#5 on the 2021 Bacon Top 31 — Courtney Barnett

Things Take Time, Take Time by Courtney Barnett

Welcome to the Top 5 of 2021! Courtney Barnett has been so consistently prominent in my active playlists, it feels as though she’s been around forever. I had thought of starting this review of her latest fantastic release, Things Take Time, Take Time, with something along the lines of “Courtney Barnett’s entire solo career has been charted on the Bacon Top 31.” While that statement is entirely true, it lacks the proper oomph when I look back and realize, dumbly, that Barnett has had only two previous albums: 2015’s Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit (#5 that year), and 2018’s Tell Me How You Really Feel (#8 that year).

Check out my earlier reviews for the history of the Melbourne, Australia-born singer/songwriter. Since her last album album, her guitar-playing has gotten even more electric, and thanks to the pandemic, it’s being given more prominence. Unlike past albums, Things Take Time has only two musicians on the entirety of the album, creating a sound that is more sparse and direct than previous efforts. Barnett still brings her unbelievably slow, nearly spoken-word vocals to the fore, while also filling in guitar, bass, piano. And Stella Mozgawa plays drums, percussion, and keyboards.

With her third album here in the Top 10, I think it’s safe to say I’ve got a thing for Barnett. She’s got a sense of humor, irony, and pun that comes through both in her lyrics as well as her videos. In addition to “Before You Gotta Go,” featured above, check out “Rae Street,” “If I Don’t Hear From You Tonight,” and “Write a List of Things to Look Forward To.”

Courtney Barnett continues to refine her delivery for the better. Even if you haven’t enjoyed what she’s put out so far, I recommend checking out Things Take Time. It only takes one full play to start to understand the nuances and beauty of her craft. Give it a play, you won’t regret it.

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6. Little Oblivions by Julien Baker
7. Valentine by Snail Mail
8. sketchy. by tUnE-yArDs
9. A Very Lonely Solstice by Fleet Foxes
10. Hey What by Low
11. Local Valley by José González
12. Head of Roses by Flock of Dimes
13. The Nearer the Fountain, More Pure the Stream Flows by Damon Albarn
14. Collapsed in Sunbeams by Arlo Parks
15. Loving In Stereo by Jungle
16. Flying Dream 1 by Elbow
17. Screen Violence by Chvrches
18. Blue Weekend by Wolf Alice
19. Mainly Gestalt Pornography by Pearly Gate Music
20. Peace Or Love by Kings of Convenience
21. These 13 by Jimbo Mathus & Andrew Bird
22. Mr. Corman: Season 1 by Nathan Johnson
23. Home Video by Lucy Dacus
24. I’ll Be Your Mirror: A Tribute to The Velvet Underground & Nico by Various Artists
25. Siamese Dream by Fruit Bats
26. NINE by Sault
27. Observatory by Aeon Station
28. The Monster Who Hated Pennsylvania by Damien Jurado
29. A Beginner’s Mind by Sufjan Stevens and Angelo De Augustine
30. Where the End Begins by Knathan Ryan
31. Private Space by Durand Jones & The Indications

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#6 on the 2021 Bacon Top 31 — Julien Baker

Little Oblivions by Julien Baker

I’ve done a great disservice to the artist here at #6. Little Oblivions is the third album by singer/songwriter Julien Baker, yet it’s the first of her’s to appear on the Top 31. I’ve enjoyed her previous album, 2017’s Turn Out the Lights, but it came out mere days before I put together my list for 2017, and so it consequently missed inclusion. And don’t even ask about her debut, 2015’s Sprained Ankle.

I’ve mentioned Baker a couple times in other reviews, as she’s quite chummy with Lucy Dacus (#23 this year) and Phoebe Bridgers (#3 last year). The three of them teamed up as boygenius on an ep back in 2018, and left us begging for more. If you’re a fan of any of those three, you’re a fan of all three. But each has their own voice and spin on where they take the role of “honest and fucked up.”

Of the three, Baker’s voice is strongest. Where Bridgers is delicate, and Dacus is smooth, Baker is wrought. Self-doubt, suicidal tendencies, and alcoholism are common refrains in Baker’s songs, all dripping with the raw emotion that proves she’s lived every bit of it. And there’s so much power behind it all, too. Baker can (and often does) take a song from a quiet, intimate moment to a literal screaming-at-the-top-of-your-lungs crescendo, you’ll find yourself losing your voice singing along on the way to the grocery store.

Little Oblivions is much more rock band-oriented than her two previous albums. There’s a sparseness to her earlier work that has been shed for a more traditional guitar/bass/keyboard/drums setup, all performed by Baker. Baker plays nearly all the instruments on her albums - just like Prince. Baker, 26, has established herself as a true musical force in her 10+ years as a recording artist. She hasn’t hit Billie Eilish levels of popularity, but there’s a sincerity to her music that Eilish lacks, along with a distinct, pleasing absence of pop hooks. In addition to the fantastic song “Faith Healer,” shown in the video above, check out the awesome stop-motion animated video for “Hardline” as well.

Do yourself a favor and get aboard the Julien Baker train. We’ve already left the station, but if you start now you can catch up to us by the next station. All aboard!

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7. Valentine by Snail Mail
8. sketchy. by tUnE-yArDs
9. A Very Lonely Solstice by Fleet Foxes
10. Hey What by Low
11. Local Valley by José González
12. Head of Roses by Flock of Dimes
13. The Nearer the Fountain, More Pure the Stream Flows by Damon Albarn
14. Collapsed in Sunbeams by Arlo Parks
15. Loving In Stereo by Jungle
16. Flying Dream 1 by Elbow
17. Screen Violence by Chvrches
18. Blue Weekend by Wolf Alice
19. Mainly Gestalt Pornography by Pearly Gate Music
20. Peace Or Love by Kings of Convenience
21. These 13 by Jimbo Mathus & Andrew Bird
22. Mr. Corman: Season 1 by Nathan Johnson
23. Home Video by Lucy Dacus
24. I’ll Be Your Mirror: A Tribute to The Velvet Underground & Nico by Various Artists
25. Siamese Dream by Fruit Bats
26. NINE by Sault
27. Observatory by Aeon Station
28. The Monster Who Hated Pennsylvania by Damien Jurado
29. A Beginner’s Mind by Sufjan Stevens and Angelo De Augustine
30. Where the End Begins by Knathan Ryan
31. Private Space by Durand Jones & The Indications

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#7 on the 2021 Bacon Top 31 — Snail Mail

Valentine by Snail Mail

At 22 years old, Lindsey Jordan has accomplished more than most. She’s released a critically-acclaimed debut album under her solo project name Snail Mail (2018’s Lush). She’s moved out and moved back in with her parents (thanks, Covid-19). And she’s released an even more widely acclaimed sophomore Snail Mail album, the exquisite Valentine, dropping in here at #7.

There are many comparisons to draw from when trying to quantify Jordan’s music. THere’s the inevitable comparisons to Hole, or Juliana Hatfield. And anything she does wouldn’t have been possible without the existence of Liz Phair. Today, I talk about Snail Mail in the same breath as King Princess, Lucy Dacus, and Phoebe Bridgers. But none of these do her sound justice.

Her voice is more breathy, as if she’s on the verge of losing it. The songs go from slow ballads about relationships on their last legs, to groovy songs about recovery (according to Pitchfork she did a stint in rehab in November, 2020), to hard rock surprises like the title song shown in the video above.

