2021: Music

Music that was released in 2021 and purchased.

There has been a lot from Lost Map Records this year, mainly because I have a monthly subscription to Post Map Club, where you get sent 2-3 postcards and newsletter each month. Each postcard is a single or EP by a band on Lost Map Records (Subs available from £3, £5, £10 per month – same content, different badge, depending on subscription).

Of the postcards I received in 2021, I’ve particularly enjoyed Pictish Trail’s ‘Dream Wall’ and ‘Natural Successor’ and Kinbote‘s ‘Hiemalis’ and (On A String)/God’s Cellos.

‘Spirit Level’ – Randolph’s Leap

Upbeat pop joys. ‘Up In Smoke’ another earworm from 2021.

‘Contender’ – Fightmilk

Fightmilk’s 2nd album, featuring the earworm I’ve experienced the most in 2021.

‘Maximum Sorrow’ – Desperate Journalist

Heavily 80s influenced tunes

‘No Gods, No Masters’ – Garbage

The fun, I listened to this when I was not in the right headspace and wasn’t paying attention, I saw the anger and rage in the lyrics and enjoyed those, but couldn’t get my head around the music it seemed weak and lacklustre. This version also came with a CD of 7 cover versions, all of which are fairly forgettable. My problem is I want more ‘Garbage’ (first album) style tunes, A few weeks later I revisited in a better headspace and able to listen properly and I’m really enjoying this album, still not impressed with the covers CD. I can’t articulate what sounded wrong to me about the music before.

Wolves – Garbage

‘Exotic Monsters’ – Penfriend

I bought this off the back of Laura Kidd’s podcast ‘Attention Engineer’ and her collaboration ‘Obey Robots’ with Rat from Ned’s Atomic Dustbin.

‘Moonfire’ EP – A.R. Pinewood

‘Who Do We Hate Today?’ – Jim Bob

This build’s on 2020s ‘Pop Up Jim Bob’, if you moved in a couple of songs from that album, I’d have a near perfect Jim Bob album.

‘Race Home Grow Love ‘ – Abdoujaparov

In keeping with tradition it’s been over 5 years since the last Abdou album and as always when it arrives it’s welcomed.

‘A Carnival of Sorts’ – Various Artists

An album with 40 R.E.M. covers, all proceeds going to Help Musicians. Clicky for more: https://godisinthetvzine.bandcamp.com/album/a-carnival-of-sorts-an-r-e-m-covers-compilation

‘Ambiguous Poems About Death’ – Spray

The new Spray album, guaranteed to cheer everyone up. ‘Getting Hammered In An Airport’ is probably my favourite.

‘Glasgow Moths’ – Michael M

Following on from last year’s “That’s What I Call Disappointment”, we have a new collection of lo-fi bangers, Sadly the vinyl for this has been delayed so I haven’t heard of all it yet.