#Death Valley Superbloom

[aniron48]

Hello Ani! I hope you're doing so so well! I am shamelessly asking for my aura if you're not tired of these asks already <3

@macontheweb hello, lovely Mac! I hope you’re doing well, too! 💜

Your aura is the color of the rare and stunning Death Valley Superbloom:

The Death Valley Superbloom is one of the most incredible phenomena to grace US national parks—in this case, Death Valley, which got its name in part because it is usually the hottest and driest national park in the country. But it’s also home to something astonishing: every now and again, when the wind, temperature, and rain are exactly right, what is normally rock and soil bursts with gorgeous, colorful softness.

We often think of deserts in terms of their hardiness, their endurance—the conditions they are capable of creating and persisting through. Sometimes, this is metaphor enough—sometimes people need to hear that they are strong, and that is okay. But in my experience, the opposite is also true: sometimes we get in a habit of telling people that they are strong, that they are resilient, and this gift can start to feel a lot like an extra burden to carry. Strength, in so many respects, is something we put on for other people. Instead, sometimes we need to hear that we can be vulnerable, we can be soft, we can show our tender bellies and hearts to the world and trust that it can sustain us for a little while, instead of the other way around. So, too, the color of your aura: look what delicate gorgeousness can bloom when all that strength gets to give way to what is resting underneath, waiting for its moment in the sun.

In another one of my favorite Gerard Manley Hopkins poems, in which he is trying to convince his mind to let him have a moment of peace, he urges himself to “leave comfort root-room.” And I think this is a kind of Superbloom, too.

💜💜💜💜

[thechembow]

Tourists flock to see Death Valley in bloom

Apr. 19, 2024 - Good Morning America

Gorgeous fields of wildflowers are taking over California with bright yellow daisies even popping up in Death Valley, the driest and hottest place in America.

[whipplefilter]

Hey Whipple! Hope you’re doing good! Just wanted to say that I’m a very big fan of your account! Your Cars headcanons are very interesting and well thought out.

I think that for years , McQueen thought the same thing that most guys think: the only time men get flowers will be at their funeral.

I would love to see you write something about Sally finding out about this and this inspiring her to give him flowers! I think it would be a nice story and you’re great at writing those!

I actually think that Lightning is probably a little too well-acquainted with gifts of all kinds, flowers included--to a degree that, even now, he doesn't quite realize isn't normal. He's a well-loved celebrity; random cars he's never met are *constantly* sending him things (care of the racing headquarters; sometimes Harv's talent agency's office; and often Fred-style, at the track), and this includes flowers.

What happens to the flowers:

They become place settings and room decor at the Cozy Cone and the Wheel Well

Mater tries to see how many bouquets he can fit in his engine bay and becomes a portable planter box

Sarge takes them out to the military cemetery

Fillmore makes tinctures

The big ones become pumpside eyecatchers at Flo's

Sally tends to give experiences more than gifts, but yes, she's done flowers. Not for Valentine's Day--it's too often in the middle of Speedweeks, and even when it's not, it's the start of the Piston Cup season and thinks are Busy. It's nearly time for high season in Arizona tourism, too, so Sally has a lot to prepare for.

But in spring, when the snows are gone but it's not yet blazingly hot--the kind of blazing that gets cars in trouble when their coolant or their transmission fluid overheats, the kind of blazing for which Death Valley has been named--Sally takes Lightning out for a drive.

And they see wildflowers in superbloom.

[indiedynamo]

DEATH VALLEY SUPERBLOOM IG indiedynamo

[brucestambaughsblog]

Beauty Along the Way

Wild Lupine growing along a fire road in Shenandoah National Park. Photo by Bruce Stambaugh This is the fifth post in a series celebrating National Park Week. When you are in a national park, don’t forget to look down. You don’t want to miss the many wildflowers prolific in all but the winter. Even Death Valley is currently having a superbloom. I would love to see that sometime. In the…

[seeyeps]

Poppy Super Bloom 2023

What is a poppy super bloom? A poppy super bloom is a rare event in which the desert floor becomes covered in a blanket of California poppies. Super blooms typically occur after an unusually wet winter, when the conditions are just right for mass germination.

The last recorded poppy super bloom in California took place in 1998. The next predicted poppy super bloom will occur in 2023.

Poppy Super Bloom 2023 is an annual event that occurs in the springtime. It is a time when the poppy flowers in California's Antelope Valley bloom in massive numbers. The carpet of orange blossoms can stretch for miles and is truly a sight to behold.

This year's bloom is expected to be even bigger and better than usual, thanks to favorable weather conditions. So if you're looking for something beautiful to see next year, make sure to add the Poppy Super Bloom to your list!

Will There Be a Superbloom in 2023?

There is no easy answer to this question. While conditions in California have been favorable for a superbloom in recent years, there is no guarantee that 2023 will see another one. Superblooms are caused by a combination of factors, including precipitation, temperature, and soil moisture.

All of these conditions must be just right in order for a superbloom to occur. Another factor that can impact the occurrence of a superbloom is the presence of certain desert plants. Some species of desert plants actually help to promote blooms by releasing chemicals that encourage seed germination.

So even if conditions are otherwise favorable for a superbloom, if these key plants are not present, it may not happen. predicting whether or not a superbloom will occur in any given year is difficult at best. However, if you're hoping to see one in 2023, keep your fingers crossed and hope for the best!

