Favorite Artists, Part 12: About Eurythmics

 The duo of Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart, aka Eurythmics, was one of the more popular groups of the eighties. Their musical output consisted of eight studio albums released between 1981 and 1989, plus a reunion LP produced a decade later. However, much like Joni Mitchell, this is one of those artists who earned their way onto this My Favorite Artists list mostly due to their output in one particular period of their career, in this case a tightly focused one, from early 1983 through the end of 1984.

Lennox and Stewart first achieved a measure of success together in a British band called The Tourists. Stewart and a fellow named Peet Coombes were playing together when they first met Lennox, who was working as a waitress in a London restaurant at the time. Stewart and Lennox quickly became a couple, and the trio formed a punk rock band called The Catch in 1976. They were signed to a small label and released one single, but it never went anywhere.

Later in 1976, the trio added two more members and transitioned into the pop rock outfit called The Tourists, with Coombes and Lennox splitting lead vocal duties. They had limited success, with a cover of the "I Only Want to Be With You" (which had been popularized in 1963 by Dusty Springfield) reaching #4 on the British charts and achieving Gold Record status in the process, and another single, "So Good to Be Back Home Again," hitting #8. The Tourists, however, were mostly Coombes' creative project, so Stewart and Lennox decided to split off on their own.

The duo did this because they really wanted the opportunity to experiment more with electronic and avant-garde music. By the time they had released their first LP, In the Garden, in 1981, they were no longer romantically involved. The album mixed psychedelic, krautrock influences, and charted (barely) with one single, "Never Gonna Cry Again," but it wasn't successful.

Their second album was a monster, however. After surviving a period that saw Lennox recover from at least one mental breakdown and Stewart recover from a collapsed lung, the duo released their second album. Powered by a title track that reached #1 on the American charts, #2 on the British charts and scored tons of airplay on the popular music channel MTV, 1983's Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) put Eurythmics on the map. 

This was also when they caught my attention. At some point in 1983, it was apparent that many of my old musical heroes were either dead or on their way out. Keith Moon was literally dead, and The Who had just released a much-maligned album (It's Hard) that would be their last for almost a quarter of a century. Jethro Tull was in the middle of an electronic period that I liked, but most music fans hated. Pink Floyd had just released the truly godawful The Final Cut. And Joni had fallen into a black pool of jazz from which she would never return. Even though Yes had just reinvented themselves into more of an '80s pop rock band, it was obvious I was going to need some new bands to follow.

I asked myself which bands had the potential to put together solid enough careers to lead music through the 1980s the way that Tull, The Who, Floyd et al had through the '70s. And being an obsessive-compulsive nutjob, I made myself a list. (Which I guess was an early precursor to this Favorite Artists list I'm working from now.) 

Being a lover of prog rock, I started there. (At that time, even though the punk movement had blistered most progressive rock bands until they were considered severely dated at best, and laughing stocks at worst, I couldn't conceive that it would become almost a dead art form until the birth of progressive metal several decades later.) So the first name on my list was "Asia." 

Yeah, I get from the hindsight of 40 years later that this was a bad call. But that first Asia album was pretty damned good, and I don't remember if I had listened to the disappointing followup Alpha yet. If I had, I probably just thought it was a sophomore slump. I had no way of knowing that most of the rest of their discography would range from mediocre to garbage. (Although to their credit, they did actually manage to have a pretty long career that would take them through 13 studio albums, the last being released in 2014. So it could have been worse.)

My list continued. A Flock of Seagulls. They had just released Listen, giving them two solid albums, and 1984's The Story of a Young Heart would give them a third, before guitarist Paul Reynolds would leave the band and they'd soil themselves completely with 1986's A Dream Come True. Dexy's Midnight Runners. I had to add some Celtic Rock in there, and 1982's Too-Rye-Ay had been an amazing LP. (It was, alas, also the clear highlight of a career that would only span a total of five studio albums.) The melodic rock band Quarterflash. Their eponymous 1981 debut featured some excellent sax-based rock, and I maintain to this day that 1983's Take Another Picture was a cut above just being solid. And Eurythmics. 

OK, so Nostradamus I'm not, give me a break. I had no way of knowing that the whole music industry would change so much in the '80s that it was really only U2 and maybe a handful of others that had the kind of decade-spanning careers that '70s bands like Zeppelin, The Who and Pink Floyd would have. (I added Echo and The Bunnymen to my list a few months later. But after four solid albums concluding with 1984's Ocean Rain, they also had a drop-off in quality thereafter, even though they managed to release a dozen studio LPs in their career.)

