The Bombpops' Jen Pop discusses her top 10 albums of 2020

LA pop punks The Bombpops returned this year with their Fat Wreck Chords-released sophomore album Death in Venice Beach, which cracked year-end lists by their Fat Wreck Chords pals Bad Cop/Bad Cop and Fat Mike, and singer/guitarist Jen Pop (aka Jen Razavi) and drummer Josh Lewis also contributed to Liquid Death’s Greatest Hates, Vol. 2 alongside members of The Lawrence Arms, Anti-Flag, Alkaline Trio, Rise Against, and more. Jen has now spoken to us about her favorite albums of 2020, which includes picks from within The Bombpops’ usual punk circles and some other cool stuff too. Read on for what she had to say…

1. The Bombpops – Death in Venice Beach

I realize it’s a weird move to put your own album on the best of list but, holy shit, I’m so proud of this album and my band, it’s my number one for 2020. Sorry, not sorry.

2. Taylor Swift – folklore

Still can’t get enough of this album. The storytelling and delivery on folklore inspired me to pick up a guitar immediately after hearing it for the first time. It was a personal nudge to me to keep writing and telling stories from the heart, no matter how painful they can be sometimes.

3. Phoebe Bridgers – Punisher

Punisher is dreamlike and haunting, both her lyrics and the tones on the album are so unique. This album has also been a huge inspiration for me this year, it’s been the soundtrack to the tail end of my 2020 for sure.

4. Bad Cop/Bad Cop – The Ride

Back in 2019 and in the beginning of 2020, I had the pleasure of touring acoustically with Jennie and Stacey of Bad Cop and was lucky enough to hear some of these songs in their beginning stages, to hear how they’ve evolved and been given full band life is really amazing. This whole band is a message the world needs.

5. Get Dead – Dancing with the Curse

The first track on this album is so fucking cooll! Hands down one of my favorite songs of 2020. The whole album is great. If we were on the road this year touring, this would be the album we’d rock on long drives for sure, it’s a road dog.

6. The Lawrence Arms – Skeleton Coast

TLA can do no wrong. Skeleton Coast is dark and lonely as hell, therefore it made a perfect soundtrack to 2020 as a whole.

7. Anti-Flag – 20/20 Vision

We were in a different world when this album came out back in January. Anti-Flag consistently put out great records but 20/20 Vision had a mobilizing effect on me and even though the year took a turn for the absolute worst, this album pumped me up to hit the road and play when it came out.

8. Alkaline Trio – E.P.

The surprise drop of this E.P. was the most exciting thing to happen to me in the early days of quarantine. Alkaline Trio is my favorite band and there’s nothing by them that I don’t love with all my heart.

9. Liquid Death – Greatest Hates, Vol. 2

Another album of mine! Again, not sorry. Making this album was too much fun. Being able to make an album for a water company with Chris #2 from Anti-Flag, Brendan Kelly from The Lawrence Arms, Josh from The Bombpops, and Paul Miner at Buzzbomb studios, is something I still can’t believe even happened. On top of that, we had Tim McIlrath and Joe Principe from Rise Against, Dan Andriano from Alkaline Trio, Ashrita from Pinkshift and Jer from We Are the Union join us as guests? Making this thing was like 2020 music therapy for me.

10. Days N Daze – Show Me the Blueprints

“Addvice” is such a jam! I’ve been a fan of this band since I discovered them on Spotify last year, they would always come on after listening to Amigo the Devil, but Show Me the Blueprints is so stellar because it has a shiny, big production sound to it that some of their earlier stuff lacked. Don’t get me wrong, their older stuff is brilliant and has so much character, but for me personally, I love that this band put out a record that has more clarity in its production, it really makes everything they do pop out even more.

—

Browse our Best of 2020 tag for more year-end lists.