Where is the Super Bloom in Southern California?

The Super bloom is a natural phenomenon that occurs every few years in Southern California. It is caused by the perfect combination of rainfall and sunshine, which allows the wildflowers to flourish. This year, the Super bloom is expected to peak in late February or early March.

What Month Do California Poppies Bloom?

March and April are the best months to see California poppies in bloom. The state flower of California, these cheerful annuals are easy to grow and make a great addition to any spring garden. Plant them in full sun in well-drained soil and enjoy their showy blooms all season long!

Is There a Super Bloom in Death Valley This Year?

This year, there is an incredible super bloom in Death Valley! The last time this happened was in 2005, and it's been dry since then. This year's bloom is thanks to the drought conditions we've had recently.

The desert floor is covered in wildflowers, and it's truly a sight to see. If you're planning on visiting Death Valley this spring, be sure to check out the super bloom!

California Super Bloom 2023

The California Super Bloom is an annual event that takes place in the state of California. It is a time when the wildflowers bloom in abundance, creating a stunning and colorful display. The event typically lasts for several weeks, and it attracts visitors from all over the world.

The first recorded super bloom took place in 1858, and since then there have been numerous super blooms throughout California history. The most recent one occurred in 2017, when the desert area of Anza-Borrego State Park was blanketed with wildflowers. The next California Super Bloom is predicted to occur in 2023.

This will be a particularly special event, as it will coincide with the 200th anniversary of the state's admission into the United States. There are many factors that contribute to a super bloom, but the main one is rainfall. Above-average rains during the winter months help to trigger the growth of wildflower seeds that have been dormant in the ground for years.

Once these seeds germinate, they quickly grow and bloom during the springtime. If you're hoping to see the 2023 California Super Bloom, start making your plans now! This will be an event that you won't want to miss!

Super Bowl 2023

Super Bowl LIII, also known as Super Bowl 53, is scheduled to be the 53rd annual championship game of the National Football League (NFL). The game is scheduled to be played on February 3, 2023 at a yet-to-be-determined stadium. This will be the first Super Bowl held in Los Angeles since 1993 and only the second time that the city has hosted the game (the other being in 1967).

The Rams are set to host the game as their new home, SoFi Stadium, is set to open in 2020. Los Angeles was originally awarded Super Bowl LV in 2021, but due to construction delays with SoFi Stadium, they were instead given Super Bowl LVI in 2022. The NFL then decided that Los Angeles would host Super Bowl LIII one year later.

Anza Borrego Super Bloom

The Anza-Borrego Desert State Park is located in southern California and is the largest desert state park in the United States. The park covers an area of 600,000 acres and includes parts of both the Sonoran and Mojave deserts. The Anza-Borrego Desert State Park is home to more than 500 species of animals and over 2,000 species of plants.

One of the most popular attractions in the park is the annual Super Bloom. This phenomenon occurs when there is an unusually large amount of rainfall in the desert which causes wildflowers to bloom. The last Super Bloom occurred in 2017 and it was one of the most spectacular displays of wildflowers in recent memory.

Spring Wildflowers

There's something about wildflowers that just makes us happy. Maybe it's their bright colors or the fact that they're a sign of springtime. Whatever the reason, we can't help but smile when we see them popping up all over the place.

If you're looking to add some wildflowers to your spring landscape, here are a few of our favorites: 1. Bluebells (Mertensia virginica) - These beautiful blue flowers are one of the first signs of spring in many parts of the country. They typically bloom in April and May and prefer moist, wooded areas.

2. Trillium (Trillium spp.) - Another flower that blooms early in the season, trillium come in a variety of colors including white, pink, and red. They're often found in forested areas and can be difficult to grow in cultivation. 3. Bloodroot (Sanguinaria Canadensis) - One of the first wildflowers to bloom in spring, bloodroot gets its name from the deep red color of its roots.

The delicate white flowers appear for only a brief time before giving way to large leaves for the rest of the season. 4. Dutchman's Breeches (Dicentra cucullaria) - This unique flower looks like tiny pairs of pants hanging from delicate stems. They bloom from April to June and prefer shady areas with moist soil.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the poppy super bloom in 2023 is sure to be a magnificent sight. The picturesque scene of colorful flowers against the backdrop of the mountains will be something that visitors will remember for years to come.

[xtruss]

A long-exposure photograph shows a field of Phacelia flowers waving in the wind in the Temblor Range of the Carrizo Plain National Monument in 2017. © Provided by National Geographic

Why 2023 Could Be The Year of The Superbloom

An abundance of rain in California has set the stage for an epic “sea of flowers” this spring. Here’s how to see this increasingly rare phenomenon—responsibly.

A long-exposure photograph shows a field of Phacelia flowers waving in the wind in the Temblor Range of the Carrizo Plain National Monument in 2017.

— Photographs By Justin Benttinen | January 18, 2023 | By Alejandra Borunda

“Superblooms” of California and the U.S. Southwest are the stuff of (literal) legend. For centuries, Indigenous communities have celebrated massive springtime blossomings of chia, desert lilies, tarweeds, sunflowers, and other flowers with edible seeds or roots. “Fields as verdant as they are flower-covered touch the very waters of the sea,” wrote Spanish colonist Juan Bautista de Anza in 1774.

