Music for Inspiration – 2020

In the midst of COVID, I started leaning on music to find inspiration, release, escape and enjoyment. My focus leaned towards albums. I am fascinated by the storytelling component of a full album. I’ve focused on exploring mostly LPs (Long play records – usually 8 songs or more) with some EPs (extended play records – usually 4-6 songs). Some come as recommendations, some are stuck in my head when I wake up, and other times I explore an artist I’ve recently discovered or haven’t listed to in a number of years.

Here is the list of albums I’ve compiled in 2020.

  • Wednesday, April 1: Kolsch – 1983
  • Thursday, April 2: Kaytranada – BUBBA
  • Friday, April 3: Sunlounger, Roger Shah – The Beach Side of Life
  • Monday, April 6: Booka Shade – Eve
  • Tuesday, April 7: RJD2 – Deadringer: Deluxe
  • Wednesday, April 8: Olafur Arnalds – For Now I am Winter
  • Thursday, April 9: 6lack – FREE 6LACK
  • Friday, April 10: Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross – The Social Network Soundtrack
  • Monday, April 13: System of a Down – Mezmerize
  • Tuesday, April 14: The Roots – Things Fall Apart
  • Wednesday, April 15: Tiesto – Just Be
  • Thursday, April 16: TOKIMONSTA – Oasis Nocturo
  • Friday, April 17: Black Coffee – Pieces of Me
  • Monday, April 20: Clint Mansell, Kronos Quartet – Requiem for a Dream Soundtrack
  • Tuesday, April 21: SAINT JHN – Collection One *Bonus track: Roses – Imanbok Remix
  • Wednesday, April 22: HEALTH – VOL.4:: SLAVES OF FEAR
  • Thursday, April 23: Michael Nyman – The Piano Soundtrack
  • Friday, April 24: Queen of the Stone Age – Songs for the Deaf
  • Monday, April 27: Oliver Koletzki – The Aric of Tension *Bonus track: No Man No Cry – Jimmy Sax Version
  • Tuesday, April 28: 2Pac – All Eyez On Me
  • Wednesday, April 29: Daft Punk – Discovery
  • Thursday, April 30: Aaliyah – Age Ain’t Nothing But A Number
  • Friday, May 1: Red Hot Chili Peppers – Californication
  • Monday, May 4: Bones UK – Bones UK
  • Tuesday, May 5: Various Artist – Cruel Intentions Soundtrack
  • Wednesday, May 6: Nipsey Hussle – Victory Lap
  • Thursday, May 7: Benny Benassi – Hypnotica (Benny Benassi Presents The Biz)
  • Friday, May 8: Matthew Good Band – Beautiful Midnight
  • Monday, May 11: Betty Wright – I Love The Way You Love
  • Tuesday, May 12: Dojo Cat – Amala
  • Wednesday, May 13: Avicii – True
  • Thursday, May 14: Daniel Caesar – Freudian
  • Friday, May 15: Blue Rodeo – Five Days in July
  • Monday, May 18: Khalid – American Teen
  • Tuesday, May 19: Eurythmics – Touch
  • Wednesday, May 20: Kings of Leon – Only By The Night
  • Thursday, May 21: Calvin Harris – Ready For The Weekend
  • Friday, May 22: Buddha-Bar – Buddha-Bar Beach
  • Tuesday, May 26: Tash Sultana – Flow State
  • Wednesday, May 27: Jeremih – Late Nights: The Album
  • Thursday, May 28: Mari Samuelson – Mari
  • Friday, May 29: Erykah Badu – Baduizm
  • Monday, June 1: Leon Bridges – Good Thing
  • Tuesday, June 2: Stormzy – Heavy is the Head
  • Wednesday, June 3: Ludovico Einaudi – I Giorni
  • Thursday, June 4: Snoh Aalegra – Ugh, those feels again
  • Friday, June 5: Yo-Yo Ma – Obrigado Brazil
  • Monday, June 8: Kid Cudi – Man On The Moon: The End of Day
  • Tuesday, June 9: Dawn of Midi – Dysnomia
  • Wednesday, June 10: Bad Bunny – YHLQMDLG
