Home Blog Page 1622

20 Great Albums You May Have Missed in 2020

Konstantinos Pappis
-
0
20 Great Albums You May Have Missed in 2020

In spite of everything, 2020 brought us a ton of great new music – too much to fit into a single list. Which is why, as a supplement to our 50 Best Albums of 2020 feature, we’re continuing our 2020 Year in Review by highlighting 20 compelling albums that may (understandably) have slipped under your radar this year. Some of these albums were included on our previous list but deserve a bit more attention, while others didn’t make the final cut but we think are still worth highlighting – from experimental, genre-blending projects from the likes of More Eaze and Ohmme to introspective singer-songwriter releases from artists like Ellis and Ev Carm. Many of these records were made by musicians we’ve also featured in our Artist Spotlight series, so if you’re enjoying their work, be sure to check out those Q&As as well.

Here, in no particular order, are 20 great albums you may have missed in 2020.

More Eaze, Mari

The moniker of Austin-based producer, composer, and multi-instrumentalist Mari Maurice, More Eaze’s work sews together elements of experimental pop, 00s glitch music, ambient, and AutoTuned automatic writing. In addition to the mostly ambient towards a plane and a collaborative LP with Claire Rousay titled If I Don’t Let Myself Be Happy Now Then When?, she also released Mari, an introspective and dynamic collection of tracks exploring the duality of the self as reflected in the juxtaposition of off-kilter, disjointed instrumentals and more direct, pop-adjacent moments like highlights ‘talk’ and ‘i don’t wanna’. Mari proves she’s equally adept at crafting melodic, punchy pop songs as well as working through more abstract, reflective modes of expression; those diverse artistic impulses coalesce in affecting ways on an explorative album that’s as intricate and layered as it is intimate and evocative.

Ohmme, Fantasize Your Ghost

Ohmme’s second LP serves as a microcosm of the Chicago-based duo’s diverse musical capabilities, deftly balancing their experimental inclinations as well as their propensity for direct pop songwriting. More than anything, though, it’s a showcase for Macie Stewart and Sima Cunningham’s unique dynamism and collaborative spirit: opener ‘Food Your Gut’ summons the magnetic energy of a live show while boasting one of the album’s most captivating psych-rock hooks, while the propulsive ‘Selling Candy’ cascades into a chaotic whirlwind of dissonant guitars. On tracks like ‘Spell it Out’ and ‘Twitch’, Ohmme introduce string arrangements to evoke a more composed but equally entrancing atmosphere. Even more creative impulses battle it out on the back end of the album – there’s the contemplative ‘Some Kind of Calm’, the noisy ‘Surgeon Moon’, the pop-adjacent ‘After All’ – but Stewart and Cunningham’s chemistry makes the proceedings feel natural and intuitive.

Carla J. Easton, Weirdo

No, Carly Rae Jepsen did not suddenly release an album under a brand new moniker. This is Carla J. Easton, the Glasgow singer formerly known as Ette, and though she might not yet have been crowned the queen of literally everything, the pulsating synths and soaring, breathy chorus on the opening track of her third album call right back to the pure pop escapism of Jepsen’s classic ‘Run Away with Me’. The follow-up to 2018’s critically acclaimed Impossible Stuff, Weirdo carries with it that same euphoric feeling throughout, but Easton augments it with a touch of those darker influences that have yet to fully materialize in Jepsen’s music: the pounding drums on the otherwise sugary ‘Heart So Hard’, the wobbly synths on the entrancing ‘Beautiful Boy’, the distorted guitars on the thrilling, Honeyblood-featuring title track. But such inventive flourishes only make the bubblegum sweetness of ‘Never Knew You’ or the exuberant maximalism of ‘Over You’ all the more irresistible.

Laura Fell, Safe from Me

“I can’t find the answers for myself/ It’s easier to help somebody else,” Laura Fell laments on ‘Cold’, a highlight from her debut studio album Safe from Me. A psychotherapist by day, it’s perhaps no surprise that the London-based artist’s music is imbued with a sense of vulnerability and keen self-awareness, but it also serves as a subtle means through which to challenge some of those assumptions – the record is ultimately less about finding answers than the discoveries that arise simply from the process of introspection. Fell recruited a group of classically trained musicians to help realize her artistic vision, and the instrumentation throughout the album is wonderfully organic and refined as a result. But from the subtly ominous ‘Bone of Contention’ to the pure intimacy of ‘Left Foot Right Foot’, it’s the songwriter’s knack for penning empathetic, nuanced folk songs and wrapping them around her enchanting voice that renders it such a compelling listen.

