Best of 2021: DJ and Staff Picks

Hungry for more? Dig into 2021’s personal favorites from KCRW Music’s genre experts, airwave curators, and, of course, our listeners — because, let's be real, one list can’t cover it all.

More Best Of 2021:

The 21 Best Albums of 2021 | The 21 Best Songs of 2021 | 2021 Breakthrough Artist 
The Top 10 Books of 2021 | The Best Food Books of 2021


The Top 10 Today's Top Tunes of 2021

Listeners’ most played tracks from KCRW’s weekday download of standout songs, including advance releases, exclusive live tracks, remixes, and intros to new artists on our radar, as curated by Morning Becomes Eclectic Executive Producer Ariana Morgenstern. 

  1. Tears for Fears — “The Tipping Point”
  2. Nathaniel Rateliff — “Redemption”
  3. Alex Cuba — “Mundo Nuevo” (feat. Lila Downs)
  4. Christone "Kingfish" Ingram — “662”
  5. k.d. lang & Orville Peck — “Miss Chatelaine” (Iron Hoof Remix)
  6. Jack White — “Taking Me Back”
  7. The Wallflowers — “Roots and Wings”
  8. Ben Harper & Ziggy Marley — “Spin It Faster” 
  9. Hiatus Kaiyote — “Get Sun” (feat. Arthur Verocai)
  10. Tycho & Benjamin Gibbard — “Only Love”

DJ and Staff Lists


Tyler Boudreaux | Novena Carmel | Raul Campos | Ro “Wyldeflower” Contreras | Scott Dallavo | Andrea Domanick | Chris Douridas   
LeRoy Downs | José Galvan | Francesca Harding | Marion Hodges | Travis Holcombe | Jason Kramer | Anne Litt   
John Moses | Nassir Nassirzadeh | SiLVA | Jeremy Sole | Anthony Valadez | Valida | 
  Myke Dodge Weiskopf | Dan Wilcox


Anne Litt
Program Director for Music, DJ

Albums

  • Arlo Parks – “Collapsed In Sunbeams”
  • St Vincent – “Daddy’s Home”
  • Gabriels – “Love and Hate in a Different Time”
  • La Femme – “Paradigmes”
  • Mia Doi Todd – “Music Life”
  • Little Simz – “Sometimes I Might Be Introvert”
  • Dry Cleaning – “New Long Leg”
  • Cleo Sol – “Mother”
  • Celeste – “Not Your Muse”
  • Yola – “Stand For Myself”
  • Nation of Language – “A Way Forward” 

Songs 

  • Wet Leg – “Chaise Longue”
  • Elohim & Big Freedia – “Strut”
  • Little Simz feat. Cleo Sol – “Woman” 
  • John Mayer – “Wild Blue”
  • Sault – “Bitter Streets”
  • Stephen Sanchez – “Hold Her While You Can”
  • Serpentwithfeet – “Fellowship”
  • Cleo Sol – “23”
  • James Blake – “Say What You Will”
  • Lady Blackbird –  “Collage”


Travis Holcombe
FREAKS ONLY Host, DJ 

Albums

  • La Femme – “Paradigmes”
  • Alice Phoebe Lou – “Glow”
  • Nation Of Language – “A Way Forward”
  • Elke – “No Pain For Us Here”
  • Dry Cleaning – “New Long Leg”
  • Bruiser Wolf – “Dope Game Stupid”
  • Bicep – “Isles”
  • Arlo Parks – “Collapsed in Sunbeams”
  • VA – “Back Up: Mexican Tecno Pop 1980–1989”
  • VA – “Habibi Funk: An Eclectic Selection of Music From The Arab World Part 2”

Songs

  • Eddington Again – "Core 22"
  • Wet Leg – "Chaise Longue"
  • Viagra Boys – "Creatures" (Someone's Great Version)
  • Nation of Language – "This Fractured Mind"
  • Overmono – "BMW Track"
  • Overmono – "So U Kno"
  • Movulango – "Leave"
  • Helado Negro – "Outside The Outside"
  • Yuma Abe – "Omaemo"
  • Burial – "Dark Gethsemane"


