Our team of writers and contributors have a diverse taste. While the main "Year in Review" feature was picked almost entirely by the Post-Trash editors, we wanted to give all of our contributors a chance to pick their favorite releases, regardless if the records are covered on our site or not. Every contributor who wrote in 2021 was invited to pick their personal top 20 records of the year and points were assigned based on rank. An album picked at #1 was given 20 points while an album selected at #20 was awarded a single point and so on. Our contributors' tastes range outside that of our editors, but there's also a connection to this particular site's vision at times. With 17 of our writers submitting their votes, we had 245 different records nominated (which means there wasn’t a terrible amount of general consensus) and only the top three records received a score of sixty or higher.
We're happy to present "Post-Trash's Best of 2021: Staff Picks" as voted by the entire team (with each individual contributor lists below). There were a ton of ties throughout, so editors provided the tie breakers. We hope you enjoy.
AMY ROWE:
1. L’Rain - Fatigue
2. Turnstile - Glow On
3. Floatie - Voyage Out
4. Indigo De Souza - Any Shape You Take
5. Spirit of the Beehive - Entertainment, Death
6. Snail Mail - Valentine
7. Danny L Harle - Harlecore
8. Mannequin Pussy - Perfect
9. Pile - Songs Known Together, Alone
10. Clairo - Sling
11. Deafheaven - Infinite Granite
12. Dean Blunt - Black Metal 2
13. Tyler, The Creator - Call Me If You Get Lost
14. Backxwash - I Lie Here Buried With My Rings and My Dresses
15. Japanese Breakfast - Jubilee
16. Olivia Rodrigo - Sour
17. Dawn Richard - Second Line
18. Low - Hey What
19. Dry Cleaning - New Long Leg
20. Wiki - Half God
BENJI HEYWOOD:
1. Floating Points, Pharoah Sanders, & the London Symphonic Orchestra - Promises
2. Low - HEY WHAT
3. Japanese Breakfast - Jubilee
4. Squid - Bright Green Field
5. Lucy Dacus - Home Video
6. SPIRIT OF THE BEEHIVE - ENTERTAINMENT, DEATH
7. Boldly James & the Alchemist - Bo Jackson
8. Rachika Nayar - Our Hands Against the Dusk
9. Floatie - Voyage Out
10. Cassandra Jenkins - An Overview on Phenomenal Nature
11. Arooj Aftab - Vulture Prince
12. Bachelor - Doomin’ Sun
13. Tyler, the Creator - Call Me If You Get Lost
14. Black Country, New Road - For the First Time
15. Maxo Kream - WEIGHT OF THE WORLD
16. Wednesday - Twin Plagues
17. Deyssi - $273.96
18. Pino Palladino / Blake Mills - Notes with Attachments
19. Tha God Fahim & Your Old Droog - Tha Wolf on Wall St
20. Dummy - Mandatory Enjoyment
CHARLES DAVIS:
1. Mach-Hommy - Pray For Haiti
2. Shannon And The Clams - Year Of The Spider
3. Mdou Moctar - Afrique Victime
4. Big|Brave & The Body - Leaving None But Small Birds
5. Pharoah Sanders/ Floating Points/ London Symphonic Orchestra - Promises
6. João de Sousa/ Bastarda - Fado
7. Taqbir - Taqbir
8. Big|Brave - Vital
9. Your Old Droog & Tha God Fahim - Tha YOD Fahim
10. Beach House - Once Twice Melody
11. Mr Softee - If It Rains
12. Jaubi - Nafs At Peace
13. Armand Hammer & The Alchemist - Haram
14. Les Filles de Illighadad - At Pioneer Works
15. Sons Of Klemet - Black To The Future
16. Sun Organ - Portal
17. Crimeapple & DJ Muggs - Cartagena
18. Nala Sinephro - Space 1.8
19. Tha God Fahim & Nicholas Craven - Shot Clock King 1 & 2
20. Juçara Marçal - Delta Estácio Blues
corey sustarich:
1. Ovlov - Buds
2. Hotline TNT - Nineteen In Love
