2024 Favorite Music (So Far)

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Here are my favorite 20 releases of 2024 so far.

  • Ghosted II by Oren Ambarchi / Johan Berthling / Andreas Werliin

  • Live in Paris 1973 by Can

  • Lives Outgrown by Beth Gibbons

  • the Collective by Kim Gordon

  • Blu Wav by Grandaddy

  • the Handover by the Handover

  • Bright Future by Adrianne Lenker

  • Drop 7 by Little Simz

  • Two Improvisations by Joshua Massad & Dylan Aycock

  • Locust Land by Bill MacKay

  • Funeral For Justice by Mdou Moctar

  • the Messthetics and James Brandon Lewis by The Messthetics

  • David Nance & Mowed Sound by David Nance

  • Bite Down by Rosali

  • Water Still Flows by Rich Ruth

  • Perceive Its Beauty, Acknowledge Its Grace by Shabaka

  • Exotic Birds of Prey by Shabazz Palaces

  • Time Is Glass by Six Organs of Admittance

  • Africa Yontii by Tidiane Thiam

  • Tiger’s Blood by Waxahatchee

Soundtrack to the Collective Meltdown (2021) :: A Holiday At The Sea (MEGA) Playlist

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The next time you’ve got nearly 5 hours to kill, I’ve got the mix for you! These are not necessarily my “favorite songs of 2021.” Instead, these are choice cuts; one representative track from each of my favorite 50 albums of the year. Regardless of length.

Get ready for a ride.

Tracklist:

  1. Pray for Peace by Ustad Saami from East Pakistan Sky

  2. Recessinater by Birds of Maya from Valdez

  3. The People vs. the Rest of Us by Damon Locks Black Monument Ensemble from NOW

  4. Bell Song by 75 Dollar Bill featuring Barry Weisblat from Social Music at Troost Vol. 1

  5. Ya Rossoul by Khaira Arby from Khaira Arby In New York (Live In 2010)

  6. Movement by Bell Orchestre from House Music

  7. Broken Mirror (A Selfie Reflection)/Composition 9 by Matthew E. White and Lonnie Holley from Broken Mirror: A Selfie Reflection

  8. Riddim Rek Sa Niouy Mom by Wau Wau Collectif from Yaral Sa Doom

  9. All That They Left You by Six Organs of Admittance from The Veiled Sea

  10. Days Like These by Low from Hey What

  11. VBS by Lucy Dacus from Home Video

  12. Brothers by Phil Cook from All These Years

  13. Dark In Here by the Mountain Goats from Dark In Here

  14. Djougoh by Nahawa Doumbia from Kanawa

  15. The Call by Madlib from Sound Ancestors

  16. Beat Up Born Where I Come From by Ghost of Vroom from Ghost of Vroom 1

  17. Dovetail by Girls in Airports from Leap

  18. descension (Out of Our Constrictions) III by Natural Information Society and Evan Parker from descension (Out of Our Constrictions)

  19. Beowulf’s Trip by Jeffrey Alexander and the Heavy Lidders from Jeffrey Alexander and the Heavy Lidders

  20. World is Turning by Rose City Band from Earth Trip

  21. Disposable Thumbs by Endless Boogie from Admonitions

  22. Staggering With a Lantern by Mountain Movers from World What World

  23. Albuquerque by Nick Cave and Warren Ellis from CARNAGE

  24. OUR SIDE HAS TO WIN (for D.H.) by Godspeed You! Black Emperor from G_d's Pee At States End!

  25. Juvenescence by Yasmin Williams from Urban Driftwood

  26. Invisible Map by Derek Piotr from Making and Then Unmaking

  27. You Can Regret What You Have Done by Matt Sweeney and Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy from Superwolves

  28. This Old World by Billy Strings from Renewal

  29. Kelp Highway by Drew Gardner from Drew Gardner

  30. Jnoun ! by Bachar Mar-Khalifé from Ghost Songs

  31. In Remembrance Of Those Fallen by Sons of Kemet from Black To The Future

  32. Bertha The Cool by Marc Ribot’s Ceramic Dog from Hope

  33. Give Me Back My Loving by Leo Nocentelli from Another Side

  34. Don’t Let The Tears by Howlin’ Rain from The Dharma Wheel

  35. Tree of Tule by Daniel Lanois from Heavy Sun

  36. Way To Cairo by Native Soul from Teenage Dreams

  37. Ethiopian Sunshower by Adrian Younge And Ali Shaheed Muhammad from Brian Jackson JID008

  38. Zengadyw Derekou by Hailu Mergia from Tezeta

  39. Ya Habibti by Mdou Moctar from Afrique Victime

  40. Tropicale Moon by Mouth Painter from Tropicale Moon

  41. Natural Facts by Wet Tuna from Eu’d To A Fake Boogie Volume 4

  42. Shrinks the Day by Ryley Walker and Kikagaku Moyo from Deep Fried Grandeur

  43. Musungu Elongo Paints His Face White to Scare Small Children by Kasai Allstars from Black Ants Always Fly Together, One Bangle Makes No Sound