So anyway, Eurythmics was the only one of my Bands of the Future band list that make this Favorite Artists list four decades later. How did they get here?

Well, as I said in the beginning, it was really mostly on the back of the Sweet Dreams album released early in 1983, the possibly-even-better Touch album released at the end of 1983 (this was a band who knew damned well they needed to strike while the fire, and they, were hot), and to a lesser extent the 1984 (For the Love of Big Brother) soundtrack album (that went mostly unused for the John Hurt Nineteen Eighty-Four film. There was a whole legal battle surrounding it that I'm not going to get into here.)

After that, largely due to Annie's wishes I think, Eurythmics moved into more an R&B-influenced direction that I didn't really care for. 1985's Be Yourself Tonight had a number of successful singles, including "Would I Lie to You" and Annie's duet with Aretha Franklin, "Sisters Are Doing It For Themselves," both of which I found to be kind of harsh. But the only song I really loved from that LP was "There Must Be an Angel (Playing With My Heart)".

I liked 1986's Revenge LP a little better, especially "Thorn in My Side". But the truth is, given the choice between this album and the more hypnotic In the Garden, I prefer In the Garden.

By 1987's Savage, Eurythmics was mostly out of ideas (or good ones, anyway), as exemplified by the LP's bizarre initial-release single "Beethoven". And 1989's We Too Are One and 1999's Peace were fairly middle-of-the-road affairs (although I did like the latter album's nostalgic "17 Again".)

So what was it about Sweet Dreams, Touch and 1984 that powered Eurythmics into being named one of my Favorite Artists of All Time? Well ... just about everything! I love Stewart's electronic stylings, as heard on tracks like "Sweet Dreams," "Here Comes the Rain Again" and "Julia". I love the darkness of songs like "Sweet Dreams", "This City Never Sleeps" and "No Fear, No Hate, No Pain (No Broken Hearts". I love the experimentation of efforts like "Doubleplusgood" and "Paint a Rumour". And I love the pop hooks of releases like "Who's That Girl" and "Right By Your Side". The truth is, both Sweet Dreams and Touch are nearly perfect albums. And while 1984 isn't as consistent as those two, its highlights, at least, match them.

I'd also have to add that both Lennox and Stewart have had strong post-Eurythmics careers. Stewart has released a number of solo albums (which I haven't listened to), and has collaborated with dozens of artists that I like. (I especially enjoyed some of his work with Stevie Nicks). Lennox, of course, released a number of fine solo LPs, which have included singles like "Walking on Broken Glass", "No More I Love You's" and "Why". She also sang on the sublime track "Into the West" that closed out the Lord of the Rings film trilogy.

And oh yeah, there's one other thing that helped to place Eurythmics onto the My Favorite Artists list. In the summer of 1983, during the Touch tour, Eurythmics played an outdoor live show at the old Forest Hills Tennis Stadium in Queens, New York. The show also featured M+M (previously known as Martha and the Muffins) and Howard Jones (playing with just him and a mime) as the opening acts. And it might have been my favorite live concert of all time.

It rained off and on throughout the night. Jones (and his mime), playing as the second act through almost solid rain throughout, were excellent. M+M were even better, enough so that I listened to the scratchy cassette recording I made of this show for years thereafter, until I finally wore out the tape. And Annie and Dave were just amazing. They played with a full band, a duet of female backup singers (who were so top flight that there was even a moment during "No Fear, No Hate ..." were Annie was big enough to step back and let one of them practically steal the show). And I couldn't even tell you how many costume (and wig) changes Annie made throughout the show. I do remember that at one point, she was carried out onto the stage like Cleopatra by six shirtless muscle men.

And there was something else weird that happened that night. I think I was sitting right behind my future wife. Although Denise and I didn't formally meet until 1993, we later figured out that we had attended a number of the same concerts over the years, including this one. And I have a memory (it might or might not be real) that I was seated in the row behind her and the rest of her friends from The Slant, and that at one point, they offered me some of their food. I know that memory can be a tricky thing, but when we were at The B-52's/Culture Club show in Forest Hills a couple of years ago, and we pointed to where we were each seated all those decades earlier in relation to the stage, we both remember sitting in approximately the same area of the stadium. So yeah, I really think we met for the first time that night (however briefly), and that it was the cosmos way of telling us we were supposed to be together (and it was going to keep putting us in the same place together until we finally got it right.)

