Sound Obsession

What a year, right?  With live music shutting down in mid-March, the last nine months or so have been all about studio albums for me.  Here are my top ten favorites of 2020, in alphabetical order.  Not too many curveballs.  We're talkin' comfort food here.  Many of these artists have made my top ten favorites lists in recent years, and here they are again.  This time though I was happy to see and hear some stylistic experimentation, lineup changes, and pushing of envelopes.  Check out my runners up and honorable mentions list too.         Have a listen.  Hope you enjoy, and Happy New Year! Brent Cobb:   Keep 'Em On They Toes    (Ol' Buddy - 10/2/20) South Georgia native Brent Cobb, cousin to country super-producer Dave Cobb, released his fourth studio album this year.  This time Brent switched gears, enlisting indie-folk p...

We're midway through 2016 and already have a surplus of excellent music to enjoy.  In alphabetical order, the following fifteen albums are my favorite this year so far. . . . Autolux:   Pussy's Dead (30th Century - 4/1/16) Reclusive Silver Lake threesome Autolux drop their third album in a dozen years, moving even farther away from their shoegaze and noise-rock roots into Radiohead-style glitch IDM territory while showcasing Carla Azar's always-excellent drumming. David Bowie:   Blackstar   (ISO - 1/8/16) Music legend David Bowie caps off his unparalleled fifty-plus year career with a haunting 26th album released on his 69th birthday, just days before losing his battle with cancer.  An arresting and graceful blend of experimental jazz and trip-hop, Bowie confronts mortality and legacy head-on. Commodo:   How What Time (Black Acre - 4/8/16) Releasing over a dozen bangers on single and EP over the years via heavyweight dubstep la...

Kurt Vile & The Violators, 930 Club, Washington DC - 10/8/15 Sturgill Simpson, Lincoln Theater, Washington DC - 9/23/15 Ghost, The Fillmore, Silver Spring MD - 9/22/15 Ghost, The Fillmore, Silver Spring MD - 9/22/15 Ghost, The Fillmore, Silver Spring MD - 9/22/15 Ghost, The Fillmore, Silver Spring MD - 9/22/15 Ghost, The Fillmore, Silver Spring MD - 9/22/15 Ghost, The Fillmore, Silver Spring MD - 9/22/15 Eagles of Death Metal, 930 Club, Washington DC - 9/15/15 Eagles of Death Metal, 930 Club, Washington DC - 9/15/15 Chelsea Wolfe, U Street Music Hall, Washington DC - 9/11/15 High on Fire, Baltimore Soundstage, Baltimore MD - 8/20/15 Pallbearer, Baltimore Soundstage, Baltimore MD - 8/20/15 Lucifer, Baltimore Soundstage, Baltimore MD - 8/20/15 Failure, 930 Club, Washington DC - 8/11/15 Hum, 930 Club, Washington DC - 8/11/15 Deftones, The Fillmore, Silver Spring MD - 7/31/15 Black B...