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Haulix Recommends: The Incredible Records That Saved 2020

Haulix Recommends Best New Music of 2020

In a year where nothing went as planned, music carried us through with unforgettable hooks and fiery riffs that we will be spinning well into 2021.

Ranting about the moments and experiences 2020 stole from us is effortless. There are trips never taken, concerts delayed, albums shelved, and potential life-changing opportunities that never came to fruition. At Haulix, we are trying hard to reflect on all the good that 2020 brought, especially with music. There are albums and artists we discovered this year that made the last twelve months more bearable. We heard songs that we will sing until our lungs give out, and we found a lot of emerging talent that we will see as soon as live music returns.

It is impossible to name all the artists and records that made this year worth surviving, but here are ten releases we believe saved 2020.

Laura Jane Grace – Stay Alive (Polyvinyl)

Punk icon and bestselling author Laura Jane Grace gave 2020 a much-needed dose of good news by surprising her fans earlier this week with Stay Alive, the singer/songwriter’s first solo album. Featuring fourteen tracks produced by Steve Albini in early July, the record perfectly depicts the swirling chaos of emotions that many have felt throughout 2020. It’s a record about wanting to be anywhere other than where you are, possibly in someone else’s skin, all while coming to terms with the ever-present need to love ourselves. It’s an album that is both aching for escape and basking in the often overlooked pleasures of being alone, which is to say, it’s a perfect summary of what most of us are dealing with right now. 

Spiritbox – Holy Roller 7” (Rise Records)

Spiritbox is the best new band of this and any other year in recent memory.  Formed in 2017 by husband and wife duo Courtney LaPlante and Michael Stringe, Spiritbox recently signed with Rise Records as part of a partnership between the influential label and Pale Chord. The first product of that deal is this 7”, which packages the group’s breakout single with a remix featuring Crystal Lake vocalist Ryo Kinoshita. The new track doesn’t add length to the song, but it does help make an already brutal song hit a bit harder. That should be enough fans champing at the bit for the band’s next release, which we hope arrives sooner than later. Until then, “Holy Roller” remains a strong contender for song of the year

Bearings – Hello, It’s You (Pure Noise)

Canadian rock band Bearings deliver a large amount of heart and hooks with their latest full-length record. Hello, It’s You captures the epic highs of young love and our deep-rooted longing to belong in a manner that never ceases to captivate its audience. Do you wish you were anywhere else doing anything else right now? Have you found yourself yearning to find a way back to a simpler time? Are you embracing the endless possibilities of adulthood with wide-eyes and a cautious spirit? If one or more of these questions hit home, then there is at least one song on this record for you.

Run The Jewels – RTJ4

Some may say RTJ4 is more of the same, but that is an oversimplification of Run The Jewels’ latest offering. The elements that fans have come to expect are present, yes, but they are more refined. The beats are funkier, and there is more precision in the lyrics. The message of RTJ4 is never up for debate. Run The Jewels make groove-heavy rap for a working-class population that is more aware than ever of the oppression that they face and the need for immediate change. Though the duo cannot facilitate systemic upheaval on their own, they are doing their part and ask that we do the same.

Lamb Of God – Lamb of God (Epic)

Expecting Lamb of God to deliver a great album is like expecting grass to be green or water to be wet. The metal titans are one of the longest-running bands in the modern heavy music scene, and they never miss their mark. Lamb of God’s music speaks to the importance of maintaining forward momentum and how personal evolution is the key to a long and happy existence. That isn’t to say that progress is smooth or doesn’t require pain, but the group’s 2020 self-titled album tells us that endurance through hard times often produces the most significant art and understanding that humans can achieve.

Sharptooth – Transitional Forms (Pure Noise)

Transitional Forms is about more than music scenes and whatever stupid rules people try to enforce within it. Much like Sharptooth’s catalog, the album aims at numerous political and societal issues. It touches on economic strife, sexual assault, vulnerability, and how far too many people never practice what they preach. It captures the struggle and anger experienced by oppressed people from different walks of life and lays bare that things must change. It’s a call to action as much as it is a razor-sharp criticism of those who continue to walk through life, turning a blind eye to the realities of existence. Over the last decade, the group’s travels have shown them that most people want things to change, but few are willing to get off their asses and do the work necessary. Sharptooth is already doing their part, so why can’t you?

