The 2021 End Of Year music lists thread

I don't think I've ever been so disconnected from music as in 2021...but still idk how I missed Paul Weller and The Coral releasing two of the year's best albums.

Well that’s what this list season is for!

I still don't know what seandalai does exactly when he's not crunching numbers for ilm polls, but I can now rule out writing for Mojo.

This Koreless is sick, thank u Bleep

Arca's Kick ii not being out yet makes all these lists feel very presumptuous imho

― octobeard Likewise Jlin's Embryo EP, out Dec.10! (Hold all calls until then, Ms. Fairweather.)

There's certainly a few things I'm still anticipating, some of which are by people who can actually write songs instead of sound-design vibes

~_~

Loving this John Glacier one from bleep, had no idea this existed and has Vegyn as a producer which is a great surprise.

koreless album is really nice, like a lusher r plus seven.

https://www.loudersound.com/news/the-anchoresss-the-art-of-losing-voted-prog-magazine-writers-album-of-the-year

https://canvas-story.bbcrewind.co.uk/6-music-albums-of-the-year-2021/

https://www.newyorker.com/culture/2021-in-review/the-best-music-of-2021

I often joke that indie-minded people like music that won't wake the baby - Mdou Moctar aside, that list literalizes it.

Well yeah, I would expect from the New Yorker the aural equivalent of soft hand-woven free trade wool and meticulously whisked matcha tea, and that's exactly what you get. Nothing wrong with that!

Dry Cleaning and Snail Mail are names that really put me off, but I'm sure that quotidian naming strategy has been used by good bands so this is irrational prejudice. "Bog Roll" is still waiting for any up and coming indie sensations to claim though.

tbf the Low album is p noisy and gross

https://www.pastemagazine.com/music/best-albums/best-albums-of-2021/

PASTE ^

GLIDE:

https://glidemagazine.com/267653/the-glide-20-glides-20-best-album-of-2021-honorable-mentions/

UPROXX

https://uproxx.com/music/best-albums-2021-list/

IT ISN'T DECEMBER YET

My top 10 will likely be quieter than the New Yorker's.

lol yeah the inclusion of both evermore and whole lotta red on this list makes it even clearer that it's silly to put out lists so early

All lists now must follow the official Grammy™ cadence.

Early lists are trying to help the artists sell album in the peak retail season. No objection to that.

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2021/nov/29/the-20-best-songs-of-2021

Do ppl still "gift" albums (based on Year End lists, to boot?). If so, that's admirable...

Dry Cleaning and Snail Mail are names that really put me off, but I'm sure that quotidian naming strategy has been used by good bands so this is irrational prejudice. "Bog Roll" is still waiting for any up and coming indie sensations to claim though.

― feed me with your clicks (Noel Emits), Saturday, November 27, 2021 9:30 AM (two days ago) bookmarkflaglink

There's already the very good Mega Bog: https://megabog.bandcamp.com/

I don't know if it's me but I find these lists have a lot of consensus and are a little interchangeable, as if they were all drawing from the same source (or stream).

the continental European perspective (Oor is like the Dutch Rolling Stone/Mojo): https://oor.nl/news/oors-eindlijst-dit-zijn-de-20-beste-albums-van-2021/

Dry Cleaning and Snail Mail are names that really put me off, but I'm sure that quotidian naming strategy has been used by good bands so this is irrational prejudice. "Bog Roll" is still waiting for any up and coming indie sensations to claim though.

And don't forget Soccer Mommy.

x-post Didn't know The Notwist had released a new album!

consensus picks so far are Floating Points/Pharoh Sanders, Little Simz and Weather Station

Also seeing Mdou Moctar, Dry Cleaning, Black Country New Road, Squid, Arlo Parks, LDR, The War on Drugs, Japanese Breakfast a lot

deadline for submitting to that Uproxx critics poll was last night (but seems to be extended a bit). Behind in my listening this year, so not gonna submit. Others are skipping it because its major label owned or weren't invited.

consensus picks so far are Floating Points/Pharoh Sanders, Little Simz and Weather Station

Also seeing Mdou Moctar, Dry Cleaning, Black Country New Road, Squid, Arlo Parks, LDR, The War on Drugs, Japanese Breakfast a lot

yeah ... not a great year for new albums, imo.

none of these would make my list (except Moctar, maybe), which isn't the point ... what bums me out is that i'm not exactly head over heels over my top 5-10, either, and i tend to be a glass-half-full person about this particular topic.

AOTY summary is helpful. Consensus so far is Floating Points by some margin.

https://www.albumoftheyear.org/list/summary/2021/

Tbh I’m always more excited for the “best tracks” rather than “best albums” at this time of year. That’s where most of the real discoveries are for me.

really liked the Floating Points/Pharoah Sanders album

the arlo parks album seems like it should be right up my alley but the end result is pretty bland

Discoveries for me from the Paste list - Pink Siifu, Katy Kirby, L’Rain

Gorilla vs Bear

https://www.gorillavsbear.net/gorilla-vs-bears-albums-of-2021/

^ might be the list that most approximates my own music taste so far. Plenty of great albums in there which I haven’t seen mentioned elsewhere.

gvb's lists are always a highlight

Excellent number one pick from Gorilla Vs Bear.

First time he picks something from his label but it’s well deserved. It’s a great album.

https://thequietus.com/articles/30903-the-quietus-top-100-albums-of-2021-norman-records

That write-up was funny, from casual conversation with the girlfriend to manifesto for nuance.
Doing 100 shows dedication. Lots of things I haven't even heard about.

I’m sorry but the suggestion that there were 97 albums this year better than HEY WHAT is absurd.

Yeah, there were at least 150

Free Jazz Blog (master list and individual contributor lists). One of the contributor lists includes an album I put out, so that's nice.

Jeez you peeps ain't kidding with those Boomkat lists. Overwhelmed with all the goodies I want to check out in those

No Depression

https://www.nodepression.com/no-depression-reviewers-and-writers-favorite-roots-music-albums-of-2021/

The cultural elites at CBC put Bieber at 1, Weeknd at 2: https://www.cbc.ca/music/the-top-100-canadian-songs-of-2021-1.6262357

passion of the weiss best rap songs of the year, always a fun list

https://www.passionweiss.com/2021/12/29/best-rap-songs-of-2021-pow/

21 for 21 – 7″ Singles of the Year
https://finestkiss.wordpress.com/2021/12/30/21-for-21-7-singles-of-the-year/

The Stoner HiVe Top 20 Countdown
https://stonerhive.blogspot.com/

2 King Buffalo – The Burden Of Restlessness
3 Greenleaf – Echoes From A Mass
4 Spelljammer - Abyssal Trip
5 Green Lung - Black Harvest
6 Jack Harlon & Dead Crows - The Magnetic Ridge
7 Acid Mammoth – Caravan
8 Jointhugger - Surrounded by Vultures
9 High Desert Queen – Secrets Of The Black Moon
10 Monolord – Your Time To Shine
11 Heavy Temple – Lupi Amoris
11 Kal-El – Dark Majesty
11 Void Commander – River Lord
12 Motorpsycho – Kingdom of Oblivion
13 Low Orbit – Crater Creator
14 Lucid Sins – Cursed !
15 Sunnata – Burning in Heaven, Melting on Earth
16 Dvne - Etemen Ænka
17 Maha Sohona – Endless Searcher
18 Holy Death Trio – Introducing…
18 The Age Of Truth – Resolute
19 Dunbarrow – Dunbarrow III
19 Thunder Horse – Chosen One
20 Alastor – Onwards and Downwards
20 Snake Mountain Revival – Everything In Sight

Actually top 26 -- stoners heh.

They forgot what their #1 was. Kidding, that will be posted tomorrow. I'm guessing maybe Weedpecker?

Vive Le Rock Albums of the Year

1 The Stranglers – Dark Matters
2 The Wildhearts – 21st Century Love Songs
3 Bob Vylan - We Live Here (I had it in 2020 list, but was reissued and expanded)
4 Amyl And The Sniffers – Comfort To Me
5 Ferocious Dog – The Hope
6 The Professionals – SNAFU
7 The Courettes – Back In Mono
8 Theatre of Hate - Utsukushi-Sa: A Thing of Beauty
9 Gary Numan – Intruder
10 Naked Raygun – Over The Overlords
11 Justin Sullivan – Surrounded
12 Chubby And The Gang – The Mutt's Nuts
13 Turnstile – Glow On
14 The Dropkick Murphys – Turn Up That Dial
15 Blitzkrieg - War Machine
16 Angel Du$t – "Yak": A Collection of Truck Songs
17 Rich Ragany and the Digressions - Beyond Nostalgia and Heartache
18 Chelsea - Meanwhile Gardens
19 Youth - Spinning Whee
20 Grand Collapse - Empty Plinths
21 The Bronx - Bronx VI
22 The Scientists – Negativity
23 Viagra Boys – Welfare Jazz
24 Cheap Trick – In Another World
25 Sleaford Mods – Spare Ribs
26 Alice Cooper - Detroit Stories
27 Sami Yaffa – The Innermost Journey to Your Outermost Mind
28 The Members – Bedsitland
29 Big Paul Ferguson – Virtual Control
30 The Middlenight Men - Issue #1
31 Vanity Rose - Hooligans Shampoo
32 James Stevenson - The Other Side of the World
33 Brian Setzer – Gotta Have the Rumble
34 Billy F. Gibbons – Hardware
35 The Offspring - Let the Bad Times Roll
36 Desperate Measures - Rinsed
37 Los Fastidos – XXX The Number of the Beat
38 Steve Conte - Bronx Cheer
39 Paul-Ronney Angel – London Texas Lockdown
40 The DeRellas – Something's Got to Give
41 Ian McNabb - Utopian
42 The Opposition – Hope
43 Millie Manders & the Shutup - Telling Truths, Breaking Ties
44 John Rossall - The Last Glam in Town
45 Descendents - 9th & Walnut
46 Face To Face - No Way Out But Through
47 Jesse Malin - Sand and Beautiful World
48 The Alarm - War
49 Sonny Vincent - Snake Pit Therapy
50 Paul Weller - Fat Pop Vol. 1

I'm wondering if someone could rank the Boomkat playlists?

Stoner HiVe
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7njkk8ETT91Go93sjE3lMU?si=f71314682c8e47a2

The Finest Kiss
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7njkk8ETT91Go93sjE3lMU?si=31f86e91747a4e84

https://artsfuse.org/244710/the-2021-jazz-critics-poll-only-the-best/

top 10. More on link. NPR had carried the poll in recent years , but now it is at Boston website ArtsFuse

James Brandon Lewis Red Lily Quintet, Jesup Wagon (Tao Forms) 388.5 points (53 ballots)
Vijay Iyer-Linda May Han Oh-Tyshawn Sorey, Uneasy (ECM) 225 (34)
Floating Points, Pharoah Sanders & the London Symphony Orchestra, Promises (Luaka Bop) 195 (28)
Charles Lloyd & the Marvels, Tone Poem (Blue Note) 182.5 (25)
Wadada Leo Smith’s Great Lakes Quartet, The Chicago Symphonies TUM 169 (24)
Henry Threadgill Zooid, Poof (Pi) 164 (32)
Ches Smith & We All Break, Path of Seven Colors (Pyroclastic) 143 (23)
Artifacts [Tomeka Reid-Nicole Mitchell-Mike Reed], . . . And Then There’s This (Astral Spirits) 132 (24)
Sons of Kemet, Black to the Future (Impulse!) 123 (21)
William Parker, Mayan Space Station (AUM Fidelity) 117.5 (23)

Latin Jazz list from that jazz critics poll

Latin

1) Miguel Zenón & Luis Perdomo, El Arte Del Bolero (Miel Music) 23
2) Arturo O’Farrill, . . . Dreaming in Lions . . . (Blue Note) 21
3) Eliane Elias, Mirror Mirror (Candid) 8
4) (tie) Carlos Henriquez, The South Bronx Story (Tiger Turn) 7
4) (tie) Ches Smith & We All Break, Path of Seven Colors (Pyroclastic) 7
6) (tie) Rubén Blades y Roberto Delgado & Orquesta, Salswing! (Rubén Blades Productions) 4
6) (tie) Arturo O’Farrill & the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra, Virtual Birdland (Zoho) 4

Shindig! Writer's Poll

1. Kit Sebastian - Melodi
2. The Coral - Coral Island
3. Daniel Romano - Kissing The Foe
4. Pearl Charles - Magic Mirror
5. Cool Ghouls - At George's Zoo
6. Spencer Cullum - Spencer Cullum's Coin Collection (2020)
7. Cobalt Chapel - Orange Synthetic
8. Curtis Harding - If Words Were Flowers
9. Neal Francis - In Plain Sight
10. The Courettes - Back In Mono
11. Electric Looking Glass - Somewhere Flowers Grow
12. The Bevis Frond - Little Eden
13. Daniel Romano's Outfit - Cobra Poems
14. Vanishing Twin - Ookii Gekkou
15. Reigning Sound - A Little More Time With Reigning Sound
16. Grys-Grys - To Fall Down
17. Novelty Island - How Are You Coping With This Century?
18. Mega Bog - Life And Another
19. King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - L.W.
20. The Lucid Dream - The Deep End
21. All Night Radio - Spirit Stereo Frequency (2004)
22. E.R. Jurkin - I Stand Corrected
23. Gloria - Sabbat Matters
24. Pablo Solo - Solo Sings Simon
25. Beautify Junkyards - Cosmorama
26. Carwyn Ellis & Rio 18 - Yn Rio
27. Natalie Bergman - Mercy
28. Durand Jones & The Indications - Private Space
29. Garcia Peoples - Dodging Dues (2022)
30. Marina Allen - Candlepower
31. Groovy Uncle - Searching For The Grown-Ups
32. Maston - Panorama
33. Teen Slot - Forever Hottest
34. Modern Nature - Island of Noise
35. The Brkn Record - The Architecture Of Oppression, Pt. 1
36. Thomas Comerford - Introverts
37. Sons Of Kemet - Black To The Future
38. Teenage Fanclub - Endless Arcade
39. Great Silkie - Dawn Chrous
40. Jane Weaver - Flock

shout out to the Shindig! Writer's Poll for being the only place to recognize Dan Romano's incredible year

good to see Natalie Bergman on there, really like that record.

Stoner HiVe #1 was Domkraft - Seeds.

I enjoyed these albums as late discoveries via the recent lists:

Ferocious Dog – The Hope: Was already on a Pogues kick, this one has more emotional heft compared to their previous albums.
Novelty Island - How Are You Coping With This Century?: Beatles worship can still feel fresh when done right. At least four videos worth seeing too.

I haven't been crazy about Romano's country pop stuff, but I like the power pop of Kissing the Foe. If anyone finds how to buy Modern Nature - Island of Noise digital files without buying the vinyl, let me know.

I could list a couple dozen more new finds, but many of you might like this one, that was #17 on MondoSonoro, 19 on Magnetic, 43 on Les Inrocks:

Parcels - Day/Night: Australian Yacht/soft rock double album, a touch of prog pop.

You have been specially selected to vote in this year's best end-of-year poll: ILM's 2021 End of Year Tracks & Albums Poll / VOTING THREAD

Don't miss it!

I wonder if Greg Kot knows about The Finest Kiss -- he also featured Wet Leg and Horsegirl in his annual mixtape:

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5InrtGjNdFpxRYSODsAidi?si=d29e5c841b4d41f7&nd=1

passion of the weiss albums: https://www.passionweiss.com/2021/12/30/the-pow-best-albums-of-2021/

Xhuxk Eddy's best singles of 2021:

https://accidentalevolution.wordpress.com/2021/12/31/35-best-singles-of-2021/

Youtube playlist:

http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLshHxICULapmII5rNojvg_hxGy9qYvfwE

List of the top 50 Danish albums from the site Kronoper, which is, well, it's me. It's my site. I'm writing a column saying Danish critics aren't showing the diversity of Danish music, so to prove it I made this list. And since I've spent time on it, I thought I'd post it here as well.

1. Iceage - Seek Shelter
2. Selma Judith - Getting Angry, Baby
3. Uden Ord - Eventyr
4. LLNN - Unmaker
5. RoemerKlindtHjorthHeymanDombernovsky - Oprindelse
6. Peter Jensen, Morten Büchert & DR Big Band - Light Through Leaves: Carl Nielsen Recontextualized
7. Erika de Casier - Sensational
8. Shitney - Post Vocal
9. Communions - Pure Fabrication
10. Danish String Quartet - Prism III
11. Exonyms - Khuluma Isintu
12. CHINAH - Feels LIke Forever
13. Lydmor - Capacity
14. Tardus Mortem - Armageddon
15. Frederik Valentin - 0011000 / 0011001
16. Glitchi - Welcome to the Twenties / Cats Have Nine Lives
17. RoseGold - PURE
18. Aar & Dag - Tifold af fri form og fælles motiv
19. Christian Westergaard, m.fl - Peter Heise: The Song Edition
20. Branco - Baba Business 2
21. Nezelhorns - Sentiment
22. Mikkel Oldrup - Bracing Days
23. Molok - Skær
24. Katrine Grarup Elbo - Fold Unfold
25. Kasper Marott - Full Circle
26. Mark Solborg Trio - Angels
27. Astrid Sonne - outside of your lifetime
28. Maraton - Maraton
29. Jomi Massage - Lyst
30. Gustav Piekut - Towards the Flame: Eccentric Piano Works
31. Schacke - Underworlds
32. Of the Wand and The Moon - Your Love Can’t Hold This Wreath of Sorrow
33. Tomas Raae - With the Dim the Darkness Came
34. Croatian Amor & Scandinavian Star - Spring Snow
35. Katrine Stockholm - Verden består af samlinger og stykker
36. Jaleh Negari - Weaver ~
37. Malthe Jepsen - Fluidity
38. Paw Grabowski - Ode til nattens flugt
39. MØL - Diorama
40. Drew Sycamore - Sycamore
41. Randi Pontoppidan & Thomas Buckner – Voicescapes / Randi Pontoppidan & Sissel Vera Petterson – Inner Lift
42. Ghost Coast Choir - Ghost Coast Choir
43. Exchange: Petrola 80
44. Yung - Ongoing Dispute
45. Jærv - Skud
46. NØX - Walk of Shame
47. Rasmus Johansen fra Fly - Køddag
48. Several Things - Please Don’t Do This To Me, Life
49. Simon Toldam - Tak for dit brev
50. Nymalet - Syv lag

no When Saints Go Machine or Coco O?

How Chuck Eddy made his list---

This year I’d say my main sources were “Apres Ski” and “Ballerman” compilations of songs young Germans evidently trinken bier to on vacation (responsible for five of the top 20 below and one more of the 15 also-rans), lists Dave Cooper Moore and Frank Kogan periodically emailed out to a small group I’m part of and/or blog-posted, stray and fleeting mentions by facebook friends, maybe weekly song reviews in The New York Times “Playlist” feature, and new-release spreadsheets I get paid to peruse every Wednesday for Napster/Rhapsody.

no When Saints Go Machine or Coco O?

― boxedjoy, 8. januar 2022 17:27 (yesterday) bookmarkflaglink

I thought both were disappointments. Coco O should probably have been on there anyway, but When Saints Go Machine made no impact at all.

https://southernsoulrnb.com/corner2021.cfm

Daddy B. Nice's top 25 southern soul songs of 2021

The Genius Community’s 50 Best Songs Of 2021

https://theatticmag.com/features/2425/favourite-albums-of-2021.html

I don't think this list of international and jazz and more selected by contributors to the Attic mag has been posted

I really liked Vice/Noisey's choices over the last 3-4 years, and especially their '10s decade lists. They seem to be taking a break from Noisey content at the moment so I guess no lists from them this time :(

Last year I think they were the only ones who included the Gulch and Narrow Head records, and their rap choices felt like they were repping stuff that people actually listened to.

i liked the vice/noisey lists because they counted down 100, which means more room for interesting picks

https://finestkiss.wordpress.com/2022/01/16/21-for-21-albums-of-the-year/

Some interesting stuff I had missed on that list.

Paste (OK, really one columnist) rounds up great albums you may have missed ... lots of stuff here not seen elsewhere:

https://www.pastemagazine.com/music/records-you-may-have-missed/great-records-you-may-have-missed-2021-year-end-ed/