Best Music of 2021

LOL! I don’t understand the 😕😡 reactions. There isn’t much I can do about it now. I didn’t realize that there was an upcoming Bandcamp Friday.

So now you guys have be feeling like an asshole. I looked it up and Looks like Bandcamp typically takes 10% of a purchase (which TBH, seems surprisingly reasonable) meaning Ducks Ltd. lost out on $4 from my purchase.

You guys want me to mail the band a fiver or something?
I agree! It's something I saw and thought "damn! I would have waited had I known" but I'm not about to go through the effort of canceling the order to just re-buy it again on Friday. I don't make that effort when I see someone post 20% off codes to Fat Possum or somewhere else after I've already ordered. I'm lazy, the band I'm sure is happy we're buying it regardless.
 
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Update

  1. Men I Trust - Untourable Album
  2. Japanese Breakfast - Jubilee
  3. Kiwi Jr. - Cooler Returns
  4. Yung - Ongoing Dispute
  5. Molly Burch - Romantic Images
  6. Wednesday - Twin Plagues
  7. Crumb - Ice Melt
  8. Laura Stevenson - Laura Stevenson
  9. Shame - Drunk Tank Pink
  10. Amyl and the Sniffers - Comfort to Me
  11. Lucy Dacus - Home Video
  12. Pledge - Haunted Visions
  13. Arlo Parks - Collapsed In Sunbeams
  14. The Mountain Goats - Dark In Here
  15. Cold Cave - Fate in Seven Lessons
  16. Godspeed You! Black Emperor - G_d's Pee AT STATE'S END!
  17. Nils Frahm - Graz
  18. A Winged Victory for the Sullen - Invisible Cities
  19. Squid - Bright Green Field
  20. The Weather Station - Ignorance
Good, I've enjoyed it, but I can't really rank it accurately
  • Dinosaur Jr. - Give a Glimpse of What Yer Not
  • Iceage - Seek Shelter
  • black midi - Cavalcade
  • CIVIC - Future Forecast
  • Julien Baker - Little Oblivions
  • Wild Pink - A Billion Little Lights
  • Cloud Nothings - The Shadow I Remember
  • Black Country, New Road - For the Frist Time
  • The Antlers - Green to Gold
  • Steady Holiday - Take The Corners Gently
Decent, but not really my thing/just not enjoying it that much:
  • Faye Webster
  • Fiddlehead
  • Lightning Bug
  • Dry Cleaning
  • Lightning Bug
  • Mogwai
  • Teenage Fanclub
  • Middle Kids
  • Viagra Boys
  • Goat Girl
  • Death From Above 1979
  • Hurry

Still need to listen to more/excited for:
  • Steady Holiday
  • Sufjan
  • Remember Sports
  • Adult Mom
  • Grouper
  • Bedouine
  • Ovlov
  • Ducks Etc.
  • Eluvium
Have you given Smoke Bellows album Open For Business a go? I’ve really enjoyed it. Based off your list here, you perhaps would too.
 
Update

  1. Men I Trust - Untourable Album
  2. Japanese Breakfast - Jubilee
  3. Kiwi Jr. - Cooler Returns
  4. Yung - Ongoing Dispute
  5. Molly Burch - Romantic Images
  6. Wednesday - Twin Plagues
  7. Crumb - Ice Melt
  8. Laura Stevenson - Laura Stevenson
  9. Shame - Drunk Tank Pink
  10. Amyl and the Sniffers - Comfort to Me
  11. Lucy Dacus - Home Video
  12. Pledge - Haunted Visions
  13. Arlo Parks - Collapsed In Sunbeams
  14. The Mountain Goats - Dark In Here
  15. Cold Cave - Fate in Seven Lessons
  16. Godspeed You! Black Emperor - G_d's Pee AT STATE'S END!
  17. Nils Frahm - Graz
  18. A Winged Victory for the Sullen - Invisible Cities
  19. Squid - Bright Green Field
  20. The Weather Station - Ignorance
Good, I've enjoyed it, but I can't really rank it accurately
  • Dinosaur Jr. - Give a Glimpse of What Yer Not
  • Iceage - Seek Shelter
  • black midi - Cavalcade
  • CIVIC - Future Forecast
  • Julien Baker - Little Oblivions
  • Wild Pink - A Billion Little Lights
  • Cloud Nothings - The Shadow I Remember
  • Black Country, New Road - For the Frist Time
  • The Antlers - Green to Gold
  • Steady Holiday - Take The Corners Gently
Decent, but not really my thing/just not enjoying it that much:
  • Faye Webster
  • Fiddlehead
  • Lightning Bug
  • Dry Cleaning
  • Lightning Bug
  • Mogwai
  • Teenage Fanclub
  • Middle Kids
  • Viagra Boys
  • Goat Girl
  • Death From Above 1979
  • Hurry

