it was a bit of a year

Albums
Kevin Morby- Sundowner
Phoebe Bridgers- Punisher
Waxahatchee- Saint Cloud
Run The Jewels- RTJ 4
Thee Oh Sees- Protean Threat
Damaged Bug- Bug On Yonkers
Angel Olsen- Whole New Mess
Cable Ties- Far Enough
Freddie Gibbs- Alfredo
Fiona Apple- Fetch The Bolt Cutters
Jeff Rosenstock- NO DREAM
Sylvan Esso- Free Love
Shopping- All Or Nothing
Kurt Vile- Speed, Sound, Lonely KV EP
Fenne Lily- BREACH
Tim Heidecker- Fear Of Death
The War On Drugs- LIVE DRUGS
Perfume Genius- Set My Heart On Fire Immediately

Songs
Phoebe Bridgers- “Kyoto”
The Strokes- “The Adults Are Talking”
Fenne Lily- “Alapathy”
TORRES- “Dressing America”
Waxahatchee- “Fire” & “Lilacs”
Kevin Morby- “Sundowner” & “Campfire”
Run The Jewels- “JU$T” (feat. Pharrell Williams and Zach de la Rocha)
Tim Heidecker- “Fear Of Death”
Tennis- “Need Your Love”
Cable Ties- “Sandcastles”
Fiona Apple- “Shameika”
Caroline Rose- “Feel The Way I Want”
Perfume Genius- “Describe”
U.S. Girls- “4 American Dollars”
Cardi B- “WAP” (feat. Megan Thee Stallion)
Jeff Rosenstock- “Scram!”
Sylvan Esso- “Ferris Wheel”
Shopping- “Initiative”
Caribou- “Home”
Arlo Parks- “Black Dog”
Dehd- “Loner”
SAULT- “Free”
Angel Olsen- “Whole New Mess”
Damaged Bug- “Thunder Speaks”
Fontaines DC- “Televised Mind”
PUP- “AM 180”
Kurt Vile- “How Lucky” (feat. John Prine)
Will Butler- “Surrender”
Deep Sea Diver- “Impossible Weight” (feat. Sharon Van Etten)
The Beths- “Dying To Believe”

12/8/2020 11:57:22 AM

forgot clipping- “Say the Name”

12/11/2020 9:36:50 AM

I'll probably want to update these lists over the next weeks and months, but here's what stood out to me so far:

Albums
Bad Bunny - YHLQMDLG
Dogleg - Melee
Porridge Radio - Every Bad
Tame Impala - The Slow Rush
Waxahatchee - Saint Cloud
Yves Tumor - Heaven To A Tortured Mind
The Strokes - The New Abnormal
Perfume Genius - Set My Heart On Fire Immediately
Jeff Rosenstock - NO DREAM
Medhane - Cold Water
Phoebe Bridgers - Punisher
Jessie Ware - What's Your Pleasure?
Fireboy Dml - APOLLO
Nubya Garcia - SOURCE
The Microphones - Microphones in 2020

Songs
Bad Bunny - "La Santa"
Grimes - "Delete Forever"
Destroyer - "It Just Doesn't Happen"
Jeff Parker & The New Breed - "Gnarciss"
Lil Uzi Vert - "Celebration Station"
Tame Impala - "On Track"
Waxahatchee - "The Eye"
Yves Tumor - "Dream Palette"
Fiona Apple - "Cosmonauts"
The Strokes - "Why Are Sunday's So Depressing"
Perfume Genius - "On the Floor"
Jeff Rosenstock - "State Line"
Moses Sumney - "Colouour"
Medhane - "Na Fr"
Run The Jewels - "Ju$t"
Haim - "Don't Wanna"
Jessie Ware - "Adore You"
Fireboy Dml - "Favourite Song"
Nubya Garcia - "Inner Game"
Fleet Foxes - "Featherweight"

[Edited on December 23, 2020 at 8:58 AM. Reason : ]

12/23/2020 8:57:19 AM

Album: Unleash The Archers - Abyss

12/23/2020 3:05:33 PM

Man, can we please fucking have some huge rock bands with kickass albums? Bands where normal people can recognize and name a member or two?

