And then the night before I saw this:your spotify wrapped is basically just a list of artists you owe money to lol
— Cloud Nothings (@cloudnothings) December 2, 2020
Both of these are in response to the flurry of “Spotify Wrapped” social media images shared prolifically by musicians and fans alike the first week in December. While I understand the fun behind it, I wish there were a better way. Sharing what music you listen to is in theory a great way to help the creators, but in the case of Spotify, the musicians are only getting literal pennies.I’m so baffled by all the musicians kissing the ring of Spotify. What is wrong with people
— Amber Coffman (@Amber_Coffman) December 2, 2020
Subscribing to streaming services is inevitable because it’s so easy, and most people don’t have the time to curate a library of digital music; nor the interest in having shelves full of records, CDs, and cassettes. My solution is this: subscribe to whatever service you prefer, but then use your “Spotify Wrapped” or the equivalent to help you make decisions about what concerts you are going to attend, t-shirts you are going to buy, or for independent artists, just send them some money through PayPal.
Top 20 LPs of 2020:
1. Taylor Swift- folklore
Hometown: West Reading, Pennsylvania
Format purchased: Vinyl (see on my Instagram)
Listen/buy on Apple Music
Hometown: New York City
Format purchased: Vinyl (see on my Instagram)
Listen/buy on Apple Music
3. Haim- Women in Music Pt. III
Hometown: Los Angeles, California
Format purchased: Vinyl (see on my Instagram)
Listen/buy on Apple Music
This is my first Haim vinyl purchase, which is a clue to the level of my previous fandom. I enjoyed their first two albums enough to buy them on CD, but excitement for this one built early as they released a variety of singles and a digital EP of what would become album tracks. I heard "Hallelujah" over a year ago, at the time my favorite song Haim had written. This was the perfect summer album, and another long one rich and full of 16 terrific songs.
4. Waxahatchee- Saint Cloud
Hometown: Birmingham, Alabama
Format purchased: Vinyl (see on my Instagram)
Listen/buy on Bandcamp
Like Fiona Apple and Haim, Waxahatchee was once in the running (in my head) for my album of the year. With a March release date, it was the first great album of 2020, and could not have come at a better time. It was released as quarantine began, and was a light in the darkness. While I will probably always prefer the edgier and more rocking previous album Out in the Storm, this is quintessential Katie Crutchfield. Originally being from Alabama, this Americana album captures Crutchfield's roots and features her strongest songwriting. Four of my top six albums this year were given Grammy nominations, and it is sad and inexplicable that Waxahatchee was not included in that bunch.
5. The Beths- Jump Rope Gazers
Hometown: Auckland, New Zealand
Format purchased: Vinyl (see on my Instagram)
Listen/buy on Bandcamp
I first heard the Beths in 2018, but I didn't listen to their debut Future Me Hates Me enough to buy it or appreciate it. This time around the New Zealand band impressed me though, taking it to the next level with stronger songwriting and dynamics. They are still aggressive much of the time, but when they quiet down they are at their peak: the title track, "Do You Want Me Now" and "You Are a Beam of Light" are three of my favorite songs of the year.
6. Phoebe Bridgers- Punisher
Hometown: Los Angeles, California
Format purchased: Vinyl (see on my Instagram)
Listen/buy on Bandcamp
This was potentially my most anticipated album of 2020, and while it is of course terrific (and seemingly the consensus #1 album of the year around the world), I was actually disappointed by it. Honestly I greatly prefer Bridgers' debut Stranger in the Alps. Punisher sounds great, and "Chinese Satellite" and "Graceland Too" (which could have been on the boygenius EP) are standouts, but as a whole I think Stranger has a significantly stronger group of songs.
7. Katie Malco- Failures
Hometown: Northampton, United Kingdom
Format purchased: Vinyl
Listen/buy on Bandcamp
First album on my list from an artist I had never even heard of prior to this year. Katie Malco released a couple of EPs six-plus years ago, but this is her debut, and it's phenomenal. At times she is heavily Pedro the Lion influenced, and the song "Let's Go to War" is essentially a sequel to the Bazan song "Hard to Be." She is at her best when she's the quietest, for example with the song "Fractures."
8. Stay Inside- Viewing
Hometown: Brooklyn, New York
Format purchased: Vinyl (see on my Instagram)
Listen/buy on Bandcamp
Another debut comes in next, with the perfect band name for 2020. While I spent most of the year listening to singer-songwriter music, this was the first and best heavy album I got into. It is all over the place stylistically though, and isn't always hard.
9. The Casket Lottery- Short Songs for End Times
Hometown: Kansas City, Missouri
Format purchased: Vinyl (ships in 2021)
Listen/buy on Bandcamp
I was really late to the party with the Casket Lottery, and it wasn't until 2020 that I listened to a full Casket Lottery album. I was aware of them in the late 90's, and have some CD comps from that time with their tunes. Somehow I never got into them though, and Furnace Fest 2020 (now rescheduled for Sept. 2021--I'll be there!) is what spurred me on to listen to their old work. I wasn't even aware this album was in the pipeline, so I was pleasantly surprised when it dropped. I don't have the best perspective because of my late listening, but I find this to be the best album they have ever put out.
