It's the end of the year as we know it, and if we feel anything at all at this point, it's barely “fine”. And yet. “And yet” being perhaps a more passive call to defiance than we might once have hoped for, were we not so tired. And yet, here we are. It's an end. While we are all walking wounded out of this year, I've felt somewhat compelled to try and still reflect on it positively: What we do here is music, and the beat goes on.
Musicians have had 2020 especially hard, with live music eliminated for most of the year in most of the world, opportunities to promote new releases diminished, and the major form of music consumption already shifted to streaming models that pay pittance. Perhaps it's for those who've scrapped so hard to create that we should ensure we celebrate the best music that came out this year, and helped us through.
This weeks show collects favourite tracks from the year. Some of them we've featured before, some almost make more sense in retrospect. Either way, we hope you can find a sense of solace and satisfaction in music.
Also, you can read about more of BFF.fm's favourite music of 2020 as our DJs share their Top 5 of 2020 blog posts.
Playlist
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Arpeggi by Kelly Lee Owens on Inner Song (Small-town Supersound) -
Red by Polly Scattergood on In This Moment (Mute) -
Don't Forget About Me by Alice Boman on Dream On (Play It Again Sam) - Break
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Cosmonauts by Fiona Apple on Fetch The Bolt Cutters (Epic) -
Ferris Wheel by Sylvan Esso on With Love (Loma Vista) -
Carousels by Doves on The Universal Want (Heavenly) - Break
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He's Simple, He's Dumb, He's the Pilot by Grandaddy on The Sophtware Slump … on a wooden piano (Dangerbird) Local - Break
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Like I Do by Cults on Host (Sinderlyn) -
Fell So Hard by Woods on Strange to Explain (Woodsist) -
Brother, Sister by Kevin Morby on Sundowner (Dead Oceans) - Break
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Bucciarati (feat. Kari Faux) by Open Mike Eagle on Anime, Trauma and Divorce (Auto Reverse) -
Chills Me to the Bone (feat. Marta) by Tricky on Fall to Pieces (False Idols) -
Jumping Coffin by Aesop Rock on Spirit World Field Guide (Rhymesayers) -
Holy Calamafuck by Run the Jewels on RTJ4 (Jewel Runners) - Break
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All Human Beings by Max Richter on Voices (Universal) One of the last live shows I saw was the first performance of this, in London in February. During a period of rampant nationalism, this reaffirmation of human rights is tremendously moving.
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Hether Blether (feat. Astra Forward, Hinako Omori) by Erland Cooper on Hether Blether (Phases) - Break
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Knuckleduster by Muzz on Muzz (Matador) -
Miasma by Ohmme on Mine EP (Sub Pop) -
Breaking Waves Like a Stone by Loma on Don't Shy Away (Sub Pop) - Break
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Must I Evolve? by JARV IS… on Beyond The Pale (Rough Trade) -
Model Village by IDLES on Ultra Mono (Partisan) - Break
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The Turning of Our Bones by Arab Strap on As Days Get Dark (Rock Action)