Ev Carm, Awake

It was only after Dublin-based multi-instrumentalist Ev Carm decided to take a hiatus from consciously working on music that his debut full-length project Awake began to take shape – which is perhaps part of the reason why its ambient folk textures feel so natural and effortless. Hovering between the conscious and the unconscious as it flits between gorgeously intimate songs and tentative yet expansive instrumental compositions, the record echoes the hushed vulnerability of an act like the Antlers while also displaying a penchant for a similar kind of elusive yet poignant storytelling. Its narrator runs into the night looking for a certain someone on ‘Looking for You’, but the boundaries between dreams and reality soon become blurry. By the end of the penultimate track, ‘Just Time’, he seems to have found comfort in stillness: “Don’t move/ And don’t breathe/ Just take it all in/ The last of what once was here.”

Elison 404, Pebbledash

“Joy not fear,” Elison 404 chant on opener ‘Perfect Dark’ over haunting synths and ethereal vocals, perfectly setting the mood that pervades their debut album – a stirring mix of melancholy and hope. A subsidiary of the South-London collective 404 Guild, the duo of Sonny and Eliot stray slightly from the abrasive, hard-hitting stylings of the collective’s 2019 EPs to embrace more meditative, dreamy soundscapes following the passing of founding member Mina, aka Silvertongue. Throughout Pebbledash, they showcase their diverse array of influences, from lo-fi to hip-hop to garage: highlight ‘Chip Pan’ beautifully employs a Eurodance beat to augment the song’s introspective atmosphere, while tracks like ‘Skannerz’ and ‘F1 Motel’ blend modern hip-hop production with nods to the UK’s electronic scene to embody the all-encompassing sense of anxiety that permeates the lyrics. Amidst chaos and uncertainty, Elison 404 ultimately find – or at least keep looking for – hope in togetherness.

Emma Grace, Wild Fruits and Red Cheeks

Emma Grace is an Italian-American composer, singer, and violinist from Assisi and Florida whose work interweaves elements of classical, ambient, and folk music. Following her first album Backgrounds in 2018, the earthy and enchanting Wild Fruits and Red Cheeks showcases her ability to incorporate lo-fi phone and field recordings collected from her travels and breathe new life into them through her ever-evolving compositions. From short, minimalist pieces like ‘Animated (Midnat)’ and ‘Altars’ to more fully-formed, slowly-unfurling tracks like the hypnotic ‘Red Fruits’ and ‘Climbing on Waters’, the double album has the healing effect of taking a walk in the woods and absorbing all the beauty that surrounds you. There are just so many nooks and crannies to explore, and you’re bound to discover something new every time you dive back in – even at its most elusive and idiosyncratic, there’s still a stunning immediacy to it all.

Joanna Warren, Chaotic Good

If you need any confirmation that Johanna Warren’s fifth studio album is her boldest and most striking yet, look no further than the moment on ‘Twisted’ where her hushed delivery cascades into an ear-piercing crescendo as she howls, “I will not be displaced/ By how much I love you.” But while this might be the album’s angriest and most memorable highlight, the rest of the aptly titled Chaotic Good has plenty more to offer, from the haunting, Elliott Smith-esque ballad ‘Bed of Nails’ to the dynamic ‘Part of It’. Throughout the album, Warren hones her penchant for combining poetic, incisive lyrics with hypnotic, dreamy melodies that coarse through your veins like medicine, striking just the right balance between chaos and harmony.

