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Though I expected greater of 2021 - on account of all the free time artists were given courtesy of the quarantine in 2020 - to say it disappointing would be a lie. After all, nothing in recent years has been more exciting than watching U.K.'s Art Punk scene grow, as the three-headed beast of black midi, Black Country New Road, and Squid all released incredible debuts within a four-month window. Fearless and exceptionally-talented, their prowess headlined the year. Though stewing in a niche community was a cult, bound by a love for 90's melodrama, aspirational romance, and Dance music that ascends to the heavens. It was spurred by the faceless DJ Sabrina The Teenage DJ, a transformative artist who took my breath away with each intrepid exodus. She mustered optimism in the face of overwhelming dread. Represented those Life Is Good t-shirts better than the t-shirts themselves. These two halves - the palpitating anxieties of the Windmill collective, and the calming resurgence of an impassioned DJ - helped put 2021 into context.
All before Lil Ugly Mane tore it apart. Both he, with the near-perfect Volcanic Bird Enemy, and other established artists grew in satisfying ways. There was Japanese Breakfast flexing her versatility in Pop. Lingua Ignota descending further into the reaches of Hell. Little Simz embracing Hip-Hop as a means to overcome. No matter where you looked, in music circles both large and small, artful progression could be found. In a way, it's a testament to human resilience. That a worldwide quarantine needn't be the central topic for musicians, for overcoming the odds was the expected outcome. Art could still prosper even when our chips are down. And boy has it ever.
Playlists For All 100 Songs: Apple Music | Spotify
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Elori Saxl - Wave I
Blue Of Distance
Blue Of Distance
At start, Elori Saxl's 'Wave I' does nothing special. It's aquatic Ambient; natural and floating. However, the subtle incorporation of a growing trombone finds rhythm amidst desultory patience, coming and going with each ocean breath.
99 | Sleigh Bells - Tennessee Tips | Texis
Sleigh Bells somehow revamped their career. Most bizarre? They did it through 100 gecs' Electropop. 'Tennessee Tips' kept listeners on their toes, bouncing through palpitating synth pads and an airy, 80's Synthpop hook.
98 | The Armed - Average Death | Ultrapop
Post-Hardcore, usually, never frets on emotion. Its own masculinity prevents such contemplations. Not with The Armed's 'Average Death,' a crushing storm of pent-up rage and dejected, abyssal decomposition. The hidden melodies are just icing on the cake.
97 | Lost Girls - Love, Lovers | Menneskekollektivet
There's something about transitions from minimal to maximal that always hits the right spot. Especially when handled with care and not rushed. Jenny Hval's welcoming patience was a calling card on 'Love, Lovers,' and one that rewards eagerness with sublimity.
96 | St. Vincent - ...At The Holiday Party | Daddy's Home
When holiday parties become a topic for a song, you know your content's running thin. Or, it's a testament to St. Vincent's efforts to turn the mundane into the momentous. 'At The Holiday Party' eases into Blue-Eyed Soul, satisfying the heart and soothing apprehensions.
It recalls the days of Black Starr, Little Brother, and The Fugees. Impassioned Conscious Hip-Hop, uplifting and all-too real. 'Little Q' reflects on past hurdles whilst aiming for even greater ones. The children's choir, as always, is a great touch.
94 | DARKSIDE - Lawmaker | Spiral
Nicolas Jaar's atmosphere is unlike any other. It's like a Noir turned Western; deep and moody. On 'Lawmaker,' that ataxia is taken literally, as Jaar weaves around rattling chains and desert drums in a style reminiscent of his Sirens era.
93 | DJ Sabrina The Teenage DJ - Princess | Makin' Magick II Album
Though I've talked ad nauseam about DJ Sabrina's spanning greatness, an understated aspect of her production comes out in full force on 'Princess:' Captivating psychedelia. It's so easy to get lost in those filled drum loops and uplifting samples.
92 | Wolf Alice - The Last Man On Earth | Blue Weekend
With their third LP, Wolf Alice levied their playfulness to exacerbate a more somber direction. It didn't entirely work, though that doesn't apply to standout 'Last Man On Earth,' where Ellie Roswell carried angelic vocals into a big, Beatles coda bash.
