Best albums of 2021

[Starsky]

The order cound change, but here's mine:

1. Aaron Frazer-Introducing
2. St. Vincent-Daddy's Home
3. Sierra Ferrell-Long Time Coming
4. Little Simz-Sometimes I Might Be Introvert
5. Liam Kazar-Due North
6. Heartless Bastards-A Beautiful Life
7. Dinosaur Jr.-Sweep It Into Space
8. Arlo Parks- Collapsed in Sunbeams
9. Hiatus Kaiyote-Mood Valiant
10. Wolf Alice- Blue Weekend
11. Nightmare on Wax- Shout Out to Freedom
12. My Morning Jacket-seff-titled
13. Japanese Breakfast-Jubilee
14. Lord Huron- Long Lost
15. Sons of Kemet- Black to the Future
16. Faye Webster- I Know I'm Funny HaHa
17. Helado Negro-Far In
18. Cleo Sol-Mother
19. Bonny Light Horseman-Self Titled
20 (tie) Leon Bridges- Gold Diggers Sound
20 (tie) Curtis Harding- If Words Were Flowers
20 (tie) Durand Jones and the Indications-Private Space

I need to get the Nightmares on Wax

[Hatch, guerrilla-poserll|̲̅̅●̲̅̅|̲̅̅=̲̅̅|̲̅̅●̲̅̅|llıl]

I find it hard to believe that his list wouldn't include more than one or two better known, somewhat mainstream bands...maybe not mainstream, but fairly recognizable names.

The order cound change, but here's mine:

2. St. Vincent-Daddy's Home
7. Dinosaur Jr.-Sweep It Into Space
8. Arlo Parks- Collapsed in Sunbeams
12. My Morning Jacket-seff-titled
14. Lord Huron- Long Lost
20 (tie) Leon Bridges- Gold Diggers Sound

Tell me you have heard of these people, if not I don't know why you hang on a music board that is geared to the more obscure artists to begin with
not like this is Jiffy Lube forum, it's a 9:30 club forum

[kosmo vinyl]

To be fair most of my list are mainstream in the UK, hence why most of list are alumni from Tim’s Twitter Listening Parties.

The most “obscure” entry on that list is Andy Bopp who is a long standing power pop songwriter from Baltimore.

Most of list was bought via Bandcamp

https://bandcamp.com/kosmowren

 

[sweetcell]

20 (tie) Leon Bridges- Gold Diggers Sound
20 (tie) Curtis Harding- If Words Were Flowers
20 (tie) Durand Jones and the Indications-Private Space

way to sneak two extra entries into your top-20 list.

[Space Freely]

Not saying I agree or disagree with Space's list, but at least his list has some bands that most people can recognize.  Not faulting Kosmo's list either, as he has some pretty good taste in music and I enjoy his Spotify playlists, but I find it hard to believe that his list wouldn't include more than one or two better known, somewhat mainstream bands...maybe not mainstream, but fairly recognizable names.

The order cound change, but here's mine:

1. Aaron Frazer-Introducing
2. St. Vincent-Daddy's Home
3. Sierra Ferrell-Long Time Coming
4. Little Simz-Sometimes I Might Be Introvert
5. Liam Kazar-Due North
6. Heartless Bastards-A Beautiful Life
7. Dinosaur Jr.-Sweep It Into Space
8. Arlo Parks- Collapsed in Sunbeams
9. Hiatus Kaiyote-Mood Valiant
10. Wolf Alice- Blue Weekend
11. Nightmare on Wax- Shout Out to Freedom
12. My Morning Jacket-seff-titled
13. Japanese Breakfast-Jubilee
14. Lord Huron- Long Lost
15. Sons of Kemet- Black to the Future
16. Faye Webster- I Know I'm Funny HaHa
17. Helado Negro-Far In
18. Cleo Sol-Mother
19. Bonny Light Horseman-Self Titled
20 (tie) Leon Bridges- Gold Diggers Sound
20 (tie) Curtis Harding- If Words Were Flowers
20 (tie) Durand Jones and the Indications-Private Space

I'd bet Kosmo digs a bit deeper into music than I do, hence his list would on the whole have more obscure artists.

I appreciate lists like Kosmo's, where I don't know the majority of the music. They give me a good starting point to exploring stuff I don't know. And there's probably a half dozen things on his list that I do know that give me a touchpoint for what the other stuff might be like.

The same goes for the NPR and Pitchfork lists I've seen. I don't know a majority of the music on the lists, but they give me a good starting point on exposure to new stuff. Of course, those two lists are probably more all over the map than Kosmo's, because they're probably compiled by a staff rather than one guy.

[Space Freely]

20 (tie) Leon Bridges- Gold Diggers Sound
20 (tie) Curtis Harding- If Words Were Flowers
20 (tie) Durand Jones and the Indications-Private Space

way to sneak two extra entries into your top-20 list.

Those three albums are kind of in the same bucket...retro soul with an African-American lead singer. (and in the Indications case, a second white lead singer.).....so hard to choose

[kosmo vinyl]

Trust me my list isn’t that obscure.., There are two UK number ones, The Coral and The Lathums, LoneLady is popping up on year end best of lists and has supported New Order, Soda Blonde were Little Green Cars, Kurupt FM are from the TV show “People Who Just Do Nothing”, Black Honey and Vistas both headline shows in the UK

Yola and The Velveteers are both on Dan Aurbach’s label Easy Eye Sound.

PM Watson and City Champs would appeal    To Space.  The City Champs are a Memphis based trio who have been on hiatus, party because the organ player is with St.Paul and the Broken Bones. 

Muzi is a South African house producer

Gruff is from Super Furry Animals

[JohnnyBaconbitz]

Kiwi Jr was the best record

[Vas Deferens]

Bonny Light Horseman came out in 2020 but that's OK cause I discovered a lot of 2020 releases this year.

The order cound change, but here's mine:

1. Aaron Frazer-Introducing
2. St. Vincent-Daddy's Home
3. Sierra Ferrell-Long Time Coming
4. Little Simz-Sometimes I Might Be Introvert
5. Liam Kazar-Due North
6. Heartless Bastards-A Beautiful Life
7. Dinosaur Jr.-Sweep It Into Space
8. Arlo Parks- Collapsed in Sunbeams
9. Hiatus Kaiyote-Mood Valiant
10. Wolf Alice- Blue Weekend
11. Nightmare on Wax- Shout Out to Freedom
12. My Morning Jacket-seff-titled
13. Japanese Breakfast-Jubilee
14. Lord Huron- Long Lost
15. Sons of Kemet- Black to the Future
16. Faye Webster- I Know I'm Funny HaHa
17. Helado Negro-Far In
18. Cleo Sol-Mother
19. Bonny Light Horseman-Self Titled
20 (tie) Leon Bridges- Gold Diggers Sound
20 (tie) Curtis Harding- If Words Were Flowers
20 (tie) Durand Jones and the Indications-Private Space

[Cock Van Der Palm]

If you read my post then you would know it was Kosmo's list that I only heard of 3 or 4 bands. Space's list is much more main stream for this board.

I find it hard to believe that his list wouldn't include more than one or two better known, somewhat mainstream bands...maybe not mainstream, but fairly recognizable names.

The order cound change, but here's mine:

2. St. Vincent-Daddy's Home
7. Dinosaur Jr.-Sweep It Into Space
8. Arlo Parks- Collapsed in Sunbeams
12. My Morning Jacket-seff-titled
14. Lord Huron- Long Lost
20 (tie) Leon Bridges- Gold Diggers Sound

Tell me you have heard of these people, if not I don't know why you hang on a music board that is geared to the more obscure artists to begin with
not like this is Jiffy Lube forum, it's a 9:30 club forum

[Space Freely]

Bonny Light Horseman came out in 2020 but that's OK cause I discovered a lot of 2020 releases this year.

The order cound change, but here's mine:

1. Aaron Frazer-Introducing
2. St. Vincent-Daddy's Home
3. Sierra Ferrell-Long Time Coming
4. Little Simz-Sometimes I Might Be Introvert
5. Liam Kazar-Due North
6. Heartless Bastards-A Beautiful Life
7. Dinosaur Jr.-Sweep It Into Space
8. Arlo Parks- Collapsed in Sunbeams
9. Hiatus Kaiyote-Mood Valiant
10. Wolf Alice- Blue Weekend
11. Nightmare on Wax- Shout Out to Freedom
12. My Morning Jacket-seff-titled
13. Japanese Breakfast-Jubilee
14. Lord Huron- Long Lost
15. Sons of Kemet- Black to the Future
16. Faye Webster- I Know I'm Funny HaHa
17. Helado Negro-Far In
18. Cleo Sol-Mother
19. Bonny Light Horseman-Self Titled
20 (tie) Leon Bridges- Gold Diggers Sound
20 (tie) Curtis Harding- If Words Were Flowers
20 (tie) Durand Jones and the Indications-Private Space

Wow, I remember first listening to them around the time they played Songbyrd, which was February 2020. They may have even been on my 2020 best of list. Why did I think they were 2021? Well that pare my list down to only one extra:

1. Aaron Frazer-Introducing
2. St. Vincent-Daddy's Home
3. Sierra Ferrell-Long Time Coming
4. Little Simz-Sometimes I Might Be Introvert
5. Liam Kazar-Due North
6. Heartless Bastards-A Beautiful Life
7. Dinosaur Jr.-Sweep It Into Space
8. Arlo Parks- Collapsed in Sunbeams
9. Hiatus Kaiyote-Mood Valiant
10. Wolf Alice- Blue Weekend
11. Nightmare on Wax- Shout Out to Freedom
12. My Morning Jacket-seff-titled
13. Japanese Breakfast-Jubilee
14. Lord Huron- Long Lost
15. Sons of Kemet- Black to the Future
16. Faye Webster- I Know I'm Funny HaHa
17. Helado Negro-Far In
18. Cleo Sol-Mother
19. (tie) Leon Bridges- Gold Diggers Sound
19. (tie) Curtis Harding- If Words Were Flowers
19. (tie) Durand Jones and the Indications-Private Space

[kosmo vinyl]

If Space wants to expand on 19, he might want to also checkout this one

https://derobertandthehalftruths.bandcamp.com/album/100-yard-dash

[kosmo vinyl]

And the Grease Traps record as well

[bearman🐻]

No particular order:

Beachy Head -- Beachy Head
Face to Face -- No Way Out But Through
Snail Mail -- Valentine
Bat Fangs -- Queen of My World
Torres -- Thirstier
Dean Wareham -- I Have Nothing to Say to the Mayor of LA
Dinosaur Jr -- Sweet It Into Space
Descendents -- 9th and Walnut
Split Single -- Amplificado

[Yada]

Due North - Liam Kazar
Gold Diggers - Leon Bridges
Whatever archive releases Neil Young has released - Neil Young