Board Dot's Top *Tie*'d Releases of 2020

[monasterymonochrome]

Dec 22, 2020 9:50:16 GMT -6 regionrat6337 said:

Deep Down Happy only at #98

When they hit the festival circuit in 2021/22, the rest of the board will come around

[Tweet]

Dec 22, 2020 10:35:24 GMT -6 mookie said:

I think that Killers album may be the biggest surprise for me for 2020 music. I had written them off a few albums ago, but that is a really solid album

Counterpoint: the fact that it is above the Bob Dylan album makes me sick

[thebosma]

Dec 22, 2020 10:39:20 GMT -6 Tweet said:

Dec 22, 2020 10:35:24 GMT -6 mookie said:

I think that Killers album may be the biggest surprise for me for 2020 music. I had written them off a few albums ago, but that is a really solid album

Counterpoint: the fact that it is above the Bob Dylan album makes me sick

Did the killers happen to have a 16 minute song about a grassy knoll?

[Tweet]

I am hereby demanding Timbo turns over the voting machines

[Timbo]

20. R.A.P. Ferraria – Purple Moonlight Pages (205)



19. Georgia - Seeking Thrills (206)



18. Andy Shauf - The Neon Skyline (215)



17. Open Mike Eagle - Anime, Trauma and Divorce (219)



16. Adrienne Lenker - Songs/Instrumentals (223)



15. Illuminati Hotties - Free I.H.: This is Not the One You've Been Waiting For (225)

[mookie]

Did not think Georgia would make it, nicely done board

[Timbo]

13. *Tie* Jeff Parker- Suite for Max Brown (236)



13. *Tie* Jeff Rosenstock – NO DREAM (236)



12. Yves Tumor - Heaven to a Tortured Mind (257)



11. Fleet Foxes - Shore (263)

[Timbo]

10. Soccer Mommy - Color Theory (270)



9. Deftones - Ohms (280)



8. Run the Jewels - RTJ4 (291)



7. HAIM - Women In Music Pt. 3 (364)



6. Ratboys - Printer’s Devil (383)

[monasterymonochrome]

R A T B O Y S

A

T

B

O

Y

S T R E E T T E A M

[andrewvb]

wow we snuck a jazz album not by kamasi washington into the board top 20.

[mookie]

Haim
*fart noise lasting several minutes*

[chvrchbarrel]

Dec 22, 2020 11:17:29 GMT -6 mookie said:

Did not think Georgia would make it, nicely done board

pissssssed at myself for forgetting that came out this year

that was before...well

[chvrchbarrel]

spent a few minutes looking at this thread title trying to figure out which naughty word timbo was trying to censor

[wanny]

Shit, I forgot to do a list

[Tweet]

Timbo post the top 5 so I can go take a nap

[Timbo]

5. Beach Bunny - Honeymoon (410)



4. Perfume Genius - Set My Heart On Fire Immediately (445)



3. Waxahatchee - Saint Cloud (610)



2. Phoebe Bridgers - Punisher (621)



1. Fiona Apple - Fetch the Bolt Cutters (701)

[neader]

Tomboy being in charge and Fiona coming in at #1 hmmmmm

[mookie]

Really did not expect Beach Bunny in the top 5

That is for doing this as always tim

[Timbo]

The facts about our 2020 list.

Lowest turnout for lists so far since I've been tabulating - 20 total, and this is relevant to our lists for a lot of reasons you'll see.

Fiona Apple's "Fetch the Bolt Cutters" appeared on 15 lists. #1 on four lists, and in the top ten of all but one of those, where her lowest ranking was #11. While she has appeared on every eligible list we've done (90s, 2000s, 2010s, and 2012) this is her highest ranking. The total is one point less than last year's winner Sharon Van Etten, thus making this our 3rd lowest voted for number 1. But also consider the fact that we had 3 fewer lists than last year. The next highest number of list appearances was a three way tie between Phoebe (2), Waxahatchee (3), and Perfume Genius (4).

Best gains go to the Deftones who were #56 in 2016 with Gore, to cracking our top 10 at #9. Phoebe Bridgers also did well between album releases on our yearly lists, Stranger in the Alps was 45 in 2017, leaping to #2 this year. Open Mike Eagle who was 61 in that same list leapt to 17.