Siv Jakobsen, A Temporary Soothing

Oslo-based singer-songwriter Siv Jakobsen makes ambient folk that swaddles you in its haunting but gentle beauty. Her latest, the aptly titled A Temporary Soothing, follows her stunning 2018 full-length debut The Nordic Mellow, after which she took a necessary break from touring and recording. Produced by Chris Bond (Ben Howard, Nick Mulvey) and mixed by Zach Hanson (Bon Iver, Tallest Man on Earth), it’s a wonderfully cathartic record that sees Jakobsen refining her stylistic approach while retaining the intimately evocative qualities of her prior work, from the stirring atmosphere and lush cinematic strings of opener ‘Fear the Fear’ to the driving electro-folk of ‘Island’ and the tender closer ‘I Call it Love’. On the dazzling highlight ‘A Feeling Felt or a Feeling Made’, Jakobsen raises a question that has lost none of its subtle poignancy since the album’s release: “I wonder if loneliness is a feeling felt or a feeling made/ Do we make it up as we go along/ To feed our poetic lines?”

Ellis, born again

A singer-songwriter hailing from Hamilton, Ontario, Ellis’ music broadly falls under the umbrella of bedroom pop thanks to its emotional directness as well as its dreamy, luminous arrangements – just listen to the first few seconds of ‘Pringle Creek’, the opening track of her debut LP born again, and you might just think it’s Claire Cotrill on the mic. Her self-aware, often diaristic approach to songwriting often feels like listening to “secrets whispered in my ear”, as she sings on ‘Fall Apart’. But Ellis is capable of not only tapping into the intimate qualities that makes this subgenre of music so evocative, but also shows signs of carving out her own space in the scene. Following her self-released, self-produced EP the fuzz in 2018, her latest marks a notable shift in style for the artist, who collaborated with producer Jake Aaron (Snail Mail, Solange, Grizzly Bear) for a more polished but still bracingly vulnerable full-length effort.

Katie Malco, Failures

Following the release of her 2013 EP Tearing Ventricles, a collection of starkly honest, piano-based compositions in the same vein as those of former label mate Julien Baker, Katie Malco took some time off to reflect. And it paid off: seven years later, the singer-songwriter returned with a debut solo outing whose core strength lies in the same kind of confessional songwriting, but whose sound reaches for a more diverse and dynamic palette, from the soaring heights of ‘September’ and the crushing balladry of ‘Fractures’ to faster-paced cuts like ‘Animal’ and ‘Creatures’. Reminiscent of contemporary artists like Lucy Dacus and Mitski as much as it harkens back to a different musical era, Failures is a riveting coming-of-age album that delves into themes of addiction, identity, and death with a searing combination of vulnerability and self-determination.

Gordi, Our Two Skins

The project of Australian singer-songwriter Sophie Payten, Gordi’s music is powered by the kind of stark emotional honesty that lies at the center of any great ballad; ‘Aeroplane Bathroom’, the track that properly starts off her sophomore studio album, still stands out as one of the most soul-crushing piano ballads of the year. Stripping down a lot of the layers that ran through her 2017 debut Reservoir, her latest manages to carry the sense of intimacy that’s implied in the album’s title with help from previous collaborators Chris Messina and Zach Hanson. The equally wrenching vulnerability of tracks like ‘Volcanic’ and ‘Radiator’ make the record’s more hopeful moments feel all the more earned, while the slow-burning ‘Free Association’ is the kind of cinematic closer an album like this deserves: Our Two Skins is not just a stunning achievement, but one full of emotional revelations.

Coco Reilly, Coco Reilly

On her self-titled debut album, singer-songwriter and composer Coco Reilly attempts to wring truth from a perpetual cycle of uncertainty and confusion. “You can see the world any way you want/ Just be real say what you’re really thinking,” she sings on opener ‘The Truth Will Always Find a Way’, her semi-distorted voice swirling around a psychedelic haze of dreamy, pensive guitars and steady percussion. Though sometimes shielded by a veneer of mystery and gauzy layers of retro-sounding instrumentals, her songwriting is marked by a keen sense of self-awareness and a deep desire to understand her own self. In reckoning with themes of identity, love, and vulnerability, Reilly has not only opened herself up to a world of possibilities, but also crafted an album that feels authentic even when its sonic palette conjures a distinct air of nostalgia.

