KGNU's Top Albums of 2021

Top 100 Albums - 2021

1
Artist: Jon Batiste
Album: WE ARE
Label: Verve Label Group

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2
Artist: Cha Wa
Album: My People
Label: Single Lock Records

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3
Artist: Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio
Album: I Told You So
Label: Colemine Records

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4
Artist: Tim O'Brien
Album: He Walked On
Label: Howdy Skies Records

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5
Artist: Los Lobos
Album: Native Sons
Label: New West Records

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6
Artist: Maria Muldaur & Tuba Skinny
Album: Let's Get Happy Together
Label: Stony Plain

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7
Artist: St. Vincent
Album: Daddy's Home
Label: Loma Vista

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8
Artist: Cochemea
Album: Vol. 2: Baca Sewa
Label: Daptone Records

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9
Artist: Hot Texas Swing Band
Album: Devil on My Tail
Label: Hot Texas Swing Band

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10
Artist: Various Artists
Album: Alligator Records 50 Years of Genuine Houserockin' Music
Label: Alligator Records

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11
Artist: Rhiannon Giddens
Album: They're Calling Me Home (with Francesco Turrisi)
Label: Nonesuch

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12
Artist: Greg Schochet
Album: Amblin' Man
Label: Self Produced

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13
Artist: Sons Of Kemet
Album: Black To The Future
Label: Impulse!

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14
Artist: The Flatlanders
Album: Treasure Of Love (feat. Butch Hancock, Joe Ely & Jimmie Dale Gilmore)
Label: Rack 'Em Records

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15
Artist: El Michels Affair
Album: Yeti Season
Label: Big Crown Rwecords

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16
Artist: Wax Tailor
Album: The Shadow of Their Suns
Label: Lab'oratoire

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17
Artist: Babe Rainbow
Album: Changing Colours
Label: Eureka Music

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18
Artist: Dale Ann Bradley
Album: Things She Couldn't Get Over
Label: Pinecastle

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19
Artist: Steve Earle & The Dukes
Album: J.T.
Label: New West Records

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20
Artist: Angelique Kidjo
Album: Mother Nature
Label: Verve

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21
Artist: Lake Street Dive
Album: Obviously
Label: Nonesuch

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22
Artist: John Hiatt & Jerry Douglas
Album: Leftover Feelings
Label: New West Records

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23
Artist: Dumpstaphunk
Album: Where Do We Go From Here
Label: The Funk Garage

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24
Artist: Arlo Parks
Album: Collapsed In Sunbeams
Label: Transgressive

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25
Artist: Altin Gün
Album: Yol
Label: ATO Records

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26
Artist: Madlib
Album: Sound Ancestors
Label: Madlib Invasion

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27
Artist: Alostmen
Album: Kologo
Label: Strut Records

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28
Artist: Corey Ledet Zydeco
Album: Corey Ledet Zydeco
Label: Nouveau Electric Records

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29
Artist: Rising Appalachia
Album: The Lost Mystique Of Being In The Know
Label: Rising Appalachia

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30
Artist: Various Artists
Album: Greg Belson's Divine Funk
Label: Cultures of Soul

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31
Artist: Femi Kuti
Album: Stop The Hate
Label: PTKF

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32
Artist: José González
Album: Local Valley
Label: Mute/Imperial Recordings

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33
Artist: Guedra Guedra
Album: Vexillology
Label: On The Corner

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34
Artist: Django Django
Album: Glowing In The Dark
Label: Because Music

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35
Artist: Willie Nelson
Album: That's Life
Label: Sony

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36
Artist: Various
Album: I’ll Be Your Mirror: A Tribute To The Velvet Underground & Nico
Label: Verve

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37
Artist: Sarah Jarosz
Album: Blue Heron Suite
Label: Rounder

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38
Artist: Bacao Rhythm & Steel Band
Album: Expansions
Label: Big Crown Records

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39
Artist: Amy Helm
Album: What The Flood Leaves Behind
Label: Rough Trade

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40
Artist: Dan McCorison
Album: Me and Les
Label: Musikode Records

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41
Artist: Southern Culture On the Skids
Album: At Home with Southern Culture on the Skids
Label: Kudzu Records

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42
Artist: Various Artists
Album: Rough Guide to the Best Japanese Music You've Never Heard
Label: World Music Network

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43
Artist: Samba Touré
Album: Binga
Label: Glitterbeat

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44
Artist: Arooj Aftab
Album: Vulture Prince
Label: New Amsterdam

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45
Artist: Durand Jones & The Indications
Album: Private Space
Label: Colemine

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46
Artist: Kondi Band
Album: We Famous
Label: Strut Records

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47
Artist: Sierra Ferrell
Album: Long Time Coming
Label: Rounder

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48
Artist: Various Artists
Album: Habibi Funk: An Eclectic Selection Of Music From The Arab World (Part 2) (Habibi Funk 015)
Label: Habibi Funk

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49
Artist: Chris Daniels & Hazel Miller
Album: What We Did (Live)
Label: Blind Raccoon

