This past year was a tough one for the majority of us. Thank goodness there was indie music. Looking back over the 19 Monday Mashup columns we compiled during the year, we have selected the 20 Best Singles. Here they are in the order we featured them.
Hard to believe that I started writing this article back on May 4. The Covid-19 pandemic has been hard on me, and I’ve been less motivated to write. I have been averaging around 50 hours a week working at Pizza Hut as a shift manager, and my few off days are usually spent resting up. As a result, I have not published anything in the past nine weeks. What really hurts is that no one seems to have noticed, as not one single person has checked up on me. The review requests just keep on coming, but there has been no personal touch, and I almost feel like I’m wasting my time here.
Don’t get me wrong. A lot of great music has been released in the past two months, and I still think that more than ever, we need good music to help us survive and persevere during these trying times. But just because we have to be socially distant outside doesn’t mean that we can’t still be close on line.
In the midst of this chaos, here are five new singles and music videos that we hope will give you the strength to carry on, whether you are still on quarantine or an essential worker.
NEW SINGLES
This first single sums it up for us, and I’m sure many of you are in the same boat. We have proud to present Magnus Bechmann with his new single, “Uneasy,” which is truly how we feel right now. It’s super sweet, but listen carefully to the words.
Our next single comes from Finland, advocating “The Next Great Holiday.” We love this song and think this new band, Fan Theories, has a great future ahead of them.
One of LA’s most unique artists is back with another sure-fire hit. Check out “Diamonds,” the latest from the one and only Binx.
Single number four comes from BBC favorites, The Trusted. We love their sound and are moved by their lyrics. Here is their latest, “The Innocent.”
Our final single this week is also from the UK and features the 80’s influenced sound of Ben Hobbs. We could listen to this one all day, and we think you’ll really dig the sound of “Own Arms.”
NEW MUSIC VIDEOS
We just celebrated our Independence Day, and the best fireworks were provided by our favorite LA rock band, The Spider Accomplice. They have truly set a new bar with their latest epic song, “Crawl.” Our first reaction was a comparison to Evanescence meets Queen. What do you think?
Next up is our favorite singer-songwriter from Los Angeles, the sweet and prolific Kris Angelis. She has just released a beautiful lyric video for her song “Ghost (I’m Alive and Breathing),” and we think it’s her best song ever, with the perfect country vibe. Take the lyrics to heart.
Speaking of lyric videos, the folks at Life.Church Worship have released their latest, “Heaven’s All Around.” We think this is one of the best worship songs ever written.
Our fourth video features one of LA’s brightest LGBQT+ performers, Abby Posner. She speaks her mind in her song “Blind Spots,” doing the song with multiple versions of herself. Definitely listen to the lyrics and shine a light on your own blind spots.
We close out this week with a timely video from Lucy & La Mer, who remind us that we are all in this “Together.”