We’ve been asking artists what their favorite albums of 2021 are, and here’s a roundup of lists from bands on Fat Wreck Chords, including label co-founder (and NOFX frontman) Fat Mike, Good Riddance, Western Addiction, Night Birds, Bad Cop/Bad Cop, and Useless ID…
Russ Rankin (Good Riddance)
John Carpenter – Lost Themes III: Alive After Death
The Hold Steady – Open Door Policy
Billy Bragg – The Million Things That Never Happened
The Alarm – War
The Killers – Pressure Machine
NOFX – Single Album
Dropkick Murphys – Turn Up That Dial
Joey Cape – A Good Year To Forget
Descendents – 9th & Walnut
Bleachers – Take The Sadness Out Of Saturday Night
Bad Cop/Bad Cop
Descendents – 9th & Walnut
Neighborhood Brats – Confines of Life
Amyl and the Sniffers – Comfort to Me
The Muslims – F**k These F****n Fascists
Matt Caskitt & The Breaks – Welcome Home
Authority Zero – The Back Nine
Viagra Boys – Welfare Jazz
Sam Coffey and the Iron Lungs – Real One
Shannon and the Clams – Year of the Spider
Gil, Migs and Rog – Riddim Business, Vol. 2
We Are The Union – Ordinary Life
NOFX – Single Album
Brian Gorsegner (Night Birds)
I feel strongly that I missed something, but in no particular order here are records I very much enjoyed in 2021.
Neighborhood Brats- Confines of Life (Dirt Cult)
Marissa Paternoster- Peace Meter (Don Giovanni)
Generacion Suicida- Regeneracion (Going Underground)
The Ergs!- Time and the Season EP (Dirtnap)
Turnstile- Glow On (Roadrunner)
Chain Whip- Two Step To Hell (Neon Taste)
White Stains- Blood On The Beach (Neon Taste)
Descendents- 9Th And Walnut (Epitaph)
The Worst- The Worst Of The Worst (re-issue) (Radio Raheem)
Colleen Green- Cool (Hardly Art)
Fat Mike
1. Best Record I produced: Codefendants
2. Second best record I produced: Sitting on Stacy
3. Best Rapper I produced: DOC
4. Coolest person I had dinner with: Paul Williams
5. Best Fat Mike’s Fat Mic podcast I did: Sean Whalen from Twister
6. Best new NOFX song: Everybody Else is Insane
7. Best Video I’d never seen before: The Bronx first video
8. Best place to buy latex: Rubber Eva
9. Best TV series: The Atlantic Crossing
10: Best book I read: The Bonobo Way by Dr Susan Block
Jason Hall (Western Addiction)
I have a tie for #1 this year…
1. Massage – Still Life
1. Spectral Wound – A Diabolic Thirst
The rest in no particular order…
Tele Novella – Merlynn Belle
The Killers – Pressure Machine
The Bronx – Bronx VI
Nation of Language – A Way Forward
Cerebral Rot – Excretion of Mortality
Sierra Ferrell – Long Time Coming
Amyl and the Sniffers – Comfort to Me
Mortiferum – Preserved in Torment
Honorable Mentions:
Brandi Carlile – In these Silent Days
Dry Cleaning – New Long Leg
Esther Rose – How Many Times
Idles – Crawler
La Luz – La Luz
Lamp of Murmuur – Submission and Slavery
Lord Huron – Long Lost
Margo Cilker – Pohorylle
Natalie Bergman – Mercy
Pokey LaFarge – Manic Revelations
Snails – Hard-Wired
Succumb – XXI
The Brother Brothers – Calla Lilly
The Reds, Pinks and Purples – Uncommon Weather
Tribulation – Where the Gloom Becomes Sound
Wet Leg – “Chaise Lounge,” “Wet Dream”
Read Jason’s commentary on each pick HERE.
Yotam Ben Horin (Useless ID)
Turnstile – Glow On
The Wildhearts – 21st Century Love Songs
Clairo – Sling
Down By Law – Lonely Town
Weezer – Van Weezer
The Last Gang – Noise Noise Noise
Descendents – 9th & Walnut
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Fat Wreck Chords vinyl available in our store. Read more year-end lists here.