ACL 2021 ~ The Top 20 Albums of the Year

If 2020 was the most surreal year in recent memory, 2021 was the runner-up.  A rollercoaster of emotion was supplanted by a mountain of malaise.  And yet, many artists broke through with the finest albums of their careers.  Some of

ACL 2021 ~ Top Ten Electronic

Due to lockdowns and quarantines, most of us have not gone clubbing for years.  Thankfully, electronic artists have kept making music during the pandemic ~ although not all of it for dancing.  They can imagine an alternate universe in which our

ACL 2021 ~ The Happiest Music of the Year

Few would call 2021 a happy year, although it was graced by moments of hope: a (short lived) political shift, a vaccine, a summit on climate change.  But somehow, without warning, any day could bring a whiff of happiness: a

Havana Swim Club ~ S/T

The first full day of (official) summer deserves a suitable soundtrack, and Havana Swim Club‘s self-titled debut album fits the bill.  A sampledelic blend of tropicana, disco, soul and lounge, Havana Swim Club is this year’s Perfect Summer Album.  Not every year