ILM's Top 77 Albums of 2020

https://i.imgur.com/bnE74Zd.jpg
#69: Ana Roxanne - “Because of a Flower” - 190 points - 7 votes - 1 Nº1 vote
 
Ambient Recommendations
Kranky S&D

https://anaroxanne.bandcamp.com/album/because-of-a-flower-2

“The California ambient musician’s debut LP pulls from new age, dream pop, Medieval choral music, and Hindustani singing for a hypnotic and tender meditation on gender, identity, and self-love.”
https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/ana-roxanne-because-of-a-flower/

TOO LOW. Only came across this in the last month or so and damn.

Really interesting results so far - as with the tracks I haven’t heard of many of these artists (other than Deftones and Parker) but will check them out eventually.

Need to investigate this, a lot of box ticking in that description.

vv nice album

Wait is Ulla half of Ulla Straus? Just thought the name was a coincidence but now see them in the same listener orbit on spotify. I loved Big Room. Not sure how I missed this... many gems today.

yeah discovered this one after I submitted but very great for late night/half-sleep

Really happy to see Ulla and Ana both place; didn't expect either to. Ulla yet another one from January 2020.

Ana: my no.3 - a total balm. Really crisp and nourishing

Yes and she's the other half too xps

Both also looking particularly exquisite here c/o Moka's fine work

Man this whole run seems like awesome music to work to (which is a category I'm always looking to expand). Maybe not Ulla, that might be more music to drift off to, but still. Thank you to the chillxors.

I really like the Ana Roxanne album, although it's definitely a headphone listen imo. Great pandemic record.

Also I've gone through most of her NTS shows at this point while working, very reliably pleasant mix of classic ambient/spiritual jazz/piano music.

I broadly liked the Ana Roxanne, but I decided to just back the track nominated for the tracks contest, as it was easily the foremost attraction. It wasn't all *that* far out of contention last week, it turned out.

Yes and she's the other half too xps

― groovypanda, Monday, February 1, 2021 11:40 AM (five minutes ago) bookmarkflaglink

confusing, but thanks

https://i.imgur.com/JpM3NIt.jpg
#68: Moodymann - “Taken Away” - 192 points - 10 votes

I'll ruin Moodymann for you

https://moodymann.bandcamp.com/album/taken-away-kdj-49

“Following a 2019 episode of police harassment in front of his own building, the Detroit house legend’s latest goes hard on depth and funk, but there’s often an ache where the fun used to be.”
https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/moodymann-taken-away/

so glad i'm aware of the charles webster album now

xp the moodymann album just never connected with me sorry to say

my first vote!

also I'm enjoying this more minimalist rollout style

same

xp

Presence - All Systems Gone is one ive been listening to

― ILX’s bad boy (D-40), Monday, February 1, 2021 10:08 AM (fifty minutes ago) bookmarkflaglink

i had forgotten this was webster and y'all should put it on right after decision time ends

Moodymann record is amazing too.

my first vote too. felt a little lighter in tone and more nostalgic than 'sinner' but this one is still fresh as hell

My albums ballot was so much stronger than my tracks, it was real hard work to cut it down. That's being borne-out by the rundown, great stuff so far

Webster, Parker and Garcia albums are new for me and really good. Thanks for discovering these for me!

My albums ballot was so much stronger than my tracks, it was real hard work to cut it down. That's being borne-out by the rundown, great stuff so far

meanwhile, I couldn't find 25 albums on the nomination list I'd actually heard when I went to vote

xp Deftones' placement seems right to me. It's their best since Diamond Eyes (2010) for sure but their have at least 4 albums that are better.

I never got around to listening to the Deftones album, mostly because they are a band I primarily consumed via alternative radio rather than owning any of their music and didn't have a driving desire to check out the album when it was released.

https://i.imgur.com/cB9mdbp.jpg
#67: Perfume Genius - “Set My Heart on Fire Immediately” - 199 points - 8 votes

A thread where we appreciate the genius behind Perfume Genius

https://perfumegenius.bandcamp.com/album/set-my-heart-on-fire-immediately

“With trusted producer Blake Mills (Fiona Apple, Laura Marling), the artist born Mike Hadreas ensures that each and every note on his new album, Set My Heart on Fire Immediately, lands with devastating precision. These 13 tracks are finely wrought works of art that draw as much influence from Purcell and Mozart as they do scuzzy Nineties post-punk.”

https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/perfume-genius-review-album-stream-sparks-moses-sumney-a9512171.html

oh man this is definitely too low, because it's another I wish I could have voted for

I don't get Perfume Genius at all

rollout today has been a wild combination of albums I voted for (Parker, Garcia, Moodymann) and lots of things I've never even heard of

voted for Ana Roxanne!

I love Perfume Genius, but I unfortunately didn’t have the time and space last year to get into the record, so I kept it off my ballot

love love love 'on the floor' off this record

I don't get Perfume Genius at all

― Hello Nice FBI Lady (DJP),

I was hoping the album would be more like "Describe" which sounded like nu-grunge / shoegaze to my ears and it got me excited about the whole thing but then, it's a bit of an outlier.

I don't get Perfume Genius at all

― Hello Nice FBI Lady (DJP),

― meticulously crafted, socially responsible, morally upsta (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, February 1, 2021 11:22 AM (forty-three seconds ago) bookmarkflaglink

rt even though i kinda dug the first song released from this

find it odd that DJP doesn't like PG as this album is kinda Queer Radiohead in some ways imo

what even are these albums lol? ilm u r weeeird

Blimey, Charles Webster - I used to know him in Nottingham in the 1990s. He was also the first person to tell me about Moodymann, so it's nice to see that placing nearby.

I'm glad this Ulla placed so I can actually check something out from the list while working

brad, was that "on the floor"? i liked that one too while the rest of the album left me cold. it's hard for me to resist a 12/8 shuffle, to be fair.

I voted for "Describe" in the tracks poll and honestly thought it had an outside chance of placing high, but I was way off. I like the rest of the record too, but didn't vote for it.

this album and the last one are both pretty unique projects, ymmv on whether they're your cup of tea but i think its hard to say they're run of the mill

Tbc I didn't mean that Jeff Parker is some BMus playing "Autumn Leaves" in a bar (which I often enjoy!) but that I just didn't see what was so exciting or impressive about what he does with the guitar, in the context of the major modern players working today. But it makes sense to listen to this primarily as an electronic composition (on headphones because my wife said the sustained tone in "Fusion Swirl" was making her want to strangle someone). The layers on "After the Rain" are nice, actually.

if I want Queer Radiohead, I'll just listen to Radiohead

First single was “describe”, second single “on the floor”

"describe" was the one i loved

Also, there's nothing even remotely Radiohead about PG, queer or not.

first thing from him i ever really enjoyed tbh xp

Blake mills had a year huh

dark art-pop with economical construction and surprising arrangements