I almost didn’t do one of these.
It would have been easy enough not to. I had my excuses all lined up… I was too busy… It had been a couple of years since I shared something like this… It’s too late to send a ‘Year-end list’… Who wants to retread 2020...
I guess I should start by saying I hope this finds you happy, healthy, and sane. As I looked over this sprawling distribution, I saw dozens of names that I haven't been in touch with for far too long. I'm sure I have old e-mail addresses, former names, etc. Hell, there will people who read this that I haven't even met in person. In the end, I convinced myself, for better or for worse, that a few of y’all might take interest in some of the music I dug last year. Of course, I’ll be the first to admit these types of maneuvers are always self-serving, so I appreciate you allowing me to indulge myself.
The last time I cobbled together something like this was over two years ago – A similar compilation of my favorite music from 2017. After digging up the artifact, I laughed at the opening to my preamblic rambling: “Can we all just agree that 2017 was weird?”
If that was weird, then what in the hell was 2020?
Considering it’s February, I imagine most of us have already spent more time than we’d care to taking stock of the recently closed year. Suffice it say, the last trip around the sun was a challenging one for us. But I also hope you had your share of ups amid the inevitable share of downs, and came out on the other side more than breaking even. In my own corner of the world I was fortunate enough to get hitched last July, so all in all I’d say the year treated me alright.
Like plenty of y’all I’m sure, I listened to music with a different ear in 2020. Some songs and albums served as an escape… some artists gave a voice to those that might not have one, some music was a time machine… and some of it was just damn good.
I’m not here to offer any deep thoughts, or dive down any rabbit holes for deeper meaning about why last year was what it was. I’ll just say that I’m thankful for the year 2020, and for the music that helped me get by. I hope y’all found some too.
As always, I hope to see y’all sooner rather than later.
- Scott
Favorite 20 Albums (in chronological order of release date):
Futurebirds -- Teamwork
Mac Miller -- Circles
Bonny Light Horseman -- Bonny Light Horseman
John Moreland -- LP5
Caribou -- Suddenly
Swamp Dogg -- Sorry You Couldn’t Make It
Waxahatchee -- Saint Cloud
Fiona Apple -- Fetch the Bolt Cutters
Country Westerns -- Country Westerns
Pure X -- Pure X
Freddie Gibbs + The Alchemist -- Alfredo
Run The Jewels -- RTJ4
Phoebe Bridgers -- Punisher
SAULT -- Untitled (Black Is)
S.G. Goodman -- Old Time Feeling
Lianne La Havas -- Lianne La Havas
Taylor Swift -- folklore
Cut Worms -- Nobody Lives Here Anymore
Adrianne Lenker -- songs
The Avalanches -- We Will Always Love You
Favorite 50 Songs (in alphabetical order):
“And It’s Still Alright” // And It’s Still Alright -- Nathaniel Rateliff
“Asa’s Bop” // Anime, Trauma and Divorce -- Open Mike Eagle (feat. Little A$e)
“Black Qualls” // It Is What It Is -- Thundercat (feat. Steve Lacy + Steve Arrington + Childish Gambino
“Bonny Light Horseman” // Bonny Light Horseman -- Bonny Light Horseman
“Describe” // Set My Heart On Fire Immediately -- Perfume Genius
“Don’t Wanna” // Women In Music Pt. III -- HAIM
“Easier Said Than Done” // Midnight Manor -- The Nude Party
“Fallin’ Rain” // Anthem + 3 -- Father John Misty
“Farm” // Natural Child -- Natural Child
“Fire” // Saint Cloud -- Waxahatchee
“Gwendolyn” // Love Is The King -- Jeff Tweedy
“Hannah Sun” // Hannah -- Lomelda
“holy calamafuck” // RTJ4 -- Run The Jewels
“I’m Learning How to Tell Myself the Truth” // LP5 -- John Moreland
“I’ve Got the Key” // Spinnin’ -- Bastards of Soul
“JU$T” // RTJ4 -- Run The Jewels (feat. Pharrell Williams + Zach de la Rocha)
“Keep It Light” // Thats What They All Say -- Jack Harlow
“Last Words To A Refugee” // Nobody Lives Here Anymore -- Cut Worms
“Lilacs” // Saint Cloud -- Waxahatchee
“Memories” // Sorry You Couldn’t Make It -- Swamp Dogg (feat. John Prine)
“Middle America” // Middle America -- Pure X
“Monsters” // Untitled (Black Is) -- SAULT
“Never Come Back” // Suddenly -- Caribou
“Only Lonely” // Summerlong -- Rose City Band
“Posthumous Forgiveness” // The Slow Rush -- Tame Impala
“Rain On Me” // Chromatica -- Lady Gaga (feat. Ariana Grande)
“Scottie Beam” // Alfredo -- Freddie Gibbs + The Alchemist (feat. Rick Ross)
“Shiny Suit Theory” // A Written Testimony -- Jay Electronica (feat. The-Dream)
“Sleeping Without You Is a Dragg” // Sorry You Couldn’t Make It -- Swamp Dogg (feat. Justin Vernon, Jenny Lewis)
“Some Paradise” // Some Paradise -- Houndmouth
“Speed of the Sound of Loneliness” // Speed, Sound, Lonely KV (ep) -- Kurt Vile
“Supertramp” // Old Time Feeling -- S.G. Goodman
“Take Me Home, Country Roads” // Candid -- Whitney (feat. Waxahatchee)
“the last great american dynasty” // folklore -- Taylor Swift
“Times to Tunnels” // Country Westerns -- Country Westerns
“Under The Table” // Fetch The Bolt Cutters -- Fiona Apple
“We Will Always Love You” // We Will Always Love You -- The Avalanches (feat. Blood Orange)
“Waiting On a Call” // Teamwork -- Futurebirds
“Weird Fishes” // Lianne La Havas -- Lianne La Havas
“What’s New” // Good News -- Megan Thee Stallion
“With News About Heaven” // New Vanitas -- William Tyler
“Wonder What She Thinks of Me” // Ungodly Hour -- Chloe x Halle
Caught My Ear - VOL IV:
A while back I started the Caught My Ear (CME) series to better keep track of favorite music throughout the year. There’s no science or set criteria other than if I heard a song that ‘caught my ear’ I’d add it to that month’s playlist. These span all genres and types of artists, as well as when they were released (although the majority are from 2020). I have these for every month dating back to 2017, so feel free to dig back as far you’d like.
Playlists:
A few more playlists that kept me chooglin' through the year.
2020 Favorites
LTGTR
From a Distance
I Feel Fine
Grease The Skids
Cool Air / Warm Fires
Fast Times + Full Throttle
Fast Times Around the Christmas Tree