REZZ photographed on March 15, 2019 at Neighbourhood Studios in Toronto.
Many artists aspire to push musical boundaries, but Rezz falls into the realm of producers who have actually broken new sonic ground with a style that fuses dark, pummeling, often psychedelically strange bass music with the strain of alt-rock familiar to anyone who s ever stepped into a Hot Topic.
The 25-year-old Canadian producer s collaborations includes those with Underoath s Aaron Gillespie and Los Angeles guitarist/producer Grabbitz. In 2020, the Grabbitz and Rezz collab Someone Else made them two of the few electronic producers to ever land on the Hot Rock & Alternative chart. (Their song hit No. 42 on that chart in July, and also ascended to No. 15 on Alternative Airplay that same month.)
2010s pop-punk collaborations | Pop-punk guest vocals altpress.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from altpress.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Well I’d be loathe to call 2020 a great year, because it was genuinely horrible, but at least it was enlivened by some fantastic music. The tragedy is that, in a year that afforded artists the freedom to write and record at their leisure, the very industry upon which their art relies (concerts, tours, festivals and dance floors) ground to a halt. Legendary venues, bars and nightclubs have closed across the globe and a host of promising musicians, have had to return to their day jobs (presuming that they still exist).
So while it is worth celebrating the outpouring of creativity that the Covid-19 pandemic unleashed, the incredible cost in lives and mental well being should not be forgotten – and nor should the cost to the music industry at large. 2020 might end up being a great year for Spotify and Apple Music, but a terrible one for the flesh and blood musicians behind the algorithms.
Most emo song lyrics of 2020 | Emo tracks | Alternative Press altpress.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from altpress.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
The 20 best albums of 2020 by LGBTQ+ artists
It’s the unstoppable queer music talent for me.
WORDS BY ZOYA RAZA-SHEIKH
28th December 2020
2020 has been a tumultuous year for music. With a lack of live shows and those euphoric moments of yelling lyrics openly in a crowded space, it’s been a year of putting some celebrations on hold. But still, artists found strength in solitude and unveiled some incredible works of art. Whether they were lockdown saving graces or platters of pure pop escapism, queer artists across the globe pulled off some unforgettable records.
So, in true GAY TIMES style, we’ve pulled together our favourite 20 albums by LGBTQ+ artists and chucked them in alphabetical order. And, of course, a true wrap-up listicle wouldn’t be fit without a crowning glory, so we’ve given a special mention to our choice Album of the Year.