Part Seven
Part Six
Part Five
Part Four
Part Three
Part Two
Part One

Leah Senior – The Passing Scene (Flightless)

Year-end story continues in Australia with a fabulous new album from long time favorite Leah Senior.

Jenny O. – New Truth (Mama Bird Recording Co)

Back state side for the new beautiful album from Jenny O. A new member of the most lovely Mama Bird family.

Jennah Barry – Holiday (Forward Music Group)

Moving on to Canada, but sticking with favorite labels in the world. New Forward Music Group treasure is this fabulous album from Jennah Barry.

Adeline Hotel – Solid Love (Whatever’s Clever)

Carrying our virtual year-end travel to New York for more solid greatness from long time favorite Adeline Hotel.

Jeremy Ferrara – With Every Change

Jeremy Ferrara from Portland, Oregon was one of the big new finds of the year. If I took a better job with the inbox I would have found his music sooner. Feeling guilty about that, because I love this so much. One that was close to that top 10 too. This just hits the core of my heart. I hope I learn something from this.

Dolly Valentine – How To Be Good (Holy Golden Music)

Dolly Valentine was with me throughout the year by regularly releasing lovely singles. This eventually led to the release of this beautiful album.

McCarthy Trenching – Perfect Game

One of the late year favorites that keeps me smiling in the midst of this chaotic year. Also very relieved that Bruce is just fine.

Girlatones – Horn if You’re Honky (Meritorio Records)

Back in Australia for some sweet indie pop gold.

Ariel Sharratt and Mathias Kom – Never Work (BB*Island)

A mighty good soundtrack for my food factory day job by Ariel Sharratt & Mathias Kom. The masterminds behind The Burning Hell.

Stripmall Ballads – Distant

More outsider folk treasures from Maryland by Stripmall Ballads aka songwriter Phillips Saylor Wisor.

Mr. Alec Bowman – I Used to Be Sad & Then I Forgot

A quite rare UK visit on this virtual year-end journey. Mr. Alec Bowman released a beautiful collection of captivating folk songs.

Jeremy Squires – Many Moons (Blackbird Record Label)

A new album from North Carolinian Jeremy Squires is always something to love and cherish. Many Moons is one of his finest.

Peter Oren – The Greener Pasture (Western Vinyl)

Moving on to southern Indiana in search for greener pastures with songwriter Peter Oren.

Steve Sloane – Visions of Love / Visions of Pain

Maybe not as consistently brilliant as last year’s incredible Near Death, but Canadian songwriter Steve Sloane delivers a lot of great moments on this bandcamp double.

Twain – Days of Effort and Ease

Wrapping this chapter with one of my favorite songwriters. Twain aka Mat Davidson. Days of Effort and Ease is again a magical collection of songs.

Part Seven
Part Six
Part Five
Part Four
Part Three
Part Two
Part One

Charlie Whitten – I’m Waiting

Let’s start this part two from Nashville with a different kind of groove. I’m a big Charlie Whitten fan and his new album is again so wonderful. Good Things is one of my favorite songs of the year.

Eric Slick – Wiseacre (Slick Records)

Moving on to Philadelphia for the new Eric Slick album. I’m not the dancing type, but I would seriously consider making some modest and horribly clumsy dance moves if I ever heard this one playing in a bar.

Mark Fredson – Going to the Movies

Back in Nashville for the gorgeous solo album from Mark Fredson. I don’t know how to file this, so I just file it under: I love everything about this. This is not on Bandcamp, so you can watch this amazing muppet music video.

Bonnie Whitmore – Last Will & Testament

The year-end roundabout continues in Austin, Texas with powerful album from Bonnie Whitmore. It has a little bit of everything and I love everything about it.

Caitlin Sherman – Death to the Damsel (Small Batch Records)

Another one that is sort of difficult to categorize, but isn’t that rather pointless anyway. I can just listen and love instead. Seattle-based songwriter Caitlin Sherman made an awesome record.