Anthony Valadez
Morning Becomes Eclectic Co-Host, DJ 

Albums

  • Cleo Sol — “Mother” 
  • Kalabrese — “Let Rumpel Part 1” 
  • Clairo — “Sling” 
  • Helado Negro — “Far In”
  • Tyler The Creator — “Call Me If You Get Lost” 
  • St. Vincent — “Daddy’s Home” 
  • Wayne Snow — “Figurine”
  • Coco O. — “Gwen” 
  • Cola Boy — “Prosthetic Boombox”
  • Mathieu Boogaerts — “En Anglais”
  • Pale Jay — “Celestial Suite”  

Songs

  • Jorge Drexler — “Tocarte”
  • Clairo — “Amoeba” 
  • Iman Houssein — “Show Them” 
  • Duendita — “Bio”
  • Mathieu Boogaerts — “Am I Crazy”
  • Moses Sumney — “Can’t Believe It” 
  • Gabriel Rios — “El Ratón” 
  • Omar Apollo feat Kali Uchi — “Bad Life”
  • Sault — “Alcohol”
  • BARDO — “Neon Light” 


Chris Douridas
Eclectic24 Programming Curator, DJ

Albums

  • Gabriels – “Love and Hate in a Different Time / Bloodline”
  • Meskerem Mees – “Julius”
  • L'Rain – “Fatigue”
  • Polo & Pan – “Cyclorama”
  • Little Simz – “Sometimes I Might Be Introvert”
  • Clairo – “Sling”
  • Viagra Boys – “Welfare Jazz”
  • Arooj Aftab –  “Vulture Prince”
  • The Marias – “Cinema”
  • Gilligan Moss – “Gilligan Moss”

Songs 

  • Lakou Mizik – "Ogou (Pran Ka Mwen)"
  • Wet Leg – "Chaise Longue"
  • Billie Eilish – "Your Power"
  • John Mayer – "Wild Blue"
  • Cleo Sol – "23"
  • The Marias – "Hush"
  • Yebba – "October Sky"
  • Silk Sonic – "Leave the Door Open"
  • Jensen McRae – "Dead Girl Walking"
  • Finneas – "That's What They'll Say About Us"


Novena Carmel
Morning Becomes Eclectic Co-Host, DJ

Albums

  • Hiatus Kaiyote — "Mood Valiant"
  • Dry Cleaning — "New Long Leg"
  • Genesis Owusu — "Smiling With No Teeth"
  • Faye Webster — "I Know I'm Funny haha"
  • Brittany Howard — "Jaime Reimagined"
  • Brijean — "Feelings"
  • Helado Negro — "Far In"
  • Dina ögon — "Dina ögon"
  • Arlo Parks — "Collapsed in Sunbeams"
  • Tyler, The Creator — "Call Me If You Get Lost"


Songs

  • Serpentwithfeet — “Fellowship”
  • Nick Hakim & Roy Nathanson — “Moonman”
  • Little Simz feat Obongjayar — “Point and Kill” 
  • Charlotte Adigéry & Bolis Pupil — “Thank You”
  • foodman feat Cotto Center — “Sanbashi” 
  • Joy Orbison feat Lea Sean — “better” f/ Lea Sen
  • Yola — “Diamond Studded Shoes”
  • Albertine Sarges — “Free Today”
  • Sault — “London Gangs”
  • Jungle — “Keep Moving”


Raul Campos
Global Beat: Australia Host, DJ

Albums

  • Flight Facilities – “Forever”
  • Cleo Sol – “Mother”
  • James Blake – “Friends That Break Your Heart”
  • Durand Jones & The Indications – “Private Space”
  • Sampology – “Regrowth”
  • Brittany Howard – “Jaime Reimagined”
  • Arlo Parks – “Collapsed In Sunbeams”
  • Jose Gonzalez – “Local Valley”
  • Juanes – “Origen”
  • Leon Bridges – “Gold–Diggers Sound”

Songs

  • Gabriels – “Blame”
  • Rufus Du Sol – “On My Knees”
  • Hector Morlet – “Picture Frame”
  • Moby feat. Gregory Porter & Amythyst Kiah – “Natural Blues”
  • Helado Negro – “Outside The Outside”
  • Sault – “Bitter Streets”
  • The Marias – “Hush”
  • Genesis Owusu – “Gold Chains/Don't Need You”
  • Yola – “Stand For Myself”
  • Rodrigo Amarante – “Mare”


