Dave's Music #12 2021 Year End Memories Pt2
Another day and we're back at giving you a source for some wonderful new music. My top 40 of songs, in more alphabetical sequence than plays. I would recommend you read Part 1, but here's the premise, just songs added to my library in 2021, only one per artist, and yes I'll miss some good music when you pick 40 out of 1956 songs. (yes Bernie this is the top 2%)
Here's the list of 35, and yes Part 3 will add 5 I missed.
16) In at 16 is another artist, Jane Kramer that I found in 2021 and I believe the connection was that she was included in a Roots Compilation CD that I bought because I found Ashleigh Flynn and Beth Wood on it. I purchased her 2019 released Waffle House on Apple, so you can't get one of those cool Bandcamp embedded links, here's a couple videos to give you a feel of the song. She needs a man in big boy pants, and likes hot sauce.
17) Jaspar Lepak was another 2021 find, and I own a couple of her cds now. Her CD Desert Ghosts was released in 2021 was her first since 2017 and chronicles the many places she's lived in the last ten years. That included the deserts in the southwest, Minneapolis, the savannas of South Africa, and of the cd's homebase of Seattle. I so enjoy her relaxing Emmy Lou Harris type voice, and her writing is crisp. My favorite of course is one about a black and white dress she had that must have been just a little racy for her mom.
18) I so miss The Civil Wars, and I still watch for music of John Paul White. I ended up buying a fundraising CD inspired by a post Corey Chisel, and really liked to hear JPW. I do recommend the whole CD. Songs From Quarantine Vol. 2 is now a private release, and I can't find it anywhere to play. So why not remember my all-time favorite Civil Wars song, and the Paste magazine video that ultimately introduced me to them. (yes it went downhill from there... just kidding.)
19) Ok so I'm still digging into making sure I have everything that John Prine has put out and I used to be MySpace friends with Kelsey Waldon (though she won't remember that... ha) I always loved her twangy voice but never figured it would go too far because it was so regional sounding but Oh Boy records signed her up. She's darn cute, and is really good; and John and her put together and old song and Paradise on a little EP in 2019. I bought it this year. Since they don't allow it to be embedded, here's the video... cute right?
20) 2021 was the year that I started following Katie Callahan who is a ball of energy, a single mom, an artist, and of course a wonderful singer songwriter from Baltimore. I don't remember first contact, but I can't forget she made a couple of these videos and she was officially under my skin.
I did buy her 2021 released CD through a kickstarter but it is out on Bandcamp. I wish I had three thumbs to give it 3 Thumbs up.
21) I found that the legend unofficial TX Governor Kinky Friedman (They Don't Make Jews like Jesus Anymore) put out a cd in 2018. It was inspired by Willie Nelson, and Kinky tipped his hat with this song about Willie... even put Mickey Raphael on it with a "on the road" type break in the middle.
22) Lissa Schneckenberger has been a long time favorite of mine. Her voice has a comfort to it that makes every song sound like it's an old New England ballad; she has showed up in many of my music posts. Bedlam Blues highlights how her voice and writing can mimic her fiddle style with slower and quicker pace in the same song. It highlights her being a mom and the solo guitar work is so gentle you almost wish the song was followed by just the guitar instrumental for 3 minutes.
23) I have always loved the 2008 Ashleigh Flynn's American Dream release and for let the 2021 pandemic rule connections, I ended reconnecting to her music and searched her on Bandcamp. I found this roots collection mentioned in #16. I have asked her to release more music in Bandcamp, nothing yet might just have to buy them from her site some day. https://www.ashleighflynnandtheriveters.com/
24) Marcie Lovgren was another find for 2021 as I found her debut release from her Bozeman MT home. A little country and folk, but it's truly fun real music and CD. I believe she's a weight lifter and runner, but she's not so tough, self reliant but she says needs a boy sometimes because she's just a girl. One with a great spirit! Here's to looking for more releases in the future.
25) I have been a long time lover of family harmonies and the Canadian solo acts of Matthew & Jill Barber are so special when they sing together. As exemplified in this 2012 release of Matthew's song "Where the River Bends"
During the year I found their 2016 release and while many songs are so special, I picked their cover of Leonard Cohen; "The Partison"
26) I met Maygen Lacey as she was contacting the festival for a booking. You know me well enough by now, I then proceeded to listen to her 2018 release and buy her music. I loved the how the music flows up and down in this song, and look forward to hearing her live someday.
27) Juno awards in Canada are a great way to find music from up north, Jill and Matthew Barber have won as well as my Christian music favorite Carolyn Arends. So I scoured 2020 winners for new voices, and Pharis and Jason Romero won me over. It just shows folk music is alive and well.
28) This year through the GRFF Songwriter contest, I met Rachel Sumner and her Radium Girls could have easily made this list, but among the many recordings I bought from her this year; I love this acoustic reissue of one of her songs. The guitar work is soooo David Rawlings.
29) The GRFF Songwriter contest also introduced me to Sam Robbins who while he's written a top 10 song for me in this year, he ended up in 2nd place in the contest. Here is the video I first fell in love with, and the bandcamp CD release from this year.
30) Fitting that Sam is followed by the winner of the contest, Siena Christie who won the contest. 2021 was definitely when I fell in love with Siena's writing and spirit, and while her writing is crisp and introspective; she came across as such a fun person to hang with when I talked to her for the GRFF contest. Here's the song & interview:
Hope you found some new music to follow in the last Part 3. And if you want to fast forward to 2022, click here.
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.
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