Top 50 Songs of 2020 (40-31)

Anything music related. Latest songs, good new bands, and blasts from the past.

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Re: Top 50 Songs of 2020 (40-31)

Post by Shrykespeare »

SONG #37


JOHNERLE

Trail Of Dead, Something Like This





LEESTU

Osees, Terminal Jape

This is meant to be a song called Toadstool at #37 but it’s an album track and there is no YouTube video, so I’ve replaced it with Terminal Jape, another great song from the album. Terminal Jape is also in my top 100, just not this high.





SCREEN



SHRYKE

Coheed & Cambria feat. Rick Springfield, Jessie’s Girl 2

Oh, so I changed my number
To 867-5305
That didn't, that didn't, that didn't stop her
She wouldn't let me leave her house alive
We're married now, house, job, three kids
Dreaming of what life could have been
Stranded on the if's and maybe's
Had I left that monster in the 80's

To be clear – I am not a fan of Coheed & Cambria. But THIS? Hell yeah. This is not a cover to Springfield’s 1981 hit, but a sequel. The song and video capture the essence of that decade, and Springfield himself (who looks better at seventy-one years old then men half his age) is given a prominent part that rips the roof off. This song is a nostalgia trip for old farts like me, in it’s purest form. If you have not heard (or not heard recently) Springfield’s song, here it is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYkbTyHXwbs





SURFER

Bully, Every Tradition

Alicia Bognanno's third record found her at her sharpest yet, she is really starting to master her craft and since going out on her own has complete control over what she hopes to achieve with her music. Every Tradition is a perfect example of this, as she fights back against the societal expectations for women. With the power of her raspy voice in full force and a screaming riff, this should be the sound for 21st century feminists.





TRANSFORMERS

Miley Cyrus feat. Dua Lipa, Prisoner

As well-produced and performed as "Prisoner" is, the chemistry between Cyrus and Lipa is what pushes it over-the-top. There's an immediacy and lust in each of their vocal deliveries that helps sell the shit out of the visceral longing that drives the lyrics.






UNDEADMONKEY

Billie Eilish, Ocean Eyes

seems like Bad Guy was everywhere the last 2 years, and i just didn't like it and didn't get the almost cult following she seemed to have, then last year my sister introduced me to this song. It finally clicked and there is another Billie release, (a 2020 release) that ends up much higher on the list.

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Re: Top 50 Songs of 2020 (40-31)

Post by transformers2 »

#38:
John: A little more crunch to the guitars in this track than the prior song you posted, which definitely upped my enjoyment level. Also the kaleidoscope visuals in the video were sick.

Leestu: The spacey instrumentation was solid-particularly in the second half, but those vocals were way too indie for me.

Screen: Blood Orange is somebody that's been recommended to me countless times, but I listened to his 2016 record Freetown Sound once, was completely indifferent to it and never returned to his music. The same lack of spark and general monotony despite his unique blend of genres that made Freetown Sound evaporate from my mind so quickly was present here.

Shryke: While it's a faithful reworking of the song, the vanity nature of it makes it nothing more than a decent one time listen for me.

Surfer: Same as always with OhSees-the music is beautifully chaotic and weirdly groovy while the vocals annoy the shit out of me :lol:

UDM: Like Leestu, I feel that some modern country artists like Sturgill Simpson, Chris Stapleton and Kacey Musgraves have been able to break through the tedium that I've long had with the genre. Although this is probably the best song I've heard from them, Lady A still won't be joining that limited crowd.
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Re: Top 50 Songs of 2020 (40-31)

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#37

JohnErle - Trail of Dead, Something Like This - Is this the same group I listened to yesterday? You're f***ing with me, aren't you? Anyway, this was by far my favorite so far.

Leestu - Osees, Terminal Jape - Sorry to miss Toadstool, but this was pretty cool. Got a definite White Stripes vibe with a little B-52s playful guitars thrown in.

Surfer - Bully, Every Tradition - really enjoyed this.

Tranny - Miley Cyrus, Prisoner - Hrm. Would have expected this on Screen's list. You surprise me, lad! Sorry, not for me.

UDM - Billie Eilish, Ocean Eyes - I'm on the fence about most of Billie's stuff. She has yet to wow me.
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Re: Top 50 Songs of 2020 (40-31)

Post by undeadmonkey »

I almost wanted to love Jessie's Girl 2 and at times it almost got there, but in the end i was just left wanting to listen to the original.

The Dua Lipa parts of Prisoner were nice, but I found the other sections grating. It's her voice.