Still need to listen to more/excited for:
  • Steady Holiday
  • Sufjan
  • Remember Sports
  • Adult Mom
  • Grouper
  • Bedouine
  • Ovlov
  • Ducks Etc.
  • Eluvium
How the heck did I forget Nation of Language. It's not out yet (11/3/21) but the singles have been incredible.

"Across That Fine Line" is a SOTY contender

 
How the heck did I forget Nation of Language. It's not out yet (11/3/21) but the singles have been incredible.

"Across That Fine Line" is a SOTY contender


Yeah 💯 agreed 👍 This is one of my most anticipated albums of the Fall. The 3 singles are bangers and their debut LP made my 2020 AOTY list!
 
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This new Shad album is really rocking my socks!




How come he kilt it for no reason?
How come its always like cold season?
He just so sick
He got 2 degrees—
how come his flow is below freezing?
How come the lyrics approach genius
Still though he had to approach genius.com
Saying yall making dough off my lyrics
But won’t pay the broke genius that wrote em?
Parasites
How come you dont pay to clear the rights?
Or at least get the lyrics right
You’re a lyric site —
I said have me unverified
They said how come?
How can you not see the outcome?
Of a track record
You can’t outrun
All of these vultures
Thinking they’re fly
‘Cause the cloud’s
Where they get their clout from?
 
Q3 Update

Total 2021 releases (albums/EPs/mixtapes) listened to as of June 28th: 149 318 422

I've slowed down with digesting new music releases considerably, to the point that I will be surprised if the number above surpasses 500 by year's end. My Q3 favorites collage shrunk to a 5x5. The overall chart expanded to a top50 (as I don't use Topsters2 any longer, and I associate the term "top40" with mainstream radio play). Moving from 4 -> 3 tiers to simplify tiering; four seemed a bit obnoxious to me from the original Topsters2 format. No EP chart for Q3 as I haven't listened to enough of them.

I used the Album Art Collage Creator and juxtaposed three chart matrices, resized them, and used Snipping Tool to get the desired .PNG files. A bit annoying, but I got them done.

Ordering is in alphabetical band name/artist last name.


Q3 favorites:
Q3Collage.PNG
Fatima Al Qadiri - Medieval Femme
Boldy James, The Alchemist - Bo Jackson
Gemma Cullingford - Let Me Speak
Billie Eilish - Happier Than Ever
Orla Gartland - Woman on the Internet

Half Waif - Mythopoetics
Ka - A Martyr's Reward
Hollie Kenniff - The Quiet Drift
L'Rain - Fatigue
Les Files de Illighadad - At Pioneer Works

Lingua Ignota - SINNER GET READY
Little Simz - Sometimes I Might be Introvert
Low - HEY WHAT
Mono - Pilgrimage of the Soul
Musk Ox - Inheritance

Perila - How Much Time it is Between You and Me?
Nala Sinephro - Space 1.8
Spellling - The Turning Wheel
Laura Stevenson - Laura Stevenson
Emma-Jean Thackray - Yellow

Tyler, the Creator - CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST
Web Web - WEB MAX
Year of No Light - Consolamentum
Yola - Stand for Myself
Brandee Younger - Somewhere Different

Updated top50 of 2021:
Q3Tier1.PNG
Q3Tier2.PNG
Q3Tier3.PNG
Tier I (Amazing)

