2021 Year In Review :: Favorite Albums

Here’s the dealio, my coolios.

Each year, I keep a running diary of sorts of all of the things I liked each year. If you’re interested (which I doubt you are), you can follow along with my real-time unedited yearly bookkeeping here.

At the end of each year I try to cull down the music section to what really defined my year musically. No ranking. Just great music. Here are 50 of my favorite 2021 albums in alphabetical order.

Albums In Visual Alphabetical Order:

Albums In Alphabetical Alphabetical Order:

1. Social Music at Troost Vol.1 by 75 Dollar Bill

2. Jeffrey Alexander and the Heavy Lidders by Jeffrey Alexander and the Heavy Lidders // Elixor of Life by Jeffrey Alexander and the Heavy Lidders

3. Khaira Arby in New York (Live in 2010) by Khaira Arby

4. House Music by Bell Orchestre

5. Valdez by Birds of Maya

6. Carnage by Nick Cave & Warren Ellis

7. All These Years by Phil Cook

8. Home Video by Lucy Dacus

9. Kanawa by Nahawa Doumbia

10. The Golden Lag by Elkhorn

11. Admonitions by Endless Boogie

12. Drew Gardner by Drew Gardner

13. Ghost of Vroom 1 by Ghost of Vroom

14. Leap by Girls in Airports

15. Couleur by Dobet Gnahoré

16. G_d's Pee At States End! by Godspeed You! Black Emperor

17. Other You by Steve Gunn

18. Quietly Blowing It by Hiss Golden Messenger

19. The Dharma Wheel by Howlin’ Rain

20. Brian Jackson JID008 by Brian Jackson, Ali Shaheed Muhammad, Adrian Younge

21. Black Ants Always Fly Together, One Bangle Makes No Sound by Kasai Allstars

22. Heavy Sun by Daniel Lanois

23. Now by Damon Locks & Black Monument Ensemble

24. Hey What by Low

25. Sound Ancestors by Madlib

26. Hope by Marc Ribot’s Ceramic Dog

27. Ghost Songs by Bachar Mar-Khalifé

28. Tezeta by Hailu Mergia

29. Afrique Victime by Mdou Moctar

30. Dark In Here by the Mountain Goats

31. World What World by Mountain Movers

32. Tropicale Moon by Mouth Painter

33. Teenage Dreams by Native Soul

34. descension (Out of Our Constrictions) by Natural Information Society/Evan Parker

35. Another Side by Leo Nocentelli (1971)

36. Making and Then Unmaking by Derek Piotr

37. Earth Trip by Rose City Band

38. East Pakistan Sky by Ustad Saami

39. Nine by Sault

40. The Veiled Sea by Six Organs of Admittance

41. Black to the Future by Sons of Kemet

42. Renewal by Billy Strings

43. Superwolves by Matt Sweeney and Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy

44. Deep Fried Grandeur by Ryley Walker And Kikagaku Moyo

45. Course In Fable by Ryley Walker

46. Yaral Sa Doom by Wau Wau Collectif

47. Eau’d To A Fake Boogie Volume 4 by Wet Tuna

48. Broken Mirror: A Selfie Reflection by Matthew E. White and Lonnie Holley

49. Urban Driftwood by Yasmin Williams

50. Way Down in the Rust Bucket by Neil Young and Crazy Horse

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• Browse my favorite albums of the year

• Browse my “2021 Yearly Wrap-it-Up” which is really a ramble about seeing Phish

• Browse my favorite books of 2021

• Browse my favorite movies of 2021

• Browse my favorite television of 2021

• Listen to a nearly 5-hour very low quality mix of one song from each of my favorite albums of 2021 called “Soundtrack to the Collective Meltdown”

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2020 Year-End Music Round-Up Wrap-Up Extravaganza

No one could have predicted a year like 2020. The live music industry is on life support. Bandcamp came through just about better than anyone else to support music. And there was a ton of great music released this year.

Per the norm, I do not rank albums. Music is not a competition and my taste is not your taste. So, after lots of thought and list-shuffling and winnowing, these are the 75 albums that really stood out for me. My original list was quite a bit longer (and you can always keep up in real-time by following the Yearly Bookkeeping page), so I can tell you that this list provides a great overview of my music listening for this crazy year.

Here are my favorite 75 albums of 2020.

