Top 50 Songs of 2020 (30-21)

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

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silversurfer19
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Re: Top 50 Songs of 2020 (30-21)

Post by silversurfer19 »

Round 25

Banks: Mothica, Blackout - Didn't really do much for me, auto tuned vocals and forgettable production unfortunately.

JohnErle: AC/DC, Realize - This next batch is going to be a struggle. I'm sure this pleases the hardcore fans, but recycled riffs from 40 years ago is just lazy.

Leestu: Jeff Rosenstock, Scram! - I think if I hit the right record I will really like Rosenstock, as he has all the ingredients of what I like in modern punk rock, but I'm yet to find it yet. This was good, but not quite enough for me to bother investing any further.

Ron: HAIM, Don't Wanna - This is undeniably catchy, and the vocals are good. HAIM are a band I'm aware of, but never listened to I think. This was an ok introduction.

Shryke: Bea Miller, Forever Is A Lie - Didn't leave any impression, unfortunately.

Six: Sneaks, Sanity - Great use of synths in this, the heavy production really works offset against the vocals. Not a band I have heard before, but this was great.

Transformers: Mac Miller, I Can See - I thought this guy was a hip hop artist. This was very nice, from his vocals to the unusual production, had a really laid back vibe which is pleasant on a Wednesday morning.

Undeadmonkey: Selena Gomez, Dance Again - More auto tune vocals and derivative beats. Forgettable.

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Shrykespeare
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Re: Top 50 Songs of 2020 (30-21)

Post by Shrykespeare »

#26

Banks - Ju$t - Didn't care for it last week, same now.

JohnErle - Shot in the Dark - Great album. They're one of the few bands that don't need to evolve to sound great.

Leestu - Lander - Dude's voice reminded me a little of Robert Smith. Nothing else about this song floated my boat.

Ron B - Brother - not bad.

Screen - you should see me in a crown - Billie has a nice voice, but I've yet to hear a single song of hers that really gets me interested.

Six - Удалил Твой Номер / Udalil Tvoy Nomer - I have a lot of European acts in my Top 100, but Belarus is not one of the many countries represented. I love anything with a lot of synths and an 80s feel, so you knew I would probably like this song.

Surfer - Invisible Wall - No. Just no.

Tranny - Summer Love - "Call Me Maybe" ALMOST made my Top 100 of the Millennium, so I'm not gonna hate on Carly Rae. This was just ok.

UDM - Rescue Me - I'm not good at spotting themes. I like occasional OneR songs, and I liked the beat but the lyrics were too repetitive.
Happy 60th birthday Jet Li! (4/26/23)

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transformers2
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Re: Top 50 Songs of 2020 (30-21)

Post by transformers2 »

silversurfer19 wrote:
February 10th, 2021, 7:20 am
Transformers: Mac Miller, I Can See - I thought this guy was a hip hop artist. This was very nice, from his vocals to the unusual production, had a really laid back vibe which is pleasant on a Wednesday morning.
He was almost exclusively for the bulk of his career until his final 2 records where it became his secondary genre and the neo-soul sound you heard here became his primary focus.
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Re: Top 50 Songs of 2020 (30-21)

Post by Shrykespeare »

#25

Banks - Blackout - Good story. Song was ok.

JohnErle - Realize - "Demon Fire" was on my Top 100 (in the 90s). This was good too.

Leestu - Scream! - Pretty darn catchy. Liked the video too. Lovely scram, wonderful scram....

Ron B - Don't Wanna - Not bad. Had a Sheryl Crow feel to it that I liked.

Screen - Lose You to Love Me - Meh.

Six - Sanity - There's a lot to like here. May want to hear more.

Surfer - Night Terrors - Wouldn't have thought a song with this title would be so lively and fun! The singer's voice reminds me so much of Miki Berenyi's (Lush) that I may have to check out this band!

Tranny - I Can See - It was ok.

UDM - Dance Again - Meh.
Happy 60th birthday Jet Li! (4/26/23)

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BanksIsDaFuture
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Re: Top 50 Songs of 2020 (30-21)

Post by BanksIsDaFuture »

Didn't have time right now to listen to all, but for #25

The Sneaks
Selena
Mac Miller
Bea Miller

All were great.

I've got a couple of tracks from Rare coming up too, so if you guys don't like Selena Gomez now... :shock: :shock: :lol:
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Re: Top 50 Songs of 2020 (30-21)

Post by JohnErle »

Nothing very interesting in round 25, I'm afraid. A few decent tunes I wouldn't run away from if I heard them on the radio, but nothing I need to hear again.

