The Best Of The Best
according to the team at RPM Online
It’s gotten to the time of year when everyone seems to be putting the past twelve months in order and creating their lists or best of and we read on social media that it’s been a bit of a rubbish year for new releases etc. Now we know that’s not quite true and bands and solo artists have been making good use of lockdown and releasing some pretty impressive albums and singles be it virtually or remotely or when possible in an actual studio.
Here at RPM Online, we pride ourselves on bringing you the best of those releases from far-flung places and the darkest recesses of the Rock and Roll world and this is where the talented bunch of writers get to reveal what is at the top of their lists for 2020.
I’d personally like to thank the writers for the hard work and dedication during such a difficult year for everyone and first and foremost would like to thank them for their efforts in bringing such talented writing to everyone’s attention. the one thing that stands out is whilst we all champion alternative music it’s generally a very diverse pool we dive in for our musical highs yet there are many common threads. I’d also like to thank the PR that send through the countless emails and the ones who do an outstanding job above and beyond for the bands to make this past year work and not totally collapse as well as the labels who release a lot of these albums at great personal expense thank you one and all and the biggest thank you goes to those of you who’ve taken the time in real life to check in on us be it a daily read or the occasional glance thank. so without further delay please check out our end of year list from Best Albums, Best EP, Best Single, Best Reissue, Best music-related Book, and yes live concert (there were plenty in the first few months honest)
Enjoy –
Craggy
Albums of 2020
Levellers – ‘Peace’ (On The Fiddle Recordings)
Bob Mould – ‘Blue Hearts’ (Merge Records)
Kathleen Edwards – ‘Total Freedom’ (Dualtone)
Soul Asylum – ‘Hurry up and Wait’ (Blue Elan Records)
Craggy Collyde – ‘Wrapped up in Ribbons’ (Break Me Records)
Warner E Hodges – ‘Just Feels Right’ (JCPL)
Pete Berwick – ‘Too Cow to Punk’ (Self Release)
Dark Rags – ‘Suburbia’ (Backstab Records)
Parketový Lev – ‘Parketový Lev’ (Papagájův Hlasatel Records)
Rabbit Slow – ‘Coming Waves’ (Self Release)
Nev Brooks
Albums of 2020
Bob Vylan – ‘We live Here’ (Self Release)
Jesse Malin – ‘Sunset Kids’ (Wicked Cool Records)
Humanist – ‘Humanist’ (Self Release)
Suzie Stapleton – ‘We Are The Plague’ (Negative Prophet Records)
Mark Lanegan – ‘Straight songs of Sorrow’ (Heavenly)
Duncan Reid and the Bigheads – ‘Don’t Blame yourself’ (Lbh Records)
Psychedelic Furs – ‘Made of Rain’ (Cooking Vinyl)
Asaf Avidan – ‘Agnorisis’ (Telmavar Records)
Me and that Man – ‘New Songs, Same shit vol 1’ (Napalm Records)
Nick Cave – ‘Idiots Prayer’ (Bad Seed LTD)
Dystopian Future Movies – ‘Inviolate’ (Lasairfhiona Records)
The Levellers – ‘Peace’ (On The Fiddle Recordings)
Ryan Hamilton and the Harlequin Ghosts – ‘Nowhere To Go But Everywhere’ (Wicked Cool Records)
