Best of 2021 (Josh)

What a year. Not in a good way, but what a year. But the music continued on, and we did our best to keep track of new music both locally and nationally amidst the chaos. We are thankful to all the artists who continued to make new music and thankful to all of you who kept an eye on our little website. Check out Josh’s selections below for his favorite national albums, songs and reissues from the year and keep an eye out for other lists before the end of the year.

ALBUMS

Top 10 – not in order but kind of in order

Low – HEY WHAT 

Bitchin Bahas – Switched on Ra

Armand Hammer & The Alchemist – Haram

Ryley Walker & Kikagaku Moyo – Deep Fried Grandeur

Madlib – Sound Ancestors 

Grouper – Shade

Floating Points, Pharaoh Sanders & London Symphony Orchestra – Promises

Arushi Jain – Under the Lilac Sky 

Vhvl – hem/sew

Dry Cleaning – New Long Leg

Best of the rest

Sofia Kourtesis – Fresia Magdalena

Dave – We’re All Alone in This Together

Writing Squares – Chart for the Solution

Wiki – Half God

Sons of Kemet – Black to the Future 

The Armed – ULTRAPOP

Mdou Moctar – Afrique Victime 

Kaidi Tatham – An Insight to All Minds

L’Eclair – Confusions

Ben Chasny – the intimate landscape

Ashan – Shadow of a Flame + Sacred Space

Drew Gardner — Drew Gardner 

Reissues / Compilations

Pastor T.L Barrett and the Youth for Chris Choir – I Shall Wear a Crown

Can – Live at Stuttgart 1975

Mary Lattimore – Collected Pieces II

Jeff Parker – JP’s Myspace Beats

La Ola Interior (Spanish Ambient & Acid Exotism: 1983-1990)

4mars (Djibouti Archives Vol. 1) Super Somali Sounds from the Gulf of Tadjoura

Numero Groups “Eccentric Disco”

North Americans – Going Steady

Habibi Funk 015: An eclectic selection of music from the Arab world, part 2

Minnesota Records

MMYYKK – Mellow Moods & Meditations + Science EP

Dosh – Tomorrow 1972

Dua Saleh – Crossover

Colin Gorman Weiland – Now & Thus Suite

Dizzy Fae – Antenna

Filthy Huns – Cursed at Birth

Muun Bato – Paraphonic Vapors 

American Cream Band –The Plastic Flame + Dark Hemisphere

Foam Giant – Acetate Parade 

Magic Castles – Sun Reign

Under Violet – Threes

Larry Wish – Stardust & Hurt

Black Market Brass Band – Chemical Plant Zone 7”

Metasota – these don’t even slap for real

I Self Devine – Rituals of Resilience 

FPA- Princess Wikio

Medium Zach- Bad By Myself

Gully Boys – Favorite Son

King Broder – Sweeps

SHOWS

Low surprise set outside at Icehouse + Black Eyed Snakes at Palmers patio

I still haven’t seen a show indoors since March of 2020 (Lower Dens at the Entry), but when things were starting to look better (silly us) and shows started happening outdoors, I tried to catch what I could at the numerous outdoor “venues” that popped up. Most of the shows ended up being bands I didn’t know or really care about, but two shows centered around local legend Alan Sparhawk stood out as the best ones I saw during this broken, stupid year. The first show I paid to see was Sparhawk’s greasy blues band the Black Eyed Snakes on the patio of Palmers. It was cathartic to see live music and as always the band delivered a scintillating set. The other highlight was going to see Sparhawk’s funk project with Al Church and his kid called Derecho, but the crowd was surprised to see Mimi and new Low bassist Liz Draper setting up. Not only was this internationally-renowned band playing a surprise, unannounced set on a random potion in south Minneapolis, they were playing their new album (which quickly became my favorite album of the year) from start to finish. Even hearing these songs for the first time, stripped down from the studio wizardry that made the album so amazing, you could tell these songs were special. I’m hoping 2022 will break our way and we’ll be able to get back to seeing more live music, but I’m thankful to Al Sparhawk for making sure 2021 at least had a few great live music moments for me.