Theo Parrish and Jessie Ware are must listens; the latter might as well be my fave album of the year and Parrish's "This Is For You" might as well be my single of the year.
― the serious avant-garde universalist right now (forksclovetofu), Tuesday, 29 December 2020 19:40 (three years ago) link
5against4's list, pt. 1:
http://5against4.com/2020/12/30/best-albums-of-2020-part-1/
― pomenitul, Wednesday, 30 December 2020 00:10 (three years ago) link
Norman Records lists:https://www.normanrecords.com/features/albums-of-the-year-2020
(Slum of Legs in the 'Nearlies' one)
― kites aren't fun (NickB), Wednesday, 30 December 2020 17:26 (three years ago) link
Vogue UK’s 12 albums of the year, quite a few ILM favourites, including Wizkid:https://www.vogue.co.uk/arts-and-lifestyle/article/best-albums-2020
― obsessed with quality over quantity or the need to produce tracks (breastcrawl), Wednesday, 30 December 2020 21:31 (three years ago) link
5against4, pt. 2:
http://5against4.com/2020/12/31/best-albums-of-2020-part-2/
― pomenitul, Thursday, 31 December 2020 00:16 (three years ago) link
https://finestkiss.wordpress.com/2020/12/30/albums-2020/
― ✖✖✖ (Moka), Thursday, 31 December 2020 09:40 (three years ago) link
this joel lavoie album from the 5vs4 list is blowing me away
https://mikroclimat.bandcamp.com/album/souvenir
― stylish but illegal (Simon H.), Thursday, 31 December 2020 14:24 (three years ago) link
Anti-Gravity Bunny's drone listhttps://www.antigravitybunny.com/?p=12746
― p.j.b. (pj), Thursday, 31 December 2020 17:39 (three years ago) link
Are most labels and bands just printing smaller and smaller runs of physical LPs and CDs these days? I'm somewhat surprised by how many albums I'm learning about from year end lists, only to find out there are all sold out everywhere. The Sault albums being one example, but also the Bdrmm and Jack Cades albums from that (really good) Finest Kiss list. I don't remember running into this nearly as often in years past. I know some of this is due to pressing plant schedules being already screwed up before COVID even factored into things, but this also seems to go for CDs just as much as vinyl.
tl;dr I can't remember a year end list season when I've had more than 10 records on my list that I'd love to buy a physical copy of, but literally can't.
― soaring skrrrtpeggios (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Thursday, 31 December 2020 17:57 (three years ago) link
Did the anti gravity bunny dude sell all his records in the end?
― Vanishing Point (Chinaski), Thursday, 31 December 2020 18:03 (three years ago) link
It's becoming increasingly clear that when it comes to smaller labels, you better be ready to buy something as soon as the pre-order is announced, otherwise there is a very good chance you've already missed the boat. It's a bummer to read about a new album that was only released four months ago, but is already out of print.
― soaring skrrrtpeggios (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Thursday, 31 December 2020 18:07 (three years ago) link
Are most labels and bands just printing smaller and smaller runs of physical LPs and CDs these days?
Speaking as someone who's going to be releasing records next year, yes. 500-1000 copies is really all that's sustainable at this point unless you're a pop act. I'm going to be doing runs of 500 CDs, and after that it's download-only unless demand proves to be absurd (it won't).
― but also fuck you (unperson), Thursday, 31 December 2020 20:41 (three years ago) link
That totally makes sense, I get it. Just sort of puts a damper on the joys of discovering something that slipped by under the radar.
― soaring skrrrtpeggios (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Thursday, 31 December 2020 20:50 (three years ago) link
have your say: ILM's 2020 End of Year Tracks & Albums Poll / VOTING AND CAMPAIGNING THREAD
― timber euros (seandalai), Sunday, 3 January 2021 15:48 (three years ago) link
Some good stuff in this multi-pocketed bag:
https://www.sequenza21.com/2021/01/music-from-behind-a-mask-schells-picks-for-2020/
― pomenitul, Wednesday, 13 January 2021 16:59 (three years ago) link
https://www.npr.org/2021/01/14/956649529/2020-best-jazz-albums-critics-poll
NPR jazz critics poll of 148 voters. In addition to best jazz album, there's a separate jazz vocalist list, reissue list, and Latin Jazz list
Maria Schneider's Data Lords was the critics choice — no surprise, though relative unknown Sara Serpa's victory in the Vocal category in a year when both Kurt Elling and Gregory Porter released new albums was. A Thelonious Monk concert recorded at the unlikeliest of venues — a Northern California high school auditorium — in 1968 was voted the year's prize rara avis (my catch-all designation for reissues and never-before-issued finds), and the 23-year-old alto saxophonist Immanuel Wilkins's Omega ran away from the pack in Debut.
2. Ambrose AkinmusireOn the Tender Spot of Every Calloused Moment (Blue Note)
3. Eric RevisSlipknots Through a Looking Glass (Pyroclastic)
― curmudgeon, Sunday, 17 January 2021 16:24 (three years ago) link
NPR Latin Jazz from above
Latin1. Arturo O'Farrill/The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra, Four Questions (Zoho)Votes: 18Bandleader Arturo O'Farrill translates the essential inquiry at the heart of W.E.B DuBois' tract, The Souls of Black Folks, into an epic symphonic exploration. How does virtue face down violence? O'Farrill and his orchestra respond with polyrhythmic vivacity and harmonic elation. Yet, the lightly spoken sections — Dr. Cornel West's contribution — invoke the deep suffering that prompted DuBois to write more than a century ago, and O'Farrill to compose today. –Suzanne Lorge
2. Aruán Ortiz With Andrew Cyrille and Mauricio Herrera, Inside Rhythmic Falls (Intakt) 11
3. Gonzalo Rubalcaba & Aymée Nuviola, Viento Y Tiempo: Live at the Blue Note Tokyo (Top Stop Music) 6
3. Diego Urcola Quartet Featuring Paquito D'Rivera, El Duelo (Sunnyside) 6
3. Papo Vázquez Mighty Pirates Troubadours, Chapter 10: Breaking Cover (Picaro) 6
6. Dafnis Prieto Sextet, Transparency (Dafnison Music) 5
6. Manuel Valera New Cuban Express Big Band, José Martí En Nueva York (Greenleaf Music) 5
― curmudgeon, Sunday, 17 January 2021 16:26 (three years ago) link
https://afropop.org/articles/albums-from-2020-highlights
afropop .org radio show/podcast blog
album titles in the link
Rocky DawuniSonghoy BluesElida AlmeidaAricia Mess from Putumayo presents Brazil-Samba, Bossa, and BeyondHailu MergiaGroupe RTDGordon KonangLinos Wengara Magaya & Zimbaremabwe Mbira VibesModeste Hugues & KilemaArtists for Peace & Justice- Let the Rhythm Lead: Haiti Song Summit Vol. 1Ali Bilali SoudanHerb AlpertAndal Sukabe from Music from Saharan WhatsApp 7 Sahel SoundsPenny PennyNahawa DoumbiaBallake SissokoOumou Sangare - AcousticMonty Alexander
― curmudgeon, Sunday, 17 January 2021 16:57 (three years ago) link
^^ very enjoyable, thanks for posting
i need to make a point to listen to that regularly in 2021
― alpine static, Monday, 18 January 2021 00:44 (three years ago) link