  • Thursday, June 11: Tiesto – In Search of Sunrise 5 Los Angeles Mixed by Tiesto
  • Friday, June 12: Tracy Chapman – Tracy Chapman
  • Monday, June 15: Garbage – Garbage (20th Anniversary Deluxe Edition)
  • Tuesday, June 16: Snake River Conspiracy – Sonic Jihad
  • Wednesday, June 17: HalfTribe – For The Summer, or Forever
  • Thursday, June 18: dvsn – A Muse in Her Feelings
  • Friday, June 19: Chromeo – Quarantine Casanovas
  • Monday, June 22: Dirty Vegas – Dirty Vegas
  • Tuesday, June 23: A.CHAL – EXOTIGAZ
  • Wednesday, June 24: The Temper Trap – Conditions
  • Monday, June 29: Nelly Furtado – Loose
  • Monday, July 6: Khruangbin – Mordechai
  • Wednesday, July 8: Daddy Yankee – Barrio Fino
  • Thursday, July 9: Phish – Amsterdam
  • Tuesday, July 14: KISS – Dynasty
  • Thursday, July 16: Crazy P – When We On
  • Friday, July 17: Akram Abdulfattah – Jawa
  • Monday, July 20: Kygo – Golden Hour
  • Tuesday, July 21: Franky Wah – The Revival, Vol. 1
  • Wednesday, July 22: Rihanna – Music of the Sun
  • Monday, July 27: Witchcraft – Legend
  • Wednesday, July 29: The Roots – Illadeph Halflife
  • Wednesday, August 5: Ben Bohmer – Breathing
  • Tuesday, August 11: Jennifer Lopez – On the 6
  • Wednesday, August 12: James Blake – Assume Form
  • Friday, August 14: Jordan Rakei – Origin
  • Tuesday, August 18: Chet Faker – Built on Glass
  • Monday, August 24: Tiesto – Kaleidoscope
  • Tuesday, August 25: Elder Island – Seeds in Sand
  • Thursday, August 27: Tourist – Wild
  • Monday, August 31: BADBADNOTGOOD – III
  • Tuesday, Sept. 1: Shad – The Old Prince
  • Wednesday, Sept. 2: The Cinematic Orchestra – Man with a Movie Camera
  • Thursday, Sept. 3: J Dilla – The Shining
  • Friday, Sept. 4: Jamiroquai – Travelling Without Moving
  • Tuesday, Sept. 8: Paolo Nutini – Caustic Love
  • Wednesday, Sept. 9: Jacob Banks – Village
  • Thursday, Sept. 10: Ziggy Alberts – Laps Around the Sun
  • Friday, Sept. 11: Stefan Biniak – Nighttales
  • Monday, Sept. 14: The Gaslamp Killer – Breakthrough
  • Tuesday, Sept. 15: Jamie xx – In Colour
  • Wednesday, Sept. 16: Songhoy Blues – Music In Exile
  • Thursday, Sept. 17: Sunlounger – Roger Shah presents Sunlounger presents Sunlounger (Balearic Beauty)
  • Friday, Sept. 18: Nosaj Thing – Views/Octopus EP
  • Monday, Sept. 21: Anthony B – Black Star
  • Tuesday, Sept. 22: Icarus – This Must be the Place
  • Thursday, Sept. 24: Johnny Cash – American IV: The Man Comes Around
  • Friday, Sept. 25: Halftribe – Backwater Revisited
  • Monday, Sept. 28: Wayne Wonder – No Holding Back
  • Tuesday, Sept. 29: Placebo – Without You I’m Nothing
  • Wednesday, Sept. 30: The Weeknd – Afterhours
  • Thursday, Oct. 1: Tube & Berger – We Are All Stars
  • Friday, Oct. 2: Swedish House Mafia – Until Now
  • Monday, Oct. 5: Abel Korzeniowski – W.E. – Music from the Motion Picture
  • Tuesday, Oct. 6: Whilk & Misky – My Round
  • Wednesday, Oct. 7: Carlos Vives – VIVES
  • Thursday, Oct. 8: Christopher Willits – Sunset
  • Friday, Oct. 9: DVBBS – Nothing to See Here
  • Monday, Oct. 12: Headie One – EDNA
  • Tuesday, Oct. 13: Tom Misch – Beat Tape 2
  • Wednesday, Oct. 14: Cary Brothers – Who you are
  • Thursday, Oct. 15: Bob Marley & the Wailers – Exodus (Deluxe Edition)
  • Friday, Oct 16: Sturgill Simpson – Sound & Fury
  • Friday, Oct. 16 (Bonus): Toots & the Maytals – Funky Kingston
  • Monday, Oct. 19: Potatohead People – Big Luxury