1) Squid - Bright Green Field [art punk, post-punk]​
2) Little Simz - Sometimes I Might be Introvert [UK hip-hop]​
3) Lost Girls - Menneskekollektivet [tech house, spoken word, art pop]​
4) Arooj Aftab - Vulture Prince [Hindustani classical, chamber folk]​
5) Low - HEY WHAT [post-industrial, dream pop]​
6) Floating Points, Pharoah Sanders & The London Symphony Orchestra - Promises [spiritual jazz, minimalism]​
7) Lingua Ignota - SINNER GET READY [avant-folk, neoclassical darkwave]​
8) Genesis Owusu - Smiling With no Teeth [experimental R&B, neo-soul]​
9) Jane Weaver - Flock [psychedelic pop, art pop]​
10) Black Country, New Road - For the First Time [Klezmer, post-rock, post-punk]​
Tier II (Excellent)

11) Celeste - Not Your Muse [neo-soul]​
12) Boldy James, The Alchemist - Bo Jackson [gangsta rap]​
13) BRUIT ≤ - The Machine is burning and now everyone knows it could happen again [post-rock]​
14) Half Waif - Mythopoetics [art pop]​
15) Musk Ox - Inheritance [dark folk, chamber folk]​
16) Nala Sinephro - Space 1.8 [ambient jazz, avant-garde jazz]​
17) Suffering Hour - The Cyclic Reckoning [blackened death metal]​
18) Les Filles de Illighadad - At Pioneer Works [Tuareg blues, African blues]​
19) Godspeed You! Black Emperor - G_d's Pee AT STATE'S END! [post-rock]​
20) Japanese Breakfast - Jubilee [indie pop, chamber pop]​
21) Black Dresses - Forever in Your Heart [electro-industrial, industrial rock]​
22) Greentea Peng - MAN MADE [neo-soul, psychedelic soul]​
23) Tar Hag - Bestial [doom metal]​
24) Emma-Jean Thackray - Yellow [jazz fusion, nu-jazz]​
25) L'Rain - Fatigue [neo-psychedelia, sound collage]​
Tier III (Great)

26) Danielle Durack - No Place [indie pop, singer/songwriter]​
27) CHAI - WINK [J-pop, electropop]​
28) McKinley Dixon - For my Mama and Anyone Who Look Like Her [jazz rap]​
29) Hayley Williams - FLOWERS for VASES / descansos [singer/songwriter, indie folk]​
30) Gemma Cullingford - Let me Speak [synthpop, post-punk]​
31) Hollie Kenniff - The Quiet Drift [ambient]​
32) Ka - A Martyr's Reward [abstract hip hop, conscious hip hop]​
33) Billie Eilish - Happier Than Ever [contemporary R&B, ambient pop]​
34) Spectral Wound - A Diabolic Thirst [black metal]​
35) Cassandra Jenkins - An Overview on Phenomenal Nature [singer/songwriter]​
36) Rhiannon Giddens, Francesco Turrisi - They're Calling Me Home [contemporary folk]​
37) Snowpoet - Wait For Me [art pop, ambient pop]​
38) Brandee Younger - Somewhere Different [jazz-fusion]​
39) Sons of Kemet - Black to the Future [nu-jazz, spiritual jazz]​
40) Armand Hammer & The Alchemist - Haram [abstract hip hop]​
41) CHANCE デラソウル - Afterparty [plunderphonics, future funk]​
42) L'Impératrice - Tako Tsubo [French pop, nu-disco]​
43) Perila - How Much Time it is Between You and Me? [ambient, field recordings]​
44) London Grammar - Californian Soil [art pop]​
45) Demiser - Through the Gate Eternal [black metal, thrash metal]​
46) Slayyyter - Troubled Paradise [electropop, hyperpop]​
47) Sun June - Somewhere [indie pop, dream pop]​
48) Tyler, the Creator - CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST [hip hop]​
49) Robohands - Shapes [jazz-fusion, nu-jazz]​
50) Fatima Al Qadiri - Medieval Femme [ambient, new age]​
 
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Ok explain to me how it's available to order on BC's website but not the app 😒
This right here is a thing I think done on purpose. I’ve tried to buy something after streaming via the app and it’ll say “send me a link to my email to purchase”. I don’t fully know why but it’s definitely intentional
 
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