It's been quite a year, hasn't it? We went back to live music for the first time this spring in nearly a year due to COVID-19, we discovered a ton of new music thanks to the wildly popular social media app TikTok, Colorado got a lot of new live music venues, not to mention the killer new music our Colorado music scene unleashed (which we featured all year long in our Local 303 program). This year was monumental for music to say the least. So just like every year, the Indie Staff has come together to put together a list of some of their favorite music. Our Hosts have compiled tracks that made us want to dance, scream the lyrics, or feel nostalgic (as there were many anniversary releases this year). Want to celebrate these tunes with us? Starting December 20th through the 31st we'll be featuring our favorite songs on air! Also a reminder, we want to know your favorite songs of 2021 too, so go vote in our listener poll before it closes December 17!
Listen to all these songs in a several hours long Spotify playlist!
Alisha Sweeney
Favorite songs:
- Angel Olsen & Sharon Van Etten - "Like I Used To"
- Beabadoobee - "Last Day On Earth"
- Caroline Polachek - "Bunny Is A Rider"
- Claud - "Soft Spot"
- Japanese Breakfast - "Paprika"
- Leon Bridges - "Motorbike"
- Noga Erez - "End of the Road"
- Shungudzo - "It's a good day (to fight the system)"
- Tyler, The Creator - "WUSYANAME"
- Wet Leg - "Chaise Longue"
Favorite local songs:
- American Culture - "Pedals"
- Ellsworth - "Growing Pains"
- Los Mocochetes - "Tacos"
- N3ptune - "White Pony"
- South of France - "Comme Ca
- Porlolo - "Ain't No Use"
- The Velveteers - "Charmer And The Snake"
- Waiting Room - "Cool Girl"
- Zanib - "Catch Me If You Can"
- ZEMBU - "Mixed"
Bruce Trujillo
Favorite songs:
- Chicano Batman - “Dark Star”
- Durand Jones & The Indications - “Witchoo”
- Genesis Owusu - “The Other Black Dog”
- The Grand Alliance - “Swim ft. Wesley Watkins”
- Japanese Breakfast - “Be Sweet”
- The Linda Lindas - “Racist, Sexist Boy”
- Wheelchair Sports Camp - “Yess I’m A Mess”
- Xenia Rubinos - “Cogelo Suave”
- Xiuhtezcatl - “Take It All Back”
- Ya Tseen - “Knives”
Demi Harvey
Favorite songs:
- Brent Faiyaz ft. Tyler, the Creator - “Gravity”
- Orion Sun - “Concrete”
- Jungle - “Keep Moving”
- Little Simz - “Introvert”
- Muna ft. Phoebe Bridgers - “Silk Chiffon”
- YaSi - “Drama Queen”
- Pom Pom Squad - “Head Cheerleader”
- Soccer Mommy / Kero Kero Bonito - “rom com 2021”
- Tkay Maidza - “Syrup”
- Yves Tumor - “Jackie
Favorite albums:
- Amine - TWOPOINTFIVE
- Tyler, the Creator - CCALL ME IF YOU GET LOST
- beabadoobee - Our Extended Play
- PinkPanthress - to hell with it
- Cleo Sol - Mother
- Jazmine Sullivan - Heaux Tales
- Jungle - Loving In Stereo
- Lucy Dacus - Home Video
- Magdalena Bay - Mercurial World
- Wet - Letter Blue
Katie Bradley
Favorite songs:
- Amyl and the Sniffers - “Guided by Angels”
- Bachelor - “Stay in the Car”
- Bleak Mystique - “Wax”
- Curtis Harding - “Can’t Hide It”
- Future Islands - “Peach”
- Julian St. Nightmare - “Gaga”
- Nick Waterhouse - “Place Names”
- Q - “If You Care”
- Kanekuro - “Haunted Psycho Notes”
- Viagra Boys - “Ain’t Nice”
Favorite albums:
- Amyl and the Sniffers - Comfort to Me
- Bachelor - Doomin’ Sun
- Converge - Bloodmoon l
- Geese - Projector
