Best Seattle albums of 2020: the critics’ ballots

We asked local music journalists, radio hosts and scene-watchers to help us choose the best Washington state albums of the year, the results of which you can read here. These are the critics’ individual ballots.

Abe Beeson, KNKX

1. Bad News Botanists “Indignation”
2. Polyrhythmics “Man from the Future”
3. Duende Libre “The Dance She Spoke”
4. The New Triumph “Night Trip”
5. Dylan Hayes Electric Band “Songs for Rooms and People”
6. RAE “Internal Volume”
7. The Jazz Lizards “Mythomorphosis”
8. Ryan Burns “Postponed Parade”
9. Ray Larsen “Songs to Fill the Air”
10. Greg Kramer “Tell Me” EP

Casey Carter, the Glow Up Podcast and former host of KUBE 93.3’s local show

Parisalexa “2 Real”
Blimes and Gab “Talk About It”
Big Jone$ “Winners Never Lose”
LIV “Flowers in the Void”
ILLFIGHTYOU “ILLFIGHTYOUTOO”
The Cyanide Syndicate “The Cyanide Sydicate”
Blakk Soul “Take Your Time”
Clemm Rishad “To Whom It May Concern”
J’Von “Thunderboy”
King Leez “Stay Valuable”

Marco Collins, KEXP

1. Daisies – “Daisies In The Studio With DJ Rap Class”
2. Left At London – “Transgender Street Legend Vol. 2”
3. Fleet Foxes – “Shore”
4. Samurai Del – “Till Death”
5. Sam Lachow – “Corduroy”
6. Deep Sea Diver – “Impossible Weight”
7. Perfume Genius – “Set My Heart On Fire Immediately”
8. Blimes & Gab – “Talk About It”
9. Hotel Amber – “Room 333”
10. Courtney Marie Andrews – “Old Flowers

Kevin Diers, KISW

1. Bell Witch and Aerial Ruin –  Stygian Bough Volume 1
2. Head Honcho – Appetite for Distraction
3. Greyhawk – Keepers of the Flame
4. DeathCave – Smoking Mountain
5. Dragged Under – The World Is In Your Way
6. Rat King – Vicious Inhumanity
7. Sorcia – Sorcia
8. Sölicitör – Spectral Devastation
9. Dirty Dirty – Anxious Electric Auto Erupt
10. Aurora’s Eyes – The Grief

Martin Douglas, KEXP

1. Stas THEE Boss, “On the Quarner”
2. AJ Suede, “Darth Sueder V: Supreme Chancellor”
3. Shabazz Palaces, “The Don of Diamond Dreams”
4. Gillian Frances, “Miles Away from Myself”
5. SassyBlack, “Stuck”
6. Porter Ray, “When Words Dance”
7. ILLFIGHTYOU, “ILLFIGHTYOUTOO”
8. Black Ends, “Stay Evil”
9. AJ Suede, “Knowwhatimean”
10. The Microphones, “Microphones in 2020”

Gillian Gaar, author and Northwest Music Scene writer

1. Acid Tongue, “Bullies”
2. Sundae Crush, “A Real Sensation”
3. Beyond Captain Orca!, “Tim’s Night Out” (vol 1-4)
4. Mesmerica, “Expect a Circus”
5. Jupiter Sprites, “Holographic”
6. The Demon Rind, “Something Nice I Want to Tell You”
7. Magic Swords, “Endless”
8. Sky Cries Mary, “Secrets of a Red Planet”
9. Scott The Hoople, “Rock and Roll Party 66”
10. Pearl Jam, “Gigaton”

Taylor Hart (unranked) – Respect My Region

Anthony Danza, “BBS Diaries Vol. 2”
Nobi, “Fulminate”
Blake Anthony, “Star Stereo”
Parisalexa, “2 Real”
AJ Suede, “Long May We Rain”
Perry Porter x OldMilk, “Grey”
Samurai Del, “Till Death”
Brandon Marsalis, “Ouroboros”
Porter Ray, “When Words Dance”
ILLFIGHTYOU, “ILLFIGHTYOUTOO”

