Miss Anthropocene by Grimes

Grimes, the Vancouver-born digital dance music phenom, was seemingly able to do more than most in 2020. In addition to releasing her amazing fifth album Miss Anthropocene, she: voiced a singing character named Lizzy Wizzy in the highly-anticipated yet disastrously-released video game Cyberpunk 2077; released an hour-long DJ mix under the character’s name called This story is dedicated to all those cyberpunks who fight against injustice and corruption every day of their lives! (which will not make the Top 31); and had a baby boy in May with her boyfriend Elon Musk, which they named “X Æ A-12” but subsequently renamed “X AE A-XII” to be legally recognized under California state law (you may only use characters found in the modern English alphabet when naming children in California, apparently).

Grimes, whose given name is Claire Boucher, is called “c” by her friends because it is the universal symbol for the speed of light. The woman is clearly an AI-based robot trying to pose as a live human being and failing spectacularly. But hey, the music is great, so I say we keep her.

This is the second time Grimes has appeared on the countdown (unfortunately, as her three previous albums to that one escaped my radar until it was too late). Art Angels, her fourth album, appeared on the Top 31 back in 2015 at #12. Where that album was fairly straightforward, Miss Anthropocene has Grimes noticeably stretching her talents into new and different ways. It is very much a Grimes album, with her clear, soft high-pitched vocals spread across gritty driving beats. But there are also distinct guitar and bass-driven strings throughout, with “Delete Forever” (shown above) taking it to her full indie-pop potential.

If you’ve liked her music in the past, then you won’t be disappointed. If you’re new to the magic of Grimes, this is a great spot to dive in — let it be your main course, and the rest of her albums will be there for you when you’re ready for seconds.

P.S. currently, grimesmusic.com links directly a simple Google Doc titled “VOTING TOOLS” containing literal links to resources for registering to vote and learning about candidates and such. I love her.

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1. Saint Cloud by Waxahatchee
2. Fetch The Bolt Cutters by Fiona Apple
3. Punisher by Phoebe Bridgers
4. folklore + evermore by Taylor Swift
5. Untitled (Black Is) + Untitled (Rise) by Sault
6. RTJ4 by Run The Jewels
7. Shore by Fleet Foxes
8. Serpentine Prison by Matt Berninger
9. The Ascension by Sufjan Stevens
10. Making a Door Less Open by Car Seat Headrest
11. Dreamland by Glass Animals
12. A Hero’s Death by Fontaines D.C.
13. Song Machine, Season One: Strange Timez by Gorillaz
14. Mordechai + Texas Sun EP by Khruangbin
15. Introduction, Presence by Nation of Language
16. Free Love by Sylvan Esso
17. Miss Anthropocene by Grimes
18. 3.15.20 by Childish Gambino
19. Women In Music Pt. III by HAIM
20. The Third Mind by The Third Mind
21. Superstar by Caroline Rose
22. Impossible Weight by Deep Sea Diver
23. We Will Always Love You by The Avalanches
24. Ultra Mono by IDLES
25. Visions of Bodies Being Burned by clipping.
26. Thin Mind by Wolf Parade
27. The Loves of Your Life by Hamilton Leithauser
28. Palo Alto (Live) by Thelonious Monk
29. color theory by Soccer Mommy
30. Fall to Pieces by Tricky
31. Quarantine Casanova by Chromeo

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