Tyler Boudreaux, DJ

Albums

  • Poolside — “High Season” 
  • The Marias — “Cinema” 
  • Pachyman — “The return of....”
  • Hooveriii — “Water for the frogs” 
  • Khruangbin — “Mordechai Remixes”
  • Nightmares On Wax — “Shout Out! To Freedom…” 
  • Parquet Courts — “Sympathy For Life” 
  • Arlo Parks — “Collapsed In Sunbeams” 
  • Flamingosis — “Daymaker” 
  • Helado Negro — “Far In”


Songs

  • Myd feat. L'Impératrice — “Loverini”
  • Flamingosis — “Cosmic Feeling” 
  • De Lux — “What's Life” 
  • Unknown Mortal Orchestra — “That Life” 
  • CAPYAC — “Losing it” 
  • Greentea Peng — “This Sound”
  • Cleo Sol — “23” 
  • Hiatus Kaiyote — “Red Room” 
  • Tammy Lakkis — “Notice” 
  • Rudy De Anda feat. BARDO — “Couldn't Seal The Deal”


Ro “Wyldeflower” Contreras, DJ

Albums

  • Arlo Parks – “Collapsed in Sunbeams”
  • Madlib – “Sound Ancestors”
  • Mia Doi Todd – “Music Life”
  • Bomba Estereo – “Aire”
  • Benny Sings – “Music”
  • Flying Lotus – “Yasuke”
  • Brittany Howard – “Jaime Reimagined”
  • Tyler, The Creator – “Call Me If You Get Lost”
  • Khruangbin – “Mordechai Remixes”
  • Cleo Sol – “Mother”


Songs

  • Little Simz feat. Cleo Sol – “Woman”
  • James Blake – “Life Is Not The Same”
  • Hiatus Kaiyote – “Red Room”
  • Denzel Curry & Kenny Beats – So.Incredible.pkg (Robert Glasper Version with vocals by Yiyi Sanchez)
  • Jordan Rakei – “Clouds”
  • Allen Stone – “Is This Love”
  • Jarina De Marco and Empress Of – “Vacio”
  • Twin Shadow – “Telepatia (Kali Uchis Cover)”
  • DJ Nu–Mark feat. Jungle
  • Fire – “Ain't No Fun”
  • Gabriel Garzón–Montano feat Sampa The Great & Amber Mark  – “Agüita (Remix)”


Scott Dallavo, DJ

Albums

  • Little Simz — “Sometimes I Might Be Introvert”
    Nicola Conte & Gianluca
  • Petrella – “People Need People”
  • Aaron Frazer – “Introducing”
  • Voilaaa – “Voiciii”
  • Ginger Root – “City Slicker”
  • Cleo Sol – “Mother”
  • Arlo Parks – “Collapsed in Sunbeams”
  • Celeste – “Not Your Muse”
  • Blackdoe – “Pastel EP”
  • Holybrune – “Joyride EP”


Songs

  • Amber Mark – “Worth It”
  • Little Simz feat. Cleo Sol – “Woman”
  • Hope Tala – “Tiptoeing”
  • Inner Wave – “Fever”
  • Easy Life – “Skeletons”
  • Ichon – “La Vie”
  • Nubiyan Twist feat. Cherise – Flow
  • Gizelle Smith – Three Tiny Seeds
  • Derobert & the Half–Truths – Theivin' and Robbin'
  • Flower Child – Truth To Power



Andrea Domanick
Digital Producer, Music and Culture

Albums

  • Darkside — “Spiral” 
  • Black Country, New Road — “For the First Time” 
  • Floating Points, Pharoah Sanders & The London Symphony Orchestra — “Promises”
  • Sons of Kemet — “Black to the Future” 
  • Goat Girl — “On All Fours”
  • Vijay Iyer, Linda May Han Oh, Tyshawn Sorey — “Uneasy” 
  • Shame — “Drunk Tank Pink” 
  • Dry Cleaning — “New Long Leg” 
  • Idles — “Crawling” 
  • Arlo Parks — “Collapsed in Sunbeams” 
  • black midi — “Cavalcade”


