DATE ARCHIVES : December 2020

Albums of the Year 2020

Compiling music lists is always a nice way to reflect on a year, so in keeping with tradition, here are my favourite records from 2020.

This year I’ve narrowed it down 10 and there is little between them to be honest. Recommendations from readers will be greatly welcomed.

10.Whyte Horses – ‘Hard Times’

Manchester psych-pop outfit Whyte Horses’ latest endeavor continues on from where 2018’s ‘Empty Words’, as they whisk us off to a land of blissful, dreamy psychedelia, sounding both familiar yet fresh. Ostensibly feeling like a mutating shape-shifting pop art project, ‘Hard Times’ feels like a mixtape with a difference. It isn’t just simply selecting tracks, choosing the running order, but  recording and producing a selection of much-loved songs while rounding up some of your favorite artists into the bargain. Sound like fun? That’s exactly what Whyte Horses have pulled off on their third record.

Listen in full here.

09. Aoife Nessa Frances – ‘Land of No Junction’

Aoife Nessa Frances’ debut album ‘Land of No Junction’ draws from an eclectic array of influences – ’60s psych-pop, offbeat folk, orchestral flourishes and flair for avant-garde – which sounds familiar yet fresh, as it meanders through ever shifting scenery that blurs the lines between dreams and reality. Frances’ smoky vocal is a constant and gripping, and no matter the ever changing environs –  waltzing beats, undulating groove,  rippling guitar lines, hypnotic organ hums or swirling psych or hazy blanket of fuzz – it is a voice that shines like a lighthouse amid a dense bank of fog. Land of No Junction is a serene, hypnotic and stunning debut (and one that could have been called Llandudno Junction). 

Listen in full here.

08. Khruangbin – ‘Mordechai’ 

Texan trio Khruangbin – Laura Lee Ochoa (bass), Mark Speer (guitar), and Donald “DJ” Johnson (drums) – are peerless sonic sorcerers and funky force of nature. Borrowing from a world of influences, theirs, and indeed third album  ‘Mordechai’,  is a colourful coming together of different sound, genres, cultures and era; there is funk, soul and hip hop, some Latin, Middle Eastern and Asian influences and a whole lot of beautiful psychedelia. It is an intoxicating brew, built on seductive grooves and mostly cool, calm and chilled vibes, offering either a zen-like sense of peace or funky, hypnotic groovy seduction – or a coming together of both. This is super chill, beautifully addictive and mellow, ‘Moredechai’ is a record to watch the sun go down.

Listen in full here.

07. Silverbacks – ‘Fad’

Irish post-punk outfit Silverbacks long-awaited debut album was worth the wait. Having patiently building a rep with superb single after superb single, there wasn’t too much doubt that ‘Fad’ would live up to its billing. Unspooling the ingredients of their sound is tough; there are touches of post-punk, art-rock, new wave and 90s indie to name but a few as tracks, built around a motorik rhythm and taut groove, rush past with a whirlwind of shifting multi-sensory sound as triple guitars attack. Lyrics are multi-layered and uniquely Silverbacks. There’s is a sound comparable to a place where parts Talking Heads, Television, LCD Soundsystem and Gang of Four can all coexist and flourish. A debut to remember.

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Swine Tax – ‘Johnny’

Having shared ‘Relax’ in November, Newcastle-upon-Tyne outfit Swine Tax return with the other half of double-a-side, ‘Johnny’.

Swine Tax have proven their credentials for fiery, jagged and infectious post-punk with a slew of singles that are best described as a bit indie, a bit alternative rock, a bit rough-around-the-edges and a whole lot melodic – and the single doesn’t break with tradition. Once again recorded with Barry Hyde of The Futureheads, ‘Johnny’ does however, offer a less frantic and hyperactive side to their sound. Anchored by a sunken, slowly slinking groove, guitars buzz and riffs fuzz while it swaggers atop a motorik beat with vocals soaring passionately above. It is groovy as, and punctuated by bursts of sporadic explosive riffs, burning emotion and epic crescendos. Yet another brilliant blast of post-punk from Swine Tax.

