Posts Tagged: ACL 2020
ACL 2020 ~ Top Ten Ambient
A Closer Listen received over 10,000 submissions this year, 7000 of them valid, and we listened to at least a segment of every one. Now we’ve chosen 70 of them ~ one percent ~ to include in our year-end lists. The competition has never
ACL 2020 ~ Top Ten Ambient
A Closer Listen received over 10,000 submissions this year, 7000 of them valid, and we listened to at least a segment of every one. Now we’ve chosen 70 of them ~ one percent ~ to include in our year-end lists. The competition has never
ACL 2020 ~ The Year’s Best Winter Music
Winter music is more than a seasonal score; it also represents a state of mind. We’ve all been wintering this year: hunkering down, staying in, waiting for the storm to pass. Will we simply survive, or will we be able
ACL 2020 ~ The Year’s Best Winter Music
Winter music is more than a seasonal score; it also represents a state of mind. We’ve all been wintering this year: hunkering down, staying in, waiting for the storm to pass. Will we simply survive, or will we be able
ACL 2020 ~ The Year’s Best Album Covers
What is an album cover? The answer seems obvious, but it’s not. For years, an album cover was a 12″ x 12″ image that graced the front of a record sleeve. Once in a while, the cover was obscured by
ACL 2020 ~ The Year’s Best Album Covers
What is an album cover? The answer seems obvious, but it’s not. For years, an album cover was a 12″ x 12″ image that graced the front of a record sleeve. Once in a while, the cover was obscured by
ACL 2020 ~ The Happiest Music of the Year
The year was so rough that we feared there would be no happy music. Thankfully, we found that we had reviewed plenty in every genre! The very concept of happiness is difficult to define, and a wide definition includes inner
ACL 2020 ~ The Happiest Music of the Year
The year was so rough that we feared there would be no happy music. Thankfully, we found that we had reviewed plenty in every genre! The very concept of happiness is difficult to define, and a wide definition includes inner
ACL 2020 ~ The Year’s Best Packaging
Earlier this year, we feared we would be unable to publish this article as labels paused physical production and artists recorded at home. Yet our fears were misplaced, as plenty of fine physical editions were produced! In an odd twist,
ACL 2020 ~ The Year’s Best Packaging
Earlier this year, we feared we would be unable to publish this article as labels paused physical production and artists recorded at home. Yet our fears were misplaced, as plenty of fine physical editions were produced! In an odd twist,
ACL 2020 ~ The Year’s 10 Best Music Videos
From heartbreaking stories to contagious dance to animation and wild FX, we’ve got a cornucopia of video styles to share this year. Either we have an especially strong selection of music videos, or we appreciated them more because we really
ACL 2020 ~ The Year’s 10 Best Music Videos
From heartbreaking stories to contagious dance to animation and wild FX, we’ve got a cornucopia of video styles to share this year. Either we have an especially strong selection of music videos, or we appreciated them more because we really
ACL 2020 ~ The Year’s Best Labels
One of our Labels of the Year didn’t start as a label, but as a festival; another gathered contributions from around the world; the third was unable to publish physical editions during the pandemic, and went digital. In the spirit
ACL 2020 ~ The Year’s Best Labels
One of our Labels of the Year didn’t start as a label, but as a festival; another gathered contributions from around the world; the third was unable to publish physical editions during the pandemic, and went digital. In the spirit
ACL 2020 ~ The Year in Review
When we look back on 2020, we’ll be able to see at least one light in the darkness: musicians stepped up. This was the year in which festivals were cancelled, labels paused all physical production, and musicians recorded – and donated
ACL 2020 ~ The Year in Review
When we look back on 2020, we’ll be able to see at least one light in the darkness: musicians stepped up. This was the year in which festivals were cancelled, labels paused all physical production, and musicians recorded – and donated
a closer listen 