  44. Trap Life by Sault from Nine

  45. Désert by Dobe Gnahoré from Couleur

  46. Part 1 by Elkhorn from The Golden Lag

  47. If It Comes In The Morning by Hiss Golden Messenger from Quietly Blowing It

  48. Morning River by Steve Gunn from Other You

  49. Shiva With Dustpan by Ryley Walker from Course In Fable

  50. Cortez the Killer (live) by Neil Young and Crazy Horse from Way Down In The Rust Bucket

  • Browse my favorite albums of the year

  • Browse my “2021 Yearly Wrap-it-Up” which is really a ramble about seeing Phish

  • Browse my favorite books of 2021

  • Browse my favorite movies of 2021

  • Browse my favorite television of 2021

  • Listen to a nearly 5-hour very low quality mix of one song from each of my favorite albums of 2021 called “Soundtrack to the Collective Meltdown”

2020 Year-End Music Round-Up Wrap-Up Extravaganza

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No one could have predicted a year like 2020. The live music industry is on life support. Bandcamp came through just about better than anyone else to support music. And there was a ton of great music released this year.

Per the norm, I do not rank albums. Music is not a competition and my taste is not your taste. So, after lots of thought and list-shuffling and winnowing, these are the 75 albums that really stood out for me. My original list was quite a bit longer (and you can always keep up in real-time by following the Yearly Bookkeeping page), so I can tell you that this list provides a great overview of my music listening for this crazy year.

Here are my favorite 75 albums of 2020.

The Visual List:

The Alphabet List:

  1. Live at Tubby's by 75 Dollar Bill Little Big Band

  2. Shaman! by Idris Ackamoor & The Pyramids

  3. Time is A Gift Which We Share All The Time by Afriquoi

  4. Rejoice by Tony Allen and Hugh Masekela

  5. Live by Angel Bat Dawid & Tha Brothahood

  6. Fu Chronicles by Antibalas 

  7. Fetch The Bolt Cutters by Fiona Apple

  8. Roy Ayers JID002 by Roy Ayers, Adrian Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhammad

  9. Ex-Voto by Jamie Barnes

  10. Please Advise by Beauty Pill

  11. Crash Test Kid by Sammy Brue

  12. Long In The Tooth by the Budos Band

  13. Regresa by Buscabulla

  14. Shadow Talk by Café Racer

  15. Echo Mine by Califone

  16. Gold Record by Bill Callahan

  17. Have We Met by Destroyer

  18. I Just Wasn't Made For These Set Times by Dire Wolves (Just Exactly Perfect Sisters Band)

  19. Rough and Rowdy Ways by Bob Dylan

  20. Afternoon Tea at Six by Eishan Ensemble

  21. Acoustic Storm Sessions by Elkhorn

  22.  Kahil El’Zabar’s Spirit Groove by Kahil El'Zabar & David Murray

  23. Wake Up! by Hazel English

  24. Shore by Fleet Foxes

  25. A Hero’s Death by Fontaines D.C.

  26. Peoples Motel Band by Chris Forsyth and Garcia Peoples

  27. SOURCE by Nubya Garcia

  28. Nightcap at Wits' End by Garcia Peoples

  29. Big Dark Bright Futures by Growing Concerns Poetry Collective

  30. Women In Music Pt. III by Haim

  31. Infinity Of Now by the Heliocentrics

  32. National Freedom by Lonnie Holley

  33. Muerto, Carcel o Rocanroll by Huntingtons

  34. Beginners by Christian Lee Hutson

  35. Reuinions by Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit

  36. Babani Koné by Babani Koné

  37. Mutation by Les Freres Smith

  38. 2020 by Magik Markers

  39. Eno Axis by H.C. McEntire

  40. Joshua Massad & Dylan Aycock by Joshua Massad & Dylan Aycock

  41. Microphones in 2020 by the Microphones

  42. Circles by Mac Miller

  43. Dimensional Stardust by Rob Mazurek/Exploding Star Orchestra

  44. Annual by Modern Nature

  45. Getting Into Knives by the Mountain Goats

  46. Staunch Honey by David Nance

  47. Three by the Necks

  48. Rob Noyes & Sam Moss by Rob Noyes & Sam Moss

  49. We No Be Machine by Onipa

  50. Jams From The Sun by Oregon Space Trail of Jazz

  51. High Upon The Mountain by Pacific Range

  52. Suite For Max Brown by Jeff Parker

  53. Summerlong by Rose City Band

  54. RTJ4 by Run The Jewels

  55. Landwerk demos by Nathan Salsburg

  56. Acoustic by Oumou Sangaré

  57. Untitled (Black Is) by Sault

  58. We Are Sent Here By History by Shabaka and the Ancestors

  59. The Don of Diamond Dreams by Shabazz Palaces

  60. Ocean Bridges by Archie Shepp, Raw Poetic & Damu the Fudgemunk

  61. Companion Rises by Six Organs of Admittance

  62. Shall We Go On Sinning So That Grace May Increase? by The Soft Pink Truth

  63. Optimisme by Songhoy Blues

  64. Swirling by Sun Ra Arkestra

  65. Oh Yeah? by Sunwatchers

  66. Wooden Flower by Tambourinen

  67. Folklore by Taylor Swift

  68. Nomad by Tengger

  69. Sun Racket by Throwing Muses

  70. Siftorde by Tidiane Thiam

  71. New Vanitas by William Tyler

  72. The Great Mountain by Waterless Hills

  73. Eau’d To A Fake Bookie Volume 3 by Wet Tuna

  74. Strange to Explain by Woods

  75. Homegrown by Neil Young

  • Browse Volume 01 of my 2020 favorites playlist

  • Browse Volume 02 of my 2020 favorites playlist

  • Browse Volume 03 of my 2020 favorites playlist

  • Browse Volume 04 of my 2020 favorites playlist

  • Browse Volume 05 of my 2020 favorites playlist



Holiday At The Sea's Favorite 2020 Music Mix (Volume 03)

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Volume 03 of some of Holiday at the Sea’s favorite 2020 music. I chose 75 albums this year and the playlists total 74 songs since “Microphones in 2020 by the Microphones” is 45 minutes long and I didn’t want to include the whole album as part of a mix.

Anyways, enjoy!

Tracklisting:

  1. “Houses of the Holy” by H.C. McEntire

  2. “Low to the Bird” by Jamie Barnes

  3. “It Gets Easier” by Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit

  4. “Santa Monica (Through the Canyon)” by Pacific Range

  5. “The 101” by Six Organs of Admittance

  6. “Howard St. & The Beach Nov. 1988 After 11” by Califone

  7. “Maestranza” by Fleet Foxes

  8. “(Our Life Could Be Your Van)” by Garcia Peoples

  9. “The Law Of Hospitality” by Waterless Hills

  10. “Four Corners” by William Tyler

  11. “Protest Song” by Bill Callahan

  12. “Crystal Doorknob” by Lonnie Holley

  13. “Landwerk 03” by Nathan Salsburg

  14. “Love Is The Main Thing” by Fontaines D.C.

  15. “Find You Ride” by Magik Markers

  16. “Fadjamou” (Acoustic) by Oumou Sangaré

  17. “St. Charles” by Throwing Muses

  18. “Nenamev” by Tidiane Thiam

  19. “Bon Bon” by Songhoy Blues

  20. “Love Paste” by Sunwatchers

  • asdf

Half-Year Half-List? 20 Fantastic Albums of 2020

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20 isn’t half of 2020, but here are 20 fantastic albums of 2020:

In Alphabetical Order:

  • Rejoice by Tony Allen + Hugh Masekela 

  • Fetch The Bolt Cutters by Fiona Apple 

  • Rough and Rowdy Ways by Bob Dylan

  • Joshua Massad & Dylan Aycock by Joshua Massad & Dylan Aycock

  • Circles by Mac Miller

  • Annual by Modern Nature

  • Snapshot Of A Beginner by Nap Eyes

  • Three by The Necks 

  • Jams From The Sun by Oregon Space Trail of Jazz 

  • Suite For Max Brown by Jeff Parker

  • Summerlong by Rose City Band

  • RTJ4 by Run The Jewels 

  • Acoustic by Oumou Sangaré

  • We Are Sent Here By History by Shabaka & The Ancestors 

  • Ocean Bridges by Archie Shepp, Raw Poetic & Damu the Fudgemunk

  • Companion Rises by Six Organs Of Admittance 

  • Oh Yeah? by Sunwatchers

  • Tamotait by Tamikrest

  • The Great Mountain by Waterless Hills

  • Strange To Explain by Woods

What am I missing?

What’s been some of your favorite music of the year?