Dusty Henry, KEXP

1. ILLFIGHTYOU – ILLFIGHTYOUTOO
2. Stas THEE Boss – Sang Stasia
3. Tomo Nakayama – Melonday
4. Shabazz Palaces – Don of Diamond Dreams
5. Afrocop – Moon Dust
6. Parisalexa – 2Real 
7. Chris Icasiano – Provinces
8. OCNotes – Every Man For Himself… 
9. Danny Denial – Fuck Danny Denial 
10. Livt – Flowers in the Void 

Sean Jewell, American Standard Time

1. Blimes And Gab – Talk About it
2. Claire Tucker – Same Old Hunters EP
3. Left At London – Transgender Street Legend, Vol. 2
4. Black Ends – Stay Evil
5. Caitlin Sherman – Death To The Damsel
6. Chong The Nomad – A Long Walk EP / Singles Series
7. ParisAlexa – 2Real
8. Naked Giants – The Shadow
9. AF Jones – A Jurist For Nothing
10. Fretland – Fretland 

Stefan Milne, Seattle Met

Tomo Nakayama, “Melonday”
Shabazz Palaces, “The Don of Diamond Dreams”
Athr, “Childhood’s End”
Chong the Nomad, “A Long Walk”
Car Seat Headrest, “Making a Door Less Open”
Perry Porter and OldMilk, “Grey”
The National Honor Society, “To All the Glory We Never Had”
Black Ends, “Stay Evil”
Blimes and Gab, “Talk About It”
Naked Giants, “The Shadow”

Christine Mitchell, Seattle Music Insider

1. Oliver Elf Army “Are Sending Thoughts and Prayers”
2. Gaytheist “How Long Have I Been On Fire?”
3. Max Stephens “Basal Ganglia”
4. Biblioteka “Sunday Scaries”
5. Sylvi “Homebody”
6. Naked Giants “The Shadow”

Paul Rauch, Earshot and All About Jazz writer

1. Thomas Marriott, “Trumpet Ship”
2. Scenes, “Trapeze”
3. Chris McCarthy, “Still Time to Quit”
4. Jay Thomas Quartet, “Upside”
5. Christopher Icasiano, “Provinces”
6. Ted Poor, “You Already Know”
7. Korn, Johnson & Seales, “Enigma”
8. Dylan Hayes Electric Band, “Songs For Rooms and People”
9. Duende Libre, “The Dance She Spoke”
10. Ray Larsen, “Songs to Fill the Air”

Dan Ray, Dan’s Tunes

1. Marshall Law Band, “12th & Pine”
2. Perry Porter, “Grey”
3. LipStitch, “Who’s Left and Who’s Leaving”
4. David’s Van, “Intervention”
5. Byland, “Gray”
6. Biddadat, “Biddadat”
7. Tavion., “Damage Control”
8. Jason McCue, “Apocalypse”
9. Eleven Apollos, “The Return”
10. Smokey Brights, “I Love You But Damn”

Michael Rietmulder, Seattle Times

Advertisement, “American Advertisement”
AJ Suede, “Long May We Rain”
Chong the Nomad, “A Long Walk” EP
Deep Sea Diver, “Impossible Weight”
Kassa Overall, “I Think I’m Good”
The Microphones, “The Microphones in 2020”
Nobi, “Fulminate”
Parisalexa, “2 Real”
Shabazz Palaces, “The Don of Diamond Dreams”
Ted Poor, “You Already Know”

Eva Walker, KEXP Audioasis host

Black Ends, “Stay Evil”
Deep Sea Diver, “Impossible Weight”
Naked Giants, “The Shadow”
Polyrhythmics, “Man From the Future”
Chong The Nomad, “A Long Walk EP”
Asterhouse, “Soul vs Skin”
Tomo Nakayama, “Melonday”
Kassa Overall, “I Think I’m Good”
Sassyblack, “Stuck”
Mr. Dinkles, “Titled Self”