Listen to  ‘Johnny’ below:


Kelp – ‘Spleen’

“I know I’m not the hero you asked for, or wanted.. or needed… also I’m really not a hero. Presenting the misadventures of a miniature deep-sea diver fishbowl figurine.”

So goes the surrealist introduction to Kelp; Belfast-based purveys of loungey cosmic electronica fronted by an inch high, ethereal deep sea diver with a preoccupation for vocoders and additive synthesis. Kelp’s debut single is ‘Spleen’ an ethereal, slumbering and woozy slice of escapism. Anchored by a deep seductive groove, hazy vocoder vocals hover dreamily above a delicious blend of bubbling synths, lush strings and flickering electronics as we are treated to a whirring, cosmic and futuristic synth escape. Is the world ready for a loungey electronica outfit fronted by an inch high, ethereal deep sea diver? Maybe not but we’ve seen strange things happen in 2020 and judging by the music, we would be well to embrace this surreal experiment into our hearts.

Listen to ‘Spleen’ below now – it is an absolute joy.

Beige Banquet – ‘Wired/Weird’

Formed earlier in 2020, East London-based Beige Banquet (aka Tom Brierley) play drum-machine-driven and self-produced outsider/weirdo/art punk.

‘Wired/Weird’ is the first in a collection of tracks written and produced in a dank East-London bedroom during the first part of 2020 in circumstances familiar to many musicians, Brierley switched focus from performing to recording, and this is the first fruit from that labour. The aptly titled ‘Wired/Weird’ is spikey, agitated and drum-machine-driven post-punk. Fuelled by metronomic beat, repetitive guitar lines, jerky riffs and sharp rhythm section, making for an angular, intoxicating and off-kilter jam. This somewhat frenzied sounds perfectly complement the stream-of-consciousness lyrics and manic delivery – it is unique and brilliant with more promised in 2021.

Listen to ‘Wired/Weird’ below – it is out now on Just Step Sideways Records 

Benbo & Michelle Bee – ‘Room In A Box’

UK producer and musician Benbo, and long time collaborator Michelle Be, are a pairing that embraces their quirky nature, and love for music, feeding off one another’s particular penchant which oozes from every fabric of their sound.

Their latest fruit from their collaboration is ‘Room In A Box’, a loose-limbed, seductive, slo-mo groover. It slinks along a super seductive slo-mo disco groove as warped, wobbling beats intertwine with a pulsing synth, as hushed honeyed vocals float gracefully above. Aided and abetted by winding acid squelches, ‘Room In A Box’ winds along that seductive groove as the cosmic soundscape is peppered with subtle bouts of euphoria and ravey undertones. This is a stunning offbeat exploration of imaginative, off-kilter, funk and disco-infused cosmic that will worm its way inside your head and refuse to leave for days and days.

‘Room In A Box’ is out now, complete with a Hannah Holland remix, a shiny new radio re-version. Tune in below:


Ben Xylo – ‘Calculator’

Born out of the anxiety of the lockdown, ‘Calculator’ is the debut single from UK producer Ben Xylo, 1/3 of Bath rockers* The Vacant Official, and he’s gone and cooked up something rather special.

Taking a host of house, techno and electronica influences, Xylo assimilates these familiar traits into otherworldly electronic music that gracefully hovers in an ambiguous hinterland between subtly euphoric and vaguely ambient. Cloaked in a shadowy mystique, ‘Calculator’ opens with a slow patter of grooving beats, burning synth and frazzled electronics cascading from above. This eerie atmosphere begins to fade as the pace increases and synths swirl and pulse, sustaining the rhythm and protracting the promise of a euphoric climax, while keeping you captivated through beautiful hypnotic repetition. A stunning introduction to Ben Xylo, and one that will leave you mesmerised.

