This piece has also been published by Bearded Gentlemen Music. 
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Whether it’s teenagers playing in a garage with friends and just learning an instrument, a band that is part of a small, local scene, someone signed to a big label and touring the world, a record label, or a venue—anyone who makes, distributes, writes about, or books music is part of the music industry. They are part of the culture and the community that makes and defines modern music. 

And the music industry has a major problem. It always has. It prizes and protects men and masculinity at all costs. Even at the cost of other musicians’ careers. At the cost of fans. Even at the cost of men. Even at the cost of human lives, mostly those of women.  

This past week, this problem has become extremely apparent in my home music community of Minneapolis and greater Minnesota.

A Compilation of Anti-Racism Resources For White & Non Black Musicians
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A post from She Shreds, featuring podcasts, books, and action items collected from organizations, and individuals that they trust throughout social media and the internet.

That's it. That's the post. Now do the work. 

Right now is a tough time for everyone. We're about three weeks into full quarantine in the U.S., death tolls are becoming quite significant, and unemployment is at a historic high. Musicians' worlds have been especially affected. Independent musicians depend on live shows, income from merchandise, and the communities they build to support their work and livelihoods.
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​With restaurants and bars closed across the world, shows have been cancelled for months into the future, with no definite date of return. Fans are stuck at home, unable to support their favorite musicians and local venues. There are no winners in this kind of situation. 

But many performers are getting creative: hosting live shows online and releasing new music to get them -- and us -- through all this. 

In these past few weeks, the novel coronavirus spread quickly throughout the United States, causing all manner of changes to flatten the curve, avoid a complete healthcare system breakdown, and lessen unnecessary deaths. Life feels completely different than it did just two weeks ago, with social distancing as the new norm. Restaurants are closed and shows are cancelled or postponed. Live music for the foreseeable future will be a memory. 

But even the end of the world needs a soundtrack. 

Another year, another year-end review. 2019 though, was a really, really difficult year for me -- likely the worst calendar year of my life. (And I’m not even considering politics in that statement!)

Because I was in a not-great state most of the year, I didn’t discover or listen to that much new music, see much live music, or write about much either, unfortunately. From mysterious and chronic health issues and endless, stressful work, to a lot of travel, the death of a beloved dog, and deep heartbreak, I had a lot of lows, over and over. Mental health has also been a continuous struggle since the start of 2019. The music that I listened to this year then functioned either as emotional support and comfort, or inspirational and motivational -- to celebrate the good things that did happen, because those happened, too.

Good things included: seeing Bad Suns live (amazing show), finally seeing Tomberlin live (I cried so much), seeing Buke and Gase live (underwhelming, sadly), photographing UMS in Denver, getting retweeted by Empress Of and Liza Anne, buying new vinyl, finally meeting Dessa at a book signing, Ryan Adams getting revealed as the absolute shit that he is, The Envy Corps released new music (!!), I saw David Bazan live at one of his super small secret shows and got to chat with him (!!!), I found another venue I like in Denver (Summit Music Hall) and got to photograph Clairo there, and the amazing women of the Minneapolis music scene got featured in the Star Tribune. 

So there was good with the bad, but listening to these specific albums helped me immensely, and I don’t know what I would have done without them. ​So artists, if you're on this list: 1. I can't thank you enough for making this music, 2. I'm buying these albums, if I have not already, and 3. I can't wait to hear more of what you make in the years to come.
 
For even more new music this year, check out Bearded Gentlemen Music’s list!