Well, 2021 flew by. It was crazy. Crazy good for the most part as there was no shortage of amazing records to listen to–both new releases and classic reissues. We’ve compiled our yearly list of favorites and as we always say, this list reflects the records that we played the most in the shop and at home, not necessarily our best sellers, although there is plenty of crossover. This list is also not complete. It’s ever evolving and we plan to add to it… Hell, the year isn’t even over yet!
If you like what you hear we encourage you to swing by our shops–the Oxford store and our new location in Jackson, MS!–and snag a copy or two of your favorites. You can also find many of these releases in our online shop, but don’t fret if you don’t find it online, we probably have it in one of our brick-and-mortar shops 😉
We’ve also compiled lots of tracks from these records on a 7 hour playlist for you to check out (we prefer you listen to the available albums on Bandcamp here then buy from us!).
So, here they are… Our favorite releases of the year (in no particular order):
⭑ Dinosaur Jr “Sweep It Into Space” (Jagjaguar)
⭑ CAN live archival releases, “Live in Brighton 1975” and “Live in Stuttgart 1975” (Mute)
⭑ John Coltrane “A Love Supreme: Live in Seattle” (Impulse!)
⭑ Ben Chasny “Intimate Landscape” (Drag City)**
⭑ Hailu Mergia & The Walias Band’s “Tezeta” (Awesome Tapes From Africa)**
⭑ The D-Vine Spirituals Recordings Vol. 1 & 2 (Bible & Tire)
⭑ The Beatles “Let It Be” 50th Anniv. box set & George Harrison “All Things Must Pass” box set (Apple)
⭑ Little Feat “Electrif Lycanthrope: Live at Ultra-Sonic Studios, 1974” (Rhino Record Store Day release)
⭑ Radiohead “Kid A Mnesia” 3LP set (XL)
⭑ John Andrews & The Yawns “Cook Book” (Woodsist)
⭑ Blue Note jazz vinyl reissue series: Tone Poet and Classics on Vinyl—Bobbi Humphrey “Fancy Dancer,” Art Blakey “Big Beat,” McCoy Tyner “Expansions,” Eric Dolphy “Out To Lunch,” Grant Green “Idle Moments,” Charles Lloyd “Tone Poem,” and so many others
⭑ Bruce Springsteen “Live at MSG 1979: No Nukes Concert” (Columbia)
⭑ Leo Nocentelli “Another Side” (Light in the Attic)
⭑ Buffalo Nichols s/t (Fat Possum Records)**
⭑ Endless Boogie “Admonitions” (No Quarter)
⭑ Suburban Lawns s/t (Superior Viaduct)
⭑ Ash Ra Tempel “Schwingungen” (MG.ART)
⭑ Weather Station “Ignorance” (Fat Possum)
⭑ O.V. Wright “A Nickel and a Nail…” (Real Gone Music)**
⭑ Spiritualized reissues on Fat Possum Records: “Let It Come Down,” “Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space,” “Pure Phase,” and “Laser Guided Melodies”
⭑ Neil Young “Carnegie Hall 1970” & “Way Down In The Rust Bucket: Live 1990” (Neil Young Archives)
⭑ Hayden Pedigo “Letting Go” (Mexican Summer)
⭑ Michael Hurley “The Time of the Foxgloves” (No Quarter)
⭑ The Gospel Truth: The Complete Singles Collection (Craft / STAX)
⭑ Aaron Frazer “Introducing…” (Easy Eye Sound)
⭑ Endless Summer soundtrack LP (Real Gone Music)**
⭑ Cedric Burnside “I Be Trying” (Single Lock)**
⭑ Beach Boys “Feel Flows” box set (Capitol)
⭑ Miles Davis “Live-Evil” (Record Store Day reissue)
⭑ Smithsonian Anthology of Hip Hop CD box set (Smithsonian Folkways)
⭑ Floating Points / Pharoah Sander / London Symphony Orchestra “Promises” (Luaka Bop)
⭑ R.E.M. reissues: “Radio Free Europe” Hib Tone 7-inch single and “New Adventures in Hi Fi” 25th Anniv. vinyl reissue
⭑ Curtis Mayfield s/t 50th Anniv. reissue (Run Out Groove)
⭑ The Cure “Wild Mood Swings” picture disc reissue (Elektra Record Store Day release)
⭑ Jeff Parker “Forfolks” (International Anthem)
⭑ Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy and Matt Sweeney “Superwolves” (Drag City)
⭑ Grouper “Shade” (Kranky)
⭑ The Black Keys “Delta Kream” (Nonesuch / EasyEye Sounds)
⭑ B.B. King “Indianola Mississippi Seeds” (Friday Music)
⭑ Driftless Dreamers: In Cuca Country (Numero Group)
⭑ Eugene McDaniels “Headless Heroes of the Apocalypse” 50th Anniv. reissue (Real Gone Music)
⭑ Joni Mitchell Archive Releases: Vol 1: The Early Years and Vol. 2: The Reprise Years (Rhino Records)
⭑ Bongzilla “Weedsconsin” (Heavy Psych Sounds)
⭑ PJ Harvey “Peel Sessions: 1991-2004″ (Island Records)
⭑ Bass Drum of Death “GB City” 10th anniversary reissue (Fat Possum Records)
⭑ Cha Wa “My People” (Single Lock Records)**
⭑ The Clean reissues from Merge Records: “Tally Ho” 7-inch single and “Boodle, Boodle, Boodle” 12-inch EP
⭑ Arlo Parks “Collapsed in Sunbeams” (Transgressive Records)
⭑ William Eaton “Music by William Eaton” (Morning Trip reissue)
⭑ Kiwi Jr “Cooler Returns” (Sub Pop)
⭑ Bob Dylan “Blind Willie McTell” 7-inch (Third Man Records)
⭑ Aretha Franklyn “Young Gift and Black” (Rhino Records)**
⭑ Don Cherry vinyl reissues: “Summer House Sessions” and “Organic Music Theatre: Festival de jazz de Chateauvallon 1972” (Blank Forms)
⭑ Sun Ra “Omniverse” (Modern Harmonic)
⭑ Guided By Voices “Propeller” (Scat Records)
⭑ Dawn Richard Second Line: An Electro Revival (Merge)
⭑ Chai “Wink” (Sub Pop)
⭑ Dry Cleaning “New Long Leg” (4AD)
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** These titles were also selected for our Record of the Month Club
Check out our favorite records of 2020 right here.
