To Cry”; “We Planned To Have It All). LISTENING TO THE MUSIC sounds like a 42-minute montage depicting the life of a country singer walking the streets of Brooklyn; but as odd as that might sound, it works.
Standout Track: “Black & Blue”
Old 97s ::TWELFTH:: Longtime alt-country stalwarts release their “senior year” record aptly titled TWELFTH. All of the elements that put the Olds on your radar back toward the beginning of their career (witty lyrics, twangy guitars, and enough hooks to supply a fishing tackle store) are present here. Hell, even “Robert” makes another cameo!
Standout Track: “Turn Off The TV”
Owen ::THE AVALANCHE:: Only Owen’s Mike Kinsella could get away with the line “I can’t have my cake and fuck it too.” Not a lot of new ground being broken on THE AVALANCHE, but what Kinsella has been doing with this project and with American Football in recent years hasn’t turned us away yet! RIYL croaking sad white dude vocals over atmospheric arpeggioed guitar and sparse accompaniment.
Standout Track: “I Should Have Known”
Nick Piunti & the Complicated Men ::DOWNTIME:: Wherever Nick Piunti came from (well, we know it’s Detroit, but whatever), hopefully there is more in store. As a fan of the Replacements and Replacement-adjacent acts (Paul Westerberg, Grandpaboy, Tommy Stinson, Bash & Pop) Piunti, and his new band “The Complicated Men” definitely scratch a certain itch. There’s enough jangle on this record to satisfy for a long time to come.
Standout Track: “Gonna Be Good”
Joel Plaskett ::44:: In his 44th year, Halifax N.S. songwriter Joel Plaskett released a FOUR-album set of new songs that is surprisingly not bloated with fluff. Though tough to take in during a single setting, 44 was a great soundtrack to keep on in the background while doing chores or working on time-intensive projects this year. The sounds on the record are familiar, steeped in 70s classic rock, but with a modern polish.
Standout Tracks: “Highland Heart”; “Melt The Universe With Brotherly Love”
David Ramirez ::MY LOVE IS A HURRICANE:: Ramirez has evolved his sound since the 2015 record that put him on our map, FABLES. However, the songcraft remains just as strong. Songs that waft through the air like the thick smoke in a dimly-lit bar hover throughout the record as Ramirez’s song narrators continually yearn for lost love, answers, or closure.
Standout Track: “Heaven”
Kenny Roby ::THE RESERVOIR:: like Zephaniah OHora’s LISTENING TO THE MUSIC noted above, THE RESERVOIR was slated to be produced by the late Neal Casal. Kenny Roby had been sending Casal demos but as fate would have it, Neal would pass before the two could start working together. Roby’s songs on the RESERVOIR seem to channel his own year of loss (a divorce, grown kids having left the nest, and Casal’s suicide). For a Roby solo record, these songs sound more akin to 6 String Drag’s HIGH HAT than they do MEMORIES & BIRDS.
Standout Tracks: “History Lesson”; “Watchin’ Over Me”
Rookie ::ROOKIE:: Chicago record label Bloodshot has had its own share of shit to wade through in 2020 - but one thing they got right was signing Rookie to their label. Jesus Christ! It’s like instead of “reading, writing, rithmatic”, the six members of Rookie grew up steeped in the subjects of Thin Lizzy, Big Star, and Cheap Trick. It’s a damn shame COVID-19 benched this band right as they were breaking out because there appears to be a bright career ahead of them so long as they can stay healthy and focused (and other sports analogies).
Standout Track: “Sunglasses”
Sturgill Simpson ::CUTTIN’ GRASS VOL 1+2:: When Simpson released SOUND & FURY, not a lot of fans who came to the fold knew what to do with it. But one thing that record made clear is that Sturgill Simpson is gonna do whatever the fuck he wants, musically. So in a 180 degree turn, he released two records that feature bluegrass/stringband versions of his catalog; with a band of crackshot musicians to boot. Rather than debate whether or not these records are “bluegrass”, let’s just say that they’re both perfectly enjoyable.
Standout Tracks: “"Just Let Go”; “Oh Sarah”
Surrender Human ::SURRENDER HUMAN:: In the late 1990s, Chapel Hill NC was home to one of the better power pop bands in the area during that time: The Mayflies USA; a juggernaut of three crafty songwriters who released three records between 1998 and 2002 that are all worthy of your time. Former Mayfly Matt McMichaels brings the same craft to Surrender Human. Poppy guitars, thick and high harmony vocals (he already hovers between alto and tenor), and an unmistakable “Chapel Hill sound.” After interviewing The Mayflies USA back in 1998 on the heels of their debut SUMMERTOWN, when asked about their sound and influences, McMichaels said “we’re really influenced by Teenage Fanclub, and… Well… We’re basically just trying to be Teenage Fanclub.” Apparently this is still true…and welcome at that.
Standout Track: “Hantuchova”
Taylor Swift ::FOLKLORE:: You damn right Tay is on this list. And if EVERMORE was released earlier in the year and there was more time to digest it, then it would probably be here too.