So yeah -- on the strength of those three albums, that concert, and the various other stray singles of theirs I've enjoyed over the years, Eurythmics has earned their place on the list of My Favorite Artists of All Time.

Next up in this series: A band I never even set ears on until they were already broken up - The Smiths!

December 2020 Song of the Day

I know I'm running a little late this month, but better late than never. (Is it, though?) Anyway, here I am with the December 2020 Song of the Day.

For new readers, this blog entry refers to the monthly Song of the Day list on the Sputnik Music website. Each month, one user hosts the list and names a theme. Everyone then recommends songs in line with this theme, and people rate the various song recommendations. The list of December songs can be found at Sputnik Music Song of the Day - December 2020.

1. There was a dual theme for the month - songs that make you feel cold, or songs not in the English language. (And for this last one, instrumentals qualified as well as songs in other languages.)

2. Because I glommed three picks last month, I contented myself with one this month: "Come As You Are" by Santana. (Yes, I cheated a little, because they sing the words "Just come as you are" in the chorus, but the whole rest of the song is in Spanish.) Most of these tasteless bastards hated it, but you can lead a horse to water and all that. Santana - Come As You Are

3. I didn't really love a lot of songs this month; my average score was only 2.83 out of 5. But one song I really did like, and the song I rated the highest was "Glaedur" by the indie Icelandic electro folk artist Asgeir. It's kind of quiet and exotic. Asgeir - Glaedur

4. However, the group as a whole crowned a song sung in Old Icelandic as the winner of the month: None other than "Vidrar Vel Til Loftarasa" (say that three times fast) by the venerated post-rock ambient band Sigur Ros. Sigur Ros - Vidrar Vel Til Loftarasa". (I fucking hate foreign language months! I like the music, but do you know how much of a pain in the ass it is to spell these words?)

5. This was another one of those months where we had 32 songs for the month, because we can't count. I mean, because there was a bonus rec at the end of the month. This month, all 32 songs were available on the communist lapdog website YouTube, so here is the month's playlist: December 2020 Song of the Day YouTube Playlist.

Well, wishing everyone the best 2021 possible. I'm dubious myself, but we'll see.

Top 20 Songs of 2020, Part 2

 And now we get to the meat of the matter. Here are my Top 10 Songs for 2020, from #10 down to #1.

10. Ayreon - "This Human Equation" Ayreon - This Human Equation

Ayreon is essentially Dutch multi-instrumentalist Arjen Anthony Lucassen with like a million guest singers and musicians. This is a cut from his latest double-album rock opera, Transitus. It finds Simone Simons, the lead vocalist of Epica, stealing the show as The Angel of Death, as she and her Furies try to work out the puzzle that is humanity. Note that The Narrator, whom you hear at the beginning of the track, is none other than Doctor Who's Tom Baker.

9. Tame Impala - "Lost in Yesterday" Tame Impala - Lost in Yesterday

I can't say I was blown away by this Australian indie rock band's latest album, The Slow Rush. But I found this particular song to be one I couldn't get out of my head. It's got such a nice groove to it.

8. Ayreon - "Hopelessly Slipping Away" Ayreon - Hopelessly Slipping Away

Two songs later, and we're back in Transitus. In this track, we find the ghost of our hero Daniel trying desperately to make contact with his lover Abby, as she contemplates taking her own life. They can sense one another's presence, but can't actually communicate. Cammie Gilbert of the Houston doom metal band plays Abby, while Swedish metal vocalist Tommy Karevik (vocalist for bands such as Seventh Wonder and Kamelot) gives voice to the part of Daniel. 

7. Best Ex - "Good at Feeling Bad" Best Ex - Good at Feeling Bad

I have loved Best Ex (formerly known as Candy Hearts) and their singer Mariel Loveland for a long time, and a pair of their tracks made my Top 30 Songs of the 2010s list at the end of last year. This is the title number from their latest EP, and it's a song that would make Stephin Merritt himself feel proud -- and depressed of course. 

6. Nada Surf - "Live Learn and Forget" Nada Surf - Live Learn and Forget

This is the standout track for me from this band's excellent new LP Never Not Together, and it's another song where the lyrics won me over as much as the music itself. If I tried to tell you how many times I've had to learn life lessons over and over, you wouldn't even believe it. But maybe you would, because maybe you do that too?

