Renee Raven's Top 2020 Vinyl Releases at Ralph's Records

2020 may live in infamy for all of us forever. We could quite possibly be a generation of old folks that shake our fists and spit anytime anyone mentions that year. A lot of entertainment was stalled, postponed or even canceled. I'm particularly antsy about the continued delay of Denis Villeneuve's Dune.

However, great music was released, and re-released, on vinyl in 2020. Vinyl is my preferred format when I'm not listening to the radio because analog has a more buttery sound. It's richer, smoother, and more natural than its digital counterparts.

Here are some of my favorite releases and re-releases available at Ralph's Records (3322 82nd Street). Keep in mind that vinyl flies off the shelves, so I can't guarantee they have these right this second. Lucky for you, Ralph's will order anything you want with no up-charge. Kiss shipping fees goodbye!

Alice in Chains, Facelift (Re-release)

Celebrating 30 years of an iconic album, Facelift is a must-buy for any serious rock vinyl collector. Unless, of course, you have an original 1990 pressing, which is incredibly rare. "Man in the Box" became a radio hit, but other tracks like "Bleed the Freak" will remind you exactly why you fell in love with Alice in Chains way back when. It's hard, crunchy, and yet harmonic. It's the *chef kiss* sound of the early 90s

2. AJJ, Good Luck Everybody

AJJ is not for everybody, even if they are wishing everybody good luck. AJJ is a prime example of a weird and wonderful genre known as folk punk that honestly took me a few listens to be able to enjoy. Now, I really love it.

Their album People That Can Eat People Are the Luckiest People in the World has been in heavy rotation at my home, and their 2020 release Good Luck Everybody adds a more polished chapter to their work. All of AJJ's music has either obvious or obviously latent anger and political tones to it, just like any punk music, folk or otherwise, should.

3. Ozzy Osbourne, Ordinary Man

It's amazing to me that Ozzy is even alive, let alone still making music that resonates with rockers in 2020 and beyond. Ordinary Man has the recent radio hit "Under the Graveyard," which is an obvious banger, and other fun, new music from the man, myth, and legend himself. Honestly, I much prefer the music of Ozzy over the contrived persona of Ozzy that reality TV has manufactured, so it's a beautiful, fitting thing for him to have a damn decent album this late in the game.

4. Lil Uzi Vert, Eternal Atake

Lil Uzi Vert is a rapper in 2020, as obviously evident by having a moniker like Lil Uzi Vert. But he's also an honorary rocker if only for his aesthetic alone: purple hair and a Marilyn Manson shirt. Can we be best friends? The truth is, many rockers love rap and hip hop as well, especially when it sounds and feels authentic, raw, and, let's be honest, pretty filthy. Lil Uzi has an incredible, creative flow that any rap fan can appreciate.

5. Danzig, Danzig Sings Elvis

Musically, this really isn't anything special. It's basically Danzig doing passable Elvis karaoke. But why wouldn't you want something so goofy on your shelf? It's Danzig at his most self-aggrandized, which is a feat unto itself.

There are many many more fantastic 2020 releases, from Green Day's Father of All Motherf**kers (worth owning to leave out on the table when your parents come by) to ambient Nine Inch Nails to Lady Gaga's Chromatica (it's a major bop). But even if you can't or won't find something to like about the worst year ever, Ralph's Records has thousands of amazing albums from every year of rock. And we're in a new year, meaning there will be incoming new releases that Ralph's Records is sure to have waiting for you.