Songs

  • deep tan — “hollow scene” 
  • Wet Leg — “Wet Dream” 
  • Lynks feat. Charlie Steen — “This Is the Hit”
  • The Marias — “Hush”
  • JPEGMAFIA — “THIS ONES FOR US!”
  • Iceage — “Vendetta” 
  • Goat Girl — “Sad Cowboy” 
  • Petey — “Lean Into Life” 
  • NewDad — “I Don’t Recognise You” 
  • Fake Fruit — “No Mutuals”


Leroy Downs
Just Jazz Host, DJ

Albums

  • Makaya McCraven – “Deciphering The Message”
  • Wadada Leo Smith – “The Gold Symphony”
  • Ches Smith & We All Break – “Path of Seven Colors”
  • Matthew Shipp – “Code Breaker”
  • William Parker – “Mayan Space Station”
  • Vijay Iyer, Linda May Han Oh, Tyshawn Sorey  – “Uneasy”
  • James Brandon Lewis – “Jessup
    Wagon”
  • Jazz is Dead – “The American Negro”
  • Whit Dickey – “Village Mothership”
  • Marc Cary – “Life Lessons” 


Songs

  • Adrian Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhammad – “Revolutionize”
  • Matt Mitchell and Katie Gentile – “Forn”
  • Miguel Zenón – “Law Years: The Music of Ornette Coleman”
  • esperanza spaulding  – “Formwela 2”
  • Hafez Mordirzadah – “Facet Taborn”
  • Henry Threadgill – “Beneath The Bottom”
  • Amir El Saffar – “Ashaa”
  • Atticus Reynolds – “Hymm (Thoughts and Prayers)”
  • Flying Lotus – “Enchanted”
  • Mast – “Nation of Immigrants”


Jose Galvan, DJ

Albums

  • Arlo Parks – “Collapsed in Sunbeams”
  • The Marías – “CINEMA”
  • Altin Gun – “Yol”
  • Helado Negro – “Far In”
  • Communicant – “Sun Goes Out”
  • Juanes – “Origen”
  • Jagged Baptist Club – "Temptation Death House”
  • TEKE::TEKE – “Shirushi”
  • Black Country, New Road – “For The First Time”
  • HighSchool – “Forever At Last”


Songs

  • Bicep – “Apricots” 
  • Gabriels – “Love and Hate In A Different Time”
  • Durand Jones & The Indications – “Witchoo”
  • Jelani Aryeh – “Marigold”
  • The Lazy Eyes – “Where’s My Brain??”
  • Yard Act – “The Overload”
  • Self Esteem – “I Do this All The Time”
  • Black Country, New Road – “Track X”
  • Kirby – “Break Her Heart For Me”
  • Arab Strap – “Compersion Pt. 1”


Francesca Harding, DJ

Albums

  • Melanie Charles – “Ya'll Don't (Really) Care About Black Women”
  • Little Simz – “Sometimes I Might Be Introvert”
  • Cleo Sol – “Mother”
  • Dj Numark – “Run For Cover”
  • Joy Crookes – “Skin”
  • Curtis Harding – “If Words Were Flowers”
  • serpentwithfeet – “DEACON”
  • Cordae – “Just Until..”
  • Gabriels – “Love and Hate in a Different Time”
  • Mark de Clive Lowe – “Midnight Snacks vol. 1” 

Songs

  • La Dame Blanche – "Veneno"
  • Khrangbin, Quantic – "Pelota" (Cut a Rug Mix)
  • Tolliver – "Death Back to Birth"
  • Willow – "transparentsoul" ft Travis Barker
  • Hollis – "Let Me Not" 
  • Kelela – "A Message" (Junior Woods Remix)
  • Baird – "Easy on Them Turns"
  • Ceci Bastida – "Corre" ft Tamer Nafar
  • Asiahn – "We Can"
  • Rush Midnight – "Wine and Summertime"



Nassir Nassirzadeh, DJ

Albums

  • Aeon Station – “Observatory” 
  • Bess Atwell – “Already, Always” 
  • Will Stratton – “The Changing Wilderness”
  • The Weather Station – “Ignorance”
  • Arlo Parks – “Collapsed in Sunbeams”
  • The War on Drugs – “I Don't Live Here Anymore”
  • Typhoon – “Sympathetic Magic”
  • Lips – “I Don't Know Why I Do Anything”
  • Nation of Language – “A Way Forward”
  • Japanese Breakfast – “Jubilee”

