Moore calls upon a wide range of muses ⏤ from Joni Mitchell to Crosby, Stills & Nash ⏤ and peppers in some of her most magnetic vocal work to-date. _g1.classList.remove('lazyload'); Romantic Comedy sees the husband-and-wife duo of Jeremy Warmsley and Elizabeth Sankey slowing down and opening up over 15 tracks that range from tender ballads to atmospheric interludes to sweeping retro pop tunes. She is known for collaborating with artists such as Rosé, Harry Styles, Halsey, Shawn Mendes, Selena Gomez, Camila Cabello, and Pink Sweat$. “Sky high on reddit karma fly / over amazon wheatfield and rivers of Redbull / Drip gush drip data driven ship / to the part where the left bros parody Ted Talks / Shadowbanned.” Absurd, bizarre, and undeniably Stephen Malkmus. ... Singer/Songwriter. Reporting on the outrage over the use of Leonard Cohen's .. Big, big fun – and the video’s awesome, too. Little Big Town | Nightfall (Buy)Little Big Town is unafraid to ask the hard questions. “Holdin’ Me Down” and “Blackout” are back-to-back standout tracks, calling to mind the scuzzy shenanigans of Black Lips or the beachy hijinks of Dante Elephante. The duo blurs genre lines seamlessly and put themselves on the map through this song. Humbly he asked his white rural listeners to consider a shift in mindset. _g1 = document.getElementById('g1-logo-mobile-inverted-source'); A Million Singing Stars. No matter what adjectives are used in the future, 2020 is going to go down as one of the worst years in modern history. Posted on October 5, 2020 October 9, 2020; by Robyn Gallagher; In 2019, Duncan Laurence won Eurovision with a song about heartbreak. As America’s new ballerism becomes our natural pose, this could be the evolved – or even just basic manners – citizen’s national anthem. Page Transparency See More. August 2020. Patterson Hood and Mike Cooley and Killer Mike and El-P steep in the underdog realities of getting by, then create music that tears holes in the rhetoric of people think those lives look like. Music reviews, ratings, news and more. } Kassi Ashton and Hailey Whitters will open for him. On it, Flowers achieves a vocal clarity and brightness perhaps only ever matched by “Pretty Woman” troubadour, Roy Orbison. Hours. It just means that's how we think about it. Drive-By Truckers |The Unraveling (Buy)The same river, different tributaries. Dark Tranquility | Phantom Days (Listen | Buy)“Phantom Days” is melodic death metal at its finest. Traditional Techniques see’s Malkmus instead backed by a supergroup featuring Chris Funk (The Decemberists), Matt Sweeney (Zwan), Joy Pearson and Qais Essar. See which albums are sitting at the top of this year's charts. _g1.setAttribute('src', _g1.getAttribute('data-src') ); American Songwriter is a bimonthly magazine, established in 1984 covering every aspect of the craft and art of songwriting. by American Songwriter 10 months ago It is now July 2, the 183rd day of 2020, and we are now officially into the back half of the calendar year. Beach Bunny | Honeymoon (Buy)The Chicago pop-punk outfit earned a cult following through a string of scrappy, heartfelt singles and EPs. Gaga has the uncanny, almost superhuman ability to produce a song that can fill up a sweaty dance floor at 3 am with heart-pounding sound — maybe the best example is thesingle, “Rain on Me” — while at the same time, if you examine her verses, she will have your heart welling up with emotion. Hailey Whitters | The Dream (Buy)Whitters’ new record, The Dream, her first since 2015’s Black Sheep, shuffles through the wreckage of her life – mostly cobbled together mosaics of a broken industry and personal heartbreak. Lucinda Williams | Good Souls Better Angels (Buy)This is Williams’ fifteenth release since her 1979 debut and arguably her most intense, which is saying a lot. With deeply insightful and intelligent lyrics, and immediately arresting hooks, Vincent is one of the best in the genre.https://youtu.be/xCJlaJNuj14Sparks | A Steady Drip, Drip, Drip (Buy)Electropop pioneers Sparks – brothers Russell and Ron Mael – began releasing albums in the early 1970s, and with A Steady Drip, Drip, Drip – their 24th album – they’re still ahead of the curve. Take a look at our selections — which are in no particular order — and