Julia Jacklin - "Baby Jesus is Nobody's Baby Now"

A Julia Jacklin Christmas song? How could we possibly not bring you that, especially when it ends up being the most lovely, melancholic Christmas song of the year? "Baby Jesus is Nobody's Baby Now" is just Jacklin's impossibly beautiful vocals over a lightly strummed guitar. That's it, and it's perfect. It has such a feeling of resigned sadness while still holding on to hope that it's the perfect way to put a cap on 2020, even though it was written in 2019 while looking forward to 2020. In a statement, Jacklin says:

“2019 was a pretty rough one for my family. I was touring the whole year carrying a lot of guilt for not being able to be at home. Singing super sad songs every night was a blessing and a curse depending on the day. I was imagining Christmas as being this time where we all came together again and took a collective breath but then the bushfires hit and my family live in the country so it was a direct threat.”

“I was living in Melbourne, still pretty new to it, and wasn’t able to go home; the roads were blocked and my family was being evacuated periodically for a month,” she continued. “At one point, Melbourne was blanketed in smoke from the fires, the sun was this menacing red, it felt apocalyptic and pretty hopeless. I wrote this in my room looking forward to 2020, hoping it would be a reset of some kind lol.”

You can watch the video for "Baby Jesus is Nobody's Baby Now" below. You can get a copy via Julia Jacklin's Bandcamp. For more on Julia Jacklin, check out her website.

Ken's Best of 2020 - #9: X - ALPHABETLAND

When Los Angeles punk legends dropped their album ALPHABETLAND seemingly out of nowhere back in April, my expectations were low. A legendary band releasing their first album in twenty seven years, plus it was their first album with the original line up in thirty five years? They've been touring as a nostalgia act for quite a while now, and I've heard plenty of these reunion albums, and usually the best you can hope for is not embarrassing. 

But ALPHABETLAND is great. Shockingly great. It stands right up with 1980's Los Angeles, which nobody could have expected. When bands can start touring again, this is going to be the rare occasion where fans don't politely wait through a new song or use the new material to use the bathroom without missing anything good. If you haven't listened to it yet, you truly owe it to yourself to give it a shot. Sure, the songs on ALPHABETLAND may be a little slower than some of the classics, but these folks are in their mid- to late sixties these days. Plus, X were always pretty mellow for LA punk, especially in retrospect. 

Songs of note: "ALPHABETLAND," "I Gotta Fever," "Delta 88 Nightmare," and "Star Chambered"

Jeff's Best of 2020 - #9: Deau Eyes - Let It Leave

At some point in time, "Paper Stickers" came up in my playlists and I fell in love with it. Some time later came Let It Leave, the debut album of Ali Thibideau project Deau Eyes. This is such a nice slice of indie pop that I kept going back to all summer and fall and remembering "hey, this is really great." It has enough small bits of different genres to keep you guessing, and rolls along in a way that it never wears out its welcome.

Definitely a welcome debut, and I can't wait to see what comes next. Just an incredible listen.

Songs of note: "Paper Stickers," "Some Do," "Full Proof."

Bill Janovitz Covers Bruce Springsteen

Normally Bill Janovitz covering a Bruce Springsteen classic would be a reason to celebrate, but that doesn't feel appropriate for this one, despite it being a fantastic cover. Janovitz has released a cover of "Thunder Road," and while the cover is absolutely fantastic, the reason he recorded this particular song from the Boss is a tragedy. Janovitz explains on his Bandcamp:

"A friend of ours recently lost her husband, and her two boys lost their father. We lost a friend. Cancer. Mike battled hard. He made sure that the first song each of the boys heard in their lives, on the way back from the hospital after being born, was 'Thunder Road.' Sue asked if I would record it for his memorial, which accompanied a heartrending slide show. I wanted to share this recording for a charity that has helped this family. All proceeds will be passed along to the Marjorie E. Korff Parenting At a Challenging Time [PACT] Program, which has been 'a life raft during the most difficult times,' for our friends, and so many others."

You can listen to Bill Janovitz's heartfelt cover of "Thunder Road" below. You can download a cover with proceeds benefitting Parenting At a Challenging Time Program via Bandcamp.

Ken's Best of 2020 - #10: Lydia Loveless - Daughter

As acclaimed as it was, Lydia Loveless's 2016 album Real just didn't quite work for me. Part of it is that I'm just not really a pop guy, and it was definitely a pop album. I'm sure another part of it was that I loved 2014's Somewhere Else so much, and I was being a grumpy old man about the drastic change in sound. 

