All Life Long: The Top Albums, EPs and Reissues of 2024

I listened to nothing but tinny opera recordings from the 1950s during several glorious days in the past twelve months. Inspired by a few of the reissues listed below, I also went on extended vintage gypsy jazz jags, took deep dives into 1960s free jazz and wallowed in 1970s funk. While I prize each of the 2024 releases ranked here, little of the new music affected me as much as the sounds of the distant past I hadn’t previously encountered. What now? My interests continue to change with such rapidity that I can’t foresee what will capture my attention in 2025.

The Top Fifty New Albums of 2024

1. Kali Malone- All Life Long

2. Jlin- Akoma

3. JPEGMAFIA- I Lay Down My Life for You

4. Pygmalion- Mozart: Requiem

5. Zach Bryan- The Great American Bar Scene

6. Sunny Five- Candid

7. Future and Metro Boomin- We Don’t Trust You and 

We Still Don’t Trust You

8. Grupo Frontera- Jugando a Que No Pasa Nada

9. Caroline Shaw- Leonardo da Vinci: Original Score

10. Bilal- Live at Glasshaus and Adjust Brightness

11. Nduduzo Makhathini- uNomkhubulwane

12. Willie Nelson- Last Leaf on the Tree and The Border

13. Sarah Davachi- The Head as Form’d in the Crier’s Choir

14. Sault- Acts of Faith

15. Philip Glass- Solo

16. Anja Lechner- Bach Abel Hume

17. Brad Mehldau- After Bach II and Après Fauré

18. Fred Hersch- Silent, Listening

19. Oren Ambarchi- Ghosted II

20. Denzel Curry- King of the Mischievous South, Vol. 2

21. Vince Staples- Dark Times

22. Kaitlin Butts- Roadrunner!

23. Borderlands Trio- Rewilder

24. Jack White- No Name

25. Willi Carlisle- Critterland

26. Linda Thompson- Proxy Music

27. Tord Gustavsen Trio- Seeing

28. Moor Mother- The Great Bailout

29. Tomeka Reid, Isidora Edwards and Elisabeth Coudoux- 

Reid/Edwards/Coudoux

30. Blackstarkids- Saturn Dayz and Heaven On Urf

31. Rogê- Curyman II

32. Nala Sinephro- Endlessness

33. Samara Joy- Portrait

34. John Adams- Girls of the Golden West

35. Common and Pete Rock- The Auditorium Vol. 1

36. Betty Bryant- Lotta Livin’

37. The Smile- Wall of Eyes and Cutouts

38. Barbara Hannigan and Bertrand Chamayou- Messiaen

39. Véronique Gens- Paysage

40. Ahmed- Wood Blues

41. Jessica Pratt- Here in the Pitch

42. SML- Small Medium Large

43. Kevin Puts- The Hours

44. Tarbaby- You Think This America

45. SleazyWorld Go- More Than a Shooter

46. Andrew Cyrille, Kit Downes and Bill Frisell- Breaking the Shell

47. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds- Wild God

48. Ryuichi Sakamoto- Opus

49. Kendrick Lamar- GNX

50. The Wiener Philharmoniker with Lise Davidsen- Sommernachtskonzert at the Schönbrunn Palace

The Top 25 EPs of 2024

1. Drug Church- Prude

2. Mike and Tony Seltzer- Pinball

3. Laura Cannell- Firelore

4. Little Simz- Drop

5. Shabaka- Possession

6. Peter Schlamb- Pliable Consciousness

7. Regional Justice Center- Freedom Sweet Freedom

8. Shredders- Serious Dudes

9. Benoît Delbecq- Triple Fever

10. Krystle Warren & The Academy- Extended Play

11. Wilco- Hot Sun Cool Shroud

12. Khatia Buniatishvili- Labyrinth: Ephemera

13. Knocked Loose- You Won’t Go Before You’re Supposed To

14. Anysia Kym- Truest

15. Leonhard Baumgartner, Svenja Dose, Margarita Pochebut, Oscar Jockel- Mozart: Serenade in C Major, K. 648 “A Very Little Night Music”