Songs

  • Dora Jar – “Scab Song”
  • Tonstartssbandt – “What Has Happened”
  • Lips – “Not Today”
  • Parcels – “Somethinggreater”
  • The War on Drugs – “Living Proof”
  • Teleman – “Right As Rain” 
  • Will Stratton – “When I've Been Born (I'll Love You)”
  • Big Red Machine – “Phoenix”
  • Hether – “When U Loved Me (Acoustic)”
  • Baby Queen – “Raw Thoughts” 




Myke Dodge Weiskopf, Senior Producer

Albums

  • Orchestre Tout Puissant Marcel Duchamp – “We're OK. But We're Lost Anyway”
  • Martina Topley–Bird – “Forever I Wait”
  • Aimee Mann – “Queens of the Summer Hotel”
  • William Parker – “Migration of Silence Into and Out of The Tone World – [Volumes 1–10]”
  • The Weather Station – “Ignorance”
  • The Emerald Isle – “S/T”
  • Joni Mitchell – “Archives Vol. 2: The Reprise Years (1968–1971)”Isaiah Collier and the Chosen Few – “Cosmic Transitions”
  • Gone to Color – “S/T”
  • Tiziano Popoli – “Burn the Night / Bruciare la Notte: Original Recordings, 1983–1989”

Songs

  • Aimee Mann – “You Fall”
  • Nicolas Godin feat. We Are KING – “Another Side”
  • Flight Facilities feat. Channel Tres – “Lights Up”
  • Alexia Gredy – Vertigo (Yuksek Edit)
  • Warehouse Preservation Society – “Body Station”
  • SW2 feat. Moses Boyd – “Bridge the Gap”
  • Tears for Fears – “The Tipping Point”
  • Nat Birchall – “Ancient Africa”
  • Gone To Color feat. Martina Topley–Bird – “Dissolved”
  • V.C.R feat. Pink Siifu – “Minnie Lives”



Marion Hodges
Administrative Assistant

Albums

  • St. Vincent – “Daddy's Home”
  • Samantha Crain – “I Guess We Live Here Now”
  • Julien Baker – “Little Oblivions”
  • Adia Victoria – “A Southern Gothic”
  • Jensen McRae – “Who Hurt You?”
  • La Luz – “La Luz”
  • Little Simz – “Sometimes I Might be Introvert”
  • Courtney Barnett – “Things Take Time, Take Time”
  • Ora The Molecule – “Human Safari”
  • The Marias – “CINEMA” 

Songs

  • Jensen McRae – "Immune"
  • Hector Morlet – "Picture Frame"
  • Kadja Bonet – "For You"
  • The Linda Lindas – "Oh!"
  • Little Simz – "Protect My Energy"
  • Wet Leg – "Chaise Longue"
  • Madlib – "Dirtknock"
  • Tkay Maidza – "Where Is My Mind"
  • Julien Baker – "Relative Fiction"
  • Bo Burnham – "That Funny Feeling"



SiLVA, DJ

Albums

  • Adele — “30”
  • Bicep — “Isles” 
  • Digitalism — “JPEG_complete”
  • Rüfüs Du Sol — “Surrender”
  • Arlo Parks — “Collapsed In Sunbeams
  • Uniiqu3 — “Heartbeats”
  • Qrion — “I Hope It Lasts Forever”
  • Louisahhh — “The Practice of Freedom”
  • Tyler, The Creator — “CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST”
  • Olivia Rodrigo — “Sour”

Songs

  • Qrion — “Proud”
  • Adele — “My Little Love”
  • Digitalism — “Offline”
  • Drake, Yebba — “Yebba's Heartbreak”
  • Arlo Parks — “Green Eyes”
  • HAAi — “Keep On Believing”
  • Olivia Rodrigo — “drivers license”
  • Bicep — “Atlas”
  • Halsey – “I am not a woman, I'm a god”
  • Tyler, The Creator — “WUSYANAME”