Speaking of the Deftones, they hit a few board milestones. Highest "metal" album. Also, they are the oldest band to land in our top 10 since 2016 when we had both Radiohead and David Bowie in 1 & 2 respectively. Adrenaline came out in 1994, where as Tidal came out in 1996, thus they beat Fiona by 2 years.

Our top 10 contains the highest rankings ever for top 100 repeat artists Fiona Apple, Phoebe Bridgers, Waxahatchee, Perfume Genius, HAIM, and the Deftones.

Beach Bunny's debut album at #5 is pretty wild, as it's the highest debut album from a new artist on our yearly lists ever. This would be purposely excluding Jack White's "Blunderbuss" from 2012 b/c a.) it sucks and b.) he wasn't new. Same year we had Father John Misty's "Fear Fun" which is yes, a debut album under that moniker but Tillman was releasing music before that under various names. Beach Bunny has a solid following without the publication adoration that both JW and FJM had, I'm guessing b/c of the Chicago representation, which also makes their debut the highest local act for a majority of the board. Even funnier is that the second highest across all our lists... is Ratboys at #6 (also from Chicago, obvs).

Not counting our decade lists, each RTJ release has been in our top 50, and RTJ4 is the second highest ranking, showing an improvement over RTJ1 & RTJ3, but falling short of RTJ2 (Meow the Jewels was not ranked). Protomartyr has always been in the top 50 for each release after their 2012 debut, though this year is their lowest yearly ranking. Freddie Gibbs is in the same boat, always managing a spot in our top 50 but this year's Alfredo with The Alchemist is his lowest showing.

This is the highest ranking for Perfume Genius at #4 with 445 points, despite both previous records receiving more votes each - Too Bright had 543, and No Shape had 462.

Despite his storied career, this is the first time Bob Dylan has appeared on any of our lists - including our decade lists. It might help that this new one is the best reviewed release of his since 2006's Modern Times.... anyway... This was also the first time in a yearly list we ranked The Killers, Califone, and Of Montreal.

Jeff Parker's Suite for Max Brown is the highest ranking jazz album we've ever had and also the first appearance by anyone from Tortoise on our lists. Not even Kamasi Washington has ranked that high before (only in 2017 @ 70).

If my calendar isn't off, Georgia is the oldest record on the list, releasing on January 10th, 2020.

Soccer Mommy is 2 for 2 in our top ten, just barely eeking by at #10 this year. Her and RTJ are the only top ten repeaters.

A handful of artists have risen up the ranks over the years through small sections of support, but the best showing by far is from R.A.P. Ferreira who pops into the top 20 after five years of slow building interest. His previous releases under Milo and Scallops Hotel have received some love, but Purple Moonlight Pages broke him through finally, and I think that's pretty cool.

Some once beloved artists had tremendous falls from grace. The Dirty Projectors released 5 EPs in 2020, but appeared on 1 list. Their last album, Lamp Lit Prose cracked our top 50 in 2018 at #48. Even worse, Sufjan Stevens last album Carrie & Lowell was #2 in 2015, but The Ascension didn't even make the top 100 cut. Other significant stumbles include Hamilton Leithauser, Angel Olsen's first appearance NOT in our top 10 (obvs, keep in mind what this new album is), much to mookie's enjoyment Car Seat Headrest misses the top 50, and the lowest showing for Phil Elverum/Mount Eerie/the Microphones (though this wasn't available on streaming services). Animal Collective has released multiple albums/EPs since their last entry on our lists in 2012 with Centipede Hz, but have yet to return (outside of the decade lists). Grimes last two records were high on those respective years, but her new one didn't even make the top 100. The Avalanches didn't even break the top 200.

Not so massive of tumblings but still kinda surprising - U.S. Girls went from #19 just last year to #70. King Krule from 12 to 72 but the drops from Ariana Grande and the 1975 aren't as drastic. Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever on the other hand tumbled nearly 60 spots.

On the plus side, this is the highest ranking for the Mountain Goats. Ever. Oddly enough though, it's for the album that sounds the most like their older material. Also only the second time Shamir has appeared on a list of ours, last joining us in 2015.

