Folks, the new year is here. Our holiday hangovers have settled into the dull roar of what I consider the worst month of the year…January. Seriously, it’s so damned cold and wet and mushy and just stupid! One good thing about January though…you get to look forward to all the amazing new music coming throughout the year! While I don’t know every album coming out in the year 2020, I have heard enough rumors to get excited! So….here’s my list of 10 artists putting out albums in 2020.
The Avalanches
We all remember that amazing song “Frontier Psychiatry” right? And that video…ohmygosh that video! The chimp…the bird…the teeth….the rapping septuagenarian twins…the mariachi band. What about Because I’m Me from their second album in 2016? Fun dance music that you just can’t get over! Of course, there’s their infamous remixes. My favorite has to be their remix of Belle and Sebastian’s “I’m a Cuckoo“).
The avalanches do a great deal of sampling, dance music, and hip hop. While these genres and styles isn’t usually my favorite type of music, I really do enjoy The Avalanches. So their third album, a full 4 years after their last album and 20 years after their first album is certainly on my radar!
Details are sketchy thus far. We don’t know the album title or the exact release date, but we do know The Avalanche’s third album is finished and will be released in 2020!
Caribou
Caribou, aka Manitoba, aka Daphni, aka Dan Snaith has been around for quite some time. A techno, dream pop outfit mixed with psychedelic beats and indie rock tones, Caribou might just be a better version of Moby.
Two tracks from the new album entitled “Suddenly” have dropped: the synth heavy “You and I,” and the almost soulful sounding “Home.” Both tracks have me bopping my head as I listen to them on my headphones.
Caribou releases Suddenly on February 28th.
My Bloody Valentine
A new MBV album in 2020 might be a gamble. Kevin Shields promised two new albums in 2019, and neither album emerged. Whatever, they took 22 years to put out mbv! Besides, with this much new music in the works, we will most likely hear something…even an ep would be more than welcome.
I happened to see MBV in the fall of 2018, and they did play one of the new songs…and it’s fantastic! While no official recordings exist, there’s at least one (low quality) bootleg recorded version from their 2018 tour. Listen for yourself.
Tennis
The fifth Tennis album, entitled “Swimmer” has me jumping out of my socks with excitement. Tennis has kind of a groovy, 70s esque vibe that I just can’t get enough of. One track, “Runner” has dropped, and it’s everything I expect from a Tennis song: dreamy melodies, out of place, and yet somehow perfectly fitting notes, simple, yet soulful guitar riff, and a melodic electric piano sound in the background.
The new Tennis album comes out February 14th.
The Foo Fighters
According to drummer Taylor Hawkins, a new Foo Fighter album will hopefully appear in 2020. David Grohl has already laid down some demo tracks, so….knock on wood I guess! Regardless, even if The Foo Fighters don’t release in 2020, they have a new album in the works. This means they’re not calling it quits anytime soon (despite the constant rumors to the contrary). Then again, David Grohl says The Foo Fighters will never break up. So yeah….look forward to more Foo Fighters albums throughout the 20s, 30s, and maybe even the 40s and 50s! Imagine a 100+ David Grohl doing “Everlong” to a screaming crowd. May both Grohl and myself live to see that!
Pet Shop Boys
Wait….Pet Shop Boys are still around. Yes…yes they are and damnit, they’re just as good as they were when they teamed up with Dusty Springfield in the 80s! Pet Shop Boys released several tracks in 2019, including the politically charged songs “Give Stupidity a Chance” and “Social Media.”
Oh, but The Pet Shop Boys also released their first song from the forthcoming album “Hotspot.” A high energy, disco inspired track called, “Dreamland” features Olly Alexander from Years & Years. Dreamland talks about a place where the problems of current life fail to exist. A place that’s just perfect, and better in every way than your homeland. Like the aforementioned song “Social Media,” “Dreamland” feels like a thinly veiled jab at the very world we live in.
Hotspot comes out on January 24th.
The Cure
Robert Smith claims The Cure has not one, not two, but THREE new albums coming out very soon. Three! OK, before we get too excited, the first album was already supposed to be out. Or at least the first single….and it’s not. Still….it sounds like the new stuff is ready to roll. I don’t mind having the albums spaced out, so take your time Robert. Take your time. I mean…..we’ve waited this long….considering The Cure’s last album, 4:13 Dream, came out in 2008.
Apocalyptica
Finnish band, Apocalyptica does things with cellos I never thought could ever be done. Mainly, they use the normally classical instruments in symphonic metal orchestrations. I had the chance to see them live a couple years back, and believe me….this was quite the sight to see. Apocalyptica does indeed rock!
Their forthcoming album, “Cell-o” should be pretty appealing, judging by the first single. “En Route to Mayhem,” released only a week before publication of this article, already has my ears excited. With no words, your mind follows the drama of the instrumentation itself….and with at least five distinctive sections, there’s plenty of drama. You hear cries of desperation, of anger, and even a few shouts for joy.
Truly, “Cell-o” will be a masterpiece. “Cell-o” comes at you on January 10th!
Bombay Bicycle Club
British Indie rock outfit, Bombay Bicycle Club has not put out an album since 2014’s “So Long, See You Tomorrow.” Fear not though, the wait is over! “Everything Else Has Gone Wrong” comes out this month.
Three tracks have dropped already, and they’re all winners. The simple rock song, “East Sleep, Wake (Nothing but You)” will get your booty moving while contemplating an obsessive relationship. The title track, “Everything Else Has Gone Wrong,” also gives us a simple song….almost non melodic lyrics show a dark struggle about a life that just wants to find their peace. The album ender, “Racing Stripe,” is the strongest of the three songs. With accordions in the background, a slow tempo, and lyrics that talk about a life without direction.
“Everything Else Has Gone Wrong” comes out January 17th.
U2
Will U2 give us a any new albums in 2020? Most likely not. In fact, considering Bono’s recent health scare and the fact that the boys have been touring for some two years now, it would be best if they all took a long breather. Still, there are reports of U2 working on a new album. We’ve yet to hear any solid facts regarding this hypothetical album, but I’m excited nonetheless. Still…take your time guys. Sure, I would love a new U2 album in 2020, but I also want you guys healthy and happy. Enjoy a bit of time off, and for goodness sake, take care of yourselves! I want U2 making music for another ten or twenty years! It’ll be a (ahem) beautiful day when you release a new album, but I can be patient in my wait.
Though…..you could drop a new song or two to grace our hearts. No pressure…
What Albums in 2020 are you excited about?
We’ve got a full year ahead of us, and I barely scratched the surface of expected albums in 2020. So what albums in 2020 do you expect? Are they a sure bet? Are they just a possibility? Or are they not bloody likely, (aka U2)? Let me know in the comments, and maybe I’ll review some of your most anticipated albums in 2020. By the way, if you’re feeling nostalgic for the last ten years, check out 15 memorable albums of the 2010s, and our end of the decade playlist, Celebramus Musicae: The Songs of the 2010s.
