Rolling Favorite Tracks + Albums 2021

That Nayar record has been in constant rotation since May, hard agree

wish there was a vinyl release. still sad I missed out on the vinyl releases of the arooj aftab and nala sinephro records

rachika nayar's freak zone playlist was good too https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000zm5z

also recommend tarta relena's "pack no probis" (though the remixes are not particularly special)

Pitchfork is asking for readers' album and track Top 10s by November 12 (I think). Here is what I threw together for the tracks:

The War on Drugs - I Don't Live Here Anymore
Olivia Rodrigo - deja vu
Cassandra Jenkins - Hard Drive
Megan Thee Stallion - Thot Shit
Big Thief - Little Things
Baby Queen - Raw Thoughts
Pale Waves - Easy
beabadoobee - Last Day on Earth
Yola -Diamond Studded Shoes
Sun-El Musician ft. Simmy - Higher

Fuck mmm idk if I can pick a top 10 atm… these would probably be high up there, but can’t promise that’s what my eoy list will look like… plenty of albums to catch up with:

Caroline Loveglow - Patience Etc
Cassandra Jenkins - Hard Drive
Dora Jar - Quiver
Doss - Strawberry
Erika de Casier - Friendly
Magdalena Bay - ??? Not sure which one to pick
Men I Trust - Serenade of Water
Mr Twin Sister - Expressions
MUNYA - cocoa beach
serpentwithfeet - fellowship

That Sun-el track and also Zakes Bantwini “osama” have been on heavy rotation lately.

Oh that Baby Queen is also great yeah

I need to give more thought to my actual top 20 lol

"you lose!" is my magdalena bay pick

Things I heard from September 19 to November 6. Evan from ILX hipped me to a bunch of great (not this year) Eno-esque albums which are mixed in with my faves of note and might end up being among my fave things I heard this year.

Top Albums
Fatima Yamaha - Build Back Bangers
Magdalena Bay - Mercurial World
Maxo Kream - Weight of the World
Solemn Brigham - South Sinner Street
Toki Fuko - Human Design

Albums of Note
Anthony Pasquarosa - Abbandonato da Dio Nazione (2017)
Carlos Maria Trindade and Nuno Canavarro - Mr. Wollogallu (1996)
Chuck Johnson - Balsams (2017)
Fred Thomas - JS Back: Three or One
Gaussian Curve - The Distance (2017)
Haron - Wandelaar (2018)
John Carpenter - Halloween Kills OST
Kareem Ali - All These Moments
Laurence - Birds on the Playground
Magdalena Bay - A Little Rhythm and a Wicked Feeling (2020)
Puuluup - Viimane Suusata
Rob Stenson - Gold Mountain EP
v/a - Driftless Dreamers in Cuca Country v 1
Vikingur Ólafsson - Philip Glass: Piano Works (2017)

Top Tracks
Kareem Ali - Black Futures
Katy B and Jaz Karis - Open Wound
Kehlani - Altar
Magdalena Bay - Chaeri
Maxo Kream - Greener Knots, Streets Alone
Philip Glass et al - Etude No. 6
Sun-El Musician and Simmy - Higher
Theo Parrish and Ava - Don’t Play

Tracks of Note
Adele - Easy on Me
Alex Lilly - Paranoid Times
anahi’s and Chronixx - cry in your sleep
Azana - Salanami
Batu - Melts into Air
Beverly Glenn Copeland - Old New Melody (Ana Roxanne Remix)
Black Milk - Change of Address Form
Burna Boy and Polo G - Want It All
Busy Signal - High Up, Wah Gwaan Mad Head
Carly Pearce and Ashley McBride - Never Wanted to Be That Girl
Chaos in the CBD - Echolocation
Christine and the Queens - Comme l’oiseau
CPT Records and DJ Maphorisa - Come to Us
Cyfred and Sino Msolo - Get Down
Daoko with TAAR - groggy ghost
Deniro Farrar - Lambo
DJ Maphorisa, Mellow and Sleazy et al - Bopha
dvsn and Ty Dolla - Memories, Somebody That You Don’t Know
Elujay and serpentwithfeet - Luvaroq
Elza Soares et al - Demarcaçāo Jazz
Euphonik with Sino Solo - Intando Yakho
Eyedress - Body Dysmorphia
Ezale - Raised Like This
Genkie and Lone HB - Crudo
GONE.Fludd - Traxxxmania
Guns N Roses - Hard Skool
Hayes Carll and Brandy Clark - In the Meantime
Hd4president with 2Chainz - Touch Down 2 Cause All (Remix)
iann dior with Lil Uzi Vert - V12
Isaiah Rashad - HB2U
Jake Shimabukuro and Willie Nelson - Stardust
Jason Isbell and 400 Unit - Driver 8, Midnight Train to Georgia
Jessica Ackerley and Daniel Carter - Welcome, Our Friends
Jon Bellion and Burna Boy - I Feel It
Jonas Brothers - Who’s In Your Head
Jus and Georgia Anne Muldrow - Else
Kabza de Small and DJ Maphorisa - Abalele
Kalie Shorr - Amy
Leaving Laurel - Winter in the Woods (Daniel Avery Remix)
Lecrae and Andy Mineo - Been About It
Les Amazones d’Afrique - Heavy (Yohanne Simon Remix), Sisters (KIRI Remix)
Lil Was X - That’s What I Want
Lionel Loueke - Footprints, Skylark
Little Sims and Obongjayar - Point and Kill
Lone - Realise
LOONA - Not Friends, Hula Hoop
Magdalena Bay - Secrets (Your Fire), Hysterical Us, Domino
Makaya McCraven - Autumn in New York
Makoto and Danny Wheeler - Osiris
Maxo Kream - 11:59, Local Joker, Mama’s Purse
Miranda Lambert - If I Was a Cowboy
Moses Sumney - Can’t Believe It
Mr JazziQ and Khanyisa - Ungangi Bambi
Ombre2Choc Africa and Innos B - WIFI
Oneohtrix Point Never - Tales from the Trash Stratum
Orquesta Okokán - El Inflador
Popcorn - Live Some Life
Puuluup - Paala Järve Vaala Baar, Viimane Suusataaja, Liigutage Vastu, Üksindus
RAY BLK and Stefflon Don - Over You
Real Lies - Since I
Remy Ma - Godmother
Rodrigo y Gabriela - The Struggle Within
Rogue D - Electric Safari (Roman Flugel Remix)
Sad and Smino - Right Track
Sam Fender - Spit of You
Sarah Davachi - Gradual of Image, Doubled Flutes
Serge Beynaud - TDN Spote Winners
Sevyn Streeter and Jeremih - Wet Dreamz
SG Lewis - Heartbreak on the Dancefloor (Gerry Read Remix)
Shackleton - Something Tells Me/Pour Out Like Water, Shimmer Then Fade, The Light That Was Hidden
Skip Marley with Popcorn - Vibe
Solemn Brigham - Vantablack, Dirty Whip, Bigger World
Spiff Latino and Payroll Giovanni - Keep Callin
Stromae - Sante
Toki Fuko - What Will Enlightenment Give Me, Focused and Absorbing
Tony Allen and Hugh Masekela - Slow Bones (Cool Cats Remix), We’ve Landed (Cool Cats Remix)
Tristan Arp - From the Seams
Tu and Gunplay - Uptown Ape Gorilla
Wafia and Masego - Wide Open (Ta-Ku and Cabu Remix)
Xenia Rubinos - Don’t Put Me in Red
Yo-Yo Ma and Lila Downs - La Sandunga
Zachary Williams with Ashley Monroe - Her Picture

