Best Music of 2021

musicjunkiegreg said:
View attachment 107167
Recommended Albums from July 2021!

Coming off of what has been, arguably, the best first half of a year for new music releases in the last decade, July 2021 was surely the "quietest" month of the year so far. The quantity of new releases was way down, and out of what was released, I struggled to find many that deserved a recommendation. But I did find a handful of memorable releases, which I am happy to present to you here.

Albums are in no ranking order and are listed in
alphabetical order by the artist.

Billie Eilish - Happier Than Ever #billieeilish #happierthanever @billieeilish 🎶spoken word, dark pop, emo pop, electronic pop🎶

Dave - We're All Alone In This Together #dave #wereallaloneinthistogether @santandave 🎶UK rap/grime, conscious hip-hop🎶

Durand Jones & The Indications - Private Space #durandjonesandtheindications #privatespace @durandjonesandtheindications 🎶r&b, neo-soul🎶

Felled - The Intimate Earth #felled #theintimateearth @felledband 🎶atmospheric folk black metal🎶

Half Waif - Myopoetics #hakfwaif #myopoetics @halfwaif 🎶experimental electronic, indie pop🎶

Laura Mvula - Pink Noise #lauramvula #pinknoise @lauramvula 🎶r&b, soul, jazz🎶

LUMP - Animal #lump #animal @thisislump 🎶alternative🎶

Musk Ox - Inheritance #muskox #inheritance @muskoxofficial 🎶acoustic, neo-folk, modern classical, post-rock🎶

Yves Tumor- The Asymptotical World (EP) #yvestumor #theasymptoticalworld @yvestumor 🎶alternative, electronic, rock🎶
Click to expand...

Stoked to see Musk Ox here!
 
Anticipated Albums AUGUST 2021:

Kanye West - Donda (6th?) 🤣
Laura Stevenson - Laura Stevenson (6th)
Liars - The Apple Drop (6th)
LINGUA IGNOTA - SINNER GET READY (6th)
The Killers - Pressure Machine (13th)
Wednesday - Twin Plagues (13th)
Deafheaven - Infinite Granite (20th)
Lorde - Solar Power (20th)
Sturgill Simpson - The Ballad of Dood and Juanita (20th)
Wolves In The Throne Room - Primordial Arcana (20th)
Big Red Machine - How Long Do You Think It's Gonna Last? (27th)
Goat - Headsoup (27th)
Indigo De Souza - Any Shape You Take (27th)
 
Last edited:
August Anticipations...

Brandee Younger - Somewhere Different
Web Web x Max Herre - WEB MAX
Sturgill Simpson - The Ballad of Dood & Juanita
Laura Stevenson - Laura Stevenson
Lingua Ignota - Sinner Get Ready
Kiefer - When There’s Love Around
Sheryl Crow - Live from The Ryman And More
Ishmael Ensemble - Visions Of Light
 
July Favourites

Musk Ox - Inheritance
Emma-Jean Thackray - Yellow
Hollie Kenniff - The Quiet Drift
Prince - Welcome 2 America
King Woman - Celestial Blues
The Halluci Nation - One More Saturday Night
Les Filles de Illighadad - At Pioneer Works
Moin - Moot!
Yola - Stand For Myself
BRANDÃO / Sun Ra Arkestra - Outros Espaço
 
As I'm still working on my favorite albums for the month of July, here's a list of my most anticipated LPs and EPs for August, 2021:

Men I Trust - Untourable Album
Big Red Machine - How Long Do You Think It's Gonna Last?
Lorde - Solar Power
CHVRCHES - Screen Violence
Deafheaven - Infinite Granite
Halsey - If I Can't Have Love, I Want Power
The Killers - Pressure Machine
Sturgill Simpson - The Balad of Dood and Juanita
Laura Stevenson - Laura Stevenson
Lingua Ignota - Sinner Get Ready
Jungle - Loving In Stereo
Allison Ponthier - Faking My Own Death
 
Last edited:
well overdue getting a pseudo-ranking together...this will undoubtedly change drastically by December, but it also helps me to try to organize new tunes I've been digging

1. shame - Drunk Tank Pink
2. Bowerbirds - becalmyounglovers
3. Black Country, New Road - For the First Time
4. Floating Points, Pharaoh Sanders - Promises
5. Billie Eilish - Happier Than Ever
6. The Polish Ambassador - Secrets of a Psychedelic Homestead
7. Modest Mouse - The Golden Casket
8. Nick Cave & Warren Ellis - Carnage
9. The Weather Station - Ignorance
10. DARKSIDE - Spiral
11. Mdou Moctar - Afrique Victime
12. Matt Sweeney & Bonnie "Prince" Billy - Superwolves
13. Durand Jones & The Indications - Private Space
14. Moderator - Midnight Madness
15. Lucy Dacus - Home Video
16. Madlib - Sound Ancestors
17. The Hold Steady - Open Door Policy
18. Arab Strap - As Days Get Dark
19. Bodies of Water - Is This What It's Like
20. Sunburned Hand of the Man - Pick a Day to Die
21. Kings of Convenience - Peace or Love
 
cbl said:
well overdue getting a pseudo-ranking together...this will undoubtedly change drastically by December, but it also helps me to try to organize new tunes I've been digging

