{"id":25624,"date":"2021-01-13T12:23:26","date_gmt":"2021-01-13T17:23:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/?p=25624"},"modified":"2021-01-13T12:24:21","modified_gmt":"2021-01-13T17:24:21","slug":"angelene-kim-my-indie-pop-rock-heavy-list-of-2020-favorites","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/2021\/01\/13\/angelene-kim-my-indie-pop-rock-heavy-list-of-2020-favorites\/","title":{"rendered":"Angel Kim: My (indie pop\/rock heavy) list of 2020 favorites"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><i><span>By Angel Kim<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><span>With all the new music that came out last year, it seems as if everyone and their mother released an album or single in 2020- and I mean that in the best way. No matter how optimistic we were going into last year, things got pretty difficult pretty quickly, so having a superb soundtrack to go along with the times helped. We aren\u2019t yet out of 2020\u2019s wake and a lot still needs to change, but in the meanwhile, I\u2019ll be playing these albums and singles for a long time.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span>Albums:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>SAWAYAMA &#8211; Rina Sawayama<\/b><\/p>\n<div class=\"responsiveVideo responsive-youtube\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Rina Sawayama - XS (Official Video)\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/TO2c06p6m5w?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p><span>Beginning with the strongest possible album opener \u201cDynasty\u201d, <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/dirtyh.it\/sawayama\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><i><span>SAWAYAMA<\/span><\/i><\/a><span> is a ride until the closer \u201cSnakeskin\u201d. The album\u2019s production artfully blends early \u201800s pop influences with heavier sounds such as metal in lead single \u201cSTFU!\u201d, which I patiently wait to hear live once COVID is no longer looming. A large lyrical theme in the album is Sawayama\u2019s Japanese-British identity, though she also discusses capitalism in \u201cXS\u201d and climate grief in \u201cFuck This World (Interlude)\u201d. If you\u2019re unfamiliar with Sawayama, her <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=g9MhEMYapac\"><span>Jimmy Fallon performance<\/span><\/a><span> is quite riveting, and her facial expressions in it are Kate Bush-esque.<\/span><span><\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><b>Giver Taker &#8211; Anjimile<\/b><\/p>\n<div class=\"responsiveVideo responsive-youtube\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Anjimile - Baby No More (Official Music Video)\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/aT8TLRl16Bg?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p><span>Boston-based musician Anjimile released their debut album <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/album\/19eBS7pEsntVjYu1Sj7g9Z?si=GZynqUtKTVqNx_PXHcMkxQ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><i><span>Giver Taker<\/span><\/i><\/a><span>\u00a0 last September through Father\/Daughter Records, and has quickly become one of my favorite artists. Many are comparing their indie-folk sound to Sufjan Stevens, who Anjimile cites as an influence along with Iron &amp; Wine, Zimbabwean artist Oliver Mtukudzi, and 80s pop music that their parents played during their childhood, according to their interview with Rolling Stone. Some highlights are \u201cMaker\u201d which features some of my favorite lyrics (\u201cI&#8217;m not just a boy, I&#8217;m a man \/ I&#8217;m not just a man, I&#8217;m a god \/ I&#8217;m not just a god, I&#8217;m a maker\u201d), \u201cNot Another Word\u201d, and \u201cTo Meet You There\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><b>In Sickness &amp; In Flames &#8211; The Front Bottoms<\/b><\/p>\n<div class=\"responsiveVideo responsive-youtube\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"The Front Bottoms: montgomery forever [OFFICIAL VIDEO]\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/qq277u8rr0g?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p><span>As a shameless The Front Bottoms fan, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/tfb.lnk.to\/InSicknessAndInFlames\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><i><span>In Sickness &amp; In Flames<\/span><\/i><\/a><span> really defined my 2020, and it\u2019s not even because of the title or the line \u201cIt\u2019s like I\u2019m wearing a mask\u201d in \u201cmake way\u201d. The album features a return to indie-folk-pop punk characteristic of their \u201cold sound\u201d, combined with ventures into pop that feel fresh. Also, there\u2019s something about the way that singer Brian Sella delivers lyrics, from \u201cYou and your mental illness \/ Whole time think I&#8217;m someone else\u201d to \u201cI wanna be that person again \/ The one that I am right now,\u201d that simultaneously feels introspective and cathartic\u2026 <\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><b>Dreamland &#8211; Glass Animals<\/b><\/p>\n<div class=\"responsiveVideo responsive-youtube\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Glass Animals - Tangerine (Official Video)\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/cIIoGU5EmhU?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p><span>After discovering Glass Animals through their second record <\/span><i><span>How To Be A Human Being<\/span><\/i><span> in 2016, my expectations for <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/glassanimals.lnk.to\/DreamlandAlbumWE\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><i><span>Dreamland<\/span><\/i><\/a><span> were high- and they definitely delivered. While each track in <\/span><i><span>How To Be A Human Being<\/span><\/i><span> is based on a different character, <\/span><i><span>Dreamland<\/span><\/i><span> is a much more personal journey based on singer Dave Bayley\u2019s experiences. In addition to featuring high-energy bangers like \u201cSpace Ghost Coast To Coast\u201d, the album also has moments of yearning, as the kids now say, in tracks like \u201cHelium\u201d. I also love how the band commits to their album concepts aesthetically, just take a look at <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/opensource.glassanimals.com\/\"><span>their website<\/span><\/a><span> to see what I mean.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><b>Ungodly Hour &#8211; Chloe x Halle<\/b><\/p>\n<div class=\"responsiveVideo responsive-youtube\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Tipsy LIVE - Chloe x Halle\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/RlvQAOwLUgo?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p><span>The album may be called <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/chloexhalle.lnk.to\/UngodlyHour\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><i><span>Ungodly Hour<\/span><\/i><\/a><span>, but the sister duo\u2019s flawless harmonies say otherwise. With lines like \u201cGood vibes only\u201d in the hit \u201cDo It\u201d and \u201cI had to learn to love me lately\u201d in \u201cLonely\u201d, it\u2019s simply impossible to not feel at least a little hopeful after listening. Some highlights are \u201cTipsy\u201d and \u201cWonder What She Thinks of Me\u201d, which were produced by Chloe and Halle Bailey themselves, and the title track, produced by Disclosure.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><b>Getting Into Knives &#8211; The Mountain Goats<\/b><\/p>\n<div class=\"responsiveVideo responsive-youtube\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"the Mountain Goats - Get Famous (Official Music Video)\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/qH7nWoRXSKo?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p><span>The Mountain Goats\u2019 2005 hit \u201cThis Year\u201d was a sure anthem for last year. However, I also often found myself listening to one of the two albums they released in 2020, and their 19th studio album overall, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/smarturl.it\/GettingIntoKnives\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><i><span>Getting Into Knives<\/span><\/i><\/a><span>. Frontman John Darnielle\u2019s lyrics tell fascinating stories, such as my personal favorite, \u201cRat Queen\u201d, being told from the perspective of a rat: \u201cVictory sweet as the dregs of the fast food dumpster \/ Look how they jump when we show up \/ Like they&#8217;ve just seen a monster.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><b>Printer\u2019s Devil &#8211; Ratboys<\/b><\/p>\n<div class=\"responsiveVideo responsive-youtube\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"&quot;I Go Out at Night&quot; by Ratboys (official video)\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/EeTcmm_tq7U?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p><span>I started listening to Ratboys after seeing them open for Soccer Mommy in 2018 and being intrigued by their name. Their sound is indie rock with the <\/span><i><span>slightest<\/span><\/i><span> hint of country, and a lot of the album\u2019s lyrics reflect on childhood and growing up. Though <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/ratboys.bandcamp.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><i><span>Printer\u2019s Devil<\/span><\/i><\/a><span> features a heavier sound than the previous two Ratboys albums, softer tracks \u201cMy Hands Grow\u201d and \u201cVictorian Slumhouse\u201d are also highlights.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span>Singles:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Caroline &#8211; Arlo Parks<\/b><\/p>\n<div class=\"responsiveVideo responsive-youtube\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Arlo Parks - Caroline (Official Video)\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/IBFdbJlGhFE?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p><span>The lyrics that Arlo Parks writes at 20 years old are nothing short of amazing. \u201cCaroline\u201d tells a story of watching \u201ca fight between an artsy couple escalate\u201d in a graceful and illustrative way. Parks had exciting collaborations with Glass Animals and MICHELLE in 2020, and her debut album, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/arloparks.ffm.to\/collapsedinsunbeams\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><i><span>Collapsed in Sunbeams<\/span><\/i><\/a><span>, is coming out on Jan. 29. There\u2019s a lot to look forward to!<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><b>The Key to Life on Earth &#8211; Declan McKenna<\/b><\/p>\n<div class=\"responsiveVideo responsive-youtube\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Declan McKenna - The Key to Life on Earth (Official Video)\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/rxdpozZtJkc?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p><span>Declan McKenna\u2019s sophomore record <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/smarturl.it\/DeclanZeros\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><i><span>Zeros<\/span><\/i><\/a><span> was released in 2020, but \u201cThe Key to Life on Earth\u201d is <\/span><i><span>the<\/span><\/i><span> stand-out single. The synth riff is out of this world- fitting for an album that&#8217;s also full of space references.