3. Shame - Drunk Tank Pink
4. Poision Ruïn - Poision Ruïn
5. Snooper - Snooper
6. FACS - Present Tense
7. Kneeling In Piss - Types of Cults
8. Spirit of the Beehive - ENTERTAINMENT, DEATH
9. Dog Date - Child’s Play
10. Smirk - LP
11. Liquid Mike - Stuntman
12. Lil Ugly Mane - volcanic bird enemy and the voiced concern
13. Julie - pushing daisies
14. The Chives - The Chives
15. Dry Cleaning - New Long Leg
16. Human Skull - Spent
17. Dazy - MAXIMUMBLASTSUPERLOUD: The First 24 Songs
18. Pretty Sick - Come Down
19. Low - HEY WHAT
20. Erik Nervous - Bugs!! LP
DAN GOLDIN*:
1. Helvetia - Essential Aliens
2. Goat Girl - On All Fours
3. Yautja - The Lurch
4. Fake Fruit - Fake Fruit
5. Mach-Hommy - Pray For Haiti
6. Squid - Bright Green Field
7. Packs - Take The Cake
8. Tha God Fahim & Your Old Droog - Tha Wolf On Wall St
9. Low - Hey What
10. Nolan Potter - Music Is Dead
11. Water From Your Eyes - Structure
12. Big|Brave - Vital
13. Dummy - Mandatory Enjoyment
14. Tropical Fuck Storm - Deep States
15. Christian Fitness - Hip Gone Gunslingers
16. Renée Reed - Renée Reed
17. Lysol - Soup For My Family
18. Gatecreeper - An Unexpected Reality
19. McKinley Dixon - For My Mama And Anyone Who Look Like Her
20. Deerhoof - Actually, You Can
dash lewis:
1. Armand Hammer & The Alchemist - Haram
2. Low - HEY WHAT
3. Mach-Hommy - Pray for Haiti / Balens Cho
4. Isaiah Rashad - The House is On Fire
6. Boldy James & The Alchemist - Bo Jackson
7. Injury Reserve - By The Time I Get To Phoenix
8. Smoke Bellow - Open for Business
9. Nala Sinephro - Space 1.8
10. Semiratruth - I Got Bandz for the MoonLandin'
11. The War on Drugs - I Don’t Live Here Anymore
12. Steel Tipped Dove - Call Me When You’re Outside
13. Lukah - WHY LOOK UP, GOD’S IN THE MIRROR
14. Nation of Language - A Way Forward
15. Defcee & Messiah Musik - Trapdoor
16. Christina Chatfield - Sutro
17. Cities Aviv - The Crashing Sound of How It Goes
18. Maxo Kream - THE WEIGHT OF THE WORLD
19. J.R.C.G. - Ajo Sunshine
20. Elori Saxl - The Blue of Distance
delia rainey:
1. Helvetia - Essential Aliens
2. Wednesday - Twin Plagues
3. Chad VanGaalen - World’s Most Stressed Out Gardener
4. Mega Bog - Life, And Another
5. Moontype - Bodies of Water
6. Mia Joy - Spirit Tamer
7. Spirits Having Fun - Two
8. Renée Reed - Renée Reed
9. @ - Mind Palace Music
10. Fievel is Glauque - God’s Trashmen Sent to Right the Mess
11. Palberta - Palberta5000
12. Floatie - Voyage Out
13. Yves Tumor - The Asymptotical World
14. Dummy - Mandatory Enjoyment
15. Vanishing Twin - Ookii Gekkou
16. Squirrel Flower - Planet (i)
17. Grouper - Shade
18. Ovlov - Buds
19. Porches - All Day Gentle Hold !
20. Izzy True - Our Beautiful Baby World
JEFF YERGER:
1. The War on Drugs - I Don't Live Here Anymore
2. Deafheaven - Infinite Granite
3. Japanese Breakfast - Jubilee
4. Iceage - Seek Shelter
5. Shame - Drunk Tank Pink
6. UV-TV - Always Something
7. New Pagans - The Seed, The Vessel, The Roots and All
8. CHVRCHES - Screen Violence
9. Church Girls - Still Blooms
10. Tyler, The Creator - CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST
11. Loose Buttons - What's On Outside
12. Mannequin Pussy - Perfect EP
13. Parquet Courts - Sympathy for Life
14. Spiritual Cramp - Here Comes More Bad News EP
15. Adult Mom - Driver
16. Wild Pink - A Billion Little Lights
17. The Weather Station - Ignorance
18. The Vaughns - rom coms + take out EP
19. Miranda Lambert - The Marfa Tapes
20. Eric Church - Soul
JOE GUTIERREZ:
1. Styrofoam Winos- Styrofoam Winos
2. Maxine Funke- Seance
3. Wendy Eisenberg- Bent Ring
4. Trevor Nikrant- Tall Ladders
5. Buck Meek- Two Saviors
6. Marina Allen- Candlepower
7. Florry- Big Fall
8. Fievel is Glauque- God’s Trashmen Sent to Right the Mess
9. Cassandra Jenkins- An Overview on Phenomenal Nature
10. BRNDA- Do You Like Salt?
11. Al Riggs- I Got A Big Electric Fan To Keep Me Cool While I Sleep
12. Michael Cormier- More Light!!
13. Norma Jean Haynes- Mothers & Daughters
14. Mega Bog- Life, and Another
15. Mo Troper- Dilettante
16. Lily Konigsberg- Lily We Need To Talk Now
17. The Weather Station- Ignorance
18. Spirits Having Fun- Two
19. Floating Room- Shima
20. Media Jeweler- The Sublime Sculpture of Being Alive
matt watton:
1. Floatie – Voyage Out
2. Black Country, New Road – For the first time
3. Kiwi Jr – Cooler Returns
4. Babehoven – Nastavi, Calliope
5. Fake Fruit – Fake Fruit
6. Rosali – No Medium
7. Lou Barlow – Reason to Live
8. The Goon Sax – Mirror II
9. Parquet Courts – Sympathy for Life
10. Wednesday – Twin Plague
11. Amyl and the Sniffers – Comfort to Me
12. Black Midi - Cavalcade
13. Mdou Moctar – Afrique Victime
14. Silicone Prairie – My Life on the Silicone Prairie
15. Motorists – Surrounded
16. Palberta – Palberta 5000
17, Goat Girl – On All Fours
18. Mother Tongues – Everything You Wanted
19. Sleaford Mods – Spare Ribs
20. Dorothea Pass – Anything Can’t Happen
matty mcpherson:
1. Senyawa - Alkisah
2. Mega Bog - Life, and Another
3. aya - I'm hole
4. ---__--___ - The Heart Pumps Kool-Aid
5. Matt Sweeney & Bonnie "Prince" Billy - Superwolves
6. FACS - Present Tense
7. Black Dresses - Forever in Your Heart
8. Lucy Liyou - Practice
9. Alexalone - Alexaloneworld
10. Black Midi - Calvacade
11. Amulets - Blooming
12. Claire Rousay - A softer focus
13. Rachika Nayar - Our Hands Against the Dusk
14. Dry Cleaning - New Long Leg
15. Fire-Toolz - Eternal Home
16. Mdou Moctar - Afrique Victime
17. Pixel Grip - Arena
18. Nick Zanca - Cacerolazo
19. Home is Where - I Became Birds
20. Mj Guider - Temporary Requiem: A mass for dance
NICK WEBBER:
1. Ben Seretan - Cicada Waves
2. Middle Kids - Today We’re the Greatest
3. Wild Pink - A Billion Little Lights
4. Hovvdy - True Love
5. Thrice - Horizons / East
6. Yasmin Williams - Urban Driftwood
7. Julien Baker - Little Oblivions
8. ‘68 - Give One, Take One
9. The Goodbye Party - Stray Sparks
10. Snail Mail - Valentine
11. Cloud Nothings - The Shadow I Remember
12. Foxing - Draw Down the Moon
13. Camp Trash - Downtiming
14. Home is Where - I Became Birds
15. Sun June - Somewhere
16. Porter Robinson - Nurture
17. Illuminati Hotties - Let Me Do One More
18. Indigo De Souza - Any Shape You Take
19. Kowloon Walled City - Piecework
20. Blessed - iii
patrick pilch:
