Music Tracking 2021

These are 2021 releases that I've taken note of, listed alphabetically by artist, with VA comps at the bottom. My grades, where available, are in brackets at the end of the line (stars in B+ range). Lines in blue indicate that I have a physical copy (albeit sometimes just a promo CDR); in green are records that I graded based on a Rhapsody stream or other such source. Most records have release dates and a brief generic note.

Unheard records are prioritized 0-3 (graded records are 4-5). The priotization is based subjectively on personal interests, reviews I've noticed, reviewers I particularly respect, what I know about the artists, etc. Roughly speaking: 0 is something I have no reason to consider (default page omits 0); 1 has been noted as having some cred somewhere; 2 is something I have some specific reason to search out; 3 is something I'll listen to ASAP.

Option selectors:

Genre switches (selection not implemented yet):

New Releases

  • Adeem the Artist: Cast Iron Pansexual (self-released) [03-05] - country [A-]
  • Lauren Alaina: Sitting Pretty on Top of the World (Mercury Nashville) [09-03] - country [B-]
  • Gary Allan: Ruthless (EMI Nashville) [06-25] - country [*]
  • American Aquarium: Slappers, Bangers, and Certified Twangers (Losing Side) [05-07] - country
  • Riddy Arman: Riddy Arman (La Honda) [10-09] - country [***]
  • Asleep at the Wheel: Half a Hundred Years (Home) [10-01] - country [A-]
  • Angela Autumn: Frontiers Woman (self-released) [06-04] - country [*]
  • The Barlow: Horseshoe Lounge () - country
  • Leah Blevins: First Time Feeling (Crabtree) [08-06] - country [*]
  • Jason Boland and the Stragglers: The Light Saw Me () - country
  • Pony Bradshaw: Calico Jim () - country
  • Bridge City Sinners: Unholy Hymns () - country
  • The Burner Band: Signs and Wonders () - country
  • Tre Burt: You, Yeah, You (Oh Boy) [08-27] - folk [**]
  • Garrett T Capps: I Love San Antone (Vinyl Ranch) [08-20] - country [***]
  • Brandi Carlile: In These Silent Days (Low Country Sound/Elektra) [10-01] - Americana [B]
  • Hayes Carll: You Get It All (Dualtone) [10-30] - country [A-]
  • Melissa Carper: Daddy's Country Gold (self-released) [03-19] - country [***]
  • Dillon Charmichael: Son of A (Riser House) - country
  • Melissa Carper: Daddy's Country Gold (self-released) [03-19] - country [***]
  • Cole Chaney: Mercy () - country
  • Eric Church: Heart (EMI Nashville) [04-16] - country [**]
  • Eric Church: & (EMI Nashville -EP) [04-20] - country
  • Eric Church: Soul (EMI Nashville) [04-23] - country [*]
  • Margo Cilker: Pohorylle (Loose) [11-05] - country [A-]
  • Kiely Connell: Camulet Queen (self-released) [11-12] - country [**]
  • Charley Crockett: 10 for Slim: Charley Crockett Sings James Hand (Son of Davy) [02-26] - country [**]
  • Charley Crockett: Music City USA (Son of Davy) [09-17] - country [***]
  • Rodney Crowell: Triage (RC1) [07-23] - country [***]
  • Jesse Daniel: Beyond These Walls (Die True) [07-30] - country [***]
  • Summer Dean: Bad Romantic () - country
  • Bo DePena: It's About to Get Western () - country
  • Silas J Dirge: The Poor Devil () - country
  • The Divorcees: Drop of Blood () - country
  • Bobby Dove: Hopeless Romantic (self-released) [02-12] - country [A-]
  • Hope Dunbar: Sweetheartland (self-released) [04-02] - country [***]
  • Hope Dunbar: You Let the Light In (self-released) [11-19] - country [**]
  • Jason Eady: To the Passage of Time () - country
  • Steve Earle & the Dukes: JT (New West) [01-04] - country [A-]
  • Vincent Neil Emerson: Vincent Neil Emerson (La Honda) [06-25] - country [A-]
  • Erin Enderlin: Barroom Mirrors EP (Black Crow Productions -EP) [10-14] - country [**]
  • Rory Feek: Gentle Man (Gaither Music Group) [06-18] - country [***]
  • Sierra Ferrell: Long Time Coming (Rounder) [08-20] - country [A-]
  • Conrad Fisher: Homemade () - country
  • Flatland Cavalry: Welcome to Countryland (self-released) [07-02] - country [*]
  • The Flatlanders: Treasure of Love (Rack 'Em) [07-09] - country [***]
  • Bela Fleck: My Bluegrass Heart (Renew) [09-10] - bluegrass [*]
  • Dori Freeman: Ten Thousand Roses (Blue Hens Music) [09-10] - country [*]
  • Charles Wesley Godwin: How the Mighty Fall (self-released) [11-05] - country [*]
  • Brock Gonyea: Where My Heart Is EP () - country
  • Mickey Guyton: Remember Her Name (Capitol Nashville) [09-24] - country [***]
  • Chapel Hart: The Girls Are Back in Town (self-released) [08-28] - country [*]
  • Courtney Hartman: Glade (Reckoner) [11-05] - folk
  • Walker Hayes: Country Stuff (Monument -EP) [06-04] - country [**]
  • Natalie Hemby: Pins and Needles (Fantasy) [10-08] - country [*]
  • Jack Ingram/Miranda Lambert/Jon Randall: The Marfa Tapes (RCA Nashville) [05-07] - country [***]
  • Alan Jackson: Where Have You Gone (EMI Nashville) [05-14] - country [***]
  • Wanda Jackson: Encore (Big Machine -EP) [08-30] - rockabilly [*]
  • Sarah Jarosz: Blue Heron Suite (Rounder) [05-07] - country
