Well, I was supposed to be reporting to you every week, and I’ve blown it! A number of new albums released have catapulted up my list of favorite albums this year. The nominees are Harry Styles, Bartees Strange, Soccer Mommy, and Martin Courtney (singer/songwriter of one of my faves, Real Estate).

What I love about each of these artists is they sound nothing like each other:

Harry Styles is the heir-apparent to Justin Timberlake, but I think he’s a better songwriter and a much more palatable voice (sometimes JT’s falsetto gets a bit much)
Bartees Strange is unique. He’s a mashup. I hear TV on the Radio in his vocals, Jeff Buckley in his intimacy, Minus the Bear with some go his guitar riffs, and on and on. This guy’s got a lot of talent.
Soccer Mommy is 90s grunge redux.
Martin Courtney’s second solo album shows again why he’s the heart and soul of the uber-chill Real Estate.

Enjoy!

Another indie star is in blossom! I recently listened to Samia’s debut album, The Baby, and I’m smitten. It’s pop music, but it also could be inserted into any hipsters playlist where people would be “Hey, who’s this?”

Kid Cudi released a new album, and I still need to spend some time digesting. But “Tequila Shots” and “She Knows This” are standouts for me so far.

A famous rap producer, Statik Selektah, is clearly influenced by DJ Premier, Q-Tip. It’s a nice homage to those jazz-sampled beats. He released a great album with all sorts of great rappers, and the more I heard Jack Harlow’s track, the more I came to like it.

Bartees Strange is every critic’s favorite new artist. His debut album is all over the place, but he does it well. I like him, but I need to spend a lot more time with the album.

Next week or two I’ll be posting my favorite 100 songs and 25 albums of 2020! Get pumped!!

Monday Mixtape, Vol. 209

Monday Mixtape, Vol. 175