Doug's 2021 Music Recap! The Best New Music Of The Year
Favorites released in 2021:
Some great music was released this year even though you won’t see it on any Rolling Stone year end lists. I looked at their list and it’s just filled with garbage I swear. So in true music snobbery form I say stick with this list and do not bother with theirs. Here we go in no particular order!
ALBUM OF THE YEAR - Steven Wilson The Future Bites
Steven Wilson never rests on his laurels. Always pushing and reinventing, his solo effort The Future Bites is the most concise set of songs he’s released which makes for an engaging listen. Not that his prog leanings aren’t brilliant - they are. But it’s kind of cool to have a Steven Wilson album that has 9 tracks and clocks in at just under 42 minutes - it’s just….immediate. And the songs are just so good - the shorter length is not some watered down attempt at a wider audience. If you’re looking for 10 minute instrumental freakouts you won’t find them here - the only long track is “Personal Shopper” - a somewhat neutral but still intense look at consumerism with a spoken word interlude care of Elton John.
Others…
Dinosaur Jr. - Sweep It Into Space
Interestingly enough I never sat down and listened to a Dinosaur Jr. album… a band I was obviously aware of and even saw live a few years ago (I was very impressed by the way). Just one of those that I don’t have an answer for why. I recently heard a breakdown of the You’re Living All Over Me album from 1987 on the This Record Got Me High podcast and that of all things is what finally spurred me to dive in a little, and when I noticed they had released a new album I figured why not start there. See where they are today and work my way through the catalogue. I’m glad I did. This album is everything I suspected a Dinosaur Jr. album would be. You’ll be immediately hooked from the first few chords.
Prince - Welcome 2 America
Not a new album obviously, just new to the world. What a gift! I have a buddy who says he doesn’t like to listen to records like these because the artist didn’t want them to be heard. I get that. I just feel like if I go into these knowing that and treat them accordingly I can appreciate them in the proper context, and selfishly I just love Prince so much I want to hear anything in the vault. I also feel that Prince left the world with a slight bit of plausible deniability about whether these would be released because he didn’t leave a will. Feel free to leave your thoughts on this in the comments. Meanwhile I really like this album. It’s actually my favorite thing he did during a seven year stretch that in my opinion was not the most creatively fruitful for Prince. Planet Earth (2007), MPLS Sound / Lotus Flower (2009) & 20Ten (2010) are the only Prince albums we have from 2007 until the flurry of fantastic releases in the last couple years of his life starting in 2014. What’s so cool about this album is it’s not just a collection of random recordings, early versions, leftover jams from an album’s recording sessions - no this is a full album that was just….shelved. I wonder why? To my ears it’s better than all of the aforementioned albums. The one that comes closest is 20Ten and oddly enough that one also wasn’t available for years - it was given away free in a British magazine. That’s it. The three that were actually released in the states are just not great in my opinion which pains me to say about anything Prince. Great to know he was in a better place creatively than we knew during this time!
Foo Fighters - Medicine At Midnight
When this was released there seemed to be a buzz about it being a slightly different type of Foo Fighters album - like a party album (?) or maybe less of an edge? I don’t hear that here. It sounds like a Foo Fighters album to me - and a good one. It’s not like Dave Grohl has shied away from pop hooks and nice melodies throughout Foo history…heck the second disc of In Your Honor is all acoustic and mellow. So what is the “standard” type of Foo album? Meanwhile this album still rocks plenty and the songs are strong.
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - Butterfly 3000
Not surprising that these prolific and crazy Aussies released two more albums this year, and Butterfly 3000 is the better of the two. This band has the strangest ability to make albums that sound wildly different from each other and yet only sound like KG & the LW. A light, airy and whimsical sounding album with many tracks that run together which is a signature King Gizzard move. Catching Smoke may be my favorite track here.
Gruff Rhys - Seeking New Gods
This is one of those albums I just discovered from the New Releases section of allmusic.com - the review sounded interesting so I checked it out. Gruff Rhys is the frontman from Super Furry Animals whom I had heard of but never listened to. This album is so cool - a pleasant and soothing vibe that actually still rocks a little - highlights include Loan Your Loneliness and Hiking In Lightning.
