Best Songs of 2021 (Part 3… 20- 10 #YCTR )
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How are you supposed to make a list of anything? on a different day I would choose different songs in a different order but today is the day where I looked back at the YCTR Recommends playlist of 300 songs and tried to narrow it down to 40. So this is far from definitive counting down from 20-10 . Lists mean very little in the grand scheme of things but I thought it would be nice to reflect on my favourite tunes and give a wee shout-out to artists who brought a little bit of joy to my ears during this bin fire of a year.
20. Anton Newcombe & Dot Allsion - ‘Bringing Murder to the Land’
An oasis of calm in a desert of frustration, This lush piece of genius is what you would expect when two all-time greats get together. I have not seen yet seen the TV series ‘Annika’ that the song is taken from but it`s been on regular rotation when I get on an occasional walk in nature away from the doom and glooom headlines and the never-ending arguments and point scoring on social media. A magical piece of work from one of my favorite singers Dot Allison who made her name with One Dove before releasing one of my favourite solo albums ‘We Are Science’ . And as always, Anton of Brian Jonestown Massacre has that effortless Midas touch of producing epic , heartfelt productions that sprawl and draw you in only to improve on repeated listens. I hope to hear these two work together again in the future.
19. Brian Destiny- ‘Is It Gonna Be Love?’
After a decade on the keys, and co-songwriting, with Fat White Family - Nathan Saoudi finally steps out of the shadows with a new project under the Brian Destiny moniker. The lead single ‘Is It Gonna Be Love?’ is an instant classic asking that relevant, million-dollar question while dipping into an edgy sytnth-pop alternative universe somewhere between joy and heartbreak. It`s out now on Dash the Henge records who are dropping some brilliant stuff right now alongside SKUD FM which features a recent guest on YCTR Zsa Zsa Sapien of Meatraffle fame.
18. Josephine Sillars- ‘Enemy’
Josephine kicked off 2021 with a whole new sound on the ‘Desperate Characters’ EP where she plunged into a darker, electro sound while keeping those remarkable pop sensibilities and making innovative use of vocal samples that tie the concept together perfectly. ‘It it comforting to know that I’m not on your mind because your mind is pre-occupied’ she repeats over soaring harmonic vocals. It was a close call between this one or the sun-kissed , mellow ‘California’ but I think ‘Enemy’ one best describes the new music journey she is on for her solo material as well as her new Leeds-based rock band Rubber Rose and her occasional stints on keys with Girobabies.
17. Mogwai- ‘Richie Sacramento’
The undoubted highlight of 2021 Lockdown was Mogwai at Tramway where they rattled through a powerful set to promote their new album ‘As The Love Continues’ which would later go on and deservedly clinch ‘Scottish Album of the Year’ . This song is a highlight among many highlights and watching that Tramway gig I was transported back to the time when they played in the pishing rain at Connect Festival which was one of the most important shows I ever saw personally. They were already legends back then and they have continued to repeatedly set standards ever since. This song is also a dedication to musicians lost so after another year of too much death it feels even more apt and potent.
Featuring Portishead legend Geoff Barrow, Experimental-Electro-Rock has never sounded so good, fun, and/or danceable. I remember going to see them play Doune the Rabbit Hole in 2019, minutes before I went on stage at a different tent, and felt inspired and terrified at the same time after seeing true masters of their craft raise the frequency of the entire audience. Their latest single ‘Oh Know’ is arguably their best , building and swaying and demanding your attention.
15. Sleaford Mods feat. Amy Taylor
I could have easily picked ‘Mork & Mindy' feat. Billy Nomates instead as they are both on an equal pegging of best tunes of 2021 but since ‘Mork & Mindy’ technically dropped initially in 2020, and the fact Billy Nomates will appear in the Top 10 I have gone for this cracker featuring Amy Taylor from Amyl & The Sniffers. Both were highlights on the ‘Spare Ribs’ album and this is an example of Andrew’s evolution as a beatmaker and Jason’s chops as a writer. The album is as angry and poetic as ever with razor-sharp social commentary that you would expect but more melodic vocals anda unique, progression in beats is taking Sleaford Mods into a whole new territory. Amy’s feature raises it up yet another notch with a bouncy swagger and creates a cut that gets better with every listen. Forget 2021, this is a song that will still be listened to in 2031. Watch Jason talk about the album on You Call That Radio over here and watch Sleaford Mods live at Doune the Rabbit Hole next July by getting your tickets here
14. Franky’s Evil Party- ‘One Big Family’
An evil Scotsman vocal with shades of The Amazing Snakeheads and Mickey 9s intercept with a spoken word/ Hip Hop style delivery for the verses before it builds up into an all-out onslaught of pure therapeutic and unadulterated noise. I saw these guys destroy Broadcast in the before times and it`s bands like this I feel most sorry for during the pandemic as they are on the cusp of greatness, they just need a decent run of live gigs to share their talent with the world.
13. Sa-Roc feat. MF DOOM- ‘The Rebirth’
It was during our Hogmanay show that I heard MF DOOM had passed away which was as much of a shock to me , as it was to any fan of underground Hip Hop such was impact and influence. Only the supervillain could pass away on Halloween 2020, and it not be announced until new years eve, and yet still release a bunch of quality music in 2021 . The highlight for me was ‘The Re-Birth’ with Sa-Roc which appeared on the deluxe version of her ‘The Sharecroppers Daughter’ L.P. The track finds Sa-Roc in fine form as she smoothly flows over the Evidence beat ‘From the cradle of the civilized to a grave situation’ . That she can hold her own with one of the all-time greats is yet another example of how Sa-Roc is one of the best emcees on the planet right now. It is a brilliant track from start to finish and hopefully, there is more than where that came from the vault of DOOM as the thought of no more DOOM verses is a tough concept to deal with. One thing we can be sure of though, is plenty more material from Sa-Roc as she continues to rise to new heights. Here is an interview we had with her last year when she stopped by You Call That Radio for a chat last year.
It was a close decision of whether to include this or ‘The Invisible Woman’, ‘She’s A Wee Witch’ or a few others as my favourite Stanley Odd song of the year such is the quality of the recent ‘Stay Odd: The Magic of Everyday Things’ Could have gone either way but I have went for ‘Undo Redo’ for being both a party banger and a cautious ode to the hangover. The odd squad had a massive year with a SAY Award nomination, a live stream show from Leith Theatre, and a banger of real-life gig from Room 2 . ‘The Gateway to Scottish Hip Hop’ continues to garner more attention and improve on each and every release. For more about Stanley Odd’s 2021 click here for the YCTR interview .
11. Arab Strap - ‘Here Comes Comus!’
I remember first hearing Arab Strap on a CD that came free with NME as a young person. It blew me away that someone could speak so frankly about shagging and the likes in a Scottish accent over some new-sounding music that sounded like nothing I had heard before. Fast forward to 2021 and it`s now more common to use your own accent than not but nobody does it quite like Arab Strap. Poetic, sharp, angry, clever, funny storytelling that is structured to a tee with glorious guitars and a slowcore post-rock backdrop. This tune stuck with me most out of the brilliant ‘As Days Get Dark’ album probably due to a memorable music video. It tells the tale of Comus who sounds like a bit of a prick but it is Arab Strap back to their best and you should check out the album immediately if you haven’t already.
The Top 40 YCTR Countdown with 10-1 is coming very soon. In the meantime please consider subscribing to our youtube channel here
