Best Music 2021

Here’s some of our top artists this year. Let’s get into it.

Valerie June:

Valerie June is literally a star — a bright shining sphere of revolution— fallen to earth in the form of human dust in order to levitate our souls into higher consciousness with each song. A perfect manifestation of Southern Buddhism.

Every time I hear “Tennessee Time,” my heart aches for my old home back in the South, stories from my grandpa, a fire built by my father and the food cooked by my mother, the days spent outside in the woods or on the grass, nights under the stars, bullfrogs and cicadas, hot black air, the Tennessee River and the mountains.

The song resonates some old dream with loved ones, a back porch and laughter, a swinging bench, a house in Heaven. I feel as though I’m sailing through the constellations on my way home.

She herself hails from Tennessee, has YouTube videos where she meditates with nature, a great story voice that comes whisking out like a wind chime underneath a tall, old oak tree and a singing voice that belongs in her home state as much as it does in outer space.

Songs we had on repeat all year:

“Astral Plane”

“On My Way/Somebody To Love”

“On My Way/Somebody To Love”

“This World Is Not My Home” (check out the YouTube video to hear her live, with an introduction to the song.

“Tennessee Time”

“Call Me a Fool”

Fleetwood Mac:

In the 70’s, Fleetwood Mac put out one of the classic pop albums of all time. An all-time great.

How they made the album is almost as remarkable as the music itself. Drugs and band relationship problems almost wrecked them to oblivion and they miraculously survived, even thrived through the madness to put out what is now considered a masterpiece.

But this is not about Rumours.

Before they became pop gods of the ‘soft’ rock n roll era, they were a rag tag — almost garage band styled — thouroubred blues band.

We dig those who dig the Blues, borne by Mississippi Delta.

In the late 60’s, Fleetwood Mac had an entirely different line-up. Straight blues with terrible production quality, almost sounding as though they were of the sharecropping dust of the Great Depression.

Their album artwork is almost as good as the music.

One album in particular, Shrine, has an LSD fueled cover that seems like a masterpiece painting.

It’s centerpiece appears to be a roaring 20’s angel of the Underworld, holding in her soul, the members of the band.

Another album cover features a nun in gothic make-up holding a white feathered bird.

Despite a short lived effort, they have an abundance of songs to hear.

Ones we can’t quit:

“Need Your Love So Bad”

“Madison Blues”

“Station Man”

“I’ve Lost My Baby”

“Albatross”

“Lemon Squeezer”

Trampled By Turtles

The greatest night of my life was seeing this band live. They have no drummer, only strings. They capture almost every emotion in one set.

Its bluegrass musician written and performed with a rebel or outlaw attitude— could be one way to describe it.

What’s best about this group is what’s best about all good groups: when they perform, they pour it all out. The janitors must clean up their sweat and blood and guts, as they’ve left it all on the stage.

Townes Van Zandt and the Pixies are among their influences and the result is the best of both.

One of the few bands I could listen to all day. They do it out of love, and have put out some timeless records even though they don’t get the stardom they deserve.

Songs we listen to no matter the year:

“Victory”

“Stranger”

“Separate”

“Come Back Home”

“Wait So Long”

“November”

*Also check out an hour long documentary on YouTube following the band.

Leon Bridges

First time I listen to Leon Bridges, I believed it was Sam Cooke.

He sings each note with so much soul, you can feel the tides pulled by the moon in your own soul.

He has the same birth state as James Brown and Otis Redding, and has a range to make their souls rise from embers and stir among the atmosphere, like the resurrection of a living spirit.

He’s only 32, and so we hope there’s much more to come from this prolific singer-songwriter.

Songs to start with:

Pretty much his entire album, Coming Home.

Honorable Mention:

Rolling Stones

“Moonlight Mile”, “Melody”, “No Spare Parts”

Jackson Browne:

“Rock Me on The Water”, “Jamaica Say You Will”, “A Child in These Hills”

The Pharcyde:

“Rock Me on The Water”, “Jamaica Say You Will”, “A Child in These Hills”

Dire Straights:

“Tunnel of Love”, “Portobello Ann”, “Expresso Love”, “Angel of Mercy”