Top 50 Songs of 2020 (40-31)

[Leestu]

#39
***edited to include Screen's pick***

Screen - I hadn't heard Chelsea Wolfe had a different project...this was awesome...really sludgy, stoner doom metal with powerful vocals...adding the album, thanks!

Surfer - so they released two albums last year, and this is from another album due in a month? The two from last year aren't on spotify so I haven't heard them yet...but wow this is rough!...I love that...vocals are great

Tranny - yeah this was fun, I like my poop-punk a bit heavier than the norm sometimes....very Geezer like, I've got one of those coming up later too

John - this was really good...I could enjoy drifting off to more of this

Shryke - it felt a bit forced, and to be kind I found it a bit dull (I was going to say tedious), but it's not a genre I like much of anyway

UDM - well that was different to anything I usually listen to

[BanksIsDaFuture]

Haven't listened to everything yet, but that King Gizzard song was pretty sweet

[Shrykespeare]

Announcement: I have added Screen's 40 and 39 picks to the posts above.

[Shrykespeare]

#40

Screen - Camp Cope, Done - As you seem to feature almost exclusively female artists, and as those female artists tend to be mostly in the pop/dance/electronica genres, this was quite a surprise. Very work(wo)manlike song, almost grungy.


#39

JohnErle - Trail of Dead, Gone - Hm. From "Done" to "Gone". Anyway, this was quite good. Interested to see what the ToD songs you have coming up will offer.

Leestu - King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, Intrasport - I know I've heard one or two KG&LW songs prior to this, but I can uniquivocally say this is my favorite. Nice, bouncy, clubby feel to it. Great choice!

Screen - Mrs. Piss, Knelt - I almost got into the shoegaze aspect, but the rest was too blah for me to like.

Surfer - Cloud Nothings, Am I Something - Musically, this had a lot going on. Definitely you, but not much there to hook me in.

Tranny - Four Year Strong, Get Out Of My Head - Why have I never heard of this band? Are they an East Coast band? Anyway, liked it. Made me think of classic early 2000s Blink or Offspring.

UDM - Rocio Jurado, Como una Ola - This came out when I was 11? Well, at no point between then and now would I have been into this. Sorry.

[silversurfer19]

Spotify Playlist updated

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2QOMW ... M1U6badXqA

[Shrykespeare]

Two songs by The Weeknd on the same day!... kind of.


SONG #38


JOHNERLE

Trail Of Dead, Into The Godless Void

Trail Of Dead are pretty much the only band of the past 20 years to deliver heavy, loud music in a way I usually find interesting. Maybe the fact that they're such nerds appeals to me on a subconscious level. I hadn't seen this video until I was about to send it to Skryke, so I was quite surprised by the nudity. I won't tell YouTube if you won't.





LEESTU

Tiny Little Houses, Richard Cory

After a couple of years Tiny Little Houses are back and they are still playing with people’s emotions. This is a powerful modern reimagining of a poem by Edwin Arlington Robinson.






SCREEN

Blood Orange, Time Will Tell





SHRYKE

Ten Second Songs, Blinding Lights (The Weeknd cover performed in the style of Depeche Mode)

I look around and
Sin City's cold and empty (Oh)
No one's around to judge me (Oh)
I can't see clearly when you're gone

I stumbled across this guy a few months ago. His thing, apparently, is singing recognizable songs in the style of completely different artists. And he’s serious about it. So serious, in fact, that when he decided to do GNR’s “Welcome to the Jungle” in the style of Rammstein, he took the time to translate the entire song into German. Funny thing is…I don’t even know his name! But as I’ve come to realize in my life, anything in the style of Depeche Mode (“the greatest band ever”) is something I’m going to like. Hopefully you will too.





SURFER

OSees, Dreary Nonsense

The ever prolific John Dwyer returned again with another OSees record (and another name) of garage psych blowout, stripping back the psychedelic indulgence of their last few records for something much more concise and direct. What results is a powerful punch to the gut driven by sharp guitars and a siren if a riff that will be left inbedded in your skull. Just where he wants it to sit.





TRANSFORMERS

The Weeknd, In Your Eyes

The best of the poppier tracks from The Weeknd's new record "After Hours", "In Your Eyes" is an infectious bop with a top-tier vocal performance that delivers one of the few slices of pure joy present on a largely melancholic record. Also, SAX.





UNDEADMONKEY

Lady Antebllum, Ocean

I don’t really go for country music these days, (unlike when i was 10-11 when i exclusively listened to country). However once in a while there is some country that sneaks into my playlist. There is actually one more country song on my list.

[silversurfer19]

Spotify Playlist updated

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2QOMW ... QyKu0YE3mg

[transformers2]

Tranny - Four Year Strong, Get Out Of My Head - Why have I never heard of this band? Are they an East Coast band? Anyway, liked it. Made me think of classic early 2000s Blink or Offspring.