  • Tuesday, Oct. 20: Madame Ghandi – Visions
  • Wednesday, Oct. 21: French Montana – Jungle Rules
  • Thursday, Oct 22: Rufus Du Sol – SOLACE
  • Friday, Oct. 23: Zhu – GENERATIONWHY
  • Monday, Nov. 2: Tobe Nwigwe – THE ORIGINALS
  • Tuesday, Nov. 3: India.Arie – SongVersation: Medicine
  • Wednesday, Nov. 4: Ludovico Einaudi – Una Mattina
  • Thursday, Nov. 5: Nat King Cole – The Very Thought of You
  • Monday, Nov. 9: Louis Armstrong – Louis Armstrong Plays W.C. Handy
  • Tuesday, Nov. 10: Klingande – The Album
  • Wednesday, Nov. 11: Point Point – Contrastive Focus Reduplication
  • Thursday, Nov. 12: Cecile McLorin Salvant – The Window
  • Monday, Nov. 16: Louis The Child – Here for Now
  • Tuesday, Nov. 17: Roy Woods – Say Less
  • Wednesday, Nov. 18: Philip Glass – REWORK (Philip Glass Remixed)
  • Thursday, Nov. 19: Klangkarussell – Netzwerk (Deluxe)
  • Friday, Nov. 20: Seneca B – Rascal
  • Monday, Nov. 23: Stevie Wonder – Songs in the Key of Life
  • Tuesday, Nov. 24: Disclosure – ENERGY (Deluxe)
  • Wednesday, Nov. 25: Jax Jones – Snacks (Supersize)
  • Monday, Nov. 30: Major Lazer, Diplo – Music is the Weapon
  • Tuesday, Dec. 1: David Das – Minimalist Metrics
  • Wednesday, Dec. 2: Moses Sumney – Grae
  • Thursday, Dec. 3: Immanuel Wilkins – Omega
  • Friday, Dec. 4: Sufjan Stevens – The Ascension
  • Monday, Dec. 7: Burna Boy – Twice as Tall
  • Tuesday Dec. 8: Sekou Andrews, The String Theory – Sekou Andrews & The String Theory
  • Wednesday, Dec. 9: Fatboy Slim – Big Beach Bootique 5
  • Thursday, Dec. 10: Kehlani – It Was Good Until It Wasn’t
  • Friday, Dec. 11: Dermot Kennedy – Without Fear
  • Monday, Dec. 14: Various Artists – Erased Tapes Collection V
  • Tuesday, Dec. 15: Mike Jones – Who is Mike Jones?
  • Wednesday, Dec. 16: Ramin Djawadi – Westworld: Season 3 (Music from the HBO Series)
  • Thursday, Dec. 17: Kanye West – My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
  • Friday, Dec. 18: Sam Smith – In The Lonely Hour
  • Monday, Dec. 21: J. Cole – Snow on Tha Bluff (Single)
  • Tuesday, Dec. 22: Elton John – Too Low for Zero
  • Wednesday, Dec. 23: Example – Won’t Go Quietly
  • Monday, Dec. 28: Filip Ekestubbe Trio – On a Clear Day
  • Tuesday, Dec. 29: Dessa – Chime
  • Wednesday, Dec. 30: Aesop Rock – Spirit World Field Guide
  • Thursday, Dec. 31: Armin van Buuren – RELAXED

Fantastic books created by some of the amazing humans in my life.

Looking for some new reads? I can recommend the following by some of the incredible humans I’ve been fortunate to connect with.

  1. The Girl Who Smiled Beads; A Story of War and What Comes After Clemantine Wamariya and Elizabeth Weil, 2018
  2. Haben: The Deafblind Woman Who Conquered Harvard Law – Haben Girma, 2019
  3. Talking to Robots – David Ewing Duncan, 2019
  4. The Little Girl, The Ocean, and The Moon: A Children’s Book – Ivy Kwong, 2019
  5. What We Inherit: A Secret War and a Family’s Search for Answers – Jessica Pearce Rotondi
  6. The Laws of Brand Storytelling: Win—and Keep—Your Customers’ Hearts and Minds – Ekaterina Walter & Jessica Gioglio
  7. Neo Life: 25 Visions for the Future of Our Species – Edited by Jane Metcalfe & Brian Bergstein
  8. The Elevation Approach: Harness the Power of Work-Life Harmony to Unlock Your Creativity, Cultivate Joy, and Reach Your Biggest Goals – Tina Wells with Stephanie Smith, 2023