It was another very solid year for recorded music purchases and listening around the EWN this year. A good three times as many full-length albums released in 2020 were enjoyed this year than the top ten we'll list:
10. Brandy Clark - Your Life is a Record -- Listening to more podcasts brought forth new musicians, books, movies, 
etc. to our life this year and one example is Brandy Clark. Heard her on the Brian Koppelman's The Moment podcast as a long-time successful songwriter who had released a couple of albums the past few years. Picked them both up and really enjoyed this latest--which we believe is up for a Grammy of some sort. Excellent lyrics.
9. Sad13 - Haunted Painting -- If we remember right, we were planning on going to see Diet Cig last summer and Speedy Ortiz was going to be an opener. Speedy's lead singer-songwriter happens to have this side project, Sad13, which released this great album early in the fall. Catchy, great guitar with a really varied list of instruments played.
8. Frances Quinlan - Likewise -- If we're honest, we have no memory of what caught our 
attention for this one but we were very happy once picking it up, along with Quinlan's band project, Hop Along's last two efforts earlier this year. Another concert we had cancelled on us in 2020. A pretty unique voice--something we at the EWN are almost always appreciative of.
7. Alaska Reid - Big Bunny -- a latecomer to the listening as it didn't come out until quite late in the year. We'd been big fans of Reid's previous entity, Alyeska, and found the songs on this to have many of the same qualities but seemingly tighter, more reined in and really more focused on the elements where Reid really shines.
6. Border Patrol - The Worst Excuses -- We'd gotten to know the singer of Border Patrol, 
Dave Toennies, and heard hi perform some of these solo the first few months of the year and then this hit and it's about all we listened to for a couple of weeks and don't think we've gone more than a week without hearing songs from it since. Simply excellent songwriting.
5. Courtney Marie Andrews - Old Flowers -- another source for us was year end lists as we're well aware there's a TON of music we never hear about throughout the year. This one appeared up in the top ten of a few places so we tracked down a song or three and were blown away--the voice, the songs--this is a breakup album that deserves a spot on the shelf with Shoot Out the Lights. Purchased very late in the year but since we've listened to it a dozen times easily and picked up four or five other Andrews LPs.
4. Clementine Was Right - Lightning & Regret -- We've known one of the members, 
Mike Young, for a good decade or so from the literary world. Which led to us giving this one a purchase sight unseen (or sound unheard we suppose). We're very glad we knew Mike--these are great songs, played well, very tight. There's a poetry to the lyrics, some nonsense slides in occasionally but in a way that's whimsical and not silly.
3. Waxahatchee - Saint Cloud -- Been a fan since her second album and have gone back to pick up everything from her pre-Waxahatchee days as well. Was waiting for this one for a few months as I'd pre-ordered it and somehow it exceeded expectations. Country Americana if you felt the need to classify it, but there's really no need--simply great song after great song and the fact that there are two LPs we held in higher esteem is pretty amazing.
2. Girl Friday - Androgynous Mary -- Our favorite 2019 discovery started 2020 off with 
their first full-length work. It's fantastic. Like their earlier EPs, there is no lead singer, they all join in. There is no specific style (something you'll notice based on my top two LPs that I'm a fan of) but a ton of energy infused into each and every song. There's probably no LP from this year I look more forward to watching played live.
1. Deau Eyes - Let it Leave -- We missed out seeing this act play live in Detroit just before everything was shut down and after getting a chance to hear the music we kicked ourselves around for a bit. Then she began to do live streams Sunday mornings where we really got to catch wind of the talent involved. Great songs and a fantastic voice--and fantastic live, not simply through some studio mechanisms. The songs on this album range from straightforward rockers to ballads, to singer-songwriter works and so on. Picked up in late spring and listened to at least once a week since if not more.
EPs
1. Ally Evenson - Not So Pretty Now -- We had the luck of being at a Ghost Light open mic. early this year 
when Ally Evenson stopped in and played a couple of songs. She was great and we began to follow her on social media, and thus were alerted to the release of this stunning EP. Great songs and an incredible voice powering them. Were this a full LP it would have been in our top ten of those for sure.
2. Alvidrez - Hell for Rent -- one of Girl Friday's quartet, Alividrez released an EP last year and this one in 
2020 plus a few singles. Not quite a cohesive LP's worth of songs, but all very good, unique going from spoken word to sung, from seemingly just a bass line to piano ballad type music. We can't wait to hear where she pushes to next.