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50
Artist: Various Artists
Album: Club Coco
Label: Bongo Joe

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51
Artist: Leftover Salmon
Album: Brand New Good Old Days
Label: Compass Records

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52
Artist: Crystal Thomas
Album: Now Dig This (feat. Lucky Peterson, Chuck Rainey & The Moeller Brothers)
Label: Dialtone Records

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53
Artist: Tony Allen
Album: There Is No End
Label: Decca Records

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54
Artist: Nick Waterhouse
Album: Promenade Blue
Label: Promenade Blue

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55
Artist: Omar Sosa
Album: An East African Journey
Label: Ota Records

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56
Artist: Judith Hill
Album: Baby, I'm Hollywood!
Label: Regime Music Group

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57
Artist: Leon Bridges
Album: Gold-Diggers Sound
Label: Columbia

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58
Artist: King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard
Album: Butterfly 3000
Label: KGLW

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59
Artist: Jaguar
Album: Madremonte
Label: Jaguar

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60
Artist: Nahawa Doumbia
Album: Kanawa
Label: Awesome Tapes From Africa

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61
Artist: Various Artists
Album: Rough Guide to the Roots of Jazz
Label: World Music Network

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62
Artist: Béla Fleck
Album: My Bluegrass Heart
Label: BMG

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63
Artist: Amythyst Kiah
Album: Wary + Strange
Label: Rounder

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64
Artist: Le Super Mojo & Pat Kalla
Album: Hymne à La Vie
Label: Pure Vida Sounds

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65
Artist: Chris Thile
Album: Laysongs
Label: Nonesuch

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66
Artist: Hailu Mergia & The Walias
Album: Tezeta
Label: Awesome Tapes From

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67
Artist: Yola
Album: Stand For Myself
Label: Easy Eye Sound

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68
Artist: Comorian
Album: We Are An Island, But We're Not Alone
Label: Glitterbeat

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69
Artist: The Bamboos
Album: Hard Up
Label: BMG

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70
Artist: Wau Wau Collectif
Album: Yaral Sa Doom
Label: Sahel Sounds

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71
Artist: Prince
Album: Welcome 2 America
Label: SMG

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72
Artist: Rachel Magoola
Album: Resilience: Songs of Uganda
Label: Arc Music

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73
Artist: Valerie June
Album: The Moon And Stars: Prescriptions For Dreamers
Label: Fantasy

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74
Artist: Tune-Yards
Album: Sketchy.
Label: 4AD

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75
Artist: Monsieur Doumani
Album: Pissourin
Label: Glitterbeat

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76
Artist: Christone "Kingfish" Ingram
Album: 662
Label: Alligator Records

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77
Artist: Orchestre Tout Puissant Marcel Duchamp
Album: We're OK. But We're Lost Anyway.
Label: Bongo Joe

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78
Artist: Tony Joe White
Album: Smoke From The Chimney
Label: Easy Eye Sound

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79
Artist: Secret Six Jazz Band
Album: Secret Six
Label: Secret Six

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80
Artist: Venezonix
Album: La Que Es
Label: National Records

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81
Artist: Hiatus Kaiyote
Album: Mood Valiant
Label: Brainfeeder

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82
Artist: King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard
Album: L.W.
Label: KGLW

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83
Artist: Aaron Frazer
Album: Introducing...
Label: Dead Oceans

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84
Artist: Tommy Guerrero
Album: Sunshine Radio
Label: Octave Lab

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85
Artist: Rodrigo Amarante
Album: Drama
Label: Polyvinyl Records

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86
Artist: Shannon McNally
Album: The Waylon Sessions
Label: Compass Records

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87
Artist: Tia Carroll
Album: You Gotta Have It
Label: Little Village

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88
Artist: Allison Russell
Album: Outside Child
Label: Fantasy

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89
Artist: Ben Aylon
Album: Xalam
Label: Riverboat

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90
Artist: Melissa Carper
Album: Daddy's Country Gold
Label: Self Produced

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91
Artist: Orchard Creek Band
Album: Walk In The Woods - EP
Label: Self Produced

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92
Artist: Elizabeth King & The Gospel Souls
Album: Living In The Last Days
Label: Bible & Tire

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93
Artist: KillaBeatMaker
Album: Matiela Suto - Colombian Singles Series Vol 2
Label: Galletas Calientas Records

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94
Artist: Samantha Fish
Album: Faster
Label: Rounder

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95
Artist: Menahan Street Band
Album: The Exciting Sounds of Menahan Street Band
Label: Daptone

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96
Artist: Della Mae
Album: Family Reunion
Label: Della Mae

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97
Artist: Ida Red
Album: Harmony Grits
Label: Self Produced

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98
Artist: Dry Cleaning
Album: New Long Leg
Label: 4AD

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99
Artist: Hot Mustard
Album: Mother Sauce
Label: Color Red Records

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100
Artist: Hiss Golden Messenger
Album: Quietly Blowing It
Label: Merge Records

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