Today, these floral explosions are confined to pockets of relatively undisturbed habitats, mostly in the vast southwestern deserts of California, Arizona, and Nevada, and pop up only after a good rain year—an increasingly rare event in an era of climate change.

Flowers in the Phacelia genus, desert candle, and California goldfields drape the hillsides of Carrizo Plain National Monument during the 2019 bloom.

Of the 200 species of Phacelia wildflowers, California is home to 90—making it especially diverse.

This winter, California has seen an abundance—and in some cases overabundance—of rain, which has fallen relatively consistently since late autumn. That’s setting the stage for an excellent bloom, says Abby Wines, a ranger at Death Valley National Park in southern California—though it’s too early to tell if it will be on par with the legendary 2005 bloom, or even the 2017 or 2019 ones.

“It may or may not end up being a superbloom,” a term which has no technical definition and was coined sometime in the 1990s, she says. “But we’re predicting a well-above average bloom.”

But the glorious natural events are under threat—from hundreds of thousands of flower tourists who sometimes trample delicate blooms and soil; invasive species; ongoing development; and climate change, which is already making the region drier and hotter.

Angelenos used to take trams to Pasadena and Altadena to frolic in fields of poppies, as seen in this 1903 photograph. Photograph By Sepia Times/Universal Images Group Via Getty Images

Californians bragged about their breathtaking flower displays, which graced the cover of this 1935 postcard. Photo By Smith Collection/GADO/Getty Images

Spectacular Superblooms of the Past

Springtime annual wildflower blooms have happened for at least tens of thousands of years, driven in large part by fickle winter rains that would in some years bathe the California landscape from about December through February.

In the distant past, these blooms were often excellent—and enormous. Early Spanish colonizers described years when late winter-blooming native wildflowers stretched along coastal prairies and up narrow canyons, from what’s now the southernmost tip of California all the way up to the Bay Area, through the Central Valley and Sierra foothills, and beyond. After tribal communities collected the abundant edible seeds, they often burned fields intentionally—a strategy that likely encouraged consistent flower regrowth. John Muir described the Central Valley as an “inland sea” lined with blue flowers.

Even through the early 20th century, blooms persisted even in heavily populated Los Angeles County. After a good winter, the San Pasqual hills near Pasadena would glow with poppies: Angelenos hopped on trolleys en masse to the see the flowers. In 1895, one giddy visitor told the Los Angeles Times “it is as if the brightest sunset clouds had dropped down and wrapped the hills in its mantle.” In 1929, a National Geographic writer gushed that “in the early spring, California dons her party dress… literally all outdoors become one vast garden of flowers, until it seems there is no end to the colorful panorama.”

But as development pushed farther out, and more landscapes were converted to agriculture, grazing, subdivisions, or as invasive plants outcompeted the slightly fussy native seedlings, many of California’s spring flower fields disappeared.

“It’s one of the tragedies of the superbloom,” says Naomi Fraga, a botanist at the California Botanic Garden. “L.A. had these extraordinary opportunities to enjoy nature in their city the way it had been.”

Today, seas of flowers emerge almost exclusively in state or national parks—and especially desert regions including Death Valley, Anza-Borrego, Joshua Tree, and the arid Carrizo Plain, where flowers’ emergence contrasts spectacularly with the subdued dry-phase landscapes.

Even in the driest drought, deserts aren’t wastelands, but a flower miracle waiting to happen, says Daniel Winkler, a USGS desert expert: The seeds that feed the blooms are always present in the soil by the billions, just waiting—sometimes for decades—for the right conditions.

“The abundance is always there,” says Evan Meyer, director of the native plant-focused Theodore Payne Foundation, and “each superbloom is seeding the future.”

Fiddlenecks thrive in the Carrizo Plain National Monument during the 2017 bloom.

Why Do Superblooms Happen—and What’s Threatened?

Their occurrence is still shrouded in botanical alchemy. There are a few basic ingredients: a good rain year, but one where rains come consistently over several months and not in a single deluge; cool nighttime temperatures; and a well-stocked seed bank. “The preparation for a superbloom isn’t a sprint, it’s a marathon,” says Justen Whittall, a plant biologist at Santa Clara University.

Historical observations—cobbled together from botanists, European explorers, and later newspaper reports—suggest these conditions have historically lined up every decade or so, often following a drought but during an El Niño year, when the U.S. West tends to receive more rainfall.

But climate change is reshaping some of those cues. Instead of smaller, recurring winter storms, precipitation is coming in record-breaking deluges, like the recent spate of atmospheric rivers that dumped a year’s worth of rain onto California in just a few weeks. And heat waves are now sweeping through in the winter, jumpstarting germination at the wrong time, or drying out delicate baby seedlings.

“That’s all making it harder on the native wildflowers,” says Fraga, while favoring introduced species such as Saharan mustard or oatgrass, which grow with impunity under the same conditions.

“I have a lot of respect for these [native] plants, but in some ways they’re kind of wimpy. They’re not strong competitors,” she says, making it even more important to treat them with care when they do bloom, so they can survive and dump their seeds back into the soil to germinate again in the future.