The Visual List:

The Alphabet List:

1. Live at Tubby's by 75 Dollar Bill Little Big Band

2. Shaman! by Idris Ackamoor & The Pyramids

3. Time is A Gift Which We Share All The Time by Afriquoi

4. Rejoice by Tony Allen and Hugh Masekela

5. Live by Angel Bat Dawid & Tha Brothahood

6. Fu Chronicles by Antibalas 

7. Fetch The Bolt Cutters by Fiona Apple

8. Roy Ayers JID002 by Roy Ayers, Adrian Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhammad

9. Ex-Voto by Jamie Barnes

10. Please Advise by Beauty Pill

11. Crash Test Kid by Sammy Brue

12. Long In The Tooth by the Budos Band

13. Regresa by Buscabulla

14. Shadow Talk by Café Racer

15. Echo Mine by Califone

16. Gold Record by Bill Callahan

17. Have We Met by Destroyer

18. I Just Wasn't Made For These Set Times by Dire Wolves (Just Exactly Perfect Sisters Band)

19. Rough and Rowdy Ways by Bob Dylan

20. Afternoon Tea at Six by Eishan Ensemble

21. Acoustic Storm Sessions by Elkhorn

22.  Kahil El’Zabar’s Spirit Groove by Kahil El'Zabar & David Murray

23. Wake Up! by Hazel English

24. Shore by Fleet Foxes

25. A Hero’s Death by Fontaines D.C.

26. Peoples Motel Band by Chris Forsyth and Garcia Peoples

27. SOURCE by Nubya Garcia

28. Nightcap at Wits' End by Garcia Peoples

29. Big Dark Bright Futures by Growing Concerns Poetry Collective

30. Women In Music Pt. III by Haim

31. Infinity Of Now by the Heliocentrics

32. National Freedom by Lonnie Holley

33. Muerto, Carcel o Rocanroll by Huntingtons

34. Beginners by Christian Lee Hutson

35. Reuinions by Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit

36. Babani Koné by Babani Koné

37. Mutation by Les Freres Smith

38. 2020 by Magik Markers

39. Eno Axis by H.C. McEntire

40. Joshua Massad & Dylan Aycock by Joshua Massad & Dylan Aycock

41. Microphones in 2020 by the Microphones

42. Circles by Mac Miller

43. Dimensional Stardust by Rob Mazurek/Exploding Star Orchestra

44. Annual by Modern Nature

45. Getting Into Knives by the Mountain Goats

46. Staunch Honey by David Nance

47. Three by the Necks

48. Rob Noyes & Sam Moss by Rob Noyes & Sam Moss

49. We No Be Machine by Onipa

50. Jams From The Sun by Oregon Space Trail of Jazz

51. High Upon The Mountain by Pacific Range

52. Suite For Max Brown by Jeff Parker

53. Summerlong by Rose City Band

54. RTJ4 by Run The Jewels

55. Landwerk demos by Nathan Salsburg

56. Acoustic by Oumou Sangaré

57. Untitled (Black Is) by Sault

58. We Are Sent Here By History by Shabaka and the Ancestors

59. The Don of Diamond Dreams by Shabazz Palaces

60. Ocean Bridges by Archie Shepp, Raw Poetic & Damu the Fudgemunk

61. Companion Rises by Six Organs of Admittance

62. Shall We Go On Sinning So That Grace May Increase? by The Soft Pink Truth

63. Optimisme by Songhoy Blues

64. Swirling by Sun Ra Arkestra

65. Oh Yeah? by Sunwatchers

66. Wooden Flower by Tambourinen

67. Folklore by Taylor Swift

68. Nomad by Tengger

69. Sun Racket by Throwing Muses

70. Siftorde by Tidiane Thiam

71. New Vanitas by William Tyler

72. The Great Mountain by Waterless Hills

73. Eau’d To A Fake Bookie Volume 3 by Wet Tuna

74. Strange to Explain by Woods

75. Homegrown by Neil Young

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• Browse Volume 01 of my 2020 favorites playlist

• Browse Volume 02 of my 2020 favorites playlist

• Browse Volume 03 of my 2020 favorites playlist

• Browse Volume 04 of my 2020 favorites playlist

• Browse Volume 05 of my 2020 favorites playlist

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Holiday At The Sea's Favorite 2020 Music Mix (Volume 05)

Volume 05 of some of Holiday at the Sea’s favorite 2020 music. I chose 75 albums this year and the playlists total 74 songs since “Microphones in 2020 by the Microphones” is 45 minutes long and I didn’t want to include the whole album as part of a mix.

Anyways, enjoy!

Tracklisting:

1. “Sam Sam” by Afriquoi

2. “Fight Am Finish” by Antibalas

3. “Tulips” by Archie Shepp, Raw Poetic & Damu the Fudgemunk

4. “Sixth Hammer” by the Budos Band

5. “Signs” by Eishan Ensemble

6. “Acoustic Storm Part One” by Elkhorn

7. “Further” by the Necks

8. “Wooden Flower” by Tambourinen

9. “Walkin’ In Rhythm” by Wet Tuna

10. “Snake Mouth” by Rob Noyes & Sam Moss

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Holiday At The Sea's Favorite 2020 Music Mix (Volume 04)

Volume 04 of some of Holiday at the Sea’s favorite 2020 music. I chose 75 albums this year and the playlists total 74 songs since “Microphones in 2020 by the Microphones” is 45 minutes long and I didn’t want to include the whole album as part of a mix.