maybe meet your new favorite artist. This group is criminally underfollowed, and if Wild Rivers has a bad song, we have yet to hear it. Take a look at our selections — which are in no particular order — and maybe meet your new favorite artist. Produced by Cage The Elephant’s Brad Shultz, Kid is five exceptionally written garage rock earworms with a psychedelic tinge. Mandy Moore | Silver Landings (Buy)Mandy Moore radiates warmth, hope, joy. £11.49 + £12.70 postage. Listening to them, it feels like your ear is right next to his whispering lips. _g1.setAttribute('srcset', _g1.getAttribute('data-srcset')); It doesn't mean it's good or bad. American Songwriter's Top Albums of 2020. Jeff Rosenstock | NO DREAM (Buy)NO DREAM breaks Jeff Rosenstock’s streak of album titles ending in some kind of ellipsis, but continues his tradition of quality songs. Jeremi Duran | Kid (Buy)Nashville songwriter Jeremi Duran’s debut solo EP is a meditation on growth and creativity in the face of rejection and isolation. Be sure to check out the trippy music video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YLj082x-_tw&feature=emb_title) from claymation guru Nick Clark. maxlop 18 August 2020 20:37 . _g1 = document.getElementById('g1-logo-mobile-inverted-img'); var _g1; The kind of song you would hear at a songwriter round and Springsteen-esqe in its delivery, Erik Dylan memorializes a Nashville institution lost in the name of ‘progress.’ Absolutely nailing the fact that Nashville has become a city so busy trying to grow it doesn’t care that it’s eating its own heart, “JJ’s Market” is Dylan’s acknowledgement that Nashville has sounded the death knell for the true troubadours who still think Music Row is what it used to be. Matt Wilson and his Orchestra | When I Was a Writer (Buy)Don’t let the fact that Matt Wilson and his Orchestra use banjo and harp as their lead instruments scare you away: their music probably sounds nothing like what that combination might lead you to expect. If you have a son, you want me to hear. Kip Moore | Wild Word (Buy)Wild World ─ dueling against dark and light, anger and joy, need and want ─ is at its core redemptive. Dark and light, joy and anger, bliss and angst – all these dichotomies intertwine and splinter apart – and the songwriting stands as among their best to-date. Across the SoCal-bleached new record, she commands the conversation in a way she never has before. That song sparked an album filled with songs about dreaming—from the most optimistic fantasy to the scariest nightmare. On Punisher, it showed up in little moments, like the line in “Garden Song” where she mentions that a doctor told her that her resentment was getting smaller. Yes. Halsey | Manic (Buy)With her third LP, Halsey takes us inside her beautiful mind with songs that speak to the anguish and emotional intimacy that make us human. The Dirty Knobs with Mike Campbell | Fuck That Guy (Listen | Buy). var _g1; “Fear is a real thing / my oldest friend / it’s crippled my footsteps / beginning to end,” Duran sings on lead single “This Is Hope I Suppose”, which features Shultz on guitar and sounds like The Beatles meets Pavement. Eminem also known as the king of hip hop is another american … Produced by the late Richard Swift (The Shins, The Black Keys), Kids Like Us is orchestrated, more bombastic, and electric with small elements of Motown, soul, and songs from another era pouring out of the couple’s melodic union. The 29-year-old Kentucky native speaks directly to his people —calling out to the hills and down into the hollers of Appalachia with a message he knows some don’t want to hear. The Grammy Award-nominated “Black Like Me” captures both the tragedy of 2020 and the beauty she’s been able to find within herself. With intricate synth melodies and often bizarre (but clever) lyrics, they’re showing no signs of slowing down. The answers came in impressively diverse with a range from mainstream to discovery opportunities. But also, truth forward and powerful.Larkin Poe | Self Made Man (Buy)Don’t let the Lovell Sisters’ easy-on-the-eyes looks distract you from their rugged, raw and emotional blues rock,  some of the most powerful contemporary blues released in recent years. Dua Lipa | Future Nostalgia (Buy)When it’s time to