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Re: Top 50 Songs of 2020 (30-21)

Post by Shrykespeare »

#24 will be a little late. My laptop went wonky and I had to send to to a repairman. (I'm using my work computer right now.) I'll get it back in a few hours.
Happy 60th birthday Jet Li! (4/26/23)

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undeadmonkey
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Re: Top 50 Songs of 2020 (30-21)

Post by undeadmonkey »

#29

Sly Withers, Cracks
not my thing at all but i enjoyed it. reminded me of early 2000 punk


wow, takes a lot longer to get through a list than before. which is good thing, just before i could usually get through one or 2 lists at a time, took me three times to finish this one.

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transformers2
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Re: Top 50 Songs of 2020 (30-21)

Post by transformers2 »

#25
Banks: Was hoping it would turn into something epic with that string intro, but it was still a half decent synthpop track.

John: Have to say it's impressive how good Brian Johnson sounds at his age, particularly with his health issues.

Leestu: Jeff Rosenstock operates in a genre space that I usually enjoy, but his stuff has just never clicked with me and this track/record is no exception.

Ron: Had heard Haim's new record was easily their best and I now feel inclined to side with that popular opinion because this is the 1st time I've ever enjoyed a song of theirs. The warm new wave vibe made this pleasant to listen to.

Screen: Selena's lack of noteworthy vocal chops or a particularly powerful emotional delivery made this a very nondescript pop ballad.

Shryke: Pretty solid. Production was crisp and her voice/sound has just enough bite to it to make her standout in the super crowded synthpop scene.

Six: Way too repetitive to justify its 6-minute runtime.

Surfer: Cutesy indie pop like this just doesn't do it for me.

UDM: Rare was one of the worst records I heard in 2020 and this is probably the weakest song on it. Just a well below average pop song with egregious, poorly-done autotune and a weak hook.
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undeadmonkey
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Re: Top 50 Songs of 2020 (30-21)

Post by undeadmonkey »

#28

H.E.R., Damage
really liked this. added it to my library

My Morning Jacket, Welcome Home
didn't enjoy the previous song by them, but this one was very good. added it to my library.

Yungblud, Cotton Candy
was almost catchy but then it was really weird. Was he trying to outdo Cardib?

Sylvan Esso, Ferris Wheel
enjoyed this, was catchy.

Sufjan Stevens, The Ascension
usually our musical ears very much dont align. This was really good however, added it to my library.


overall a pretty decent round, even the other songs that i didn't like, i wasn't like 'please be over' :lol:

#27 and #26

i didn't like anything here

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Re: Top 50 Songs of 2020 (30-21)

Post by Leestu »

#26

Banks: Run The Jewels with Pharrell & Zack De La Rocha, Ju$t - The first crossover from my list, so excellent pick obviously

Surfer: Stuck, Invisible Wall - I listened to this album after Surfer posted it on his facebook best albums...I really got into it and it's now in my top 50 albums of 2020...It's like Pile meets Pixies...great song!

Six: Molchat Doma, Удалил Твой Номер / Udalil Tvoy Nomer - OMG it's like the Belarussian version of a New Order era of Joy Division, which works for me...I can see them fitting in with the Sacred Bones roster

Screen: Billie Eilish, you should see me in a crown - not one of my favourites of her but I like nearly everything of hers so still really good

Shyrke: Incubus, Our Love - I never really got into Incubus at all but I never really disliked them either....same with this song

Ron B: Matt Corby, Brother - great vocal performance but I never really liked this song...if you only discovered this song last year that surprises me

UDM: OneRepublic, Rescue Me - as modern pop rock goes it's not that bad...is the theme uplifting and positivity during/after trying times?

John: AC/DC, Shot In The Dark - I respect AC/DC but rarely enjoy their music...if I had of been told this was an old song of theirs I would believe it - I guess whether that's or good thing or not depends on how much you like their previous work

Transformers: Carly Rae Jepsen, Summer Love - I've tried (probably more than I needed to) but I still don't get the CRJ hype, I just don't hear anything that separates her from many other pop artists that I also don't get into

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Re: Top 50 Songs of 2020 (30-21)

Post by Shrykespeare »

SONG #24


BANKS

Dua Lipa feat. DaBaby, Levitating

Dua Lipa’s sound of modern disco is something I didn’t know I needed until I heard it. It’s fun, infectious, and broad - and sometimes that’s all I want.





JOHNERLE

AC/DC, Through The Mists Of Time

You don't normally expect wistful melancholy from AC/DC, but I hear a bit of it in this song.





LEESTU

Psychedelic Porn Crumpets, Mr. Prism

Three albums in (and by the time you read this the fourth should have just been released), and with a reputation for amazing live performances (which I can confirm from multiple times is accurate) PPC have proved themselves to be one of the best psychedelic rock bands around right now.





