It’s time for yk Records to go into a short hibernation as we prepare for 2021. As the year winds down, it’s always good to look back and take stock of all the great releases from the prior trip around the sun. So, let’s do that! 

It goes without saying that 2020 was a complicated year (with a difficult road still ahead). Bands couldn’t tour, venues couldn’t have shows and while we adjusted to quarantine, it felt wildly inappropriate to even promote music at all. 

As we adjusted to the New Way of Things\u2122 it became easier to release music and it even (hopefully) served as a respite for the weirdness of the year. You may find yourself still in need of such a break and I hope you’ll give some YK Records releases a listen for such a salve. We’ve always had a troublingly eclectic roster and that’s showcased quite well this year.

You can find all these releases on Bandcamp or streaming on Spotify or YouTube Music. Below you’ll find a little insight on each.

The Medium - “Sugar Shark / Fade Away”
Two of the bands oldest songs finally recorded in their proper form. Had 2020 been different, The Medium woulda toured like crazy. Instead, we get these two fantastic new tracks.

Andrew Brassell - Singles
Previous output from Brassell was released as Slowmotions but he embarked into the world under his own name with “Imposter Syndrome”, “Habits” and “Blissed Out” - three shiny psychedelic pop songs with a distinctly unique Brassell bend to them.

Meadownoise - Threeve / Cliff House Kids
Released in collaboration with Pets Musical Park, Meadownoise creates pop songs that defy description. They’re often catchy and memorable but can feel like they’re transmitted from another planet. Sometimes meditative, sometimes challenging, always rewarding.

Black Bra - Black Bra
Beth Cameron previously performed as Forget Cassettes for years and years. She has enlisted a new band and a new, dark, psych experience. It’s both vulnerable and empowered. The Nashville Scene called it the Best Rock Record of 2020; we tend to agree. 

DM Stith - Waving 1-4
The vocal qualities of DM Stith have always been haunting and ethereal. This is showcased in unparalleled fashion with this EP of vocal compositions. These pieces consume the listener, completely.

The Prudish Few - The Eagle Has Left the Building
An exercise in juxtapositions. The songs sound simple but contain a number of atypical time signatures. They are shiny pop songs but their lyrical content is about the oppression of politics and nostalgia. It’s a delightfully fun listen that yields real insight and weight once you dig in.

Coupler - The Rhythm Method
When performing live, Coupler would often eschew their tranquil ambient styles and decimate the crowd with a “Bangers Only” set. This EP contains three of those bangers and it delivers in spades.

Spencer Cullum - Spencer Cullum’s Coin Collection
Know for his pedal steel work in a number of Nashville bands and as half of the instrumental duo Steelism, Spencer Cullum enlisted a number of his talented friends to weave a record that is equal parts psych, folk and kraut. It’s a nod to the past but entirely timeless. A proper classic.

Tower Defense - In the City
I constantly call these songs “bombastic” because there is no other word for it. They are songs fueled by troubled dreams about the future of Nashville, mixed with feverish visions of pop culture. It’s also an incredibly fun record.

Coupler - The Forgotten Openness of the Closed World
An EP of long form ambient pieces specifically designed to give pause and reflection on your own conscious self. It’s a quarantine record that reminds you that the outer world may be off limits but your inner worlds are open. Just pay attention.