I liked her debut album, but connected with it too late to include on the 2018 Top 31. Lush feels less polished, less experienced than Valentine. But if you like the song in the video above, then you’ll really connect with Lush, as that album is the more hard rock of the two she’s put together. Despite billing herself as a solo act, she has a full band performing behind her lead vocals and guitars. Bass, keyboards, drums, rhythm guitar, and backing vocals are all there. And even some guest stars: last year’s #1 on the Top 31, Katie Crutchfield (aka Waxahatchee) sings background vocals on “Ben Franklin” (the aforementioned song about recovery – watch the video).

As I mentioned, Jordan is only 22 years old. There’s a lot more ahead for her, and I’m anxious to see where she heads. The growth seen between albums one and two was huge. The next album has got to be even better.

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8. sketchy. by tUnE-yArDs
9. A Very Lonely Solstice by Fleet Foxes
10. Hey What by Low
11. Local Valley by José González
12. Head of Roses by Flock of Dimes
13. The Nearer the Fountain, More Pure the Stream Flows by Damon Albarn
14. Collapsed in Sunbeams by Arlo Parks
15. Loving In Stereo by Jungle
16. Flying Dream 1 by Elbow
17. Screen Violence by Chvrches
18. Blue Weekend by Wolf Alice
19. Mainly Gestalt Pornography by Pearly Gate Music
20. Peace Or Love by Kings of Convenience
21. These 13 by Jimbo Mathus & Andrew Bird
22. Mr. Corman: Season 1 by Nathan Johnson
23. Home Video by Lucy Dacus
24. I’ll Be Your Mirror: A Tribute to The Velvet Underground & Nico by Various Artists
25. Siamese Dream by Fruit Bats
26. NINE by Sault
27. Observatory by Aeon Station
28. The Monster Who Hated Pennsylvania by Damien Jurado
29. A Beginner’s Mind by Sufjan Stevens and Angelo De Augustine
30. Where the End Begins by Knathan Ryan
31. Private Space by Durand Jones & The Indications

There are many ways to listen to the 2021 Bacon Top 31. Subscribe now and enjoy the new albums / songs as the countdown is completed!

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#8 on the 2021 Bacon Top 31 — tUnE-yArDs

sketchy. by tUnE-yArDs

The artist here at #8 is not new to the Top 31, but I did not expect them to be here. tUnE-yArDs, the Oakland, CA duo, have releasing music together since 2009, and I love their first three albums. BiRd-BrAiNs, their 2009 debut, did not make the inaugural Top 31 — but that was no fault of their own. I didn’t hear the album in time, and have grown to love it since. Their second and third albums both landed in the Top 10 (w h o k i l l #4 in 2011 and Nicky Nack #6 in 2014).

I was impressed with their originality. I wrote in my 2011 review “using loops of [Merrill Garbus’s] powerful voice along with other analog sounds to create electronic beats/rhythms/melodies…culminating in a cacophony of sounds that are vaguely African in origin.” They found a sound totally unique and unmistakable, infectious and groovy. But after three albums of greatness, the uniqueness had started to wear thin. By the time their fourth album, I Can Feel You Creep Into My Private Life, came out in 2018, I just couldn’t get into it, and I promptly put it down and never picked it up again.

When sketchy., their fifth album, came out in March, I felt a sense of duty to listen to the album, but the first time through it failed to hook me. I put it down. And likely would have not picked it up again were it not for a friend praising the album on social media. I engaged him in conversation, questioned his taste, and he implored me to give it another go. I’m so glad I did.

sketchy. (yes, it’s annoyingly styled that way, lowercase with a period. They style the band name as “tUnE-yArDs,” so I guess I’ll indulge them on the album name styling as well) is a return to form for Garbus and her musical partner Nate Brenner. Check out “hypnotized” in the video above, as well as the endlessly catchy “nowhere, man“. Much like the Low album at #10, this music can sound abrasive and difficult. But if it’s too much, perhaps “hold yourself.” is more your speed. It’s slower, more subdued, but still every bit Garbus and Brenner.

Do what you can to rise above the noise, and hear the whole of what’s being presented to you. I think you’ll find yourself pleasantly surprised.

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9. A Very Lonely Solstice by Fleet Foxes
10. Hey What by Low
11. Local Valley by José González
12. Head of Roses by Flock of Dimes
13. The Nearer the Fountain, More Pure the Stream Flows by Damon Albarn
14. Collapsed in Sunbeams by Arlo Parks
15. Loving In Stereo by Jungle
16. Flying Dream 1 by Elbow
17. Screen Violence by Chvrches
18. Blue Weekend by Wolf Alice
19. Mainly Gestalt Pornography by Pearly Gate Music
20. Peace Or Love by Kings of Convenience
21. These 13 by Jimbo Mathus & Andrew Bird
22. Mr. Corman: Season 1 by Nathan Johnson
23. Home Video by Lucy Dacus
24. I’ll Be Your Mirror: A Tribute to The Velvet Underground & Nico by Various Artists
25. Siamese Dream by Fruit Bats
26. NINE by Sault
27. Observatory by Aeon Station
28. The Monster Who Hated Pennsylvania by Damien Jurado
29. A Beginner’s Mind by Sufjan Stevens and Angelo De Augustine
30. Where the End Begins by Knathan Ryan
31. Private Space by Durand Jones & The Indications

There are many ways to listen to the 2021 Bacon Top 31. Subscribe now and enjoy the new albums / songs as the countdown is completed!

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Radio Station
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#9 on the 2021 Bacon Top 31 — Fleet Foxes

A Very Lonely Solstice by Fleet Foxes

I’ll admit right up front that putting this album on the Top 31 feels a bit like cheating. My love of the Fleet Foxes runs deep, and is well known amongst my closest friends. A Very Lonely Solstice is not a Greatest Hits album — that would be a clear violation in a Top 31 — but it is a live album, in which Robin Pecknold, lead singer and principle songwriter of the band, performs a 45 minute set of songs from his catalog (plus a couple extras, including a beautiful cover of the Bee Gee’s “In The Morning,” originally made popular by Nina Simone). Normally that would not be enough to qualify – it wouldn’t be unique enough to warrant getting listed.

But give it a listen, and you’ll understand instantly why I had to make an exception. Or, better yet, watch it. The entire performance is available on YouTube. Get a fire going in your fireplace, put on your coziest pajamas, and curl up on the bearskin rug and watch, holding (or held in the arms of) your loved ones.

Fleet Foxes have appeared on the Top 31 three times previously, for their three most recent studio albums. Shore was #7 in 2020, Crack-Up was #12 in 2017, and Helplessness Blues was #9 way back in 2011. I loved them as they were coming up in late 2007 and early 2008, when I saw them five times in the span of eight months. (Including their first show in LA, where I was surprised to see them not draw a Seattle-sized crowd at the storied Troubadour. There was probably no more than 50 people in attendance at their performance, as they were opening for Band of Horses off-shoot Grand Archives and Blitzen Trapper and nobody had bothered to show up early. I remember sitting next to and inexplicably introducing myself to Pecknold’s dad at that show.) And I love them every bit as much now, if not more.