16. Thirdface- Ministerial Cafeteria

17. Melt-Banana- 3+5

18. Badbadnotgood- Mid Spiral: Chaos

19. Joan Shelley- Mood Ring

20. Doris- The Saver

21. Carminho- At Electrical Audio

22. Herbert Blomstedt and Gewandhausorchester- Mozart: Serenade in C Major, K. 648 “A Very Little Night Music”

23. Ramona and the Holy Smokes- Til It’s Over

24. Meth Math- Chupetones

25. Snorri Hallgrimsson- Longer Shadows, Softer Stones

The Top 25 Reissues and Reimaginings of 2024

1. Alice Coltrane- The Carnegie Hall Concert

2. funk.BR: São Paulo

3. Paul McCartney- One Hand Clapping

4. Miles Davis- Miles in France 1963 & 1964: The Bootleg Series, Vol. 8

5. Charles Gayle, William Parker and Milford Graves- WEBO

6. Emahoy Tsegué Maryam Guèbrou- Souvenirs

7. Robyn Hitchcock- 1967: Vacations in the Past

8. McCoy Tyner, Joe Henderson, Henry Grimes and Jack DeJohnette- Forces of Nature: Live at Slugs

9. Rail Band- Rail Band

10. Sonic Youth- Walls Have Ears

11. Flatland Cavalry- Flatland Forever

12. Jakob Bro- Taking Turns

13. Mal Waldron and Steve Lacy- The Mighty Warriors Live in Antwerp

14. Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan- Chain of Light

15. Alejandro Escovedo- Echo Dancing

16. The Ohio Players- Observations In Time: The Johnny Brantley/Vidalia Productions

17. Ron Miles- Old Main Chapel

18. Jack Bruce- Smiles & Grins, Broadcast Sessions 1970-2001

19. William Baskinski- September 23rd

20. Gastr Del Sol- We Have Dozens of Titles

21. Art Tatum- Jewels in the Treasure Box: The 1953 Chicago Blue Note Jazz Club Recordings

22. DJ-Kicks: Honey Dijon

23. Bryan Ferry- Retrospective: Selected Recordings 1973-2023

24. Dolly Parton and Family- Smoky Mountain DNA: Family, Faith and Fables

25. Charlie Parker- Bird in Kansas City

My fifty favorite performances of 2024 are ranked here. My fifty favorite songs of 2024 are listed here. And my top albums and songs of 2023 are here.

October 2024 Recap: A Monthly Exercise in Critical Transparency

Screenshot of the trailer of the Metropolitan Opera’s production of Osvaldo Golijo’s Ainadamar by There Stands the Glass.

Top Ten Albums of October

1. Caroline Shaw- Leonardo da Vinci: Original Score
The ideal contemporary classical primer.

2. JD Allen- The Dark, the Light, the Grey and the Colorful
Merciless spiritual jazz.

3. The Necks- Bleed
Minimalist slow-core.

4. Anja Lechner- Bach Abel Hume
Solo cello.

5. Blackstarkids- Heaven on Urf
The conclusion of an ambitious concept album.

6. Anna Butterss- Mighty Vertebrate
Slinky post-jazz.

7. Drug Church- Prude
Mouthy hardcore.

8. Tord Gustavsen Trio- Seeing
My review.

9. Samara Joy- Portrait
Enchanted swing.

10. Marie Krüttli Trio- Scoria
My review.

Top Ten Songs of October

1. Tyler, The Creator- "Noid"
Distrust.

2. 070 Shake- "Winter Baby/New Jersey Blues"
Remembering the Ronettes.

3. Mike- "Pieces of a Dream"
Foggy.

4. Danny Brown- "Cheaters"
No rules.

5. Leikeli47- "450"
Mask off.

6. Shredders- “Shred Dogs 4 Lyfe”
Doomtree.

7. Maren Morris- “People Still Show Up”
Knock knock.

8. Sofía Valdés- "Already Yours"
Possessed.

9. Major Lazer and Vybz Kartel- "Nobody Move"
Frozen.

10. Geordie Greep- "Blues"
Art-rock absurdity.

Top Ten Performances of October

1. Dwight Frizzell’s Heliophonie at Charlotte Street Foundation
My review.

2. Drug Church at recordBar
My Instagram clip.

3. Rick Bartlett at Ricky B’s (Louisville)
My Instagram clip.

4. The Psychedelic Furs, The Jesus and Mary Chain and Frankie Rose at the Uptown Theater
My Instagram snapshot.

5. Chelsea Guo, Joseph Parrish and Francesco Barfoed at the Folly Theater
My Instagram snapshot.

6. Wayne Graham at Zanzabar (Louisville)
My Instagram clip.

7. Gil Shaham with the Kansas City Symphony at Helzberg Hall
My Instagram snapshot.

8. Jackie Myers, Rich Wheeler and Jeff Harshbarger at the Market at Meadowbrook
My Instagram snaphot.

9. Nola Richardson’s masterclass at Atonement Lutheran Church.
My Instagram snapshot.

10. Gerald Trimble & Jambaroque, Bayati Ensemble and Soundz of Africa at Unity on the Plaza
My Instagram clip.

The previous monthly recap is here.