91 | CHANCE デラソウル - I Still Do | Afterparty
Context matters on 'I Still Do,' for the song that precedes it is called 'I Used To Make Vaporwave.' Always self-aware, Chance デラソウル celebrates his love of Future Funk with multi-layered, multi-cultural Disco samples. It's 70's America with Japanese vocals. Nuff said.
Though my familiarity with modern African music is virtually nonexistent, I find comfort in songs like 'Dindi.' Ones that exhibit progress, fusing utopian Electronica with irresistible Pop born from the soil itself. Loving and hopeful.
89 | Squid - Peel St. | Bright Green Field
Perhaps the funkiest cut off Bright Green Field, 'Peel St.' hardly concerns itself with the anxieties rampant through Squid's music. Ollie Judge's frantic yelps take on a playful tone as the multi-rhythmic background parades in unison like steam pistons on the assembly line.
88 | Patricia Taxxon - Certainly, Yet | Yes, And
There's something particularly inspiring about hyper-condensed Glitch Pop. Songs like 'Certainly, Yet' feel like supernovas exploding, the beginning or end of something imperative. Taxxon's delirious story unraveling through euphoria further cements that opinion.
87 | Yves Tumor - Jackie | Asymptotical World
With its searing, arena-sized guitars, hot to the touch, 'Jackie' oozes the big time sensuality that dominates Yves Tumor's music and persona. Their hoarse vocals and impassioned pleas only further accentuates the gruff, Post-Punk melancholy on display.
86 | Sufjan Stevens - Reach Out | A Beginner's Mind
'Reach Out's' beauty arises in its disguised complexity. The best acoustic-driven material always twists patterns with subtle alterations. At its core, beauty ascends through Stevens' vocals. But deep down, the ear latches to the minutiae.
Jockstrap - 50/50
Single
Single
On Wicked City, Jockstrap made a strong assertion that they weren't scared to try anything. '50/50' affirms that desire, diving headfirst into disorienting Breakbeat. Georgia Ellery is lost amidst radical absurdism.
84 | Trance Farmers - Like Dreamers Do | Single
They vanished just as mysteriously as they reemerged. On 'Like Dreamers Do,' Trance Farmers treaded their idiosyncrasies with a fine touch, uncovering dusty, tired Hypnagogic Pop through a busted radio along Route 66.
83 | Burial - Chemz | Chemz / Dolphinz
Burial has struggled for years, lost without a concept. 'Chemz' changes that course, with chiptune 2-Step that manages to thrive in Burial's grim, subway aesthetic. It's the closest he's gotten to the evocative movements of his classic EP's.
82 | Dry Cleaning - Strong Feelings | New Long Leg
There's an understated grace to Dry Cleaning's 'Strong Feelings,' one that oozes unconventional confidence. And not just in Florence Shaw's whimsical abstractions, but also the vintage Post-Punk guitars that relish in lofty builds.
81 | slowthai - i tried | TYRON
Sampling the late Trey Gruber, slowthai presents an uplifting Soul remake on 'i tried,' the introduction to the U.K. rapper's tender side. Inspirational lyrics contend with past sins and vices to present the duality of man, and his ability to grow.
Pom Poko - Danger Baby
Cheater
Cheater
Is 'Danger Baby' the nickname for Pom Poko's itsy-bitsy vocalist, Ragnhild Fangel Jamtveit? If not, it should be. Deception plays a key role in Pom Poko's Math Rock, and is on marvelous display within the crooks of 'Danger Baby.'
79 | Goat Girl - Pest | On All Fours
It's still on my tongue. Months later, the song Goat Girl's 'Pest' reminds me of remains out-of-reach. Regardless, the shared vocal harmonies of Lottie Pendlebury and Ellie Rose-Davies soothes with the strength of a looping coda.
78 | Sharon Van Etten & Angel Olsen - Like I Used To | Single
In some ways, 'Like I Used To' is rather cheap. Cliche-ridden, purposefully anthemic, peppered Synthpop cascades, coda over coda over coda. Yet, isn't that what we all love? Sharon Van Etten & Angel Olsen know full well what makes humans tick.
