This whole year was a rough one for me, even before my mother died in September. In the midst of lots of awfulness at the family level, and more at the national and international levels, music still seemed to have the power to sustain and enrich me. Maybe more than ever. Sorting through the stuff that came out in 2021, this list sort of wrote itself. Be sure to check back in soon for our Top 20 Albums Of 2021 lists.
Kenixfan's Top 20 Tracks of 2021 (in rough order of release date)
20. "Don't Ever Pray in the Church on My Street" by The Reds, Pinks & Purples
There was a lot to love on Uncommon Weather, the newest album from The Reds, Pinks & Purples, even more so since it was a Slumberland Records release. This opening track immediately made me a fan of this band.
19. "The Balcony" by Fruit Bats
If there's any song on this list that seemed to make me feel happy over and over again, it's this one, from the band's latest, The Pet Parade. Fruit Bats crafted a real gem here.
18. "Destiny" by The Chills
The Chills put out one of their best recent records in 2021's Scatterbrain, and one of the highlights of the album is this stately winner.
17. "Always on My Mind" by The Catenary Wires
The latest from The Catenary Wires, Birling Gap, is a spry, smart chronicle of DIY indie pioneers (Heavenly, Thrashing Doves, etc.) growing their own styles. The album had a bunch of really lovely numbers, but this one grabbed my heart instantly.
16. "Can You Hear Nature Sing?" by Dot Allison
One of the real surprises of 2021 was the return of Dot Allison with a really elegant record in Heart-Shaped Scars. The tunes here, gentle and contemplative, are all winners but this one was my favorite.
15. "Worry With You" by Sleater-Kinney
If Path of Wellness revealed Sleater-Kinney making up for 2019's The Center Won't Hold, it also showed a band finding a comfortable spot between their more recent styles. This single was maybe the best track on the record too.
14. "She Buys Herself Flowers" by The Umbrellas
You could pick any song from The Umbrellas for this list and be making a good choice. Still, this single from Slumberland Records band The Umbrellas updated the jangle-pop and C86 styles with an enormous amount of success.
13. "A Full Syringe and Memories of You" by The Boo Radleys
Even though Martin Carr's not in the band, The Boo Radleys still sound like The Boo Radleys. This one, the title track from their 2021 surprise EP, was the sort of thing that could put the fire back in the belly of any aging Britpop fan like me.
12. "Daffodils" by Dummy
After a couple of EP's, the full-length debut from Dummy did not disappoint. Mandatory Enjoyment had a lot of cuts that sounded like Stereolab, and some, like this one, that might have even sounded nearly better.
11. "Terrified" by Penelope Isles
Brighton-based Penelope Isles returned in 2021 with a superb record in Which Way to Happy. This Bella Union release is going to be on my list of the best albums of 2021, obviously, and this track is here because it just might be my favorite single of 2021.
10. "The Pines" by La Luz
La Luz just keep on getting better and better. Their self-titled 2021 album was full of lyrical, inventive surf indie, but this early single is fantastic even on its own.
9. "Into the Waves of Love" by Manic Street Preachers
The two lead singles on the new one from Manic Street Preachers, The Ultra Vivid Lament, didn't do much for me, but the album won me over. That's thanks largely to the second half of the record, and emotive and slick numbers like this one
8. "Cure for Love" by Des Demonas
The D.C. band Des Demonas snuck out an EP this year, and the title cut to Cure for Love is a corker! The garage rock power of this is a good indication of the skills of this outfit, and one of their best numbers since their debut full-length.
7. "A Day in Pompeii" by The Black Watch
The Black Watch put out a lot of material in 2021, and while this might seem an odd choice, seeing as how it's not like the rest of the chamber pop on Here & There, this one transfixed me.
6. "Really Great" by The Connells
The return of The Connells was a nice surprise in 2021, and the lead track from Steadman's Wake proved that the North Carolina college rock legends could still work their magic.
5. "Walking at a Downtown Pace" by Parquet Courts
Offering up perhaps their most consistent record in 2021's Sympathy for Life, hipsters Parquet Courts delivered a few real winners on this one, including this rockin' single.
4. "Rock N Roll Void" by Swansea Sound
The debut from indie super-group Swansea Sound, Live at the Rum Puncheon, was one of the best records of 2021, hands down. Full of indie of the best sort, this opening cut from the members of Heavenly and The Pooh Sticks, among others, just made me smile every time I played it.
3. "Taking Time To Tell You" by Chime School
The debut self-titled full-length from Chime School was yet another instant classic Slumberland Records release in 2021. And this cut chimed its way into my head like stuff from the old C86 bands.
2. "Life is a Dream" by Pearly Gate Music
A real sleeper of a record, Mainly Gestalt Pornography, the latest from Pearly Gate Music, won me over with gems like this one, a cut that places Zachary Tillman near both Elliott Smith and Walls & Bridges-era Lennon.
1. "Endless Summer" by Superchunk
I was nearly done with this list when Superchunk surfaced and dropped a new single two days ago! "Endless Summer" sounds like something off of I Hate Music (2013) and I'm thrilled that a new full-length is coming from the American indie stalwarts in early 2022.
Stan Cierlitsky's Top 10 Tracks of 2021
1. "Ritchie Sacramento" by Mogwai
2. "Japanese Trees" by Modest Mouse
3. "Zero" by James
4. "Little Things" by Big Thief
5. "Mold" by Jónsi
6. "I Wish You Well" by We Were Promised Jetpacks
7. "Exit Strategy To Myself" by The Notwist
8. "A Crime" by Big Red Machine and Sharon Van Etten
9. "Crutch" by Band Of Horses
10. "Amber Gambler" by Nothing
Jay Mukherjee's Top 10 Tracks of 2021 (in no particular order)
1. "Satellite" by Split Single
2. "Little Bird" by Black Swan Lane
3. "Shellstar" by Deafheaven
4. "Soft Spot" by Claud
5. "Made of Moods" by Massage
6. "Monolith" by The Chills
7. "18 Cigarettes" by Ducks Ltd.
8. "Arrow" by Fritz
9. "Don't Ever Pray in the Church on My Street" by The Reds, Pinks & Purples
10. "Soft Reflections" by Film School
[Photo of Superchunk: Brett Villena]