Top 10 of 2021

Music
1

Haven’t been so musically engaged this year for one reason and another. A few disappointing releases from som old favourites too. My favourites in no particular order apart from the number 1.

Floating Points/Pharoah Sanders - Promises
Manchester Orchestra - The Million Masks of God
Wolf Alice - Blue Weekend
John Grant - Boy From Michigan
Lana Del Rey - Chemtrails Over The Country Club
Lump - Animal
Darkside - Spiral
Low - Hey What
Portico Quartet - Monument

Number one by a mile

An album Carole King would have been proud of. Stone cold future classic of the genre.

13 Likes
2

Birdy Young Heart

Got to say, I bought this on your recommendation and, to my amazement* I loved it.

*not sure our musical tastes have much of an overlap :grinning:

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3

I heard this for the first time today and it is very good.

4

It will not be deemed very cool, but it is perfection in its genre.

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5

Like I would be bothered by that :rofl:

At least it is an album by a non-dead person that I can appreciate :wink:

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6

I saw Birdy play live at the Paralympic homecoming concert and she stole the show. Agree with Mark this is probably my album of 2021.

7

Will come back here and report when I’m in the same place as my music and I can filter on release date :slightly_smiling_face:

8

Lady Blackbird - Black Acid Soul
John Grant - Boy from Michigan
Celeste - Not your muse
St Vincent - Daddy’s home
Silk Sonic - An evening with silk sonic
Public Service Broadcasting - Bright magic
Little Simz - Sometimes I might be introverted
The Bug - Fire
Madlib - Sound ancestors
Basic Rhythm - Electronic labyrinth

3 Likes
9

Listening to this while enjoying the lovely scenery of Long Bennington Co-op and annoyingly slow charging. Thanks for the rec, it’s lovely.

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10

Tis rather good, thanks

11

This is my top 10 for the year in no particular order.

O.S.S. - Enter The Kettle
Cheval Sombre- Time Waits For No One
Cheval Sombre- Days Go By
Sedibus - The Heavens
Papir - Jams
Rose City Band- Earth Trip
Dean Wareham- I Have Nothing To Say To The Mayor Of LA
Dean & Britta- Quarantine Tapes
Sault - Nine
Ill Considered - Liminal Space

Near misses for
Mogwai - As The Love Continues
The Bug - Fire
Bobby Gillespie And Jehnny Beth - Utopian Ashes
Low- Hey What

In many ways this was a better year for stellar quality reissues than new LPs IMHO. CV-19 can’t have helped with the creative processes though…

1 Like
12

I don’t even have a top 10 this year, so -

  1. Spencer Cullum - Spencer Cullum’s Coin Collection (wistful loveletter to 50 years ago; just dodges tweeness)
  2. Missy Mazzoli - Vespers For A New Dark Age (dramatic orchestral bleakness beautifully expressed)
  3. Sleaford Mods - Spare Ribs (methadon’t mind if I do…)
  4. Dark Star Safari - Walk Through Lightly (unavoidable Dead Can Dance comparison goes here)
  5. Bojan Čičić / Illyria Consort - Fire & Fury From C18th Italy (Vivaldi, Tartini & Locatelli; technical perfection, perhaps a soupçon too much so…)
  6. Chai - Wink (Japanese girlypop daftness)
  7. Gaudi - 100 Years of Theremin (The Dub Chapter) (crowbarring this in since it’s a] great, and b] my copy didn’t arrive until 2021)
  8. Afterlight - Afterlight (Thea Gilmore reinvents herself very much for the better post abusive marriage to talentless arsehole).
  9. Sault - 9 (Brilliant in places, self-indulgent in others; ‘London Gangs’ standout)

Just listened to this on Twatify - how can someone so talented, create something so beautifully produced and adeptly performed, and still manage to be forgettable? It’s a lovely thing, and I really enjoyed listening to it, but won’t need to again. :ok_hand:

edited/updated

13

I can’t pick ten - I have a list of about 40 !

14

Two to add that have not been mentioned upthread:

Matthew Halsall – Salute to the Sun (Live at Hallé St. Peter’s)

John Coltrane – A Love Supreme (Live In Seattle)

15

No particular order

Nick Cave & Warren Ellis - Carnage
John Grant - Boy From Michigan
The War On Drugs - I Don’t Live Here Any More
Public Service Broadcasting - Bright Magic
O.S.S. - Enter The Kettle
Sedibus - The Heavens
Dean Wareham- I Have Nothing To Say To The Mayor Of LA
Dean & Britta- Quarantine Tapes
Dry Cleaning - New Long Leg

Feel like I am missing some.

1 Like
16

Apologies for such a long list but it’s been a bumper music year for me

Fire - The Bug
Natura Morta - Sven Wunder
Regrowth - Sampology
Black Acid Soul - Lady Blackbird
Septet - John Carroll Kirby
Souvenir - Maston
Light Patterns - David Horridge / Kevin McCormick
Overstand - Apifera
Lee Morgan - The Complete Live At The Lighthouse
The Milk Meet Scrimshire - The Milk
Peace Or Love - Kings Of Convenience
Celestial Greens - Vels Trio
Do What You Love - Trunk Records 25th Anniversary Compilation
Twinkles - William Benckert
Yello - Emma-Jean Thackray
Understanding (Live) - Roy Brooks
Live In Paris Archie Shepp
Course In Fable - Ryley Walker
Diptych - Growing
Disco E Cultura Compilation
Play - Electric Party
An Insight To All Minds - Kaidi Thatham
Never The Right Time - Andy Stott
Shade - Grouper
Notes With Attachmentds - Pino Palladino / Blake Mills
Deep Strand - Landon Caldwell
Time To Melt - Sam Evian
Flock Of Dimes - Flock Of Roses
Powers / Rollins Duo - Self Titled
Torrii Gates - Jeffrey Silverstein
Blanket Of Black - Kafari
Reverb Flow - Nicolie Binara
Love Suite - Contour
Infinity - Khan Jamal

2 Likes
17

PSB - Bright Magic (I wasn’t terribly sold on Every Valley, so this was a relief)
Blockhead - Space Werewolves Will Be the End of Us All
Fink - IIUII
Japanese Breakfast - Jubilee
Matthew E White - K Bay
Popa Chubby - Tinfoil Hat

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18

for me, so far and as usual most of the best stuff I’ve found this year wasn’t actually released this year
Moby - Reprise

Richard Ashcroft - Acoustic Hymns Vol. 1

Thibaut Garcia - Aranjuez

Andreas Schiff - Brahms Piano Concertos

Dream Theater - A View From The Top of The World

The The - Comeback Special

Cynic - Ascension Codes

Dvne - Etermen Aenka

Ministry - Moral Hygiene

My album of the year - Converge & Chelsea Wolfe - Bloodmoon:I

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19

That turned out a bit heavy for Xmas eve morning listening :joy:

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20

In no real order

Royal Blood- Typhoons
Public Service Broadcasting Bright Magic
W.H Lung- Vanities
Hayden Thorpe- Moondust for my Diamond
Martina Topley Bird- Forever I wait
Eliza Shaddad- The Woman you want
Mammoth WVH- Mammoth WVH
Sarah Jarosz- Blue Heron Suite
Marconi Union- Signals
Kosmodome- Kosmodome