1. shame - Drunk Tank Pink
2. Bowerbirds - becalmyounglovers
3. Black Country, New Road - For the First Time
4. Floating Points, Pharaoh Sanders - Promises
5. Billie Eilish - Happier Than Ever
6. The Polish Ambassador - Secrets of a Psychedelic Homestead
7. Modest Mouse - The Golden Casket
8. Nick Cave & Warren Ellis - Carnage
9. The Weather Station - Ignorance
10. DARKSIDE - Spiral
11. Mdou Moctar - Afrique Victime
12. Matt Sweeney & Bonnie "Prince" Billy - Superwolves
13. Durand Jones & The Indications - Private Space
14. Moderator - Midnight Madness
15. Lucy Dacus - Home Video
16. Madlib - Sound Ancestors
17. The Hold Steady - Open Door Policy
18. Arab Strap - As Days Get Dark
19. Bodies of Water - Is This What It's Like
20. Sunburned Hand of the Man - Pick a Day to Die
21. Kings of Convenience - Peace or Love
Click to expand...
Love seeing someone else with Bowerbirds on their top list!
 
wokeupnew said:
It seems like a lot of indie rock/indie adjacent artists and bands are going more pop. Not something that I'm a fan of personally, thought there is the benefit of broader appeal from casual fans. Not to get too long winded, but over the past decade more pop music has been "accepted" more often by indie musicians/circles/publications so artists are freer to express themselves by creating more pop-friendly music. I'm not complaining, just an observation.
Click to expand...

I agree. While also admitting I like pop way more than I used to-- because pop artists are more free to experiment. Which probably has the most to do with it.

Also, new list coming soon. @Rip_City you did good, my #1 is thanks to you... though you should have cited my love of JPeg's Cornball's when you cited it ;)
 
Spent last night playing with a new message gun while catching up on this thread and updating my list:

Tier 1:
Genesis Owusu- Smiling with No Teeth [experimental r&b, hip-hop]
Audrey Nuna: A Liquid Breakfast [rap, r&b, neo-soul]
Little Simz: Sometimes I'm an Introvert [hip-hop]
St. Vincent: Daddy’s Home [art pop, indie rock]
Faye Webster: I Know I’m Funny haha [indie rock, folk]
Vince Staples: Vince Staples [rap]

Tier 2:
Deafheaven: Infinite Granite [shoegaze]
Darkside: Spiral {psychedelic, downtempo electronic]
Ghetts: Conflicts of Interest [hip-hop, grime]
Biceps: Isles [tech house]
Wolf Alice: Blue Weekend [alternative rock, shoe gaze]
Liars: The Apple Drop [post-punk}
Floating Points, Pharoah Sanders & The London Symphony Orchestra: Promises [electronic, jazz, classical]
Dave: We’re All Alone in This Together [rap]
Monolink: Under Darkening Skies [deep house]

Tier 3:
Modest Mouse: The Golden Casket [indie rock]
Noga Erez: Kids [art pop]
Chai: Wink [art pop]
Ty Segall: Hamonizer [rock]
Tune-Yards: sketchy. [art pop]
Armed & Hammer: Haram [rap]
Ice Age: Take Shelter [post-punk]
Spirt of the Beehive- Entertainment, Death [indie rock]
Japanese Breakfast: Jubilee [indie rock]
Weather Station: Ignorance [post-rock]

Tier 4:
Sons of Kemet: Black to the Future [nu-jazz]
Paris Texas: Boy Anonymous [experimental rap]
Julian Baker: Little Oblivions [indie rock]
Tyler the Creator: Call Me If You Get Lost [rap]
The Armed- ULTRAPOP [experimental]
Madlib: Sound Ancestors [electronica, hip-hop]
Mach-Hommy: Pray for Hati [rap]
Brockhampton: Roadrunner [hip-hop]
Arab Strab- As Days Get Dark [indie rock]

Most Anticipated:
1. Deafheaven: Infinite Granite
2. Little Sims: Sometimes I Might Be Introvert
3. Courtney Barnett: Things Take Time
then
4. James Blake: Things That Break Your Heart
5. BadBadNotGood: Talk Memory
6. Low: HEY WHAT

Need to approach:
Shame- Drunk Tank Pink (how did I not realize that had a new album!)
LUMP- Animal
Amythyst- Kiah
Ryler Walker- Course in Fable
Bruno Pernadas- Private Reasons
Mdou Moctar: Afrique Victime
Arlo Parks- Collapsed in Sunbeams
Boston Bun- There’s a Nightclub Inside Head
Hiatus Kaiyote: Mood Valiant
Zhu: Dreamland
Danielle Durack: No Place
Lucy Ducus: Home Video
Chance + symbols I can’t input: Afterparty​
 
Last edited:
Side note, I adored Musk Ox 2014 release back in my days as a film editor that always had a what.cd tab open. Completely forgot they existed.

The new one on Spotify? Cause their 2014 release wasn't.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top