Here are my Top 50 Songs of 2021!
Side note, I’m going to do a song countdown on my radio show, 101X Homegrown, so there aren’t any Austin-based artists on this list. Enjoy.
50) Modest Mouse – We Are Between
Add this to Modest Mouse’s pile of great singles.
49) Sharon Van Etten And Angel Olsen – Like I Used To
What a pairing.
48) Reigning Sound – Oh Christine
I love the classic, warm vibes on this one from Reigning Sound.
47) Ian Sweet – Drink The Lake
A slow burn pop gem from Ian Sweet.
46) Sleater-Kinney – Worry With You
Sleater-Kinney with an endearing rock tune.
45) Yung – Friends On Ice
Yung glimmers here.
44) Torres – Don’t Go Puttin’ Wishes In My Head
Torres with a total anthem.
43) Weakened Friends – Tunnels
Angry and catchy! Way to be, Weakened Friends.
42) Slow Pulp – Shadow
Buoyant work by Slow Pulp.
41) Moontype – About You
This Moontype track is so infectious.
40) Miss Grit – Grow Up To
Miss Grit’s dynamic sound here is great.
39) Nana Yamato – Do You Wanna
A lovely headphone-worthy tune from Nana Yamato.
38) Claud – Guard Down
Trust Claud. Don’t let your guard down.
37) Katy Kirby – Juniper
Katy Kirby couldn’t be more charming here.
36) Crumb – Trophy
Measured psychedelics by Crumb.
35) ME REX – Never Graduate
A frenetic gem from ME REX.
34) Iceage – Vendetta
Cocaine vibes from Iceage.
33) Parquet Courts – Black Widow Spider
An infectious blast from Parquet Courts.
32) Cherry Glazerr – Soft Drink
Cherry Glazerr have such a cool sound.
31) Methyl Ethel – Matters
I love the way this Methyl Ethel track moves.
30) Quickly, Quickly – Feel
Despite the name, this is very chill stuff.
29) Nilufer Yanya – Stabilise
This stellar tune has me so, so excited for Nilufer Yanya’s impending album.
28) Sweeping Promises – Pain Without A Touch
Sharp work by Sweeping Promises.
27) Kiwi Jr. – Waiting In Line
An indie pop charmer from Kiwi Jr.
26) Gender Roles – Dead Or Alive
Electric indie rock from Gender Roles.
25) Francis Of Delirium – Let It All Go
Francis of Delirium couldn’t be more tightly wound here, but it works.
24) Yuno – Somebody
Yuno with an emo anthem.
23) Foxing – If I Believed In Love
This Foxing song is insanely dramatic.
22) Hatchie – This Enchanted
What a pop song from Hatchie.
21) Tkay Maidza – Cashmere
Clever songwriting by Tkay Maidza.
20) Sorry – Cigarette Packet
Sorry with a trippy number.
19) Bachelor – Anything At All
The chorus in this Bachelor song gets stuck in my head all the time.
18) Lunar Vacation – Where Is Everyone
Lunar Vacation with an indie pop gem.
17) Snail Mail – Madonna
Snail Mail sounding rather stylish.
16) Good Morning – Country
“The only thing about missing you is that I don’t miss you at all” – Good Morning.
15) Middle Kids – Questions
The mood on display in this Middle Kids track always gets me.
14) The Goon Sax – In The Stone
The dual vocal work here by The Goon Sax is fantastic.
13) St. Vincent – Pay Your Way In Pain
What a fun track by St. Vincent.
12) Aldous Harding – Old Peel
This bizarro track from Aldous Harding brought me a lot of joy in 2021.
11) Amyl And The Sniffers – Hertz
So positive, so fun. Thanks, Amyl And The Sniffers!
10) Alex Lahey – On My Way
Alex Lahey with a super catchy tune? What’s new!
09) The War On Drugs – I Don’t Live Here Anymore
The extra vocals here really shift this War On Drugs track into something else.
08) Lucy Dacus – Hot & Heavy
Lucy Dacus picks up the pace here, and it really works for her.
07) Big Red Machine – Renegade (Featuring Taylor Swift)
Taylor Swift is so good on this Big Red Machine number.
06) Indigo De Souza – Real Pain
The dust up near the end of this Indigo De Souza track always gets me.
05) Wet Leg – Wet Dream
I know everyone went wild for Chaise Longue, but this is the Wet Leg song I revisited the most.
04) Illuminati Hotties – MMOOOAAAAYAYA
This Illuminati Hotties song rips.
03) Squid – Narrator
Art rock perfection from Squid.
02) Low – Days Like These
A weird one from Low, but it’s massive and a real fit for “days like these.”
01) Japanese Breakfast – Be Sweet
I can’t listen to even a little bit of this track without wanting to hear the rest of it. Japanese Breakfast killed it here.
