I cannot help myself. At the end of each year I am compelled to put together my favourite albums and favourite songs of the year... and this (strange, challenging, disrupted) year is no different. In fact, much of the music I listened to this year will resonate with me for years to come as it will always remind me of the year of the pandemic and the lockdown. Some of the songs that will always make me think of 2020 were written and recorded well before the pandemic arrived but they truly fit the mood of the year. The album by Speaker Music, however, was created as a response to the events of this year as they impacted Black Americans and Rich Aucoin's United States (yes the title is ironic he notes) was also created in part to reflect the disunity affecting our neighbours to the south and all of us really if you think about it. I hope you enjoy the music and perhaps discover some music you had not heard of before.
Honourable Mention - The Souljazz Orchestra's Chaos Theories... only because it was released in 2019 and I was slow to get in on the album's great, political vibe!
#15 - For Their Love by Other Lives
#14 - Which Way Am I? by Tough Age
#13 - Off Off On by This is the Kit
#12 - Small Town Saturday by Summersets
#11 - Moving Walls by Matthew Good
#10 - United States by Rich Aucoin
#9 - Reliever by William Prince
#8 - We'll Look For Stars by Lynn Miles
#7 - Are You Gone by Sarah Harmer
#6 - Total Freedom by Kathleen Edwards
#5 - Bravado by Rose Cousins
#4 - Quiet Talkers by Ken Yates
#3 - There Is No Year by Algiers
#2 - Black Nationalist Sonic Weaponry by Speaker Music
#1 - Worlds Within by Raphael Weinroth-Browne
| Police The Police The Souljazz Orchestra - Chaos Theories 
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| Cops Other Lives - For Their Love |
| Self-Confidence Tough Age - Which Way Am I? - Mint Records
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| This Is What You Did This Is The Kit - Off Off On |
| Anywhere You Go Summersets - Small Town Saturday
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| Still Summersets - Small Town Saturday
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| One Of Them Years Matthew Good - Moving Walls
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| Momentary Truth Matthe Good - Moving Walls
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| Walls Rich Aucoin - United States
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| Reset Rich Aucoin - United States
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| Spark William Prince - Reliever
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| That's All I'll Ever Become William Prince - Reliever
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| Restless Lynn Miles - We'll Look For Stars
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| We'll Look For Stars Lynn Miles - We'll Look For Stars
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| Just Get Here Sarah Harmer - Are You Gone
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| Take Me Out Sarah Harmer - Are You Gone
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| Glenfern Kathleen Edwards - Total Freedom
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| Who Rescued Who Kathleen Edwards - Total Freedom
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| The Expert Rose Cousins - Bravado
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| The Return (Love Comes Back) Rose Cousins - Bravado
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| Two Wrongs Ken Yates - Quiet Talkers
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| Surviving Is Easy Ken Yates - Quiet Talkers
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| There Is No Year Algiers - There Is No Year |
| Dispossesion Algiers - There Is No Year |
| African American Disillusionment With Northern Democracy Speaker Music - Black Nationalist Sonic Weaponry - Planet Mu |
| The Full title of this track is: "African American Disillusionment With Northern Democracy Continues To Smolder In Every Negro Who Has Settled Up North After Knowing Life In The South" |
| Amerikkka's Bay (ft. Maia Sanaa) Speaker Music - Black Nationalist Sonic Weaponry - Planet Mu |
| Unending I Raphael Weinroth-Browne - Worlds Within
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| From Above Raphael Weinroth-Browne - Worlds Within
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Lynne Hanson...?
8:14 PM, January 4th, 2021