Anyways, enjoy!

Tracklisting:

1. “Solace” by Adrian Younge And Ali Shaheed Muhammad

2. “Theme For Cecil” by Idris Ackamoor and The Pyramids

3. “Venom” by The Heliocentrics

4. “Slow Bones” by Tony Allen & Hugh Masekela

5. “Eurasia” by Tengger

6. “Galaxy 1000” by Rob Mazurek and the Exploding Star Orchestra

7. “Two” by Joshua Massad & Dylan Aycock

8. “The Message Continues” by Nubya Garcia

9. “Makoma” by Onipa

10. “Ju$t” by Run The Jewels

11. “The Coming Of The Strange Ones” by Shabaka and the Ancestors

12. “Wet” by Shabazz Palaces

13. “No Talk Talk” by Les Freres Smith

14. “Strange To Explain” by Woods

15. “Go Away” by Jeff Parker

16. “Pray Up Stay Up” by Sault

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Holiday At The Sea's Favorite 2020 Music Mix (Volume 03)

Volume 03 of some of Holiday at the Sea’s favorite 2020 music. I chose 75 albums this year and the playlists total 74 songs since “Microphones in 2020 by the Microphones” is 45 minutes long and I didn’t want to include the whole album as part of a mix.

Anyways, enjoy!

Tracklisting:

1. “Houses of the Holy” by H.C. McEntire

2. “Low to the Bird” by Jamie Barnes

3. “It Gets Easier” by Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit

4. “Santa Monica (Through the Canyon)” by Pacific Range

5. “The 101” by Six Organs of Admittance

6. “Howard St. & The Beach Nov. 1988 After 11” by Califone

7. “Maestranza” by Fleet Foxes

8. “(Our Life Could Be Your Van)” by Garcia Peoples

9. “The Law Of Hospitality” by Waterless Hills

10. “Four Corners” by William Tyler

11. “Protest Song” by Bill Callahan

12. “Crystal Doorknob” by Lonnie Holley

13. “Landwerk 03” by Nathan Salsburg

14. “Love Is The Main Thing” by Fontaines D.C.

15. “Find You Ride” by Magik Markers

16. “Fadjamou” (Acoustic) by Oumou Sangaré

17. “St. Charles” by Throwing Muses

18. “Nenamev” by Tidiane Thiam

19. “Bon Bon” by Songhoy Blues

20. “Love Paste” by Sunwatchers

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Holiday At The Sea's Favorite 2020 Music Mix (Volume 02)

Volume 02 of some of Holiday at the Sea’s favorite 2020 music. I chose 75 albums this year and the playlists total 74 songs since “Microphones in 2020 by the Microphones” is 45 minutes long and I didn’t want to include the whole album as part of a mix.

Anyways, enjoy!

Tracklisting:

1. “Single For The Summer” by Christian Lee Huston

2. “Off My Mind” by Hazel English

3. “Crimson Tide” by Destroyer

4. “NTE” by Buscabulla

5. “We Don't Smoke It No More” by Neil Young

6. “If The Truth Ever Shows Up” by David Nance

7. “Die Before You Live” by Sammy Brue

8. “Not Penny’s Boat” by Huntingtons

9. “Empty Bottle” by Rose City Band

10. “Out The Window” by Café Racer

11. “Nektar” by Kahil El'Zabar & David Murray

12. “Jams From The Sun (Part III)” by Oregon Space Trail of Jazz

13. “F&N” by 75 Dollar Bill

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Holiday At The Sea's Favorite 2020 Music Mix (Volume 01)

Volume 01 of some of Holiday at the Sea’s favorite 2020 music. I chose 75 albums this year and the playlists total 74 songs since “Microphones in 2020 by the Microphones” is 45 minutes long and I didn’t want to include the whole album as part of a mix.

Anyways, enjoy!

Tracklisting:

1. “(Brother Lee) Womblife Blues” by Dire Wolves (Just Exactly Perfect Sisters Band)

2. “exile” by Taylor Swift

3. “Tattooed Love Boys” by Beauty Pill

4. “Good News” by Mac Miller

5. “Djatigui Baro” by Babani Koné

6. “I Know Alone” by Haim

7. “Flourish” by Modern Nature

8. “Murder Most Foul” by Bob Dylan

9. “Picture Of My Dress” by the Mountain Goats

10. “We” by the Soft Pink Truth

11. “Shout Across Mountains” by Growing Concerns Poetry Collective

12. “Mystic Mountain” by Chris Forsyth & Garcia Peoples

13. “Angels And Demons At Play” by Sun Ra Arkestra

14. “Heavy Baloon” by Fiona Apple

15. “The Wicked Shall Not Prevail” by Angel Bat Dawid & Tha Brothahood

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