Album Review: Roomful of Teeth- Rough Magic

I still have nightmares about singing countless renditions of “The Happy Wanderer” as a member of my high school glee club.  Attending a Roomful of Teeth performance at the Big Ears festival in 2019  helped me overcome my longstanding aversion to choral music.  The pleasure I take in Roomful of Teeth’s Rough Magic indicates it’s now among my favorite sounds.  Portions of the four compositions on the new album are as freaky as any form of avant-garde music.  William Brittelle’s “Psychedelics” and Peter S. Shin’s “Bits torn from words” are appropriately titled.  Caroline Shaw’s “The Isle” is based on “The Tempest.”  “None More Than You,” a room-clearer by Eve Beglarian, is my favorite piece. Rough Magic is an immensely gratifying revenge of the choir nerds.

October 2022 Recap: A Monthly Exercise in Critical Transparency

Screenshot of the trailer of Opera North’s reworking of Monteverdi’s “L’Orfeo” by There Stands the Glass.

Top Ten Albums of October

1. Natalia Lafourcade- De Todas las Flores

Rapturous beauty.

2. Bobby Watson- Back Home in Kansas City

My review.

3. Brian Harnetty- Words and Silences

My review.

4. Dave Douglas- Songs of Ascent: Book 1- Degrees

Advanced harmolodics.

5. Boston Modern Orchestra Project- Anthony Davis: X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X

A new rendering of the neglected opera.

6. Anat Cohen- Quartetinho

Exquisite chamber jazz.

7. Evgueni Galperine- Theory of Becoming

A Ukrainian Morricone.

8. Armani Caesar- The Liz 2

The month’s best Griselda album.

9. Babyface- Girl’s Night Out

Sultry collaborations.

10. Caroline Shaw and I Giardini- The Wheel

I prefer this hushed recording to the widely praised The Blue Hour.

Top Ten Songs of October

1. Plains- "Hurricane"

Leveled.

2. Grupo Marca Registrada and Luis R. Conriquez- "Puro Campeón"

A true champion.

3. iLe- "Lo Que Yo Quería"

Celestial pop.

4. Ozuna featuring El Cherry Scom- "Perreo y Dembow"

Dizzying.

5. Quavo and Takeoff- "Two Infinity Links"

I’m 250 pages into Joe Coscarelli’s Rap Capital.

6. Jamila Woods- "Boundaries"

Blurred lines.

7. LF System- "Hungry (For Love)"

Famished on the dance floor.

8. SleazyWorld Go featuring G Herbo- “Glitches”

Shots fired.

9. Nardo Wick featuring Polo G- "G Nikes"

If the shoe fits…

10. Hardy- "Truck Bed"

Hick-hop goes pop-punk.

Top Ten Performances of October

1. Marin Alsop and Orchestra Sinfônica do Estado de São Paulo at Helzberg Hall

My review.

2. Ohma and FKJ at the Midland Theater

My review.

3. Raven Chacon’s “American Ledger no. 1” at Agnes Arts

My review.

4. Lyle Lovett and John Hiatt at the Uptown Theater

My review.

5. Terence Blanchard with Turtle Island Quartet at Atkins Auditorium

My review.

6. Alter Destiny at Charlotte Street Foundation

My review.

7. Karen Hsiao Savage, Hyeyung Sol Yoon and Gregory Beaver at White Recital Hall

My review.

8. Stan Kessler, Rod Fleeman and Bob Bowman at a driveway concert

Three of Kansas City’s best on a glorious fall afternoon.

9. Esthesis Quartet at the Blue Room

My Instagram clip.

10. Alex Mallett and Jeff Harshbarger at Market at Meadowbrook

Folklore.

Last month’s survey is here.

I'm Down with O.P.P. (Other Peoples' Pulitzers)

Original image of Raven Chacon and Paul Rudy by There Stands the Glass.

For the second time in the last 24 days I’ve attended a performance of a work by a recipient of the Pulitzer Prize for Music in the presence of the composer.  On Wednesday, October 26, Raven Chacon, the winner of the 2022 Pulitzer, heard what he estimated was the tenth reading of his “American Ledger no. 1” at Agnes Arts.

I was torn between laughing in appreciative wonder and crying with profound grief in response to the unconventional composition addressing the gradual dispossession of the continent from Native Americans.  An enormous copy of the graphic sheet music allowed the audience of about 150 to follow along with a ten-piece ensemble conducted by Paul Rudy.

With a couple accomplished locally based jazz musicians in the group conducted by Paul Rudy, the composition occasionally contained elements of swing absence from an excellent rendering of “American Ledger no. 1” in Houston.  Here’s my brief but representative video clip from Agnes Arts.

Earlier this month I marveled at sitting near 2011 Pulitzer recipient Zhou Long as his “Spirit of Chimes” was performed at a lightly attended concert in Kansas City.  There weren’t many more people at a 2018 performance of Julia Wolfe’s Pulitzer-winning “Anthracite Fields” at the Folly Theater.  And yes, Wolfe was in the house.