Haux, Violence in a Quiet Mind

Haux’s debut album opens with the tremble of Woodson Black’s voice, straining to make each word travel from the knot in his throat to the vast expanse of wavy, distant synths. “Shiver in your parents bed/ Whisper words left unsaid,” the Massachusetts songwriter sings in a hushed tone, evoking the early work of Perfume Genius in its stark vulnerability. Following two EPs, 2016’s All We’ve Known and 2018’s Something to Remember, Violence in a Quiet Mind is a devastatingly beautiful record, one in which Black lays his soul bare as he attempts to confront traumatic childhood experiences and unpack the lasting impact they’ve left on his mental health. Death, addiction, illness: they all weigh heavy here, but as soon as the album’s over, a feeling of catharsis seeps through, like seeing the light for the first time after hiding in the shadows for as long as you can remember.

NIIKA, Close But Not Too Close

NIIKA, the moniker of singer-songwriter Nika Nemirovsky, has a knack for blending elements of jazz, R&B, and folk music in a way that’s not just seamless but also uniquely affecting. Evoking the eclectic songwriting of artists like Kate Bush and heavily inspired by Solange’s A Seat at the Table, NIIKA’s debut project, Close But Not Too Close, ushers in a mesmerising whirlwind of emotion, with Nika’s dynamic, serpentine vocal delivery delicately unfurling atop minimalist, slow-burning instrumentals. From tracks like the hypnotic ‘The Cage’ to the sensual ‘Blue Smoke’, it’s a wondrously ethereal musical journey you’ll find yourself wanting to get lost in again and again.

Jonah Yano, souvenir

Following his critically acclaimed 2019 EP nervous, which featured contributions from BADBADNOTGOOD, Monsune, and Jacques Green, Japanese-Canadian singer-songwriter Jonah Yano came through with his intensely personal and affecting debut LP, souvenir. Released on Father’s Day, the album was recorded between his home in Toronto and Red Bull studios in Tokyo, Japan, where Yano travelled to reconnect with his father after 15 years of not speaking to him. Following the separation of his parents in 1998, Yano moved from Hiroshima to Vancouver, but it wasn’t until he moved to Toronto in 2016 that he started making waves in the local music scene with a series of self-produced songs. Souvenir captures unique snapshots from his past and weaves them into a complicated but tender portrait of family relationships and coming-of-age; highlights include the smooth R&B tune ‘delicate’, the dreamy ‘congratulations, you’re in first place’, and the gritty, expansive ‘strawberry!’.

Fenne Lily, BREACH

Fenne Lily started writing BREACH following a period of self-imposed isolation way before there was any sign of a pandemic that would come hand in hand with an epidemic of loneliness. But the Bristol-based singer-songwriter’s sophomore effort and Dead Oceans debut engages with the idea of loneliness as something that perennially pervades our lives, a reminder that it’s less a consequence of a crisis than simply an ineluctable part of being human. Navigating the difference between being lonely and being alone, the album maps out the artist’s growth as she learns to be comfortable in her own presence. There’s a sense of peaceful resolve as Lily recognizes that she can live with her demons without allowing them to fully take over, just as she can reflect on past relationships without getting lost in a perpetual cycle of guilt and frustration. “It’s not hard to be alone anymore,” she repeats on ‘Berlin’.

Girl Friday, Androgynous Mary

The opening track of Girl Friday’s debut album may be titled ‘This Is Not the Indie Rock I Signed Up For’, but though there’s certainly something familiar about the song’s wistful guitar melodies, the L.A. outfit – composed of guitarist Vera Ellen, bassist Libby Hsieh, drummer Virginia Pettis, and guitarist Sierra Scott, all of whom trade vocal duties – refuse to be pigeonholed into a single genre. It’s not long before Androgynous Mary charges into a riveting bricolage of post-punk, grunge, and goth rock, anchored by the unique chemistry and dynamism that characterizes the self-described ‘Goth Wiggles’. Along with their ability to jump between genres, the group also displays a knack for traversing through a wide range of moods – from righteous anger, to melancholy, to playfulness. Underneath it all, however, lies a feeling of togetherness, one that infuses these songs with a glint of hope and a sense of purpose.

