Top 30 albums of 2021: #’s 15 – 11

We’re halfway through the list. Who’s here?

#15: Alex Maas – Levitation Sessions

This is a haunting live album from the lead singer of The Black Angels, and a performance of Maas’ first solo album – Luca. His backing band is top-notch and it’s like listening to a dream.

#14: Parquet Courts – Sympathy for Life

Chock-full of post-punk bangers and piercing lyrics about life during and after the pandemic that hit harder now than all of last year, Parquet Courts’ Sympathy for Life is one of those records that reveals more of itself with each listen.

#13: TV Priest – Uppers

I’m so glad I heard these guys on BBC 6 Music and tracked down Uppers, because I knew it was going to be one of my favorite records of 2021 within thirty seconds on the opening track. Fun lyrics, ripping riffs, and killer beats make it a go-to record for high energy.

#12: Stöner – Live in the Mojave Desert Volume 4

A live recording that sounds good enough to be a studio album, Stöner’s Live in the Mojave Desert session is like having a desert rock concert in your house. Play at maximum volume.

#11: Durand Jones & The Indications – Private Space

One of the smoothest and grooviest records of 2021 came from these guys who embraced their love of disco and mixed it with their reverence for soul. There isn’t a weak track on the whole album.

We’re into the top 10 tomorrow!

Keep your mind open.

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MIEN – self-titled

Consisting of members of the Black Angels (Alex Maas on guitar, bass, and vocals), the Earlies (John Lapham on synths), Elephant Stone (Rishi Dhir on sitar, bass, and vocals), and the Horrors (Tom Furse on synths), MIEN are a psychedelic supergroup who have been at least discussing their self-titled debut album since 2004.  Now that it’s here, they (and we) can rejoice in a job well done.

Staring with the cosmic “Earth Moon,” Maas’ vocals are drenched in smoky reverb as he sings about how our beliefs can alter our reality.  Where that track is a lovely stroll through a psychedelic meadow, the second cut, “Black Habit,” is downright creepy with Lapham and Furse’s synths providing a dark drone under Maas’ lyrics about addictions.  “(I’m Tired of) Western Shouting” might be my favorite cut on the record.  The drum beats are wicked, as are Maas’ lyrics about 24-hours news cycles, angry Internet rants, and people being proud to be rude or even bigoted.  The whole band clicks on it, and it slays live.

“You Dreamt” layers on the synths and is pretty much a dark wave track (and a good one).  The instrumental “Other” floats on Furse and Lapham’s synths and could’ve easily fit into the score for Blade Runner: 2049.  “I feel so high,” Maas sings on “Hocus Pocus.”  You might feel the same as it warps into distorted madness and heady freak-outs.  Thee deep bass synths on “Ropes” fuel the urgency of Maas’ vocals about fear.

“Echolalia” is defined as mindless repetition of words or sentences as a symptom of a psychiatric disorder or as a repetition of words by a child learning to speak.  Both definitions seem appropriate for the track of the same name, as it churns with an almost frantic energy and then comes to an abrupt start that surprises you.  “Odessey” has brighter synths, and even female backing vocals, but they hide menace within them.  The album ends with a reprise of “Earth Moon.”  It’s a mellower version than the first and it creates a nice, dreamy ending to a mostly spooky record.

It’s a solid debut.  MIEN are currently on their first live tour, so don’t miss them or this record.

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MIEN release first single, “Black Habit,” and it’s a doozy.

Is it too early to say I’ve already heard one of the best singles of the year?  MIEN, consisting of the Black Angels‘ Alex MaasElephant Stone‘s Rishi Dhirthe Earlies‘ John Lapham, and the Horrors‘ Tom Furse, have released “Black Habit,” the first single from their debut self-titled album due out April 6th.

The single is a heady, almost nightmarish trip blending psychedelia with a bit of dark wave.  The album is available for pre-order and the band will play live at Levitation Austin this April.  I already have my tickets for their performance.  Don’t wait to get yours, or to order this record.

Keep your mind open.

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