- Green Lung - Black Harvest
- Little Simz - I Might be Introvert
- Shannon and the Clams - Year of the Spider
- Turnstile - Glow On
- Viagra Boys - Welfare Jazz
- Yola - Stand for Myself
Jason Thomas
Favorite songs:
- Durand Jones & The Indications - “Witchoo”
- The War on Drugs - “I Don’t Live Here Anymore”
- Turnstile - “Mystery”
- Bomba Estereo - “Deja”
- Bakar - “The Mission”
- The Blossom - “Hardcore Happy”
- Julien Baker - “Heatwave”
- Sleaford Mods - “Mork n Mindy (feat. Billy Nomates)”
- Dawn Richard - “Boomerang”
- Deafheaven - “Great Mass of Color”
Jeremy Petersen
Favorite songs:
- Dawn Richard - “Boomerang”
- Durand Jones & the Indications - “Witchoo”
- Gabriels - “Love and Hate in a Different Time”
- Helado Negro - “Gemini & Leo”
- Japanese Breakfast - “Be Sweet”
- Kelly Duplex - “Here’s Where the Story Ends”
- Low - “Days Like These”
- Matthew E. White - “Genuine Hesitation”
- N3PTUNE - “White Pony”
- Spoon - “The Hardest Cut”
Favorite albums:
- Bobby Gillespie & Jehnny Beth - Utopian Ashes
- Chad Van Gaalen - World’s Most Stressed Out Gardener
- Gruff Rhys - Seeking New Gods
- Jane Weaver - Flock
- Japanese Breakfast - Jubilee
- Low - HEY WHAT
- Nation of Language - A Way Forward
- The Notwist - Vertigo Days
- Parquet Courts - Sympathy for Life
- Silk Sonic - An Evening with Silk Sonic
Jessi Whitten
Favorite songs:
- Arlo Parks - “Green Eyes”
- Bachelor - “Stay in the Car”
- Dawn Richard - “Bussifame”
- Durand Jones & the Indications - “Witchoo”
- IDLES - “Crawl!”
- Jose Gonzalez - “Head On”
- Julian Baker - “Heatwave”
- Japanese Breakfast - “Be Sweet”
- Tkay Maidza - “Cashmere”
- Wet Leg “Chaise Longue”
Favorite collaborations:
- Sharon Van Etten and Angel Olsen - “Like I Used to”
- Amen Dunes - “Feel Nothing ft. Sleaford Mods”
- Silk Sonic - “Leave the Door Open”
- Courtney Barnett - “Don’t Do It ft. Vagabon”
- Duran Duran - “More Joy ft. CHAI”
- Griffith James - “Market and Black ft. Tennis”
- James Blake - “Coming Back ft. SZA”
- Muna - “Silk Chiffon ft. Phoebe Bridgers”
- NEEF - “Patty Cake ft. Rarebyrd$”
- Charli XCX - “New Shapes ft. Christine and the Queens & Carline Polachek
Willobee Carlan
Favorite songs:
- Durand Jones & The Indications – “Witchoo”
- The Marias - “Hush”
- Wet Leg - “Chaise Longue”
- Sault – “London Gangs”
- Ambar Lucid – “Get Lost in The Music”
- Bomba Estereo – “Deja”
- tUnE-yArDs - “hold yourself”
- Gabriels – “Love and Hate in a Different Time”
- Genesis Owusu - “Gold Chains”
- Ya Tseen - “Knives (feat. Portugal. The Man)”
Favorite albums:
- Durand Jones & The Indications - “Private Space”
- The Killers - “Pressure Machine“
- Arlo Parks - “Collapsed In Sunbeams”
- The War On Drugs - “I Don’t Live Here Anymore”
- Cold War Kids - “New Aged Norms 3”
- Leon Bridges - “Gold-Diggers Sound”
- Japanese Breakfast - “Jubilee”
- Chvrches - “Screen Violence”
- Lord Huron - “Long Lost”
- King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - “ L.W.”
Zach Gilltrap
Favorite songs:
- Royal Blood - "Typhoons"
- CHVRCHES - "He Said She Said"
- St. Vincent - "Sad But True"
- Noga Erez feat Rousso - "Story"
- Still Woozy - "That’s Life"
- Mother Mother - "I Got Love"
- twenty one pilots - "Shy Away"
- Wet Leg - "Chaise Longue"
- BBNo$ feat BENEE - "Help Herself"
- Neoma -"Fixxion"