Best Ex – Good At Feeling Bad (No Sleep)

Not one to fall into the tropes of Bukowski or Salinger that entangle many of her musical peers, Mariel Loveland’s style of storytelling is one of wide-eyed optimism presented in the face of uncertainty with unabashed honesty. She’s neither the hero nor the villain in her journey. Her perspective is that of a world traveler that has felt the overwhelming joy of mass acceptance and the cold chill of failure. Good At Feeling Bad, the latest work from Best Ex, is about what comes after all that, where the real adventure begins. Loveland knows anything is possible, and she’s open to whatever the next chapter entails. [Full review]

Jason Isbell And The 400 Unit – Reunions (Southeastern)

Reunions examines the role we play in the world around us. Jason Isbell and his band, The 400 Unit, leave no rock unturned in their search for answers to life’s biggest questions regarding purpose and grief. The album provides few solutions on either front but finds comfort in acknowledging that we are on this journey through the chaos of existence. If we can learn to love one another and shed the weight of stress and mistakes from our past, Isbell believes we can find a lasting sense of peace amidst the turmoil of our daily lives. It’s a big idea that some will think impossible, and he understands that. Rather than giving listeners an optimistic ear-beating, he focuses on crafting undeniably soulful songs in hopes people will reconsider our limitless potential for change. [Full review]

Trivium – What The Dead Men Say (Roadrunner)

What The Dead Men Say, Trivium’s ninth studio album, reflects on the past in hopes of saving the future. The band – Matt Heafy, Corey Beaulieu, Paolo Gregoletto, and Alex Bent – pull from everything they’ve done to deliver an album that serves as a thesis statement for Trivium’s career. It’s a relentlessly heavy yet undeniably melodic exploration of existence that pulls from philosophy and mythology in equal measure to paint an elaborately-detailed portrait of what makes us human. Fans will hear hints of the youthful confidence that fueled Ember To Inferno and  Ascendency, alongside the grit of In Waves and melancholy of Silence In The Snow. How Trivium combines these seemingly conflicting ideas gel is one of the record’s many wonders. That said, the real mastery lies in their ability to do so while also creating incredibly accessible music for new listeners. [Full review]

Fit For A King – The Path (Solid State)

Growing up is never easy. Fit For A King has been the go-to breakdown band of modern metalcore fans for the last decade, but The Path marked a clear attempt at evolution unlike anything found on the group’s previous releases. The band didn’t abandon their roots as much as they continued to develop their signature combination of riffs, thunderous drums, emotional catharsis, and high-gloss production. The result is The Path, an undeniable sonic leap forward that is as catchy as it is empowering. It’s the kind of record that makes you believe anything is possible while motivating you to work harder toward becoming your best self. It’s what all great music you should be, and we cannot wait to hear where the band goes from here.

The records highlighted here represent a tiny fraction of the many great releases promoted through Haulix in 2020. We want to thank all of our clients for their continuing effort to bring great music to the masses. Let’s work together to make 2021 the best it can become.

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(Some Of) The Best Albums Of 2020 So Far

As we enter the back-half of the year, the Haulix team takes a moment to celebrate some of the best albums released thus far in 2020.

Believe it or not,  we are only halfway through 2020. The year that just won’t end has already given us more than most as far as cultural shifts and life-changing headlines are concerned. From COVID-19 and murder hornets, to the suspension of live music and an inability to visit a movie theater anywhere in the United States, 2020 is challenging everyone to keep their head above water. It is also giving us some truly incredible records, and that is what we are trying to focus today.

Musicians in 2020 are more in tune with the state of the world than previous generations. Artists from every genre are discussing topics like politics and the economy in a direct manner, and very few are pulling any punches when about those in power. The music being created right now is doing more to unite people and bring us hope for a better future than any leader, and we believe more great songs are coming in the months ahead.

Picking our favorite albums of the year is a tradition that goes back as far as this blog. We never have the time to highlight every release that leaves a positive impact on us, but we did want to pull ten albums we believe are essential listening experiences. There is no ranking or order to the presentation here. We only ask that you set aside a little time to give each artist or group a chance to change your life.

