Nite Songs

  Getting close to the top of the chart now as we enter the alliteratively alluring Nite Songs' Top 20 albums of 2020. Some crackers in here and no mistake. 20. SPARKS - "A Steady Drip Drip Drip" ( Review ) Scary to think that Sparks are now almost half a century into their careers. And scarier still that they're still putting out albums as great as A Steady Drip Drip Drip  way after most of their contemporaries had given up the creative ghost. Taking in the group's formative glam stomp as well as excursions into everything from samba rhythms to music hall stylings to pure pop, this is just as much of a joy to listen to as ever. Great stuff. *** 19. DIABLOFURS - "Neon Satellites" ( Review ) With controls firmly set to the new wave era of the early '80s. Nottingham glitter merchants Diablofurs came up with one of the best debut albums of 2020 mixing Tubeway Army style electronica with pure power-pop sensibilities to great effect on tunes like Rival Gr...

  Scary to think that it's now over a decade since Pussycat & The Dirty Johnsons first burst on to the scene with the rabid Exercise Your Demons  album. Now on their fourth effort, I'm pleased to report that Beast  is another good effort to add to their repertoire and sees them keeping the flame first lit by the Cramps and King Kurt many years ago burning. Essentially, this is the sound of a band playing to their strengths and doing it well right from the teetering drone of Lying In My Bed  which kicks things off. From thereon in, it's a full on assault from the swaggering psychobilly of Doin' It  and She's An Orgasm  through the screaming fury of Not Your Baby  to the seasick deathrock indebted smalltown psychosis of Stale and the full on punk assault of Shit . The surprisingly tender but defiant Hey Honey  which closes things here is a bit of a surprise curveball as well and shows that these cats are still learning new tricks after four...