  • Cody Jinks: Mercy (Late August) [11-12] - country
  • Addison Johnson: Dark Side of the Mountain () - country
  • Cody Johnson: Human the Double Album (Cojo Music/Warner Nashville) [10-08] - country
  • Hannah Juanita: Hardliner () - country
  • Katie Jo: Pawn Shop Queen () - country
  • Toby Keith: Peso in My Pocket (Show Dog Nashville) [12-10] - country
  • Tim Kelly: Ride Through the Rain () - country
  • Jim Lauderdale: Hope (Yep Roc) [07-30] - country
  • Mac Leaphart: Music City Joke (self-released) [02-12] - country [A-]
  • Rob Leines: Blood, Sweat, and Beers (self-released) [03-18] - country [**]
  • Vivian Leva and Riley Calcagno: Vivian Leva and Riley Calcagno () - country
  • Lilli Lewis: Americana () - country
  • Lucero: When You Found Me () - country
  • Lucero: When You Found Me () - country
  • Loretta Lynn: Still Woman Enough (Legacy) [03-19] - country [A-]
  • Bill MacKay & Nathan Bowles: Keys (Drag City) [04-09] - bluegrass
  • Triston Marez: Triston Marez () - country
  • Charlie Marie: Ramble On (self-released) [05-07] - country [**]
  • Miko Marks & the Resurrectors: Our Country (Redtone) [03-26] - country [A-]
  • Miko Marks & the Resurrectors: Race Records (Redtone -EP) [10-01] - country [**]
  • Jimbo Mathus & Andrew Bird: These 13 (Wegawam Music/Southern Broadcast) [03-05] - country
  • Parker McCollum: Gold Chain Cowboy () - country
  • Noel McKay: Blue Blue Blue () - country
  • Lori McKenna: Christmas Is Right Here (C&N -EP) [11-19] - country [***]
  • James McMurtry: The Horses and the Hounds (New West) [08-20] - Americana [A-]
  • Shannon McNally: The Waylon Sessions (Compass) [05-28] - country
  • Michigan Rattlers: That Kind of Life () - country
  • Mike and the Moonpies: One to Grow On (Prairie Rose) [08-10] - country [*]
  • John R Miller: Depreciated (Rounder) [07-16] - alt-country [A-]
  • Drake Milligan: Drake Milligan (-EP) - country
  • Parker Millsap: Be Here Instead () [04-09] - country
  • Ashley Monroe: Rosegold (Mountainrose Sparrow) [04-30] - country [B]
  • Dallas Moore: The Rain () - country
  • Kacey Musgraves: Star-Crossed (MCA Nashville) [09-10] - country [**]
  • Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real: A Few Stars Apart (Fantasy) [06-11] - country rock
  • Willie Nelson: That's Life (Legacy) [02-26] - country [B]
  • Willie Nelson: The Willie Nelson Family (Legacy) [11-19] - country [B]
  • Jennifer Nettles: Always Like New () [06-25] - country
  • Elijah Ocean: Born Blue () - country
  • Dag Erik Ogsvold: Back Then () - country
  • Old Dominion: Time, Tequila & Therapy (Arista Nashville) - country
  • Caroline Parke: Pause and Pine (self-released) [07-22] - country [*]
  • Jeremy Parsons: Things to Come () - country
  • Carly Pearce: 29 (Big Machine -EP) [02-19] - country [***]
  • Carly Pearce: 29: Written in Stone (Big Machine) [09-17] - country [A-]
  • Pistol Annies: Hell of a Holiday (RCA Nashville) [10-22] - country
  • RaeLynn: Baytown (Round Here) [09-24] - country [***]
  • Jason Ringenberg: Rhinestoned (Courageous Chicken) [03-05] - country [**]
  • Emily Scott Robinson: American Siren (Oh Boy) [10-29] - folk [***]
  • Maggie Rose: Have a Seat () [08-20] - country
  • The Royal Hounds: A Whole Lot of Nothin' () - country
  • John Schneider: Truck On () - country
  • H Self: Broken Live On () - country
  • Red Shahan: Javelina () - contry
  • Elvie Shane: Backslider (Wheelhouse) [10-29] - country [*]
  • Amanda Shires: For Christmas (Silver Knife/Thirty Tigers) [11-12] - country
  • The Shootouts: Bullseye () - country
  • Kalie Shorr: I Got Here by Accident (Tmwrk -EP) [08-13] - country [A-]
  • Nick Shoulders: Home on the Rage () - country
  • Sturgill Simpson: The Ballad of Dood & Juanita (High Top Mountain -EP) [08-20] - country [**]
  • Nick Sizemore: Where the Lonesome Roam () - country
  • Canaan Smith: High Country Sound () - country
  • Connie Smith: The Cry of the Heart (Fat Possum) [08-20] - country [**]
  • Amy Speace With the Orphan Brigade: There Used to Be Horses Here (Proper/Wind Bone) [04-30] - singer-sogwriter
  • The Steel Woods: All of Your Stones (Thirty Tigers) [05-14] - country [B]
  • Storey Boys: Patterns () - country
  • Billy Strings: Renewal (Rounder) [09-24] - bluegrass [**]
  • Swamptooth: B-Flat Earth () - country
  • Travis Tritt: Set in Stone () - country
  • Tylor and the Train Robbers: Non-Typical Find () - country
  • Uncle Ben's Remedy: Easy Ways to Here () - country
  • Morgan Wade: Reckless (Ladylike) [03-19] - country [***]
  • Joshua Ray Walker: See You Next Time (State Fair) [10-08] - country [**]
  • Morgen Wallen: Dangerous: The Double Album (Big Loud/Republic) [01-08] - country
  • Tony Joe White: Smoke From the Chimney (Easy Eye Sound) [05-07] - country rock
  • Hailey Whitters: Living the Dream () - country
  • Lainey Wilson: Sayin' What I'm Thinkin' (Broken Bow) [02-19] - country [***]
  • Mose Wilson: Mose Wilson () - country
  • Jon Wolfe: Dos Corazones () - country
  • Charlie Worsham: Sugarcane (Warner Nashville) - country