Pecknold’s voice is truly angelic. So it makes perfect sense that he created this album on the 2020 Winter solstice at Brooklyn's St. Ann & The Holy Trinity Church. Unbelievably, he recorded the opener, “Wading in Waist-High Water” alongside the Resistance Revival Chorus, all socially-distanced and masked, the sound cutting through the masks like sunlight through a pane of glass. After that overpopulated opener, it gets much more sparse – fulfilling the “Very Lonely” promise of the album’s title. It was Dec. 2020, the height of covid lockdown, so only the silent film crew (a family affair: Pecknold’s brother Sean was the director, and his sister Aja the producer) could attend.

If you’ve ever dabbled in Fleet Foxes, or even if you haven’t, this album will be equally received by all. It is a lovely performance, and a testament to Pecknold’s resilience and love for his audience that he is literally giving the performance away online. You truly cannot afford to not listen to this record.

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10. Hey What by Low
11. Local Valley by José González
12. Head of Roses by Flock of Dimes
13. The Nearer the Fountain, More Pure the Stream Flows by Damon Albarn
14. Collapsed in Sunbeams by Arlo Parks
15. Loving In Stereo by Jungle
16. Flying Dream 1 by Elbow
17. Screen Violence by Chvrches
18. Blue Weekend by Wolf Alice
19. Mainly Gestalt Pornography by Pearly Gate Music
20. Peace Or Love by Kings of Convenience
21. These 13 by Jimbo Mathus & Andrew Bird
22. Mr. Corman: Season 1 by Nathan Johnson
23. Home Video by Lucy Dacus
24. I’ll Be Your Mirror: A Tribute to The Velvet Underground & Nico by Various Artists
25. Siamese Dream by Fruit Bats
26. NINE by Sault
27. Observatory by Aeon Station
28. The Monster Who Hated Pennsylvania by Damien Jurado
29. A Beginner’s Mind by Sufjan Stevens and Angelo De Augustine
30. Where the End Begins by Knathan Ryan
31. Private Space by Durand Jones & The Indications

There are many ways to listen to the 2021 Bacon Top 31. Subscribe now and enjoy the new albums / songs as the countdown is completed!

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Radio Station
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#10 on the 2021 Bacon Top 31 — Low

Hey What by Low

We’re entering the Top 10 with an explosion of sound. Hey What, the 13th album from Duluth, Minnesota band Low is the loudest, most distorted album on the 2021 Top 31. And it is glorious.

My love of Low has had its ups and downs. I like to think I’m attracted to most if not all kinds of music, but I have my limits. Low often falls outside of those limits – too noisy, too disparate, too unapproachable. The last Low album I loved was 2005’s The Great Destroyer, and it, too, is glorious. But that was 16 years and seven albums ago. Consequently, you’ll notice a distinct lack of Low on the Top 31. Enter Hey What.

It would be foolish of me to say that Hey What is approachable. It most certainly is not: excessive amounts of distortion, feedback, reverb, electronic noise and the band’s signature dissonant harmonies from dual leads Alan Sparhawk and Mimi Parker make for an album that is far from an easy listen. Consequently, to love this (and any previous) Low album is a somewhat singular affair, calling for expensive headphones, a dark room, and a healthy side of THC. Assemble those ingredients, lie down, and feel yourself almost literally melt into the carpet.

There are a number of videos out from the album. I particularly like the song “Days Like These,” so I featured it above, but I’d be hard-pressed to determine a favorite. Nonetheless, please enjoy these other visual delights:

• “White Horses”
• “I Can Wait”
• “Disappearing”
• “Hey”
• “More”

For the first time in their career, Low is a true duo. The core of the band has always been married couple Alan Sparhawk and Mimi Parker, but there’s always been at least one other person performing instruments alongside them since their inception 28 years ago. With the departure of their longtime bassist Steve Garrington in 2020, Sparhawk and Parker moved forward with writing and creating Hey What on their own.

They are quite possibly the quintessential working couple. The two have recorded and performed together for the entire history of the band, through the birth of two children, and here they remain, 28 years later, at the pinnacle of their musical careers, with no sign of stopping. Their music is unmistakable thanks to their uniquely harmonized vocals. They’ve found a sound and stuck with it, unabashedly doing things their way, to great effect.

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11. Local Valley by José González
12. Head of Roses by Flock of Dimes
13. The Nearer the Fountain, More Pure the Stream Flows by Damon Albarn
14. Collapsed in Sunbeams by Arlo Parks
15. Loving In Stereo by Jungle
16. Flying Dream 1 by Elbow
17. Screen Violence by Chvrches
18. Blue Weekend by Wolf Alice
19. Mainly Gestalt Pornography by Pearly Gate Music
20. Peace Or Love by Kings of Convenience
21. These 13 by Jimbo Mathus & Andrew Bird
22. Mr. Corman: Season 1 by Nathan Johnson
23. Home Video by Lucy Dacus
24. I’ll Be Your Mirror: A Tribute to The Velvet Underground & Nico by Various Artists
25. Siamese Dream by Fruit Bats
26. NINE by Sault
27. Observatory by Aeon Station
28. The Monster Who Hated Pennsylvania by Damien Jurado
29. A Beginner’s Mind by Sufjan Stevens and Angelo De Augustine
30. Where the End Begins by Knathan Ryan
31. Private Space by Durand Jones & The Indications

There are many ways to listen to the 2021 Bacon Top 31. Subscribe now and enjoy the new albums / songs as the countdown is completed!

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#11 on the 2021 Bacon Top 31 — José González

Local Valley by José González

José González’s music is the audio equivalent of a nap in a hammock on a deserted beach, with the waves gently lapping at the sand and the afternoon sun warming your closed eyelids. This is not music you work out or dance to – relaxation is the price of admission to a José González album. As an English-speaking Swede born to Argentinian parents, he sings in three different languages. Be it Swedish, Spanish, or English, his voice – soft as an Angora sweater – plays a duet with the acoustic guitar he plays with the pads of his fingers, so quiet you can only make out every third word. It’s magical.

Damon Albarn (The Nearer the Fountain, More Pure the Stream Flows, #13) has created 25 albums in 30 years – an album every ~1.2 years. Jenn Wasner (Flock of Dimes, #12) has created 9 albums in 14 years – an album every ~1.6 years. Local Valley is the González’s fourth album in 18 years. That’s an album every ~4.5 years! The Gothenburg, Sweden singer/songwriter’s songs aren’t the only things that move at a slow pace.

If you are unfamiliar with González’s previous work, but you enjoyed the Kings of Convenience (Peace or Love, #20), then I encourage you to slip into something even more comfortable. Don’t let the fun song shown in the video above fool you – most of González’s songs aren’t like this one.

There are a lot of other great videos from this album that all sound more like traditional José González. “Visions” is vintage González. The “El Invento” video is great, too; I love the lyrical treatment of this song – you can hear him sing while you read the native Spanish, but you can also read the English translation right there on screen. And check out “Head On” for the most “rockin” you’ll see him get (which isn’t much, to be sure)

I was lucky to buy tickets to see González coming up in a couple months. It’ll be good to get out into society again, and especially good to ease into it with José González singing gently in my ear. Buy the album, then buy tickets to the show and join me! You won’t be sorry.