Mt. Joy, Rearrange Us

Mt. Joy – the indie rock group composed of singer Matt Quinn, guitarist Sam Cooper, bassist Michael Byrnes, drummer Sotiris Eliopoulos, and keyboardist Jackie Miclau – make the sort of folk music that feels like a ray of sunshine. Following their ambitious self-titled debut in 2018, their second album Rearrange Us approaches the familiar theme of heartbreak through a collective lens, relaying it as an experience different members of the band wrestled with at the same time. But the album is also more broadly about change, as epitomized by its stunning opening track ‘Bug Eyes’, which showcases Quinn’s dynamic songwriting and vocal delivery. From that point on, the record adeptly careens from breezy, summer-drenched cuts like the title track and ‘My Vibe’ to soaring festival rock jams like ‘Acrobats’. Though released in the middle of the summer, the hopeful message on the heartfelt mid-album ballad ‘Every Holiday’ gives us a perfect reason to revisit it this time of year: “Merry Christmas, babe, I hope we make it through,” Quinn sings.

Loma, Don’t Shy Away 

There’s an elemental beauty to Loma’s sophomore album Don’t Shy Away that reveals itself slowly but surely. The group started out as a serendipitous collaboration between Emily Cross, musician and recording engineer Dan Duszynski, and Shearwater frontman Jonathan Meiburg, who went on to work on separate projects after releasing their self-titled debut until they decided to reconvene at Duszynski’s home in rural Texas to record new material. Unfurling with a patient and solitary kind of splendour, Don’t Shy Away distils the elements that were present in their debut – the songs seem to be in constant motion, brimming with textures that feel vaporous yet vividly drawn – to a more refined form, resulting in something even more mesmerizing and rewarding. Though the album favours  abstract modes of expression, some part of its essence still lingers after the final track, the Brian Eno-assisted ‘Home’, like the smell of petrichor after the rain.

Listen to Hayley Williams’ New Song ‘Find Me Here’

Konstantinos Pappis
-
0
Listen to Hayley Williams’ New Song ‘Find Me Here’

Hayley Williams has unveiled her Petals for Armor: Self-Serenades EP, which features acoustic reworkings of the Petals for Armor tracks ‘Simmer’ and ‘Why We Ever’ as well as a new track called ‘Find Me Here’. Check out the newly released song below.

“I spent this year at home like everyone. I hadn’t spent that much time at home alone with my guitar since I was a teen, before Paramore hit the road,” Williams wrote in a statement. “Once I realized I’d likely not be performing any of my new songs live for a while I guess it just felt right to play them for myself and re-imagine them, just a little bit lonelier. It wasn’t long before I started writing new songs again and one of the demos I made seemed fitting for this little EP.”

She added: “‘Find Me Here’ is the feeling of surrendering your loved ones to their own, personal struggles; letting them take their time and come to their own rescue. It’s a hard version of love to learn but it is an important lesson in loving someone well.”

Petals for Armor arrived in May and landed on our 50 Best Albums of 2020 list. Earlier this month, the Paramore frontwoman guested on NPR’s Tiny Desk (Home) Concert series.

Courtney Marie Andrews, Liz Cooper, and Molly Sarlé Share Cover of Simon & Garfunkel’s ‘America’

Konstantinos Pappis
-
0
Courtney Marie Andrews, Liz Cooper, and Molly Sarlé Share Cover of Simon & Garfunkel’s ‘America’

Courtney Marie Andrews, Liz Cooper, and Molly Sarlé have teamed up for a cover of Simon & Garfunkel’s classic ‘America’.  Check it out below.

“This song is a beautiful novella of a certain place in time that stirs our emotions,” Andrews explained in a statement. “While we were all at a writer’s retreat, we decided to sing harmony on it, to bring us closer together and reminisce over that free feeling of travel and love.”

The collaborative cover was originally recorded as a contribution to the star-studded benefit compilation Good Music To Avert The Collapse Of American Democracy Vol. 2 earlier this year. Also featuring Pearl Jam, David Byrne, and Arcade Fire, the LP was previously only available via Bandcamp for a 24-hour period in October. Andrews released her most recent album Old Flowers back in July.

