Albums 2020

What You Gonna Do When The Grid Goes Down? Ask Rap Ranters PUBLIC ENEMY

Posted on by JL

31 December 2020

Band: Public Enemy

Album: What You Gonna Do When The Grid Goes Down?
The gangs 15th LP with a long cast of guests: Cypress Hill, Mike D
and Ad Rock, Run DMC, Nas, Rhapsody, Ice-T, James Bomb, and more.

Released: 25 September 2020

Chuck D. said: “My battle is with Trump – to look at this guy that I’ve known since
the early ‘80s. I’m from New York and I’ve seen all his bullshit and the mind games
that he’s played on the country and the world. He’s just got to go. If the world can’t
stand him and half the country can’t stand him, then why is he there?”

NME said: Still bringing the noise after being in the game for over 30 years,
this album is Public Enemy’s best effort since 1998’s ‘He Got Game’. Continuing
to hold leaders accountable in a time when it’s truly needed, the group’s fearless
expressions of truth sound right at home pinned to a jet-fuelled backdrop of rip-
roaring beats that hammer your eardrums and capture everything hip-hop should
stand for.” – Full review here. Score: 4/5.

Turn Up The Volume said: The uncontested kings of rap came back from never
being away. They’re still razor-in-your-face-sharp gangbusters and non-stop-free-
spoken ranters. They’re still fighting the corrupt power, they’re still the voice for
millions of their oppressed brothers and sisters. Hail hail!

PE also topped Turn Up The Volume‘s best-knockout-tracks-of-2020 list
with the loud and crystal clear ripper State Of The Union …

Public Enemy matter!
Black lives matter!

Here’s why…

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PUBLIC ENEMY: Facebook

(PE green press photo via FB PE)

Best Party Album Of 2020 – ‘HOT SLICK’ By Glamorous Bad Girls PINS

Posted on by JL

29 December 2020

Band: PINS
Who: Glam and jam pin-ups from Manchester.

Album: HOT SLICK – their third full length
Released: 29 May 2020

Info: The 10 new original tracks found the trio of singer/guitarist Faith Vern, guitarist Lois MacDonald and bassist Kyoko Swan welcoming a rotating cast of collaborators following the departure of their original rhythm section. The resulting album highlights an expanded soundscape with nods to influences such as Soulwax, LCD Soundsystem, Suicide, and New Order.

Turn Up The Volume says: A steamy-sizzling-sultry-sweaty-sensual-sexy party record. A boosting happy-go-funky feast. A no-brakes get-together fuzz and buzz fueled by Saturday Night Fever beats and stomping vibes. A cracking night-on-the-town soundtrack. All dance floor killers. Hot stuff. Shale your booty!

Key singles: Hot Slick / Bad Girls Forever

– HOT SLICK –

– BAD GIRLS FOREVER –

It’s not too late to buy
the album and party your
socks off on New Year’s Eve.
Do it now. Right here…


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PINS: Facebook

(press photo band)

Best 10 Albums Of 2020 According To British Music Magazine UNCUT

Posted on by JL

Longtime running monthly music magazine UNCUT picked
its 10 best albums of the past 12 mouth mask months, with
good old, living legend BOB DYLAN on top of the pack.

1. Rough and Rowdy Ways by BOB DYLAN

Uncut: “He can still surprise us, this complicated man.”

Stream here…

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2. Shore by FLEET FOXES

Uncut: “Pecknold has created another beautiful,
immersive world for us to dive into.”

Stream here…

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3. Punisher by PHOEBE BRIDGERS

Uncut: “Bridgers’ second solo album
confirms that the first was no fluke.“.

Stream here…

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4. The New OK by DRIVE-BY TRUCKERS

Stream here…


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5. It Is What It Is by THUNDERCAT

Uncut: “From funk struts to tender touches,
Thundercat’s ascension continues rapidly here.”

