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Throughout December, CHIRP Radio presents its volunteers’ top albums of 2020. Our next list is from DJ Danielle Sines.
Obviously 2020 is going down as one of the strangest years of my life. I spent many days in my home, questioning if I had slipped into an episode of the Twilight Zone, or was still apart of some strange dream. To pass the time, I rewatched all of Star Trek: The Next Generation, pretended that my home was a cruise ship, and revisited my entire record collection - listening to every record that I own alphabetically (Currently, I am in letter P!). However, I had a rule: If the album was released in 2020, it could be listened to at any time (what a way to break-up all those Bowie & The National records!). Here’s what I spent 2020 listening to:
#1 Fetch The Bolt Cutters by Fiona Apple (Epic)
Growing up in the 90s as a young pianist, I had very few cool female idols to admire, but Tori Amos and Fiona Apple were those muses. Naturally, when Fiona said she was going to leak her new record early, I was ready, sitting in my house, waiting for it. The morning it came out, I got up early so that I could be alone, listening in headphones with a giant cup of coffee. It didn’t disappoint, by track three I was in tears. She so eloquently and ferociously captured so much of the #metoo movement with her lyrics that range from “kick me under the table all you want, I won’t shut up” on “Under The Table” to the cutting line from “For Her,” “Good morning, you raped me in the same bed your daughter was born in.” She’s honest, direct and confident, demonstrating her piano prowess with intricate rhythms and melodies throughout. I love the intimate feel of her home recording environment - the dogs begging to be let in, the sounds of floorboards creaking. It’s raw, emotional & wonderful.
#2 Dance Without Me by DRAMA (Ghostly)
If you haven’t listened to Chicago band DRAMA yet, do yourself a favor and put this record on immediately. It’s the kind of record that will surprise you with its catchy hooks and sultry mood. It’s a doing dishes in your undies dance party album; sure to brighten your mood. Vocalist Via Rosa blends R&B, and dance pop with her soulful, seductive voice. Overall, the album is filled with great club tracks about relationships and heart break. Track, “Forever & A Day” became my anthem of 2020 with a pulsating dance beat, catchy, fresh vocals and the feeling that maybe everything is going to be alright?? I can’t wait to be in a crowd of sweaty people dancing to this record and singing at the top of my lungs, mask-less.
#3 Women In Music Pt III by Haim (Columbia)
This record is amazingly catchy and fun. It has hooks reminiscent of Fleetwood Mac, and tackles a wide range of subjects from depression to late night booty calls. It’s feminist as fuck with lyrics like, “every day I wake up and make money for myself and though we share a bed, you know that I don't need your help” on “The Steps”; or calling out sexism at the guitar shop on “Man From The Magazine”: “Man from the music shop, I drove too far for you to hand me that starter guitar, 'Hey girl, why don't you play a few bars?'” If you’ve even been talked down to at Guitar Center, you know exactly what they’re talking about.
#4 Color Theory by Soccer Mommy (Loma Vista)
Whoever reviewed Soccer Mommy’s latest on Pitchfork obviously has not been a depressed woman. As someone who has, I found this record to be extremely therapeutic, not only for the listener but I imagine for songwriter Sophia Allison. The lyrics of first track, “Bloodstream” are vivid and haunting, “A river runs red from my knuckles into the sink, and there's a pale girl staring through the mirror at me. …It's a half-hearted calm, the way I've felt since I was thirteen’, cause I may not feel it now, covered up the wounds with my long sleeves.” She’s baring it all on the very first track to let the listener know what this record is about, what she’s working through it, hoping to overcome. In a press release, she said the the album is divided into three colors each with their own meaning: “blue, representing sadness and depression; yellow, symbolizing physical and emotional illness; and, finally, gray, representing darkness, emptiness and loss.” It’s a bummer of a record, but it’s beautiful. It captures the darkness of depression, in surf rock and dream pop styling.
#5 Regresa by Buscubulla (Ribbon)
During quarantine’s warmer months, I would put this record on and pretend that I was somewhere else - perhaps a tropical beach, ocean waves crashing, a delicious mai tai in hand. I would sit on my patio in the sun and this record’s fun, upbeat grooves would take me away. Married couple Puerto Rican émigrés Raquel Berrios and Luis Alfredo Del Valle compose these dreamy, disco-esque melodies that are so soft and smooth you’ll feel like you're beach side with your best friends. Even more impressive, the duo moved from NYC to Puerto Rico shortly after Hurricane Maria hit to help rebuild the community, co-founding the non-profit PRIMA Fund (Puerto Rican Independent Musician and Artists).