1. Erika de casier - sensational
2. The Deals - Clear and Severe
3. Yalc Nitsua Mailliw - YNM 2
4. Mike - Disco!
5. Matt Norman - Thoughtless
6. Liska - Jupiter EP
7. DJ Manny - Signals in my Head
8. Nina Ryser - Paths of Color
9. Nyxy Nyx - live at haus of yarga
10. Options - On the Draw
11. Ben Lamar Gay - Open Arms to Open Us
12. Takeshi Kouzuki - Sabage
13. This is Lorelei - Bad Forever
14. d'eon - Rhododendron
15. Lily Konigsberg - Lily we need to talk now
16. Loraine James - Reflection
17. Floatie - Voyage Out
18. C Joynes - Poor Boy on the Wire
19. Olivia W-B - minis
20. Takeshi Kouzuki - Sabage
sabrina cofer:
1. Olivia Rodrigo - SOUR
2. Lucy Dacus - Home Video
3. Adult Mom - Driver
4. Indigo De Souza - Any Shape You Take
5. Japanese Breakfast - Jubilee
6. Pom Pom Squad - Death of a Cheerleader
7. Bachelor - Doomin' Sun
8. Katy Kirby - Cool Dry Place
9. IAN SWEET - Show Me How You Disappear
10. The Knife Kickers - Where Does All the Dust Come From?
11. Hand Habits - Fun House
12. Mia Joy - Spirit Tamer
13. Aly & AJ - a touch of the beat gets you up on your feet gets you out and then into the sun
14. Ovlov - Buds
15. Skirts - Great Big Wild Oak
16. Dijon - Absolutely
17. Lala Lala - I Want The Door To Open
18. Remember Sports - Like a Stone
19. Rosie Tucker - Sucker Supreme
20. Hana Vu - Public Storage
SAM JENNINGS:
1. The Weather Station - Ignorance
2. Lightning Bug - A Color of the Sky
3. Dry Cleaning - New Long Leg
4. Nala Sinephro - Space 1.8
5. Japanese Breakfast - Jubilee
6. Big Thief - Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You 2021 singles
7. Spirit of the Beehive - ENTERTAINMENT, DEATH
8. Ada Lea - one hand on the steering wheel the other sewing a garden
9. Jonny Greenwood - Spencer (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
10. Skullcrusher - Storm in Summer EP
11. Clairo - Sling
12. Yu Su - Yellow River Blue
13. India Jordan - Watch Out! EP
14. Arooj Aftab - Vulture Prince
15. Grouper - Shade
16. Faye Webster - I Know I’m Funny haha
17. L’Rain - Fatigue
18. Mach-Hommy - Pray for Haiti
19. Indigo De Souza - Any Shape You Take
20. Olivia Rodrigo - Sour
scott yohe:
1. The Notwist - Vertigo Days
2. RAP Ferreira - the Light Emitting Diamond Cutter Sculptures
3. La Luz - La Luz
4. Full of Hell - Garden of Burning Apparitions
5. The Weather Station - Ignorance
6. Water From Your Eyes - Structure
7. Sinwat - Sinwat
8. Home is Where - I became Birds
9. IDLES - Crawler
10. Courtney Barnett - Things Take time, take time
11. Mister Goblin - Four People in and elevator and one of them is the devil
12. Upper Wilds - Venus
13. Ovlov - Buds
14. Angel Olsen - Aisles
15. Parquet Courts - Sympathy for Life
16. A Great Big Pile of Leaves - Pono
17. Frat Mouse - Plywood
18. Goat Girl - On all Fours
19. Black Country New Road - Black Country New Road
20. Widowspeak - HoneyChurch
Zach Zollo:
1. Alien Boy - Don't Know What I Am
2. Hoorsees - Hoorsees
3. Whiner - Peace Out Cruel World
4. Japanese Breakfast - Jubilee
5. Turnstile - GLOW ON
6. Pom Pom Squad - Death of a Cheerleader
7. Sports Coach - Limitations
8. Birthday Ass - Head of the Household
9. Toner - White Buffalo Roam
10. Vanishing Twin - Ookii Gekkou
11. Spirit of the Beehive - ENTERTAINMENT, DEATH
12. The Armed - ULTRAPOP
13. Erika de Casier - Sensational
14. Mo Troper - Dilettante
15. Magdalena Bay - Mercurial World
16. Cloud Nothings - The Shadow I Remember
17. Chad VanGaalen - World's Most Stressed Out Gardener
18. Origami Angel - GAMI GANG
19. Amyl and the Sniffers - Comfort To Me
20. Pino Palladino - Notes with Attachments
* The Top 20 list taken into consideration for the staff pick total included bands from Dan’s own label (Exploding In Sound). In the interest of not publicly ranking the label’s own releases, the list submitted here contains their favorite albums without inclusion of any EIS artists.