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Cellophane Window: The Best Songs of Q1 2021 [Playlist]

The finest music of the last three months

A compilation of my favourites new songs (available on Spotify) released in the past three months. I always divide my quarterly playlists into two CD-R-sized sets. You can browse the back catalogue on my Spotify profile. Click below to open this latest edition.

Cellophane Window: The Best Songs of Q1 2021

Disc 1

01. Japanese Breakfast: “Be Sweat”
02. Julie Baker: “Favor”
03. Nana Yamato: “Burning Desire”
04. Vegyn: “I See You Sometimes” featuring Jeshi
05. SOPHIE: “UNISIL”
06. Debbie Friday: “Runnin”
07. Big Ghost Ltd & Conway The Machine: “Kill All Rats” feat. Ransom & Rome Streetz
08. Drakeo The Ruler: “Too Icey”
09. Dawn Richard: “Bussifame”
10. Guedra Guedra كدرة كدر: “Cercococcyx”
11. Noname: “Rainforest”
12. Buck Meek: “Dream Daughter”
13. Bonnie “Prince” Billy & Matt Sweeney: “My Blue Suit”
14. Saintseneca: “All You’ve Got Is Everyone”
15. Another Michael: “What Gives?”
16. Shame: “Nigel Hitter”
17. Nixer: “Relax”
18. Nick Hakim: “QADIR (Badbadnotgood Remix)”
19. Archie Shepp & Jason Moran: “Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child”
20. Mogwai: “To The Bin My Friend, Tonight We Vacate Earth”

Disc 2

01. Dretti Franks: “Hi Powered 9000”
02. Payroll Giovanni & Cardo: “Always Hustling” featuring Smitty Soul
03. Freddie Gibbs & ScHoolboy Q: “Gang Signs”
04. River Tiber: “Hypnotized:
05. Dam-Funk: “Palm Springs”
06. Sal Dulu: “Just Like Sonnenalle Blues”
07. Nipsey Hussle & Jay-Z: “What It Feel Like”
08. DoggyStyleeee: “Intruder”
09. G Perico: “Solid Gold”
10. Lil Wayne: “Ain’t Got Time” featuring Fousheé
11. Juice WRLD & Young Thug: “Bad Boy”
12. Saweetie: “Best Friend” featuring Doja Cat
13. Pooh Shiesty: “Back in Blood” featuring Lil Durk
14. Lloyd Banks: “Element of Surprise”
15. YUNGMORPHEUS & ewonee: “Harbour Blvd”
16. Tha God Fahim & Your Old Droog: “Stones N Rocs”
17. Kojaque: “No Hands”
18. Curren$y: “Arrival”
19. Benny The Butcher & Harry Fraud: “No Instructions”
20. Guapdad 4000 & !llmind: “Stoop Kid”
21. Lana Del Rey: “White Dress”
22. Morray: “Big Decisions”


Top 10 Albums of Q1 2021

01. Buck Meek: Two Saviors
02. Nana Yamato: Before Sunrise
03. Benny The Butcher: No Instructions
04. Sal Dulu: Xompulse
05. Payroll Giovanni & Cardo: Another Day Another Dollar
06. YUNGMORPHEUS & ewonee: Thumbing Thru Foliage
07. Guapdad 4000: 1176
08. Mogwai: As The Love Continues
09. Dretti Franks: Manga Wrld, Vol. 3
10. Curren$y: Collection Agency


Me, elsewhere…

Features

“Utterly Radical, Subversive and Alien”: The Untold Story of Irish Post-Punk (The Independent UK)

From The Lab: The Story of Om Hip-Hop (Wax Poetics)

Criticism

Hero vs. Villain: “I Wonder” (Passion of the Weiss)

Unbelievable: A Ranking of Every Biggie Smalls Track (Passion of the Weiss, partial)

A92’s Debut Mixtape 92 Degrees is Red-Hot Irish Drill (Dublin Inquirer)

On Nixer’s Homemade New Wave (Dublin Inquirer)

Sal Dulu Escapes Into Dreams (Dublin Inquirer)

Pharoahe Monch & Th1rt3eN: A Magnificent Day for an Exorcism (Pitchfork)

YUNGMORPHEUS / ewonee: Thumbing Thru Foliage (Pitchfork)

Various artists: J Jazz Volume 3: Deep Modern Jazz From Japan (Pitchfork)

The Best Reissues on Bandcamp: January/February 2021 (Bandcamp Daily)

Marcos Resende & Index: Marcos Resende & Index (Bandcamp Daily)

Ennio Morricone: I Due Evasi Di Sing Sing (Bandcamp Daily)

Bunny Scott: To Love Somebody (Bandcamp Daily)

Wau Wau Collectif: Yaral Sa Doom (Bandcamp Daily)

Guedra Guedra كدرة كدرة: Vexillology (Bandcamp Daily)