The Cravats – ‘Hoorahland’ (Sef Release)
Sault – ‘Untitled (Black is)’ (Forever Living Originals)
Bill Fisher – ‘Mass Hypnosis and the Dark Triad’ (Septaphonic Records)
Stay voiceless – ‘Lies to Tell Your Children’ (GMC)
The Dowling Poole – ‘See You See Me’ (Self Release)
Jehnny Beth – ‘To love is To Live’ (20L07 Records)
The Strokes – ‘The New Abnormal’ (RCA Cult Records)
Top 5 e.ps
Bar Stool Preachers – ‘Soundtrack to your Apocalypse’ (Pirates Press Records)
Jesse Malin – ‘Ameri’ka’ (Wicked Cool Records)
Buzzard Buzzard Buzzard – ‘Non Stop e.p.’ (Communion Records)
The Damned – ‘Rockfield sessions’ (Spinefarm Records)
Paul Ronney Angel – ‘Seven Spanish Angels’ (Self Release)
Top 5 Re-issues / Boxsets
Twin Temple – ‘Present Their Signature Sound (Satanic Doo Wop)’ (Rise Above Records)
New Model Army – ‘Carnival’ (Attack Attack Records)
David Bowie – ‘Metrobolist’ (Parlophone)
Rolling Stones – ‘Goats Head Soup’ (Rolling Stones Records)
Prince – ‘Sign Of The Times’ (NPG Records, Warner Records, The Prince Estate)
Dom Daley
Albums of 2020
Stiff Richards – ‘State Of Mind’ (Legless Records/Drunken Sailor Records)
Chubby & The Gang – ‘Speed Kills’ (Partisan Records)
Mud City Manglers – ‘Give Me The Hammer’ (Beluga Records)
Wayne Hussey & The Divine – ‘Live At The Bridge’ (Eyes Wide Shut Records)-
Thee acid tongue – ‘Snake Rattle And Roll (Bear Beach Records)
Bob Mould – ‘Blur Hearts’ (Merge Records)
Bob Vylan – ‘We Live Here’ (Self Release)
Marylin Manson – ‘We Are Chaos’ (Lorna Vista)
Cabbage – ‘Amanita Pantherina’ (Brassica Records)
Deathtrap – ‘Stole Your Rock and Roll’ (Spirit Of Disaster)
Lovesores – ‘Bats From Planet Skull’ (Self Release)
Wyldlife – ‘Year Of The Snake’ (Wicked Cool Records)
Duncan Reid & The Bigheads – ‘Don’t Blame Yourself’ (Lbh Records)
The Good The Bad And The Zugly – ‘Algorithm And Blues’ (Fysisk Format)
Midnight – ‘Rebirth By Blasphemy’ (Metal Blade Records)
Tommy Ray – ‘First Hits Free’ (Cool Cat Music)
Mick Rossi – ‘All The Saints & All The Souls’ (TJM Records)
The Hip Priests – ‘Solid Gold Easy Option’ (Speedo Wax Records)
Chuck Prophet – ‘The Land That Time Forgot’ (Yup Rock)
Bruce Springsteen – ‘Letter To You’ (Columbia Records)
Single of the year
The Black Halos -‘ Ain’t No Time To Say Goodbye’ (Self Release)
Rock ‘n’ Roll Manifesto vol 1(Stamp Out Disco)
Jesse Malin – ‘Todd Youth’ (Wicked Cool Records)
Reissue / Boxset
The Boys – ‘The Safari years’ (Cherry Red Records)
Motochrist – ‘Greatest Hits’ (Dr Wu Records)
New Model Army – ‘Carnival’ (Attack Attack)
Buzzcocks – ‘Sell You Everything’ (Cherry Red Records)
Keith Richards – ‘ Live At The Hollywood Palladium’ (Virgin America)
Coloursound – ‘Coloursound’ (The Great North Western Recording Company)
Manic Street Preachers – ‘Gold Against The Soul’ (Sony Music)
Music-related Books of the Year
Alvin Gibbs – ‘Diminished Responsibility Volume 1’ (Tome & Metre Publishing)
‘Clang!’ (Smiley drops a few) – Steve ‘Smiley’ Barnard (GTP)
‘What Makes The Monkey Dance’ – Chuck Prophet & Green On Red – Stevie Simkin (Jaw Bone)
Best E.P.