Where is this generation’s Rolling Stones/Led Zeppelin/Doors/Jimi Hendrix? Or Mötley Crüe/Metallica/Dire Straits/Van Halen? Pearl Jam/Nirvana/AiC/Soundgarden/STP?

It has been 25 years since a new band arrived on the scene that really set the world on fire, as best as I can think of.

12/27/2020 3:18:50 AM

^i definitely mostly agree

12/27/2020 11:46:36 PM

Quote :

"Cardi B- “WAP” (feat. Megan Thee Stallion)"

12/27/2020 11:52:24 PM

12/28/2020 9:33:45 AM

^^^ & ^^^^

I mostly definitely agree.

12/28/2020 10:45:46 AM

^5 Is your preference to have more hard rock-sounding bands or just big arena-packing bands?

Are there specific bands from 25 years ago that you have in mind?

12/28/2020 4:20:49 PM

The kids don't like rock and haven't for some time

12/28/2020 9:45:08 PM

^rockisdeadpost

I want to push back on this a bit, but I want to preface this with a couple things:

1) I used to think this way
2) I think that there is validity to your point, but only if you're looking at it from some very specific ways

Someone asked what you meant exactly in terms of music vs draw, and that is one of the questions I would ask as well. Instead of going through all of those, I'm just going to point to some examples and if you disagree we can get into the nitpicking. Also, I want to pre argue that the bands I'm about to list aren't the same as the ones you listed. You're right, but we can all agree that the three groups you listed as very different from each other, and someone who grew up on Led Zeppelin may not be a fan of Motley Crue or Soundgarden, despite the similarities they definitely have musically speaking. And also, this is by no means an exhaustive list, just the ones I can easily think of.

Jack White (and whatever project he's with) and The Black Keys regularly sell out the biggest venues in any given city. So does Avenged Sevenfold.

Going the next tier down, Royal Blood and Gary Clark Jr are playing the big music halls, and the latter will graduate to arenas pretty soon I think. In fact Greta Van Fleet has probably gotten to arena size now. Yeah yeah, I know, they are just the product of a record company copying Zepp, but, if you're asking where is this generation's Led Zeppelin and you can't appreciate what they're doing just a LITTLE bit, than I guess I'm a little bit dubious that you'd even recognize what you're looking for.

But I would also like to argue that a lot of great rock bands aren't getting the same reception they would have in the eras you mentioned. Whether this is just a result of what's popular (and not) these days, shifts in the music business, or both and other things, it's harder to find what was thrown in your face 15 years ago. You should check out Graveyard or Black Pistol Fire, they rock just as harder or harder than half the bands you mentioned.

I'd also argue that you could appreciate this change in the industry and take advantage of that. I've seen Metallica more times than I can count now, but oh what I wouldn't give to see them in a 600 person capacity venue. But you know what, I can see Black Pistol Fire there, bring my camera without being hassled, take some shots I would NEVER be able to get in an area, and have my face melted off.

Not to take this thread too far off course, my favorite albums of 2020:

Songhoy Blues - Optimisme
Wood and Wire - No Matter Where it Goes From Here
Nathaniel Rateliff - And I's Still Alright
AC/DC - Power Up - no, it is not in their top 10 albums, but my kids love it and I'm just happy I've successfully passed my music taste onto them (for now)

Sturgill Simpson and Tyler Childers' albums were good, but not my favorites

12/29/2020 12:03:37 PM

it’s literally as simple as the money went to the most profitable genres

same as it ever was

12/29/2020 5:26:14 PM

Albums
Trivium - What the Dead Men Say
Haken - Virus
Cloudkicker - Solitude
Deftones - Ohms
Killer Be Killed - Reluctant Hero
Lamb of God - Self-titled
Zeal & Ardor - Wake Of A Nation
Avatar - Hunter Gatherer

[Edited on December 30, 2020 at 12:03 AM. Reason : .]

12/29/2020 11:58:40 PM