5. Leslie Mendelson - "The Hardest Part" Leslie Mendelson - The Hardest Part

OK, we're gonna do this whole female singer/songwriter thing one last time in 2020 with this excellent track from hometown girl Leslie Mendelson. I just love the guitar in this song, and Leslie's voice is perfect as well. I don't care what you say, folk gals rock.

4. Off Road Minivan - "It's Harder to Make It Below Third" Off Road Minivan - It's Harder to Make It Below Third

This track is from Swan Dive, the debut album of this alternative rock band from Red Hook, NY. They're another band I was unfamiliar with before this year. This is pretty much a perfect alt rock track. The guitar line is true, and the chorus has a hook that even Mike Tyson would admire.

3. Nightwish - "How's the Heart" Nightwish - How's the Heart

Finnish symphonic rockers have become my favorite band of the modern era, and this is the standout track from their latest LP Human. :II: Nature. It has everything I love about this band -- a standout vocal from Floor Jansen, some nice Celtic pipes from Troy Donockley, and a nice rock beat from the rest of the band.

2. The Birthday Massacre - "Enter" - The Birthday Massacre - Enter

Here's another song with a great hook by Canadian gothic alt rockers The Birthday Massacre. They seem to find a way to place at least one or two of these songs on every LP. I knew the first time I heard this song it was going to make this year's Top 20 list.

1. Jeff Rosenstock - "***BNB" - Jeff Rosenstock - ***BNB

Long Island rocker Jeff Rosenstock is many things: Clever, rude, funny, obnoxious -- and this song shows off all of those traits, as he extols the virtues of renting the rooms of strange people (in some cases, when they don't even know their place is being rented out). It ain't pretty, but it is a great track. And that's why it's my #1 Song of 2020.

Here's the whole YouTube playlist for my Top Songs of 2020, although as I said in Part 1 - they're great individually, but this year, they don't necessarily flow together quite as nicely as I'd like. Top 20 Songs of 2020

Top 20 Songs of 2020, Part 1

For some reason, I struggled with this list in 2020 a little more than I usually do. And I was gonna go and secretly expand it into a Top 25 list by doing five honorable mentions. But screw it. Let's just go for it.

Once again, I'm going to spread this list out over two posts. I'll be covering #'s 20-11 here, and #'s 10-1 in a second post later this week.

Note that these weren't necessarily singles. (In fact, probably none of them were.) They were just my 20 favorite songs of the year.

So here's Part 1 of my list, in reverse order:

20. Torres - "Two of Everything" Torres - Two of Everything

This isn't the first time singer/songwriter MacKenzie Scott (aka Torres) has made one of my Best Of lists. But this one is all about the lyrics, which is unusual for me. A lot of time, I love a song for years before the lyrics even sink in. This time, though, it's the story the song is telling that fascinates me, as Torres sings to her lover's (presumably male) lover, and sort of passive-aggressively taunts him, with questions like, "Does she also call you 'baby'?/You should know she calls me 'baby'." Heh. Poor bastard.

19. Mora Mothaus - "Toxic Snow" Mora Mothaus - Toxic Snow

I don't have a whole lot of information I can tell you about Japanese singer/songwriter Mora Mothaus. Her EP Overture to a Dream was actually the first album I listened to in 2020, and it stuck with me. This song is slow, hypnotic, and oh so cold. And also a little sad.

18. Seether - Dangerous" Seether - Dangerous

OK, I lied before. This one was actually a single, and a fairly successful one. I never really listened to this South African hard rock band before this year, and I was surprised I liked their 2020 LP Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum (which means "If you want peace, prepare for war" in Latin) as much as I did. The song has a nice undercurrent of menace to it, and the video is pretty sick (in a good way).

17. Alexia Avina - "Inner Garden" Alexia Avina - Inner Garden

This pretty, ethereal song is my favorite from the latest LP by Canadian singer/songwriter Alexia Avina. Now when I make my Top 20 Songs list, I do it based on how much I like the songs, not how nicely it fits together as a playlist. Unfortunately, this being the third song in the first four by a somewhat quiet female singer/songwriter, this time the first part of my playlist is a little draggy. Sorry about that. It really is a nice song, though.