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12. Head of Roses by Flock of Dimes
13. The Nearer the Fountain, More Pure the Stream Flows by Damon Albarn
14. Collapsed in Sunbeams by Arlo Parks
15. Loving In Stereo by Jungle
16. Flying Dream 1 by Elbow
17. Screen Violence by Chvrches
18. Blue Weekend by Wolf Alice
19. Mainly Gestalt Pornography by Pearly Gate Music
20. Peace Or Love by Kings of Convenience
21. These 13 by Jimbo Mathus & Andrew Bird
22. Mr. Corman: Season 1 by Nathan Johnson
23. Home Video by Lucy Dacus
24. I’ll Be Your Mirror: A Tribute to The Velvet Underground & Nico by Various Artists
25. Siamese Dream by Fruit Bats
26. NINE by Sault
27. Observatory by Aeon Station
28. The Monster Who Hated Pennsylvania by Damien Jurado
29. A Beginner’s Mind by Sufjan Stevens and Angelo De Augustine
30. Where the End Begins by Knathan Ryan
31. Private Space by Durand Jones & The Indications

There are many ways to listen to the 2021 Bacon Top 31. Subscribe now and enjoy the new albums / songs as the countdown is completed!

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#12 on the 2021 Bacon Top 31 — Flock of Dimes

Head of Roses by Flock of Dimes

In the immortal words of G.O.B. Bluth, I’ve made a huge mistake. Well, maybe not huge, but one I’m certainly not proud of. Head of Roses, the third release from Flock of Dimes, came out back in April, and I’ve been enjoying it immensely for the last eight months. That’s not the mistake – quite the contrary, in fact. However, also for the last eight months, I’ve been thinking, and even saying to multiple people who I recommended the album to, that Flock of Dimes was the solo project of the lead singer of Sylvan Esso.

Insert the game show buzzer sound here.

Turns out, Flock of Dimes is not Amelia Meath’s solo project. It is in fact Jenn Wasner’s solo project. Jenn is the lead singer of Wye Oak. To my credit, if you put the two bands side-by-side, they do sound very similar. Even more to my credit, Wasner recorded this Flock of Dimes album with Nick Sanborn, the non-Amelia Meath half of Sylvan Esso. So who can really forgive me for mistaking Wasner for Meath? Moving on…

I do love Head of Roses. And I love Wasner’s voice here every bit as much as I did on Wye Oak’s excellent album The Louder I Call, The Faster It Runs, (#9 in 2018). Learning that Roses was made by half of Wye Oak and half of Sylvan Esso makes perfect sense. Sanborn’s production isn’t as heavy handed as Andy Stack’s Wye Oak production, and Flock of Dimes is more guitar-y than your typical Sylvan Esso album. Roses sits squarely in between — a Sylvan Esso or Wye Oak album straight from the metaverse, perhaps never having meant to be, but here now thanks to Dr. Strange’s magic spell. Or, you know, maybe Wasner just wanted to work with Sanborn, or vice versa.

The song shown in the video above, “Hard Way,” is the most subdued song on the album. If you want more of that heavy Wye Oak guitar, check out the video for “Price of Blue”. There’s also a great video for “One More Hour,” a song that sits squarely in the middle between those two.

Don’t sit on Flock of Dimes (or Wye Oak, or Sylvan Esso). Head of Roses is Wasner’s third solo album, and ninth total album when combined with her Wye Oak output. And it’s her best yet. Hopefully 2022 will bring another Wye Oak album, and then we can start the cycle all over again.

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13. The Nearer the Fountain, More Pure the Stream Flows by Damon Albarn
14. Collapsed in Sunbeams by Arlo Parks
15. Loving In Stereo by Jungle
16. Flying Dream 1 by Elbow
17. Screen Violence by Chvrches
18. Blue Weekend by Wolf Alice
19. Mainly Gestalt Pornography by Pearly Gate Music
20. Peace Or Love by Kings of Convenience
21. These 13 by Jimbo Mathus & Andrew Bird
22. Mr. Corman: Season 1 by Nathan Johnson
23. Home Video by Lucy Dacus
24. I’ll Be Your Mirror: A Tribute to The Velvet Underground & Nico by Various Artists
25. Siamese Dream by Fruit Bats
26. NINE by Sault
27. Observatory by Aeon Station
28. The Monster Who Hated Pennsylvania by Damien Jurado
29. A Beginner’s Mind by Sufjan Stevens and Angelo De Augustine
30. Where the End Begins by Knathan Ryan
31. Private Space by Durand Jones & The Indications

There are many ways to listen to the 2021 Bacon Top 31. Subscribe now and enjoy the new albums / songs as the countdown is completed!

Full Album
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Radio Station
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#13 on the 2021 Bacon Top 31 — Damon Albarn

The Nearer the Fountain, More Pure the Stream Flows by Damon Albarn

Damon Albarn’s newest record, The Nearer the Fountain, More Pure the Stream Flows, was created in isolation in his home outside of Reykjavik, Iceland during the pandemic. That point is important, because it gives this slower, introspective album the perfect sense of place.

After starting in on a commissioned project with some native Icelandic musicians, Albarn had to shift course due to the pandemic – they could no longer get together and jam. According to Pitchfork, What was going to be an “orchestral interpretation of the land outside his living room window” became the foundation for a new solo album that he eventually brought to life with two musicians he had a long history with: Simon Tong (guitarist for the Verve and for Albarn’s side project The Good, The Bad, & the Queen) and frequent Gorillaz collaborator Mike Smith.

A view of Esja in Reykjavík, Iceland. The landscape inspiring 'The Nearer The Fountain, More Pure The Stream Flows': https://t.co/2L231hVJiu pic.twitter.com/NljvMSA084

— Damon Albarn (@Damonalbarn) November 29, 2021

The collection of songs that emerged from that curvy road of creation is not a Blur or Gorillaz album. It’s not full-on pop, nor digital craziness. But Albarn’s voice is unique, with or without collaboration, and his music always invariably sounds like him. If you’ve ever thought “I want a Blur album without the heavy guitars” or “This Gorillaz stuff would sound great if it didn’t have all that digital distortion,” then Fountain is for you.

The video above, for the song “Royal Morning Blue” is the only video from the album that features Albarn. But there are a series of video clips set to the music that you can watch while listening. If you like consuming your music with visuals, as I do (full on MTV generation here), these vignettes are perfect for the music.

It feels as though Damon Albarn has been somewhere in my shortlist of “current rotation” albums for most of my life. I wrote about his prolific output in my review of the second album from his side project The Good, The Bad, & the Queen’s second album (2018’s Merrie Land, #23 that year). I’ve updated what I wrote then to include what has come out since:

Blur released their first album, Leisure, in 1991. Including that seminal album, Albarn has been a principle part of the production for eight Blur albums (2015’s The Magic Whip was #21 that year), [seven] Gorrilaz albums (2020’s Song Machine, Season One: Strange Timez was #13 that year), six various collaboration albums, two albums with the collective known as The Good, the Bad & the Queen, and [now two] solo albums.

That’s a mind-blowing 25 albums in 30 years. A spry 53 years old, Albarn doesn’t show any sign of slowing down his output. Where he will head next is anybody’s guess, but take my hand and we’ll skip along with him, together.