10. The Innocence Mission- See You Tomorrow
Hometown: Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Format purchased: Vinyl (see on my Instagram)
Listen/buy on Bandcamp
The Innocence Mission has amazingly been putting out terrific music for over 30 years, and I have been buying their releases for 25 of those years. While I felt like the quality was waning in the 2000's, over the last 5 years Karen and Don Peris have recorded some of their top work. It's hard to rank all their countless albums, but this is near the top. Now if someone would just get the rights to issue my favorite two Innocence Mission albums, 1995's Glow and 1999's Birds of My Neighborhood--on wax.
11. Mountain Time- Music for Looking Animals
Hometown: Austin, Texas
Format purchased: Vinyl (see on my Instagram)
Listen/buy on Bandcamp
While I love Chris Simpson and all of his music, quite honestly everything he has done since The Gloria Record disbanded has disappointed me. Simpson remains one of my favorite lyricists of all time, but his solo work (primarily under the moniker Zookeeper) never grabbed me. Until this! Now using the name Mountain Time, Simpson has definitely hit his stride with the folk-rock. Unlike the last Zookeeper album, which was stripped down, Music For Looking Animals is layered with tons of instruments and a full sound. While I might be more excited about the image of all five members of The Gloria Record on Zoom Simpson put on Instagram recently, this album is great. I may never like Simpson's solo work as much as Mineral or TGR, but that doesn't mean it's not good.
12. Black Bra- Black Bra
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee
Format purchased: Vinyl
Listen/buy on Bandcamp
Potentially the most obscure album in my top 20, Black Bra is the new band from Beth Cameron of Forget Cassettes. She has a new group of band members and collaborators, and with the exception of the opening song, "I Was A Young Girl', the rest of the album is less aggressive and more atmospheric than her past work. Writing this short paragraph is reminding me that I need to spend much more time with this album in 2021.
13. Nada Surf- Never Not Together
Hometown: New York City
Format purchased: Vinyl (see on my Instagram)
Listen/buy on Bandcamp
Listen/buy on Bandcamp
While I prefer Hop Along, this Frances Quinlan solo album is great and compliments her band's discography. More experimental, and at times electronic, but with her strong story-telling lyrics. Album ends with a cover of one of my fav Built to Spill songs, "Carry the Zero."
15. Hum- Inlet
Hometown: Champaign, Illinois
I inexplicably barely listened to Hum until a few years ago when I FINALLY bought 1995's You'd Prefer An Astronaut. Inlet is only my second Hum album purchase, and I adore how insanely heavy it is. Since Billy Corgan seems to have gone away from the layer upon layer of guitars, I'm glad someone else is still rocking in that way!
16. Touché Amoré- Lament
Hometown: Los Angeles, California
Format purchased: Digital on Bandcamp
2020 is also the year I finally checked out Touché Amoré. I'm not sure why I waited, but there was definitely some kind of prejudice I had that prevented me from ever even exploring (maybe the band name?). Having Apple Music to stream and check our ALL their tunes definitely helped, but the song "Limelight", a collaboration with Andy Hull of Manchester Orchestra, is what definitely pushed me over the edge into Touché Amoré fandom. I bought Lament and Stage Four digitally on Bandcamp, and I also have an order in for the Casket Lottery split 7", which I bundled with the upcoming Casket Lottery vinyl pressing of Short Songs for End Times.
17. Beach Bunny- Honeymoon
Hometown: Chicago, Illinois
Format purchased: Vinyl
Listen/buy on Bandcamp
Perfect band name. I feel like I am on the beach when listening to this album. With that in mind, I haven't spun it much in 2020 as it hasn't really worked as a soundtrack for my year.
18. Lo Tom- LP2
Hometown: Los Angeles, California
Format purchased: Digital on Kickstarter
Listen/buy on Bandcamp
This second full-length collaboration between Martin, Bazan, Walsh, and Many picks up where LP1 left off, this time adding keys. I would have liked to purchase this on wax, but that was only available on Kickstarter for nearly $40 including shipping. Considering I bought their first album on vinyl from Barsuk for less than half that, I went into a Twitter tantrum. 19. Sufjan Stevens- The Ascension
Hometown: New York City
Format purchased: Vinyl
Listen/buy on Bandcamp
I was browsing Rob Mitchum's spectacular Google Spreadsheet while writing this, and I noticed the genre for this album is "indietronica". I don't know if that is a joke or actual genre, but it is perfect. It also somewhat explains why this album is so low on my list. I love Sufjan, but greatly prefer his songs when he uses organic instrumentation. 20. Snarls- Burst
Hometown: Columbus, Ohio
Format purchased: Digital on Bandcamp
This was a random Bandcamp Day purchase earlier in the year; had never even heard of the band. But one play of the song "Marbles" was enough for me as I needed to add some punk to my 2020 rotation.
Best Compilation of 2020
Hometown: Riverside, California
Format purchased: Vinyl (see on my Instagram)
Listen/buy on Bandcamp
2. The Beautiful Mistake- You're Not Broken. I Am
Hometown: Los Angeles, California
Format purchased: Digital on Bandcamp
3. Left Neglect- Children
Hometown: Seattle, Washington
Format purchased: Digital on Bandcamp
4. Death Cab For Cutie- The Georgia EP
Hometown: Seattle, Washington
Format purchased: Digital on Bandcamp