77 | Strange Fire - Leaving Eden | Strange Fire
On 'Leaving Eden,' Strange Fire bridge the vast gap between Contemporary Folk and Post-Rock. By song's end, they somehow land alongside Tycho's brand of surging Downtempo. Sweeping in scope, yet intimate in the analysis.
76 | JPEGMAFIA - WHAT KINDA RAPPIN' IS THIS? | LP!
JPEGMAFIA always leaves room for surprises. On 'What Kinda Rappin' Is This?' he fancies lush arrangements around throwback Boom Bap, a combination that found success on Tyler, The Creator's IGOR. Here, the beauty works just as well.
L'Rain - Two Face
Fatigue
Fatigue
'Two Face' mystifies with 3D percussion, circling around, under, and through the air between L'Rain's soft breaths. Elevated psychedelia, maximalist and heady, comes together with vivacious horn calls by track's end that swirl like circling birdies.
74 | Vince Staples - ARE YOU WITH THAT? | Vince Staples
A self-titled disappointment for the ages, Vince Staples at least started on the right foot. To the point, intimate and a cultural stepping stone, 'Are You With That?' finds the Compton rapper relishing in his comfort zone; chilled out Wonky.
73 | Senyawa - Alkisah I | Alkisah
For a steady, unrelenting nine minutes Senyawa torture the poor souls who veered off the beaten path. 'Alkisah I' is visceral, clanging with Industrial-tinged drums and an uncontrollable guitar. It's quite the freight, especially with the chanting of fire-breath Indonesian.
72 | Modest Mouse - Lace Your Shoes | Golden Casket
Despite the alien synthesizers, 'Lace Your Shoes' feels distinctly human. Here we find Issac Brock reflecting on the day-to-day trivialities of his children, daydreaming of a life well-lived for them all. An endearingly personal song for a sometimes out-of-touch singer.
71 | Horsey - Seahorse | Debonair
What better way to end an album full of surprises than deferring the final minutes to King Krule. Horsey does just that on 'Seahorse,' providing Krule's idiosyncratic Noir-tinge to a Jazzy night club. One that's empty of all patrons, save Krule, wallowing in sorrow.
Doss - Strawberry
4 New Hit Songs
4 New Hit Songs
Dream Trance. What a genre name, and one that perfectly personifies 'Strawberry.' Filled with the afterglow of Baggy, the rushing noise of Shoegaze, the gleeful recklessness of Alternative Dance, Doss' darling is one to forever get lost in.
69 | Material Girl - Material Girl Meets The Devil, Pt. 3 | Drujjha
This is the future of Hip-Hop, one can hope. NAPPYNAPPA's depressive lyrics recall Earl Sweatshirt, MIKE, or Navy Blue, yet it's Material Girl's crackling tape loops and utterly surreal left turn into Drum N' Bass on 'Pt. 3' that provides greatness unheard.
68 | Black Country, New Road - Track X | For The First Time
Surrounded by behemoths with proven track records, 'Track X' actually seems like the most valuable of all For The First Time material. It showed a tender side to BCNR; one capable of reflection, of hope, of beauty.
67 | CHANCE デラソウル - Don't Stop | CHANCE デラソウル
It's a call to the DJ; "don't stop." It essentially defines the whole of CHANCE デラソウル's career, with one Future Funk romp after another. Intoxicating jubilee to get lost in, 'Don't Stop' bears a passing resemblance to The Avalanches circa Since I Left You.
66 | King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - Interior People | Butterfly 3000
'Interior People' is classic, boilerplate King Gizzard. Set adrift, on the dunes of the outback, lost in a vibrant, perspiry Neo-Psychedelia wonderland. It doesn't do anything special, it just does everything right.
Never has Ambient Pop been so elaborate. Low's form, one that takes dreamy vocals and forces them through a barely-functional shredder, shines on 'All Night.' Mimi Parker's embracive coos exist in limbo, as if entirely unaware of their new, insoluble surroundings.
64 | The Avalanches - We Go On | We Will Always Love You
Avalanches thrive in the mid-party set. A time that, for many artists, works as a breathing space. For the duo, it's the height of existence. That's where we find 'We Go On,' trailing from 'Oh The Sunn!' to keep the celebration set on the stars.