Can't help you with the first part , but they are indeed an East Coast band. They hail from the lovely city of Worcester, Massachusetts-best known for being the 2nd biggest city in the state, the hometown of Denis Leary and the occasional stand-in for Boston when a production feels like driving an hour or so west of the airport to spend less money (the most recent example of this phenomenon came with Boosh's favorite Liam Nesson vehicle Honest Thief).

[numbersix]

Some decent songs for 38

Good to see Osees appear - not their best album but not their worst. I like pretty much all of it.
That Tiny Little Horses song sounds exactly like a Modest Mouse song... maybe too much like one for me.
Shryke - it's more a novelty experiment than a song, but it's very well done!

Also Screen, nice choice with Mrs Piss earlier one.

[Shrykespeare]

#38

JohnErle - I liked this song. Not as much as yesterdays Trail song, but still good. Dude really got his Bono on! (Yes, I did say that just to piss you off.)

Leestu - Something was missing from this for me. Not sure what.

Surfer- Osees seem to be an acquired taste. Meaning I probably won't acquire it. At least it was short.

Tranny - I'm a fan of the Weeknd. Not a HUGE fan, but he's growing on me. This was a good song.

UDM - Never care for country. This wasn't too bad, though.

[Leestu]

#38
***edited to include Screen's pick***


Surfer - one of the handful of Osees songs on my short list... the whole album is so consistently great though, many songs could be people's favourites

John - I am going to enjoy listening to these...I still need to explore more of this band

Screen - nice pick...not quite my style but I can see the appeal and quality...I keep checking out his singles and albums as they come out but he hasn't clicked with me so far

Shryke - I am pretty sure I have seen some of his styles videos before...they are entertaining and quite impressive...to be fair here though Blinding Lights was already very '80s synthpop, but he did his job here well with the vocals

Transformers - Another well liked often played song/album/artist in my family, but not by me...I still listened again but the umpteenth time didn't help...the sax is good though I'll give you that, I like the end of the song

UDM - there is some good country around lately, Chris Stapleton had my favourite country album of 2020, but I also recommend any Sturgill Simpson, and Drive-By Truckers (more Americana but there's some Southern country rock too). Kasey Musgrave's album from a couple of years ago is quality country too.

[undeadmonkey]

#38

Leestu - totally not my thing, but i enjoyed it for what it was. very cool.

shryke- this was also very interesting. i can see why you would like it. enjoyed listening to it.

Tranny - really liked this, thought i had heard everything on his album, but this is new for me.

the others i wasn't a big fan of.

[JohnErle]

#38

JohnErle - I liked this song. Not as much as yesterdays Trail song, but still good. Dude really got his Bono on! (Yes, I did say that just to piss you off.)

I knew there was a reason I prefer their other singer.

[silversurfer19]

Catching up on Round 39 and 38:

JohnErle:
And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of The Dead, Gone and Into The Godless Void - I listened to this record quite a bit at the start of last year. Its decent with these being perfectly good examples of the quality and variety of the sound. Like the build up to Gone and the immediacy of Godless Void, prefer the former, but a good couplet. Doesn't come close to their early 2000s output (Source Tags and Codes being a personal favourite album of theirs), but its good to hear it again.

Leestu:
King Gizzard, Intrasport - Feels like we get a different Gizz on each record, still maintaining elements of what makes their sound but with an ability to adapt genres at ease. This was fun, bouncy and kind of addictive.
Tiny Little Houses, Richard Cory - Definitely a Modest Mouse vibe going on. Which I like. Will check these guys out, loved the build up, the harmonised vocals and guitar solo.

Screen:
Mrs. Piss, Knelt - When I first heard this I thought, man, this reminds me of Chelsea Wolfe. Then I see Leestu's comments! I agree with what he says, love the sludgy sound clashing with her vocals.

Shryke:
In Flames, Stay With Me - Not my kind of metal, at all. Rock ballad by the numbers complete with earnest vocals and even a little scream at the end to really force home its intentions.
Ten Second Songs, Blinding Lights - I appreciate the effort, but I kind of don't really see the point. His voice is ok, but think I would rather listen to the original or Depeche Mode instead. Can definitely see why it hits the spot for you, however.

Transformers:
Four Year Strong, Get Out Of My Head - Certainly would fit in that early 2000s pop punk genre. I kind of felt too old for that back then, so this was definitely a little too far from my tastes, unfortunately.
The Weeknd, In Your Eyes - Has good production going on here. His voice is very good too. Almost an 80s vibe with all the synths which is appreciated. Don't think I'm at the point of being interested enough to delve deeper, but this was good. The sax is definitely back too this past year (this will also be noticed on a few of my picks!).

Undeadmonkey:
Rocio Jurado, Como Una Ola - Well if anything, this countdown is going to be diverse. Not for at all, feels like this should belong in some latin soap opera.
Lady A, Ocean - I only know these guys because they were forced to change their name last year in the fallout of the BLM protests. Doesn't really sound very country, more pop ballad by this offering at least. Good voices, but not really my thing.

[Shrykespeare]

I have added #38 for Screen.