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2021 Honorable Mentions
It’s difficult to narrow down the best 100 songs and 50 albums of any given year, so for me, naming some honorable mentions are a must. Here are 10 extra songs and 5 extra albums of goodness to help shape the picture of music in 2021.
Honorable Mentions:
Albums
Jeff Rosenstock
SKA DREAM
My album of the year from 2020 has been ska-ified, and it’s glorious. But through the horns and the corn, the heart and soul of NO DREAM is still intact, and you can’t help but have as much fun of a time listening as Jeff and company have playing these songs. Long live ska!
Lingua Ignota
SINNER GET READY
An album that will not be for everyone, but those who choose to delve into Lingua Ignota’s world are in for an unforgettable experience. The fervor of religious fanatics is what drives Ignota’s music, and the music of SINNER GET READY is suitably batshit. Get ready for an album that will haunt you to your core, for better and for worse.
Sturgill Simpson
The Ballad of Dood & Juanita
After marauding through arena rock on SOUND & FURY, Sturgill scales back considerably on his latest. Dood & Juanita is a simple tale of a man fighting to get his wife back, with tragedy and triumph along the way. It’s simple and well done, a treat for fans of the outlaw country Sturgill cut his teeth on.
Twenty One Pilots
Scaled And Icy
I will gladly continue to take shit for enjoying Twenty One Pilots and their brand of pleasantly passable pop music. Scaled and Icy is by no means the best pop album of the year, or even the best album made by Twenty One Pilots. But will I continue to enjoy this music every time I hear it in Target for the rest of time.
Weezer
Van Weezer
A tribute to the bands that inspired Weezer, Van Weezer is as cheesy as the album cover. It won’t win the band any new fans, but to hear the boys having fun again on this record is great fun. Throw logic out the door, grab your air guitar and rock out to these crowd pleasers.
Honorable Mentions:
SONGS
ABBA
"No Doubt About It"
A good old fashioned ABBA jam straight from the glory days. Anni-Frid and Agnetha may be older but their harmonies are no less amazing. The jaunty instrumental will have you bouncing up and down the whole time. More like this please!
Flight Facilities
"Lights Up" (ft. Channel Tres)
Flight Facilities are some supremely underrated electronic producers, so don’t let this groovy club hit go under your radar. Channel Tres turns out to be the perfect guide into the FF club, with his sultry voice causing the whole city to turn it up. Party accordingly.
FM Skyline
"Harlequin"
One of the best signings to 100% Electronica in a while, FM Skyline evokes the past with modern instruments. “Harlequin” is the best of the bunch, and along with a great music video, this track will have you reminiscing on childhood games and memories as the vintage synths pulse.
Gorillaz
"Jimmy Jimmy" (ft. AJ Tracey)
Perhaps the most Gorillaz song to ever Gorillaz. Even the name is so silly I’m shocked they haven’t made it before. It follows the Demon Days strategy of a solid beat and Damon Albarn chorus assisted by a British rapper, and AJ Tracey does a great job. It’s a nice side dish as we await Song Machine: Season 2.
Jeff Rosenstock
"Checkerboard Ashtray"
While “Honeymoon Ashtray” wasn’t the most memorable song off of NO DREAM, the ska version stands out from SKA DREAM. With a more upbeat instrumental that’s ska as all hell, you’ll no doubt bob your head to this story of an underwhelming honeymoon. Pickitup!
Jessie Ware
"Hot N Heavy"
Even Jessie Ware’s b-sides are scintillating disco pop jams. “Hot N Heavy” is, as the title suggests, a steamy tale of romance on the dance floor. Jessie’s voice and the instrumental are as polished as anything off of What’s Your Pleasure?, and it’s a song worthy of hearing at clubs for years to come.
Jungle
"Keep Moving"
With an infectious hook, “Keep Moving” will have you doing just that. A robust instrumental and some catchy “ooohs” in the background make this lead single from Jungle’s latest album a rea winner. I think I heard it in a car commercial somewhere, and though it didn’t make me want to buy the car, it made me want to check out the song. That’s a win for Jungle, right?
Olivia Rodrigo
"good 4 u"
The spiciest anthem from Olivia Rodrigo’s breakup saga, “good 4 u” takes Paramore’s pop punk leanings and turns them into a Gen Z bop. Olivia’s usual warbly voice is suddenly as fiery as the instrumental as she skewers the man who did her wrong. It’s the kind of song that will get stuck in your head and on Tik Tok forever.
Radiohead
"If You Say The Word"
As one of the greatest and most analyzed albums of all time, everything Kid A is interesting, and that bleeds into the b-sides. “If You Say The Word” is a highlight from a collection of recordings and tossaways from the sessions behind Kid A and Amnesiac, and it fits right in with those album’s themes of isolation and fear of the future. Radiohead was on another level during these sessions, and it’s great that they gave us another taste.
Weezer
"Beginning of the End"
An apocalyptic rager, “Beginning of the End” is everything you want from Weezer’s venture into guitar worship. It’s got excellent instrumental play, a rocking, high energy rhythm, and a spirited lead performance from Rivers Cuomo. It’s a top highlight of one of Weezer’s better records of the last decade.