3. Bartees Strange - Say Goodbye to Pretty Boy-- five covers of songs by The National, reconfigured. This dude has a wonderful voice and really moves the songs around in ways to make these versions his own. Heard about him on a podcast late in the year and this and his first full length LP were both heavy spins the last month or so.
4. Vera Ellen - Songs No One Should Hear -- Another of Girl Friday's quartet, this New 
Zealander released this and then a bunch of singles she's previously done. This grouping has a couple really wonderful straight ahead rock/pop songs that I have gone back to frequently through the year.
Singles
5. Purple Witch of Culver - a trio of fall singles --This band out of (we believe) Brooklyn is a two piece with a saxophonist involved (though the third single seemed to be lacking that sax sound). The initial single included spoken word, the saxophone and more and was catchier than we'd ever have suspected it would be. The next two songs have been equally listenable.
4. Taylor Janzen - two singles -- This singer-songwriter from Winnipeg followed up her late 2019 
announcement of a label signing and single with two spring 2020 singles: Devotion, and I Feel a Darkness. Both had less of a pop feel than her initial label single, What I Do, but are immediately recognizable as Taylor Janzen songs--catchy, great guitar and singing. Hopefully these are leading to a full length LP in 2021.
3. Mike Ward - two singles -- The first two singles fro his forthcoming (January) LP: Our Turn to Shine and No Way to Live, are both excellent versions of what Ward does--great song writing--digging into important topics like a small dog with a big bone and finding lovely spins on them; memorable spins. Add to that a great guitar and vocal and it seems that on this album he's brought on some other talent to back him on his vocals and they've been stellar to this point. Looking forward to that full album (note--we've actually heard the full thing and fully believe it will be on next year's top ten LP list).
2. Heaven Honey - Total Abandon -- We caught this act at the Ghost Light when they were touring in 2019 
and following their move to Nashville, they released this song early in the year and some remixes of older material later in the summer. This song sticks with you--great, haunting vocals.
1. Emma Guzman - a trio of singles -- Three great studio singles released during 2020 for this Tidal sponsored singer-songwriter from the Detroit area and all three were stellar. Guzman's voice is out of this world and her songs sound great with a full band behind them. If we had to pick the one we've probably listened to the most this year, it was probably Irene.
Locals
We've said it before but we are extremely fortunate to be here in the Detroit area when it comes to many things and music leaps to near the top of that list. Beyond those local listed above already (Border Patrol, Ally Evenson, Mike Ward, and Emma Guzman), we had the pleasure of picking up some other local music:
Barelyon - Slow and Steady -- a couple of songs by this duo that are just excellent across the board--the 
music, the lyrics, the singing. Looking forward to something full from them in 2021.
The Codgers - Have a Little Fun -- caught this LP release show at the Gaelic League shortly before things shut down and it was great. Was already a fan of member, John Freeman, but found that we also really enjoyed the songs not sung by him on this album. A steady listen since March.
Scott Fab - Someday Soon Somehow -- Fab's second full-length album follows up his wonderful debut with more of the same. The songs on this one have seemingly been 
sculpted slowly step by step until they were perfect. Scott's got a wonderful voice to bring these great lyrics to light.
Ghosts of Sunset - a trio of singles toward their forthcoming EP that tells the story of a band (hair metal)'s rise and fall. John Merchant (guitar/vocals) and Todd Long (drums/vocals) brought in some talent from that late 80's era to join them and the first three songs are wonderful if you're a fan hair metal, of good story songs, etc. Very much looking forward to hearing the full EP in 2021 from rise to fall.
Sodra - If You Knew Me -- an early pandemic release of previously recorded songs (if we understood correctly) and they are really wonderful. She's got a beautiful voice and has some great songs to employ that voice toward.
Zilched - Doompop -- a fall release that we heard of via Ally Evenson (who plays 
some guitar for the group). Some excellent songs on this full length play. We've not had a chance to dig in nearly enough but plan on rectifying that early in 2021.
A very solid year of music with signs of a very good 2021 coming (we're specifically hoping to see releases from Courtney Hurley, Alison Lewis, Don Duprie, Emilie Rivard, and Jackamo--beyond those listed above that we suggested would have 2021 releases).
Comments