Macromix 20

// songs of 2020 //

20. Liv.e • I Been Livin
19. Yaeji • Never Settling Down
18. The Bats • Red Car
17. Kaash Paige • Mrs. Lonely
16. No Joy • Nothing Will Hurt
15. Tiwa Savage • Dangerous Love
14. Katie Gately • Waltz
13. The Psychedelic Furs • Ash Wednesday
12. Victoria Monét • Touch Me
11. Loraine James feat. Jonnine • Don’t You See It

10. Bob Dylan • I’ve Made Up My Mind To Give Myself To You
9. Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever • She’s There
8. Cleo Sol • Her Light
7. Chloe x Halle • Ungodly Hour
6. KeiyaA • Hvnli / Hvnli (Reprise)
5. Cindy Lee • Heavy Metal
4. Zeroh • Aquamane
3. Perfume Genius • Describe
2. Katie Dey • Dancing
1. Pantayo • Kaingin

82 minutes of streaming, with an unavoidable glitch between the two halves of “Hvnli.” Upon request, the physical edition can append a few of the 40 extra songs listed below (if shipped on cassette) OR omit “Hvnli (Reprise)” and substitute the single edit of “Describe” (if shipped on CD). Or both, I guess.

Not much else to report this year, except to note that continuing to listen through December proved worthwhile in ways it didn’t always used to. In past years I’d hit a limit, and publications’ end of year lists, and my other attempts at gap-filling, couldn’t tell me much that I had a real chance of absorbing. But over the last couple years I’ve relaxed a bit, and a certain message board has continued to help in adjusting those limits. Relatedly (?), voting in this summer’s poll of Janet Jackson songs led to a few weeks’ worth, and one night in particular, of slow, dedicated listening that was honestly as much fun as I can remember ever having, alone with music. I doubt I’ll reach that level of joyful deliberation again, but hopefully something like the thrill of the process persists in this year’s mix and bonus lists.


alright, I’m in the living room with my Janet CDs and a sheet of paper, time to make some choices :)
― geoffreyess, Friday, July 24, 2020 9:02 PM (five months ago) bookmarkflaglink

excellent narrative songs have a way of falling off the mix

Phoebe Bridgers • Kyoto
Kathleen Edwards • Glenfern
Land of Talk • Footnotes
Polo G • I Know

it’s early March and these are still the only new songs you’ve liked this year

The Chicks • Gaslighter
Grimes • Delete Forever
Lady Gaga • Stupid Love
Pearl Jam • Dance of the Clairvoyants

classic rock to me

Blue Öyster Cult • Box In My Head
Cornershop • St. Marie Under Canon
Flower • Lost Horizon
Stephen Malkmus • What Kind of Person
Pet Shop Boys • Wedding in Berlin
The Radio Dept. • You’re Lookin’ At My Guy (Tri-Lites cover)
Yo La Tengo • Roll On Babe (Ronnie Lane cover)

+25

Autechre • Esc Desc
Azana • Your Love
Bbymutha • Holographic
Toni Braxton • Dance
Chai • Keep On Rocking
La Chica • Agua
Default Genders • Am I Gonna Die?
Helena Deland • Truth Nugget
Iris DeMent • How Long
Gum Country • Tennis (I Feel OK)
I Break Horses • I’ll Be the Death of You
Junglepussy • Arugula
Machinedrum & Freddie Gibbs • Kane Train
Mahalia • BRB
K. Michelle • That Game
Mandy Moore • When I Wasn’t Watching
Róisín Murphy • Something More
Lido Pimienta • Eso Que Tu Haces
Poppy • Concrete
Prince Kaybee, Shimza, Black Motion & Ami Faku • Uwrongo
Real Estate • November
Pa Salieu • Betty
Sault • Son Shine
Slum of Legs • Benetint & Malevolence
Jazmine Sullivan • Lost One


All other 2020 faves were those purchased via the Animal Crossing ATM.

See comments for my Janet ballot.