I’ve attended performances by four additional Pulitzer recipients: Ornette Coleman (2007 award), Kendrick Lamar (2018), Wynton Marsalis (1997) and Caroline Shaw (2013).  Designations give the often esoteric winners prestige they might otherwise not receive, but no one needed validation from Pulitzer voters to recognize they were in the presence of greatness at Agnes Arts on Wednesday.

September 2022 Recap: A Monthly Exercise in Critical Transparency

Screenshot of Sondra Radvanovsky in the trailer of the Metropolitan Opera’s production of Cherubini’s “Medea” by There Stands the Glass.

Top Ten Albums of September

1. Sarah Davachi- Two Sisters

Ecumenical drones.

2. Caroline Shaw and Attacca Quartet- Evergreen

A Mozart among us.

3. James Brandon Lewis- Molecular Systematic Music

Live mutations.

4. Julian Lage- View with a Room

With Bill Frisell, Jorge Roeder and Dave King.

5. Charles Lloyd- Trios: Ocean

Celestial trio with Gerald Clayton and Anthony Wilson.

6. Laura Jurd- The Big Friendly Album

Howdy.

7. Ohma- Between All Things

My review.

8. Billy Woods- Church

Unanswered prayers.

9. Jeff Parker, Eric Revis and Nasheet Waits- Eastside Romp

No ordinary guitar trio.

10. Björk- Fossora

Ridiculously good or just ridiculous?

Top Ten Songs of September

1. Mister Water Wet- "Caged at Last"

Everything at once, sparingly.

2.. Santigold- "Ushers of the New World"

I prefer to stand, thank you.

3. Channel Tres- "No Limit"

A slick shocker.

4. M.I.A.- "Beep"

Bop.

5. LCD Soundsystem- “New Body Rhumba”

Workout.

6. Stormzy- "Mel Made Me Do It"

An old-school tour de force.

7. Smino featuring J. Cole- "90 Proof"

Strong.

8. Little Big Town- "Three Whiskeys and the Truth"

Fleetwood Mac sounds better than ever.

9. Kany García and Christian Nodal- "La Siguiente"

Romantic duet.

10. Clutch- "Three Golden Horns"

Clutch is my favorite novelty act.

Top Ten Concerts of September

1. Blackstarkids- recordBar

My review.

2. Lucibela- Old Church Concert Hall

My review.

3. Algara, P.S.Y.W.A.R. and New Obsessions- Farewell

My review.

4. Porridge Radio and Blondshell- Doug Fir Lounge

My Instagram video.

5. Live Skull- recordBar

My review.

6. Ozomatli- KC Live

My Instagram video.

7. Gorillaz and EarthGang- Moda Center

My review.

8. Billy Cobham- Dolores Winningstad Theater

My review.

9. Roger Waters- T-Mobile Center

My review.

10. The Shins and Joseph- Pioneer Courthouse Square

Temporarily displaced unhoused people were not pleased.

Last month’s survey is here.

Take What You Want: The Top Albums, EPs and Reissues of 2021

The Top 50 Albums of 2021

1. Kanye West- Donda

My review.

2. Irreversible Entanglements- Open the Gates

My review.

3. Mathias Eick- When We Leave

My review.

4. Molly Herron- Through Lines

My review.

5. Pino Palladino and Blake Mills- Notes with Attachments

My review.

6. Tyler, The Creator- Call Me If You Get Lost

7. The Metropolitan Opera- Philip Glass’ Akhnaten

8. Nala Sinephro- Space 1.8

My review.

9. Lana Del Rey- Chemtrails Over the Country Club

My podcast analysis.

10. Lise Davidsen- Beethoven Wagner Verdi

My review.

11. Sleaford Mods- Spare Ribs

My review.

12. Sons of Kemet- Black to the Future

13. St. Vincent- Daddy's Home

14. Caroline Shaw and Sō Percussion- Let the Soil Play Its Simple Part

15. Evan Parker Quartet- All Knavery & Collusion

16. Turnstile- Glow On

My podcast analysis.

17. Marianne Faithful and Warren Ellis- She Walks in Beauty

18. Fire-Toolz- Eternal Home

My podcast analysis.

19. Benoît Delbecq- The Weight of Light

My review.

20. Summer Walker- Still Over It

21. Damon Locks & Black Monument Ensemble- Now

22. Brockhampton- Roadrunner: New Light, New Machine 

23. Sylvie Courvoisier and Mary Halvorson- Searching for the Disappeared Hour

24. Behzod Abduraimov- Debussy Chopin Mussorgsky 

My review.