Stream here…

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6. Saint-Cloud by WAXAHATCHEE

Uncut: “The sense of warmth and uplift is all in
the music, rich with bright chords and hooks.”

Stream here…

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7. Gold Record by BILL CALLAHAN

Uncut: “Gold Record is very assured, marking
a refinement of the Callahan sound.”

Stream here…

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8. Beyond The Pale by JARV IS…

Uncut: “Cocker’s finest work since This Is Hardcore. The arrival
of an adventurous collective who might just be getting warmed up.”

Stream here…

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9. Heart’s Ease by SHIRLEY COLLINS

Uncut: “Heart’s Ease finds Collins’ voice rejuvenated,
and her confidence restored.”

Stream here…


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10. Song For Our Daughter by LAURA MARLING

Uncut: “She’s making significant musical changes – adding
fullness via a wide range of instruments, and a melodic pop swing.”

Stream here…

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The 20 Albums That Saved TURN UP THE VOLUME In This Surreal 2020 Year

Posted on by JL

1. Bejahung by ELEFANT (Belgium)

Released: 24 January 2020
TUTV: Soundtastic explorations, making me think of longtime weirdos The Residents. The Belgian – we do what we like – crusaders have entered another cutting-edge space with layers of special effects, some steamy knockouts, some puzzling razzmatazz, a cappella surprises and an overall arresting Sturm Und Drang sonority. The 2020 winner!

Stream/buy here…


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2. Bedroom by bdrmm (Hull, UK)

Released: 3 July 2020
TUTV: Talking about a flabbergasting debut. Believe the hype NME started: “It’s a gripping modern-day shoegaze classic.” Totally spot-on. Dream-stimulating, romantic, blue-sky and yes, angelic. Stroke of genius. Bingo!

Stream/buy here…

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3. Hot Slick by PINS (Manchester, UK)

Released: 29 May 2020
TUTV: Lockdown blues? Turn your living room into a cozy discotheque with Xmas lights and dance, sway, twirl, shake and sweat like it’s 1999 all over again. Party record of the year. Hot stuff with bad girls!

Stream/buy here…


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4. Deap Lips by DEAP LIPS (California/Oklahoma)

Released: 13 March 2020
TUTV: When the blues-punk-rock Amazons of Deap Vally and the surreal fairy tale daydreamers of The Flaming Lips join forces… motherfuckers got to go. Jump on your Yamaha, let your hair blow in the wind and imagine that you’re an Easy Rider.


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5. Under The Spell Of Joy by DEATH VALLEY GIRLS

Released: 2 October 2020
TUTV: Without a shadow of a doubt the best DVG album (so far). A joyful choir, 60s organs, a line-up of addictive tunes, garage rock thrills, sultry sax salvos and Bonnie Bloomgarden leading the troops as usual. Hold her hand and she’ll make you swing on cloud nine.

Stream/buy here…


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6. Every Bad by PORRIDGE RADIO (Brighton, UK)

Released: 13 March 2020
TUTV: This quartet rolls from amplified pop to post-punk and back, with ardent passion, anarchic and sweet, chaotic and intense, zealous and plainspoken with frontwoman and future indie star Dana Margolin as the driving force.

Stream here…

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7. A Hero’s Death by FONTAINES D.C. (Ireland)

Released: 31 July 2020
TUTV: Reflections on daily life embedded in spine-tingling post-punk jams. A loud and clear confirmation of what they achieved on their awesome debut LP. Another bold accomplishment! These Irish heros are here to stay! Life is not always empty, indeed!.

Stream/buy here…


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8. Atlas Vending by METZ (Canada)

Released: 9 October 2020
TUTV: A thunderous tsunami of jaw-dropping sledgehammers. Apocalyptic guitars and battering drum attacks while Alex Edkins yowling vocal-chords challenge the Richter scale
of madness. Explosive tour de force! Fasten your seatbelt.

