Top 30 Songs of 2021

[Leestu]

#29

Shryke (Clan Of Xymox): wow...this immediately took me straight back to some gothic nightclubs of 1987, 1988 time. Not that I got into Clan of Xymox but I'm sure they were played alongside bands I did. This sounds exactly like it could have been a song from then so great nostalgic enjoyment factor for me, and on it's own merits I was into it.

Tranny (Silk Sonic): Impressive project they way they get that Philly, funky, smooth soul down so well. A loving celebration of that sound. But apart from being impressed I can't say I enjoyed it that much. This one is good though, a bit of fun at the time.

Six (NOv3l): very reminiscent of the wiry post punk of the late '70s, early '80s. We seem to be going back in time today. I really liked this album, made my top #50 for the year. Full of really good songs like this one.

Surfer (FACS): This is awesome...the sounds they were creating, the groove they were making, that bass, and the spooky atmosphere..adding this song to my playlist, and the album to my to do list...love the video too, as soon as I saw the Bloom cover I wondered if they were all going to be album/EP covers. That's a very nice collection (of influences?) there.

[Shrykespeare]

SONG #28


Shrykespeare

Night Traveler, Dreams You Don’t Forget

It's the shake in your voice
When you're telling the truth
It's out of my hands
What you're gonna do
It's a feeling so strange
As we drive through the pines
Radio and the wind
And you by my side

I’ve only attended one live show since the pandemic hit, and Night Traveler was it. I was stoked to see this Austin band in a cozy little venue with only about 50 people in attendance. They sounded great, and happily, they did this song. Even recorded a portion of it on my cell phone, along with “Carolina”, my #4 song of 2020. I just love the echoey guitar riffs, the retro sound, and the overall nocturnal vibe that permeates everything they do. Then, of course, there are the harmonies of Adam Fischer and Hunter Glaske, which tie it all together. I’m going to be following this band for a long, long time.





Leestu

black midi, John L

I loved their debut album, but I wasn’t sure about this song when it was released as the teaser single from the new album. Turns out it just took a while and many listens as it is now my favourite from the album. While it sounds like frantic chaotic discordance at first, they know what they are doing in this noisy jazzy avant-prog post-punk track that takes time to get to know and love but is worth the investment.





Tranny

IDLES, The Wheel

"Crawler" was another deeply varied and eclectic effort from Idles that yielded a wide variety of results. Unsurprisingly, its top highlight ended up being the track where their raw aggression and knack for punchy riffs had the biggest role.






Six

Grouper, The Way Her Hair Falls

This song is a shot of nostalgia for me. Despite coming from 2021 it reminds me of the slowcore, post-rock era of the 90s, full of quiet, intimate songs that gently flow into your ear. It’s barely a song, it’s more a beautiful, soothing whisper.





Surfer

PACKS, Silvertongue

Madeline Link and PACKS emerged from their pupal stage last year with a defining record of hazy and introspective grunge, as Link struggled to find a place in a world which had changed around her during the pandemic. Silvertongue's sludgy sound captures this feeling in an instant, as this feeling of alienation reverberates around her on again-off again relationship, while her drawled vocal delivery is equally understated and heartbreaking.

[numbersix]

#28

Shryke: More 80s influences here, but this one didn't grab me as much
Leetsu: I think I prefer album #2 as well. It's more nuanced and ambitious. Very much worth seeing live too, as they're a very different band. I like this wierd jazz sea shanty experiment, although Dethroned was the one that almost made my list
Tranny: More IDLES! I love this song, a crunchy glam rock number that sits well with the more ambient opener. Love Joe's faux-preacher impression as he asks "Can I get a hallelujah?". Great stuff.
Surf: Didn't quite transcend 90s lo-fi alt rock enough for me, but decent nevertheless!

[Shrykespeare]

#28.

Leestu - Are these guys the UK version of Primus? This song/video is like if Primus had sex with Bollywood (with Terry Gilliam directing) while on acid.

Tranny - Two IDLES songs in three days, by two different people. I like this one better than Six's, and only because that guitar riff is SICK. The vocals, sadly, did nothing for me.

Six - Once I got used to the warpy guitar sounds, I was able to enjoy this more. Very pleasant. Not familiar with Grouper (Grouplove, yes, who has one coming up for me), but I may have to look into them/her more.