25. Artifacts- …And Then There’s This

26. Max Richter- Exiles

27. Chris Thile- Laysongs

28. Danish String Quartet- Prism III

29. Alan Jackson- Where Have You Gone

30. Migos- Culture III

31. Les Filles de Illighadad- At Pioneer Works

32. Angel Bat Dawid- Hush Harbor Mixtape Vol. 1 Doxology

33. Morgan Wallen- Dangerous: The Double Album

34. Borderlands Trio- Wandersphere

My review.

35. Pat Metheny- Road to the Sun

My review.

36. Patricia Brennan- Maquishti

37. Yola- Stand For Myself

38. Roscoe Mitchell- Dots: Pieces for Percussion and Woodwinds

39. Karol G- KG01516

My podcast analysis.

40. Craig Taborn- Shadow Plays

41. Moor Mother- Black Encyclopedia of the Air

My podcast analysis.

42. Georgia Anne Muldrow- Vweto III

43. Dopolarians- The Bond

My review.

44. Sara Serpa- Intimate Strangers

45. Abstract Mindstate- Dreams Still Inspire

My review.

46. Chynna- Drug Opera

47. La Arrolladora Banda el Limón- En Contra De Mi Voluntad

48. Lana Del Rey- Blue Banisters

49. Floating Points, Pharoah Sanders and the London Symphony Orchestra- Promises

My review.

50. Drake- Certified Lover Boy

The Top 25 EPs of 2021

1. Benny the Butcher- The Plugs I Met 2

My podcast analysis.

2. Caroline Shaw- Narrow Sea

3. Vince Staples- Vince Staples

4. Lyle Mays- Eberhard

5. The Alchemist- This Thing of Ours

6. Aida Cuevas- Antología de la Música Ranchera, Vol. 2

7. F*cked Up- Year of the Horse (four installments)

8. Rachika Nayar- Fragments

9. Wanda Jackson- Encore

10. Burial- Shock Power of Love

11. Los Dos Carnales- Corrido Pa’ la Historia

12. Benny the Butcher- Pyrex Picasso

13. Bummer- Dead Horse

14. Dare- Against All Odds

15. YoungBoy Never Broke Again- Sincerely, Kentrell

16. Benjamin Mørk and Arve Henriksen- The Valleys

17. Rudimentary Peni- Great War

18. Portrayal of Guilt- We Are Always Alone

19. María Huld Markan Sigfúsdóttir- Kom Vinur

20. Gatecreeper- An Unexpected Reality

21. Melvin Gibbs- 4 +1 Equals 5 for May 25

22. A Place to Bury Strangers- Hologram

23. Ryoji Ikeda- EP

24. Charlie Hunter- Kick, Snare, Baritone Guitar

25. Rosie Lowe and Duval Timothy- Son

The Top 25 Reissues, Reimaginings and Compilations of 2021

1. Hasaan Ibn Ali- Retrospect In Retirement Of Delay: The Solo Recordings

My review.

2. John Coltrane- A Love Supreme: Live in Seattle

3. Sun Ra- Lanquidity (Definitive Edition)

4. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds- B-Sides & Rarities, Part II

5. Bob Dylan- Springtime in New York: The Bootleg Series, Vol. 16, 1980-1985

6. Nubya Garcia- Source ⧺ We Move

7. Toumani Diabaté and the London Symphony Orchestra- Kôrôlén

8. Alice Coltrane- Kirtan: Turiya Sings

9. Various- The Boys From Nairobi: 80s Benga & Rumba

10. The Beatles- Let It Be (Super Deluxe)

11. Wild Up- Julius Eastman, Vol. 1: Femenine

12. Lee Morgan- The Complete Live at the Lighthouse

My review.

13. Julius Hemphill- The Boyé Multi-National Crusade for Harmony 1977-2007

14. The Beach Boys- Feel Flows: The Sunflower & Surf’s Up Sessions, 1969-1971

15. Johnny Cash- Bear’s Sonic Journals: Live at the Carousel Ballroom, April 24, 1968

16. Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey- Winterwood Revealed: Live Vipers & Studio Doves

17. Hailu Mergia and the Walias Band- Tezeta

18. J Dilla- Welcome 2 Detroit: The 20th Anniversary Edition

19. Prince- Welcome 2 America

20. PJ Harvey- Is This Desire?: Demos

21. Dyke & The Blazers- I Got a Message Hollywood: 1968-1970

My review.

22. Hasaan Ibn Ali- Metaphysics: The Lost Atlantic Album

23. Neil Young and Crazy Horse- Way Down in the Rust Bucket

24. The Weeknd- The Highlights

25. The Rolling Stones- Tattoo You: 40th Anniversary Super Deluxe Edition

Links to 16 previous annual There Stands the Glass surveys begin here.