Greta Van Fleet - The Battle At Garden’s Gate
If Anthem Of The Peaceful Army was a step backward for Greta Van Fleet (the reach exceed the grasp a little) then The Battle At Garden’s Gate is a step forward. I’m still rooting for these guys and this album has a few tracks I genuinely love. Heat Above and Trip The Light Fantastic are both really good and there’s plenty to like in between. Do they still try a little too hard at times? Okay yeah, but they seem like nice lads don’t they? And they’re from Michigan so…
Awon & Phoniks - Nothing Less
Hip Hop Golden Age is THE word on Hip Hop for me. Thoughtful recommendations and insights on the best of rap - not the mumble garbage that too many of today’s kids listen to….lol. But seriously this is where I go to discover new hip hop and this joint is one of my new faves. I love the mellow jazzy feel here - the type of album that if you heard it in the right frame of mind and found yourself immersed in the vibe you’d Shazam it. So good…
Kings Of Leon - When You See Yourself
So Kings Of Leon made a really good album. I mean that’s what they do right? I actually find these guys to be a boring live act but you can count on really good songs whenever they go into the studio. Nothing wrong with that. Echoing & 100,000 People may be my favorite tracks. Not sure there’s ever been a bad KOL song, but every KOL album has a couple of songs that really hit me. Never fails.
Ty Segall - Harmonizer
It’s cool to get a surprise new album that just appears out of nowhere which is what Ty Segall did with Harmonizer. He recorded it with contributions from his band at his home studio during the pandemic.
Jerry Cantrell - Brighten
I’ve barely digested this one yet, but I’ve heard enough to know it belongs on this list. Jerry always seems to be able to make solo albums that work as fixes for Alice In Chains - they might as well be AIC albums and yet you can tell it’s his own at the same time.
Rose City Band - Earth Trip
Ripley Johnson continues the new-album-per-year pace for Rose City Band. I love artists who do this especially when they’ve got more than one project going. Just shows who the true creators are. That’s not to say Sade isn’t a true artist for example (6 albums in 37 years) and everyone gets inspired in their own way, but I always admire those whose art just FLOWS at all times. Some real understated beauty here once again - In The Rain in particular is just dreamy.
Steve Kilbey & Martin Kennedy - Jupiter 13
The SIXTH Kilbey/Kennedy LP in 8 years and that doesn’t include the 3 disc Real World collection of commissioned tracks. Of all the side projects of Steve Kilbey this one is the one that feels the least like a side project. It is obviously a central focus and commitment for these two guys, and they’ve never made an average album. This one is typically spacey and gorgeous just as you’d expect.
Steve Kilbey & The Winged Heels - The Hall Of Counterfeits
Gee what a shock that Steve Kilbey would check in on this list with multiple entries… the most prolific popular/rock-type musician in the world (no one else is close) partners with classical guitar genius Gareth Koch along with Roger Mason and Barton Price for a sprawling double album of music that is worth the time investment.
Singles:
KRS-One - Knock ‘Em Out
The teacher never concedes an inch - “I deal in reality - not Lemon or Hannity” and he’s still on top of his game as he “knocks ‘em out the box”….
H.E.R. - Fight For You
H.E.R. turns in the perfect jam for the Judas and the Black Messiah film. A song that evokes the sounds of 1968 but as fresh and relevant with sound and meaning today as it would have been then.
Jack White - Taking Me Back
So what actually is a single these days? Jack White has two albums coming out in 2022 and he released this song as a single - it says “single” next to the track when you download it in iTunes just like the other two singles on this list. But Band Of Horses, Tears For Fears & Porcupine Tree all have new albums coming out as well and they’ve each released the first song or two so far. Does that mean they are meant to be “singles”? I actually don’t think so and they’ll appear on this list next year if the albums are good enough which I imagine all three will be. Meanwhile this Jack White song sounds back to form - it jams, it’s quirky and it sounds like Jack means business as opposed to the weirdness that was his last solo LP. He even included a “gently” version with a fiddle & piano as the b-side which you could imagine playing in an old west saloon.
The Psychedelic Furs - Evergreen
The last major 1st wave band to decide not to stay content with being an oldies act and to finally put out a new LP in 2020 after a TWENTY NINE year layoff (if you don’t count the Love Spit Love albums, which I supposed you kinda could), they followed up the solid Made Of Rain LP with a new single and a damn good one at that. Here’s to hoping the creative burst continues from the Butler brothers and the gang.
So there they are - the best releases of 2021! Give them a listen, share this list and let me know if you have others to add in the comments!
M10 Social is owned by Doug Cohen in West Bloomfield, MI and provides social media training and digital marketing services from the Frameable Faces Photography studio Doug owns with his wife Ally. He can be reached there at tel:248-790-7317, by mobile at tel:248-346-4121 or via email at mailto:doug@frameablefaces.com.
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