Didn't care for the others

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Re: Top 50 Songs of 2020 (40-31)

Post by Leestu »

#37

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

UDM: I've been an admirer of Billie Eilish since the beginning and it was here was when I knew Billie Eilish was going to be successful - the combination of her vocals, her brother's production, and their songwriting is class - of course I had no idea how successful, but good on them

Surfer: a great album - both of the last two Bully albums are so under-rated, especially Losing which I think is lyrically and conceptually a fantastic album at the right time, and on this album you can see the follow-on emotional growth...Hours And Hours made my 100, and Not Ashamed just missed the cut, but it's a really consistent album from beginning to end

John: another really good song...really liked the shoegaze style vocal choices on this, parts where you might expect the vocals to increase intensity or get louder, but they just stay sedate and mellow and part of the overall feel, work for me...I liked the music video of making the music video too.

Shyrke: not something I would have ever seen coming from C&C...cool idea, they captured the feel of the original well, and the nostalgia enjoyment factor should have been high on this one, but for some reason it wasn't - a half-smile and move on

Screen: It's in a different music world to mine, visually, musically, and especially lyrically, but from what I can tell good on her for doing it independentl - I wish her success if that's the case

Tranny: not for me at all
Last edited by Leestu on January 31st, 2021, 5:42 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: Top 50 Songs of 2020 (40-31)

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Re: Top 50 Songs of 2020 (40-31)

Post by silversurfer19 »

Round 37

JohnErle:
And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of The Dead, Something Like This - Not a particular favourite of mine from the record, but the chorus is cool.

Leestu:
OSees, Terminal Jape - Two OSees songs in two days will always go down well with me. Love Dwyer's vocals on this one.

Shryke:
Coheed and Cambria, Jessie's Girl 2 - Well if anything this was my daughter's favourite song of the round, she was dancing along to the whole thing and trying to sing the high parts! Channels their power pop side and they do it pretty well.

Transformers:
Miley Cyrus, Prisoner - Can't stand her vocals, but the production had an 80s Madonna kind of vibe to it, while the beat reminded me of MJ's Beat It at times which was cool. That's about as much praise as this is gonna get from me, however.

UDM:
Billie Eilish, Ocean Eyes - Can't say I have really invested in any of her music as of yet, despite the huge acclaim. This was decent, her vocals were fine without being remarkable, felt the production had a nice, dreamlike quality to it and kind of reminded me of Beach House.

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Re: Top 50 Songs of 2020 (40-31)

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SONG #36


JOHNERLE

Trail Of Dead, Who Haunts The Haunter

The dynamics on their official videos is so much better than these album rips. I wish they'd deliver one for this space rock epic.





LEESTU

Stand Atlantic, Righteous

Every Friday morning for most of the year the radio station I listen to at work, Triple J, has a segment called Like A Version (LAV), where a band come in and play an original and cover a song live. It’s always a musical highlight of the week. This was my favourite LAV of 2020. A band that I usually don’t pay much attention to taking a great song, capturing the essence of that song – who realised it had an emo pop punk attitude to it – and doing it in their own style, in a way that I believe the original artist (in this case Juice WORLD) would approve of. Of course, I am not saying this is objectively better than the original (I know it’s not), it’s just more my style so I subjectively like it more.





SCREEN



SHRYKE

The Shins, The Great Divide

Ooh, the blind
Collective mind of man is all they're offering
Then you bring a breath of life out of the emptiness
Your hand in mine, oh-oh-oh (your hand in mine)

In the 80s, Yes was one of my favorite bands. Their unique blend of harmonious vocals and soaring guitar rhythms were unique to my teenage ears. Not many bands have those qualities in such proportions that make my mind hark back to the glory days of Yes, but in this song, The Shins have done just that. Lead Singer James Mercer channels Jon Anderson in the best way in The Great Divide, so there was no way I wasn’t going to include it in my list.

Album: none (non-album single)





SURFER

Boyracer, For The Rest Of Yr Life

Boyracer have been around for 30 years now, and were one of the staples of the now iconic Sarah Records label, but this was the first I had heard from them in over a decade. The fuzzy pop melodies are still very present, but the addition of Christina Riley has provided the perfect foil for Stewart Anderson. This song emphasises Anderson's reflective side on the new record, in which he finds himself reflecting on his own life and his limitations. However, backed by their trademark knack for a killer hook, the seriousness is eased a little and makes for a great return to form.