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><b>Video Game &#8211; Sufjan Stevens<\/b><\/p>\n<div class=\"responsiveVideo responsive-youtube\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Sufjan Stevens - Video Game [Official Music Video - feat. Jalaiah]\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/3fCdZzsP4U0?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p><span>Synth pop from Sufjan Stevens is something you don\u2019t realize you need until you hear it. The song is in his 2020 album <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/sufjanstevens.ffm.to\/theascension\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><i><span>The Ascension<\/span><\/i><\/a><span> and the music video features \u201cRenegade\u201d dance creator Jalaiah Harmon. Stevens&#8217; statement says that \u201cshe is dancing for herself, not anyone else. Her choreography is sophisticated, nuanced, and fun. She is a star. She keeps it real. She keeps it moving. She keeps it true. What a blessing!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><b>Joan of Arc on the Dance Floor &#8211; Aly &amp; AJ<\/b><\/p>\n<div class=\"responsiveVideo responsive-youtube\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Aly &amp; AJ - Joan of Arc on the Dance Floor (Official Video)\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/5rpG34Y92mg?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p><span>It\u2019s a <a href=\"https:\/\/alyandaj.ffm.to\/joanofarconthedancefloor\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">feminist synth pop song<\/a>, and it\u2019s a banger! The video pays homage to \u201cThe Passion of Joan of Arc\u201d (1928).<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><b>Afterglow &#8211; Luna Li<\/b><\/p>\n<div class=\"responsiveVideo responsive-youtube\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Afterglow\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/shrvGsM_KtA?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p><span>\u201cYou got some dust in your head \/ We ran out of things to have said \/ No-oh, I&#8217;ll catch you in the afterglow,\u201d Luna Li sings in <a href=\"http:\/\/smarturl.it\/afterglow-lunali\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">\u201cAfterglow\u201d<\/a>. With some beautiful instrumentals featuring harp and violin, this song feels like a stroll through a garden as the sun sets on a warm evening.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><b>Mess &#8211; SASAMI<\/b><\/p>\n<div class=\"responsiveVideo responsive-youtube\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"SASAMI - Mess (Official Audio)\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/ry9mzupDly0?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p><span>Every woman\u2019s felt like <a href=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/album\/3RYjGPpZvBQmNHu9QUUywN?si=rtTAQdf9SGmzRYGgz-H13A\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">this song<\/a> at least once (or many times)\u2026 right? Favorite lyrics: \u201cI keep on licking the\u2005dirt\u2005off the ground \/ Singing\u2005along to the idiot sounds\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><b>Call Me &#8211; Empress Of<\/b><\/p>\n<div class=\"responsiveVideo responsive-youtube\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Call Me\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/ao36SjX_5hA?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p><span>Lines like \u201cCall me, call me, call me your disaster\u201d against pretty dream pop instrumentals almost makes one forget that the song was made for the horror movie <a href=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/album\/25KENXOhfZU3Ntw9tdbCux?si=YQzeHYEOQB6aQbEfaDK5dw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">\u201cThe Turning\u201d<\/a>. \u201cCall Me\u201d is different from Empress Of\u2019s usual dance pop sound, so it was interesting to hear her do something different. She also released her third album, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/fanlink.to\/IYEO\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><i><span>I\u2019m Your Empress Of<\/span><\/i><\/a><span>, in 2020.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Angel Kim With all the new music that came out last year, it seems as if everyone and their mother released an album or single in 2020- and I mean that in the best way. No matter how optimistic we were going into last year, things got pretty difficult pretty quickly, so having a [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":17168,"featured_media":25625,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[15],"tags":[1729,50],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25624"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/17168"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=25624"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25624\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":25631,"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25624\/revisions\/25631"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/25625"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=25624"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=25624"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=25624"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}