16. Enter Shikari - "Modern Living" Enter Shikari - Modern Living...

Sorry guys, another fairly slow song. I've noticed that this album by British alternative rock band Enter Shikari is a bit divisive, at least on the Sputnik Music website. It's got a good rating (3.6/5), and it's getting significant action in the Top 10 Albums of the Year voting. But some people really hate it (and the band). Well, no matter. I can't tell you exactly what I like about this one - it's kind of obnoxious. But like it I do.

15. Psychotic Waltz - "Devils and Angels" Psychotic Waltz - Devils and Angels

Now this one picks up the pace. This is the opening track on the brand new LP by Californian progressive metal band Psychotic Waltz, their first new LP in 24 years. It's a reasonably heavy track, but with a good sense of dynamics that keeps it interesting throughout its 6-minute-plus run time.

14. Lisa Loeb - "Skeleton" Lisa Loeb - Skeleton

Oops, back to the whole chick singer/songwriter thing. What can I tell you, I'm a sensitive male of the 21st century who's in touch with his feminine side, and not at all a toxic male. Yeah, right. Anyway, I think this might be Loeb's best song since "Stay," not that anyone else noticed. This was actually released as a single also, although it didn't go anywhere. But I like it, and since this is my list ...

13. Haley Mary - "The Piss, the Perfume" Hayley Mary - The Piss, the Perfume

Now you might think, given the rest of this list, that this is yet another sensitive singer/songwriter track, but you'd be wrong. This one is actually a fairly raucous shitkicker of a number, by Hayley Mary, the lead vocalist of the Australian band The Jezebels. It's the title track from her first solo effort, an EP released early in the year.

12. Woods - "Just to Fall Asleep" Woods - Just to Fall Asleep

Brooklyn indie folk band Woods is another one of those outfits I just discovered this year, although they've been making albums for more than a decade now. This hypnotic little track probably would have finished higher on this list, except for a weird and abrupt ending. (So be forewarned). But it still deserves its place in my Top 20.

11. Echosmith - "Everyone Cries" Echosmith - Everyone Cries

OK, if ever there was a song that cemented my place in the Sensitive Male of the 2000s Hall of Fame, this is it. But I'm secure with my manliness, dammit! I am! Even if I like some of the same music as a fourteen-year-old girl, I'm secure, I tell you!

OK, that's it for the first half of my list. I have to go and have a good cry now. I'll see you later in the week.

Top 10 Albums of 2020

 So...I'm all caught up on my work for today. (We'll ignore the big home study on my desktop for now...that doesn't count). I've got a snow scene up on my flat screen. I've got a Christmas playlist that would choke a horse on random play. (Which includes many of our favorite local Long Island artists. Just heard Hank Stone two songs ago, and there was some Backseat Devils and Jones Crusher on earlier. Ho, ho, ho!) 

So what better time to look back on this, the most strange of years, and give you my picks for the Top 10 Albums of 2020!

As to what constitutes an "album", my rules haven't changed here. It has to be a full-lengther, which has either 7 or more songs, or runs at least 30 minutes. It also has to be all by one artist -- no multi-artist compilations allowed. As has become my practice in a reluctant nod to the times, digital-only releases now not only qualify, they constituted the majority of new music I listened to this year. (Change sucks!) And as I pointed out last year, I really only consider studio albums for this -- no live or best-of comp albums.

Without further ado, here, in reverse order, are this year's picks.


Top 10 Albums of 2020:

10. Ayreon - Transitus

Ayreon is a progressive metal project that includes about a zillion guest musicians. It was created and is headed by Dutch multi-instrumentalist Anthony Lucassen. Like all of the Ayreon LPs, this album is a rock opera, and like most of them, it's a double album. I'll be honest, there are weak spots here, but they're more than compensated for by the high points. While the leads are decent, in a lot of ways, Transitus is stolen by some of the secondary characters, especially Epica lead singer Simone Simons as The Angel of Death, Toehider vocalist Michael Mills as a talking (and singing) statue, and Long Island icon Dee Snider as the male lead's father. (In fact, Long Island is nicely represented here, as guitar god Joe Satriano also plays on the LP.) And while the idea of having a narrator is kind of hokey, it's sweetened a lot by the casting -- The Narrator is played by none other than the longest-serving Doctor Who actor, Tom Baker. Yeah, the story is pretty mediocre. But the music is lush, so who cares? 