Album Review: Attacca Quartet- Real Life

Original image of Summerfest concert at Atonement Lutheran Church by There Stands the Glass.

I was among the youngest of 60 devotees of chamber music at Atonement Lutheran Church for the final concert of the annual Summerfest initiative on Sunday, July 11. A rendition of Daniel Bernard Roumain’s String Quartet No. 5, Rosa Parks was among the vital works performed. The tiny audience was dominated by geriatric- albeit admirably enlightened- nonconformists. In naming its 2019 collaboration with Caroline Shaw my #9 album of the year, I verified Attacca Quartet’s exceptional ability to resonate with relative newcomers to the classical tradition. Its latest release Real Life highlights the work of electronic-leaning composers including Flying Lotus and Tokimonsta. Only the tacky opening track “Electric Pow Wow Drum” sounds contrived. Squarepusher’s distinctive contribution “Xetaka 1” is an auspicious culture clash. The album’s best track, a relatively conventional treatment of Anne Müller’s “Drifting Circles,' subtly fiddles with studio dynamics. Classical music will limp along with or without the help of Attacca Quartet. Even so, Real Life is further proof that the artistic and social constructs preventing timid people from enjoying the style should be ignored.

June 2021 Recap: A Monthly Exercise in Critical Transparency

Screenshot of the trailer of Lili by There Stands the Glass.

Top Ten Albums (released in June)

1. Migos- Culture III

My post-vaccination party soundtrack, 1/2.

2. Billy F Gibbons- Hardware

My post-vaccination party soundtrack, 2/2.

3. Caroline Shaw and Sō Percussion- Let the Soil Play Its Simple Part

I love the elements I love more than I loathe the elements I loathe.

4. Anthony Braxton- 12 Comp (Zim)

My review.

5. Chris Thile- Laysongs

Anxious gospel.

6. Tyler, The Creator- Call Me If You Get Lost

Goblin grows up.

7. Julian Lage- Squint

A different type of power trio.

8. Wild Up- Julius Eastman, Vol. 1: Femenine

A vital conceptualization.

9. Mac Lethal- Winter Heartbreak II

My review.

10. Angel Bat Dawid- Hush Harbor Mixtape Vol. 1 Doxology

Ancient to the (lofi) future.

Top Ten Songs (released in June)

1. Megan Thee Stallion- “Thot Sh*t”

“Lit since brunch.”

2. Little Simz- "Rollin' Stone"

Quenched.

3. Rauw Alejandro and Anitta- "Brazilera"

Carnival.

4. Moor Mother- "Zami"

Traveling the spaceways.

5. Billie Eilish- "Lost Cause"’

Dead flowers.

6. Petra Haden- "Silence"

Song for her father.

7. Becky G and El Alfa- “Fulanito”

Rhythm nation.

8. Jennifer Hudson- "Here I Am"

Aria for Aretha.

9. Bfd Da Packman- “Wendy Williams”

“Back to Walmart.”

10. Brittney Spencer- “Sober & Skinny”

You got a fast car.

Top Ten Concerts (first monthly ranking since March 2020!)

1. Irreversible Entanglements- Stephens Lake Park Amphitheatre (Columbia, Missouri)

My review.

2. Johnny Rawls- Gladstone Summertime Bluesfest 

My notes.

3. Bird Fleming and Bill Summers’ “Voyage of the Drum”- Dunbar Park

My review.

4. Second Nature Ensemble- Westport Coffee House

My review.

5. En Vogue- Hy-Vee Arena

My review.

6. Mike Dillon and Nikki Glaspie- 1900 Building

My review.

7. Adam Galblum Quartet- Market KC

Django Reinhardt and Stéphane Grappelli revived.

8. Kian Byrne- Second Presbyterian Church

A singer-songwriter sweats it out under the setting sun.

9. Roman Alexander- KC Live

My review.

10. The Kansas City Chorale- Rolling Hills Presbyterian Church

Docked several notches for a clergyman’s abhorrent mask-shaming.

Top Ten Movies (viewed for the first time in June)

1. Jojo Rabbit (2019)

Gesundheit!

2. Lili (1953)

A French twist on The Wizard of Oz.

3. La ciociara/Two Women (1960)

Sophia Loren and Eleonora Brown suffer unspeakable trauma.

4. Polish Wedding (1998)

Love in Hamtramck.

5. Murder, My Sweet (1944)

Psychotropic noir.

6. I Accuse! (1958)

Straightforward depiction of the Dreyfus affair.

7. Lisztomania (1975)

Richard Wagner is Satan in Ken Russell’s gonzo freakout. 

8. Terri (2011)

Teen cringe.

9. The Shadow on the Window (1957)

And Jerry Mathers as the murder witness.

10. Small Town Crime (2017)

Negligible noir.