#6 The Devonns by The Devonns (Record Kicks)
My favorite thing about this record is that it sounds like it was a revival Motown album that was lost and uncovered. It’s feel-good neo-soul with songs ranging from love to protest. On “Blood Red Blues (Protest Song)” the group talks about the impacts of gun violence in the lyrics: “Blood runs on the parking lot / Cops said another boy's been shot / Mama works for the house she got / But the bank came along everything she got/ We all know what we've got to say, but everybody's scared of the NRA.” It’s heartfelt, timeless, and feels like a love letter to Chicago Soul.
#7 Sugaregg by Bully (SubPop)
I’ve been a fan of Bully since day one. I love the screamy frenetic energy of Alicia Bognanno. On "Sugaregg", she continues to create hypnotic, layered guitar riffs akin to Marnie Stern. Her lyrics grapple with the pressures women feel to marry and become parents on track “Every Tradition”: “It’s like pressure to have a baby when I don't want one in my body. You say my mind is gonna change one day but I felt this way forever. Some things stay the same, I stay the same.” These lyrics feel so real - something that I’ve uttered to my own mother. The entire record is a caffeinated kick to the gut.
#8 BRAT by Nnamdi (Sooper)
Every time I put this record on, my partner thinks that it’s on the wrong speed. Nnamdi sings with multiple types of voices, and is a musical virtuoso playing complex, intricate melodies. When I saw him perform at last year’s West Fest, I was mesmerized by his amazing playing ability. The entire record is catchy, with great beats and tracks that flow seamlessly, from one to the next. This year Ogbonnaya released two full-length records and an EP, “Black Plight” that superbly encapsulated the #BLM movement and social unrest this summer. He’s so deserving of Chicago Tribune’s Chicagoan of the year.
#9 Brave & Afraid by Marques Martin (Operator)
Marques Martin dazzles on his debut record, a coming of age story interwoven with snapshots of family and his existence as a young black man. He channels rappers like Kendrick Lamar and Vince Staples with pulsating beats, synth strings and a driving energy. He has some of the best, funniest lyrics about being a DIY musician: "See I don’t agree with passing out mixtapes on the street we ain't gon pay for a cd And i’d rather ignore ya via soundcloud link and ya friends, tell ya friends You'd help em out with a tweet 'oh, you do music? My little brother makes beats! Yall should collab man I think it’d be neat.'” The whole record is wonderful and catchy as hell.
#10 BIG DARK BRIGHT FUTURES by Growing Concerns Poetry Collective (self-released)
When I first heard McKenzie Chinn’s poetry in Growing Concerns Poetry Collective’s gorgeous first record "WE HERE: Thanks for Noticing” I wanted to cry. You know the kind of record that makes you want to lay down and listen to every word in headphones? Yes, it’s that kind of record. On the group’s second release, "BIG DARK BRIGHT FUTURES" Chinn and rapper-poet Mykele Deville continue their beautiful work, exploring what it means to be Black in 2020 America. It’s poignant, angry, and unapologetic - showing perspectives from both male and female points of view - while multi-instrumentalist Jeffrey Michael Austin creates the dreamlike atmosphere. Deville raps about inequality, police violence, and racial injustice and Chinn blends music and poetry. Chinn criticizes white feminism on track “Peace After Revolution” by describing how she wishes her would-be allies would join the BLM fight stating, “If my body was free / I would’ve gone to the Women’s March / All the women there would’ve also been the women saying Eric’s name / And Rekia’s name.” The entire record is stirring, thought provoking and highly recommended.
Other Records That I Loved:
Lido Pimienta - Miss Columbia
Chole x Halle - Ungodly Hour
Liza Anne - Bad Vacation
The Beths - Jump Rope Gazers
Dehd - Flower of Devotion
Jess Williamson - Sorceress
Katy J. Pearson - Return
LADAMA - Oye Mujer
Disq - Collector
Beach Bunny - Honeymoon
Lianne La Havas - Lianne La Havas
favorite single: Jovan Landry - "6 Feet!" (it's so catchy and real! GIVE ME SIX FEET!!!)
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