get things done, pick up your mood, raise your aerobic level or merely exult in pure joy, Dua Lipa brings sass, sex, retro dance music and a lush ‘80s/’90s nostalgia that sounds fresh and delightfully throwback all at once. These twelve performances were recorded live in the studio, and they sound it. Music reviews, ratings, news and more. Watkins Family Hour | Brother Sister  (Buy)It’s refreshing to hear siblings Sean and Sara Watkins gather things in with their family-oriented band and for this sophomore LP, make music that’s centered around just the two of them. In which Dylan sums up how the world was somehow bent askew with the Kennedy assassination. Outsider | Karma of Youth (Buy)Karma of Youth opens and shuts on something soaring. Log In. It is one part brutality and one part humanity and definitely one to put on repeat. Log In. if ( localStorage.getItem(skinItemId ) ) { Seconds. The Killers released the exultant lead single, “Caution,” from the new record in March. _g1 = document.getElementById('g1-logo-inverted-img'); } var _g1; The “friends” may bring more eyeballs, but Dion matches and even surpasses them on these fiery blues originals which, considering the stars involved, is an impressive achievement. Commercial performance. Lyrics of a champagne-filled pool are backed by the book written in 1988, six years after her passing that noted she cleaned her pool with Dom Pérignon. July 2, 2020, Nashville, TN... American Songwriter announces the Best Albums of 2020 So Far in a poll of 25 esteemed music critics who are part of American Songwriter’s editorial team. Polyrhythmic, acoustic instruments, unusual arrangements, Apple strings a strong commentary on social dynamics that conversationally waves away female divisiveness (“Ladies”), double Dutch acapella calls out/gospel wail indicts (“For Her”) and industrial percusses a Rickie Lee Jones-evoking emancipation cry (the title track). A list of the top albums of the year from American Songwriter. Watsonville CA . Revealed in synthesized melodies and enrapturing choruses from opening “Saviour,” itfluidly expands into something more euphoric. it’s practically spoken-word, only hints of a melody and murmurous instrumentation occasionally coming to the fore. There’s a maturity and self-assurance on the appropriately titled Expectations that’s remarkable, especially for an artist’s initial release. For the latest songwriting tips, reviews, podcasts, and more. _g1.setAttribute('srcset', _g1.getAttribute('data-srcset')); The crux, perhaps the entire amazing record, comes with the hook’s final line: “Well, go on and make a good living, girl, don’t forget / To make a good life.“. NO DREAM is crucial 2020 listening. 0; Add comment. She also covers Guthrie pal Pete Seeger’s anti-war song, “Where Have all the Flowers Gone?” and the tune that helped turn Guthrie disciple Bob Dylan into the countercultural voice of his generation: “A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall.” Gilkyson has no trouble standing alongside these touchstones of her genre; in her seven powerful originals, she elegantly marries music and message while paying homage to her inspirations. That’s immediately apparent on the nail-sharp Stones-like opener “Hang in There Girl.” It’s a distinct sonic break from “Girl Goin’ Nowhere,” her debut’s ballad title track, one that introduced McBryde to a wide audience. The magazine is based in Nashville, Tennessee. Social commentary from outliers in an America where the disaffected have much to say – and no one empowered to make change willing to listen. In many respects, Perfume Genius’ songs are the sonic equivalent of pillow talk. _g1.setAttribute('srcset', _g1.getAttribute('data-srcset')); It’s a cleverly written acoustic folk record filled with light and bouncy fiddle and guitar melodies, alongside witty lyrics that prompt consideration of less than rosy truths about ourselves as individuals and society as a whole. Already a member? Infused into DeVeaux’s musical DNA, it’s also a personal retrospect, and a regeneration of soul’s spirits past trickled out in slow dripping R & B, roots, classic rock, and an immutable soulfulness. by American Songwriter 5 months ago No matter what adjectives are used in the future, 2020 is going to