The 2021 Music Thread

[MalaCloudy Black]

Lee "Scratch" Perry passed away yesterday, age 85. Reggae legend, he helped pioneer dub music and produced for and worked alongside the likes of Bob Marley, The Clash, Beastie Boys, the list goes on. 

[Malenko]

1 hour ago, CLDY said:

Lee "Scratch" Perry passed away yesterday, age 85. Reggae legend, he helped pioneer dub music and produced for and worked alongside the likes of Bob Marley, The Clash, Beastie Boys, the list goes on. 

He was a legend of the genre indeed. I'm happy I saw him live when he was still a good performer.

I don't listen to much radio but there was a radio show fully dedicated to him (2 hours of his songs and other songs he produced). It was cool. I don't listen to much reggae/rocksteady/dub these days but it was a nice throwback.

Personally, I'm more of a fan of the Upsetters, his original band. They were more traditional reggae and a bit ska and rocksteady in their first albums, but his solo work, which as you say, helped pioneer dub music, is really good. 

[RPS]

Anyone digging Turnstile's album GLOW ON? I have seen it sort of heralded as a pop hardcore album.  would describe it more like a power pop influenced hardcore. It sounds like early day Weezer, but hardcore. 

[RPS]

What is everyone AOTY so far? Mine is Japanese Breakfest Jubilee. It is a really great pop record. I think Billie's Happier Than Ever hits harder lyrically, but Jubilee is stunning both in arrangement and lyrics. 

[Roster Depth Sicko No. 2]

Royal Blood's "Typhoons" is still my favourite, I think. Foo Fighters' "Medicine at Midnight" really grew on me though. I think I'm really struggling for a proper standout though, nothing I've listened to (bar Typhoons) has made me think it was AOTY material, and even then I don't go back to it as frequently as I thought I would.

[MalaCloudy Black]

Montero.

I need to listen to the new Billie, Halsey, and finish listening to Lorde's album. I've liked what I heard of Lorde's album so far. 

Eyehategod released a new album this year, in February, A History Of Nomadic Behavior, and that album was pretty good.

Oh wait. You know what album was REALLY good? Super What by Czarface & MF DOOM. 

[Malenko]

Mine are Turnstile - Glow On and The Armed - Ultrapop.

I also like the new Descendents, but it's not really new material so I won't include it.

 

Now, stuff I don't know so well, but liked: Black Country New Road, Parannoul, Squid and Shame.

Black Country New Road, Parannoul and Squid were all bands I listened to a full album for the first time. I liked all 3. I heard Squid's album because someone else posted it on EWB, actually.

I had listened to Shame previously but not a lot and liked the new album, so I'm including it in this list.

 

 

About some of the albums mentioned in posts above, Foo Fighters new album has terrible reviews but I actually like it. More than anything they did apart from their first one, to be honest.

On the poppier side of things, Halsey's is cool. I liked it. Billie's is a bit different but still, most who liked their previous album will like this one, I guess. Lorde is completely different. It's definitely not for me. It can be for you though.

[RPS]

The Armed Ultrapop was also really good @Malenko. Thanks for the reminder. 

I also liked the Squid album which name escapes me. And black midi cavalcade album.

[METALMAN]

Sarah Harding of Girls Aloud has died of cancer at 39. They were genuinely one of the best pop groups going for about a decade, and even when I was at the height of my adolescent indie rock phase I was aware of how good their tunes were. Real shame.

[Jimmy]

On 04/09/2021 at 17:42, RPS said:

What is everyone AOTY so far? Mine is Japanese Breakfest Jubilee. It is a really great pop record. I think Billie's Happier Than Ever hits harder lyrically, but Jubilee is stunning both in arrangement and lyrics. 

For Those I Love's self titled debut. It's not something I've binged again and again, but I think it's a very special record. 

[MalaCloudy Black]

I know everyone's heard this song a million times and the Miley cover a million times already at this point as well, but I really dug this.

[Skummy]

I'm not sure what my album of the year is yet; I've been trying to keep track of new releases and recording comments on them every week, to try and actually have a handle on these things for once. I've also highlighted the albums that really stood out for me.

Towards the end of the year I'll probably go back and revisit the highlighted ones and see if they hold up, and decide what the best albums are. Though these are a few artists who had albums out this year that I already know will likely make the cut:

Beautify Junkyards
Fucked Up
Mdou Moctar
Nick Waterhouse
Tom Jones
Lukas Nelson & The Promise Of The Real
H. Anthony Hildebrand
Hiatus Kaiyote
The Mountain Goats
Brandee Younger
Moritz Von Oswald Trio
Shannon & The Clams
Wolves In The Throneroom

[Roster Depth Sicko No. 2]

I recognise 3 of those names, you could have said that was the CIWW revival roster and I'd have believed you.

I'm up to 93 releases for the year but I've only bought 9 of them, so I guess that's probably gonna wind up my list by default unless there's some good releases to end the year on.

[Skummy]

in fairness, I couldn't tell you anything about most of the names on the list other than that they made lovely music this year.

 

[METALMAN]

I keep forgetting to listen to new albums. Over the last few years I’ve tended to binge listen the album of the year lists because it is easier than choosing my own stuff to listen to 😕

[Malenko]

1 hour ago, Skummy said:

I'm not sure what my album of the year is yet; I've been trying to keep track of new releases and recording comments on them every week, to try and actually have a handle on these things for once. I've also highlighted the albums that really stood out for me.

Towards the end of the year I'll probably go back and revisit the highlighted ones and see if they hold up, and decide what the best albums are. Though these are a few artists who had albums out this year that I already know will likely make the cut:

Beautify Junkyards
Fucked Up
Mdou Moctar
Nick Waterhouse
Tom Jones
Lukas Nelson & The Promise Of The Real
H. Anthony Hildebrand
Hiatus Kaiyote
The Mountain Goats
Brandee Younger
Moritz Von Oswald Trio
Shannon & The Clams
Wolves In The Throneroom

Is this Damian Abraham Fucked up? I didn't know they had a new album. 

[Skummy]

1 hour ago, Malenko said:

Is this Damian Abraham Fucked up? I didn't know they had a new album. 

I'm not sure if it's technically an "album" or not; Pitchfork called it a "song cycle", I don't think it got a physical release. It's called Year Of The Horse, it's ridiculous and high concept, but I loved it.

[METALMAN]

I remember getting the second Fucked Up album from a public library in Glasgow in 2008. Libraries used to be great.

[RPS]

2 hours ago, metalman said:

I remember getting the second Fucked Up album from a public library in Glasgow in 2008. Libraries used to be great.

Good library getting that CanCon in. 

[RPS]

Speaking of CanCon: 

Probably my favorite song/video of the year. The pandemic song we all need.