May’s recap and links to previous monthly surveys are here.

Don't Go Outside: The Top Albums and Songs of 2020

Screenshot of Isabel Leonard in Francis Poulenc’s “Dialogues of the Carmélites” by There Stands the Glass.

The following compendium is the result of a music obsessive finally fulfilling a lifelong fantasy of scrutinizing sound every waking hour for months on end.  While the circumstances are tragic, the relentless consumption of my music of choice acts as a balm.  Performances by Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin, Post Malone, Roddy Ricch and Luciana Souza were the most memorable concerts I attended in the opening weeks of 2020.  I’ve since filled the void created by the absence of live music with a crash course in opera.  I’ve watched a complete production each of the last 257 days.  In the time not dedicated to composers like Philip Glass, Giacomo Puccini and Richard Wagner, I’ve obsessed over the recordings listed below.  Reviews of many of the selections are published at this site and at my jazz blog Plastic Sax.

The Top 50 Albums of 2020

1. Clarice Jensen- The Experience of Repetition as Death

2. Jyoti- Mama, You Can Bet!

3. Bad Bunny- YHLQMDLG

4. Peter CottonTale- Catch

5. Jay Electronica- A Written Testimony

6. Mac Miller- Circles

7. Beatrice Dillon- Workaround

8. Jennifer Curtis and Tyshawn Sorey- Invisible Ritual

9. Freddie Gibbs and The Alchemist- Alfredo

10. Gorillaz- Song Machine, Season One: Strange Timez

11. Westside Gunn- Flygod Is an Awesome God 2

12. William Basinski- Lamentations

13. Shirley Collins- Heart's Ease

14. Ambrose Akinmusire- On the Tender Spot of Every Calloused Moment

15. Bob Dylan- Rough and Rowdy Ways

16. Bill Frisell- Valentine

17. Anja Lechner and François Couturier- Lontano

18. José James- No Beginning No End 2

19. Childish Gambino- 3.15.20

20. Kaja Draksler Octet- Out for Stars

21. Armand Hammer- Shrines

22. Nine Inch Nails- Ghosts VI: Locusts

23. Jeremy Pelt- The Art of Intimacy, Vol. 1

24. Run the Jewels- RTJ4

25. Moor Mother and Nicole Mitchell- Offering

26. Bill Fay- Countless Branches

27. Hailu Mergia- Yene Mircha

28. Angelica Sanchez and Marilyn Crispell- How to Turn the Moon

29. Nick Cave- Idiot Prayer: Alone at Alexandra Palace, 2020 

30. Sara Serpa- Recognition

31. Nicolás Jaar- Cenizas

32. Teyana Taylor- The Album

33. Steve Arrington- Down to the Lowest Terms: The Soul Sessions

34. Yaeji- What We Drew

35. Norah Jones- Pick Me Up Off the Floor

36. Rudresh Mahanthappa- Hero Trio

37. Mozzy- Beyond Bulletproof

38. Sturgill Simpson- Cuttin’ Grass Vol. 1, The Butcher Shoppe Sessions

39. Mary Halvorson’s Code Girl- Artlessly Falling

40. Brad Mehldau- Suite: April 2020

41. Zara McFarlane- Songs of an Unknown Tongue

42. Kvelertak- Splid

43. Conway the Machine- From King to a God

44. Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah- Axiom

45. Lianne La Havas- Lianne La Havas

46. Ellen Fullman & Theresa Wong- Harbors

47. Reverend John Wilkins- Trouble

48. Susan Alcorn Quintet- Pedernal

49. Raheem DeVaughn- What a Time to Be In Love

50. Tame Impala- The Slow Rush

The Top 25 EPs of 2020

1. Pongo- Uwa

2. Atmosphere- The Day Before Halloween

3. Obongjayar- Which Way Is Forward?

4. Rafiq Bhatia- Standards, Vol. 1

5. Blackstarkids- Surf

6. Roomful of Teeth and Michael Harrison- Just Constellations

7. Eddie Chacon- Pleasure, Joy and Happiness

8. Medhane- Full Circle

9. Denzel Curry and Kenny Beats- Unlocked

10. Philip Glass Ensemble- Music In Eight Parts

11. Christine and the Queens- La Vita Nuova

12. Marcos Valle- Jazz Is Dead 003

13. Flee Lord and Pete Rock- The People's Champ

14. Pasquale Grasso- Solo Bird

15. Black Noi$e- Oblivion

16. Omar Apollo- Apolonio

