Another 2021 list: How many have you heard (of)

Music Room
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This “best of the year so far” is from a Top 100 in The Quietus, hence is focused on more experimental music.

1: Sleaford Mods – Spare Ribs
2: William Doyle – Great Spans Of Muddy Time
3: Loraine James – Reflection
4: black midi – Cavalcade
5: MICROCORPS – XMIT
6: Gazelle Twin & NYX – Deep England
7:Arab Strap – As Days Get Dark
8: Divide And Dissolve – Gas Lit
9:Sons Of Kemet – Black To The Future
10: Godspeed You! Black Emperor – G_d’s Pee AT STATE’S END!
11: The Armed – ULTRAPOP
12: Black Country, New Road – For The First Time
13: Jane Weaver – Flock
4: Eimear Reidy & Natalia Beylis – Whose Woods These Are
15: Squid – Bright Green Field
16: Gary Numan – Intruder
17: Tanz Mein Herz – Quattro
18: Skee Mask – Pool
19: Colleen – The Tunnel And The Clearing
20: Årabrot – Norwegian Gothic
21: The Transcendence Orchestra – All Skies Have Sounded
22: Dean Blunt – Black Metal 2
23: Rochelle Jordan – Play With The Changes
24: Senyawa – Alkisah
25: The Weather Station – Ignorance

FWIW, I’ve heard seven of those, and heard of 11. And I’ve heard of only 10 in the rest of the list, which you can find at this link: The Quietus albums of the year so far

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I’ve got/heard 7 of these.

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Heard of all of them. Got 16 of them.

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Your tastes are clearly a lot more esoteric/adventurous than mine. Any recommendations?

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Heard five, own only the ‘Godspeed You Black Emperor’ which is a bit of a niche taste but I like it.

Bruce

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Gosh, try 3 and 4. Tight call though.

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I like #4 (it was one of the few I knew), and will give #3 a try.

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I really appreciate these type of listings of new artists and material right now.
What with covid meaning many of us aren’t out and about at events to discover new artists.

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I would try Sleaford Mods and Jane Weaver - both great albums

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Ha, I thought them dull and predictable. They sounded exactly as you would expect.

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So, so harsh! You’ll forgive me if I disagree

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Absolutely. I have time for both but realistically I have two SM albums; know what they sound like and there’s nothing especially different or distinguishing about the new one. They are, if you like, the Status Quo of faux post punk :slight_smile:

Similarly with Jane Weaver. Silver Globe is superb and her artistic development was fascinating but now she’s clearly plateaued and it’s more of the same without being especially compelling. Just my ten pence worth. Your mileage may vary.

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I agree, I’d also add Weather Station to your list

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I own that. It’s okay, a slow burn, but my goodness someone needs to reprogram me those drums. Samey is an understatement.

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I’ve heard quite a few of these but only have records for sons of kemet and Godspeed.

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I have 7 off them listened to more but wouldn’t put any of them in my to ten for this year at all.

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What’s your top ten then? Genuinely interested. Always good to either find common ground or push myself out of my comfort zone.

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Heard of two. Got none. LOL.

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Not that many for this year not sure I can narrow it to 10 just yet I’ve liked lots, bought or added these but none that really change things up, they just do it better than others. A few however will be firm favourites for a long time and I have one front runner which I just love. I am listening to more folk and country tinged and way more female vocals than more male dominated acts. Age catching up I guess or I have heard it many times before, but then you could say that from this list I suppose. I need some more harder edged music but I am not hearing stuff I like at all, and I go through all the new releases I can every week.

Not in any specific order :

Piers Faccini - Shapes of the Fall
Cassandra Jenkins - An Overview on Phenomenal Nature
Cheval Sombre - Time Waits for No One
Valerie June - The Moon and Stars: Prescriptions for Dreamers
Anna Fox Rochinksi - Cherry
Toumani Diabate/LSO - Korolen
Erika de Cassier - Sensational
Arooj Aftab - Vulture Prince
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - New Fragility
Anna B Savage - A Common Turn
Goat Girl - On All Fours
Ryley Walker - Course in Fable
Scott Mathews - New Skin
Flyying Colours - Fantasy Country
Lael Neale - Aquanited with Night
Indigo Sparke - Echo
Gretchen Parlato - Flor

I need to listen to more on that list to see if anything entices me.

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Ah well there’s four there I already really like - Arooj, Cassandra, Riley - but several I’ve not heard of at all. Discovery time. Thanks.

I missed the Toumani as a release. Going to find that first of all.

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