Stream/buy here…


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9. Dances/Curses by HEY COLOSSUS (UK)

Released: 6 November 2020
TUTV: Never ever a dull moment with these post-punk-tastic groove machine. They master the art of wrapping sickly sticky tunes in a wall-of-bang-up sound. Tons of riveting hooks, never-ending riffs and mind-bending licks. Shake your booty to the blistering beats!

Stream/buy here…


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10. The Doctrine Of Infinite Kindness by THE MIGHTY ORCHID KING (UK)

Released: 26 June 2020 – debut LP
TUTV: An existential, bizarro piece of psychedelic work. Otherworldly, metaphysical, mind-boggling and rainbow-colored. Lose yourself in these zealots’ nature-caring stratosphere. Go outside and hug a tree.


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11. The New Abnormal by THE STROKES (New York)

Released: 20 April 2020 – their sixth LP
TUTV: A terrific longplayer with several moody and melancholic moments. Most tracks sound like introspective meditations. Wholehearted, spellbinding and captivating with Julian Casablancas‘s characteristic voice yearning in the middle. One of their best achievements. This is it!

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12. Sun Racket by THROWING MUSES (California)

Released: 4 September 2020
TUTV: Leading lady Kristin Hersh is still as driven and ambitious as she was about 30 years ago when she and her stepsister Tanya Donelly formed the Muses. A solid gold return!

Stream/buy here…

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13. Self-Surgery by MRS PISS (US)

Released: 29 May 2020
TUTV: Bloodcurdling shrieks / Firework in hell / Schizophrenic underground hysteria / Mind-crushing eruptions / Sisters of darkness in crime / Bone-chilling frenzy and dark waves.

HAVE FUN!

Stream/buy here…


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14. Division by VIOLENT VICKIE (Long Beach, Califonia)

Released: 4 September 2020
TUTV: Influenced by Goth, electro-punk and industrial greats such as Crystal Castles, Adult., Siouxsie and the Banshees, and one of Atari Teenage Riot‘s former, awesome voices Hanin Elias Californian Vickie made a be-witch-ing twilight record for illegal graveyard parties. Electro-swart, psyche-petrifying and Chelsea Wolfe-esque. She actives your serotonin’s stream with shadowy stimuli and droning doom and gloom beats. Midnight hour kicks!

Stream/buy here…


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15. Rough And Rowdy Ways by BOB DYLAN (US)

Released: 19 June 2020
TUTV: My all-time favorite singer/songwriter. Say no more.

Stream here…

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16. Fall To Pieces by TRICKY (UK)

17. Ultra Mono by IDLES (UK)

18. England Is A Garden by CORNERSHOP (UK)

19. American Head by THE FLAMING LIPS (Oklahoma)

20. Imploding The Mirage by THE KILLERS (US)

Have a safe and cozy Xmas and a splendid and healthy 2021, music junkies!

10 Best Hardcore LPs Of 2020 According To STEREOGUM

Posted on by JL

21 December 2020

American Music website STEREOGUM (founded in 2002 – 320.000 followers on Facebook) has published its 2020 list of best Hardcore Albums. Here’s the deafening top 10…

1. Impenetrable Cerebral Fortress by GULCH (Wichita, Kansas)

Released: 24 July 2020
Stereogum: “There is so much happening in this wild 16-minute ride of an album. Mysterious Santa Cruz berserkers Gulch bring the icy grandeur of Mayhem, the erratic bloodthirst of Nails, the adrenalized speed of Infest, and a whole lot else.”

Yeaaaaahhhhhhh…


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2. World House by MIL-SPEC (San Jose, California)

Released: 25 September 2020
Stereogum: “The band draws inspiration from ’90s bands that combined fury with melody — Turning Point, Quicksand, Moss Icon. But Mil-Spec also have a way of taking those influences, twisting them into new shapes, and transforming them into something urgent and vital and new.”

Wham bloody bam…


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3. Ronin by ROTTING OUT (Pasadena, California)

Released: 17 April 2020
Stereogum: “The Los Angeles band that Delgado has led for a decade-plus, has a whole lot of Californian surf-punk in its sound; they’re the rare modern hardcore band who sounds as much like Pennywise as they do Madball.”