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14. Collapsed in Sunbeams by Arlo Parks
15. Loving In Stereo by Jungle
16. Flying Dream 1 by Elbow
17. Screen Violence by Chvrches
18. Blue Weekend by Wolf Alice
19. Mainly Gestalt Pornography by Pearly Gate Music
20. Peace Or Love by Kings of Convenience
21. These 13 by Jimbo Mathus & Andrew Bird
22. Mr. Corman: Season 1 by Nathan Johnson
23. Home Video by Lucy Dacus
24. I’ll Be Your Mirror: A Tribute to The Velvet Underground & Nico by Various Artists
25. Siamese Dream by Fruit Bats
26. NINE by Sault
27. Observatory by Aeon Station
28. The Monster Who Hated Pennsylvania by Damien Jurado
29. A Beginner’s Mind by Sufjan Stevens and Angelo De Augustine
30. Where the End Begins by Knathan Ryan
31. Private Space by Durand Jones & The Indications

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#14 on the 2021 Bacon Top 31 — Arlo Parks

Collapsed in Sunbeams by Arlo Parks

There’s a good chance you’ve heard the artist here at #14, even if you can’t name her. Arlo Parks and her fantastic debut album, Collapsed in Sunbeams, are seemingly everywhere and on everyone’s lips. The album is littered with sweet, approachable, soulful R&B, primed and ready to be the pleasant background for many a musical movie montage.

Arlo Parks is 21 years old, a number so low it proves she has no legitimate right to be as talented as she is. And yet. The London-born singer/songwriter, whose full name is Anaïs Oluwatoyin Estelle Marinho, has accomplished a ton in her short career. She started releasing original music in 2018. In 2019 she released two EPs, and the right peoples’ ears started to perk up. She collaborated with Glass Animals and Phoebe Bridgers, both of whom appeared prominently on past Top 31s. Continuing unabated on her upward trajectory and outpouring of creativity, she wrote 12 more songs and unleashed Collapsed in Sunbeams on the world, and quickly won the 2021 Mercury Prize for Album of the Year. I won’t be surprised when she walks away as Best New Artist at the upcoming 2022 Grammys.

It was difficult picking the right video to feature above, as she’s created quite a few for the album:

• “Too Good,” above
• “Hope”
• “Caroline”
• “Green Eyes”
• “Hurt”
• “Black Dog”

The album feels almost too perfect. The production is immaculate. The beats sublime. And the lyrics never offend. It’s sometimes hard to tell one song from the next, and it carries an air of temporariness to it – something that will burn bright and then flame out quickly. That may be a good thing, forcing Marinho to explore further depths, uncover more layers. In the meantime I’ll enjoy Collapse, and anxiously await what comes next.

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15. Loving In Stereo by Jungle
16. Flying Dream 1 by Elbow
17. Screen Violence by Chvrches
18. Blue Weekend by Wolf Alice
19. Mainly Gestalt Pornography by Pearly Gate Music
20. Peace Or Love by Kings of Convenience
21. These 13 by Jimbo Mathus & Andrew Bird
22. Mr. Corman: Season 1 by Nathan Johnson
23. Home Video by Lucy Dacus
24. I’ll Be Your Mirror: A Tribute to The Velvet Underground & Nico by Various Artists
25. Siamese Dream by Fruit Bats
26. NINE by Sault
27. Observatory by Aeon Station
28. The Monster Who Hated Pennsylvania by Damien Jurado
29. A Beginner’s Mind by Sufjan Stevens and Angelo De Augustine
30. Where the End Begins by Knathan Ryan
31. Private Space by Durand Jones & The Indications

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#15 on the 2021 Bacon Top 31 — Jungle

Loving In Stereo by Jungle

Jungle, the London-based electronic dance combination of childhood friends Tom McFarland and Josh Lloyd-Watson, cannot make a bad song. Loving In Stereo, the third full-length they’ve created in their short 8 years, is a dancer’s dream. Song after song of music to move by. Picking up exactly where they left off with For Ever, (#28 in 2018), Loving has the duo growing, stretching, and flexing their muscles in all the right ways. They’ve fully taken over the mantle once adorned by acts like Jamiroquai, creating poppy, beat-heavy grooves that are impossible to sit still to.

Loving In Stereo is on YouTube in full, and like Wolf Alice earlier in this countdown, the band has produced a unique music video for (nearly) every song:

• “Keep Moving”
• “All of the Time”
• “Romeo, feat. Bas” (shown above)
• “Lifting You” and “Bonnie Hill”
• “Fire”
• “Talk About It”
• “Truth”
• “What D’You Know About Me”
• “Just Fly, Don’t Worry,” “Goodbye, My Love feat. Priya Ragu,” and “Can’t Stop the Stars”

The duo does not make an appearance in these videos. Lloyd-Watson is actually behind the camera, directing every single one of them with Charlie Di Placido, creative director of the video design house JFC Worldwide. Each video is a single shot, start to finish. The band works with an amazing dance troupe choreographed by Nathaniel Williams and Cece Nama. Together they create these compelling and complex dance scenes set in the interior and grounds of an abandoned building.

If you’ve not yet gotten on the Jungle train, now’s your chance. Loving in Stereo is sure to be loved by anyone who listens to it. So get on – it’s going to be a good ride.

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16. Flying Dream 1 by Elbow
17. Screen Violence by Chvrches
18. Blue Weekend by Wolf Alice
19. Mainly Gestalt Pornography by Pearly Gate Music
20. Peace Or Love by Kings of Convenience
21. These 13 by Jimbo Mathus & Andrew Bird
22. Mr. Corman: Season 1 by Nathan Johnson
23. Home Video by Lucy Dacus
24. I’ll Be Your Mirror: A Tribute to The Velvet Underground & Nico by Various Artists
25. Siamese Dream by Fruit Bats
26. NINE by Sault
27. Observatory by Aeon Station
28. The Monster Who Hated Pennsylvania by Damien Jurado
29. A Beginner’s Mind by Sufjan Stevens and Angelo De Augustine
30. Where the End Begins by Knathan Ryan
31. Private Space by Durand Jones & The Indications

There are many ways to listen to the 2021 Bacon Top 31. Subscribe now and enjoy the new albums / songs as the countdown is completed!

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#16 on the 2021 Bacon Top 31 — Elbow

Flying Dream 1 by Elbow

Here we are at the midway point. I find an odd sense of beauty that #16 on the Bacon Top 31 always appears on the 16th of the month. This tends to be an inflection point in the countdown — from here on, the quality of the music starts to blend together, each album likely the top of someone else’s list.

The new Elbow album is perfect for #16. Elbow is known for their bombast. Intimate, closely held lows are met with full, orchestral crescendos. But not Flying Dream 1. This is a quiet album, not unlike a meditation. It’s 45 minutes of “Lippy Kids” (“Lippy Kids” is the choral backbone of their phenomenal 2011 album Build a Rocket Boys! and the song never breaks a sweat). It’s gorgeous and lush in all the right ways, and never calls attention to yourself.

The album was produced remotely while everyone was in lockdown in 2020, with the band sharing files back and forth, building the structure for each one. When people could once again convene in small, in-person groups, the band took on a residency at Theatre Royal in Brighton to put the final touches on the album. Utilizing the natural resonance of the theater, the resulting sound is wonderfully warm. You can get a good sense of the place in the three videos the band has released for the album. First, in “Six Words” featured above, as well as the videos for the title track and for “The Seldom Seen Kid” (not the title track from their 2008 album, but about the same subject as that album: the late Manchester musician Bryan Glancy).