Slowthai Drops New Song ‘Thoughts’

Konstantinos Pappis
-
0
Slowthai Drops New Song ‘Thoughts’

Slowthai has dropped a new song to celebrate his 26th birthday today (December 18). It’s called ‘Thoughts’ and it was produced by JD. Reid. Take a listen below.

Unlike recent singles ‘nhs’ and ‘feel away’ – both of which landed on our Best New Songs segment –  the UK rapper’s latest will not appear on his upcoming album TYRON, which is set for release on February 5. The LP, which features guest appearances from James Blake, Mount Kimbie, A$AP Rocky, Skepta, and TK, follows his 2019 debut Nothing Great About Britain.

Young Thug, Gunna, and Yak Gotti Team Up on New Song ‘Take It to Trial’

Konstantinos Pappis
-
0
Young Thug, Gunna, and Yak Gotti Team Up on New Song ‘Take It to Trial’

Young Thug, Gunna, and Yak Gotti have teamed up for a new song called ‘Take It to Trial’. The Wheezy-produced track arrives with a music video co-directed by Young Thug. Check it out below.

As Complex notes, the single originally premiered on Spotify at the end of November, but was removed from the streaming service shortly after. Young Thug’s team later confirmed to HotNewHipHop that the track was pulled because Spotify had uploaded it by mistake, but said that an official release was imminent. According to a press release, ‘Take It to Trial’ is set to appear on Young Stoner Life Records’ upcoming Slime Language 2. The sequel to 2018’s Slime Language does not have a release date as of yet.

Young Thug’s most recent album was 2019’s So Much Fun, which featured appearances from Gunna, Lil Uzi Vert, J. Cole, Juice WRLD, and more. Gunna released his latest album WUNNA earlier this year, while Yak Gotti’s Gotti Outta Here arrived back in October.

HAIM Recapture the Madness of 2020 on New Song ‘Christmas Wrapping 2020 (all I want for christmas is a vaccine)’

Konstantinos Pappis
-
0
HAIM Recapture the Madness of 2020 on New Song ‘Christmas Wrapping 2020 (all I want for christmas is a vaccine)’

HAIM have shared a new holiday track called ‘Christmas Wrapping 2020 (all I want for christmas is a vaccine)’. A Hannukah-centric rework of The Waitresses’ 1981 holiday classic ‘Christmas Wrapping’, the song recaptures the madness of 2020 over a slinky bass line courtesy of Thundercat, production from Ariel Rechtshaid, horns by Henry Solomon, and keys from Frank Ocean collaborator Buddy Ross. The lyrics, penned by Slave Play writer Jeremy O., include references to ‘WAP’, Zendaya’s Emmy, COVID-19, the US election, and more. Check it out below, alongside an accompanying music video featuring graphics by Pedro TQM.

“HAPPY HANUKKAH!!” the HAIM sisters wrote on Twitter. “Presenting our FIRST EVER holiday song: Christmas Wrapping 2020 (All I Want for Christmas is a Vaccine) 🔯🎄We hope this song helps you get through the holiday season.”

HAIM’s latest album is June’s Grammy-nominated Women in Music Pt. III. Check out where the LP landed on our 50 Best Albums of 2020 list.

Charly Bliss and PUP Join Forces on New Song ‘It’s Christmas and I Fucking Miss You’

Konstantinos Pappis
-
0
Charly Bliss and PUP Join Forces on New Song ‘It’s Christmas and I Fucking Miss You’

Charly Bliss and PUP have joined forces on a new holiday single called ‘It’s Christmas and I Fucking Miss You’. Check it out below, alongside an accompanying music video edited by Dan Shure.

“I was so excited when Charly Bliss asked me to write a Christmas song with them,” PUP frontman Stefan Babcock said in a statement. “I don’t know if I’d be able to write a Christmas song under normal circumstances, but since Christmas is shit this year, seemed like it was right in my wheelhouse! Plus Charly Bliss are an amazing band and amazing people, so it was a no-brainer. If we’re judging it alongside other Christmas songs, I think we smashed it.”

Charly Bliss’ Eva Hendricks added: “Our managers have been trying to get us to write a Christmas song for years and we’ve never followed through, but we decided that enlisting our friends in PUP would at least make it fun. We never imagined we’d be so proud and absolutely thrilled as we are by the results. We tried to write a song that reflects the absolute insanity of this year and the fact that everyone in the world is stuck missing someone this holiday season and probably feeling a similar combination of emo, angsty and vulnerable!!!!”

