Hoo boy, friends. 2021 was... something. It started off as rough as it gets, with a storming of the capitol and a mass shooting in my home of 5 years here in Boulder, Colorado. Then we got vaccines and for a magical couple of months in the summer, it felt safe to live life almost "normally" again. However, I knew it couldn't last. Soon Delta showed up and the fall was a hot mess of hybrid work, overcommitment, and what felt like stolen time. By the time December rolled around, I wasn't even sure I wanted to write a year end list. I didn't think I'd discovered much or paid enough attention to new releases to write a summary. But even though it's been another very tough year, there were some good moments in my world of music I'd like to highlight.
For one, live music came back and I went to four whole shows (!!), which rocked my world: Underground Music Showcase (UMS), Small Black, Deep Sea Diver (above), and Jungle. I found I miss live music a lot, but my relationship to it has really changed. I have to really want to be there for a specific artist, and I need to like the venue. There also needs to be good parking options! (Am I old yet?) These things were important before, but now they are deal breakers. A shout out to Mission Ballroom, Marquis Theater, and Globe Hall in Denver for being great spaces to see live music. And thank you to everyone who got vaccinated and wore masks when attending shows!
Two, I know there is a lot of music I missed this year, but some artists caught my ear with new releases that I found myself enjoying in the moment and returning to again and again. I have compiled them in a playlist below.
Two, I know there is a lot of music I missed this year, but some artists caught my ear with new releases that I found myself enjoying in the moment and returning to again and again. I have compiled them in a playlist below.
Finally, this was a year of songs more than albums. And not well reflected in the lists below is an emotionally riveting cover of “Saw You In A Dream” by Casey Dubie (original song by The Japanese House) and the big radio single "Hope" by Arlo Parks, as well as a couple other songs which I want to give a specific shout out to for making up a big part of my 2021 soundtrack.
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Top Albums
Loving in Stereo, Jungle High Dive, SHAED Ventura, Sofia Valdes Seventeen Going Under, Sam Fender Today We’re the Greatest, Middle Kids Head of Roses, Flock of Dimes Sidelining, Royal Canoe Typhoons, Royal Blood Poster Girl, Zara Larsson Ancient Dreams in a Modern Land, MARINA Come Back to Life, The Zolas Hey u x, BENEE (released in 2020) |
Top EPs
Every Window is a Mirror, Joywave Yeah Yeah Yeah, Fickle Friends Weird Years (Season 1), Fickle Friends Games, Fyfe something about a fig tree, Roseville Everything Will Be OK Eventually, Michigander Sublimate, Waterstrider I Should Get Some Rest, Joel Ansett Scout, Samia Peachy, Bad Suns Adult Movies, Litany Heat Lightning, Mitski |
Last but not least, a couple moments from the live shows I'd like to highlight!
Above is me realizing I have no idea how to use my new phone camera, which is what happens when you give a new phone for the first time in five years. Small Black was killing it, and I was just like "how do I switch between the three cameras on this thing??" This show in August was also the first time I'd been to live music since fall of 2019, and it was just jam-packed with joy. I danced all night, made new friends, and got to say hi to Josh after the show (who I first met back in 2014 when they played Turf Club in St. Paul, Minnesota). A night I won't easily forget.
Above is me realizing I have no idea how to use my new phone camera, which is what happens when you give a new phone for the first time in five years. Small Black was killing it, and I was just like "how do I switch between the three cameras on this thing??" This show in August was also the first time I'd been to live music since fall of 2019, and it was just jam-packed with joy. I danced all night, made new friends, and got to say hi to Josh after the show (who I first met back in 2014 when they played Turf Club in St. Paul, Minnesota). A night I won't easily forget.
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Hands down, Jungle puts on the best live shows in music. They always inspire me to dance to the point of collapse and just like I did in Boulder a couple years ago, and this October in Denver I danced so hard I almost passed out. Yeah okay so, I jumped for the entirety of "What D'You Know About Me?" and let myself absorb every piece of energy in that room. I probably seemed crazy to those around me, but that memory still gives me such strength!
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Getting to see so many artists live at UMS in Denver this August was such a treat. The main stages were outside and except for the big acts at night, mostly uncrowded. There were times when things got to be too much for me, and I masked up (KN95s) or left the area, but it was helpful to have a low pressure situation where I could navigate what worked for me. Seeing Sofia Valdés was my favorite act, but getting to spend the whole weekend with friends was something special in 2021.
While I continue to use streaming services such as Spotify to discover and share new music, here's an easy resolution for 2022: **Buy** more music (online through artists' websites, on Bandcamp or as CDs!). Here's to a 2022 (post-omicron) with plenty of live music, supported venues and artists, and joyful new music discovery!
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