9. Sufjan Stevens - The Ascension

This pick is a little controversial, as a lot of Sufjan fans were divided over the merits of this LP, especially in comparison to his previous effort, 2015's Carrie and Lowell. I get it, and I agree in a way -- Carrie and Lowell is probably a stronger album artistically. Unfortunately, with its themes of mental illness and child neglect, it's also about as much fun as visiting a sick friend in the hospital. For me, The Ascension, with its mild and tasteful electric stylings, is a far more enjoyable LP, and one I'm more likely to keep coming back to. It takes new age music to another level.

8. Woods - Strange to Explain

Woods is a Brooklyn-based outfit that combines elements of rock, folk and psychedelic music. Depending on who you listen to, Strange to Explain is anywhere from their ninth to their eleventh studio album. Suffice it to say these guys have been playing together for awhile, and it shows. I found it to be the kind of LP where you can just close your eyes for a bit and let the music carry you away, which is a good thing. I'm sorry I was never aware of these guys before this year.

7. The Kenn Morr Band - Open Field

I've been following Kenn and his band since the mid-'90s, when he shared the (very tiny) stage of the Crescent City Cafe in Floral Park, NY with artists like Crystal Rose, Dave Isaacs, Chris Peters, Frank Walker and of course Denise's band The Slant. (He's long since moved to Connecticut, but he'll always be a Long Islander in my heart.) He's put out a lot of great music over the years, but this LP is one of his best. As always, the music is gentle and optimistic, anchored by Kenn's deep, somewhat gruff vocals and the band's elegant musicianship. It's always nice to see old friends do well. In this case, Kenn and the gang have outdone themselves.

6. Psychotic Waltz - The God-Shaped Waltz

I somehow missed this California prog-metal band during their heyday in the early-to-mid '90s. I guess it was because I wasn't listening to much (any) prog metal in those days - I was mostly listening to indie college and then local music. Anyway, they're back now after a 24-year hiatus, with an album that just creates a maelstrom of sound. Now I'm going to have to go back over their back catalog. Thanks, guys.

5. Borg - Woodland

I discovered this solo instrumental Swedish Renaissance/Medieval music project earlier this year when somebody entered this album in a folk music contest I was running on the Sputnik Music website. Jacob Ovgren (aka Borg) actually put out three different albums this year, but this one was far and away my favorite. It evokes images of woodlands (duh!), wedding feasts and king's halls. Good stuff.

4. Nightwish - Human. :II: Nature.

Ok, let's just admit from the outset that this is the stupidest album title of the year, and that the album isn't as good as 2015's Endless Forms Most Beautiful. But given that, this Finnish symphonic metal band still manages to fly to great heights here, with tracks like "Music," "Ad Astra," and especially the flawless and exciting "How's the Heart." If live music ever gets to be a thing again, I'm going to have to find a way to catch these guys. They've become my favorite band of the modern era.

3. Nada Surf - Never Not Together

I haven't listened to this New York-based alternative rock band since their debut album High/Low in 1996, on which they had a minor novelty single called "Popular." I don't know if I've ever even given them a second thought since then. But based on this album, wow, have I been missing out. Every year, there are LPs I check out more or less just for the hell of it that blow me away. This was one of those. It's a little bit of alt rock perfection.

2. Agnes Obel - Myopia

I first learned about this classical folk artist this year, thanks to the Sputnik Music Song of the Day contest. Every month, I hear a lot of artists I'm indifferent to or actively dislike on the SOTD list. But in the pile of rubble, every so often, I also find a gem. Agnes Obel is one of them. She makes me think of a Danish version of Kate Bush for the 2020's. There are some truly beautiful songs on here. And to listen to a lot of her fans, Myopia isn't even necessarily her best work. No matter. It totally works for me.

1. Cut Copy - Freeze, Melt

The first time I became aware of this Australian Synth-pop band was in 2017, when their excellent LP from that year, Haiku From Zero, just missed my Top 10 list. (It was just nudged out by LI's own Neil Cavanagh!) But this year, there was no holding these guys back. This is the kind of album all of you 80's fans out there will love. (Denise certainly does.) Trust me when I tell you there's not a weak track on this album. Which is why this LP is my #1 Album of 2020.

So in spite of the pandemic, musicians still managed to put a lot of good music out there in 2020. Which is as it should be.

I'll be back later this week to start my Top 20 Songs of 2020 list.