Buzzard Buzzard Buzzard – ‘Non Stop’ (Communion Records)
Bar stool preachers. – ‘Soundtrack To The Apocolypse’ (Pirates Press Records)
Chesty Malone and the Slice ‘Em Ups – ‘Covered In Blood! Quarantine Covers’
Live show of the year
Bar stool preachers – Bristol, Rough Trade
Mike Peters – Gathering – Llandudno North Wales
The Bellrays – le Pub, Newport
The Wildhearts – Cardiff, Tramshed
The Interrupters – Cardiff, Tramshed
2021 wishes? I’d love to see an end to restrictions (stating the obvious I know) but it would be smart to see the Proposed Vive Le Rock show take place with Michael Monroe fronting the Lords Of The New Church and live shows becoming a thing again. Other than that Stay Safe and look out for each other.
Dan Kasm
Albums Of 2020
Bambara – ‘Stray‘ (Wharf Cat Records)
…Trail Of Dead – ‘X The Godless Void and Other Stories’ (Dine Alone Records)
Airborne Toxic Event – ‘Hollywood Park’ (Rounder Records)
Bdrmm – ‘Bdrmm’ (Sonic Cathedral)
Zombeaches – ‘Zombeaches’ (Self Release)
The Blinders – ‘Fantasies of the Stay at Home Psychopath’ (Modern Sky Music)
Neonic Sundrive – ‘Lies Paradise’ (Self Release)
The Wildhearts – ’30 Year Itch’ (Round Records)
Neil Young – ‘Homegrown’ (Reprise Records)
Reissues / Boxsets
The Guilty Hearts – ‘The Guilty Hearts’ (Voodoo Rhythm Records)
Anna Calvi – ‘Hunted’ (Domino Records)
Virgin Suicides – ‘ost’ (Parlophone)
Neil Young – ‘After the Gold Rush’ 50th anniversary (Reprise Records)
Iggy & the Stooges – ‘You Think You’re Bad Man’ (Cherry Red Records)
EPs
Eyesore & the Jinx – ‘The Exile Parlour’ (Eggy Records)
Grow Rich – ‘Frantic Semantic’ (Self Release)
The Lotts – ‘We Are The Lotts’ (Self Release)
The Mysterines – ‘Love’s Not Enough’ (Self Release)
Various Artists – ‘Not Psycho Enough?’ Cosmic Psychos Tribute (Dull City Records)
Singles
The Dry Retch – ‘12000 Miles From New’
Murmur – ‘Shame’ (Self Release)
Salt The Snail – ‘Junkyard Cat’ (Self Release)
Psychedelic Furs – ‘Don’t Believe’ (Cooking Vinyl)
Silverbacks – ‘Drool’ (Nice Swan Records)
Music-related Books of the Year
Dave Haslam – ‘Looking for Love – Courtney Love in Liverpool’
Justin Quirk – ‘Ain’t Nothin’ But A Good Time – The Rise & Fall of Glam Metal’ (Unbound Digital)
Mikel Jollett – ‘Hollywood Park’ (Sceptre)
Gigs
The Wildhearts, Backyard Babies – Manchester Ritz
The Dry Retch, Tio Rico – Liverpool Outpost
Mysterines, Buzzard Buzzard Buzzard – Liverpool Jimmys
2021
I’m hopeful for the new year that I will get some normality in order to attend the inaugural event of the new Futurama festival as well as 2000 Trees, HRH Sleaze & Psych as well as numerous other gigs and events. Like a lot of people the past 9 months has put things in perspective, grab things with both hands and tick off ‘bucket list’ life events instead putting them off.
