I fed my music habit and bought a lot of music in 2021. I normally have mixed feeling to best of lists, they tend to be only new music, well known music already, and we all know it's less about a contest than just a celebration of good music. My lists, when I've done them, tend to be songs and not cds though many times I own the whole cd, why? Because I make the list to listen to, and there is too much music to get through. Specifically, 4.5 days according to iTunes or does Mac call it Music now.
When I buy so much listening to it all is a challenge, and I find if I'm outside putzing with the music on and I run into a song that I want to remember out of cd or mix, I reach down and "heart" it. That made this list easier to find songs I marked and added to the library in 2021. Not all the music was released in 2021, but that never bothers me; because maybe you hadn't heard it either. Good music doesn't have an expiration date, it just gets a discovered date, and 2021 for that for me in this list.
I do know this method of picking the songs likely missed some favorite artists where I love everything they put out, so future posts will add a few. These are mostly in alphabetical order because that's how they came up in my search. Most were bought on Bandcamp, so I get to share their link.
1) Blaze Foley is an artist I finally took some time to discover after Luke Callen again played one of his songs, this time a duet with Hemma. I even watched the documentary of his life.
While I picked Cheeseburger, I had to buy it in Apple that doesn't allow me to embed their music, so here's another that I loved by Blaze this year, and likely was the one Luke/Hemma covered; Clay Pigeons. I always thought it was a John Prine song, because likely John covered it too I found later
2) Antonio Lopez from Colorado was a find through networking; maybe with Shanna, may in the music groups I belong to. Enjoy his story of a young man going to WW II and likely not coming back.
3) Believe by Barbaro, and lead vocals by their fiddle player Rachel Calvert. I choose this one off a fantastic small EP of covers that are all awesome. Maybe it was because it was just Rachel's birthday, and she rocks this Cher in a true bluegrass style. Late Max Graham joins them on this song, and sings lead on one of the other EP selections.
4) Brandi Carlile is a huge star and doesn't need to much explanation, but there is only one release of hers in Bandcamp. A 2015 release, and of course I bought it this year. Enjoy her harmonies with the twins:
5) The Calamity Janes is another I found this year. Love their groove on this traditional song, it was released originally 2014.
6) Carsie Blanton has become a favorite of mine since I discovered her after she wrote a John Prine tribute song. Here's a hymn of hope that she released this year. Be Good to the musicians you love too, buy their music why don't you.
7) If you have followed any of my fest songwriter or other blog music posts, you might have run into South African musician Dave Starke. If you miss new originals by Leonard Cohen, look him up. This duet still brings me goosebumps from a the story and gentle guitar playing.
8) I've been hooked on Aiofe O'Donovan since when I was finding music in MySpace, and I've followed her through Sometymes Why, Crooked Still and I'm with Her. She has tastefully brought out music in Bandcamp, and this was one of my favorites.
9) My booking friend Parker Forsell recommended that I would like Emily Scott Robinson, and now I'm a few cds into her music including a 2021 release. It's truly one that you will see on other best of list in 2021.
10) Grace Pettis is the second on this list that I met with my years with Great River Folk Fest. (Barbaro was the first one.) I've been a huge fan of her dad, and she released an excellent cd this year. Again this deserves to be on many best of list this year.
11) Just when I'm starting to think I made the list to long, a friend shows up and I keep moving. Humbird has a great 2021, being named Kerrville New Folk has opened up her music to a whole new audience. Her Still Life CD is showing up on many best of 2021 lists too. She'll be playing in my living room for the 3rd time in February 2022, so call me lucky.
12) Yes the alphabet put Humbird next to Hemma, but they are friends too. Hemma has that ethereal voice and mystic songwriting style that I can take in small doses; but as a human being she is one that you want to be immersed in her spirit. While that might feel like a backhanded compliment, remember I would describe some of Joni Mitchell's music in the same manner. Drift away until it comes rushing back.
13) I'm a long time Indigo Girls fan, and in 2021 I bought their 2020 release and it's wonderful. I have always loved their variety of styles, this Howl at the Moon really gets me to move around and dancing in the kitchen.
14) Jake La Botz was a favorite find after he emailed me for a gig at the fest. We did end up getting him to the Sunday day schedule, what a great artist even Steve Buscemi thinks so. "They are Coming for Me" was released in 2019, but it's still a new one for me and too many others.
And meet him in this pretty weird video that I think was filmed in Winona MN in the basement of his father-in-law during the pandemic.
15) I'm not exactly sure how I ran into Jake Blount, it might have been an agent sending a request for a booking. Like I said in my bandcamp snippet review, "He had me at Move Daniel" The song has a great steady frailing banjo, percussion groove and intense fiddle.
Hope you loved the journey ... remember to follow us and as always Good Music has NO Expiration Date, so if you are listening to this ten years from now, it still will be awesome music. If this is a first time visit, check out the index of themes for past editions.