Superblooms also occur in other parts of the world—after all, wildflowers are everywhere. Whittall saw a spectacular South Africa bloom full of familiar-ish wildflowers, and even the rain-starved Atacama Desert occasionally bursts into flower.

A rainbow arches over the Carrizo Plain blooms during a light rain in 2017.

How Can You See Them—Responsibly?

Whether or not 2023 yields a superbloom, visiting spectacular flowers is a really excellent way “to get excited and start thinking about plants,” says Meyer.

The “fragile, special, and in some ways dwindling experiences” can inspire deep relationships with the landscapes around us, he says—and get people involved in protecting them for the next bloom, some 10 years away.

Meyer and others offered a few rules of thumb for being a responsible flower tourist.

First, consider heading to less-trafficked blooms. Anza-Borrego Desert State Park can get over 200,000 visitors during a good flower season, while 2017’s bloom in Joshua Tree National Park brought in more than 1.5 million people.

When you’re there, tread carefully, says Daniel Winkler, a desert biologist for the U.S. Geological Survey: Desert and arid landscapes don’t recover quickly, and “a footprint can last a decade.” So stay on-trail and try not to step in or among the flowers.

Learn before you go—stop at a ranger station, call a “wildflower hotline,” and learn about the vast array of different flowers you might encounter.

Plant your own poppy fields! “What if we brought these flowers back to urban landscapes?” asks Meyer. Convert your front yard, balcony, or whatever space you have into a native wildflower haven. Neat!

Top: Photo Credit: James W. Cornett, Ecological Consultants. Left: Photo Credit: Collin Barrows Right: Photo Credit: Collin Barrows

[angryraptor13]

It's a thing that actually happens in Death Valley, see "superblooms" 😃

I don't know if there's anything that contradicts this, but I personally imagine that the "restored" Great Barren looks kinda like this:

For the sole reason that it facilitates Western shenanigans on post-restoration Spherus Magna.

[earthstory]

skyglowproject

Glorious

@deathvalleynps

superbloom, caused by rare heavy rainfall in the winter months, graces the heavens for SKYGLOWPROJECT.COM

[ppajeon]

[exitwound]

in death valley it doesn’t rain. but in the winter of 2004, 7 inches of rain fell in a very short period of time. and in the spring of 2005, the whole valley was covered in flowers in an ecological phenomenon called a “superbloom”. although rare, this is actually “super” natural. also in 2005, the cw

[victorvolta]

October 14, 2019

Admittedly, I’m not a marketing whiz. But I do enjoy blending my photographic skills with my also admittedly meager graphic design skills. That being said, I think what works best for designing marketing materials for photographers (in this case a new set of business cards) is simplicity.

Sample card with a Death Valley photo 

I was thrilled with the most recent batch of cards I ordered from Moo.com. The card stock was thick and sturdy. They were a little pricier than Vistaprint, but the quality was superior. Now that I’m nearly out of cards, rather than do a simple reorder, I decided to design a whole new set. What I especially love about using MOO is that while I can have one standard front side, I can do fifty different backs, which is perfect for a photographer with an extensive library of images. The hardest part is winnowing it down to fifty. What I’ll probably do this time is place two different orders so I can increase the variety of cards even further. Here’s a handful of other favorites I’m having printed.

For the card design, I use Adobe InDesign, the same software I used to design my book (see below). I also use Adobe’s Lightroom and Photoshop to organize and edit the photographs themselves.

A reminder: my book about the John Muir Trail, “As I Was Walking: Two Summers Exploring and Photographing the John Muir Trail” is on sale through Apple Books.

Here’s a direct link to the Apple Book store: “As I Was Walking”

The Fun Side of Marketing – Design October 14, 2019 Admittedly, I'm not a marketing whiz. But I do enjoy blending my photographic skills with my also admittedly meager graphic design skills.

[teribocko]

Twirling in the desert with a few million yellow friends. During the Death Valley National Park Superbloom in 2016.

http://teribphotography.com/2019/03/23/be-still-my-heart-super-bloom-in-death-valley-california/

[jezfletcher]

1000 Albums, 2020: The Big Lists

Hey folks, I’ve written up my top albums and my top tracks of 2020, but there’s so much music released in a year, and restricting myself to just 30 albums, and 50 tracks is a difficult task.

As a result, I’ve compiled a longer list of my top tracks and albums (without write-ups), for your perusal. This is obviously more for the sake of completeness, but are here in case you’re interested in finding out if I at all rated something you liked this year (or, if you’re Sam, if you want to actually do a detailed comparison).

