Monolith Cocktail Blog

The Monolith Cocktail Team’s Favourite Albums (and some EPs) Of 2021/Dominic Valvona, Brian ‘Bordello’ Shea/Matt Oliver

So we’ve delivered a behemoth of a list so far in part one, now comes the concluding second instalment of choice albums from 2021. A quick reminder for those new to the site and our yearly albums roundups, because we’ve never seen the point in arguing the toss over numerical orders the Monolith Cocktail’s lighter, less competitive and hierarchical ‘choice albums’ features have always listed all entrants in alphabetical order. We also hate separating genres and so everybody in these features, regardless of genre, location, age shares the same space.

Void of points systems and voting, the Monolith Cocktail team selection is pretty transparent: just favourites and albums we all feel you, our audience, should check out. Alongside my good self, Matt Oliver and Brian ‘Bordello’ Shea have made the selections this year. We’ve also compiled a two part playlist, with tracks from (where possible) every album (and the occasional EP).

Part Two covers L to Y (no Zs this around).

L.

L’Orange ‘The World Is Still Chaos But I Feel Better’  (Mello Music Group) 
(MO)

Byard Lancaster ‘My Pure Joy’  (Black Fire)
(DV) 

Timo Lassy ‘Trio’  (We Jazz)
(DV)  Review

Timo Lassy & Teppo Mäkynen ‘Live Recordings 2019-2020’  (We Jazz)
(DV)  Review

The Legless Crabs ‘The Sweet Sweet Dreams Of Reno Bliss’
(BBS)  Review

Legless Trials ‘What We Did During The Fall’  (Metal Postcard Records)
(BBS)  Review

Meggie Lennon ‘Sounds From Your Lips’  (Mothland)
(DV) 

Lexagon ‘Feminine Care’  (Ratskin Records)
(DV)  Review

Lion’s Drum ‘Kagabas’  (Lion’s Drum)
(DV)  Review

Lunar Bird ‘S/T’  (Self-Release)
(DV)  Review

M..

Mazeppa ‘S/T’  (Self-Release)
(DV)  Review

Simon McCorry ‘Flow’  (See Blue Audio)
(DV)  Review

Simon McCorry ‘The Illusions Of Beginnings and Endings’ 
(White Label Records)
(DV)  Review

Mecánica Clásica ‘Mars Interior’  (Abstrakce Records)
(DV)  Review

Meskerem Mees ‘Julius’  (MayWay Records)
(DV)  Review

The Mining Co. ‘Phenomenolgy’  (PinDrop Records)
(DV)  Review

Mdou Moctar ‘Afrique Victime’  (Matador Records)
(DV) 

Monocled Man ‘Ex Voto’  (Whirlwind Recordings)
(DV) 

Mustard Tiger ‘Botchulism’  (Broke Records) 
(MO) 

N…

Namgar ‘Nayan Navaa’  (ARC Music)
(DV)  Review

Jason Nazary ‘Spring Collection’  (We Jazz)
(DV)  Review

David Newlyn ‘Tapes And Ghosts’  (Somewherecold)
(DV)  Review

O….

Occult Character ‘The Song Remains The Stain’  (Metal Postcard Records)
(BBS)  Reviews

P…..

P5S ‘Unconscious Collective’  (Hyperjazz)
(DV) 

Antonello Perfetto & Gary Nieuwsma ‘Aquarium’
(Submarine Broadcasting Co.)
(DV)  Review

James PM Phillips ‘Bones’  (Link2Wales)
(BBS)  Review

Pons ‘The Pons Estate’  (Self-Release)
(DV)  Review

The Poppermost ‘Hits To Spare’  (Think Like A Key)
(BBS)  Review

Psycho & Plastic ‘Soundtrack 2: Poppel’  (GiveUsYourGOLD)
(DV)  Review

PTČ ‘Neki Tko Vsak Dan’  (Self-Release)
(DV) 

R……

Rezo ‘Travalog’  (Self-Release)
(DV)  Review

Aesop Rock & Blockhead ‘Garbology’  (Rhymesayers) 
(MO) 

Roughneck Jihad ‘The Little Assassination Handbook’  (Boot Records)
(MO) 

Xenia Rubinos ‘Una Rosa’  (ANTI-)
(DV)  Review

S…….

