50-31 | 30-11 | 10-1 10. Ichiko Aoba – Windswept Adan [Official site] // [Spotify] This album could be Ichiko Aoba’s identity crisis, though on the subtlest of terms. I could be projecting. There just seems to be less of… her on it; but, in all fairness, that’s contingent on the singer being personally defined by a voice and […]

50-31 | 30-11 | 10-1 30. Mac Miller – Circles [Official site] // [Spotify] I worry, listening to and writing about Circles, that I contribute unhelpfully to the celebration and mythologisation of the young, dead artist. I was never a particularly big Mac Miller fan — total discretion, I’m still not — but I think that, like much of […]

50-31 | 30-11 | 10-1 50. Marilyn Manson – We Are Chaos [Official site] // [Spotify] One of the biggest surprises of the year, We Are Chaos sees Marilyn Manson entering a new chapter in his life, reinventing himself as a glitter Goth cowboy. Filled with mature reflections and a newfound peace of mind, the frontman seems at his […]

2020 hasn’t been a great year for much of anything… music was no exception. This is my favorite of what they decided to release during this dumpster fire. 2021 might be marginally better in the same way getting punched in the face a second time isn’t nearly as jarring as the first punch you didn’t see […]

Category I:  Welcome It’s the conclusion of yet another interesting year in this, um, “unique” corner of the internet. Our site’s aesthetics may be firmly entrenched in 2010, but this “best of” feature ushers 2020 out of our collective memories. For many of us that brings immense relief, even if most of the same issues […]

50-31 | 30-11 | 10-1 10. Weyes Blood – Titanic Rising [Official Site] // [Spotify] “A lot’s gonna change in your lifetime / try to leave it all behind / in your lifetime / let me change my words / show me where it hurts.” If there’s a thesis statement for Titanic Rising, this closing sentiment to opener “A […]

50-31 | 30-11 | 10-1 30. clipping. – There Existed an Addiction to Blood [Official Site] // [Spotify] Drink it up. Blood is both healer and reaper in clipping.’s horrorcore art piece, a masterstroke which arranges stretched skin and body parts into fragments of stories, quickening our pulses with the adrenaline while never letting us off the hook for enjoying […]

50-31 | 30-11 | 10-1 50. Bon Iver – i,i [Official site] // [Spotify] Bon Iver decides to look outward now, a nice evolution from the introverted and elusive nature of 22, A Million. His latest is a bit more inviting and less fragmented, while maintaining the unique sounds of Million. More than ever, Justin Vernon sounds more open here, crooning of […]

50-31 | 30-11 | 10-1 10. Hop Along – Bark Your Head Off, Dog [Official Site] // [Spotify] // [Facebook] Frances Quinlan is a rare breed. Few vocalists can turn a melody in as many directions, alternating between raspy falsetto and out-of-breath shouts in a way that sounds both melodically pleasing and emotionally poignant. But we already knew that […]

50-31 | 30-11 | 10-1 30. Amorphis – Queen of Time [Official Site] // [Spotify] // [Facebook] There are seemingly as many highlights on Queen of Time as there are years Amorphis have been active, but these iconic Finns should be cheered for augmenting their folk and progressive leanings while adhering to their trademark blueprint. Founding bassist Olli-Pekka Laine […]

50-31 | 30-11 | 10-1 50. Cursive – Vitriola [Official Site] // [Spotify] // [Facebook] It’s probably been since 2006’s The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me since I’ve heard a band this accurately summarize a total loss of hope and innocence. The overarching theme damns both politics and society, deeming both “fucked” as guitar chords slash away […]

50-26  |  25-1   (25) Manchester Orchestra – “Lead, SD” A Black Mile to the Surface   Imagine the heart-wrenching emotional reach of a track like “Colly Strings”, only blasted through the sleek production of an album like Simple Math. This is Manchester Orchestra in peak form. –Sowing   (24) Lorde – “Hard Feelings/Loveless” Melodrama   2017 […]

50-26  |  25-1   (50) Frank Ocean – “Chanel” Chanel – Single   Frank’s been labeled (by me) a Modern Day James Joyce, 12 months ago, when “RAF” and “Slide” weren’t even a thing. Truthfully, he exceeds his own influences, and renders himself as his own auteur. “Chanel”, a song that juggles sexuality and 21 […]