Whitney Rose – We Still Go to Rodeos

Back in Austin after the Seattle sidestep. New Whitney Rose album might not be as country as someone had wished for, but that don’t matter one damn bit because it’s a great record.

Rachel Brooke – The Loneliness in Me

Moving on to Michigan for the new Rachel Brooke album. A lot of brokenhearted classic country balladry, but still not only dwelling on the past.

Charley Crockett – Welcome Hard Times (Son of Davy)

Continue on the same path with some deep sad country sounds that bring a lot of joy to my life. If you are into that sort of stuff, new Charley Crockett album definitely delivers.

Jesse Daniel – Rollin’ On (Die True Records)

I wasn’t familiar with Jesse Daniel before this album came out, but what an excellent record this is. A great country singer and performer and no troubles in that songwriting department either.

Jess Jocoy – Such a Long Way

Guess what. More excellent country records. This is great as a whole too and then there’s Love Her Wild. What an incredible song.

Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit – Reunions (Southeastern Records)

This one doesn’t need an introduction. I said in the foreword that I can’t help the Isbells of this world, but of course I have this on the list. I’m not crazy. Or not that way at least. I love this record. Doesn’t everybody.

John Moreland – LP5 (Old Omens)

And this one too of course. John Moreland expiremented with some new sounds, but that’s perfectly alright. Why the hell should he keep on rewriting In the Throes. Because some Finnish twat who writes a blog might be stuck in the past. Hell no. Do whatever the hell you want and we follow along. A beautiful record.

Daniel Markham – Burnout

And speaking of things that took me out of my comfort zone. This new one from long time favorite Daniel Markham did that too. Definitely heavier and grungier (is that a word) than what I’m used to, but damn if I didn’t learn to love it after a few spins. I wasn’t sure at first and now I feel like that maybe I should just accept it and throw it in the top 10. It’s a blast.

Tommy Alexander – Waves

Back in Portland, Oregon for the new Tommy Alexander album Waves. I’ve been revisiting this one lately and remembered how great it is.

Swamp Dogg – Sorry You Couldn’t Make It (Joyful Noise Recordings)

Let’s wrap this second chapter in the gentle arms of Swamp Dogg. A beautiful record with guest appearances from the late great John Prine.

Finally into this category. I struggled with this a lot, because there was just so many beautiful albums. I did some excel work and I featured a total of 644 full-length albums on the weekly music posts. Plus some Bandcamp or physical only stuff and suddenly it’s about 700 albums. So there’s a lot to love. Of course I’m just one man, so I obviously I didn’t listen to all of them that well. But I did listen really lot and it was really difficult to cut this list down to hundred. I could switch 50 of these and be just as happy with it. This how it went today. I didn’t include cover albums and such even though there were plenty of good ones nor did I include the ones that came December 11 or later. For example I know Kacy & Clayton and Marlon Williams would make the cut, but I haven’t even listened to the whole record yet so it would be kind of strange to put it here. A lot of the big names are missing too. Objectively some of them should be on the list, but I haven’t listened them that much. I usually spend most of my time listening to the less-known artists, because there’s just nothing my little blog can do for the Isbells of this world. I feel like my job (or well hobby) is to shine a light on on the ones that aren’t yet household names.

This has same principle as the earlier EOTY lists. First 90 in completely random order and then there’s top 10 in some sort of not-that-serious order. The numbers are arbitrary. Music is love not a competition. I think it’s just maybe helpful for the reader to have some sort of vague order, because not everyone is an music addict like me and have time or interest to listen 100 albums. However, if they see something they are not aware of as my #4 pick, they might be more interested then if its just one of the hundred. I know most think 100 is way too much, but I love music and this is one way to share some of it. And a very good way too, because people like lists. I have maybe between 40-80 daily visitors here normally, but every year when I do these lists, there’s suddenly 1000+ daily visitors. Ok enough with the mumbo jumbo and on to the lists. First six parts in a random order. There might be some grouping that similar kind of records appear next to each other. I’ll do the playlist after the last chapter and try to give some flow to that.