That brings us to Daughter. Daughter is definitely a pop album (just check out the "I Would Die 4 U" vibe on "Wringer"), but it works much better for me. The main reason is that it melds Loveless's pop sensibilities with her older country and rock sounds. I've always appreciated hybrid sounds, and the edge and twang helps make the pop a little more palatable for me. The songwriting on Daughter is second to none. The songs on Daughter channel Loveless's emotions about her divorce, and it's heartbreaking on some songs and uplifting on others. But that's divorce. There are many great divorce albums out there (Marvin Gaye's Here, My Dear and Bob Dylan's Blood On the Tracks immediately come to mind), but I have never heard an artist capture the rawness of a divorce quite like Lydia Loveless does here.

Songs of note: "Dead Writer," "Love is Not Enough," "Wringer," and "September"

Jeff's Best of 2020 - #10: Ellis - Born Again

It's that time of year again, and in what is a strange year for all of us with the pandemic and all, I kick off my list this year with Born Again by Ellis.

Ellis does a great job of setting herself apart from other hazy, distortion/reverb-drenched singer-songwriter material by having some truly great songwriting chops and some raw honesty for ideas and concepts often explored only in metaphor. Songs like the title track, like "Happy," all speak to an up-front vulnerability that resonates when things are normal, never mind during a public health crisis where we're seeking any sort of human connection.

Its a short listen, but an essential one. Ellis later released a covers EP that proved to me that this album is not just a one-and-done flash in the pan, so I'm excited to hear what comes next.

Songs of note: "Happy," "Born Again," "Into the Trees," "Shame."

Tunic - "Exhaling"

To be fair, I don't know much about Winnipeg except that professional wrestlers Chris Jericho and Kenny Omega come from there. Obviously they're going to have a music scene, but this is not a band I would expect to come from Manitoba. "Exhaling" is the first song on Tunic's forthcoming album. The band's Bandcamp bio calls them "noise rock," "atonal punk," and "feedback laden filth," and I certainly can't argue that too much. But "Exhaling" is hardly the burst of pure discordant noise you'd expect from those descriptions. There are just the slightest hints of standard song structure here and even the tiniest bit of melody, so as noisy and atonal as this song is, it's not a completely challenging listen. You might not even have to be a total noise rock fan to enjoy it, although that wouldn't hurt.

Tunic say about the new song: "Our new song, 'Exhaling,' is about the depression you feel when you're on week nine of an eleven week tour. At a breaking point, you start to doubt every choice you've made, tensions are high, and arguments erupt simply from pure exhaustion."

You can listen to "Exhaling" below. Exhaling, the upcoming album from Tunic, will be out March 2. You can pre-order a copy via Bandcamp. For more on Tunic, check out the band on Facebook and Twitter.

Girlpuppy Covers Joni Mitchell

Every so often there's a song that gets covered repeatedly, seemingly out of nowhere. This year that song could be Joni Micthell's "River." Last week we brought you Margo Price's faithful solo piano cover, and this week sees a cover from Atlanta's Girlpuppy. Girlpuppy's version is also quite faithful, but in a more dreamy kind of way. It's a gorgeous take on a classic Christmas folk song, updated for today. This new version isn't exactly folk, and it certainly isn't pop, or rock. It combines all three genres without truly being either one. It's well worth your time to check this out.

You can listen to Girlpuppy's version of "River" below. You can download a copy via Bandcamp. For more on Girlpuppy, check out the artist's Twitter and Facebook.

Tristen Covers The Cure

Now this one is an absolute delight. I first discovered Tristen when she opened for Justin Townes Earle back in 2012, and I've been a huge fan ever since. She's just released a cover of The Cure's iconic "Just Like Heaven," and it might be the most perfect cover of all time. Tristen takes the 80's New Wave/goth hit and transforms it into a bizarro pop song. It's a laid back, sorta kinda dance friendly pop version with the slightest hints of Americana here. In other words, she makes it a Tristen song. In particular the trademark guitar riff is obvious, but it's morphed into a swirling, fuzzy sound all its own.

You can listen to Tristen's take on "Just Like Heaven" below. You can download a copy via Bandcamp. For more on Tristen, check out the artist's website.

