2020 has certainly been a difficult and unusual year. I presented my last live Quiet Revolution on 3 March at which point only a relatively small number of new albums had been released. There followed a break in shows when lockdown began and I resumed on the air late April with a recorded show that looks likely to continue for, well, I’m not sure how long to be honest!

This ability to continue the show albeit in rather a different way has I’m delighted to say enabled me to shine some light on some of the excellent new records that have been released in 2020. In some ways because of the much more home-based way we’re living the fact that we’re six months into the year seemed to creep up on me more than ever!

In the last few years, I’ve tended towards posting my favourite releases of the year this way. Mid-year and then again in December. It seems to work for me and is an easier way of keeping track of everything I’ve enjoyed and not missing anything.

Hope you enjoy discovering some of these fine artists and records if you haven’t been lucky enough to have stumbled across them before now I hope you enjoy discovering them from here on in. And do let me know what you think, you can post comments on this blog or on Twitter.

• Bonny Light Horseman – Bonny Light Horseman http://www.bonnylighthorseman.com
• Rose Cousins – Bravado http://www.rosecousins.com
• Serious Child – Time in the trees http://www.seriouschild.com
• Ned Roberts – Dream Sweetheart http://www.nedroberts.co.uk
• Sam Carter – Home Waters http://www.samcartermusic.co.uk
• Salt House – Huam http://www.salthousemusic.com
• Alec Bowman – I used to be sad and then I forgot http://www.alecbowman.com
• Ian Roland and the Subtown Set – Double Rainbow http://www.ianroland.com
• Norma MacDonald – Old Future http://www.normamacdonald.com
• Clem Snide – Forever just beyond http://www.clemsni.de
• Dan Whitehouse – Dreamland Tomorrow http://www.dan-whitehouse.com
• Arborist – A Northern View http://www.arboristmusic.com
• Kirsty Merryn – Our Bright Night http://www.kirstymerryn.com
• India Electric Co – The Gap http://www.indiaelectricco.com
• Damien Jurado – What’s new tomboy? http://www.damienjurado.com
• My Girl The River – Cardinal in the snow http://www.supertinyrecords.com
• John Moreland – LP5 http://www.johnmoreland.net
• The Lowest Pair – The Perfect Plan http://www.thelowestpair.com
• Ma Polaine’s Great Decline – City of Love http://www.mapolainesgreatdecline.com
• Charlie Dore – Like animals http://www.charliedore.com
• The Mammals – Nonet http://www.themammals.love
• Lisa Marini – Born in tribes http://www.lisamarini.com
• Modern Studies – The weight of the sun http://www.modernstudiestheband.com
• Josienne Clarke – Historical Record Vol. 1 and 2 http://www.josienneclarke.com
• Matt Hill – Savage Pilgrims http://www.matthillsongwriter.com
• Vanessa Peters – Mixtape http://www.vanessapeters.com
• Peter Oren – The Greener Pasture http://www.peteroren.com
• Gitta de Ridder – To our children http://www.gittaderidder.com
• Lynn Miles – We’ll look for stars http://www.lynnmilesmusic.ca
• Marin Patenaude – Sight Unseen http://www.marinpatenaude.com

I also really like what I’ve heard of Tom Houston’s Gap in the fence which hasn’t been released yet although some singles from the album have. I envisage Tom’s album will appear in my next blog about my favourite releases in December. In the meantime check him out at http://www.tomhouston.org