Top 10 Local Albums of 2020

Well, it seems that every year I get earlier and earlier with my yearly Best-Of lists. I'm basically done with my listening for 2020, and probably because of the COVID, I listened to (slightly) fewer new albums this year than I did last year. This is a new phenomenon -- I usually promise myself I'm going to listen to fewer, but every year in the past, I've wound up listening to more. So anyway, not only am I ready to go with this list, but my Top 10 Albums and Top 20 Songs lists are also basically ready to go whenever I have time to write them up. (Although I'm toying with increasing the song list to a Top 25 this year. Maybe I'll just do five honorable mentions, to keep that 20 number consistent with years past.)

Once again, here are the rules: To be eligible, it has to be a full-length album of at least seven songs (unless there are one or more epic-length songs). No EPs allowed. It also has to be all by one artist -- no compilations. And this year, for the first time, partially because I got rid of my Post Office Box because of the virus and partially because I'm running out of physical space in my house, most of the albums I bought were digital copies instead of physical CDs. I've resisted going this route for years, but I suppose eventually it was inevitable.

As for the definition of the word "local", as always, I try to keep it very loose. For the purposes of picking a Top 10 Local Albums list, here's what I consider "local": 1. Long Island, for sure; 2. The five boroughs of NYC (especially Brooklyn, where a lot of Long Island bands have run off to); 3. Sometimes Jersey or a little ways upstate, if the mood takes me. (As I've said in the past, I'm not giving away money or anything, so I kind of get to make up the rules as I go along). Also, if a band or artist spent a decent amount of time living on and playing on Long Island or in the City in the past, they get to qualify, even if they've moved to another area of the country.

I'm sure that this was also COVID-related, but we had a lot fewer releases from our local indie artists (at least ones that I was aware of) than we have in years past. 

As I did last year, I'll be including a link to my favorite track from each album. And at the end of the list, I'll give you a link to a YouTube playlist that has them all. Anyway, here, in reverse order, are my Top 10 Local Artists of 2020:

Top 10 Local Albums of 2020

10. Deerheart - All Your Favorite Songs

This isn't the first time that local rocker Tom Ciorciari (aka Deerheart) has made this list. He's always had a great Springsteen/Petty/Mellancamp kind of vibe to him, and this album continues in that tradition. There were actually a number of contenders for my favorite song on this LP, but I'm going with this one: Deerheart - All My Better Years.

9. Binary Code - Memento Mori

Binary Code is a progressive metal band originally formed in Bergen County, New Jersey that now resides in Brooklyn, NY. They've got a sound that's powerful and maybe even a little bleak (making them the perfect band for this past year.) Sputnik Music has this listed this as their sixth full-length album, and who am I to argue? Binary Code - Even Death May Die.

8. Sufjan Stevens and Lowell Brams - Aporia

This LP finds transplanted Michigan native Sufjan Stevens teaming up with his stepfather Lowell Brams (of Carrie and Lowell fame) to deliver an album of transcendent ambient music that will soothe your spirit and expand your mind. Well played, gentlemen. Well played. Sufjan Stevens and Lowell Brams - Agathon

7. Blue Oyster Cult - The Symbol Remains

Who knew these guys still had an album this good in them? These guys have been rocking since the early '70s, and they've still obviously got a lot left in the tank. If live concerts ever become a thing again, I might have to finally go and check them out. Again, there were a lot of possible choices for my favorite track on this LP, but my dark heart is going with this one: Blue Oyster Cult - Nightmare Epiphany.

6. Off Road Minivan - Swan Dive

This is the debut LP from Dutchess County band Off Road Minivan, and it's a little bit of alt rock heaven. I'm hoping this is just the beginning of a long career. Off Road Minivan - It's Harder to Make It Below Third.

5. Nation of Language - Introduction, Presence

This is another debut full-lengther, this time by Brooklyn-based synth-popper Ian Richard Devaney, aka Nation of Language. This is a man who clearly loves the '80s and takes his inspiration from artists such as New Order and Joy Division. Nation of Language - On Division St.

4. Sufjan Stevens - Ascension

This follow-up to 2015's Carrie and Lowell has divided some of Sufjan's fans, as it's an album in a very different vein. It's more synth-heavy, more airy and less personal, which is just fine with me. I'm not going to claim that every track on here is a winner, but it's a strong enough LP to be a no-brainer to make this list. Sufjan Stevens - Video Game.

3. Woods - Strange to Explain

This is the eighth LP by this psychedelic lo-fi band from Brooklyn, and they've really outdone themselves on this one. It's a little folky, a little brassy, a little synthesized and a lot of fun. This is the kind of album I can safely just let myself get carried away with, and let the music just float me away. Woods - Just to Fall Asleep.

