KOOL ROCK RADIO ► 100 BEST ALBUMS OF 2020 (A to Z)

KOOL ROCK RADIO ► THE 100 BEST ALBUMS OF 2020 (A to Z)

2020 has been a long (or very short?) and complicated year, but at least there were lots of excellent songs and albums to distract us from everything going on in the world. We want to thank all of those incredible bands that despite the circumstances have managed to release fantastic records. With hundreds of new albums to choose from, it was impossible to select only 50, so we have picked 100 essential albums for 2020. 

Here are Kool Rock radio's staff 100 favorite albums of 2020, listed in alphabetical order:

1. Adult. ► 'Perception is/as/of Deception' [electro-punk/synth punk]
2. AK/DK ► 'Shared Particles' (Little Miss Echo Records) [electronic/synth/disco/punk]
3. Artificial Pleasure ► 'A New Joy' [electro/indie rock/dance]
4. Astari Nite ► 'Here Lies' [post punk/dark wave]
5. Bachelor ► 'Futurism' [new wave/post punk/electronic]
6. Bambara ► 'Stray' (Wharf Cat) [noise punk/alt]
7. bdrmm ► 'Bedroom' (Sonic Cathedral) [dream pop/psych/shoegaze]
8. Berlin Taxi ► 'In Pursuit' [indie pop/synthwave/electro pop]
9. Bootblacks ► 'Thin Skies' (Artoffact Records) [post punk/cold wave/new wave]
10. Catastrophe & Cure ► 'Somewhere Down the Line' [indie rock/alt]
11. Cathedral Bells ► 'Velvet Spirit' (Good Eye Records) [dream pop/shoegaze]
12. Cathedrale ► 'Houses Are Built The Same' (Howlin' Banana/Rockerill) [post punk/power pop/garage punk]
13. Catholic Action ► 'Celebrated by Strangers' [indie rock/glam]
14. Chemtrails ► 'The Peculiar Smell of the Inevitable' (PNKSLM) [lo-fi/psych pop/garage rock]
15. Choir Boy ► 'Gathering Swans' (Dais Records) [indie pop/synth/new wave]
16. Cold Beat ► 'Mother' (DFA Records) [post punk/indie rock/synth pop]
17. Crystalline Stricture ► ‘Nouveau Neon’ + ‘Petrol’ (TONN Recordings) [cold wave/minimal synth/electronic]
18. DAS DAS ► 'Das Das' [electro garage/minimal synth/punk]
19. Death Bells ► 'New Signs of Life' (Dais Records) [dream pop/post punk]
20. Deeper ► 'Auto-Pain' (Fire Talk) [post punk/indie rock]
21. Dehd ► ‘Flower Of Devotion’ (Fire Talk) [indie pop/trash pop/post punk]
22. Devon Williams ► 'A Tear In The Fabric' (Slumberland Records) [jangle pop/power pop]
23. DMA'S ► 'The Glow' (I Oh You Records) [indie rock/jangle pop]
24. Dream Wife ► 'So When You Gonna...' (Lucky Number) [indie rock/garage]
25. Elephant Stone ► 'Hollow' (Elephants on parade) [indie rock/psych]
26. Fontaines D.C. ► ‘A Hero's Death’ (Partisan Records) [rock n' roll]
27. French Police ► 'Haunted Castle' [indie rock/post punk]
28. Gengahr ► 'Sanctuary' (Liberator Music) [indie rock/psych-pop]
29. House Of Harm ► 'Vicious Pastimes' (Avant! Records) [post punk/new wave/synth pop]
30. Houses of Heaven ► 'Silent Places' (Felte Records) [krautrock/post punk/shoegaze/psych]
31. Hundredth ► 'Somewhere Nowhere' [rock/melodic hardcore]
32. Jennifer Touch ► ‘Behind the Wall’ (FatCat Records) [dark wave/electronic/synth]
33. Jetstream Pony ► 'Jetstream Pony' (Shelflife Records) [Alternative/garage pop]
34. John MOuse ► ‘The Goat’ (Keep Me In Your Heart Records) [indie rock/synthwave]
35. Keep Dancing Inc ► 'Embrace' [indie pop/dance]
36. Kidsmoke ► 'A Vision In The Dark' (Libertino Records) [indie pop/jangle pop]
37. Korine ► 'The Night We Raise' (Born Losers Records) [new wave/synthpop/electro pop]
38. Las Kellies ► 'Suck This Tangerine' (Fire Records) [post punk/new wave]
39. Lithics ► 'Tower of Age' (Trouble In Mind Records) [experimental/minimalist/punk]
40. M!R!M ► ‘The Visionary’ (Avant! Records) [coldwave/darkwave/post punk]
41. Magic Wands ► 'ILLUMINATE' [dream pop]
42. Man Of Moon ► 'Dark Sea' [psychedelic]
43. Mängelexemplar ► 'Non Plus Ultra' (Carisma Studios) [minimal/synth wave/electronic]
44. Mannequin ► 'From a Distance' (Sentimental Records) [coldwave/post punk/minimal synth]
45. Medicine Men ►'A Different Port' (Last Night From Glasgow) [new wave/kraut rock/psych]