Fraser Munro
Albums Of 2020
Scumbag Millionaire – ‘Poor and Infamous’ (Suburban Records)
The good, The Bad And The Zugly – ‘Algorithm & Blues’ (Fysisk Format)
Beat City Tubeworks – ‘Top Rock’ (The Sign Records)
Mud City Manglers – ‘Give Me The Hammer’ (Beluga Records, Spaghetty Town Records, Ghost Highway Records)
Supersuckers – ‘Play That Rock ‘N’ Roll’ (Acetate Records)
Christmas – ‘Hot Nights In Saint Vandal’ (TNS Records)
DBOY – ‘New Records In Human Power’ (Dine Alone Records)
Hank Von Hell – ‘Dead’ (Sony Music)
Kvelertak – ‘Splid’ (Rise Records)
ACDC – ‘Power Up’ (Columbia)
The Wildhearts – ’30 Year Itch’ (Round Records)
Reissues / Boxset
Black Halos – FFTS Demos & Rarities (Bandcamp)
The Hip Priests – Solid Gold Easy Option (Speedowax Records)
Midnight Evils – Straight ‘Til Morning (Sweet Ohm Ramalama)
Gigs
Undertones et al – Minehead
Wildhearts / Backyard Babies – Cardiff
Wildhearts / Backyard Babies – London
Guida – Bristol
Showaddywaddy – Swansea
Johnny Hayward
Albums Of The Year 2020
Aerial Salad – ‘Dirt Mall’ (Plasterer/Roach Industries)
Henrik Palm – ‘Poverty Metal’ (Svart Records)
The Wildhearts – ‘30 Year Itch’ (Round Records)
Mondo Generator – ‘Fuck It’ (Heavy Psych Records)
Then Comes Silence – ‘Machine’ (Oblivion/SPV, Metropolis Records)
Midnight – ‘Rebirth By Blasphemy’ (Metal Blade Records)
Kvelertak – ‘Splid’ (Rise Records/World Records)
The Dowling Poole – ‘See You See Me’ (369 Music)
Lovesores – ‘Bats From Planet Skull’ (Self Released)
Dirt Box Disco – ‘TV Sex Show’ (Avenue Recordz)
Division Of Laura Lee – ‘Apartment’ (Welfare Sounds)
Spunk Volcano & The Eruptions – ‘Barry Milner Is Thick’ (Avenue Recordz)
Stay Voiceless – ‘Lies To Tell Your Children’ (GMC)
Deathtraps – Stole Your Rock ‘N’ Roll (Spirit Of Disaster)
Scumbag Millionaire – ‘Poor and Infamous’ (Suburban Records)
HMLTD – ‘The West Is Dead’ (Lucky Number)
The Hip Priests – Solid Gold Easy Option (Speedo Wax Records)
The Speedways – ‘Radio Sounds’ (Alien Snatch Records, Snap!! Records/Hurrah Musica and Beluga Records)
Marilyn Manson – ‘We Are Chaos’ (Lorna Vista)
Mariachi El Bronx – Musica Muerta Volumes 1&2 (White Drugs)
EPs
The Bar Stool Preachers – ‘State Of Emergency’ (Pirate’s Press)
Lickerish Quartet – ‘Threesome Vol 1’ (Lickerish Quartet/Label Logic)
The Wildhearts – ‘30 Year Itch’ (Encores) (Round Records)
Buzzard Buzzard Buzzard – ‘The Non Stop EP’ (Communion Records)
Bob Vylan – ‘We Live Here’ (Venn Records)
Reissues / Boxset
UFO – ‘Strangers In The Night’ (Super Deluxe) (Chrysalis)
Def Leppard – ‘The Early Years’ (Mercury)
Bob Mould – ‘Distortion’ (Demon)
Keith Richards & The X-pensive Winos – ‘Live At The Hollywood Palladium’ (Mindless Records)
Black Sabbath – ‘Paranoid’ (50th Anniversary) (Sanctuary Records)
Music-related Books of the Year
Alvin Gibbs – ‘Diminished Responsibility Volume 1’ (Tome & Metre Publishing)
Rob Halford – ‘Confess’ (Headline)
Reuben Archer – ‘Rock N Rollercoaster Ride’ (Toxic Arrow)
Live Gigs
The Bar Stool Preachers – Rough Trade, Bristol – 6th March 2020
Great British Alternative Weekend – Butlins Minehead – 28th February – 1st March 2020
Bad Sam – Le Pub, Newport – 14th February 2020
Giuda – Louisiana, Bristol – 18th January 2020
The Bellrays – Le Pub, Newport – 17th January 2020
Wonk Unit – Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff – 11th January 2020
Bandcamp Discovery
Guerrilla Teens
Best Single
The Hip Priests – ‘Zero Fucks Given’/’Social Hand Grenade’ (Shitpark Records)
Most Looking Forward to in 2021
Going to a gig.
