WXPN Best of 2020: Mike Vasilikos’ First Impressions of the year

As the year winds down, we’re continuing our look back at the music of these past twelve months with an ongoing series of XPN Best of 2020 deep dives. Today, Mike Vasilikos shares some of the songs he debuted on the First Impression feature of XPN’s New Music Show.

When Mike Vasilikos hosts the XPN New Music Show every Monday from 8 to 10 p.m., he takes time out to give an emerging artist their first spin on the radio station in a feature called First Impression.

This year, a total of 46 artists were spotlighted on First Impression, and it’s an exciting list, ranging from the ruminative indie rock of Squirrel Flower and Oceanator to the enthralling folk of Tré Burt, the pensive Americana of Early James, the shimmering psychedelia of Total Rubbish, and compelling singer-songwriters like Katie Pruitt and Bartees Strange who went on to become XPN favorites.

Revisit Mike V’s First Impressions of 2020 in the Spotify playlist below, and tune into his show every Monday at 8 to stay ahead of the curve.