PUP dropped their most recent album Morbid Stuff in 2019. Earlier this year, the band unveiled their This Place Sucks Ass EP. Last year, Charly Bliss released a studio album, Young Enough, and an EP called Supermoon.

Albums Out Today: Paul McCartney, Mica Levi, Maggie Rogers, Tycho

Konstantinos Pappis
-
0
Albums Out Today: Paul McCartney, Mica Levi, Maggie Rogers, Tycho

In this segment, we showcase the most notable albums out each week. Here are the albums out on December 18, 2020:

Paul McCartney, McCartney III

Paul McCartney is back with his 18th studio album, McCartney III. It marks the third in a trilogy of albums that began with his solo debut, McCartney, in 1970 and continued with the release of McCartney II ten years later. The album, which follows 2018’s Egypt Station, was written, produced, and performed by McCartney and recorded earlier this year in Sussex, England. “I was living lockdown life on my farm with my family and I would go to my studio every day,” he explained in a press release. “I had to do a little bit of work on some film music and that turned into the opening track and then when it was done I thought what will I do next? I had some stuff I’d worked on over the years but sometimes time would run out and it would be left half-finished so I started thinking about what I had.”

Mica Levi, Ruff Dog

Surprise released on Wednesday (December 16), Ruff Dog is the debut solo album from British composer Mica Levi. Levi gave the following explanation about the idea behind the 11-track LP in a press release: “a lot of pixels later there was a huge surge in frequency and some tiny clouds of knowledge burst into rain during the dress rehearsal for the collection of a lost wav file. in this moment the other clouds parted and a ray of sunshine shone onto input 1 and 2 on the audio interface—the screen brightness dimmed and instead there was a long 6 hour recording session split into 2 days in which they quit smoking and decided to live in the song. after the break the words might rhyme or come out dusty. everlasting they left the phone call.”

Maggie Rogers, Notes From The Archive: Recordings 2011-2016

Singer-songwriter Maggie Rogers has released a new album titled Notes from the Archive: Recordings 2011 – 2016. The 16-track retrospective project includes newly remastered recordings as well as previously unreleased tracks, spanning four sections of Rogers’ life: her 2016 Lower East Side band at the end of her time at NYU, her 2014 independent record Blood Ballet, her first-ever band Del Water Gap, as well as her 2012 debut album The Echo. “I started writing songs as a way to process and document my life. A few years later, music production became a way for me to hear those songs alive and in full form in the world,” she said in a statement. “This record is about looking back on those 10 years of work. It’s about looking to the future by honoring the past.”

Tycho, Weather Remixes

Tycho has dropped a new project called Weather Remixes via Mom + Pop x Ninja Tune. A remix version of his Grammy-nominated 2019 album Weather, the LP features reworkings of each of the eight tracks from the original, featuring guest contributions from the likes of Satin Jackets, Com Truise, Christopher Willits, pluko, Harvey Sutherland, and more.

Other albums out today:

Various Artists, Cyberpunk 2077: Radio Vol 2.

Movie Genres To Revisit in 2021

Our Culture Mag & Partners
-
0
Movie Genres To Revisit in 2021

2020 has been a tough year; a year of mostly being inside. Whatever you accomplished over lockdown, it is likely that you watched more movies than usual this year. Despite cinema closures all over the world, Netflix signed two million more paying subscribers between July and September 2020 – a huge rise in subscribers compared to their usual numbers. Films are being watched in massive numbers around the world right now – but what can we expect for 2021?

While it is still unclear what will happen in 2021 when it comes to movie releases, we can guarantee that streaming services will continue to grow stronger. Let’s take a look at three movie genres you can revisit at home in 2021!

Post-Apocalyptic Movies

2020 has definitely brought apocalypse vibes, in more ways than one. Between the pandemic which can only be compared to the 2011 movie Contagion and the social unrest that parallels Detroit (2017), it’s not exactly been a peaceful year. 

