The 2020 end of year music lists thread

Anti-Gravity Bunny's drone list
https://www.antigravitybunny.com/?p=12746

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.

Did the anti gravity bunny dude sell all his records in the end?

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.

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).

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.

have your say: ILM's 2020 End of Year Tracks & Albums Poll / VOTING AND CAMPAIGNING THREAD

Some good stuff in this multi-pocketed bag:

https://www.sequenza21.com/2021/01/music-from-behind-a-mask-schells-picks-for-2020/

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 Akinmusire
On the Tender Spot of Every Calloused Moment (Blue Note)

3. Eric Revis
Slipknots Through a Looking Glass (Pyroclastic)

NPR Latin Jazz from above

Latin
1. Arturo O'Farrill/The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra, Four Questions (Zoho)
Votes: 18
Bandleader 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

https://afropop.org/articles/albums-from-2020-highlights

afropop .org radio show/podcast blog

album titles in the link

Rocky Dawuni
Songhoy Blues
Elida Almeida
Aricia Mess from Putumayo presents Brazil-Samba, Bossa, and Beyond
Hailu Mergia
Groupe RTD
Gordon Konang
Linos Wengara Magaya & Zimbaremabwe Mbira Vibes
Modeste Hugues & Kilema
Artists for Peace & Justice- Let the Rhythm Lead: Haiti Song Summit Vol. 1
Ali Bilali Soudan
Herb Alpert
Andal Sukabe from Music from Saharan WhatsApp 7 Sahel Sounds
Penny Penny
Nahawa Doumbia
Ballake Sissoko
Oumou Sangare - Acoustic
Monty Alexander

^^ very enjoyable, thanks for posting

i need to make a point to listen to that regularly in 2021