TRANSFORMERS

SZA, feat. Ty Dolla $ign, Hit Different

If the hook from Ty Dolla $ign was stronger, this would've been in the top 15-20. SZA's 1st single as a lead artist since 2017 sets the stage for her much-anticipated 2nd LP-which should be released this year-with a minimalist cut full of the vulnerability and vocal acrobatics that has earned her so much attention in the early stages of her incredibly promising career.





UNDEADMONKEY

blackbear, hot girl bummer

This is also not really my go to genre of music, but when I heard it the first time, I must have just been in the perfect mood for these lyrics, and I've listened to it quite a few times with the year 2020 in mind.

Happy 60th birthday Jet Li! (4/26/23)

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Re: Top 50 Songs of 2020 (40-31)

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Re: Top 50 Songs of 2020 (40-31)

Post by JohnErle »

Nothing from rounds 38-39 impressed me much, and I'm not feeling very snarky either, so nothing really to say there.

And since I'm seeing so many tracks from well before 2020 pop up on other people's lists, I'm just going to throw out this song I first heard in 2020, despite the fact that it's almost as old as I am.

Hawkwind - Master Of The Universe (1973)

[youtube]http://youtu.be/xw5R4vZsKEQ[/youtube]

I'd heard this band's name mentioned for decades but somehow never actually heard them. I always had the impression they played mellow, trippy prog rock ala Pink Floyd, but I couldn't have been more wrong, at least when it comes to this amazing live album, Space Ritual. The fact that a young Lemmy was their bass player should have clued me in to the fact that I had the wrong impression of them. I checked out a couple of the studio albums these songs came from, but in every single case I preferred the live version. Give a listen to Space Ritual and consider that my picks from 50-41 because this album was a big part of my musical listening in 2020.

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Re: Top 50 Songs of 2020 (40-31)

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That's a fucking cool song, John. Props. Felt like classic Sabbath.
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Re: Top 50 Songs of 2020 (40-31)

Post by Shrykespeare »

Catching up with Screen:


37 - Tinashe Ft. MAJK, Save Room For Us




36 - Taylor Swift, Cardigan

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Re: Top 50 Songs of 2020 (40-31)

Post by transformers2 »

#37
John: The dynamism of these guys is impressive, as this is completely unlike the prior 2 tracks you picked. Enjoyed the grungy atmosphere to this one.

Leestu: I honestly think I'd love this band if I could get over the vocals. That still hasn't happened yet though, so I'm reduced to just being intrigued by the quirky, distorted instrumentation.

Shryke: Although Rick Springfield's vocals are ROUGH in his cameo appearance, I'm stunned by how good this is. Coheed did an incredible job of honoring the spirit of Jessie's Girl while adding a dash of their ominous atmosphere to the equation to reflect the different tone of the lyrics.

Surfer: This is the type of noisier, grittier indie rock I can get behind. Solid track.

UDM: While I'm partial to her more recent material, Ocean Eyes is a great early showcase of Eilish's absurd talent (she was only 13 when this was recorded/released!!!)
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Re: Top 50 Songs of 2020 (40-31)

Post by transformers2 »

#36
John: Always down for a cheesy space epic with some good riffing.

Leestu: What a fucking tremendous cover. Honestly one of the best I've ever heard-from Like a Version or otherwise.

Screen: A terrific melancholic pop song from Taylor Swift's best record to date.

Shryke: Loathe The Shins, although on the plus side I'd say this is one of the least annoying songs I've heard from them :lol:

Surfer: Not sure how I feel about this quite frankly, but they sound like they an even quirkier relative of Vampire Weekend.

UDM: Kind of trashy fun, kind of legit bad. Glad to see Cobra Starship influenced somebody though.
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Re: Top 50 Songs of 2020 (40-31)

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#37

Screen - Tinashe Ft. MAJK, Save Room For Us - Not my thing.


#36

JohnErle - ToD, Who, Haunts the Haunter - This was okay. Liked most of the other ToD songs you had better.

Leestu - Stand Atlantic, Righteous - Don't know the original, but I like this version. I imagine it's very different from the Juice WRLD version.

Surfer - Boyracer, For The Rest Of Yr Life - I'm with Tranny. My brain went right to Vampire Weekend too. Liked it.

Tranny - SZA, feat. Ty Dolla $ign, Hit Different - Did nothing for me at all.

UDM - blackbear, hot girl bummer - This was okay. Dude reminds me a little of nothing,nowhere.

Screen - Taylor Swift, Cardigan - Not bad, which is a step well above most of how I feel about Swift's stuff.
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