Albums

Geoff Carter

(presented alphabetically)

Courtney Barnett, Things Take Time, Take Time It takes a special kind of vocal personality to make a nothing statement like “I might change my sheets today” sound like there’s a story behind it, and Courtney Barnett has it. The Australian singer-songwriter’s third album saw her solidify her ambling delivery and gift for storytelling.

Claud, Super Monster I could listen to Claud’s mesmerizing pop forever and a day. “Overnight” and “Cuff Your Jeans” remind me of falling asleep to the radio as a kid; I’d awaken, catch a verse and chorus of something wonderful and wonder the next day if I’d dreamed it up. Could anything be that perfect? Claud is.

Dry Cleaning, New Long Leg From the opening notes of “Scratchcard Lanyard”—that relentless bass-guitar chug—you know you’re listening to something special. Singer Florence Shaw’s droll, deceptively off-the-beat delivery tells you that this London art rock band is, in fact, something very special.

Japanese Breakfast, Jubilee Michelle Zauner’s third album of addictive indie pop is her best yet. Every note of Jubilee is the work of someone who’s beginning to figure out she’s got superstar bearing. This album is as smart, sexy and endlessly listenable as they come.

Yoko Kanno and Seatbelts, Cowboy Bebop I liked Netflix’s (now-canceled) live-action adaptation of this classic anime series. They handled it similarly to the way the underrated Japanese composer Kanno does the music for the franchise—freewheeling her way across genres from jazz to bluegrass, never losing sight of a sweet melody.

King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, Butterfly 3000 This Melbourne, Australia band psych rock band can hypnotize you with a 10-minute prog jam or hit you with a glam rock stomp. With Butterfly 3000, they add synth-driven, spacey pop to their toolkit, and of course, they’re amazing at it.

Porter Robinson, Nurture Rarely have so many machines been employed to make something as organic-sounding as Nurture. Porter Robinson’s second LP might exist in the same sonic universe as EDM, but vibe-wise, this mellow masterwork is a whole new world.

Squid, Bright Green Field I’m a sucker for nervy, angular post-punk sung by a dude who sounds like his voice is changing, and the debut album by this Brighton, England, band absolutely fits the bill.

St. Vincent, Daddy’s Home Every few years, if we keep supporting her art, Annie Clark will give us an album as immaculately assembled and downright funky as Daddy’s Home—and if we’re really nice, she’ll tour behind them and continue to melt our brains from the stage.

Wolf Alice, Blue Weekend The verses to Blue Weekend’s second track, “Delicious Things, ” find Ellie Rowsell singing like she’s breathing the words into her cupped hands, and whose chorus is full-on anthemic—but the volume scarcely rises. And the whole album is that smart.

Case Keefer

1. Foxing, Draw Down the Moon Sonically bombastic, lyrically solemn lyrically and thematically complex—tied together by pop-rock choruses that stretch past the size of skyscrapers.

2. Origami Angel, Gami Gang A sweet, stripped-down collection of pop-punk, recorded during quarantine in vocalist/guitarist Ryland Heagy’s bedroom and brimming with joy, optimism and self-acceptance.

3. Fiddlehead, Between the Richness With these examinations of aging, fatherhood and more, Pat Flynn carries on the hardcore tradition of successfully going from furious blasts of aggression—as he did with seminal early 2000s act Have Heart—to more introspective material.

4. Every Time I Die, Radical On its ninth full-length record, the Buffalo institution proves once again that no band has ever been better at writing metalcore songs while also sounding fresh within the confines of the genre.

5. Lucy Dacus, Home Video One of the world’s most gifted young singer-songwriters gets louder and catchier without sacrificing any of her trademark emotional impact.

6. The Killers, Pressure Machine The local heroes paint a stirring portrait of small-town America on a seventh album that came out of nowhere to take the mantle as their most fully realized project.

7. Lana Del Rey, Chemtrails Over the Country Club The antithesis to the relative maximalism of 2019’s Norman F*cking Rockwell, this year’s follow-up creates a beautiful duality with its simplicity.

8. The Armed, Ultrapop The mysterious metal group returns with a wonky, wild and layered deconstruction of the modern-day pop album that sounds like getting lost in a virtual reality, neon-colored maze.

9. Gojira, Fortitude The rare “big” or “mainstream” metal album that actually delivers. The French progressive death metal group gets slightly more inviting here, due in no small part to drummer Mario Duplantier’s head-spinning ability.

10. Converge & Chelsea Wolfe, Bloodmoon I Wolfe helps the Boston-based band commit to a full album of atmosphere, while Converge pushes the her to a grittier vocal performance.

Spencer Patterson

1. Don Cherry, The Summer House Sessions Much as I prefer topping my year-enders with current projects, this has been my undeniable 2021 go-to: unearthed, eight-man jazz jams from 1968, with fabled trumpeter Cherry at the helm. Breathtaking—and a lesson in breath control.

2. Chris Corsano & Bill Orcutt, Made Out of Sound Soothing guitar-drum interplay from two experimental all-timers who frequently collaborate in person, or, in this case, at a pandemic-forced distance.

3. Marissa Nadler, The Path of the Clouds Mary Lattimore, Emma Ruth Rundle and Cocteau Twin Simon Raymond are aboard as guests, but Nadler’s aching voice is the captain of a ship that will sail its way into your dreams.

4. Floating Points, Pharoah Sanders & London Symphony Orchestra, Promises Turn off the lights, lie back and soak it in.

5. Godspeed You! Black Emperor, G_d’s Pee at State’s End! Another transportive experience from true giants of the century.