Standout Track: “Exile” (feat. Bon Iver)
::THE RANK STRANGER’S TOP TEN RECORDS OF 2020::
10. Jim Shorts ::LATE TO THE FEAST:: Though I have it on good authority that Frederick Maryland’s Jim Shorts has more music “in the can,” 2020 also delivered the retirement of Jim Shorts the band and the moniker used by former Chattanoogan David Haynes. This was a hell of a swan song. The tunes sound like lost Built To Spill B-sides, but the song lyrics tell of the everyday, seemingly mundane things that we are all probably taking for granted (perhaps a page out of slack king Stephen Malkmus’ book). What resonates most for me is that the songs are rooted in place…"Out on the patio”, “Max’s front porch in Richmond…” “drinkin Modelos on the beach”, a soul food restaurant…etc. We could all do better to appreciate these small things. It’s clear from the content on LATE TO THE FEAST that Haynes does. Sonically, this record is BIG. Haynes is an understated guitarist, but the secret weapon is drummer Mike Barth. Queue up the song “Here’s” and fast-forward to the 2:38 mark. It’s an onslaught…which then cascades into a sweet indie rock groove at 3:13. Don’t forget to turn it up loud.
Standout Track: “Late To The Feast”
9. Benchmarks ::SUMMER SLOWLY:: After a somewhat lengthy crowd-funding campaign, SUMMER SLOWLY hit mailboxes in the fall of 2020. This record sounds like it is constantly on the precipice of something bigger…yet there is a hesitancy to move forward as the narrator of the songs seems to still have one foot firmly planted in a comfortable past; a battle between holding on and moving on. One way songwriter Todd Farrell Jr. couches this battle is in a childlike desire to hang onto the summer (a theme that occurs beyond the record’s title and opening track), and thinking about life as different seasons where, presumably, summer is the preferred time of one’s life. Sonically, the songs boast EVHesque guitar wizardry alongside Thin Lizzy inspired guitarmonies all in the confines of classic pop punk structure. A heavy album for heavy times that somehow lifts away a weight with each listen.
Standout Track: “Leave the Light On”
8. Les Nuby ::CLOUDED:: Les Nuby is having a bit of a renaissance. in 2019, his band Holiday Gunfire released an ear-raising debut, and this year he is back with CLOUDED, which sounds like it could be the follow-up to the self-titled Holiday Gunfire debut. Recorded in his own Ol Elegante Studio outside Birmingham, Alabama, where he also played every instrument on the record, CLOUDED sounds crisp. There’s a Rickenbacker through Vox AC30 jangle in these songs that elicits a certain craving, and enough brit pop and shoe gaze to warrant hitting the repeat button. Most interesting to these ears are the vocals, which have a Bob Mould quality that sounds more natural than it does intentional. After many years as a gunslinger with Verbena and Vulture Whale…and then a producer behind the board at Ol Elegante, it’s nice to hear what Nuby can do at the helm of a band. This is a fine start!
Standout Track: “OK, Let’s Try”
7. Waxahatchee ::SAINT CLOUD:: Plenty of year-end lists will be singing the praises of Katie Crutchfield’s latest effort with Waxahatchee. But the secret weapon behind SAINT CLOUD was the enlisting of Detroit’s Bonny Doon to serve as the backing band. Indeed, the inclusion of Bonny Doon adds a certain amount of lilt to these songs. The breeziness of SAINT CLOUD was a necessary salve in an ongoing shit year.
Standout Track: “Can’t Do Much”
6. Phoebe Bridgers :: PUNISHER:: Someone on a message board or elsewhere on the internet recently quipped about Phoebe Bridgers: “how did she get so good so fast?!?!” No shit, right? On her second full length, PUNISHER, the 26 year old songwriter delivered songs with a maturity matched by few of her peers. She’s been in good company recently, having released a record with Conner Oberst (Better Oblivion Community Center) and the supergroup Boygenius (featuring Lucy Dacus and Julien Baker sharing songwriting duties). But lines like “you’re sick, and you’re married, and you might be dying, but you’re holding me like water in your hands” are just…I mean…is this the kind of thing 26 year-olds normally deal with? PUNISHER is the soundtrack to many a dreamscape…and that’s a carryover from 2020 that will be welcome next year.
Standout Tracks: “Kyoto”; “Moon Song”
5. Vita and the Woolf ::ANNA OHIO:: In September of 2018, Baltimore MD coordinated/choreographed 80s dance pop outfit Super City invited Vita and the Woolf to open their record release show. They damn near got upstaged. Two years in the making, ANNA OHIO is a collection of heartbreak songs and pep-talks from songwriter Jennifer Pague, either to herself or to whomever is listening. ANNA OHIO is ripe with indie synth pop that might have been a better/proper follow up to Passion Pit’s MANNERS. This record is a fast grower as the songs are just too damn catchy to ignore; even when playing in the background. Pague’s vocals and harmonies are strong throughout, and the pop hooks are easily identified. Though originally calling Philadelphia home. Pague has recently relocated to L.A. where she continues to build Vita and the Wolf. Here’s to hoping that they come out with a bang post-pandemic.