Want playlists? I’ve got playlists for you too:

My Top 50 Countdown - which I posted yesterday. This provides a sorted countdown of my top tracks from #1 to #50. (50 tracks)

My Top Tracks - a longer list of all the tracks I really rated highly this year. This accounts for a much larger number of artists, and includes most of the tracks I’ve listed below. (169 tracks)

My Top Tracks & Albums - a playlist containing all my top tracks, plus selections from all of my favourite albums of the year. (216 tracks)

My Top Tracks, Albums + Much, Much More - Are you game? Contains a huge, varied collection of music that we listened to this year. I really enjoyed all these tracks, and they provide a much broader collection of albums, artists and genres. (1,014 tracks)

Anyway, without further ado here’s my Top 200 Tracks, and Top 100 Albums:

Top Albums of 2020

100. Winnetka Bowling League - Congratulations (power pop)

99. Locate S, 1 - Personalia (art pop)

98. Dua Lipa - Future Nostalgia (pop)

97. LukHash - Transient Offworld (synthwave)

96. The Drowns - Under Tension (street punk)

95. The Mystic Underground - Wrapped in Riddles (electro disco)

94. Jonathan Wilson - Dixie Blur (Americana noir folk)

93. Mighty Oaks - All Things Go (indie folk rock)

92. Kiesza - Crave (synthpop)

91. Dance Gavin Dance - Afterburner (post hardcore)

90. The O��Reillys and the Paddyhats - Dogs on the Leash (Celtic punk)

89. Warm Digits - Flight of Ideas (krautrock)

88. Dandelion Wine - Le Cœur (Australio dreamfolktronica)

87. Marc Scibilia - Seed of Joy (indie singer-songwriter)

86. Biffy Clyro - A Celebration of Endings (Scottish indie rock)

85. Savant - Void (complextro)

84. Cordovas - Destiny Hotel (Americana folk)

83. TTRRUUCES - TTRRUUCES (wonky pop)

82. The Claudettes - High Times in the Dark (Chicago piano blues)

81. Dustbowl Revival - Is It You, Is It Me (post country)

80. Sea Wolf - Through a Dark Wood (indie folk rock)

79. Cory Wong - The Striped Album (funk rock)

78. Someone - ORBIT II (psych pop)

77. Days N’ Daze - Show Me The Blueprints (H-town thrashgrass)

76. Blossoms - Foolish Loving Spaces (indie pop)

75. Kyros - Celexa Dreams (prog synth rock)

74. Dub Pistols - Addict (dub)

73. Grimes - Miss Anthropocene (dreampop)

72. The Hanging Stars - A New Kind of Sky (psychedelic folk)

71. Neon Trees - I Can Feel You Forgetting Me (indie pop)

70. The Corner Laughers - Temescal Telegraph (folk pop)

69. 3D Stas - Eleven (soiltronica)

68. Pantayo - Pantayo (kulingtang gong pop)

67. The National Parks - Wildflower (folk rock)

66. Pigeon John - Gotta Good Feeling (underground rap)

65. Novo Amor - Cannot Be, Whatsover (indie folk rock)

64. The Explorers Club - The Explorers Club (sunshine pop)

63. Poppy - I Disagree (bubblegum metal)

62. Overcoats - The Fight (indie pop)

61. Chemtrails - The Peculiar Smell of the Inevitable (psychedelic garage pop)

60. Joywave - Possession (indie pop)

59. Heart Bones - Hot Dish (indie pop)

58. Mitochondrial Sun - Mitochondrial Sun (darktronica)

57. L.A. Salami - The Cause of Doubt & A Reason To Have Faith (post blues)

56. Car Seat Headrest - Making a Door Less Open (alt rock)

55. Tunng - Dead Club (folktronica)

54. Butch Walker - American Love Story (glam rock)

53. Polly Scattergood - In This Moment (experimental pop)

52. The Beautiful Fear - The Waltz of the Moonshine Blind (prog rock)

51. The Altogether - Silo (acoustic pop rock)

50. KES - We Home (Trinidadian soca)

49. Man Man - Dream Hunting in the Valley of the In-Between (experimental rock)

48. Creeper - Sex, Death & The Infinite Void (horror punk)

47. Darlingside - Fish Pond Fish (indie folk)

46. Enter Shikari - Nothing Is True & Everything Is Possible (electronicore)

45. Trixie Mattel - Barbara (drag country)

44. City Mouth - Coping Machine (indie pop rock)

43. Bright Eyes - Down In The Weeds Where The World Once Was (indie rock)

42. The Texas Gentlemen - Floor It!!! (heartland rock)

41. Will Wood - The Normal Album (cabaret rock)

40. Maeve Gilchrist - The Harpweaver (harp folk)

39. rook&nomie - me&you (experimental pop)

38. Steep Canyon Rangers & Asheville Symphony - Be Still Moses (orchestral bluegrass)

37. Fiona Apple - Fetch the Bolt Cutters (art pop)

36. Sea Girls - Open Up Your Head (indie pop rock)

35. Michael Franti & Spearhead - Work Hard & Be Nice (reggae fusion)

34. Oneohtrix Point Never - Magic Oneohtrix Point Never (experimental electronica)

33. Ultrahappyalarm - Critical Daydream (happy hardcore)

32. The Living Tombstone - zero_one (Israeli electro rock)

31. The Flaming Lips - American Head (psychedelic rock)

30. Saint Saviour - Tomorrow Again (experimental folk)

29. Post Animal - Forward Motion Godyssey (psychedelic rock)

28. The Jerry Cans - Echoes (Inuit neo-folk)

27. Aloud - Sprezzaturra (blues rock)

26. The Phenomenal Handclap Band - PHB (psychedelic soul)

25. Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit - Reunions (alt country)