Surfer - From FACS to PACKS. I see what you did there. Liked this. She could be the love child of Kim Deal (which is a HIGH compliment).

[Leestu]

#28

Shryke (Night Traveler): It's good, but a bit too polished for me to like, more a pleasant background song that doesn't get my attention.

Tranny (IDLES): I love the start of this song. Got a few songs from this album in my top 100, but this year none of them made this top 30 (The Beachland Ballroom was closest). I've got tickets to see them in November but so far away who the fuck knows if it will happen. I had so many cancelled, postponed, and refunded concert tickets last year (still got to see a few interstate bands and local acts in 2021 though so luckier than most).

Six (Grouper): nice, the sparseness and authenticity save it from dullness...Grouper travel too closely to that dullness line for me to get into them but a song here or there is fine

Surfer (PACKS): not bad, interesting enough musically, feels like a bit of a grower

[Shrykespeare]

SONG #27


Shrykespeare

Dayglow, Medicine

I'm on the outside looking in
I never said what I really meant
I wasn't made to be medicine for you
It's true

Dayglow (aka Sloan Struble) is a 22-year-old songwriter from Texas that I’ve taken a shine to since I heard “Can I Call You Tonight?” last year (which ended up as my #33 of 2020). His 2021 album Harmony House is quite endearing, what with its upbeat rhythms and lyrics that match Sloan’s goofy, quirky personality. I love musicians and bands that take their art more seriously than they do themselves, which is why I’ll continue to listen to whatever Dayglow puts out there.





Leestu

Yoo Doo Right, 1N914

From the debut album by this Canadian band from Montréal. Inspired by krautrock they bring a noisy but melodic shoegaze element to their experimental space rock over post-rock song structures resulting in a bit of a fresh take in the current psychedelic rock scene.





Tranny

Lil Nas X feat. Jack Harlow, Industry Baby

One of the year's biggest mainstream hits is also one of the best songs. This triumphant victory lap by Lil Nas X isn't just another earworm-film pop rap smash hit to add to his rapidly growing resume, it's a pointed middle finger to the people who felt he was a label-created gimmick artist bound for one-hit wonder status after 2018's "Old Town Road".





Six

The Body, Eschatological Imperative

From the gentle strums of Grouper yesterday to this atom bomb of a song. Sometimes you don’t need a structured verse/chorus/verse song. Sometimes atmosphere and mood are enough, and here experimental metal duo The Body deliver industrial pounding so pummeling that it drowns out and smothers all other sounds.





Surfer

Spirit Was, Olive Branch And Brown Dove

Nick Corbo has just released his debut LP as Spirit Was, which is quite a departure from his previous work with LVL UP. Gone are the garage rock elements of his past work in favour of a more expansive sound, exploring quiet moments of masterful guitar work with heavier avenues whilst never at the expense of melody. Olive Branch And Brown Dove highlights these sonic diversions, delivering wobbling guitar lines over rock steady bass and drums. There's a thick air that looms, building and relentlessly magnificent, while Corbo's use of space and little interjections of synths and cello bring a balance between the tenderness and menace.

[numbersix]

Shryke: Yeah, while it's not my kinda music and reminds a lot of something else, it's clear he's having fun and being inoffensive

Leetsu: With a name like that it's no surprise that they're Krautrock fans and make long songs! While not as good as Can's classic, this was decent post-rock.

Tranny: It was okay. The video made it more entertaining.

Surf: Like your last few songs, this started off okay but gradually grew on me. It's the kind of song 20-year-old me would fall madly in love with. Good stuff.

[Shrykespeare]

#27

Leestu - This was a ride. Loved the drum track. Not sure I'd call it shoegaze... I got a little bit of Tool, a little Pink Floyd. I kept waiting for the lyrics to kick in, but when they didn't, I wasn't disappointed.

Tranny - Not a fan. Good for him for breaking barriers, but, yeah.

Six - I need to be in the right mood to enjoy music like this. Today wasn't that day.

Surfer - I've said this before, Surf... I LOVE your descriptions. In another life, you could have been a music reviewer. They make me enjoy your selections even more. As for this song, there's a lot to like. Reminds me of some 70's classic prog-rock.

[Leestu]

#27

Shryke (Dayglo): I can see the appeal and I like his style but this sunshiny indie pop is not my style

Tranny: (Lil Nas X): This got a lot of play in our household last year (I might have even played it myself once or twice)...one of those songs most of us could like...I think it's the best thing he's done so far.

