A very Happy Jolly Merry to you and, you. This is Part 1 of of our Not The Best Of 2021, I’ll explain, everybody and their brother who have new music shows present their Best Of shows, I’m sure well-intentioned, yet the whole point of collating a Best Of does suggest the rest of the music you selected throughout the year just wasn’t quite up to being worthy of being the Best. Then, why did you play a cut you didn’t think should be included in your Best Of list? This is why here at LEM we don’t have a Best Of list, because the simple fact is, every song I select is the Best, otherwise, I wouldn’t play it. Instead, we present Not The Best Of 2021. The songs selected happen to be the most played at LE tower, in my car, or wherever I go. Also, the cuts you’ll hear are the ones we received the most feedback on. The fact is, over the last 12 months we have presented to you an absolutely fabulous selection of new music from all the various genres available. To fit in as many cuts as possible I have divided the selection up in two 2 parts, you’ll hear a mega non-stop mix without commentary. You can follow along with the info and playlist below.
We begin with Moll & Zeis from the LP of the same name by David Long & Shane O’Neill, two veterans of the bustling Irish music scene. Ruby Hickman impressed me enough to include two cuts from The Fake EP. Alice Kat and Liam James Marsh (Kid Chameleon) caught my attention when they presented as fine. I couldn’t resist inviting them on for a conversation. Another Irish act, Keeley prompted a lot of feedback, not least of all because of the story shared with us. Last Words from her Brave Warrior EP proves Keeley is a name to keep an eye on in 2022. The Insatiable Disquiet with Justify was one of many excellent releases on the Shoredive imprint run by the agreeable Nico, based in Brighton on the UK’s south coast. It does seem that Joshua Idehen never takes time out from the studio. The number of cool releases he was involved with this year is phenomenal. Yet, we are sure Josh had a rather enjoyable time away from recording at some point because he presented to the world a beautiful child. In his guise as Benin City along with Shanaz and Tom, we selected We Belong To Us. My raving on about Porridge Radio will continue until every new music programmer includes this amazing outfit into heavy rotation. Happy In A Crowd is just one of many self-admittedly sadcore songs that Dana Margolin has charmed me with. Anika Pyle is not only a spoken word artist, but Mexican Restaurant Where I Last Saw My Father is so honest, so raw, so moving, I had to include it. When I first played Eliza Shaddad’s The Woman You Want I wrote, “This is a special album from a very special artist” and “her latest offering will not disappoint” I meant every word. In Toronto, there is an unassuming fellow by the name of James Meija who runs, Hand Drawn Dracula, a label releasing superb music, for instance, take a listen to Breeze with Only Up (feat. Tess Parks). It’s back to Shoredive we go to hear from Nico Beatastic with Echoes Through The City from the Refraction EP. If you missed it the first time, pay careful attention to Track X from Black Country, New Road. I think you’ll want to hear more. Pictoria Vark is out of Grinnal, Iowa, why that should concern me, honestly, I have no clue. What I do know is, I Can’t Bike is simply a brilliant song. And then, the last cut in this mix. Crème Brûlée by King Hannah. Each and every time I play this gorgeous song I want to hear it again. You may not get a better understanding of Hannah and Craig’s music but you will most certainly be intrigued when you listen to our conversation. They are coming to this side of the Atlantic in 2022, I’ll see you at their shows.
- David Long & Shane O’Neill – Moll & Zeis
- Ruby Hickman – I Hate You
- Fine – Where I Came / Where You Left
- Keeley – Last Words
- The Insatiable Disquiet – Justify
- Benin City – We Belong To Us
- Porridge Radio – Happy In A Crowd
- Anika Pyle – Mexican Restaurant Where I Last Saw My Father
- Eliza Shaddad – The Woman You Want
- Breeze – Only Up (feat. Tess Parks)
- Beatastic – Echoes Through The City
- Black Country, New Road – Track X
- Pictoria Vark – I Can’t Bike
- King Hannah – Crème Brûlée
Artwork by Daniel Vespa “Studio series #3” 2017 giclée print on archival paper 16” x 30” Courtesy of Norman B’s collection
Life Elsewhere 