Ben Hughes
Albums of 2020
Butch Walker – ‘American Love Story’ (Ruby Red Records)
Ryan Hamilton & The Harlequin Ghosts – ‘Nowhere To Go But Everywhere’ (Wicked Cool Records)
Wyldlife – ‘Year Of The Snake’ (Wicked Cool Records)
Baby Chaos – ‘Ape Confronts Cosmos’ (Three Hands Records)
Dangereens – ‘Tough Luck’ (Alien Snatch Records)
Hellbound Glory – ‘Pure Scum’ (BCR Los Angeles)
Hello Operator – ‘S/T’ (Self Release)
Me And That Man – ‘New Man, New Songs, Same Shit’ (Napalm Records)
Low Cut Connie – ‘Private Lives’ (Contender Records)
The Speedways – ‘Radio Sounds’ (Alien Snatch Records, Beluga Records, Snap Records, Hurrah Records)
EPs
The Lickerish Quartet – ‘Threesome Vol. 1’ (Label Logic)
Saint Agnes – ‘The Family Strange’ (Death Or Glory Gang Records)
Junkyard – ‘Rome Is Burning’ (Acetate Records)
Hands Off Gretel – ‘The Angry EP’ (Puke Pop Records)
The Future Shape Of Sound – ‘It’s Gone All Wrong’ (Self Release)
Reissues / Boxset
Diamond Dogs – ‘Too Much Is Always Better Than Not Enough’ (Wild Kingdom Records)
Diamond Dogs – ‘Weekend Monster’ (Wild Kingdom Records)
Diamond Dogs – The Atlantic Juice’ (Wild Kingdom Records)
Gigs
The Wildhearts/Backyard Babies/CKY – 02 Academy, Newcastle
Jesse Malin – Headrow House, Leeds
Livestreams
Jesse Malin – The Fine Art Of Self-Distancing
Baby Chaos
Low Cut Connie – Tough Cookies
Gerald Stansbury
Albums
Soraia – ‘Dig Your Roots’ (Wicked Cool Recotrds)
Massive Wagons – ‘House of Noise’ (Earache Records)
Ward Davis – ‘Black Cats and Crows’ (LLC)
Karen Jonas – ‘The Southwest Sky and Other Dreams’ (Self Release)
Brooke Brown – ‘Troubled Heart’ (Self Release)
The Nude Party – ‘Midnight Manor’ (New West Records)
Vulvarine – ‘Unleashed’ (Self Release)
Dangereens – ‘Tough Luck’ (Alian Snatch)
The Rumours – ‘Suck It’ (Self Release)
Lucifer Star Machine – ‘The Devil’s Breath’ (The Sign Records)
Gareth Leach – ‘Trigger’ (Self Release)
Steve Earle & the Dukes – ‘Ghosts of West Virginia’ (New West Records)
Randy Rogers and Wade Bowen – ‘Hold my Beer Volume 2’ (Lil Buddy Tunes)
Tyla – ‘Isolation Crossing Collection’ (King Outlaw Records)
Low Cut Connie – ‘Private Lives’ (Contender Records)
D.L. Marble – ‘One Line at a Time’ (Self Release)
Reckless Kelly – ‘American Jackpot/ American Girls’ (No Big Deal Records)
Givvi Flynn – ‘Tomboy’ (Self Release)
Armored Saint – ‘Punching the Sky’ (Metal Blade Records)
Butch Walker ‘American Love Song’ (Ruby Red Production)
Single of the Year
Charlotte Leigh – ‘Life’
EP of the Year
Quinn the Brain – ‘Wide Open’
Reissue of the Year
Def Leppard ‘The Early Years’
Gareth ‘Hotshot’ Hooper
Albums
Duncan Reid And The Bigheads – ‘Don’t Blame Yourself’ (Little Big Head Records)
The Network – ‘money money 2020 part 2 we told ya so’ (Warner Records)
Billie Joe Armstrong – ‘No Fun Mondays’ (Warner Records)
Green day- ‘Father Of All Motherfuckers’ (Warner Records)
Deathtraps – ‘Stole Your Rock’n’Roll’ (Spirit Of Disaster)
The Damned – ‘The Rockfield files’ (Spinefarm Records)