Every single release by Adrianne Lenker has made it onto our lists, her lowest ranking in a yearly list is her first solo album abysskiss at #77 in 2018. Everything else top 50. Almost hitting that milestone is Charli XCX who's only album not on a list was 2017's Number 1 Angel.

If neader had submitted his list though, a lot of things would have changed. Fiona would sit at 748 (above SVE), Phoebe would be at 670, which is better than all of the top 10 in 2018 and Lana Del Rey's Norman Fucking Rockwell (which it already does without neader), PG would be at 491 and surpass his point total for No Shape, Soccer Mommy would have leapt to #8, Charli XCX would be at #18, and the Avalanches would have made the top 100. The top 3 though would not have changed, however.

So let that be a lesson to you......

[wanny]

Thank you Tim!

[Xamnam]

Excellent work, and I love how much effort you put into looking at patterns and the history of artists here. Can't appreciate it all enough.

[chvrchbarrel]

Dec 22, 2020 12:37:24 GMT -6 Timbo said:

This would be purposely excluding Jack White's "Blunderbuss" from 2012 b/c a.) it sucks

best fact

[chvrchbarrel]

Dec 22, 2020 12:37:24 GMT -6 Timbo said:

Beach Bunny has a solid following without the publication adoration that both JW and FJM had, I'm guessing b/c of the Chicago representation, which also makes their debut the highest local act for a majority of the board. Even funnier is that the second highest across all our lists... is Ratboys at #6 (also from Chicago, obvs). 

curious to hear some board discourse on this point - i'd be interested to go back through chicago residents' lists and see if there is a bias toward beach bunny or ratboys being higher than non-residents.

i would agree that in any regular year, it probably makes a difference because you're naturally able to see a chicago act do more chicago shows, you get more into the band, etc. but i think regional bias would be at an all time low this year

[Xamnam]

Dec 22, 2020 12:58:44 GMT -6 chvrchbarrel said:

Dec 22, 2020 12:37:24 GMT -6 Timbo said:

Beach Bunny has a solid following without the publication adoration that both JW and FJM had, I'm guessing b/c of the Chicago representation, which also makes their debut the highest local act for a majority of the board. Even funnier is that the second highest across all our lists... is Ratboys at #6 (also from Chicago, obvs). 

curious to hear some board discourse on this point - i'd be interested to go back through chicago residents' lists and see if there is a bias toward beach bunny or ratboys being higher than non-residents.

i would agree that in any regular year, it probably makes a difference because you're naturally able to see a chicago act do more chicago shows, you get more into the band, etc. but i think regional bias would be at an all time low this year

A heavy bias on here is going to be things like me being familiar due to their 2018 RF performance, proximity aside. 

[chvrchbarrel]

it would be interesting to see some alternate reality where every planned show happened this year, and how different the album list mightve looked.

[Timbo]

I was pretty surprised to see the totals for both, and while I'm not big on either one of them, I feel like a lot of folks were talking about them around here. neither received glowing reviews, Beach Bunny's highest critical score was from Paste but as far as I can see neither of them were on year end lists by any publication. I can only assume then that enough Chicago'ers love them both, and/or both bands hacked my computer and changed the numbers. Unfortunately, no one is willing to pay me to do a recount.

[neader]

So what I'm hearing you say is that this list sucks and with me it would've been much better. I hope you all learned from Timbo'a wise words and sharpen your musical tastes.

[munkivelli]

Cool-ass list, board. I can't even be mad that 20% of my top 20 didn't even crack our top 100.

[Timbo]

Dec 22, 2020 13:23:40 GMT -6 neader said:

So what I'm hearing you say is that this list sucks and with me it would've been much better. I hope you all learned from Timbo'a wise words and sharpen your musical tastes.

Way to find the light at the end of the tunnel of a public shaming. 

[neader]

Dec 22, 2020 13:35:42 GMT -6 Timbo said:

Dec 22, 2020 13:23:40 GMT -6 neader said:

So what I'm hearing you say is that this list sucks and with me it would've been much better. I hope you all learned from Timbo'a wise words and sharpen your musical tastes.

Way to find the light at the end of the tunnel of a public shaming. 

It's the only way I've lasted this long.