Elbow have been playing together for over 30 years, and have been producing great music for two-thirds of that time. I didn’t start listening to the band until I acquired their Mercury-prize winning 2008 album The Seldom Seen Kid. Every studio album they’ve produced since then has appeared on the Bacon Top 31, first with Build a Rocket Boys! (#5 in 2011), The Take Off and Landing of Everything (#2 in 2014), Little Fictions (#1 in 2017!), and Giants of All Sizes, came in at #8 in 2019. You could throw the songs from all those albums and Flying Dream 1 into a hopper, pull out any ten songs, and it would hold together as a complete album. Without knowing the albums intimately you wouldn’t be able to tell what year the songs are from.

It’s quite the achievement to have such consistency for so long. With the exception of swapping out drummers in 2016 (Richard Jump out, Alex Reeves in), the same four-piece lineup has remained for all thirty years: Guy Garvey (lead vocals, guitar), Craig Potter (keyboards), Mark Potter (guitar) and Pete Turner (bass). You’d be hard-pressed to find that level of consistency anywhere. Sure, bands survive that long. But to continue to put out record after record of great-sounding, uniquely-their-own music — its unheard of.

If you’re unfamiliar with Elbow, please crawl out from under that rock. Pick up any of Elbow’s last six studio albums, put on some headphones, and let Calgon take you away. Seriously – go do it right now.

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17. Screen Violence by Chvrches
18. Blue Weekend by Wolf Alice
19. Mainly Gestalt Pornography by Pearly Gate Music
20. Peace Or Love by Kings of Convenience
21. These 13 by Jimbo Mathus & Andrew Bird
22. Mr. Corman: Season 1 by Nathan Johnson
23. Home Video by Lucy Dacus
24. I’ll Be Your Mirror: A Tribute to The Velvet Underground & Nico by Various Artists
25. Siamese Dream by Fruit Bats
26. NINE by Sault
27. Observatory by Aeon Station
28. The Monster Who Hated Pennsylvania by Damien Jurado
29. A Beginner’s Mind by Sufjan Stevens and Angelo De Augustine
30. Where the End Begins by Knathan Ryan
31. Private Space by Durand Jones & The Indications

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#17 on the 2021 Bacon Top 31 — Chvrches

Screen Violence by Chvrches

It’s funny when I’m surprised at how low an album appears on the Bacon Top 31. When I go through my first few listens of any new album, no matter what time of year, I start to compare its appeal to the other albums I’ve heard so far that year. A.B.C. stands for Always Be Charting, right? And when I first heard the fourth album from the phenomenal Scottish band Chvrches, I immediately thought Top 5.

The first three albums from the band have all landed in the Top 5 of the Bacon Top 31. The Bones of What You Believe, their debut, was the highest debut from any band, coming in at #4 in 2013. Their sophomore album, Every Open Eye, was my absolute favorite album of 2015. And in 2018, their third album, Love is Dead, came in a close #2, barely missing another chart topper. So of course their new album would be in contention again this year, right?

#17 isn’t a bad spot to be in at all. This doesn’t mean Screen Violence is any worse than the band’s previous three albums. Rather, it speaks to the quality of the music overall that came out in 2021. Seriously, I think 2020 forced a lot of artists to focus on songwriting, because they weren’t able to tour. Consequently, 2021 was one of the best years for music. Period.

At its core, Screen Violence is a concept album, centered around horror films. Sleep paralysis, drowning, gutting, and a song titled “Final Girl” – think Neve Campbell or Jamie Lee Curtis, the last remaining person around to battle the serial killer. It’s good fodder for lyrical turns in the music, giving the band’s usual treacle a bit more edge. The king of the goths, Robert Smith, even makes an appearance. Check out his duet with Lauren Mayberry in the video for “How Not to Drown” above.

The trio is in top form. Sure, they didn’t make the Top 5 for a FOURTH time. But don’t let that stop you. If you’ve liked Chvrches at any point in their past, you’re going to like this album.

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18. Blue Weekend by Wolf Alice
19. Mainly Gestalt Pornography by Pearly Gate Music
20. Peace Or Love by Kings of Convenience
21. These 13 by Jimbo Mathus & Andrew Bird
22. Mr. Corman: Season 1 by Nathan Johnson
23. Home Video by Lucy Dacus
24. I’ll Be Your Mirror: A Tribute to The Velvet Underground & Nico by Various Artists
25. Siamese Dream by Fruit Bats
26. NINE by Sault
27. Observatory by Aeon Station
28. The Monster Who Hated Pennsylvania by Damien Jurado
29. A Beginner’s Mind by Sufjan Stevens and Angelo De Augustine
30. Where the End Begins by Knathan Ryan
31. Private Space by Durand Jones & The Indications

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#18 on the 2021 Bacon Top 31 — Wolf Alice

Blue Weekend by Wolf Alice

The last time I wrote about Wolf Alice, they were coming in hot. Their debut album, My Love is Cool, had come out in 2015, and I loved it so much it ended up at #3 that year. My love for them waned over the coming years. Their 2017 sophomore release, Visions of a Life, didn’t connect with me at all, and I can’t tell you the last time I listened to Cool. I’d pretty much written them off. So much so, I didn’t think anything of it when they released a new album in June. But then I started hearing their new songs pop up in unexpected places, and my interest was — thankfully — renewed.

Blue Weekend is not the Wolf Alice of old. If you liked their previous albums, you’ll hear the same foursome still playing the same instruments: lead singer Ellie Rowsell, guitarist Joff Oddie, bassist Theo Ellis, and drummer Joel Amey. But their songwriting and structure have grown much deeper in the 6 years that have passed since their debut. There are significant builds (check out the video for the first song on the album, “The Beach,” above), quieter spots, and everything in between. Every song doesn’t have to slay. And while the music is lush and distorted, the production is spot on. This is the music of a band who’ve had a decade’s worth of practice to really dial it all in.

The album is solid from start to finish. Typical for today, you can listen to the whole thing on YouTube. But Wolf Alice took it a step further, creating a video for each song, all of which string together into a single 40 minute short film. I had a tough time picking which song to feature at the top of the post. I landed on the first song as the beginning felt like a good place to start. Feel free to pop into any of the other songs on the album, or do like I did and watch the whole thing start to finish. It’s worth it.

• The Beach (shown above)
• Delicious Things
• Lipstick on the Glass
• Smile
• Safe From Heartbreak (if you never fall in love)
• How Can I Make It Ok?
• Play the Greatest Hits
• Feeling Myself
• The Last Man on Earth
• No Hard Feelings
• The Beach II

Here’s to another decade of Wolf Alice. They’re back on track for me, and perhaps they never left for some of you. Either way, I’m excited by their new music, and I’ve got my fingers crossed that they continue well into the future.

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19. Mainly Gestalt Pornography by Pearly Gate Music
20. Peace Or Love by Kings of Convenience
21. These 13 by Jimbo Mathus & Andrew Bird
22. Mr. Corman: Season 1 by Nathan Johnson
23. Home Video by Lucy Dacus
24. I’ll Be Your Mirror: A Tribute to The Velvet Underground & Nico by Various Artists
25. Siamese Dream by Fruit Bats
26. NINE by Sault
27. Observatory by Aeon Station
28. The Monster Who Hated Pennsylvania by Damien Jurado
29. A Beginner’s Mind by Sufjan Stevens and Angelo De Augustine
30. Where the End Begins by Knathan Ryan
31. Private Space by Durand Jones & The Indications

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#19 on the 2021 Bacon Top 31 — Pearly Gate Music

Mainly Gestalt Pornography by Pearly Gate Music

Zach Tillman is playing the long game. His debut album, titled with his chosen nom de plume, Pearly Gate Music, came out in 2010 on my favorite record label, Barsuk Records. The years that followed were filled with anxiety and substance abuse, restricting his ability to produce a follow up that met the standards he’d set for himself. It can’t help being overshadowed by his wildly successful musical older brother Josh, otherwise known as Father John Misty, whose last four albums have all appeared on the Bacon Top 31.