go down as one of the worst years in modern history. A generation that grew up never knowing a day without the internet will most certainly believe it is the worst the world has ever known. Outstanding Achievement In Songwriting. Two tracks — “Thinking ‘Bout Love” and “Kinda Feels Alright” — are two of our favorite songs of 2020. if ( localStorage.getItem(skinItemId ) ) { Deforestation rates in the Amazon have reached an all-time high since 2008, escalating by 9.5 percent alone, between August 2019 and July 2020. Describe is a perfect summation of all things Perfume Genius. Jason Isbell | Reunions (Buy)Jason Isbell’s songs reflect the image of the perennial loner, an individual forced to grapple with his own failures and frustrations. “The doctor at the end of ‘Garden Song’ with her hands over my liver is a true story,” Bridgers told the world. Jackson has over 15 years of experience in digital media, with … Curiously, the influences of the band seem to weave in and out of who it is playing with. CLICK HERE to … Facebook is showing information to help you better understand the … A magazine dedicated to the craft of music. Tue 7 Apr 2020 21.54 EDT. Public Enemy | State of the Union (STFU) (Listen | Buy), “State of the Union” penetrates the core of the former U.S. administration, and the state of the future for black Americans. Seven years hasn’t mooted their unabated insurgence, and neither has it mitigated their drive and delivery. Maintaining a sense of appreciation is important for the capable artist, especially as time passes and he ages. While he says this showed up throughout the entire work, it might be most obvious on the song “Breathe Deeper,” a track perfect for a New York City B-boy breakdance routine. « American Songwriter. Parade Magazine Names America’s Favorite Patriotic Songs, Carson Rowland Says ‘It’s OK to Ask for Help’ on “Leave My Lonely Alone”, Industry Contact Database (Pro/Master Only), Lyric Critique Walkthroughs (Pro/Master Only), https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YLj082x-_tw&feature=emb_title, Bringin’ it Backwards: Interview with POP EVIL, Bringin’ it Backwards: Interview with Bongo ByTheWay, Bringin’ it Backwards: Interview with Diamante, Bringin’ it Backwards: Interview with ChrisLee, Sarah McQuaid Champions Two Great Songwriters on New Singles from ‘The St. Buryan Sessions’, Bringin’ it Backwards: Interview with Jubël. Wolf Parade | Thin Mind (Buy)Sonically induced in streaming synth and anthemic hooks, Thin Mind is a look at the binary state of living halfway in a social- and tech-driven world and outside of it—at one point told from the perspective of ancient vampires. To call the track epic might be an understatement. Duran’s clever and perspective songwriting and infectious blend of indie rock and campfire folk can simultaneously break your heart and lift your spirits. 1 ; Re-Up this Album. By July, quarantine fatigue had well set in, making “Dinosaurs on the Mountain” the perfect summer release. Facebook is showing information to help you better understand the … That’s why so many of these songs come across as so tender and touching. July 2020. Only members can comment. Simulcast took those beloved sonic expectations and gave fans a flower of a whole new color with Hansen’s new inclusion of vocals in his music. But you’d think he came from Tennessee, judging by his excellent third album, In This Town You’re Owned. Reunions reminds us that it’s the rare artist that succeeds at both.Dion | Blues With Friends (Buy)Unlike similar projects where artists sometimes get lost in the midst of legendary invitees, Dion not only holds his own but shows that he’s every bit as vital and vibrant as in his younger days. _g1.classList.remove('lazyload'); Your Name. Regardless of what has come before, Kip Moore accepts that whatever will be will be. See You On the Other Side . John Prine | I Remember Everything (Listen | Buy). Already a member? American Songwriter ... 