46. Mint Julep ► ‘Stray Fantasies’ (Western Vinyl) [dream pop/electronic/synth wave]
47. Moaning ► 'Uneasy Laughter' (Sub Pop Records) [post punk/shoegaze]
48. Morrissey ► 'I Am Not A Dog on a Chain'
49. Mush ► '3D Routine' (Memphis Industries) [art rock/post punk]
50. Naked Roommate ► 'Do The Duvet' (Trouble In Mind) [dance/post punk]
51. Nation of Language ► 'Introduction, Presence' [post punk/new wave/synth-pop]
52. Never Never Man ► 'Division' (Catch 21 Records) [psych pop]
53. Nile Marr ► ‘Are You Happy Now?’ [indie rock/rock n’ roll]
54. NNHMN ► ‘Deception Island Part 1’ + ‘Deception Island 2’ [electronic/dark ambient/experimental/synth]
55. Nothing ► 'The Great Dismal' (Relapse Records) [shoegaze/post punk/alt]
56. Peaking Lights ► ‘E S C A P E’ [dub pop/psych/electro pop]
57. Peeling ► 'Worshipper' (Labyrinth Records) [noise pop/post punk/psych]
58. Peppy Pep Pepper ► ‘Granny Chic’ (Modern Tapes) [minimal synth/synth wave]
59. PINS ► 'Hot Slick' (Haus of Pins) [post punk/noir pop]
60. Pompeya ► ‘Bingo’ [electro pop/new wave]
61. Pottery ► ‘Welcome To Bobby’s Motel’ (Partisan//Royal Mountain) [indie rock/garage punk/psych]
62. Private World ► 'Aleph' (Dais Records) [indie pop/new wave]
63. Public Practice ► 'Gentle Grip' (Wharf Cat Records) [no wave/post punk/alt]
64. Riki ► ‘Riki’ (Dais Records) [new wave/post punk/synth pop]
65. Ringo Deathstarr ► ‘Ringo Deathstarr’ (Club AC30) [shoegaze]
66. Sahara ► ‘Pure Glass’ (Hand Drawn Dracula) [dream pop/post punk/lo-fi]
67. Sea Girls ► 'Open Up Your Head' (Polydor Records) [indie rock/alt]
68. Shopping ► 'All or Nothing' (Fat Cat Records) [post punk]
69. Silque ► ‘Odyssey’ (We Are Suburban) [alt rock/pop]
70. Silverbacks ► 'Fad' (Central Tones) [indie punk/alt rock]
71. Siracuse ► ‘Forever’ [indie rock/alt]
72. Sleaford Mods ► 'All That Glue' (Rough Trade) [indie rock/punk]
73. Social Station ► 'Social Station' (Young and Cold) [post punk/dark wave/ new wave]
74. Soft Kill ► 'Dead Kids, R.I.P. City' (Cercle Social Records) [post punk/dark wave]
75. Solo Ansamblis ► ‘Olos’ (Artoffact Records) [art rock/post punk/electronic]
76. Spacey Jane ► 'Sunlight' (Inertia) [garage pop/indie rock]
77. SPECTRES ► 'Nostalgia' (Artoffact Records) [post punk/coldwave/goth]
78. Spunsugar ► 'Drive-through Chapel' (Adrian Recordings) [shoegaze/alt]
79. Superdrone ► ‘Solargaze’ [baggy/psych/stargaze]
80. Surf Rock is Dead ► 'Existential Playboy' [indie pop/surf rock]
81. Tame Impala ► 'The Slow Rush' (Interscope) [psych-rock]
82. Terry vs. Tori ► 'Heathers' (El Genio Equivocado) [bedroom pop/dream pop/lo-fi]
83. The Asteroid No.4 ► 'Northern Songs' (Cardinal Fuzz/Little Cloud) [psychedelic/rock]
84. The Buttertones ► 'Jazzhound' (Innovative Leisure) [rock n' roll/punk/surf garage]
85. The Courteeners ► 'More. Again. Forever.' [indie rock]
86. The Network ► 'Money Money 2020 Pt II: We Told Ya So!' [new wave/alt/rock]
87. The Sea at Midnight ► 'The Sea at Midnight' [post punk/coldwave/synthwave]
88. The Search ► “Heart's Racing” [post punk/indie /dark wave]
89. The Secret French Postcards ► 'Colours' (Cold Transmission) [post punk/dark wave/gothic]
90. The Vacant Lots ► 'Interzone' (Fuzz Club) [electro post-punk]
91. The Wants ► 'Container' (Council Records) [art-pop]
92. Then Comes Silence ► 'Machine' (Oblivion/SPV//Metropolis) [post punk/dark wave]
93. Topographies ► 'Ideal Form' (Funeral Party Records) [shoegaze/post punk]
94. Tourists ► 'Another State' (Modern Sky UK) [dream pop/indie/psych]
95. True Body ► 'Heavenly Rhythms For The Uninitiated' (The Funeral Party) [post punk/dream pop/alt]
96. Vintage Crop ► 'Serve To Serve Again' (Upset The Rhythm/Anti Fade) [indie rock/punk]
97. Vundabar ► 'Either Light' (Gawk Records) [indie rock/surf]
98. Working Men’s Club ► “Working Men’s Club” (Heavenly Recordings) [post punk/new wave]
99. Wrangler ► 'A Situation' (Bella Union) [electronic synth]
100. Yumi Zouma ► 'Truth or Consequences' (Polyvinyl Records) [dream pop]

*Keep supporting the bands and labels by buying their records and merchandise.