Hello, partygoers, and welcome back to the Listening Party rumpus room where the door is always open and the music is always playing.

Dave re-e-e-e-ally enjoyed putting together the music for this bi-week’s show. It was lots of fun making a brand new mixtape, and it was lots of fun choosing twenty of his favourite songs from 2020.

We hope you enjoy this episode as much as we did!

As discussed on the show, this compilation had to be spread across two CDs because modern music is so ding-dang long, so we have pretended it’s an actual two record set and divided it up accordingly. Of course, on the actual records it’s divided into sides 1 and 3 on one record and sides 2 and 4 on the other so you can put them on your record stacker!

Here’s what we listened to this week:

Side One:

* White Denim – “I Don’t Understand Rock and Roll” – World as a Waiting Room, 2020 (May) – 9:48* Arbouretum – “How Deep It Goes” – Let It All In, 2020 (March) – 26:34* Songhoy Blues – “Barre” – Optimisme, 2020 (October) – 44:30* Nap Eyes – “Though I Wish I Could” – Snapshot of a Beginner, 2020 (March) – 54:07* Damien Jurado – “Oachoa” – What’s New, Tomboy, 2020 (April) – 1:03:39

Side Two

* Nada Surf – “Looking for You” – Never Not Together, 2020 (November) – 1:10:33* Bonny Light Horseman – “The Rover” – Bonny Light Horseman, 2020 (January) – 1:23:33* Brigid Dawson and the Mothers Network – “The Fool” – Ballet of Apes, 2020 (May) – 1:29:06* Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever – “The Second of the First” – Sideways to New Italy, 2020 (June) – 1:37:07* OOIOO – “Kawasemi Ah” – nijimusi, 2020 (January) – 1:49:39

Side Three

* The Jayhawks – “Living in a Bubble” – XOXO, 2020 (July) – 2:04:27* Cabane (ft. “Bonnie” Prince Billy and Kate Stables) – “Sangokaku” – Grande Est la Maison, 2020 (March) – 2:10:38* Waxahatchee – “Can’t Do Much” – Saint Cloud, 2020 (March) – 2:18:09* Jackie Lynn – “Odessa” – Jacqueline, 2020 (April) – 2:23:50* Blitzen Trapper – “Bardo’s Light (Ouija Ouija)” – Holy Smokes Future Jokes, 2020 (September) – 2:36:41

Side Four

* Stephen Malkmus – “Xian Man” – Traditional Techniques, 2020 (March) – 2:42:19* Sufjan Stevens and Lowell Brams – “The Runaround” – Aporia, 2020 (March) – 2:52:20* This Is the Kit – “Off Off On” – Off Off On, 2020 (October) – 3:04:06* Samantha Crain – “Little Bits” – A Small Death, 2020 (July) – 3:09:44* Protomartyr – “Bridge and Crown” – Ultimate Success Today, 2020 (July) – 3:16:52

Thanks for listening.

Dept. of Corections:We think Dave misspoke and stated that the White Denim album was recorded in three months. The actual challenge was to write, play, record, and mix it in 30 days.

Dept. of CLARIFICATIONS:So older forms of Japanese music – specifically folk songs and early popular music – used a pentatonic scale called the yo scale. This is a scale that contains no minor notes – best demonstrated on a piano by playing only the black keys.

Dept. of Cool Sounds:Would you like to listen to Dave’s Top 20 for ’20 whilst you walk around or do dishes or whatever it is that you get up to? Well, follow this link right now!