Standout Track: “Kentucky:
4. The Beths ::JUMP ROPE GAZERS:: Aukland New Zealand sweethearts The Beths capitalize on 2018’s FUTURE ME HATES ME with this year’s JUMP ROPE GAZERS. Building upon the same power pop formula with Liz Stokes’ sweet, shy lyrics…though with more wistful, slower numbers, this current effort may not have exceeded expectations, but it most certainly met them…which was already a nearly impossible bar to clear. The Beths are one of the few acts that have actually been able to tour in their nearly COVID-free native New Zealand, which might bode well for the band’s ability to rebound post-pandemic in relation to their peers.
Standout Track: “Out Of Sight”
3. Katie Pruitt ::EXPECTATIONS:: In October 2018, East Nashville newcomer Ruston Kelly was touring to promote his record DYING STAR. The tour landed him in Vienna Virginia at Jammin Java. Kelly was known for co-writing with and promoting up-and-coming female singer/songwriters. He lived up to that promise this night, inviting Nashville by-way-of Georgia singer songwriter Katie Pruitt to open. Armed with only a Stratocaster and Fender amplifier, Pruitt wowed the crowd with her booming vocals, and intensely personal songs about being an out LGBTQ woman in the South, navigating love and relationships alongside family expectations. These songs would make their way to her debut record, EXPECTATIONS, which took these sparse vocal and electric guitar performances from the form heard at Jammin Java, and gave them a slick, Nashville treatment. We can only hope that the future of up-and-coming Nashville country songwriters is led by talented, socially conscious, diverse voices like those of Pruitt. EXPECTATIONS challenges those that the old heads have been living with for too long.
Standout Tracks: “Expectations”; “Normal”
2. Futurebirds ::TEAMWORK:: There was a period in the late two thousand aughts, early 2010s where southern rock bands (not Southern Rock bands) were on the brink of explosion. There were hotspots with flagship bands promoting this sound; The Dexateens, Vulture Whale, and Duquette Johnson in Birmingham, Alabama; The Water Liars in Northern Mississippi; Glossary and the Bohannons in Murfureesboro and Chattanooga, Tennessee, respectively; and the District Attorneys, The Pollies, and the Futurebirds from Atlanta/Athens, Georgia. Not many of these outfits are active across the South these days, but the Futurebirds have rolled on and released arguably their best effort in 2020’s TEAMWORK. Hell, if I started a band tomorrow (and I’m tryna), I would want our songs to sound like those on TEAMWORK. There is a rollicking, breezy, but gothic feel to these songs, drenched in reverb and cutting guitars. This record was meant to be played in the open air - or at least when all the windows are open.
Standout Track: “My Broken Arm”
1. Pinegrove ::MARIGOLD:: Looking back on 2020, isolation and lockdowns will likely be themes associated with our efforts to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. For Pinegrove’s Evan Stephens Hall, who, at the close of 2019, had just emerged from a yearlong hiatus after he was accused of sexual coercion, and “me too’ed” - halting the band’s then meteoric rise in the indie-sphere. Part of the agreement Hall entered with his accuser was no touring for a year. The band had just bought a house/studio in upstate New York, and Hall used this time for reflection and writing. The first record to be created in the wake of that isolation was 2020’s MARIGOLD - a record largely about, you guessed it, reflection and isolation. However, given that it was released in January of 2020, MARIGOLD was actually eerily prescient considering the whole of America would soon find itself in isolation and reflecting on the outside world from their respective bunkers. There are songs about redemption (“Dotted Line”), stream of consciousness likely induced from LOTS of time with oneself (“Spiral”), sticking to a trusted routine (“No Drugs”; “Endless”), the unknown (“Moment), and connection with others from afar (“Neighbor”). I don’t know about you all, but MARIGOLD was absolutely the soundtrack to my entire 2020…I just didn’t realize it until 4 months after the record’s release. Hall still has an uncanny ability to connect with his songs on emotional level where he is re-living the events of the song more so than he is recalling them. That has been incredibly cathartic during this shit show of a year. MARIGOLD is the primal scream therapy I didn’t know I needed, but I am damn glad I found it.
Standout Track: “Moment”
::Shows Attended in 2020::
Obviously this list is going to be sparse as there were only two months before all live music in America was shut down, but there were still a few to log (this list does not include livestreamed shows, which were available in abundance and honestly, hard to keep up with):
Friday January 10, 2020: Yola, Amythist Kiah, Nightclub 9:30, Washington DC
*Saturday January 11, 2020: Jim Shorts (solo), Middle Kid, Dumb Valley; Cafe Nola, Frederick, Maryland
Friday January 24, 2020: Scott Miller, Steve Schillinger; Jammin Java, Vienna, Virginia
Saturday January 25, 2020: Silent Old Mts, Scott Siskind; Frederick Eagles Club, Frederick, Maryland
Friday February 21, 2020: Archers of Loaf, Gauche; Cat’s Cradle, Carrboro, North Carolina
Sunday February 23, 2020: Sloan; Cat’s Cradle (Back Room), Carrboro, North Carolina
*Indicates a show I played as well as attended