2. The Kenn Morr Band - Open Field

This former Long Islander (and now Connecticut resident) has released eight original LPs over the years (some of them solo efforts, some with his band), and this is one of his best. His gravel-voiced folk style is both soothing and uplifting, and never more so than on this release. In non-pandemic times, he still plays on Long Island at least once or twice a year, so whenever live music makes its comeback, I'd recommend checking him out. The Kenn Morr Band - Open Field.

1. Nada Surf - Never Not Together

I have to confess, I hadn't listened to this NYC-based alternative rock band in many years prior to 2020. But if this is an example of what they've been up to, it's time for me to go and check out their back catalog. It flat-out blew me away how much I enjoyed this LP, how consistent it is, and how many times I kept finding myself going to back to it throughout the year. It thoroughly deserves to be named my Local Album of the Year for 2020. Nada Surf - Live Learn and Forget.

So that's my list. If you'd like to listen to my favorite song from each LP as a playlist, you'll find it (from # 10 to #1, even though YouTube has it labeled oppositely) at Top 10 Local Albums of 2020.

I'll be back sometime within the next few days to post my overall Top 10 Albums of 2020 list. Meanwhile, there's supposed to be snow tomorrow, so be careful out there.

Review of Runa's "The Tide of Winter"

 I posted this review on the Sputnik Music website an hour or so ago.

Review Summary: This LP is like a warm balm to soothe the hurts and scrapes of a particularly tough 2020.

2 out of 2 thought this review was well written

I really didn't intend to buy any new holiday music this year. 2020, bah humbug, and all that. But I broke down and reversed myself on that notion a week ago, when I heard that Blackmore's Night had a new Christmas EP out. And I fell off the anti-Christmas wagon entirely a day or so after that when I got an email from bandcamp, telling me that Runa had released a new holiday-themed LP.

Most of you guys aren't familiar with Runa. (I know this because I created their Sputnik Music page myself, and so far I'm the only one who has rated any of their albums.) But here's why so you should be:

Runa is a 5-piece Celtic pop band. Their bandcamp page says they're from Philadelphia, but their Wikipedia entry also says that some of the members are based in places like Nashville and Chicago, and that the members originally hail from Ireland, the USA and Canada. It doesn't matter much where they're from, though, because in normal times, they're one of these indie bands who make their living by being on the road almost non-stop, playing Celtic music festivals and other shows pretty much wherever they can get themselves booked.

As you might guess, artists like this are having a particularly hard time making a living right now, which is one of the reasons I decided to review them. (I haven't exactly been prolific lately.) Sting and Rihanna might have to sell a plane or something to make it through the pandemic, and I'm sure they're all sad about having to hole up in their mansions. But for these little touring bands, if they can't play in front of live audiences, their ability to put food on the table is pretty severely compromised.

So anyway, on to this album. I happen to like holiday music, and I've listened to a lot of it over the years. So most new Christmas LPs kind of go right by me with not much reaction. This one has stuck, however, and for two different reasons.

The first is the song selection. Yeah, there are a few of the usual familiar chestnuts on here, like "Silent Night," and "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen," and that's all well and good. And they also include some tracks you might expect a band that has some familiarity with traditional folk music to choose, such as "Here We Come A-Wassailing" (as part of a medley with "Sussex Carol") and "Soul Cake."

What I like, though, is there are a lot of songs included that are rarely heard on most holiday albums, like "Christ Child's Lullabye," "Gaudete" and an a capella version of "Please to See the King." And even the most familiar songs are given unusual presentations. For example, just listen to the way they've funked up a well-known hymn like "O Come, O Come, Emanuel."

The second reason this album made an impression is simply that I've always loved this band's sound. Shannon Lambert-Ryan is one of those sweet-voiced Irish vocalists whose voice can melt butter. Add in some nice harmonies and a laid-back and tasteful musical backing from the rest of the band, and you've got a gentle and ingratiating holiday treat.

If you're one of those people who hate holiday music, I get it. And this isn't going to be the album for you. But for the rest of us, The Tide of Winter is like a warm balm to sooth the hurts and scrapes of a particularly tough year. I'm grateful that Runa took the time to record it, and I hope that enough people buy it that it helps them to make ends meet until they can do what they're meant to do - get back out on the road in front of a live audience again.

Rating: 3.5/5 stars