6. Guided By Voices, It’s Not Them. It Couldn’t Be Them. It Is Them. Add up the numbers: Robert Pollard and his merry men sound, somehow, even better than the last time you heard them.

7. Grouper, Shade The mystical Liz Harris reaches back into the void and emerges with strange beauty.

8. Virginia Wing, Private Life Life-affirming beats and declarations, when we need them more than ever before.

9. Juçara Marçal, Delta Estacio Blues Almost a decade after forging fiery jazz/punk/whatever LP Metal Metal with Brazilian outfit Metá Metá, Marçal wraps her punchy vocals in all manner of electronic blankets, tripping us all around the world.

10. Daniel Bachman, Axacan Three Lobed Recordings’ 20th anniversary celebration has been an avant-guitar dream: Gunn-Truscinski, Pelt and this strange-folk jaunt down a deserted backroad.

Amber Sampson

(presented alphabetically)

Lucy Dacus, Home Video Dacus’ third LP puts her songwriting chops on full display as she revisits pivotal moments from her youth.

Billie Eilish, Happier Than Ever On her sophomore album, the 20-year-old prodigy proves she’s much more than just “Bad Guy” Billie, diversifying her sound with elements of jazz, spoken word and downtempo musings about the struggles of being in the public eye.

Girl in Red, If I Could Make It Go Quiet Queer indie pop artist Marie Ulven wades in the waters of unrequited love and anxiety. In this poignant first full-length, she navigates the noise of her own brain and the desires of a lovelorn heart.

Helado Negro, Far In Roberto Carlos Lange delivers a soothing, 15-track lullaby, inspired by his time in Marfa, Texas, during the pandemic lockdown. It’s the mellowest of music, best suited for a sunset drive or a lazy day in the city.

Japanese Breakfast, Jubilee Michelle Zauner sets aside her grief to explore an emotion not commonly expressed in her previous music: joy. It’s a beautiful departure in theme and sound.

San Holo, BB U OK? Sander van Dijick goes far outside traditional EDM, combining distorted beats and melodies underscored by indie rock. This album follows the aftermath of a failed relationship, but you can’t help but hear the silver lining.

Willow Smith, Lately I Feel Everything The 21-year-old Willow comes into her own on this punk record, equally free and in control.

Snail Mail, Valentine A mature follow up to Lindsey Jordan’s 2018 debut album, Lush. Her vocals have gotten deeper and more heartrending over time, making for some powerfully raw declarations.

Summer Walker, Still Over It The Atlanta native expresses her distaste for lackluster lovers over 20 fantastic R&B tracks featuring the sass of artists like SZA, Ari Lennox and Cardi B.

Wolf Alice, Blue Weekend I could listen to Ellie Rowsell wailing over dreamy ’80s synths of “How Can I Make It OK?”—and headbang to the whispery garage rock of “Smile”—forever.

Concerts

As touring acts and festivals began coming back to town, these, in particular, stuck out. (presented chronologically)

Cannibal Corpse at Psycho Las Vegas (August 20) For an hour late at night, Mandalay Bay Beach looked like an apocalyptic stampede, with thousands of banging heads and a giant pool circle pit swirling to some of the most demented heavy music ever recorded. –Case Keefer

Poison the Well at Psycho Las Vegas(August 20) Most acts that originated from the hardcore scene have received tepid responses at Psycho, but not these Miami metalcore pioneers, who whipped House of Blues into a frenzy by playing 1999 release The Opposite of December… A Season of Separation in its entirety. –CK

Megan Thee Stallion at Life Is Beautiful (September 17) I missed the first half of Tame Impala’s main-stage set to catch this one, and I regret nothing. The Houston hottie assumed the role of party conductor, directing the crowd’s energy with hit after rapid-fire hit, welcoming us back after a year without live music. –Amber Sampson

John Legend at the Chelsea (September 18) The 12-time Grammy winner breezed through his catalog with the finesse and range of a tireless angel. A reminder that the studio will never do John Legend’s voice full justice. –AS

St. Vincent at Life Is Beautiful (September 19) Artistically ambitious and musically bold, Annie Clark’s production show-quality festival set reminded us of the power of in-person performance after so much time without it. –Spencer Patterson

Billie Eilish at Life Is Beautiful (September 19) Eilish’s first post-shutdown set was a generous one. She expressed her gratitude to the crowd every chance she had; performed 22 songs whole or in part; and drew several well-earned laughs just by being forthright (“I’ve had a wedgie this whole time.”). –Geoff Carter

Descendents at Punk Rock Bowling (September 24) Nothing could have welcomed the long-running festival back after a 15-month delay better than this beloved band belting out a set of hits at a rapid pace. –CK

Japanese Breakfast at Brooklyn Bowl (October 5) Playing the majority of new album Jubilee—and saving older favorites like “Everybody Wants to Love You” for last, like a beloved, wild treat—Michelle Zauner and her band delivered the intimacy we’ve so desperately been missing. –AS

Phish at MGM Grand Garden Arena (October 31) The jam gods’ fifth Halloween in Vegas produced yet another massive undertaking: a turn as fictional futuristic band Sci-Fi Soldier, complete with a dozen rhythmic new tunes and a coordinating comic book. And, oh yeah, they sandwiched that between two strong, normal-length sets, too. –Spencer Patterson

Doja Cat at Day N Vegas (November 13) Hip rolls, humor and sex appeal … Doja Cat served up headliner-level fun during a breezy festival hour. –Amber Sampson

Foo Fighters at Dolby Live (December 4) Once Dave Grohl and his cohorts get you in the room, they’ll win you over—with powerhouse versions of their hits, with well-chosen covers, with top-shelf stage banter and even surprise cameos (hello, Gene Simmons). They need a Vegas residency. –GC

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