RON B

Julia Jacklin, to Perth, before the border closes





SCREEN

Billie Eilish, bury a friend





SHRYKE

#24. The 1975, If You’re Too Shy (Let Me Know)

I see her online all the time
I'm trying not to stare down there
While she talks about her tough time
Girl of your dreams, you know what I mean
There's something 'bout her stare that makes you nervous
And you say things that you don't mean

One of the best comments for this song on YouTube describes it thusly – Interesting that the 1975 made a song in 2020 that sounds like it’s from 1980. Seriously, this little bit of electropop really took me by surprise when I heard it. The lyrics, the fun drumbeat kicks, brass horns, 80’s synths, digital samples… I almost feel like I’m listening to a new incarnation of Tears For Fears.

Album: Notes on a Conditional Form
Other great tracks: Frail State of Mind, What Should I Say





SIX

Bob Dylan, I’ve Made Up My Mind to Give Myself to You

Every time a beloved, aged act comes out with a not-terrible album the fans and critics proclaim a “return to form”. This happens with almost every Bob Dylan record, but to be honest even his best music from the last 20 years doesn’t come close to his 60s and 70s work. Yet, last year’s Rough and Rowdy Ways wasn’t a drag to listen to. It was fun, witty, light, and powerful. While many lauded the epic track Murder Most Foul, I prefer this sweet and endearing song, adapting the recognisable piece of opera “Barcarolle”by Jacques Offenbach, with its lulling melody and effortless lyrics.





SURFER

Thurston Moore, Breath

When you have been in the game for almost 40 years you could be forgiven for starting to phone it in, yet on Moore's latest release he sounds more revitalised, and in turn more vital for us than for a very long time. Taking influence from jazz and improv, but taking these influences and transforming them into a barrage of noise and squall, its a record that commits to its motivation, yet never comes off as noodling. Like fire, Breath is both comforting and full of fury, and it makes for a hell of a listen.





TRANSFORMERS

Black Crown Initiate, Invitation

John has selected a couple of prog epics thus far (and very well could've offered up more by the time we get to #24), so now's my turn to get in on the action with one's that a little longer and eviler than the tunes he's shared thus far.





UNDEADMONKEY

Hauser, River Flows In You

My 2nd favorite song of Hauser's for 2020.

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

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numbersix
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Re: Top 50 Songs of 2020 (30-21)

Post by numbersix »

#24

Worth the wait.

Banks: Not a fan of her despite the massive critical reception, but this song it pleasantly fun and catchy.
Leestu: Well, glad the band are really embracing 60s psychedelic rock by having an awful band name too! They make King Gizzard seem sensible! Song was decent.
Screen: I've been listening to the Eilish stuff you posted so far, but this was impressive. Reminded me of Black Skinhead, but in a really sinister, subdued, yet with a dash of dark humour too. You don't get any other recent pop stars making music like this. Impressive
Shryke: another critically adored band. But I don't like Tears for Fears so I don't like this.
Surf: Good call. There's another track from this record coming up on my list
UDM: Well, at least there was no overwrought vocals!

Other tracks didn't resonate.

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undeadmonkey
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Re: Top 50 Songs of 2020 (30-21)

Post by undeadmonkey »

again nothing for me in rounds 24 and 25.

maybe i was too focused on the paperwork i was doing, but nothing caught my ear while they were playing in the background, bring on round 23

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Re: Top 50 Songs of 2020 (30-21)

Post by Shrykespeare »

#24

Banks - Dua Lipa - Not bad at all. Unlike SOME of these other guys, I'm not a hater of handclaps.

JohnErle - AC/DC - Great song from a great album.

Leestu - Psychedelic Porn Crumpets (never thought I'd say those words together...) - That was one twisted video. The sound... I kinda dug it. It's like The Monkees filtered through Blind Melon...

Ron B - Julia Jacklin - This was quite nice. Shades of Stevie Nicks in her voice.

Screen - Billie Eilish - Huh. I think this might be my favorite Billie song yet.

Six - Bob Dylan - Not bad for a guy who is months away from being an octogenarian. Is this his equivalent of Cash's "Hurt"? Time will tell.

Surfer - Thurston Moore - Jeez, two grizzled veterans in a row. Long time since Sonic Youth's heyday. Hell, I still remember cranking up "Kool Thing..." Anyway, this was cool.

Tranny - BCI - This was actually quite good... except for the grrrrgggrrrrrgrrrrrgrrrrrrrgrrrrrrgrrr parts.

UDM - Hauser - Beautiful.
Happy 60th birthday Jet Li! (4/26/23)

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