alex maas
photo: Barbara FG

Black Angels' Alex Maas discusses his favorite of 2020

Black Angels frontman Alex Maas just released Luca, his first solo album. On it, he puts away the fuzz pedals his band is known for in favor of quieter, reflective, baroque arrangements that are nonetheless still very psychedelic, and lyrically the album was inspired by fatherhood (Luca is also the name of his son). The album features appearances from Widespread Panic drummer Duane Trucks, The Sword bassist Bryan Ritchie, Jack White keys player Quincy McCrary, vocalist Jazz Mills, Eels drummer Derek Brown, Golden Dawn Arkestra drummer Robb Kidd, and Maas’ Black Angels bandmates Christian Bland and Jake Garcia, and you can stream the whole thing below.

As the year comes to a close, we’ve been asking artists to tell us what music they’ve been digging this year, and Alex was nice enough to tell us about his favorite albums of 2020. Those included records by fellow Austin psych group Holy Wave, plus Damien Jurado, Nilüfer Yanya, and more. Check out the list, complete with commentary from Alex, below.

ALEX MAAS (BLACK ANGELS) -FAVORITE ALBUMS OF 2020 (NO PARTICULAR ORDER)

El Jazzy Chavo ‎– Aspects Of Dystopia
Reminds me of a world DJ Shadow has ventured in.

Charley Crockett – Welcome to Hard Times
Someone making some nice old country western sounds.

Damien Jurado – What’s New, Tomboy?
I will like everything he does.

Cafe Racer – Shadow Talk
Dreamy jangly guitar and tremolo tai chi vocals weave beautiful melodies on this
wonderful record.

Holy Wave – Interloper
another great release from Austin, Texans. Turn it on and float away.

El Michels Affair – Adult Themes

Blithe Field – Hymn for Anyone

Nilufer Yanya- Feeling Lucky?