@@@ The Good Ones: Soccer (Anti- , 2020) Their record last year made my best of year list so they earn an automatic peep on this track. They have a pretty timeless formula — some single picked acoustic guitar bounced in a loose yet steady manner, two beautiful male voices harmonizing and a little bit of percussion in the back of the mix keeping things pushing along. They don’t sing in English (informing non-world music listeners) so it’s basically an instrumental track. I like these guys, I don’t have more to say about this.
@@@ Samantha Fish: Fair-weather (Rounder-Concord, 2020) I got to this Southern female blues musician via the Australian music magazine Happy Mag. I’m an off again on again type of blues listener though I really like her fragile voice here and the lack of huge electric blues tones. She takes a solo around 2/3s of the way through the tune but it’s pretty restrained in its scope and vibe. I like her voice and the organ and I appreciate the guitar playing is there but more in the background.
@@@ Papa Rosko: You’re Not the Only One (Voodoo Possum, 2020) This is a pre-release track that’s up on the GooglePimpTube but not on Apple Music which has three other pre-release tracks up there. The problem here for my ears is the production — too mainstream and Disney-fied which turns the reggae feels into something not so rootsy. The lyrics are also too cliche for my taste. Others might like this popped out reggae but it’s not my cup of tea. I believe the record is full of guests but folks would need to verify that on a streaming service so maybe other tracks feature other vocal performances.
@@@ Black Market Brass: Omega (Colemine, 2020) Blurbed as an ’70s Afrobeat outfit out of Minneapolis, I dig how they take this tune slower than the usual pounding Afrobeat tempos. The less whirlwind approach makes an almost contemplative groove with long horn notes layered over the top before they lean in on horn melody. There’s a nice ambient section and the vibe here is really to my liking. If you’re an Afrobeat listener or a world music listener in general check out this really well done Afrobeat recreation.
YTD recordings listened to: 780
Good music, not list worthy: 423
Not good music: 332
Best: 4
Honorable Mentions: 5
Possibles: Retox, Defeater, Jonwayne, Okkyung Lee, Slidhr, The Chewers, Susie Iberra/Roberto Rodriguez, The Coral, T.O.M.B., Lozen, Erase Errata, Mastery, Hartley C. White, Weed, Cold Water, Luther Dickinson, Graeme Barrett, Fast Asleep, Goldlink, Cavanaugh, Satoko Fuji, Moken, Juan Atkins, Lantern, Twin Peaks, Djelimady Tounkara, The Oh Sees, Denny Zeitlin, MILF, Unfun, De La Soul, Carl Sagan’s Skate Shoes, Noname, Klara Lewis, Krullur, The Lowest Form, Hard Proof, Yotoco, Jungle Fire, Sandoz, Oddisee, RAM, Fiver, Succumb Succumb, Gloom, Priests, Propaganda, This is the Kit, Roberto Gonzalez, Integrity, Tuba Skinny, The Expanders, Criolo, Billy Strings, Flowers of Sulphur, Portal, Lawaii, Etran De L’Air, Ruby Karinto, Elysia Crampton, Parquet Courts, Moskus, Kendl Winter, Tkay Maidza, Barro, Daniel Khan, Tallawit Timbouctou, Sumac, Tropical Fuck Storm, Harriet Tubman, Ammar 808, Anais Maviel, Chaka Khan, Pom Poko, Fried Egg, Tarek Atoui, Saicobab, General Purv, Shipping News, Big Thief, Mariachi El Bronx, Pour Me a Grog, Sudan Archives, Lakou Mizik, Moodymann, Pharmakon, Alefa Madagascar, Janjao, Luge, Wiki, Mick Jenkins, Jeremiah Jae, Fera, Gambian Griot Kora Duets, Drama, Beatrice Dillon, Mass Worship, mmmonika, Les Deuxluxes, Tony Allen, Fra Fra, Nihiloxica, Hailu Mergia, Pokey LaFarge, Nico Gomez, Nohe and Sus Santos, Tiny Bit of Giant’s Blood, Pole, Naeem, Mekons, Santrofi, DJ Nigga Fox, Flor do Toloache, Alexander Hawkins/Tomeka Reid, Shy One, Protomartyr, Nnamdi, Ekiti Sound, Awa Fall, 25,000 Kittens, Anjimile, Superfonicos, Yves Jarvis, Jonsi
Deep In the Music 