New Music for 2021

[RobW]

I know nothing really of Adrian Younge, bar what i've read this evening after seeing the forthcoming album The American Negro on Bandcamp, with the title track released this week.

https://adrianyounge.bandcamp.com/al...american-negro

More info here, including 4 part podcast https://www.rollingstone.com/music/m...negro-1122284/

The album was released on Friday, and i've barely stopped listening to it. A great accompaniment to the two SAULT albums that came out last year. https://open.spotify.com/album/4o390...SMqL3bzUmshlTA

The Lael Neale album doesn't disappoint either https://open.spotify.com/album/15API...SxmaQIZDKa4rRw

[RobW]

Been enjoying the latest Jane Weaver album lately. Hadn't realised she had released so much music to be honest.

[steveeeeeeeee]

Need to give the new Jane Weaver a listen, she's great.

Have been listening to Green Tea Peng, Robert Elms has been championing her as the leader of a vast crop of female singer/songwriters in London. On first listen, I found her music pleasant but too reminiscent of other artists, Erykah Badu is the main one. But I keep returning to her stuff and it has really grown on me, it is very much a sound of London, which is its most appealing factor. New album out soon, I think she's going to be massive. Mr Sun is my favourite track of her:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_DDqg1A8lw

[RobW]

On my second listen of the latest The Anchoress record this morning (The Art of Losing) https://open.spotify.com/album/4eUBw...SxykoNxsx6AaYQ - having followed her Tim's Listening Party tweets last night about the recording process and inspiration behind the songs (replay available here https://timstwitterlisteningparty.com/pages/replay.html). As the title suggests, it's an album about grief, pain and loss as well as being the victim of abuse, either domestic or misogyny within the music industry. It's gut-wrenching powerful stuff. Features a duet with James Dean Bradfied, and he adds guitar on one other track.

You can watch the video for 5AM here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7dUK6OF1ZM. It's more of a public service announcement regarding the shocking statistics relating to abuse.

[imp]

Current crushes: Urban Driftwood by Yasmin Williams and Yellow River Blue by Yu Su.

[gjw100]

Have been listening to Green Tea Peng, Robert Elms has been championing her as the leader of a vast crop of female singer/songwriters in London. On first listen, I found her music pleasant but too reminiscent of other artists, Erykah Badu is the main one. But I keep returning to her stuff and it has really grown on me, it is very much a sound of London, which is its most appealing factor. New album out soon, I think she's going to be massive. Mr Sun is my favourite track of her:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_DDqg1A8lw

Green Tea Peng is a real talent. I posted one of her songs, 'Hu Man', on the Jazz thread a few months back but was close to choosing 'Mr Sun' instead.

You may already be aware of Mahalia, another young London-based singer, but if you haven't heard her she is well-worth checking out.

[imp]

I can't stop listening to the gorgeous, mesmerising Yasmin Williams album - here's the title track.

[Tony C]

‘Promises’, the new Floating Points/Pharoah Sanders/LSO collaboration is wonderful. If any music can be labelled ‘right up my street’ as I hurtle towards my mid sixties this is it.

[gjw100]

‘Promises’, the new Floating Points/Pharoah Sanders/LSO collaboration is wonderful. If any music can be labelled ‘right up my street’ as I hurtle towards my mid sixties this is it.

I'd not heard of this album, but have just checked it out. It really is extraordinarily beautiful. Thanks for the tip!

[danielmak]

Indie rock/alt rock sound with a little bit of a Snail Mail, Soccer Mommy vibe but perhaps catchier choruses:

https://naveband.bandcamp.com/

[Wouter D]

Mdou Moctar is back with a new song. Album to follow in May.

[Satchmo Distel]

Samantha Crain - Bloomsday (thanks to Radmac)

[caja-dglh]

The KLF unloading the entirety of their back catalog (including all the super rare items) is going to keep my year on track.

[steveeeeeeeee]

Much like Green Tea Peng, Robert Elms has been playing Arlo Parks a hell of a lot. I started listening to her debut album "Collapsed in Sunbeams" yesterday and have had it on constantly ever since. An outstanding album, can't imagine how it's possible to dislike it, but also imagine it will be enormously popular and ubiquitous as background music in bars, shops and cafes this summer.

Anyway, this is beautiful, quite shoegaze-y in its way:

[imp]

Arlo Parks has been going down very well the past few weeks here too. Matt Berninger's solo album as well.

[ale]

Have been quite taken with Dry Cleaning New Long Leg. Sparse and at times seemingly repetitive mainly occasioned by the vocals it bears patience.

[imp]

Have been quite taken with Dry Cleaning New Long Leg. Sparse and at times seemingly repetitive mainly occasioned by the vocals it bears patience.

Is that the artiste or the album? Off-putting either way - sounds like they decided on it when drunk then took a blood pledge and couldn't go back on it without having to kill themselves.

[caja-dglh]

Dry Cleaning is the band.

[elguapo4]

Worst name since Irish band Ham Sandwich

[imp]

Or Johnny Hates Jazz. They should have been stoned in public for that name. And for their music too.

[Jah Womble]

Oh, there have been worse names in recent years. I give you:

Car Seat Headrest
Does It Offend You? Yeah!
Cigarettes After Sex
Balloons Kill Babies
The Front Bottoms

I've quite liked a couple of Dry Cleaning tracks - but an entire album of that overly-arch observational commentary? Nah.

[ale]

Oh, there have been worse names in recent years. I give you:

Car Seat Headrest
Does It Offend You? Yeah!
Cigarettes After Sex
Balloons Kill Babies
The Front Bottoms

I've quite liked a couple of Dry Cleaning tracks - but an entire album of that overly-arch observational commentary? Nah.

It a strange one. Grew up on LP format so learned to live with bands that got repetitive over a full album. And maybe for that reason only had one album in them. Young Marble Giants immediately leap to mind however much there was to recommend Colossal Youth. But that was only way to consume music in 1980. In 2021 -heresy or not on here-ipod shuffle is now main way I listen to music. Which avoids listening to entire albums more than once or twice after initial purchase.

[Jah Womble]

There was something engaging about Young Marble Giants, however - the combination of Alison Statton’s fragile voice over that sparse arrangement.

Compared to Dry Cleaning - who I don’t mind in small doses - that album still feels effortlessly spontaneous even four decades after release. (The nearest parallel I can bring to mind since might be Broadcast - who were even more wondrous.)

[Incandenza]

Went back to a few albums that I had listened to earlier but really clicked with me on a second listen.

the new Dinosaur Jr. has some tight songs that still have that Dino Jr. sound. Lou Barlow has a standout song that reminded me how much I used to love Sebadoh, and that I haven't listened to them in a while.

Real Estate have a new EP, and it's filled with their characteristic sound that I love:

A final EP I've enjoyed is the Benny the Butcher/Harry Fraud release. Feels like classic New York rap.

[Hot Pepsi]

My new favorite song. The Joy Formidable are a good rock n' roll combo.