Indie Basement: Top 40 Albums of 2020
It s a given that 2020 has been a year unlike any that most of us have ever experienced. Time seemed to fold in on itself (for me at least), and March to December seemed to go by in an instant but also in slow motion. If felt this way for music, too. Albums I thought were last year were this year and vice versa. Looking through the months, though, it was a bit shocking how many records I really liked were released and how many of these groups I wish I had gotten to see live this year.
Dear Lindsay, Brittany, and 2020’s guest Music Clubbers,
Last year, the likes of Lil Nas X and Billie Eilish suggested a potential new musical dawn, from a new generation, and maybe a fresh matching energy in society, if it could hold on long enough. Then came 2020, and that light at the tunnel’s end turned out to be a freight train. It’s hard to cast a vast surveying gaze across the cultural landscape when for months you’ve dived down and flattened yourself against the tracks, holding your breath in hopes that the steel wheels on either side will pass you by and the undercarriage won’t snag you and drag you around the next bend. At best you can strain to detect more distant vibrations amid the general clatter and roar.
The List: Stereoboard s Best Albums of 2020 Monday, 14 December 2020 Written by Stereoboard
Well, that was weird, wasn t it? 2020 will not be fondly remembered (aside from one particular bloke losing a big job) and 2021 is starting its race with some ground to make up, but as we locked down and stayed home the soundtrack was excellent at least. So much good music made its way into the world over the past 12 months, reminding us of what we have to cherish and also what we potentially have to lose. Here s our pick of the best of the best with a reminder: the artistic and creative industries cannot be allowed to wither and die. Support your local record shop. Support your local venues. Keep going.