Dan Wilcox, DJ

Albums

  • Genesis Owusu – 'Smiling With No Teeth'
  • Shame – 'Drunk Tank Pink'
  • Cleo Sol – 'Mother'
  • 4Dry Cleaning – 'New Long Leg'
  • Arlo Parks – 'Collapsed In Sunbeams'
  • Sault – 'Nine'
  • Helado Negro –  'Far In'
  • IDLES – 'CRAWLER'
  • Hiatus Kaiyote – 'Mood Valiant'
  • Greentea Peng – 'Man Made'

Songs

  • Dua Saleh – "Fitt"
  • Psymon Spine – "Channels"
  • Tru – "South Central Gospel"
  • Moderate Rebels – "Higher Than the Hierarchy"
  • Shungudzo – "White Parents"
  • The Limiñanas & Laurent Garnier – "Que Calor"
  • Billy Nomates – “Heels"
  • Obongjayar – "message in a hammer"
  • Laura Mvula – "Safe Passage"
  • Madlib – "Road of the Lonely Ones"



John Moses, DJ

Albums

  • American Cream Band – “Dark Hemisphere”
  • Kalbells – “Max Heart”
  • Lil Ugly Mane – “VOLCANIC BIRD ENEMY AND THE VOICED CONCERN”
  • Sophia Chablau e Uma Enorma Perda
    de Tempo – “S/T”
  • Seekersinternational – “Presents Ragga Preservation Society”
  • Fat Ray – “Santa Barbara”
  • Tyler the Creator – “Call Me If You Get Lost”
  • Virginia Wing – “Private Life”
  • Jpegmafia – “LP!”
  • Sitcom – “Smoothi*” 

Songs

  • Dylan Moon, Ruth Kace – “Canyon”
  • Caroline Polachek – “Bunny is a Rider”
  • Penelope Antena – “Back to Stay”
  • Gothic Tropic – “Please Say Yes”
  • The Emerald Isle – “Craigwrong”
  • Julia Kwamya – “Wonderhow”
  • Internet Money, Gunna, Don Tolliver, Lil Uzi Vert – “His & Hers”
  • Deep Throat Choir – “Like A Mountain”
  • Humbird – “May”
  • Fehler Kuti – “Transatlantic Ideology”


Valida, DJ

Albums

  • Arlo Parks – “Collapsed in Sunbeams”
  • Little Simz – “Sometimes I Might Be
    Introvert”
  • Jungle – “Living In Stereo”
  • Benny Sings – “Music”
  • Men I Trust – “Untourable Album”
  • The Marias – “Cinema”
  • Helado Negro – “Far In”
  • Monogem – “Gardenia”
  • La Femme – “Paradigmes”
  • Petite Amie – “Petite Amie”

Songs

  • Peggy Gou feat. OHHYUK – “Nabi”
  • Fred Again X The Blessed Madonna  – “Marea (We’ve Lost Dancing)”
  • Niia – “Macaroni Salad”
  • Khruangbin & Quantic – “Pelota (Cut a Rug Mix)”
  • Baltra – “Baby”
  • Jack Page – “Play That Too”
  • Tolliver – “Nervous (SideOneDummy Records)” 
  • Maye – “Yours (Pink Poetry & EO)”
  • Shungudzo – “It’s a Good Day to Fight The System” 
  • Melanie Charles & Marlena Shaw – “Woman Of The Ghetto”


Jeremy Sole, DJ

Albums

  • Gabriels – “Blame”
  • Madlib – “Sound Ancestors”
  • Aaron Frazer – “Introducing…” 
  • Mndsgn – “Rare Pleasure”
  • Sons Of Kemet – “Black To The Future”
  • Pachyman – “The Return of Pachyman”
  • V/A – “Penrose Records Vol. 1”
  • Brittany Howard – “Jamie Reimagined”
  • Molly Lewis – “The Forgotten Edge”
  • Cochemea – “Vol. II Baca Sewa”


Jason Kramer, DJ

Albums

  • Dijon – “Absolutely”
  • Idles – “Crawler”
  • Remi Wolf – “Juno”
  • Sad Night Dynamite – “Sad Night Dynamite”  
  • Little Simz – “Sometimes I Might Be Introvert”
  • Clairo – “Sling”
  • Arlo Parks – “Collapse in Sunbeams”
  • SerpentwithFeet – “Deacon”
  • Billie Eilish – “Happier Than Ever”
  • Tasha – “Tell Me What you miss the most”