Top 30 Songs of 2021

[Leestu]

#17

Shryke (Roosevelt): I can see the appeal but I have to try too hard to like this

Tranny (BROCKHAMPTON): I just had this song on my top 100 on facebook not too long ago. Another great single from them, and Danny Brown comes through like he always does. A shame this may be the end of BROCKHAMPTON, as they have announced a hiatus and cancelled shows, but hey, they are going out on top with six very good albums in a short space of time and a lot of great singles.

Six (Tyler): I'm not so keen on this one...musically good, the rapping not so much the style of rapping I like

Surfer (Sweeping Promises): I liked the lo-fi sound but nothing stood out to be more than a song I like as I'm hearing it

Ron (Cordi Elba): probably the most surprising collab of the year, and they did a whole album together!?! It's good fun if a bit cheesy and too much of a novelty factor for me to like it a lot...Hey Ron, I reckon it might make the hottest 100 on Saturday though.

John (Dion): I had no idea he was still around making music, and wasn't expecting him to be singing blues...a lot of big names there and it sounds like he is having fun here with a solid blues number that's quite enjoyable

[Leestu]

#16

Shyrke (LP): I'll pass, not much here for me to like

Tranny (LDR): yeah the album paled in comparison to NFR, and I preferred the Blue Bannisters album, but this song is very typical Lana in a reliably good way and one of the better songs on the album.

Six (Snail Mail): for the reasons mentioned a disappointing album that didn't have any of the magic of her debut. Her vocals still stand out but musically I find this song a bit dull. The title track is alright though.

Surfer (The Body): oh wow, this was cool...I could get into this...adding the album to try out.

Ron: (The Rubens): one of mates current favourite band is The Rubens so needless to say I've heard them quite a bit. I like some of their songs but this one doesn't do much for me.

John (Plant & Krauss): glad you liked Goat by the way, John. This would probably be pretty forgettable if it wasn't these two doing it (or Lucinda Williams I guess )

[numbersix]

16

Shryke: Guess it's okay for radio-friendly pop music.

Leetsu: Great psych on offer here.

Tranny: I don't know, maybe it's irrational, but there's something about her that I find so fake and inauthentic.

Surf: Wow, never knew this existed, and indeed this is wildly different from The Body's album from last year. Quite cool, though.

Ron B: Didn't quite grab me, sadly

John: A pretty good version. Liked the rockabilly twang

[transformers2]

#18
Shryke: Too sugary and quirky for me.

Leestu: Definitely a fitting homage to the brand of 60's psychedelic music you described, which also explains why it bored the hell out of me because I'm no fan of the Dead, the Beatles or Animal Collective.

six: The repetition definitely built into something powerful for me too, but let's just say the feelings that it brought out of you were a lot more positive than what it brought out of me

surfer: Relatively one note somber indie rock track, but not bad overall.

Ron: Gotta give Foals props for sounding like a different band on every album. This was a needed high energy pick me up after the 17 minutes of sadness and minimalist ambiance that preceded it.

John: Sounds like what would happen if Sparks went out and got a female vocalist.

[transformers2]

#17

Shryke: Inoffensive, but unspectacular.

Leestu: As experimental and distinct in sound as they are, Tropical Fuck Storm just never quite works for me.

Six: Good track, but it's definitely in the bottom third of my CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST power rankings.

Surfer: The songwriting and vocals are fine. The production, on the other hand, stinks. I get that they're trying to go for a lo-fi aesthetic, but it sounds like they recorded that shit in an underground bunker and that muddy style of production just didn't fit with their anxious yet sunny delivery.

Ron: Strange mix of hip hop and sunny alt rock that also happens to feature an equally puzzling performance by Idris Elba. Really not sure if it worked or not.

John: Pleasant enough blues rock tune, but I'm not going to lie the highlight for me was the pathetic amount of joy I felt when I realized that I correctly identified Billy Gibbons' presence on this track right away.

[Shrykespeare]

#16

Leestu (Goat) - Didn't like this.

Tranny (LDR) - Very pleasant. Like the album as a whole.

Six (Snail Mail) - This was just ok for me.

Surfer (TB/BB) - Very intriguing. Throughout the song, I was reminded of Fleetwood Mac's "The Chain". Huh.

Ron B (Rubens) - Not bad. It sounded like Airborne Toxic Event filtered through Toad the Wet Sprocket.

JohnErle (AK&RP) - I liked. Sounded very QT-sountrack ish.

[Shrykespeare]

Wow. Two songs by the same band (that I've never heard of) on the same day!


SONG #15


Shrykespeare

Volbeat, Temple of Ekur

The Temple of Ekur unites Heaven and Earth
Durangi Mountain House, the garden of the gods
Sumerian God of air or known as Enlil
Powerful is the son, of Father Enkur
So divine

Fear, lead me to the vault
It's been said that Heaven knows I'm lost
Help me to see the bleeding upon the walls
And forever damned into the metaphors
Egyptious

When Servant of the Mind barreled onto YouTube in December, I dove right in. The Danish hard-rock band, with whose sound I’ve developed a hellacious love for, was like portion after portion of my favorite dessert. The best song from the album, IMHO, is this ode to Sumerian/Babylonian mythology. It starts with a rip-roaring guitar riff that instantly reminds me of classic Judas Priest or Metallica, and when it gives way to Michael Poulsen’s stellar voice, it becomes stratospheric. This is a song you crank up to eleven while driving, and it makes me pray my health improves in the next month to be able to see them live.





