Best of 2020: Josh Keller
Let’s not sugarcoat it: this year sucked. We’ll leave it to better writers and bigger thinkers to make context of this smoldering heap of a year, but we at least have some thoughts on music that came out this year. Check out Josh’s favorite music of 2020.
Top 10 (in no order, but kind of)
Jeff Parker – Suite for Max Brown
Damaged Bug – Bug on Yonkers
Shabaka and the Ancestors — We are Sent Here by History
Lindstrom + Prins Thomas – III
Kiki Jr. — Football Money
Kelly Lee Owens – Inner Song
Erik Hall – Music for 18 Musicians
Emily Sprague – Hill, Flower, Fog
Shinichi Atobe – Yes
Gunn-Truscinski Duo – Soundkeeper
Next 10 (in no order, but kind of)
Run the Jewels – RTJ4
Memory Pearl – Music for 7 Paintings
Knxwledge — 1988
Gong Gong Gong – Rytme Og Drone III | 節奏與嗡鳴三
Mdou Moctar — mixtape series
Ezra Feinberg – Recumbent Speech
Yves Tumor: Heaven to a Tortured Mind
William Tyler — First Cow & New Vanitas
Powers/Rollin Duo – Powers/Rollin Duo
Beat Detectives/Nuke Watch – NYPD Records Vol. 5/Aftermath
Honorable Mention: SALUT — UNTITLED (Black Is); DJ Python – Mas Amable; X.Y.R – Pilgrimage; North Americans – Roped In; Juliana Barwick — Circumstance Synthesis; Yo La Tengo – Sleepless Nights + We Have Amnesia Sometimes; Thurston Moore – By the Fire; TALsounds – Acquiesce; Juliana Barwick – Healing is a Miracle; Omni Gardens – Moss King + Divine Mother; Denzel Curry/Kenny Beats – UNLOCKED
SONGS (*not* on top albums)
Noname “Song 33”
Kassa Overall “I Know You See Me”
Endless Boogie “Vote in Local Elections” (Live)
IIyas Ahmed “How to Transform Into Complete & Total Silence”
Tunde Adebimpe “People”
Destroyer — “Cue Synthesizer”
Park Hye Jin “Beautiful”
Albin “Tascam 38”
Jay Electronicia “Shiny Suit Theory”
Medhane “I’m Deadass”
Michael Stein “PLAY”
Moodyman “Do Wrong”
Khruangbin “Time (You & I)”
Gorillaz “Friday 13th”
Justo the MC “Shut Up & Rap”
Mary Lattimore “A Unicorn Catches a Falling Star in Heaven”
Top 20 Minnesota (In no particular order but kind of)
Dua Saleh – ROSETTA
Steve Palmer – Useful Histories
Iceblink – Carpet Cocoon
Elskavon & John Hayes – Du Nord
The Muatas – The Upside Down Project
American Cream — Venus
Green/Blue – Green/Blue
Flavor Crystals — five
Various – Out of the Ashes: A Benefit Album for Minneapolis
Astralblak – Space & Time EP
IE – Aune + Terry Riley’s Keyboard Study No. 2
Loud Sun – Sweet Pit
Magnetic Ghost – Pixels
Orchard Thief – The Gentle World
Black Market Brass Band – Undying Thirst
Black-Eyed Snakes – Rise Up!
Muja Messiah – Flowers Blossom on Top of Coffins
Waveless – Sugartree
Dizzy Fae “I’m Good”
Writer / co-founder