24. Badly Drawn Boy - Banana Skin Shoes

23. MOBS - Cinema Paradiso (80s pastiche pop)

22. Jason Wilson - Sumach Roots (eclectic folk)

21. DMA’s - The Glow (Australio indie rock)

20. Cornershop - England Is A Garden (chamber psych)

19. Igorrr - Spirituality and Distortion (baroque breakcore)

18. Eleventyseven - Basic Glitches (synthpunk)

17. Kate Rusby - Hand Me Down (indie folk)

16. Indigo Girls - Look Long (folk rock)

15. Another Sky - I Slept On The Floor (indie rock)

14. Courteeners - More. Again. Forever (post britpop)

13. Dutty Moonshine Big Band - City of Sin (jazztronica)

12. Nelson Kempf - Family Dollar (art folk)

11. Beans on Toast - The Inevitable Train Wreck (drunken folk rock)

10. Joe Wong - Nite Creatures (baroque pop)

9. Luis Pestana - Rosa Pano (experimental electronica)

8. Sufjan Stevens - The Ascension (art pop)

7. MisterWives - Superbloom (indie pop)

6. Lola Marsh - Someday Tomorrow Maybe (Israeli noir pop)

5. Dyble Longdon - Between a Breath and a Breath (chamber folk)

4. Hugo Kant - Far From Home (downtempo nu-jazz)

3. The Lemon Twigs - Songs For The General Public (alt rock)

2. King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard - K.G. (microtonal psychedelic rock)

1. Ada Rook - 2,020 Knives (electropop concrète)

Top Tracks of 2020

200. Sea Wolf - Forever Nevermore (indie rock) 199. Steep Canyon Rangers & The Asheville Symphony - Easy to Love (orchestral bluegrass) 198. Dandelion Wine - Too Late She Cried (experimental pop) 197. Aloud - Oh Danny (blues rock) 196. Car Seat Headrest - Weightlifters (anti-folk) 195. Michael Franti & Spearhead - I Can Still Feel You (reggae fusion) 194. Dance Gavin Dance - Lyrics Lie (post hardcore) 193. Post Animal - Post Animal (psychedelic rock) 192. La Oreja de Van Gogh - Menos Tú (Spanish indie folk) 191. The Hanging Stars - Heavy Blue (cosmic country) 190. Oneohtrix Point Never - Long Road Home (experimental electronica) 189. Will Wood - I / Me / Myself (cabaret rock) 188. Butch Walker - You Gotta Be Just Who You Are (glam rock) 187. Brothers Osborne - Muskrat Greene (country) 186. Tycho - Easy (downtempo IDM) 185. The Altogether - Brown of Gold (acoustic pop rock) 184. Dua Lipa - Cool (pop) 183. Circa Waves - Jacqueline (indie dance rock) 182. Sangatsu No Phantasia - Rendezvous (Japanese pop rock) 181. Moonchild Sanelly - Bashiri (South African future ghetto punk) 180. Needshes - Love (Uzbek indie pop) 179. The Explorers Club - Ruby (sunshine pop) 178. Osi & the Jupiter - Appalachia (pagan folk) 177. Thievery Corporation - The Forgotten People (Symphonik Version) (orchestral world triphop) 176. Enter Shikari - Marionettes (I. The Discover of Strings) (electronicore) 175. Zuzu - How It Feels (pop rock) 174. Los Mocosos - Viva Los Mocosos (latin funk) 173. DJ Plead - Going For It (mahraganat) 172. Igorrr - Camel Dancefloor (baroque breakcore) 171. Someone - Pull It Together (psych pop) 170. Dizzee Rascal - You Don’t Know (grime) 169. The Corner Laughers - The Accepted Time (power pop) 168. The Claudettes - 24/5 (rock and/or roll) 167. The Ballroom Thieves - Tenebrist (neo Americana) 166. Joe Wong - Day After Day (baroque pop) 165. Porter Robinson - Something Comforting (complextro) 164. Jason Wilson - Happy Little Sisyphus (indie folk) 163. Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit - Be Afraid (alt country) 162. Hayley Williams - Dead Horse (indie pop) 161. Badly Drawn Boy - I Need Somebody to Trust (indie pop rock) 160. Bleached - Stupid Boys (bubblegrunge) 159. Man Man - Lonely Beuys (experimental rock) 158. Dustbowl Revival - Dreaming (neo Americana) 157. The Texas Gentlemen - Easy St. (neo Americana) 156. Maeve Gilchrist - The Storm (harp folk) 155. The Drowns - Them Rats (street punk) 154. Mr. B The Gentleman Rhymer - Frolicholic (chap hop) 153. Zutomayo - Obenkyou Shitoiteyo (Japanese jazz rock) 152. Jonathan Wilson feat. Mark O’Connor - ‘69 Corvette (Americana noir folk) 151. Dub Pistols feat. Natty Campbell - Sound Sweet (dub DnB) 150. Cordovas - I’ma Be Me (Americana folk) 149. The Birthday Massacre - Enter (gothic darkwave) 148. KIDS - The Mourn (indie rock) 147. Kyros - Rumour (prog synth rock) 146. Paul Heaton & Jacqui Abbott - A Good Day Is Hard To Find (pop rock) 145. The O’Reillys and the Paddyhats - James Brian (Celtic punk) 144. The Fizz - The World We Left Behind (MOR pop) 143. Beans on Toast - World Gone Crazy (indie folk) 142. Liraz - Shab Gerye (arab groove) 141. 