Part Seven
Part Six
Part Five
Part Four
Part Three
Part Two
Part One

Cinder Well – No Summer (Free Dirt Records)

Starting with a sparse and haunting folk album from Cinder Well. A few trads along with amazing own songs. Our Lady’s is one of the songs of the year, but I’ll throw the wonderful title song here for easier entry point.

Dalton Mills – Dalton Mills

Next up is folk singer-songwriter Dalton Mills from Middlesboro, Kentucky. A bit of Townes Van Zandt and a whole lot of great songs.

Chris Acker – Good Kid

Came out early in the year, but I discovered late in the year thanks to a video by A Song Catcher. Chris Acker from New Orleans has been a big favorite during the past month or so and I definitely considered this record even for that top 10.

Joey O’Neil – Ever Ahead

Next the year end roundabout travels to Dawson, Yukon to meet up with Joey O’Neil and her lovely dog Oblio. Such a great folk-country record that I’ve listened to regularly throughout the year.

Emily Barker – A Dark Murmuration of Words (Everyone Sang)

Moving on to UK although songwriter Emily Barker is originally from Australia. Her new album doesn’t shy away from difficult topics and tackles important issues from climate change to racism. Beautiful and powerful.

Michael C. Duguay – The Winter of Our Discotheque

Back to Canada for another heavy and beautiful one from Canadian songwriter Michael C. Duguay.

Terra Spencer – Chasing Rabbits

Staying in Canada for the new Terra Spencer album. Such a beautifully written album. I can get lost in these stories without needing to find a way out. This In the City for example. Oh my everything about this song.

VanWyck – God is in the Detour (Maiden Name Records)

A brief detour to Netherlands for the new VanWyck album. Some older favorites here too, but I’m actually very happy about that, because Ballad of the Quiet citizen needed to be on a record. I’ve shared that so many times, so here’s the gorgeous title track this time around.

Sam Moss – Shapes (Lost Honey Records)

A new gentle beauty from Boston-based singer-songwriter Sam Moss.

Sylvie Simmons – Blue on Blue (Compass Records)

Sylvie Simmons can write wonderful music biographies and excellent songs. Very fond of this quietly mesmerizing album.

Jerry David DeCicca – The Unlikely Optimist and His Domestic Adventures

A new Jerry David DeCicca album is always something to love cherish. The Unlikely Optimist and His Domestic Adventures is not an exception to that golden rule.

Trummors – Dropout City (Ernest Jenning Record Co)

Heading from Texas to New Mexico and adding some west coast sounds and cosmic americana to the mix. What a sweet record once again from Trummors.

The Parson Red Heads – Lifetime of Comedy (Fluff & Gravy Records / You are the Cosmos)

Carrying on to Portland, Oregon, but musicwise staying somewhere rather close by in the folk rock territory. The Parson Red Heads have found the recipe of my music taste. Beautiful folk rock tunes with the sweetest pop melodies and gorgeous harmonies. I mean this Warrior for example. This is everything for me. A bit of TFC, a bit of folk rock. I couldn’t love it more.

Dakota Theim – Somewhere Under the Sun

While we are in Oregon, let’s put even more pop into this year-end galore. Dakota Theim’s album came out in January and was one of my first 2020 favorites. It still holds up and I’m enjoying every second of it.

The Innocence Mission – See You Tomorrow (Bella Union)

And speaking of early favorites. The Innocence Mission set the bar extremely high in January and released magnificent album called See You Tomorrow. Album of the year candidate on the first half, but lost just a tiny bit of its magic on the second half. Still an incredible record that I love oh so much and on another day could have been on the top 10. Here’s the gorgeous opener The Brother Williams Said to wrap this part one. The song I listened to most this year according to that evil platform.