Listen to ‘Calculator’ below:

*They are from bath, they are not rockers of baths.

Sherwyn – ‘What’

Sherwyn is a Nashville-raised, Los Angeles-based artist & producer with an undeniable flair for mixing it up and transcending genres, blending hip hop and rap with lashings of funk, new wave funk and alt-rock.

Influenced by artists such as David Byrne, Keith Haring, Andre 3000, and Bootsy Collins, Sherwyn’s output thus far has been superb – ‘My Mind’ & ‘Starfucker’ both irresistible funky, new wave groovers. Latest single ‘What’, while a rather efficient 1:47, is a meatier heavy hitting hip hop meets rock jam. It struts along a bed of seductive big beats and swaggering grooving while a snarling riff and chugging guitar adds to the bite as Sherwyn spits a wishlist for a different world – his delivery confident, defiant and melodic. This is a superb cut with the right amount of everything – just superb!

Listen to ‘What’ below now:


Oddnesse – ‘Hot Air’

We’ve been keeping tabs on Oddnesse for a number of years now, and has impressed at every given opportunity with a a slew of lush, dreamy and alluring indie-pop gems – ‘Are You Down’, ‘I Used To, ‘Donut Shop’ & ‘All American Lie’ instantly spring to mind.

For those of you new to the name, Oddnesse is the fruitful collaboration between musician Rebeca Arango and producer Grey Goon, two east-coast heads based in Los Angeles with a shared affinity for catchy hooks, heavy grooves and apocalyptic hypothetical – and demonstrating their propensity for the brilliant, Oddnesse is signing off 2020 in fine form with stunning single ‘Hot Air’.

With ‘Hot Air’ we find Oddnesse’s penchant for richly melodic and lavish indie-pop pushed to new and exciting levels. We are entranced by the dual powers of Arango’s melodic cooing and entrancing, propulsive groove, as a dazzling blend of glistening guitar-lines, choppy chords, shimmering synths and bubbling basslines create a beautiful, melodic and bewitching splendor.  A stunning way to sign off on 2020 and one that will be bobbing around your head all week.

Listen to ‘Hot Air’ below:

ae inc. – ‘Krystina’

ae inc. is the latest musical project from songwriter & producer David Sanderson (aka David Harks) who has been the recipient of much deserved lavish praise for his work with Safetalk, varying collaborative projects and of course, his solo work.

Adding to this huge diverse and impressive back catalogue is ‘Krystina’; the debut outing for the fledgling ae inc project – and it is up there with the very best of his work to date. ‘Krystina’ struts into view, slinking upon a bed of cushioned beats, deep groove and pulsing synth as hushed melodic vocals flow amid the woozy textures & dreamy harmonies above. It is warm and uplifting, dreamy and seductive as subtle bouts of euphoria and mild ravey undertones illuminate the hazy allure and undercurrent of melancholy. Sanderson already has an enviable back catalogue over supreme quality and ‘Krystina’ is up there with the very best of his work.

Listen to ‘Krystina’ below – it does not disappoint.

Total Rubbish – ‘Someone Else’s Dream’

Philadelphia trio, Total Rubbish, have garnered a serious rep for solid psychedelic garage rock gold throughout 2020 and culminating in debut EP, Triple Negative – a tour de force of psych-rock.

The trio are back with another single called ‘Someone Else’s Dream’. Lifted from the EP and much like the previous singles – ‘Honey Ryder’ & ‘What’s Your Damage?’ – it ekes out a sweet spot between forcefulness and ear for melody, coexisting in a sea of dense atmospheric tones and swirling riffs. ‘Someone Else’s Dream’ sees dreamy vocals float breezily above the buzzing riff, crunchy guitar, slo-mo swagger and rich melodic allure – and all bathed it a thick layer of fuzz and distortion. Yet again, the inappropriately named Total Rubbish have served up an irresistible slice of dreamy yet swaggering psych-infused rock.

Tune in to ‘Someone Else’s Dream’ below now: