Best albums of 2021

sweetcell wrote:

Space wrote:
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

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

Kiwi Jr was the best record

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

Space wrote:
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

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.

beleaguered wrote:

jeffml wrote: 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.

Space wrote:
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

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

Space wrote:
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

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

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

And the Grease Traps record as well

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

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

Dang…no more shows for 2021

There is like nothing at Anthem, Lincoln, Union Stage, Jammin Java

Might catch the Pietasters on the 26th
but there are few options

ok, found one option - PUDDLES PITY PARTY “UNSEQUESTERED SHOW at the birchmere…not sure I'm willing to spend $60 on this spectacle

Wondering how the counts for 2021 were for Yada/Vas/Challenged
as I don't think you can get many more in at this point  (well I'm sure there are tons of shows in Balt)

beleaguered wrote:
Dang…no more shows for 2021

There is like nothing at Anthem, Lincoln, Union Stage, Jammin Java

Might catch the Pietasters on the 26th
but there are few options

ok, found one option - PUDDLES PITY PARTY “UNSEQUESTERED SHOW at the birchmere…not sure I'm willing to spend $60 on this spectacle

Wondering how the counts for 2021 were for Yada/Vas/Challenged
as I don't think you can get many more in at this point  (well I'm sure there are tons of shows in Balt)

I realized it was a lofty goal and I'll probably end up no where near where I originally wanted to be… Pretty soon after when I started seeing bands like MMJ, Flaming Lips, etc.. I realized I didn't even really want to see these bands. So yeah, won't be chasing that goal any longer. :(

Yada wrote:

beleaguered wrote:
Dang…no more shows for 2021

There is like nothing at Anthem, Lincoln, Union Stage, Jammin Java

Might catch the Pietasters on the 26th
but there are few options

ok, found one option - PUDDLES PITY PARTY “UNSEQUESTERED SHOW at the birchmere…not sure I'm willing to spend $60 on this spectacle

Wondering how the counts for 2021 were for Yada/Vas/Challenged
as I don't think you can get many more in at this point  (well I'm sure there are tons of shows in Balt)

I realized it was a lofty goal and I'll probably end up no where near where I originally wanted to be… Pretty soon after when I started seeing bands like MMJ, Flaming Lips, etc.. I realized I didn't even really want to see these bands. So yeah, won't be chasing that goal any longer. :(

Well, there's always hazies.

For me, a show is more special when it's something I only do once in a while. YMMV.

Space wrote:

Yada wrote:

beleaguered wrote:
Dang…no more shows for 2021

There is like nothing at Anthem, Lincoln, Union Stage, Jammin Java

Might catch the Pietasters on the 26th
but there are few options

ok, found one option - PUDDLES PITY PARTY “UNSEQUESTERED SHOW at the birchmere…not sure I'm willing to spend $60 on this spectacle

Wondering how the counts for 2021 were for Yada/Vas/Challenged
as I don't think you can get many more in at this point  (well I'm sure there are tons of shows in Balt)

I realized it was a lofty goal and I'll probably end up no where near where I originally wanted to be… Pretty soon after when I started seeing bands like MMJ, Flaming Lips, etc.. I realized I didn't even really want to see these bands. So yeah, won't be chasing that goal any longer. :(

Well, there's always hazies.

For me, a show is more special when it's something I only do once in a while. YMMV.

Don't drink much of those either… I'd see music weekly if it was a band I really wanted to see, I just think my depth of knowledge of new bands isn't as deep as some others on here or some others enjoy seeing bands they only like a little bit, where that's not the case for me.

Yada wrote: or some others enjoy seeing bands they only like a little bit, where that's not the case for me.

for me I sometimes like catching bands I don't know a whole lot about, but has gotten some good reivews/hype
but Price/Location are big factors

Not spending more than $30 to see someone that I don't REALLY like

beleaguered wrote:

Yada wrote: or some others enjoy seeing bands they only like a little bit, where that's not the case for me.

for me I sometimes like catching bands I don't know a whole lot about, but has gotten some good reivews/hype
but Price/Location are big factors

Not spending more than $30 to see someone that I don't REALLY like

At 54, I'm going to go with the I need to like them more than a little camp. It's not just the money, it's 20+ minutes driving, parking, dealing with crowds, etc. My tv and pile of unread books are just easier.

Lately I seem to go more and more to shows by acts I like


It’s hard for me to go to a show if I haven’t bought the album


Of course it’s harder to get out of the house and I don’t have friends like before that call me with last minute free tickets and prod me to go out…

I would see almost any band for free ;)
unless they are at the Lube or MPP….then I REALLY have to like them

Looking like under 65….

beleaguered wrote:


Wondering how the counts for 2021 were for Yada/Vas/Challenged
as I don't think you can get many more in at this point  (well I'm sure there are tons of shows in Balt)

Starsky wrote:
It’s hard for me to go to a show if I haven’t bought the album

Hmm, has 10,000 albums