So what are some of the best post apocalyptic movies? From Will Smith’s dark, brooding movie I Am Legend to the frighteningly nightmarish A Quiet Place, the 21st Century has produced some freaky versions of what an apocalypse might have looked like. The one that might most represent our current scenario could be 10 Cloverfield Lane, a movie about a woman who has been kidnapped and held indoors by a man who tells her the world has been taken over by a dangerous chemical attack. They sit inside, waiting for something, or nothing, to happen – and the entire time you wonder whether any of this is real at all. Outside is unsafe, but inside is unbearable. Ring any bells?

The French New Wave

Another genre that may return to popularity in 2021 is the French new wave. The French new wave, which occurred during the 1950s and 1960s is influential to this day. It moved away from traditional filmmaking and towards out-of-the-ordinary jump edits, some jarring subject matters, unclear plots and handheld cameras. Here are two classic French new wave movies that’ll still shock you when you return to them in 2021. 

A Bout De Souffle (Breathless) (1960)

This stunning love story, directed by Jean Luc Goddard, is told in a less than traditional manner. The protagonist, Michel, commits an impulsive and serious crime, then begs the woman he is precariously in love with, Patricia, to run off with him. This film will leave you breathless (pun intended) and give you a deep-dive into the French new wave.

Cléo From 5 to 7 (1962)

This seethingly tense French new wave film, directed by Agnes Varda, sees a real-time unfolding of a woman’s test for cancer. As she waits for the results, we wait alongside her, practically holding our breath. It is both experimental and easy to follow, creating a mesmerising atmosphere as we follow Cléo around Paris on this particularly uneasy day.

Movie Musicals

We all need a bit of fun in our lives in 2021, don’t we? While post-apocalyptic and French new wave movies might raise our heart rates and make us contemplate existence, too much of that might make our heads spin. Movie musicals aren’t for everyone, but they are also not a genre to be pooh-poohed as a frivolous type of bland entertainment. 

Here are two movie musicals that have stood the test of time and might make you want to dance your socks off in 2021.

Chicago (2002)

This tantalisingly murderous movie musical follows aspiring cabaret star Roxie Hart (Renee Zellwegger) after she shoots and kills her lover in her home. She winds up in prison with celebrity performer Velma Kelly (Catherine Zeta-Jones), being represented by a hyper-successful lawyer Billy Flynn (Richard Gere), and realises that her act of murder might just get her the stardom she’s always wanted. With dance routines and raunchy outfits that would make any Drag Race fan’s head spin, Chicago is a sexy, fun, delicious movie musical.

The Sound of Music (1965)

The Sound of Music is well known for its delightfully whimsical setting of rural Austria, with kids running around in matching outfits and singing cute songs with Julie Andrews – but it’s so much more than that. Set in the beginnings of Nazism in central Europe, The Sound Of Music is a glimpse into the evil of the Third Reich, framed within a love story about family, duty and love.

In conclusion, there’s plenty to rediscover in 2021. While cinemas and movies might not be fully open any time soon, we can always take a second look at the legendary films of the past.

Watch Phoebe Bridgers Perform Orchestral Version of ‘Kyoto’ on ‘Corden’

Konstantinos Pappis
-
0
Watch Phoebe Bridgers Perform Orchestral Version of ‘Kyoto’ on ‘Corden’

Phoebe Bridgers was the musical guest last night on James Corden’s Late Late Show. She performed an orchestral version of her Punisher and Copycat Killer track ‘Kyoto’ from her bed, leading to a virtual projection of Carnegie Hall in New York City. Watch it below.

Talking to Corden, Bridgers explained that “Carnegie Hall was the last place [she] played for human beings in a room.” She also discussed forging a friendship with Phoebe Waller-Bridge, who directed her Paul Mescal-starring video for ‘Savior Complex’, “literally just because we have the same name.” You can check out the full interview below as well.

Bridgers appeared on Corden earlier this year, doing her own version of Carpool Karaoke by singing ‘ICU’ in her car. Punisher came out back in June, while her Copycat EP, featuring reworkings of four tracks from the album, followed in November. Check out where Punisher landed on our 50 Best Albums of 2020 list.

1...1,6211,6221,623...1,910Page 1,622 of 1,910