17. Lyric Jones- Closer Than They Appear

18. E-40- The Curb Commentator Channel 1

19. Tricky- Fall to Pieces

20. Aoife O’Donovan- Bull Frogs Croon (and Other Songs)

21. Joseph- Trio Sessions, Vol. 1

22. 10k.Caash- Planet Swajjur

23. We the People- Misunderstood

24. A$AP Ferg- Floor Seats II

25. Blackpink- The Album

The Top 25 Reissues, Compilations and Reimaginings of 2020

1. Flying Lotus- Flamagra (Instrumentals)

2. Prince- Sign o’ the Times (Super Deluxe)

3. Gil Scott-Heron- We’re New Again: A Reimagining by Makaya McCraven

4. Sleaford Mods- All That Glue

5. Jóhann Jóhannsson and Yair Elazar Glotman- Last and First Men

6. The Gospel Truth: The Complete Singles Collection

7. Gillian Welch- Boots No 2: The Lost Songs, Vol. 1

8. Tony Allen and Hugh Masekela- Rejoice

9. Mike and the Moonpies- Touch of You: The Lost Songs of Gary Stewart

10. Iva Bittová and Dorothea Kellerova- Bartók: 44 Duets for Two Violins

11. Ennio Morricone- Morricone Segreto

12. Kassa Overall- Shades of Flu: Healthy Remixes for an Ill Moment

13. The Stooges- Live at Goose Lake: August 8, 1970

14. Charlie Parker- The Savoy 10-Inch LP Collection

15. Soul Love Now: The Black Fire Records Story: 1975-1993

16. Jon Gibson- Songs & Melodies, 1973-77

17. Neil Young- Homegrown

18. Ambiance- Into a New Journey

19. Edward Simon- 25 Years

20. Stone Crush: Modern Memphis Soul 1977-1987

21. Soul Jazz Records Presents Kaleidoscope: New Spirits Known and Unknown

22. Dave Alvin- From an Old Guitar: Rare and Unreleased Recordings

23. Thelonious Monk- Palo Alto

24. Yusuf- Tea for the Tillerman 2

25. Ipa-Boogie- Ipa-Boogie

The Top 50 Songs of 2020 (Spotify playlist)

1. Juice Wrld- “Wishing Well”

2. Zsela- "Drinking"

3. Caroline Shaw and David Lang- “When I Am Alone”

4. 070 Shake- “Guilty Conscience”

5. Drake featuring Lil Durk- “Laugh Now Cry Later”

6. Thundercat- "Black Qualls"

7. Little Simz- "Might Bang, Might Not"

8. Alicia Keys featuring Khalid- "So Done"

9. Sam Hunt- "Hard to Forget"

10. John Prine- “I Remember Everything”

11. Streets and Idles- “None of Us Are Getting Out of This Life Alive”

12. 6ix9ine- "Gooba"

13. Sa-Roc- "Hand of God"

14. Frank Ocean- "Cayendo"

15. Meredith Monk and the Bang on a Can All-Stars- “The Games: Downfall”

16. Stephen Malkmus- “The Greatest Own in Legal History”

17. Elle King- "The Let Go"

18. Chris Stapleton- “You Should Probably Leave”

19. J Balvin- "Amarillo"

20. Genevieve Artadi- “Godzillaaaa”

21. City Girls- "Jobs"

22. Eminem, Royce Da 5’9”, Black Thought, Q-Tip and Denaun- "Yah Yah"

23. Future and Lil Uzi Vert- "Marni On Me"

24. Duck Sauce- "Captain Duck"

25. Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion- "WAP"

26. Groupe RTD- "Buuraha U Dheer"

27. Destroyer- “Cue Synthesizer”

28. Jessie Ware- “Remember Where You Are”

29. Illuminati Hotties- “Freequent Letdown”

30. Chloe x Halle- “Don’t Make It Harder On Me”

31. Ledisi- "Anything For You"

32. Rapsody and Bilal- “Pray Momma Don’t Cry”

33. Flo Milli- "May I"

34. BTS- "Ugh!"

35. Hinds- “Just Like Kids (Miau)”

36. Bruce Springsteen- “Janey Needs a Shooter”

37. Norah Jane Struthers- “I Feel Like My Old Self”

38. 2 Chainz- “Wait For You to Die”

39. Deftones- "Genesis"

40. Ty Dolla $ign featuring Kanye West, FKA Twigs and Skrillex- "Ego Death"

41. Miley Cyrus- “Midnight Sky”

42. Willie Nelson- "Our Song"

43. Ray Wylie Hubbard featuring Elizabeth Cook and Paula Nelson- “Drink Til I See Double”

44. The Magnetic Fields- “Favorite Bar”

45. Tyler Childers- "Long Violent History"

46. James Blake- "I Keep Calling"

47. Playboi Carti- “@meh”

48. Poppy- "Don't Go Outside"

49. Conway the Machine featuring Flee Lord, Havoc and Lloyd Banks- "Juvenile Hell"

50. Metz- "Pulse"