47 Soul feat. Shadia Mansour & Fedzilla - Border Ctrl (Palestinian shamstep) 140. 3D Stas - Dislocated Minds (soiltronica) 139. Bright Eyes - Tilt-A-Whirl (indie folk rock) 138. Darlingside - Ocean Bed (indie folk) 137. Once and Future Band - Freaks (psych pop) 136. Prizm - We Were Young (synthpop) 135. Z Berg - To Forget You (dreamfolk) 134. L.A. Salami - Things Ain’t Changed (post blues) 133. Kero Kero Bonito - It’s Bugsnax! (hyperpop) 132. Days N’ Daze - Addvice (thrashgrass) 131. Sufjan Stevens - Tell Me You Love Me (art pop) 130. Fiona Apple - Shameika (art rock) 129. Dutty Moonshine Big Band feat. HypeMan Sage - Big Band Fam (jazztronica) 128. Five Finger Death Punch - Leave It All Behind (nu metal) 127. Sundara Karma - Artifice (art pop) 126. TTRRUUCES - Lost Boy (wonky pop) 125. Theory of a Deadman - Ted Bundy (post grunge) 124. The National Parks - I Can Feel It (folk pop) 123. The Innocence Mission - John As Well (ambient folk) 122. King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard - The Hungry Wolf of Fate (microtonal indie rock) 121. The Jerry Cans - Atauttikkut (Inuit folk rock) 120. Sufjan Stevens - Lamentations (art pop) 119. Pigeon John - They Don’t Make Em Like Me (jazz hip hop) 118. Michael Franti & Spearhead - Lay It All Down (reggae fusion) 117. ARASHI - Party Starters (J-pop) 116. Neon Trees - Used To Like (indie pop) 115. Savant feat. Jahari Medina - Zealot (complextro) 114. Alestorm - Tortuga (pirate metal) 113. MisterWives - Valentine’s Day (indie pop) 112. Alex the Astronaut - Happy Song (indie folk pop) 111. Big Freedia feat. Kesha - Chasing Rainbows (bounce) 110. Cory Wong feat. The Hornheads - Click Bait (instrumental funk) 109. Suzzy Roche & Lucy Wainwright Roche - I Think I Am a Soul (neo Americana) 108. Victoria Anthony - Temporary Tattoo (synthpop) 107. Novo Amor - I Feel Better (indie folk rock) 106. Harper Bloom - Walk My Way (indie folk pop) 105. Badly Drawn Boy - Is This a Dream? (indie pop rock) 104. Bywater Call - Arizona (blues rock) 103. Mitochondrial Sun - Chronotopes (voidgaze) 102. Kronkel Dom - Giftig (Deutsch rap house) 101. The Phenomenal Handclap Band - Riot (nu disco) 100. Woodlock - Collateral (indie folk rock) 99. SKIES - It’s Alright (pop rock) 98. Pinguini Tattici Nucleari - Ringo Starr (Italian indie pop) 97. Warm Digits - False Positive (neo-krautrock) 96. Winnetka Bowling League - Come To The Beach (power pop) 95. ViVii - Whistle (folk pop) 94. Fame on Fire - Roxanne (post-screamo) 93. Tunng - Death Is The New Sex (folktronica) 92. Feuerschwanz feat. Melissa Bonny - Ding (neue Deutsche härte) 91. Jamie Cullum - Don’t Give Up On Me (jazz pop) 90. The Living Tombstone - What I Want (Israeli electro rock) 89. Walk Off The Earth - What’s Love Got To Do With It? (indie pop cover) 88. Hildegard von Blingin’ & Cornelius Link feat. Friar Funk - Pumped Up Kicks (bardcore) 87. Loma - Don’t Shy Away (ambient rock) 86. Pantayo - Heto Na (kulingang gong pop) 85. Gin Wigmore - H B I C (indie rock) 84. Dyble Longdon - Crossbones (chamber folk) 83. DMA’s - Never Before (Australian indie rock) 82. Mighty Oaks - Tell Me What You’re Thinking (indie folk rock) 81. Circles Around the Sun - Landline Memories (instrumental prog rock) 80. Blossoms - Your Girlfriend (indie pop rock) 79. Grimes - 4ÆM (industrial pop) 78. Ada Rook - 2,020 Knives (electropop concrète) 77. Walk Off The Earth - Oh What A Feeling (indie pop) 76. AWOLNATION - Radical (stomp pop) 75. Little Big Town - Bluebird (alt country) 74. Dutty Moonshine Big Band feat. HypeMan Sage - Outlaws (jazztronica) 73. Hugo Kant - Everything Is Transformed (downtempo nu-jazz) 72. King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard - Intrasport (microtonal indie pop) 71. Stuck On Planet Earth - Higher Than The Drugs (dance rock) 70. Kesha - Potato Song (Cuz I Want To) (pop) 69. joan - want u back (indie pop) 68. MisterWives - Love Me True (indie pop) 67. Butch Walker - Fuck It (I Don’t Like Love) (glam rock) 66. Heart Bones - This Time It’s Different (indie pop) 65. Anamanaguchi feat. meesh - Pop It (glitchhop) 64. Poppy - Concrete (bubblegum metal) 63. Creeper - Cyanide (alt rock) 62. The Lemon Twigs - Only a Fool (alt rock) 61. Purity Ring - stardew (dreampop) 60. Curt Cannabis - Falling Sensation (indie rock) 59. Custard - Funky Again (Bluey’s dad rock) 58. Ryan Hamilton