Go nuts…


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4. ’27 Miles Under Water’ by HIGHER POWER (Leeds, UK)

Released: 24 January 2020
Stereogum: “The line between populist riffage and hardcore stomp isn’t an easy one to walk, but Higher Power do it better than anyone this side of Turnstile.”

Hell this way…

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5. Cruelty Of Heaven by

Released: 21 August 2020
Stereogum: “Sometimes, when hardcore bands slow things down for the mosh pit, it feels obligatory, a clockwork part of a long-established format. When Unreal City do it, it sounds like the sky turning ash-grey before blood rains down.”

Here’s the mosh-pit…


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6. California Cursed by DRAIN

7. Black Line by RESPIRE

8. Rather Be Alone by POWER ALONE

9. Punishment Park by BIG CHEESE

10. Flesh, Steel, Victory… by SEED OF PAIN

10 Ace Albums Of 2020 According To Magazine ALTERNATIVE PRESS

Posted on by JL

15 December 2020

American monthly music magazine ALTERNATIVE PRESS, founded in 1985 and working out of Cleveland, Ohio is the biggest US music magazine (more than 1 million followers on Facebook) that focuses on various alternative music genres. Here is their TOP 10 of awesome 2020 albums with THE 1975 leading the pack…

1. NOTES ON A CONDITIONAL FORM by 1975 (UK)

AP: “Massive, earth-shattering release. It fuses everything The 1975 have built their career
on and more: Auto-Tune goodness, orchestral tracks, ’80s power ballads, and pop-punk throwbacks.”

Stream here…

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2. WAKE-UP SUNSHINE by ALL-TIME LOW (Baltimore, US)

AP: “Wake Up, Sunshine is energetic, introspective, dynamic and everything
in between. All Time Low certainly delivered when we needed it most.”

Stream here…

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20/20 VISION by ANTI-FLAG (Pittsburgh, US)

AP: “One of the standout albums from their revered multi-decade career. We wouldn’t
expect anything less from Anti-Flag, but we yearn for more LPs like this one in the future.”

Stream here…

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LIKE A HOUSE ON FIRE by ASKING ALEXANDRIA (New Yorkshire, UK)

AP: “Like A House On Fire is Asking Alexandria throwing themselves in the deep end and breathing comfortably at the depths. As cinematic as it is unapologetic, their melodic 2020 incarnation made its intentions clear.”

Stream here..

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GUARDIANS by AUGUST BURNS RED (Lancaster, Pennsylvania, US)

AP: “‘August Burns Red’ are one of the most consistent bands in metalcore,
as well as the metal and hardcore “ingredients” that make up the collision
subgenre. The superhero theme is apt because these Pennsylvanians helped
save metalcore from sinister synths and continue carrying the torch.”

Stream here…

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The Ride by BAD COP, BAD COP (Southern California)

Everything Means Nothing by BLACKBEAR (Palm Coast, Florida)

Death In Venice Beach by THE BOMBPOPS (San Diego, CA, US)

Glue by BOSTON MANOR (Blackpool, UK)

Post Human: Survival Horror by BRING ME THE HORIZON (Sheffield, UK)

50 Best Albums Of 2020 By Legendary Music Magazine ROLLING STONE

Posted on by JL

7 December 2020

As so many music websites/magazines/blogs American music monument Rolling Stone also revealed their end-of-the-year-albums list with TAYLOR SWIFT leading the troops
with her FOLKLORE LP.