Stop worrying and love the bomb – ‘Fake Nature’
Gigs
The Bellrays – Le Pub Newport
The Wildhearts / Backyard Babies – Cardiff Tramshed
Reissues / Boxset
Iggy and the stooge – ‘From KO to chaos’
The Boys – ‘On Safari’
Johnny Thunders – ‘Que sera Sera Resurrected’
Buzzcocks – ‘Sell You Everything’ (Cherry Red Records)
Buzzcocks – ‘Late For The Train’ (Cherry Red Records)
Music-related Books of the Year
Alvin Gibbs – ‘Diminished Responsibility Volume 1’ (Tome & Metre Publishing)
Joe Strummer – ‘Redemption Song’
The Replacements – ‘All Over But The Shouting’
Gaz Tidey
Albums of the Year
Butch Walker – ‘American Love Story’ (Red Ruby Production)
Larkin Poe – ‘Self Made Man’ (Tricki Woo Records)
Lamb Of God – ‘Lamb Of God’ (Epic)
Bob Vylan – ‘We Live Here’ (Venn Records)
Ryan Hamilton & the Harlequin Ghosts – ‘Nowhere To Go But Everywhere’ (Wicked Cool Records)
Onslaught – ‘Generation Antichrist’ (AFM Records)
Baby Chaos – ‘Ape Confronts Cosmos’ (Three Hands Records)
C.J. Wildheart – ‘Siege’ (Devilspit)
Foxy Shazam – ‘Burn’ (EEEOOOAH Records)
Kvelertak – ‘Splid’ (Rise Records)
Tairrie B. – ‘Feminenergy’ (Self Release)
Cro-Mags – ‘In The Beginning’ (Mission Two Entertainment)
Mommy Sez No – ‘The Dwellers Below’ (Self Release)
EPs of the Year
The Lickerish Quartet – ‘Threesome Vol. 1’ (Label Logic)
Chesty Malone and the Slice ‘Em Ups – ‘Covered In Blood! Quarantine Covers’ (Self Release)
American Hi-fi – ‘Anywhere Else But Here’ (Rude Records)
Tyla’s Dogs D’Amour – ‘The Powder Dry EP’ (King Outlaw Records)
Chris Catalyst – ‘Acoustic Machines’ (Self Release)
Singles of the Year
Tyla’s Dogs D’Amour – ‘Superhuman’ (King Outlaw)
Jesse Malin – ‘Todd Youth’ (Wicked Cool Records)
Royal Blood – ‘Trouble’s Coming’ (Warner Records)
Reissue/Boxset of the Year
Sigue Sigue Sputnik – ‘Flaunt It’ 4CD Deluxe Capacity Wallet (Cherry Red Records)
Music-related Books of the Year
Pete Paphides – ‘Broken Greek’ (Quercus)
Rob Halford – ‘Confess’ (Headline Publishing)
Justin Quirk – ‘Nothin’ But A Good Time’ (Unbound Digital)
There you have it a fine selection of music you’re likely to find anywhere as diverse as you like yet common threads woven throughout. It would be a boring place if we all liked the same records that’s for sure and I’m sure there are records released we’ve forgotten about in the deluge. Don’t let anyone tell you that there were no good albums released during the pandemic because we know by looking at the list that there were plenty & plenty of reissues and Boxsets that were released during 2020.
Onwards and upwards we move into 2021 and we hope to bring you more new albums to fill yer airwaves and a return of the live show and festivals. We need em and so does the industry. So raise a glass to days gone by and to a better future when we can all meet again and watch our favourite bands. Be good and stay safe RPM Online looks forward to a great 2021!
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