And yet, all the pressure Zach put on himself has paid off, because Mainly Gestalt Pornography, his 11-years-in-the-making sophomore record, is fantastic. Don’t expect it to sound like FJM; Pearly Gate Music is 100% his own. His voice is low, his music slow. He lags slightly behind the beat, like a male Courtney Barnett. The music on Pornography is filled with psychedelic moments, unexpected sounds emanating from feedback loops and Tillman’s voice run through multiple filters.

I’m so glad to have found a new love on Barsuk. Time was, it felt like half the albums I listened to were represented by the storied Seattle label. The Long Winters. Death Cab. Menomena. Mates of State. Jesse Sykes. John Vanderslice. They have a fantastic history for an indie label. And it continues, here, with the 2nd album from Pearly Gate Music.

Enjoy the great song shown in the video above, for his song “The Moon.” There’s a 2nd video available from the album as well, for his song “I Was A Wand’rer.” That should be enough of a toe in the water to get you to pull the trigger. This is a great album, and I can only hope that Tillman takes half or even a quarter as long to create his third album. I’ll be waiting.

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20. Peace Or Love by Kings of Convenience
21. These 13 by Jimbo Mathus & Andrew Bird
22. Mr. Corman: Season 1 by Nathan Johnson
23. Home Video by Lucy Dacus
24. I’ll Be Your Mirror: A Tribute to The Velvet Underground & Nico by Various Artists
25. Siamese Dream by Fruit Bats
26. NINE by Sault
27. Observatory by Aeon Station
28. The Monster Who Hated Pennsylvania by Damien Jurado
29. A Beginner’s Mind by Sufjan Stevens and Angelo De Augustine
30. Where the End Begins by Knathan Ryan
31. Private Space by Durand Jones & The Indications

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#20 on the 2021 Bacon Top 31 — Kings of Convenience

Peace Or Love by Kings of Convenience

We’ve made it to the Top 20!

Just as the world was starting to open up, and Spring was turning to Summer, a welcome surprise landed in my ears: brand new music from Norewegian band Kings of Convenience. It had been over 20 years since the band released their lovely debut album, Quiet is the New Loud. They‘d followed that up with a decent sophomore effort, 2004’s Riot on an Empty Street, and I don’t recall ever listening to their third album, Declaration of Dependence, which came out in 2009. I’d assumed they’d split long ago.

But here we were, hopeful and excited about the Covid vaccinations rolling out for everyone 12 and older, summer vacations, and even a couple weeks where we actually went shopping without a mask on our faces. Peace or Love fell nicely into place amidst it all. Then, as the Delta variant and eventually the Omicron variant drove us back into hiding and despair, the tone of Peace or Love shifted with the times. No longer was it the soundtrack for drinking beers next to a pool, it became the soundtrack that helped us remember drinking beers next to a pool.

Kings of Convenience are a duo from Norway. Erlend Øye and Eirik Glambek Bøe met in gradeschool, and became friends because they both have “ø” in their names – color me jealøus. (Just kidding – I have no idea why they became friends in grade school.) Their music is completely unassuming – quiet, folk-driven harmonies with tales of love and laughter. It is sure not to piss a single person off.

If you’re unfamiliar with Kings of Convenience, this album is a fine place to start. Put it on, don’t turn it up loud, lie down, and drift off into bliss. Be sure to leave it on repeat so you can wake occasionally and then pleasantly fall back to sleep.

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21. These 13 by Jimbo Mathus & Andrew Bird
22. Mr. Corman: Season 1 by Nathan Johnson
23. Home Video by Lucy Dacus
24. I’ll Be Your Mirror: A Tribute to The Velvet Underground & Nico by Various Artists
25. Siamese Dream by Fruit Bats
26. NINE by Sault
27. Observatory by Aeon Station
28. The Monster Who Hated Pennsylvania by Damien Jurado
29. A Beginner’s Mind by Sufjan Stevens and Angelo De Augustine
30. Where the End Begins by Knathan Ryan
31. Private Space by Durand Jones & The Indications

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#21 on the 2021 Bacon Top 31 — Jimbo Mathus & Andrew Bird

These 13 by Jimbo Mathus & Andrew Bird

Andrew Bird is well-loved by The Bacon Top 31. He’s had three albums on the Top 31 (#17 in 2019, #5 in 2016, #22 in 2009). With his song on I’ll Be Your Mirror (with Lucius) back at #24, this is his second appearance on the 2021 countdown.

Jimbo Mathus, on the other hand, is a new discovery for me. “New” isn’t quite right, though — he’s been around for decades, most notably as the cofounding multi-instrumentalist of the platinum-album selling Squirrel Nut Zippers. I can’t say I’ve been a fan – but I just listened to their 1996 hit “Hell” and joyfully sang along.

In researching their fantastic country-esque collaboration, These 13, I learned that Bird has a history with Mathus and the Zippers: he was a member of the Zippers and recorded and toured with them from 1996-1998. Since that time, the two of them have maintained a friendship, and worked together occasionally. These 13 is the longest, most sustained work the two of them have done together.

Bird’s typically fantastic violin playing and strumming, his powerful voice, and his magical whistling are all prominent here. It’s Mathus’s deep-south Mississippi roots that bring a new side to the types of songs Bird performs. This album is what country music should sound like. Bird’s whistling reminds me of one of my favorite country music legends, Dwight Yoakam and his glorious yodel.

Give these songs a whirl. There’s a lot to unpack here, but the history that these two share between them and the road that led them here is long. That history plays out beautifully across these 13 songs.

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22. Mr. Corman: Season 1 by Nathan Johnson
23. Home Video by Lucy Dacus
24. I’ll Be Your Mirror: A Tribute to The Velvet Underground & Nico by Various Artists
25. Siamese Dream by Fruit Bats
26. NINE by Sault
27. Observatory by Aeon Station
28. The Monster Who Hated Pennsylvania by Damien Jurado
29. A Beginner’s Mind by Sufjan Stevens and Angelo De Augustine
30. Where the End Begins by Knathan Ryan
31. Private Space by Durand Jones & The Indications

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#22 on the 2021 Bacon Top 31 — Nathan Johnson

Mr. Corman: Season 1 by Nathan Johnson

Now we’re near the end of Act I, and our story is taking a major turn. ”Mr. Corman,” the Apple TV+ series, is an amazing piece of television. The single-season show (it’s been confirmed that it is not coming back for another season) was created, produced, directed, written, and starred Joseph Gordon-Levitt and a host of unexpected guests.

It is most certainly not for everyone — in fact, it may be just for me and no-one else. At the end of the roughly five hours of watching, I felt elated. The arc of the season into the finale was oddly compelling despite it feeling sluggish at times. But it’s stuck with me, it was so worth it, and I enjoy how the Soundtrack evokes key beats of the season for me.

