Year in Music 2020 We talk with Kyshona Armstrong, Lilly Hiatt and Becca Mancari, count down the yearâs top local albums and much more Dec 17, 2020 5 AM Tweet Share
Itâs been very easy to feel overwhelmed in 2020, when it seems like the rules get rewritten every day â by a global pandemic, a long-overdue public conversation about systemic racism and more. But faced with an industry and a society undergoing all kinds of turbulence, musicians and business folk across Nashvilleâs constellation of music scenes responded with ingenuity and compassion. Even though thereâs still much work to be done, thereâs a great deal to take away from this extraordinary year â and to be proud of. In our Year in Music issue, we get perspective from outstanding musicians Kyshona Armstrong, Lilly Hiatt and Becca Mancari; our critics take stock of the yearâs top local albums; we hand the mic to an array of singers, songwrit
Tweet
Adia VictoriaPhoto: Daniel Meigs
Few of the social and political issues at the forefront of public conversation in 2020 were new, but this year came with unprecedented opportunities to clearly see what has been developing. With even the most routine parts of life altered by COVID-19, Americans had fewer chances to bury their heads in the sand. When protesters took to the streets in response to the police killings of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd, millions were forced to witness the anger, sadness and fear Black Americans have been living with for generations. A slew of Nashville musicians added their voices to the choir calling for change.
Tweet
Kyshona Armstrong, Becca Mancari and Lilly Hiatt outside The 5 SpotPhoto: Eric England
Just about nothing has gone according to plan in 2020. Though their industry and the country have stayed in a state of crisis, musicians of all stripes have still released extraordinary work and found ways to stay connected with their audiences, even if it couldn’t be in person.
Kyshona Armstrong, Lilly Hiatt and Becca Mancari are among many Nashvillians who started this chaotic year with big ideas for sharing new songs. Armstrong, who performs as Kyshona, released the soulful and bluesy
Listen in February, Hiatt’s rocking
10.Â
Journey (Itâs Yo World)Â
As the profile of Nashvilleâs hip-hop scene rises, so does the star of one of the communityâs biggest talents, rapper Brian Brown. Brown released his debut full-length project
Journey in January, proving that his toolkit contains much more than a knack for lending features and writing catchy loosies like 2018âs âStoop Kidâ or 2017âs âRic Flair.â The excellent
Journey track âA Cashville Storyâ takes stock of current-day Nashville and its gentrification-induced ills, a prime example of Brownâs aptitude for coupling clear-eyed critiques with his hook-laden flows. BRITTNEY McKENNA
9.Â
Walking Proof (New West)Â
• Jan 1, 2021
To be a respected citizen of the bluegrass world, no matter how far newgrass, jamgrass, folk-rock, pop, indie and classical offshoots push its boundaries, requires being able to play in a traditional style with real command and grit. The band Sister Sadie has certainly lived up to that musical ideal over the past eight years through various festival and club dates and two album releases.
Founding singer-guitarist Dale Ann Bradley describes, with conviction and an evocative gardening tool metaphor, how her band mates attack their instruments: