The Top 10 list

We’ve spent the last two months listening to some of the best that 2021 had to offer – it was rich and varied, and definitely worthy of someone’s attention. After some deliberation, here are the 10 albums we’d recommend you check out.

• Arlo Parks – Collapsed in Sunbeams
• Big Red Machine – How long do you think it’s gonna last?
• Low – Hey What
• Mdou Moctar – Afrique Victime
• Superwolves – Superwolves
• Lucy Dacus – Home Video
• Coral – Coral Island
• John Smith – Fray
• Sturgill Simpson – Cuttin’ Grass Volume 2
• St. Vincent – Daddy’s Home

More details on these wonderful records

• Arlo Parks – Collapsed in Sunbeams – another so called ‘voice of a generation’ has delivered an album that has so much maturity and warmth. Framing the music – ‘playing Arlo Parks on Spotify and my wife asked me to send her the link – she loves soulful music and I guess this one checks that box and more’.
• Big Red Machine – ‘How long do you think it’s gonna last?’ – recent Taylor Swift collaborators, Aaron Dessner and Justin Vernon, are back with their 2^nd collaboration. It feels closer to last year’s Taylor Swift albums than their first record. We loved that album, and this one’s got better and better with more listens.
• Low – ‘Hey What’ – a perennial favorite band in this part of the world. They have been together for 20+ years and their sound keeps evolving. Less melody on this record, bit more distortion, but they still manage to sound listenable yet original. If you don’t enjoy the distortion, John Smith may be your artist.
• Mdou Moctar – Afrique Victime – frequently on my Bandcamp feed through the pandemic. Mdou and his fellow musicians are from Niger and they play this driving, guitar led sound that’s really easy to tap your feet to. There’s something really pure about their sound and it draws you in, if you’ll let it. Comparisons with Van Halen and others (in some write ups) don’t do justice to these original musicians.
• Superwolves – Superwolves – collaboration between Bonnie Prince Billy and Matt Sweeney. Mdou Moctar plays some great guitar too. If you don’t know much about Bonnie Prince Billy, he has an amazing back catalogue, and according to no less than Rick Rubin, this is up there with all of that work. My favorite album before I heard some of the others!
• Lucy Dacus – Home Video – There’s a lot of layers to this one. The acoustic confessional songs are there, some great harmonies and then the powerful guitar/synth driven moments – found myself singing ‘Triple Dog Dare’ (which has elements of all those things) long after the record player had stopped turning.
• The Coral – Coral Island – 25 years after their self-titled breakthrough album (in the UK at least), they came back with this concept album that is packed full of great pop songs – influences may include Britpop but the 60s west coast vibe makes it sound just great. Check out ‘Mist on the River’, it’s a wonderful example. We assume the River Mersey is that river, but we don’t know for sure.
• John Smith – Fray – discovered John Smith on a streamed English folk festival early in the pandemic. Uncomplicated acoustic music with catchy choruses and occasional beautiful harmonies – ‘Hold On’ is just a perfect example. He deserves a wider audience.
• Sturgill Simpson – Cuttin’ Grass Volume 2 –if you saw the Ken Burns documentary on Country Music, you might appreciate an album paying homage to many of the legendary artists (the great Jimmie Rogers to name one) featured there. It feels closer to bluegrass than any modern country that we get to hear. The songs seem so beautifully crafted. Bonus points for having an Indie record store only release.
• St. Vincent – Daddy’s Home – didn’t really enjoy this on the initial listen.  Our friend David told us he loved the album, so we kept on and discovered something special. While there’s an occasional Bowie vibe (‘Scary Monsters’?) some nods to Nina Simone, Joni Mitchell and Pink Floyd’s ‘Dark Side of the Moon’ along the way (‘The Melting of the Sun’) throughout you are drawn in by the great guitar sound and the soulful voices. 

More things to listen to

So much more music deserves a mention – some artists I have referenced in previous years, and in some cases I am still playing these records to better appreciate how good these records are:

• Robert Plant/Alisson Kraus – Raise the Roof
• John Grant – Boy from Michigan
• Leon Bridges – Gold Diggers Sound
• Laura Mvula – Pink Noise
• Julien Baker- Little Oblivions
• Andy Shauf – Wilds
• Wild Pink – A billion little lights
• Rosali – No Medium
• Silk Sonic – An Evening with Silk Sonic
• Snail Mail – Valentine
• Kasey Musgraves – star-crossed
• War on Drugs – I don’t live here anymore
• Nick Cave/Warren Ellis – Carnage
• Brandi Carlile – In These Silent Days
• Sault – Nine (if you can find it – it was deleted from streaming services 99 days after its release).

Reissues 2021

So many reissues in 2021, and they seem to get more attention than the new material. Tempted not to name anyone, but there are some are really, really special works that we’ve enjoyed:

• Laura Nyro – American Dreamer – could be the widest disparity between really amazing music and commercial success any artist experienced in the 60s and 70s. This 8 album set is from that period. While in recent years we’ve been collecting the originals for $5 and less in record stores, the music feels so much more valuable – try out ‘Stoney End’ surely as good a pop song as anyone ever written. 
• Beatles ‘Get Back’ documentary and Let it Be reissues. For any Beatles fan the documentary gave a fabulous insight into how the band worked together. The music in its various forms tells us once and for all that Let It Be was a great Beatles album, and the version released in 1970 did not do it justice. It’s obviously garnered a lot of attention – our feeling is it may be justified.
• George Harrison – All Things Must Pass – another Beatle remaster (not the first version of this record) – it contains a lot of interesting recordings on the expanded boxed set, what we found interesting was how much better the subtle remixes made the original record sound. A great album and the just got to sound even better. Would not have been out of place in the Beatles discography.
• Joni Mitchell – The Reprise albums (1968-71) – taking the opportunity to talk up Joni Mitchell (whose originals generally cost a lot more than Laura Nyro’s). ‘Blue’ was 50 years old in 2021, it is an amazing album, much has been written about how groundbreaking it was, but even now it seems fresh and listenable. And there’s 3 more great albums in this pack!

Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry

In August 2021 we lost legendary reggae artist and producer Lee Perry. His fingerprint is on much of how reggae developed. Highly recommended and by way of celebration, here are 3 albums of his to introduce his work if you haven’t heard it:

• Eastwood Rides Again (1970)
• Roast Fish Collie Weed and Corn Bread (1978) 
• Rainford (2019) – featured on our 2019 recommended list.

And on the subject of great reggae, here’s a Spotify playlist with some of our favorite reggae from the last 50 years.

Other lists

Mojo usually has an interesting list to review and here it is.

The post It’s our 7th annual best music blog appeared first on OnNUp Coaching.

You can find the playlists on my YouTube channel. This includes 2020’s best plus a variety of pandemic related playlists.

In this year of all years, I am not sure anyone needs an explanation of the value of music. It’s power to lift us up, to articulate our feelings and to allow us to reflect on what’s going on around us.

The Top 10 list (and more)

I’ve spent the last month listening to some of the best that 2020 had to offer – it was so rich and varied. After some deliberation, here are 10 albums that I think you should check out.

• Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit – Reunions
• Bob Dylan – Rough and Rowdy Ways
• Taylor Swift – Folklore (*) 
• Phoebe Bridgers – Punisher
• Sault – Untitled (Black is) (*)
• Fleet Foxes – Shore
• Nubya Garcia – Source
• Fiona Apple – Fetch the Bolt Cutters
• Waxahatchee – Saint Cloud
• Lianne La Havas – Lianne La Havas

(*) 1 of 2 albums this artist released in 2020

So much more music deserves a mention – some artists I have referenced in previous years, and in some cases I am still playing these records to get more familiar… 

• Lone Bellow – Half Moon Light
• Nick Cave – Idiot Prayer
• Sufjan Stevens – Ascension
• Songhoy Blues – Optimisme
• Margo Price – That’s how rumors get started
• Bill Callahan – Gold Record
• Laura Marling – Song for our Daughter
• Lucinda Williams – Good Souls, Better Angels

Some newer artists I am still listening to – definitely worth a listen:

• Black Pumas – Black Pumas
• Marcus King – El Dorado

There were also great songs that reflected the turbulence of 2020 – songs that showed up on some of my pandemic playlists:

• Sweeter – Leon Bridges
• I Can’t Breathe – H.E.R.

More detail on the essential stuff

• Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit – Reunions – this was on the list early. I heard a couple of songs on one of those virtual live shows and they were so memorable. Often catchy choruses get old, but for not with these songs – ‘Running with eyes closed’ and ‘What’ve I done to Help’ stayed fresh and energizing through every playing.
• Bob Dylan – Rough and Rowdy Ways – never imagined that I’d have a new Bob Dylan record in my new release Top 10 again. The flagship song is ‘Murder Most Foul’ about the death of JFK – it’s an unbelievable song by an artist that is absolutely beyond categorization.
• Taylor Swift – Folklore – my daughter’s favorite album of the year and a point of connection for us. Definitely more in the style of the National and Bon Iver than her previous work. I’m sure this won’t show up on everyone’s list but being able to hear it with an open mind was huge.
• Phoebe Bridgers – Punisher – there’s a beautiful, haunting quality to this album. I seem to be drawn to albums that have songs about Kyoto in them, although it’s more than that – the songs, the simple arrangements, and the voice. Check it out!
• Sault – Untitled (Black Is) – one of 2 albums they made in 2020, both showed up in many of the lists. First thing that struck me was the nod to one of my favorite bands, Massive Attack. It’s much more than that, lyrically, it’s firmly grounded in the pursuit of racial justice, and musically it’s complicated – harmonies, at times some really sparse bass and drum sound, and an intensity that is a feature of both albums.
• Fleet Foxes – Shore – some reviews talked about how this was a return to the sound of their early records. Some might see that as a backward step, but for me recapturing the harmonies, the beauty and the fragility of that sound was perfect for the year we’ve just had.
• Nubya Garcia – Source – don’t know much about this artist, but the sweeping, uplifting sound reminds me of the modern jazz of Kamasi Washington. It’s definitely jazz, but it’s also taken on board many global influences. I think Fela Kuti and King Tubby would identify with the energy and the feeling in this music.
• Fiona Apple – Fetch the Bolt Cutters – I picked the vinyl version up at my local record store – Squeezebox in Wilmington, DE, after Rich told me it had unbelievable reviews. It really has an unbelievable energy to it and this chaotic quality that’s hard to describe (feels very pandemic). 
• Waxahatchee – St. Cloud – this falls under Americana, if you have to label it. I was convinced it was recorded in Nashville, it has great musicians and a sort of Gillian Welch sound to it. (It was recorded in NYC and Texas actually).  
• Lianne La Havas – Lianne La Havas – she describes this album as the album she’d always wanted to make. I haven’t heard her other work, but this series of beautiful soulful songs is worth a listen.

Other music to check out:

Usually I touch on reissues, but this year, I want to reflect on artists that made an impact on me in 2020 for a variety of reasons:

• We lost John Prine this year to Covid. So many of his albums were re-released this year. Time to hear ‘Angel from Montgomery’ and more of his work at least one more time.
• Multiple artists appeared in our family room (we signed up to let them in). Richard Thompson, Lucinda Williams, Josh Ritter, The Lumineers, Johny Flynn and John Smith (a new name to me, he’s in the English folk tradition) and were just some of the artists that we enjoyed (and probably kept us sane) through 2020 with their live performances specially for us at home.

If you need more

I rely on NPR’s All Songs Considered to identify new music – if you have an hour, take a listen to their listeners’ picks end of year show 

More lists to explore:

• UK’s Mojo magazine Top 75
• Rolling Stone magazine’s Top 50
• NPR Top 50

The post Music may have been the redeeming feature of 2020 appeared first on OnNUp Coaching.

I didn’t quite realize how much wonderful music existed until I started doing my research for this piece. There is no real consensus across my regularly listened to Podcasts, Magazines, Websites about the best albums of 2018 – likely a product of the diverse choices out there.  I’ll try to navigate this for you, while recommending some of the music I have loved, the music that has enabled me to relax, to rewire my brain, and generally be a better person than I was without music.

Key Topics

• Recommended music from 2018
• Recommendations from Liverpool
• Mindfulness playlists
• Relevant reissue worth seeking out
• And some sources for further exploration

Key recommendations

The short version has 11 records worth checking out (should be 10, but the UK’s Mojo magazine had 75 records in it’s top 50, so I figure 11 is more than reasonable):

• Low – Double Negative
• Big Red Machine – People
• Lucy Dacus – Historian
• Brandi Carlile – By The Way, I Forgive You
• Kacey Musgraves – Golden Hour
• The Decemberists – I’ll be Your Girl
• First Aid Kit – Ruins
• Kamasi Washington – Earth and Heaven
• Julia Holter –  Aviary
• Tracey Thorn – Record
• Snail Mail – Lush

A little more detail

Just like 2017, 2018 had some great records by female artists.  This includes but is not limited to:

Kacey Musgraves – Golden Hour.This seems a long way from her early work “Same Trailer, Different Park’.  A sense of optimism and possibility shine through. – I recommend ‘Oh, What a World’. For me, it has just the right amount of positivity to get your day started..

Lucy Dacus – Historian. Her second album, kind of crept up on me – I thought it was just OK when I first heard it, but after multiple listens the confidence, the great voice and the big sound shine through. 

Tracey Thorn – Record. She was the voice of Everything But the Girl – I last saw them at the Electric Factory in Philadelphia in the 1990s. It’s a really mature album dealing with feminism, growing old, and London (her home) losing it’s way as it becomes even more expensive and unattainable for many. I heard her interview on NPR with Terry Gross and was immediately drawn to the intensity and the beauty of the music.

Julia Holter –  This has been recommended in numerous place.  It carries serious hints of the Cocteau Twins, and Siouxie and the Banshees.  

Brandi Carlile – ‘By The Way I Forgive You’.  I am a big fan of all her work.  This album however seems more committed, more direct and more urgent.  Some of the reviewers talked about it being an album grounded in these divided times. Best thing I can say, it sounds like the Avett Brothers at their best.  Check out ‘Most of All’ or ‘Hold Out Your Hand’ as a starting point.

Snail Mail – ‘Lush’.  I don’t know anything about the band, but music has me remembering the best of the Sundays with a more modern feel.

Essential music

I start with selections that show up in many lists.  It suggests that they transcend boundaries more than some of the other artists:

Low – Double Negative.  I’ve liked this band for many years now, this album takes them to a new level. Interesting use of distortion and sparse instrumentation, adds up to a really innovative sound.  One warning, the distortion is so evident on some tracks that my son asked if the record was damaged when he first heard it…

Big Red Machine – People.  A collaboration between Justin Vernon of Bon Iver and Aaron Dessner of the National.  I bought the vinyl album after it was recommended to me. I played it a lot in 2018, and it has just grown on me, more and more.  Check out People Lullaby and Forest Green. It’s a wonderfully atmospheric album – I really wish this had been Bon Iver’s 3^rdalbum.

Honorable mentions:

The Decemberists – I’ll be your Girl.  A perennial favorite of mine with a slightly updated pop sound. ‘Everything is Awful’ has been used more than once in our house as a source of stress relief.

Kamasi Washington – Heaven and Earth.  This is a serious work of art (4 vinyl records). It’s a wonderful modern jazz album, but it seems something more.  Listen to ‘Will you Sing’ to discover this jazz musician escaping the perceived bounds of the label.

And from Liverpool (my hometown) 

I loved discovering the work of Nick Ellis– he’s often compared to Nick Drake, which helps identify his genre.  It’s great that another famous son (the other Paul from Liverpool) wowed the James Corden Carpool Karaoke show this last year, but I would love for the next generation to get a little more attention. Look out for Red Rum Clubin 2019.

Music recommended by my sources (where I’ve heard 1 song)

• Australia’s Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever– An Air Conditioned Man from ‘Hope Downs’
• Elvis Costello– Stripping Paper from ‘Look Now’
• Mali’s Fatoumata Diawara– Nterini from ‘Fenfu (something to Say)’

Music recommended by my sources (I’m yet to explore)

• Janelle Monae– Dirty Computer
• Soccer Mommy– Clean
• Jon Hopkins– Singularity

Choices for mindfulness and self-care (thanks NPR)

For reference, here’s the 2017 list (thanks to Andrea Cockfield for putting it out there on YouTube )- https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTAj5LjJNl72SbV5vc-iWhuzxi85JzD7p&disable_polymer=true

My new list for mindfulness, taken from 2018:

• Kamasi Washington –  Will you Sing?
• Big Red Machine – People Lullaby
• Low – Fly
• Snail Mail – Let’s Find an Out
• Julia Holter – In Garden’s Muteness
• Olivia Chaney – A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
• Ólafur Arnalds –re:member
• Jóhann Jóhannsson – Heptapod B
• Jon Hopkins – Echo Dissolve

Amazing Reissues

Some wonderful music was reissued in 2018:

• We got to hear the 50 year old Beatlesdemos from the White Album– I remember George Harrison referring to Beatles outtakes as someone’s attempt to scrape the bottom of the barrel.  I had an idea that he never understood the value of these outtakes because he was there to experience it.  These demos confirm that perspective for me.  It’s like being there hearing them give life to these songs.
• Bob Dylan – More Blood More Tracks.  For anyone with a passing relationship with Dylan this is worth exploring. 1975’s ‘Blood on the Tracks’ is an amazingly rich album, dense with lyrics and sound – this version is the one Dylan rejected, only to rerecord most of the tracks again for official release. To me it sounds well worthy of it’s own release – with simpler arrangements and some subtle variations on the ‘final’ lyrics.
• Finally, 2018 saw the re-release of 2 albums released a few months apart in 1971 by 2 former Beatles (just over a year after the break up). John Lennon’s Imaginehas been re-released many times since. It is arguably one of the best solo Beatles albums, and this time we get to enjoy new demos that give us insight into his creative process.  The other was the much less-celebrated (Paul McCartney’s) Wings – Wild Life – at one point, Rolling Stone actually called it ‘appalling’.  It also includes demo tracks that for me, reveal just how strong some of these songs really were – ‘Tomorrow’, ‘Dear Friend’, ‘Wild Life’ probably would have made it onto a Beatles album.  As a Beatles fan I’m imaging some Sliding Doors moment where songs from both albums are sitting side by side on a 1971 Beatles album – maybe a more fitting epitaph than ‘Let It Be’ .

If you need more

One of my sources is NPR’s All Songs Considered – if you have an hour, take a listen to their end of year show:

https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/all-songs-considered/id79687345?mt=2&i=1000425023479

They have some interesting choices, and they talk a great deal about the importance of music as a provider of self-care, and they finish with Lucy Dacus’s Nighshift from ‘Historian’.

UK’s Mojo magazine is a great source for me (enabled me to discover Kamasi Washington).  

https://www.albumoftheyear.org/list/1022-mojos-best-albums-of-2018/2

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