Trivium – What The Dead Men Say

What The Dead Men Say, Trivium’s ninth studio album reflects on the past in hopes of saving the future. The band – Matt Heafy, Corey Beaulieu, Paolo Gregoletto, and Alex Bent – pull from everything they’ve done to deliver an album that serves as a thesis statement for Trivium’s career. It’s a relentlessly heavy, yet undeniably melodic exploration of existence that pulls from philosophy and mythology in equal measure to paint an elaborately-detailed portrait of what makes us human. Fans will hear hints of the youthful confidence that fueled Ember To Inferno and Ascendency, alongside the grit of In Waves and melancholy of Silence In The Snow. How Trivium combines these seemingly conflicting ideas gel is one of the record’s many wonders. That said, the real mastery lies in their ability to do so while also creating incredibly accessible music for new listeners. [Full review]

Run The Jewels – RTJ4

Run The Jewels could not have anticipated how much the world would need RTJ4 when they set its June 5 release date. Fan demand was already high, but after the last two weeks in America, the music of El-P and Killer Mike has a new sense of urgency. The booming beats and tongue-in-cheek lyrics on life and death in a broken system seep through your ear canal and take residence in your cerebellum. It’s a soundtrack to survival for a generation raised to believe that living under the surveillance of other people is normal that demands we strategize ways to create lasting change that benefits all people. It’s going to get worse before it gets better, but that’s okay because the outcome will be worth the struggle. [Full Review]

Best Ex – Good At Feeling Bad

Not one to fall into the tropes of Bukowski or Salinger that entangle many of her musical peers, Mariel Loveland’s style of storytelling is one of wide-eyed optimism presented in the face of uncertainty with unabashed honesty. She’s neither the hero nor the villain in her journey. Her perspective is that of a world traveler that has felt the overwhelming joy of mass acceptance and the cold chill of failure. Good At Feeling Bad is about what comes after all that, which is where the real adventure begins. Loveland knows anything is possible, and she’s open to whatever the next chapter entails. [Full review]

Lamb of God – Lamb of God

On their new, self-titled release, Lamb of God targets all the topics that most of us choose to ignore because implementing meaningful change often feels impossible. The band asks that we stop accepting a world where everything is on fire and demands that we do something about it. Everything from the opioid crisis, to school shootings and immigration, is put in the spotlight through some of the group’s heaviest production to date, all to make us pay attention to the broken state of civilization. If you’ve fallen victim to complacency, Lamb of God is here to deliver a wakeup call that will shake your bones and clear the cobwebs from your mind. It is a reminder that you are more powerful than you know, and it is your responsibility to use your strength for good. [Full review]

Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit – Reunions

Reunions examines the role we play in the world around us. Jason Isbell and his band, The 400 Unit, leave no rock unturned in their search for answers to life’s biggest questions regarding purpose and grief. The album provides few solutions on either front but finds comfort in acknowledging that we are on this journey through the chaos of existence. If we can learn to love one another and shed the weight of stress and mistakes from our past, Isbell believes we can find a lasting sense of peace amidst the turmoil of our daily lives. It’s a big idea that some will think impossible, and he understands that. Rather than giving listeners an optimistic ear-beating, he focuses on crafting undeniably soulful songs in hopes people will reconsider our limitless potential for change. [Full review]

Dance Gavin Dance – Afterburner

Afterburner finds Dance Gavin Dance refining their talents while pushing the creative envelop wherever possible. It’s the kind of musical chaos and experimentation that would border on cacophony if it were attempted by anyone less skilled or in sync than the members of the group. Track to track, beat to beat, Dance Gavin Dance work to find new ways to catch fans off guard while simultaneously giving them precisely what they expect. It’s a magic trick of sorts, handled by musical magicians making seriously unserious music with the precision of fine craftsman. [Full review]

Dogleg – Melee

Dogleg, the latest in a long line of alternative bands to rise from the mitten state in recent years, is chasing dreams of changing lives and selling records with a passion unmatched by their peers. The band’s Triple Crown Records debut, Melee, speaks to that ferocity with ten songs built upon all the angst and stress of trying to survive in our modern times. It’s a cathartic collection of high hopes and broken dreams that reaches through the speakers with each note and lyric, urging listeners to get off their ass and influence positive change in the world around them. [Full review]