Leestu

Amyl and the Sniffers, Hertz

After a great debut album in 2019 Amyl and the Sniffers return with an even better one, Comfort To Me. Easily the best punk album of the year. No fucks given attitude and authenticity abound. They would have had 2 songs in my top 30 if not for my self-imposed one per artist rule.





Tranny

Every Time I Die feat. Andy Hull, Thing with Feathers

Brothers Keith (vocals) and Jordan (guitar) Buckley of Every Time I Die worked up the courage to finally write a song about the death of their sister-who passed away from a rare neurological disorder called Rett's Syndrome in early 2017 on their new album. By eventually getting to the point in their mourning process where they've chosen to live their lives by honoring hers, they were able to create one of the most brutally sad and quietly beautiful songs about loss I've heard in quite some time.





Six

Amyl and the Sniffers, Knifey

Australian punks Amyl and the Sniffers aren’t exactly breaking new ground with their 70s-style rock and roll, but they sure do manage to pack a punch, especially live. And there’s something intriguing about Knifey, a more downbeat number that outlines lead singer Amy Taylor’s frustrations with never feeling safe when alone, as the chugging bass and twanging guitar add to her snarls.



The link you provided didn't work, so here's one that does.



Surfer

The Cowboy, Guiding The Worm

The Cowboy returned last year once again to entrance with an energetic sound steeped in 70s/80s punk and a dash of the noise rock. A style both razor sharp and played with a breeze-like efficiency, this burst of Ohio rock n roll found the band at their most captivating yet. No filler, all killer. Guiding The Worm finds the band at their most direct yet, as vocalist Josh Banaszak performs with a monotone vocal range and lyrics sparse and to the point. Relentless and euphoric, The Cowboy prove there is still plenty of life in the punk scene.





RON B

Confidence Man, Holiday





JOHNERLE

AHI, Danger

[transformers2]

#16
Shryke: Feel similar about LP that I do about Sia: a talented songwriter and vocalist who just doesn't the explosive, larger-than-life presence that pop stars need to thrive. Side note: I'm surprised to discover that see never wrote anything for Gwen Stefani. Feels like they would be a great collaborative fit.

Leestu: NOW WE'RE TALKING. This is some beautiful, nasty, trippy, Creature of the Black Lagoon swamp shit right here and I loved every second of it.

Six: Liked this more than the other Snail Mail stuff I've heard, but it still didn't really move the needle much.

Surfer: Enjoyed this far more than I expected to since I've never been a fan of The Body. This managed to be soulful and pretty without completely canceling out the harsh, nosier elements they're known for.

Ron: Found it to be very meandering, repetitive and overly cutesy. Not a fan.

John: Effective piece of classic Americana. Plant and Krauss have developed a really excellent rapport after all these years of collaborating together.

[numbersix]

#15

Shryke: Really not into 80s-style hard rock liek this.

Leetsu: Haha, snap. Kinda. Glad you posted one of the punkier songs to contrast with my track, which is less typical for their sound. Love this one too, and it was incredible when I caught them live last year.

Tranny: It's okay, but didn't stick with me.

Surf: Brilliantly trashy. Reminded me of Wipers a little.

Ron B: Alright, though agian some more at home in a bar or club

John: Lovely, smoky vocals but I tuned out at the "soaring" chorus.

[JohnErle]

John: Sounds like what would happen if Sparks went out and got a female vocalist.

I'm just happy you know enough about Sparks now to use them as a reference point.

[JohnErle]

I enjoyed Hertz, which might be the best punks on vacation song since Hawaii by the Young Canadians.

Volbeat started off okay but lost me by the chorus. Nothing else really stood out this round.

[transformers2]

John: Sounds like what would happen if Sparks went out and got a female vocalist.

I'm just happy you know enough about Sparks now to use them as a reference point.

All the credit goes to you pal

[transformers2]

#15
Shryke: Damn, this is by far the best Volbeat song I've heard in ages. Out of nowhere, they seem to have returned to the electric mix of metal, hard rock and rockabilly that made them such a unique force when they first arrived on the scene 15 years ago. Going to have check their new record out now.

Leestu: Pretty good stuff. Punk that has a real bite and energy to it is something that I always appreciate-especially when there's really frantic guitarwork and audible bass present.

Six: Unsurprisingly, I preferred Leestu's pick, but it definitely proves their versatility without dulling their pure punk edge.

Surfer: Eh, it was alright. The Montone vocals really hold back the explosiveness of the music.

Ron: There's a lot of electropop that I love, but this leans too much into the overly repetitive elements of the former for me to enjoy.

John: Nice, straightforward yet soulful track with good vocals and effective lyrical storytelling.

[JohnErle]

John: Sounds like what would happen if Sparks went out and got a female vocalist.

I'm just happy you know enough about Sparks now to use them as a reference point.

All the credit goes to you pal

In your face, Edgar Wright!

[transformers2]

I'm just happy you know enough about Sparks now to use them as a reference point.

All the credit goes to you pal

In your face, Edgar Wright!