Hi! I’m bin-bun. This blog is dedicated to music-related things ^ I try to post regular updates on my favourite songs/artists, themed playlists, updates on my vinyl collection, etc.
I wanna start out by saying, I feel like last year’s prayers for good music have definitely been answered :D
Soooo much amazing music was released this year, and I even discovered my enjoyment for a pretty decent amount of artists I never used to listen to (like MAMAMOO, Arca, Die Antwoord, just to name a few)
Guess I was wrong about my taste in music getting more specific :P
There were a lot of highlights this year, so I can’t wait to share with you my picks for top tracks of 2020.
I’ve compiled two playlists as per usual:
One is a collection of my ABSOLUTE favourites. The list isn’t much longer than last year, but it’s only because I found myself enjoying a lot more albums this year, rather than singles and EPs
You can listen to it on spotify here
As always, I’ve restricted myself to max. 2 songs per artists when making this playlist.
The second playlist I added ALL of my favourite songs of 2020 - you can expect a lot of full albums, if you decide to check it out, and I recommend listening to one album at a time, rather than shuffling the whole playlist ^^
You can listen to that on spotify here
This time I’ve decided to put the songs on both playlists in order of the artists’ names - it’s just easier, and I’m guessing no one cares at this point.
If you want to see my picks for best albums of 2020 you can click here to find that.
I also have a post with my favourite singles and EPs of 2020, which you can find it here.
The rest of my playlists are here
Here’s to another great year for music! I already know it’s gonna be a good one, ‘cause I got 4 pre-ordered vinyl lined up for release in the new year :D
Now for this year’s best albums and EPs - according to me ^^
I’ll list them in order from “favourite” to “almost as much of a favourite” and I’ll name a few tracks from each one that I recommend (so, my favourite ones lol)
There might be some honorable mentions along the way as well.
I’ve been really lazy this year, so I haven’t kept track of which songs were technically released last year, so I’m relying on my memory (almost never a good idea)
This year there were so many great albums, that I had to dedicate this list to only that, and not include EPs like I did last year.
If you wanna see my post about my favourite singles and EPs of 2020, you can go here.
I’ve also made a post with playlists containing all of my favourite songs from 2020 - you can find that right here.
As I’ve already established (if you read my post about my complete list of 2020 favourites) this was an especially awesome year for ALBUMS. (in my opinion)
That means, most of the singles I was gonna include on this list were eventually released on an album at some point during 2020, therefore it is probably included in the post previously mentioned. Same goes for EPs because artists have started doing this thing where they release singles, but include prior singles as well? Making it an EP? (I know, I don’t like it either. No one does, I don’t think.)
Anyway, that’s the reason why I chose to combine the two this year.
I’ll list the EPs first (in order of most to “least” favourite) and then the singles.
I hope you enjoy my picks for best singles and EPs of 2020 ^^
Oh, and no honorable mentions this time around (sorry.)
If you want to to check out my favourite albums of 2020, you can find that here
If you want to check out the playlists I’ve made including ALL my favourite songs of 2020 you can find that here
Now, let’s get to it!
1. Bad Sounds’ ‘Escaping from a Violent Time, Vol. 1’
Favourite tracks: Jenny and Permanent
It’s been a while since I published one of my themed playlists...
I’ve been wanting to finish this for a while now, but I promised myself I would clean up my music library first - and now that that’s done I can finally share the finished version of this playlist, that I had so much fun making :D
To give an idea of the thought-process behind this; I noticed I had a lot of songs with the same titles so I thought “why not make a playlist containing those songs, and arrange them in a way that makes sense musically AND that creates a mirror image” And I feel like I managed to do that succesfully ^^
Pan Amsterdam’s album Ha Chu (Limited edition, numbered ‘Springtime Green’ vinyl, pre-order)
Oh man. Where to begin with this guy. This album.
It’s one of those things you have to listen to, to know whether you’ll like it.
I could try my best to describe it in detail, but I’m not going to, ‘cause I want everyone to check this out.