Sad Man ‘Music Of Dreams And Panic’  (Wormhole World)
(DV)  Review

Salem Trials ‘Something Beginning With’  (Metal Postcard Records)
(BBS)  Review

Santa Sprees ‘Fanfare For Tonsils’
(BBS)  Review

Ed Scissor & Lamplighter ‘Joysville’  (High Focus)
(DV)  Review

Skyzoo ‘All the Brilliant Things’  (Mello Music Group) 
(MO) 

SLONK ‘Where Do You See Yourself In Five Years?  (Breakfast Records)
(DV) 

Snowcrushed ‘A Frightened Man’  (Self-Release)
(BBS)  Review

Sone Institute ‘After The Glitter Before The Decay’  (Mystery Bridge)
(DV)  Review

Spacelab ‘Dead Dimension’  (Hream Recordings)
(DV)  Review

Spindle Ensemble ‘Inkling’  (Hidden Notes Records)
(DV)  Review

Spring ’68 ‘Sightseeing Through Music’  (Gare du Nord)
(BBS)  Review

Squid ‘Bright Green Field’  (Warp)
(DV) 

Stalley & Apollo Brown ‘Blacklight’  (Mello Music Group) 
(MO) 

Stimulator Jones ‘Low Budget Environments Striving for Perfection’
(Stones Throw) 
(MO) 

Sun Atoms ‘Let There Be Light’  (Little Cloud/The Acid Test)
(DV)  Review

Astrid Swan ‘D/Other’  (Soliti)
(DV) 

Matthew Sweet ‘Catspaw’  (Omnivore Recordings)
(DV) 

T……..

Taraka ‘Welcome To Paradise Lost’  (Rage Peace)
(DV) 

Rosie Tee ‘Earth, Embrace Me In’  (Self-Release)
(DV)

The Telescopes ‘Songs Of Love And Revolution’  (Tapete)
(DV)  Review

Theoreme ‘Les Artisans’  (Maple Death Records)
(DV)  Review

Th1rt3en ‘A Magnificent Day for an Exorcism’  (Fat Beats) 
(MO) 

Toumastine ‘Assouf’  (Self-Release)
(DV)  Review

Samba Touré ‘Binga’  (Glitterbeat)
(DV)  Review

TrueMendous ‘The Misdiagnosis of Chyvonne Johnson’  (High Focus) 
(MO) 

U………

Uncommon Nasa ‘Only Child’  (Uncommon Records)
(MO)  Review

University Challenged ‘Oh Temple’  (Hive Mind Records)
(DV)  Review

V……….

Vapour Trails ‘Underneath Tomorrow’  (Futureman Records)
(BBS)  Review

Variát ‘I Can See Everything From Here’  (Prostir)
(DV)  Review

Various ‘Artetetra Label: Exotica Ésotérique Vol.3’  (Artetetra)
(DV) 

Various ‘Edo Funk Explosion Vol.1’  (Analog Africa)
(DV)  Review

Various ‘Essiebons Special 1973-1984/Ghana Music Power House’ 
(Analog Africa)
(DV)  Review

Various ‘La Ola Interior: Spanish Ambient & Acid Exoticism 1983-1990’
(Bongo Joe)
(DV)  Review

Various ‘Nahma: A Gulf Polyphony’  (FLEE)
(DV)  Review

Vilmmer ‘Nebenkörper’  (Blackjack Illuminist Records)
(DV) 

Violet Nox ‘Whispering Galaxy EP’  (Infinity Vine)
(DV)  Review

Vukovar ‘The Great Immurement’  (Other Voices Records)
(BBS/DV)  Review

W……….

Simon Waldram ‘So It Goes’  (Self-Release)
(BBS)  Review

Dean Wareham ‘I Have Nothing To Say To The Mayor Of L.A.’
(DV) 

White Ring ‘Show Me Heaven’  (Rocket Girl)
(DV)  Review

Amanda Whiting ‘After Dark’  (Jazzman Records)
(DV)  Review

Leslie Winer ‘When I Hit You – You’ll Feel It (Anthology)’ 
(Light In The Attic)
(DV) 

Witch Camp (Ghana) ‘I’ve Forgotten Now Who I Used To Be’  (Six Degrees)
(DV)  Review

Y…………

Yol ‘Viral Dogs and Cats’  (Crow Versus Crow)
(BBS)  Review

Your Old Droog ‘TIME’  (Nature Sounds) 
(MO) 

CLASS OF 2021 PLAYLIST PART TWO:

How You Can Help Us Continue In 2022:

Hi, my name is Dominic Valvona and I’m the Founder of the music/culture blog monolithcocktail.com For the last ten years I’ve featured and supported music, musicians and labels we love across genres from around the world that we think you’ll want to know about. No content on the site is paid for or sponsored and we only feature artists we have genuine respect for /love. If you enjoy our reviews (and we often write long, thoughtful ones), found a new artist you admire or if we have featured you or artists you represent and would like to buy us a coffee at https://ko-fi.com/monolithcocktail to say cheers for spreading the word, then that would be much appreciated.