 Body Count – Carnivore

Carnivore continues Body Count’s reputation for speaking their minds on the state of the world. It’s an album about taking life by the reigns, taking responsibility for your actions, and working to create the world you want to see. Body Count has grown tired of people complaining, especially when they’re not doing anything to influence change, so they use this record to ignite our collective desire to fight for a better life. They believe nothing happens unless you work to make it happen, and they use this record to urge listeners to take action. [Full review]

The Amity Affliction – Everyone Loves You…Once You Leave Them

Australian post-hardcore favorites The Amity Affliction are internationally recognized for their fierce lyricism and hard-hitting music. Their time in the spotlight has a devoted following of fans who wear their hearts on their sleeves with clenched fists and weary eyes. For them, the music The Amity Affliction creates is about more than trudging through the experience of existence. Fans know the group is writing to inspire rebellion, both from the world as we know it and from the people they were in the past, in hopes we all seek to reborn as better, more empathetic human beings. [Full review]

Hot Mulligan – You’ll Be Fine

Michigan’s Hot Mulligan is leading a long-overdue alternative uprising that emphasizes heart over tradition. Their music takes the moments in life most keep to themselves and leverages them through big hooks to create a welcoming, fully-transparent presentation that helps the group stand out from many of their peers. You’ll Be Fine teaches us how to be like them by urging us to get over ourselves before we become someone we hate.

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Haulix Recommends: Best Ex – ‘Good At Feeling Bad’

Combining equal parts heartache and hopefulness, the enchanting new EP from Best Ex will make you dance and cry, possibly at the same time.

Oh, to be young and finding yourself under the (pre-COVID) lights of New York City. It sounds like a fantasy to many, one that movies and books explore repeatedly, but for Mariel Loveland, it’s a real-life experience. She’s overcoming heartache and learning what matters most to her in a place where the possibilities are endless, and she captures every sensation on Good At Feeling Bad, the latest EP from Best Ex.

Not one to fall into the tropes of Bukowski or Salinger that entangle many of her musical peers, Loveland’s style of storytelling is one of wide-eyed optimism presented in the face of uncertainty with unabashed honesty. She’s neither the hero nor the villain in her journey. Her perspective is that of a world traveler that has felt the overwhelming joy of mass acceptance and the cold chill of failure. Good At Feeling Bad is about what comes after all that, which is where the real adventure begins. Loveland knows anything is possible, and she’s open to whatever the next chapter entails.

“Gap Tooth (On My Mind),” the opening track and recent single, places the notion of caring for one’s self front and center. It begins as any breakup song would, with an evident longing for a connection that has recently severed, but as the first verse gives way to the chorus, a more grounded and rational way of thinking emerges. Loveland’s broken heart is begging for something immediate to soothe the wound, such as a kiss from a stranger or a night lived with reckless abandon, but her mind knows better. Life has taught her that trying to fill the void the exists when someone you love leaves with anything less than a more significant emotional connection will ultimately lead to a pang of more profound sadness. A wild night might be fun, but the next day she will wake with the same longing in her soul, so what is the point?

Later, on “Lemons,” Loveland breaks from the adage of making lemonade to suggest biting the lemons life serves instead. That message, which is mirrored on the track “Bad Love,” perfectly encapsulates how age and experience are informing her perspective on life. You can go through your time on this planet sugar-coating reality to make it more palatable, or you can face challenges head-on and learn from them. The music of Best Ex tells us that running from the truth never gets you very far and that real growth stems from putting in the work to be the person you are to become. 

But Loveland isn’t foolish enough to believe such decisions are easy. “Feed The Sharks,” for example, ruminates on the feelings of regret and unease that follow difficult choices. She understands that knowing what you should be doing and following through with it are two different things. Personal development is not a straight path. It’s a complex web of choices and feelings that rage like tornadoes in our chest, and even when we do what is best for us, we often feel bad. Luckily, she’s getting good at living with that feeling.

Haulix Recommends is a recurring feature where the Haulix staff chooses one or more recent releases from their clients. Click here to discover more great music being promoted through Haulix.

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News Podcasts

Best Ex Appears on the new Inside Music Podcast

Less than two weeks before her EP release, Best Ex Mariel Loveland stops by Inside Music to discuss lockdown and the creative process.