Six (The Body): Wooaahh this was some heavy noise...I liked it a lot but I'm not sure I could do a whole album of this, although I'm willing to give it a try and find out

Surfer (Spirit Was): this was a bit of a strange all over the place album. The mix of doom and lo-fi indie is a bit unusual and sometimes worked and sometimes didn't. I only heard it once, and I like this song more now than I did on that first listen. I feel it might take more investment to get more out of it.

[Shrykespeare]

SONG #26


Shrykespeare

Johnny Marr, Spirit Power and Soul

Lay awake too long
Dark has come, hope has gone
I seen some glimmer in things
It's just the vision I'm in
When we all turn to gold

It was four decades ago that Johnny Marr came to prominence as the guitarist and co-songwriter for the English band The Smiths. Since them, he’s collaborated with so many notable bands I won’t list them all (but that list includes Talking Heads, Pet Shop Boys, Oasis, The Pretenders, and Billie Eilish). Suffice it to say, dude’s hella talented. He’s in the process of releasing four EPs entitled “Fever Dreams”, and the first one spawned this song, which shows just how freakin’ on top of his game Johnny still is. That jangle-pop sound his guitar makes hits me right in the sweet spot.





Leestu

King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, Pleura

Of course there was going to be a King Gizz song on my list. From the first of their two albums in 2021, L.W., their third foray into microtonal music before changing gears once again with their synth driven neo-psychedelic indietronica album Butterfly 3000.



(Note: Leestu, the link you sent me didn't work, so I put this one in it's place.)



Tranny

Turnstile, New Heart Design

Part of the magic of Turnstile is their ability to incorporate unexpected sounds into their music without losing their punk/post-hardcore edge. On "New Heart Design", that genre is shoegaze, and it gives the track a really intoxicating dream-like quality that both softens and heightens the bittersweet lyrics.





Six

Gustaf, Book

Gustaf are one of the many acts riding that retro post-punk wave. But damn they do it well, with this sardonic song with a great singalong chorus.





Surfer

Animal Collective, Prester John

The return of Animal Collective is always something worth getting excited about, and this first song in five years was well worth the wait. From the moment the vocal harmonies of Panda and Avey come together with their almost acid drenched psychedelic experimentation, we are sent on a journey as the band deal with the end of an era in their lives. Through the thumping bass and twinkling synths we run throughout, "Prester John" is both celebratory and comforting in these uncertain times. Certainly builds anticipation for their new record this year.

[Shrykespeare]

#26

Leestu - That was psychedelic to the max. Liked it.

Tranny - Darn you, Tranny. I was just starting to get into it when the damn song ended! Cool stuff.

Six - And another one that's too short! Curse you guys and your short songs!

Surfer - Finally, a longer song! And it's awesome!

[numbersix]

Shryke: Interesting to see one of the great guitarists do a song that relies so little on guitar. Didn't quite do much for me, sadly.

Leetsu: I do like King Gizz although they often repeat themselves. This reminds me a lot of one of my favourite of their songs Sleep Drifter.

Tranny: I've been getting into this record a lot. No song made my list because it's more about the variety within the album. Anyone looking for a song like this from Turnstile will be disappointed

Surfer: This is a return to form, for sure, leaning very much into Panda Bear's trippy psych world. A track that might appear in my best of 2022.

[Leestu]

#26

Shryke (Johnny Marr): this was pretty cool, and easily better than I expected it to be...can hear both the influences of his time and music now in this.

Leestu (King Gizz): this video is the official video for the song before the album was released and is a live version not the album version. I like that they do things like that. Good to see it happen in action. Both are great of course.

Tranny (Turnstile): Great song. I liked this album a lot, so many good songs on it.

Six (Gustaf): good to see UK post-punk having a great few years and really taking off this year...I haven't heard of this artist before but I loved this song.

Surfer (Animal Collective): not sure how a new AC song missed my attention (I even really liked their ambient Tangerine Reef album when a lot didn't) ...this had a very lovely trippy ambience...

[transformers2]

Gustaf opened for IDLES on their US run back in October and a few songs into their set, I had the thought "six and surfer probably love these guys". Glad to discover that I was at least half right

[Shrykespeare]

Bumped to next page.