“It’s not a stretch to say that Taylor Swift’s Folklore may go down in history as the definitive quarantine album, and not just because of the record’s homespun, folksy presentation.
Without the pressure of having to write radio hits or build up her usual prolonged album-release schedule — full of music videos, Easter eggs, and Good Morning America performances — Swift shed the über-pop trappings of her previous album, Lover, for a project that put her once-in-a-generation songwriting talent front and center.” – Rolling Stone

Stream here…

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2. Fetch The Bolt Cutters by FIONA APPLE
“No one could have expected the audacity of Fetch the Bolt Cutters, or the way Apple
expresses her independent spirit over an orchestra of drums, percussion, barks, and
meows.” – Rolling Stone

Stream here…

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3. YHLQMDLG by BAD BUNNY
“Yo Hago Lo Que Me Da La Gana is both more varied and more focused than Bad Bunny’s excellent 2018 debut album, X 100pre, with reckless stylistic shifts. Bad Bunny released two more albums in 2020, but neither outdid YHLQMDLG‘s relentless firepower.” – Rolling Stone

Stream here…

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4. ‘Rough And Rowdy Ways’ by BOB DYLAN
“Rough and Rowdy Ways is a lyrical tour-de-force, teeming with outrageous jokes, playful boasts and irreverent tributes to the greats who came before him. Stunners in themselves, these songs add up to Dylan’s funniest, most surprising, and most multidimensional album since Love and Theft.” – Rolling Stone

Stream here…

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5. ‘Future Nostalgia’ by DUA LIPA
“Lipa’s second album would have been a magnificent disco trip, even in the best of all possible years. But Future Nostalgia was crucial for a year when these beats were as close to the club as fans could get. It’s a rush of uptempo dance glitz.” – Rolling Stone

Stream here…

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6.RTJ4 by RUN THE JEWELS
7. Saint Cloud by WAXAHATCHEE
8. Eternal Atake by LIZ UZI VERT
9. What’s Your Pleasure by JESSIE WARE
10. Punisher by PHOEBE BRIDGERS

Full 50 list here

50 Best Albums Of 2020 According To LOUDER THAN WAR…

Posted on by JL

Very popular British music website LOUDER THAN WAR revealed their list of 50 best albums of 2020 preceded by this message: “An unforgettable year, and some magnificent music. 30 odd LTW writers agree on these fifty to varying degrees. Bob Vylan led the field right up to the last two nominations, closely followed by Bob Dylan! There are artists here you won’t find on any other End of Year lists. New and old side by side. In the Top 20 more than half the acts are female or include female members. Enjoy.”

1. ‘I Am Moron’ by THE LOVELY EGGS (Lancaster, UK)
“LTW favourites The Lovely Eggs return on top form with album number six. Psych
punk at its height, again produced by Flaming Lips magician David Fridmann.” – LTW

Stream album here…

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2. ‘We Live Here’ by BOB VYLAN
“A groundbreaking album that slammed right into 2020 full of rage, anger and messages
pre lockdown (WC) Crucial mix of grime and punk with a clear angry fuck off to racists.” – LTW

Stream here…


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3. ‘A National Disgrace’ by DEAD SHEERAN
“Dead Sheeran is the dogs bollocks. The one album which makes you laugh at the impotence of the collective rage and feeling of desperation in the UK in 2020. He doesn’t have answers, he doesn’t even know the fuckin’ question. But he is some kind of accidental genius and a vital antidote to the misery of 2020.” – LTW

Stream here…

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4. ‘Rough And Rowdy Ways’ by BOB DYLAN
“How can this fantastic return of Mr Zimmerman not make it into the top 5?
An absolute masterclass of songwriting once again.” – LTW

Stream here…

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5. ‘Made Of Rain’ by THE PSYCHEDELIC FURS
“Purely beautiful. Shiver down the spine stuff. Not a bad track and a hark
back to the glory days. No One is just a stunning piece of songwriting.” – LTW

Stream here…

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6. England Is A Garden by CORNERSHOP
7. A Hero’s Death by FONTIANES D.C.
8. Now Here’s An Echo From Your Future by GIRLS IN SYNTHESIS
9. Untitled (Rise) by SAULT
10. Fetch The Bolt Cutters by FIONA APPLE

Full 50 list here.