For me personally, Pan Amsterdam was one of those artists I had to ‘get used to’, and I don’t mean that in a negative way,
It just took me some time before I felt like I ‘got it.’
It’s the same reason I don’t really have a favourite song by this artist.
I’ll do my best to give recommendations below, but I really think it’s about the atmosphere on this album more than anything else.
This was one of the most exciting vinyl-unboxings I’ve experienced to date - hopefully you’ll get why, when you see it.
Imo, Pan Amsterdam is one of the most under-rated artists of today.
Check it out if you’re in the mood for something experimental yet… soothing?
The Fratellis’ debut-album ‘Costello Music’ (Limited edition, numbered Dark Green Transparent vinyl)
I actually traded my ‘Puddinghead’ vinyl for this one.
Might’ve been a mistake if you ask a hardcore vinyl collector ’cause I think the BPM vinyl might be more ‘exculsive’ or whatever.
But the simple reason I did it is, I like this album better ^^
I still listen to this more regularly than I do Puddinghead, even though it’s an older album.
And this version is cooler than the one I already have, so I’ll probably trade/sell that one at some point. I might be a sucker for limited edition vinyls, but I don’t really need two versions of the same album lol
I know I’ve had a couple different versions of this album by now, but I’m pretty confident this is one I’ll end up keeping for good.
Not much else to say, I’ve said it twice before, so...
Favourite tracks: Everybody Knows You Cried Last Night and Chelsea Dagger
James Blake’s album ‘Assume Form’ (Limited edition, 180 g, Green vinyl)
I don’t know why I’ve been torn for so long with this album.
I would’ve bought the vinyl when the album came about, but for some reason it was only released on casette?
And then I sort of forgot about the album until he released his first single of 2020.
Usually with James Blake it’s a surefire success for me every time he releases something new.
About a year after it’s release, and after months of listening to it bit by bit, I came to the conclusion that this might be his best album to date. I know that might be a controversial opinion, but the sheer fact that it took me so long to figure it out is a big pointer, I think. Don’t know if that makes sense...
Oh also, for some reason I got a free signed card with my order, which is a pretty sweet bonus, if you ask me ^^
Nothing But Thieves’ album ‘Moral Panic’ (“Marbled” LP, pre-order)
I was torn with this one. I feel like this band in particular is all about re-imagining their own sound with every album they release. With this one I couldn’t quite tell from the first singles, what direction they were going for.
After realizing that they were going for a kind of heavy/emo vibe, I ended up pre-ordering it out of curiosity. It’s not too far from what I expected from them, so I thought it couldn’t possibly disappoint. And I was right for the most part! The album is pretty decent (not their best imo, but still really good) but therea problem with the production of the vinyl itself.
I honestly am not sure whether I’m happy about the way it turned out.
On one hand, it’s kind of cool to have the “faulty” version, ‘cause not a lot of people do. On the other hand it doesn’t exactly match the album cover like it would have with the intended colour.
I can’t say I regret buying it tho, it’s cool either way :)
Favourite tracks: Phobia and Can You Afford To Be An Individual?
Ball Park Music’s album ‘Every Night the Same Dream’ (180 g White LP)
Like the James Blake album, it took me some time to realize how great this album really is (and by ‘some time’ I mean several years)
The songwriting is one thing, but I think it’s all the small details in the mixing that make all the difference. It’s not something I usually pay attention to, so I guess that explains why it took me so long. If you’ve followed me for ‘some time’ you might have noticed that I’m a pretty big fan of Ball Park Music.
But I gotta say, at first I thought this album was kind of a mess.
But if anything, it now feels like an organized mess, or a representation of just how many different things BPM can be.
And the most important thing; they still sound like they’re doing this for fun :D
Favourite tracks: Peppy and Ever Since I Turned the Lights On
Kinda stumbled upon this by accident.
I remember it was through an Antano Fantanthony video, which is noteable ‘cause I never really watch his videos.
Clicking that thumbnail might have been the best decision I’ve made all year.
I mean, apart from ordering all these vinyl records (which, in hindsight, might’ve also been a mistake if you ask my bank account lol)
Imo this album is definitely up there as one the top 5 best releases of 2020.