63 | Lingua Ignota - Pennsylvania Furnace | Sinner Get Ready
Languished and dreadful, 'Pennsylvania Furnace' combined the halves of Lingua Ignota's dolent side. As heavy fingers hit antiquated piano keys, Ignota's voice warps with sly elegance. "One thing I've learned is everything burns" hits hard.
62 | Tyler, The Creator - JUGGERNAUT | Call Me If You Get Lost
With an unabashed focus on returning to gritty Rap, Tyler's latest failed to garner my interest. There were moments though, namely the cataclysmic 'JUGGERNAUT,' featuring a stunning verse from Lil Uzi Vert who managed to tip-toe around Tyler's minefield of quirky production tricks.
61 | Lil Ugly Mane - Benadryl Submarine | Volcanic Bird Enemy & The Voiced Concern
Volcanic Bird Enemy's best asset is, undoubtedly, its surrealism. This, heightened when reality bites. You can see that on 'Benadryl Submarine,' where abstract and verity merge. Drug escapism giving way to freaky airiness.
With a shaky guitar twang, only possible down under, 'Sunfair Sundown' finds motivated movement through humid air. Barnett's comments, cherishing change on behalf of another, is roused by a steady, succulent build..
59 | DJ Sabrina The Teenage DJ - How Did You Know? | Charmed
'How Did You Know?' carries with it an adorable, teenage maudlin spirit that's difficult to capture in music. It's DJ Sabrina's specialty. From the instigating, poorly-acted samples, to the gushing synthesizers and schmaltzy, soda pop euphoria.
58 | War On Drugs - I Don't Live Here Anymore | I Don't Live Here Anymore
Americana circa 1980. Where malls were packed on Fridays and late nights dominated by indiscriminate car rides. 'I Don't Live Here Anymore' adjusts War On Drugs' Heartland obsession to a country beholden to change.
58 | Jon Hopkins - Sit Around The Fire | Music For Psychedelic Therapy
Over gorgeous piano notes that deepen with each incurrent key, 'Sit Around The Fire' crackles into meditative bliss. Ram Dass' calming peace carries ethereal weight, freeing the mind of all trials and tribulations.
56 | Viagra Boys - In Spite Of Ourselves | Welfare Jazz
I'm not one for trashy humor. Satirize it with a helping of Art Punk crunch though and you've got a hit. 'In Spite Of Ourselves' finds Viagra Boys teaming up with Amy Taylor for a tawdry Cowpunk epic that's all filth and flourish.
Injury Reserve - Knees
By The Time I Get To Phoenix
By The Time I Get To Phoenix
'Knees' finds the now-duo of Injury Reserve at their lowest; dejected and mournful. A voice from beyond decries the perils of aging, whilst enduring eternal slumber. It's a difficult song, especially for someone, like myself, on the verge of turning 30.
54 | Tonstartssbandht - What Has Happened | Petunia
'What Has Happened' manages to find its own lane, despite the similarities to Petunia's adjoining flock. There's a tenacious current lurking underneath the White brothers' glorious harmonizing. Progressive, yet tight and nimble.
53 | Lil Ugly Mane - Styrofoam | Volcanic Bird Enemy & The Voiced Concern
Lil Ugly Mane never shies away from tackling the totally bonkers. On 'Styrofoam' he mixes metaphorical self-deprecation with vintage, carnival Dixieland and Ragtime. The result? A rich tapestry of disorientation.
52 | Sufjan Stevens - Lady Macbeth In Chains | A Beginner's Mind
What makes 'Lady Macbeth' so charming? The understated grace and clear definition, of course. It's a song in total harmony, striking given the two collaborators in similar fields. Sufjan's calming demeanor over gentle, rustling acoustics.
51 | Blu - Mr. Blu(e) | Color Blu(e)
Does Hip-Hop get better than this? Over a decade removed from Below The Heavens and the tandem of Blu and Exile still got it. On 'Mr. Blu(e),' mesmerizing samples, poignant lyrics, and a symbiosis that can only occur when passion is the driving force.
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