First Listen: New Releases for 4 December

Artist: Foxanne
Album: It's real (I knew it)
Quick Description: Debut album from an east coast singer-songwriter.
Why You Should Listen: Independent of anything else, she absolutely wrote the best ode to the Mars Rover this year with "Opportunity."
Overall Thoughts: Foxanne might be an acquired taste for some. Her vocal style is very up-front and brutally honest, and it gives the entire package some additional heft. When you stick with it, though, you end up with one of the best, most intriguing listens of the year. The songs are so great, it's so unique and has such a singular voice that I don't know how else to describe it. I've been thinking about this album all weekend. Maybe you'll have the same reaction.
Recommendation: One of the best of the year.

Artist: Tancred
Album: Nightstand (Acoustic)
Quick Description: A mastered demo album of Tancred's 2019 album.
Why You Should Listen: It's pandemic content, but it really shines a light on these songs.
Overall Thoughts: I liked Nightstand quite a bit, and Jess Abbott seems to have had a year. Seeing this on the release schedule, I was wondering what it might be like, but it turns out that it's more a labor of love and a true effort to breathe a different experience into these songs. Many of my favorites from the album benefit from the acoustic touch, and others that I wasn't as fond of get a new perspective that I appreciated. If you're a fan, or just getting on the bandwagon, you owe it to yourself to check this one out.
Recommendation: Give this a listen.

Artist: Rico Nasty
Album: Nightmare Vacation
Quick Description: Hyperpop x bratrap
Why You Should Listen: You're probably too old for this, which is as good a reason as any.
Overall Thoughts: Rico Nasty... I don't know how to describe this fully. It's intentionally abrasive, it's angry and angsty, and it's truly brilliant. This album finally strikes the balance between the worlds she sits in, and before long, you're texting your friends and saying they need to hear "Smack a Bitch." I recommend this fully knowing that it's not going to work for everyone, but, man, if this works for you...
Recommendation: ...you're in for a treat.

Artist: The Moore Family Band
Album: Missy
Quick Description: Debut album from this sibling act.
Why You Should Listen: It's the sort of poppy indie punk you crave.
Overall Thoughts: Shout-out to this trio who were quarantined together and made an album out of it. Jeff Rosenstock is involved and you can somewhat get the influence in some ways, but the band excels at not trying to reinvent the sound at all. It's just 30 minutes of all killer no filler.
Recommendation: Check this one out.

Of note:

* Pomplamoose - Invisible People (New album from the internet sensations. It's funky!)
* The Postal Service - Everything Will Change (Live album, probably the last new thing we're gonna get from them.)
* Joan of Arc - Tim Melina Theo Bobby (Farewell album from this act.)
* Inspector 34 - Love My Life
* Slotface - the slumber tapes
* These New Puritans - Hidden [MMXX]
* Langhorne Slim - Strawberry Mansion: Side A
* Sarah Louise - Floating Rhododendron
* Timmy Trumpet - Mad World
* Com Truise - In Decay, Too
* Your Old Droog - Dump YOD: Krutoy Edition
* Lavender Diamond - Now Is the Time
* Sigur Ros - Odin's Raven Magic
* Rabit - DIS Ease

Christmas music:

* Father/Daughter Records and Wax Nine Records - Simply Having a Wonderful Christmastime
* Calexico - Seasonal Shift
* The Infamous Stringdusters - Dust the Halls: An Acoustic Christmas Holiday
* The Sea The Sea - Stumbling Home (For the Holidays)
* Balam Acab - Christmas Euphoria
* Tori Amos - Christmastide

EPs:

* Little Simz - Drop 6 (I missed this one earlier this year. I regret it, because it's great.)
* Sarah Davachi - Laurus (There's something about this that is enticingly unsettling when you listen to it.) * Jeff Linden and the Black Spot Society - Sad Bastard: Tokyo Drift (You want to listen to this. Trust me.)
* Jordana - To You
* Kelly Moran and Prurient - Chain Reaction at Dark
* Laura Groves = A Private Road
* Laura Marling - The Lockdown Sessions
* Initiate - Lavender
* Sylvan Esso - WITH LOVE
* Isola - EP1
* BlabberMouf - BlastMastaBlab
* Phoebe Green - I Can't Cry for You
* LAUREL - Petrol Bloom
* Blue Hawaii - Under 1 House
* Kaya Stewart - Miss Kaya
* Sarah Davachi - Laurus
* Hannah's Little Sister - EP.mp3

Also out:

* Hundredth - Somewhere Nowhere
* Kishi Bashi - Stillwater: Volume 1
* Genevieve Carver and the Unsung - A Beautiful Way to be Crazy
* Laura Carbone - Live at Rockpalast