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The CHIRP Blog
Sarah Spencer writesCHiRP Radio Best of 2021: Sarah Spencer
Throughout December, CHIRP Radio presents its volunteers’ top albums of 2021. Our next list is from DJ Sarah Spencer.
2021 may have been another challenging year in the books, but it was a wonderful year for music. This is my fourth year-end top 10 list I've compiled for CHIRP Radio, however this is the first year that I'm leaving it unranked. There was just so much great stuff that passed my desk in 2021 that I don't feel as confident as I usually do picking my absolute favorites: the numbers seem to keep shifting around depending on the day and my mood. The albums that appear here are ones that I either spent the most time with, or that generally surprised and delighted me.
Vulture Prince by Arooj Aftab (New Amsterdam Records)
Joe Held: Rebellious Jukebox writesCHIRP Radio Best of 2021: Joe Held
Throughout December, CHIRP Radio presents its volunteers’ top albums of 2021. Our next list is from DJ Joe Held.
If Words Were Flowers by Curtis Harding (ANTI-)
Gomez & Cleo writesCHIRP Radio Best of 2021: Stephen Perkins
Throughout December, CHIRP Radio presents its volunteers’ top albums of 2021. Our next list is from Reviewer Stephen Perkins.
Menneskekollektivet by Lost Girls (Smalltown Supersound)
Evolving transitions containing club beats, guitar, spoken word, synth lines and vocals give this album a seductive feel to it with this duo from Norway, Jenny Hval and Håvard Volden, doing their thing as only they can do.
Eddie writesCHIRP Radio Best of 2021: Eddie Sayago
Throughout December, CHIRP Radio presents its volunteers’ top albums of 2021. Our next list is from Volunteer and Writer Eddie Sayago.
This year has been many, many things. A lot of it was terrible and yet also a lot of this year was wonderful. These are ten albums that provided the soundtrack to another strange year.
#1 Collapsed In Sunbeams by Arlo Parks (Transgressive)
Favorite song on the album: "Too Good"
Clarence Ewing: The Million Year Trip writesCHIRP Radio Best of 2021: Clarence Ewing
Throughout December, CHIRP Radio presents its volunteers’ top albums of 2021. Our next list is from DJ and Online Media Co-Director Clarence Ewing.
Despite all the continuing problems in the world, 2021 was a fantastic year for music. As usual, I was able to enjoy just a sliver of what was out there, but even that resulted in a stack of sounds of amazing quality.
There was so much great stuff, in fact, for the first time I’ve been creating my lists I couldn’t figure out a ranking order. So here are 10 records from 2021 that stood out to me, listed alphabetically…
Abantu / Before Humans by BLK JKS (We Are Busy Bodies)
A big, dramatic explosion of drums, guitars, and horns from South Africa exploring an impressive range of rhythms, moods, and styles. The musical equivalent of an international thriller novel, with a strong social message. Put it on and let your mind wander.