and the Harlequin Ghosts - Newcastle Charm (power pop) 57. Indigo Girls - Howl at the Moon (ectofolk) 56. Cornershop - Highly Amplified (chamber psych) 55. ShockOne - Follow Me (drum n bass) 54. Yelle - Karaté (French hip hop) 53. Ultrahappyalarm - Wanna Cam??? (hyperpop) 52. Biffy Clyro - Tiny Indoor Fireworks (Scottish alt rock) 51. Heaven Pegasus feat. rook&nomie - Nomi (pop rock) 50. L.E.J. - Pas Peur (French chamber folk) 49. Avec Sans - Altitude (vapor pop) 48. Trixie Mattel - Malibu (pop rock) 47. Beans on Toast - Logic Bomb (jazz folk) 46. Nelson Kempf - Family Dollar (art folk) 45. Marcelyn - Guilloteens (experimental folk rock) 44. Little Big - Hypnodancer (funeral rave) 43. Walk Off The Earth feat. Harm & Ease - Toxic (eclectic pop cover) 42. Stormzy feat. Aitch - Pop Boy (grime) 41. The Fratellis - Six Days in June (pop rock) 40. MOBS - Big World (80s pastiche pop) 39. The Lemon Twigs - The One (alt rock) 38. The Cuckoos - Weekend Lover (glam rock) 37. MisterWives - It’s My Turn (indie pop) 36. Sammy Brue - Pendulum Thieves (alt country) 35. TheFatRat feat. Laura Brehm - We’ll Meet Again (pop EDM) 34. Starbenders - Holy Mother (glam rock) 33. Minh Beta - Let’s Fight COVID! (Vietnamese coronavirus pop) 32. Kiesza feat. Lick Drop, Cocanina & Shan Vincent De Paul - Dance With Your Best Friend (pop) 31. Ultrahappyalarm - Messy Gyaru (happy hardcore) 30. Saint Saviour - Taurus (chamber folk) 29. Kate Rusby - Love of the Common People (indie folk cover) 28. Seazoo - Honey Bee (indie pop rock) 27. City Mouth - Sanity For Summer (indie pop rock) 26. Cory Wong & Chris Thile - Bluebird (jazz-bluegrass crossover) 25. rook&nomie - soft atrocity (hyperpop) 24. Will Joseph Cook - Something To Feel Good About (indie pop) 23. Courteeners - Better Man (britpop) 22. MOBS - School’s Out (80s pastiche pop) 21. Luis Pestana - Sangra (experimental electronica) 20. Hugo Kant - High Gravity (downtempo nu-jazz) 19. The Flaming Lips - Mother I’ve Taken LSD (psychedelic rock) 18. eleventyseven - Battlecats (synthpop punk) 17. Igorrr - Lost in Introspection (baroque breakcore) 16. Polly Scattergood - In This Moment (spoken word triphop) 15. Dent May - Hotel Stationery (indie fuzzpop) 14. Another Sky - Fell In Love With The City (indie prog rock) 13. Lola Marsh - Like In The Movies (Israeli pop rock) 12. Ada Rook - Reverie (JH Ligation Experiment 1) (breakbeat electropop) 11. Trixie Mattel - Video Games (country folk cover) 10. KES - Na let go / (when ah) Jamdong / (with d) Boss Lady (soca) 9. Emerson Hart - Lucky One (heartland rock) 8. Uncanny Valley - Beautiful the World (AI dance pop) 7. Villagers - Did You Know? (indie folk) 6. Chemtrails - Uncanny Valley (psychedelic garage pop) 5. Andy Shauf - Try Again (indie pop) 4. Lola Marsh - Echoes (Israeli pop rock) 3. Sea Girls - Do You Really Want To Know? (indie pop rock) 2. Kishi Bashi - Never Ending Dream (indie pop) 1. Dyble Longdon - Obedience (chamber folk)

[viperslang]

Death Valley – V

The day I left, your hands floated away like kite wings. The moon broke over Devil’s golfcourse in a prolonged lysis, mirroring the private eclipse of our chemistry. I felt the rainwater puddle within the smallest chasms in my consciousness. Earlier, I had studied the crackling science of air trapped into salt, whole of the earth broken up in the tiniest pencil-points of a child’s chewed up rage . This is you, I confessed to the giddy faces of panamint daisies expanding their once-in-20-years empire of superbloom behind the Needle’s arch. The dried up riverbed opened like a cut lip; red with its dowry of secrets, green with the deathless trauma. My body was still slanging its zero-sum game with a medicated routine. At the top of the butte, you were no larger than a housefly, a flitting murmur before silence slapped loss back into the landscape. I am gifted with pessimism. I always predict the wrong things right. That night, us, sleeping in the back of your car like two whales knotted into one shrimp-sized fishing net, I woke up twice to see the stars giggling above us as if a playground full of kids before they learn words like divorce or type ii diabetes. With your heartbeat in my hand, I knew I would have to start learning a new language to welcome something equally brutal taking shape to balance the accident of this: an unspoken beautiful, a bridge between for me to but not mine.

From ‘The Bluest’ Kali.