2015 July 22; 2016 January; 2016 February 12 2016 April 7 2016 June 10 2018 October 12; 2020 January 26; 2020 November 6 US music magazines Acoustic Guitar; Alternative Press; American Songwriter; Amplifier; Audio; Bass Magazine; Bass Player; The Beat; Billboard; Blender; BMG Discovery; Cash Box; CBS Broadcast Newsletter; CD Review; CMJ New Music … 1st Place “Love Was Just a Word” … This song covers all the bases for a brilliant record. _g1 = document.getElementById('g1-logo-mobile-inverted-source'); The whole of the six-song list explores the different sides of a break-up and the coexistence of emotion. She sequenced the numbers so they traced the arc of a single night, from drifting off to sleep and into dreamland to being awakened by dead-of-night noises and worries to drifting off once again. (2020) Professional ratings; Aggregate scores; Source Rating; Metacritic: 79/100: Review scores; Source Rating; AllMusic: American Songwriter: Exclaim! Become a member. Titling the album by her first name was a deliberate signal that this one is more personal than anything she’s done before. } catch(e) {}, try { Never Will proves the tough gal persona she established on that stunning debut was no fluke or act. Nightfall barrels through such emotions as sadness, anger, and loneliness, but the story reaches a moment of sharp clarity and relief with the penultimate track, “Bluebird” before relenting to the overall messages of hope and empathy that are woven into organic arrangements and production that is enveloping and always intimate. The song’s soothing but psychedelic folk rock music adds to the surreal vibe. On Newsweek's Use of a Partial Quote from our Leonard Cohen Interview to Define His Politics « American Songwriter. try { American Songwriter is hosting a lyric contest with the following deadlines:. According to Swift’s research, after a feud with a neighbor, Harkness dyed their dog “key lime green.”, Tame Impala | Breathe Deeper (Listen | Buy). City Mouth | Coping Machine (Buy)An album chock full of songs about being sad, feeling alone, and coming face to face with one’s own emotional shortcomings seems like the opposite of an enjoyable listening experience but City Mouth makes it work well. Led by Sarah Buckley’s infectious vocals, “Money” was a rare bright spot in a doom and gloom year and for just a moment, can make you feel like the world is normal again. American Songwriter is hosting a lyric contest with the following deadlines: September/October 2020 Contest – Deadline is July 15th at 11:59 P.M. (CST) November/December 2020 Contest – Deadline is September 15th at 11:59 P.M. (CST) January/February 2021 Contest – Deadline is November 15th at 11:59 P.M. (CST) How to Enter Nicole Atkins | Italian Ice (Buy)It was a tall order to followup 2017’s superb Goodnight Rhonda Lee, but singer/auteur Atkins returned this year with an album every bit as impressive in its widescreen retro pop scope. Kat Edmonson | Dreamers Do (Buy)Her own composition, “Too Late To Dream,” the spark for her terrific new concept album, Dreamers Do, examines the traumatic crossing of the border between childhood and adulthood. The fury and frenzy remain quite evident even as Eddie Vedder still appears to harbor a sense of turmoil and trepidation that festers directly below the surface. He draws comparisons to unite our humanity as Americans, flipping narratives, encouraging an empathetic journey in fellow citizens’ shoes. Ben Beaumont-Thomas @ben_bt. For the latest songwriting tips, reviews, podcasts, and more. £5.71 + £12.63 postage. by American Songwriter January 3, 2020, 1:10 pm Congratulations to all our January/February 2020 Lyric Contest winners! As of 2020, birdman is estimated with a net worth of $100 million, which makes him the 16th richest rapper in the world in 2020. Collaborating as a group allows everyone to pitch ideas and give input on how to best create music for their fans to consume, and it’s safe to say that Yassein, Glover, Laferrière and Oliver run like a well-oiled machine. Otis Blackwell - 1953-1955 (1991) Otis Blackwell - Blues & Rhythm Series 5140: The Chronological Otis Blackwell 1952-1954 (2005) Otis … Tame Impale worked in more rhythmic playing, including harder hits with a more distinct application. Isbell’s achieved a rarified status, one that indulges a need for creativity as well as contemplation. if ( localStorage.getItem(skinItemId ) ) { hey, send it in and we listen to it and give you our opinion. _g1 = document.getElementById('g1-logo-mobile-inverted-img'); December 10, 2020, 9:05 am.