The world needs Mariel Loveland. A pop-punk road warrior turned introspective alt-pop creative, Loveland’s work captures moments in time and preserves them for posterity. Her songs touch on the familiar tropes of great music, such as love and growing up, but her exploration of those themes breathes new life into each idea. Listening to her music transports you to a late-night subway ride seated by her side and into her bedroom with your feet on the wall as you overthink everything that happened earlier that evening. Loveland is a storyteller who shares her tales through song, and anyone foolish enough to ignore her inevitably comes to regret that decision. That is what makes her stage name, Best Ex, so fitting. She’s someone you can’t forget.

On May 22, Best Ex will release Good At Feeling Bad, a collection of songs capturing all the pain and joy that comes with finding yourself. Loveland’s signature croon reigns over a series of synth-heavy production that finds a balance between being comforting sad souls and demanding listeners move their butts. The space that Good at Feeling Bad creates makes it possible for listeners to love themselves, and in doing so, gain a new appreciation for everything they experience. Loveland understands that life isn’t about hiding from pain or avoiding tough decisions; it’s about facing the world head-on and searching for happiness. You may not always find what you’re looking for, but the journey is worth whatever comes with it.

On this episode of Inside Music, host James Shotwell calls Mariel Loveland, otherwise known as Best Ex, to discuss her upcoming EP, Good At Feeling Bad. Mariel tells James about her life in lockdown, finding inspiration, and how she learned to stop overthinking her creative process. It’s an illuminating conversation with one of alternative music’s best songwriters, and we think you’ll appreciate the results.

Prefer VIDEO? Watch the interview happen below.

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Haulix Recommends: Best Ex – “Gap Tooth (On My Mind)”

On “Gap Tooth (On My Mind),” Best Ex provides listeners a space to escape their worries and discover emotional catharsis in the wake of heartbreak.

It’s unclear who was the first artist to realize the best cure for sadness is movement. There were probably generations of musicians who understood this simple fact long before recorded music existed. People would gather in concert halls or theaters or around fires burning as high as the materials would allow, and they would dance while music played. They danced to shake off the worries of the world, to free themselves from the concerns of the day or what may lie ahead in the future. They did whatever they could to be fully present in the moment, and in doing so, reconnect with their souls.

Mariel Loveland, otherwise known to the world as the face and voice of Best Ex, is the latest in a line of musicians stretching back centuries to provide that excuse for escapism we so desperately crave. What sets her apart, however, is that she seeks freedom through processing emotions rather than running away from them. Her music creates a space where listeners can work through complicated feelings of love and loss while simultaneously giving them an excuse to move their bodies. It’s a fine line to walk, and it requires surgeon-like precision to master, but Loveland and her musical cohorts do so in a manner that makes such artistic expression seem easy.

“Gap Tooth (On My Mind),” the latest single from Best Ex, places the notion of caring for one’s self front and center. The track begins as any breakup song would, with an evident longing for a connection that has recently been severed, but as the first verse gives way to the chorus, a more grounded and rational way of thinking emerges. Loveland’s broken heart is begging for something immediate to soothe the wound, such as a kiss from a stranger or a night lived with reckless abandon, but her mind knows better. Life has taught her that trying to fill the void the exists when someone you love leaves with anything less than a more significant emotional connection will ultimately lead to a pang of more profound sadness. A wild night might be fun, but the next day she will wake with the same longing in her soul, so what is the point?

But there’s another problem, and it’s the key to what makes “Gap Tooth (On My Mind)” a compelling song. The recognition of what you should and shouldn’t do when soothing a broken heart does not help with the healing process. Loveland doesn’t want to find someone else, nor does she wish to forget everything she shared with this other person. What she wants more than anything, for better and worse, is the other person in the story. Loveland’s built her life around someone she wants to be with, and knowing that cannot continue has left her at a loss. The only thing she can do is work through the pain, and “Gap Tooth (On My Mind)” provides the perfect song foundation to do that through dance.

The beauty of dance is that it has no rules. We’ve all seen the reality competitions and social media clips of people moving their bodies in jaw-dropping ways, but those individuals are outliers in the world of dance. Most people, including myself, don’t move like that. I don’t know what I look like dancing, but graceful is not a word I associate with how I move to the music I enjoy. What I do know, however, is that allowing myself to get lost in sound and movement is the most freeing experience on Earth. With “Gap Tooth (On My Mind),” Best Ex provides everyone with the ability to shake off the pain and stresses of existence, and that is all any song can hope to offer.

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