Four songs i think you (yes, you!) should hear, though you may want to skip around on these respective video to the songs proper:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lsbJvA_ag3c

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ben9qDbrLYU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VCHZyFXuw_k

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z1lvxx9lzAg

tho tbh this may be my fave rendition of etude no 6, shit is supercharged
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=80-lRYAtaU0

I went on a kick where i listened to about fifteen renditions of this nonstop for two weeks. it's a hell of a song.

Ok I’m obsessed with “raw thoughts” that’s a top 10 for me.

a month of surgery means nothing much to report:

Top Albums
serpentwithfeet - DEACON’S Grove
Attacca Quartet - Of All Joys

Albums of Note
Angel Bat Dawid - The Oracle (2019)
Makaya McCraven - Deciphering the Message
Snotty Nose Rez Kids - TRAPLINE (2019)
Katy B - Peace and Offerings
Irreversible Entanglements - Open the Gates

Top Tracks
serpentwithfeet - Down Nuh River
Angel Bat Dawid - Black Family (Live) (2000)

Tracks of Note
Snotty Nose Rez Kids - Creator Made an Animal
Sparkbird - Minor Holiday
Maxwell - OFF
Orbital - Belfast (ANNA Ambient Remix)

Albums of the year, for me:

Luke Stewart- Works for Upright Bass and Amplifier Volumes 1 & 2
Irreversible Entanglements- Open the Gates
Peter Gregson- Patina
Kessler- Ambivalent EP
James Brandon Lewis Quartet- Code of Being
Skylark- Crossing Over
Patrick Shiroishi- Hidemi
Richard Skelton- Sutr
Matthew Liam Nicholson- Nine Movements
Fuubutsushi- Good Sky Day
Fuubutsushi- Natsukashii
Fuubutsushi- Yamawarau
Fuubutsushi- Setsubun
Jaimie Branch- Fly or Die LIVE
Jessica Ackerley and Daniel Carter- Friendship
Rắn Cạp Đuôi Collective- Ngủ Ngày Ngay Ngày Tận Thế
Matt Evans- Touchless
Slikback- MELT
LNS & DJ Sotofett- Sputters
Msylma & Ismael- The Tenets of Forgetting
Crazy Doberman- Everyone is rolling down a hill...
Art School Girlfriend- Is It Light Where You Are
Eimar Reidy & Natalia Beylis- Whose Woods are These
Facta- Blush
Scotch Rolex- Tewari
Low- HEY WHAT
James Brandon Lewis- Jesup Wagon
Iglew- Light Armour EP
IOSONOUNCANE- IRA
Skee Mask- Pool
Chris Schlarb & Chad Taylor- Time No Changes
Illuvia- Iridescence of Clouds
Iu Takahashi- Late in Life
Luke Stewart/Patrick Shiroishi- split cass
Moon Reflecting- Non-GMO Rain Dance
Rachika Nayar- Our Hands Against the Dark
xLWBxDRx- prairie spells, a ribbon wove
Colin Webster- vs Amp
Anne Bourne- wave
Enzo Carniel & Filippo Vignato- Aria
Natural Information Society & Evan Parker- descension (Out of Our Constrictions)
Bored Lord- Lavirga EP
PUNKT.VRT.PLASTIK- Somit
Ahmed- Nights on Saturn (Communication)
ZULI- All Caps EP
Hafez Modirzadeh- Facets
Quin Kirchner- Live at Pro Musica