Reissues, Etc.

  • Johnny Cash: Live at the Carousel Ballroom April 24 1968 (BMG) [06-29] - country
  • Frazey Ford: Indian Ocean (Nettwerk -14) [2014-10-14] - folk
  • Emmylou Harris and the Hot Band: Hot Night in Roslyn: 1976 Radio Broadcast Recording (Hobo) [03-11] - country [***]
  • Emmylou Harris and the Nash Ramblers: Ramble in Music City: The Lost Concert (1990, Nonesuch) [06-29] - country [**]
  • Buck Owens and His Buckaroos: I Wouldn't Live in New York City (Omnivore) - country
  • Elvis Presley: Elvis: Back in Nashville (1970-71, RCA/Legacy -4CD) [11-12] - country [B-]
  • Billy Joe Shaver & Kinky Friedman: Live Down Under (2002, Omnivore) [08-15] - country [**]
  • Randy Travis: Storms of Life [35th Anniversary Deluxe Edition] (Warner Nashville) [09-09] - country
  • Choctaw Ridge: New Fables of the American South 1968-1973 (Ace) [06-15] - country
  • Country Funk Volume III: 1975-1982 (Light in the Attic) - country
  • Now That's What I Call Music: Outlaw Country (NOW) [01-29] - country [***]
  • Turn Me Loose White Man (1900-60, Constant Sorrow, 30CD) - Americana [A]

Priority Counts

  • Priority 1: 69
  • Priority 2: 6
  • Priority 3: 0
  • Priority 4: 75
  • Priority 5: 1

Total: 151