I must admit, I was a bit disappointed by the colour, as it was more dirt brown than gold. plus the cover photo is a bit blurry.
But maybe I’m a bit too much of a perfectionist when it comes to these things lol.
Joking aside, I still LOVE the album to bits despite all that, and hey; we all know looks aren’t everything.
Favourite tracks: Comme Des Garçons (Like The Boys) and Snakeskin
Born Ruffians’ album ‘Juice’ (Limited edition Yellow coloured vinyl)
I was so excited when I heard Born Ruffians was releasing a new album.
I’ve never been disappointed with anything they’ve released so far, so I felt quite comfortable pre-ordering it when it became available.
Funny thing is the album release was right around the time ACNH came out, and one of the band members was randomly streaming the game up to, and a bit after the album release. I really miss those streams.
It was such a surreal time because of covid as well, and it honestly feels more like 6 years have past since, rather than 6 months. But I guess a lot of people feel that way.
Anyway, I guess what I’m trying to say is this album takes me back to that chaotic, but somehow much simpler time.
Oh, and you all need to listen to Dedication ‘cause it SLAPS.
Poppy’s album ‘I Disagree’ (Gatefold Clear w/ Red splatter coloured 2LP)
Again, I stumbled upon this album randomly, around the same time I believe.
I heard of Poppy a long time ago, but I haven’t really checked out her channel in a while. I saw a thumbnail for one of her new music videos in my feed which (for all I knew) looked quite uncharacteristic. And so, I went down the rabbit hole, and it did not disappoint.
I wasn’t sure if it was just a spur-of-the-moment thing, or if I would continue to enjoy the album, so I waited a bit before ordering the vinyl.
What I had not anticipated was how many different coloured vinyl she released this album on. (I only discovered this after the fact.)
I went with the only version I could find on a danish website.
Like with SAWAYAMA, I was kind of disappointed with the “Red” splatter, as it looks more like pink nail-polish than blood-splatter (which I assume was the intentended “look” she was going for)
But I love everything else about the vinyl - especially the inner sleeve that was included, which I had to hang it on the wall next to my other favourites ^^ (pic below)
I can’t say I regret buying it - it’s a great album!
But who knows - maybe I’ll trade it for another version at a later time.
Big Gigantic’s album ‘Free Your Mind’ (Gatefold White/Yellow marbled 2LP)
I’ll be the first to admit, this one’s a bit of a wild card. I’m not super familiar with Big Gigantic’s music, so I didn’t have very high expectations for this album. Or any expectations, really.
I can’t tell you why I decided to pre-order this, having only listened to the couple of singles that were available. I ususally only do that with artists that I “trust”
And I must say, though I feel kind of indifferent about the sound of the album (I guess it would work well for a house party or smth), I love love LOVE what they did on the inside of the gatefold sleeve. (pic below)
I would hang it up like that if I wasn’t so particular about my vinyl collection lmao.
Favourite tracks: Friends (feat. Ashe) and Supergiant
Disclosure’s album ‘ENERGY’ (Limited edition, 180 g Marbled 2LP)
I’m gonna say something (only I find) controversial; out my entire vinyl collection, this might be my favourite one. I know I’ve said before that I love all of them equally, but I think it’s safe to say this one sticks out.
I’ll tell you exactly why:
First of all; Banger tunes? check!
Eco-friendly? check!
Beautifully marbled records? check!
Signed lithograph and download code printed on 100% recycled paper? check and check!
This album really is something special. You can tell they put a lot of effort and hard work into both the album and the vinyl itself. The inclusion of incredibly talented POC artists is a huge plus as well <3
I have so much more to say, but just I’m gonna end this by saying go LISTEN to it! I can pretty much guarantee you’ll find something on this album you’ll like.
Here are my suggestions for where to start:
Favourite tracks: My High (feat. slowthai) and Ce n’est pas
annaxmalina
discoholicmusic
pixelskylines
yousharknotpass
jacobvanloon