Music features prominently throughout the season. Good songs you’ll recognize play throughout, but the original music, written by longtime Gordon-Levitt collaborator Nathan Johnson (cousin of director Rian Johnson), found on the Soundtrack is fantastic. Over the course of its ten episodes, what starts out normal takes many many unexpected audio (and visual) twists and turns: a musical number (shown above, featuring Debra Winger, who plays Gordon-Levitt’s character Mr. Corman’s mother); retired, grammy-nominated rapper Logic showing up for his on-screen debut as a social media influencer, along with a new song he came out of retirement to write just for the Soundtrack; and Juno Temple (Ted Lasso’s Keeley Jones) appearing as the main character’s ex-girlfriend, joining Gordon-Levitt as co-lead-singer. Everything combined to create the analog-but-digital musical conscious of Mr. Corman.

My love of the show is definitely coloring my opinion of the music. Mr. Corman’s struggles throughout the season are punctuated by myriad digital artifacts that evoke the computer-generated side of Sufjan Stevens or Son Lux. The Soundtrack floats through many musical genres due to the story of the show. And Mr. Corman makes literal music in each episode, a coping mechanism for being an anxiety-ridden 5th grade teacher.

Watch it, and stick with it. And listen. Perhaps like me you’ll find harmony in the world that Gordon-Levitt and his Composer Johnson have created. I hope that you do.

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23. Home Video by Lucy Dacus
24. I’ll Be Your Mirror: A Tribute to The Velvet Underground & Nico by Various Artists
25. Siamese Dream by Fruit Bats
26. NINE by Sault
27. Observatory by Aeon Station
28. The Monster Who Hated Pennsylvania by Damien Jurado
29. A Beginner’s Mind by Sufjan Stevens and Angelo De Augustine
30. Where the End Begins by Knathan Ryan
31. Private Space by Durand Jones & The Indications

There are many ways to listen to the 2021 Bacon Top 31. Subscribe now and enjoy the new albums / songs as the countdown is completed!

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#23 on the 2021 Bacon Top 31 — Lucy Dacus

Home Video by Lucy Dacus

Lucy Dacus has a gorgeous voice, soft and warm like a fresh-from-the-dryer flannel. She’s been on my radar since her debut album, No Burden, came out about five years ago. Natively from Virginia, the Philadelphia-based singer/songwriter has been slowly sinking her songs into my mind ever since. That pace quickened with her involvement in boygenius, the supergroup she formed with Julien Baker and Phoebe Bridgers back in 2018 (still waiting for a full-length from the trio…).

Home Video, Dacus’s third full-length, finally packed enough punch to push herself to the front of the queue and land her on the Bacon Top 31. Over the past few years, she’s managed to hit a level of intimacy and directness with her songwriting that is in direct contrast to the smooth beauty of her voice. The influences of Baker and Bridgers are clear (they each appear on the album on a handful of songs). But I also hear less likely influences, like Neko Case, St. Vincent, and Sharon van Etten. If any of those names are favorites of yours, you need to add Lucy Dacus to your list.

As part of the promotion for Home Video, Dacus appeared on the Song Exploder podcast. If you’re not familiar, Song Exploder, created and hosted by Hrishikesh Hirway, is great: artists come on and go into deep detail around a song of theirs – how it came into being, how it was performed and recorded in the studio, what it means to them, etc. The particular brilliance of the podcast is that Hirway mostly edits himself asking the artist questions out of the podcast. This leaves us, the listener, with the artist having a direct, seemingly 1-on-1 conversation with us, describing their songs in intimate detail.

For her episode, Dacus talked about “Thumbs,” my absolute favorite song on the album. This song is a gut punch. Hearing how it came together and how personal it is to Dacus is amazing. Even if the album on the whole isn’t your bag, I don’t see how you can’t love this song, and I recommend listening to the podcast just to hear it.

Pfffft. There’s no way this whole album isn’t your bag.

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24. I’ll Be Your Mirror: A Tribute to The Velvet Underground & Nico by Various Artists
25. Siamese Dream by Fruit Bats
26. NINE by Sault
27. Observatory by Aeon Station
28. The Monster Who Hated Pennsylvania by Damien Jurado
29. A Beginner’s Mind by Sufjan Stevens and Angelo De Augustine
30. Where the End Begins by Knathan Ryan
31. Private Space by Durand Jones & The Indications

There are many ways to listen to the 2021 Bacon Top 31. Subscribe now and enjoy the new albums / songs as the countdown is completed!

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#24 on the 2021 Bacon Top 31 — Various Artists

I’ll Be Your Mirror: A Tribute to The Velvet Underground & Nico by Various Artists

Here at #24 we’re crossing off a couple of unexpected scorigami-like firsts here at the Bacon Top 31. I’ll Be Your Mirror: A Tribute to The Velvet Underground & Nico, the lovely full-album cover of the seminal debut album Velvet Underground & Nico, is not only the first time I‘ve featured not one but two full-remake cover albums on the Bacon Top 31 in the same year, but, somewhat unbelievably, it’s also the second time a full cover of this particular 1967 album is appearing on the countdown.

Way back in 2009 (the inaugural Bacon Top 31), Beck’s Record Club version of The Velvet Underground & Nico was #7 on the countdown that year. The 2021 cover version, put out by the band’s original 1967 label, Verve records, is aiming to cash in on the recently released Todd Haynes documentary about the band that was in theaters earlier this year.

(It’s mildly interesting that Verve has put this together, given that one of the reasons the 1967 original suffered poor sales at first — according to Wikipedia — was because of Verve, “who failed to promote or distribute the album with anything but modest attention.”)

But they’ve put together a masterpiece. The album’s roster is like the Bacon Top 31 all-stars: Andrew Bird, Kurt Vile, St. Vincent, Thurston Moore, King Princess, Fontaines D.C., and even Iggy Pop.

Like any compilations of covers, there are some highs and lows. The Matt Berninger cover of ”I’m Waiting for the Man,” shown in the video above is one of the lows. Berninger tries to channel his inner Lou Reed, but he’s too polished and controlled to pull it off. “Sunday Morning” by Michael Stipe and Bill Frissell is gorgeous from the very first note. Sharon van Ettan’s cover of “Femme Fatale” with Angel Olsen is slowwed waaay dowwwwn, a beautifully frustrating listen. And Courtney Barnett brings her usual off-beat and -key production to the title song “I’ll Be Your Mirror,” proving her music is a direct descendant of what The Velvet Underground & Nico accomplished 54 years ago.

If you like any of the artists mentioned above, definitely check out this album. They’re essentially performing the songs of their grandparents – without them, these artists would not exist. If you don’t know the artists, but like the original album, give this one a listen. You’ll find some kindred spirits you can explore to widen your tastes.

late addition: check out this live rendiition of Andrew Bird and Lucius’ cover of “Venus in Furs”. Watching Bird put the sonic landscape together all at once is a sight and sound to behold.

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25. Siamese Dream by Fruit Bats
26. NINE by Sault
27. Observatory by Aeon Station
28. The Monster Who Hated Pennsylvania by Damien Jurado
29. A Beginner’s Mind by Sufjan Stevens and Angelo De Augustine
30. Where the End Begins by Knathan Ryan
31. Private Space by Durand Jones & The Indications

There are many ways to listen to the 2021 Bacon Top 31. Subscribe now and enjoy the new albums / songs as the countdown is completed!

Full Album
All albums in their entirety.

• Apple Music Full Album Playlist
• Spotify Full Album Playlist

Radio Station
A single song selection pulled from each album.

• Apple Music Radio Station Playlist
• Spotify Radio Station Playlist

View all previous Bacon Top 31s