New year, same drill. In recent years LEO has used the first issue of the year to look back on our favorite local songs from the previous year. And, as usual, as we remembered and reflected on what Louisville artists did over the last 12 months, we found a wide and brilliant range of work. So, check out what we have to say above and then head to Bandcamp or Spotify and check out the songs themselves.
Jordan Jetson
Came Back
Easily one of the most talented hip-hop artists to emerge from Louisville’s loaded scene, Jordan Jetson does it again with “Came Back,” a dynamic, honest entry into his skillful discography. The amount of well-crafted words, poignant ideas, pure style, versatility and precision that Jetson can pack into a song under three minutes is nothing short of incredible. By the time you process what he just said, he’s two thoughts ahead of you. You can listen to “Came Back” 10 times in a row and pull something new out of it on each listen. Jetson’s word flow wildly fast, but there’s no waste in “Come Back” — there’s no filler or fluff or cliche brags, just stuff that seems real. —Scott Recker
Listen on BandcampBelushi Speed Ball
We Aren’t Thrashers, We Are Hipster Posers
On “We Aren’t Thrashers, We Are Hipster Posers,” local legends Belushi Speed Ball deliver yet another glorious thrash anthem. This song was inspired by a discouraging YouTube comment received by the band that claimed they should dress like “real thrashers,” instead of “hipster posers.” In the best ways possible, this song only adds to the difficulty one could experience when attempting to explain what exactly Belushi Speed Ball is to someone who has never heard of them before. This is because of the song’s inside joke quality and the genius shift from thrash metal to unabashed emo-pop in the last third of the song. Setting aside the song’s devilish riffs, calculated rhythm and comedic tone, it’s quite beautiful to hear these sponge-core goofballs take this negativity and use it to take aim at hurtful gatekeeping practices in the metal community. “We’re Not Thrashers…” has made for a great addition to the group’s stellar and unique live performances, often prompting a unifying, lighter-waving singalong. —Doug Campbell
Listen on BandcampBoa Boys
Hey, Hello, How Are You?
This breezy track from last spring, the most recent release from psych-groovers Boa Boys, brings forth all the notes of #quarantinelife, intentionally or not. Shane Spader sings, “I leave my curtains drawn / To let you know that I’m okay / You can stop by any other day / It’s just me alone in my home / But it didn’t used to be that way.” Even the chorus, “Hey, hello, how are you? / It’s not looking good, but, y’know, power through,” pretty straightforwardly defines much of the last two years. Still, this track isn’t depressing — in fact, the music video, filmed to look like a series of colorful Kodachrome slides, is basically a throwback to the ‘70s. It’s a neat visual. But don’t let that distract you –– the point of the song is about appreciating good times with loved ones. As Spader puts it: “If there’s anything I’ve learned, it’s plant a tree and love your family.” —Carolyn Brown
Listen on SpotifyCory Liner
Puke
Experimental and psychedelic, but definitely rooted in pop, Cory Liner’s “Puke” is a longing love song built on a gigantic sonic soundscape. The track is based on the part of a budding relationship where the initial spark fades a bit, revealing some red flags, causing the question of whether there’s a chance it could turn into something solid, or if the early dishonesty should just be a sign to bail. The synth and guitar work add weight to the crushing source material, creating a dynamic, powerful song that’s also equally as catchy in its own stormy, indie-synth sort of way. The lyrics are straightforward and carefully delivered, seeming almost like a reminder to not put effort into a toxic situation, even if it’s a magnetic one. —Scott Recker
Listen on BandcampFear of Talk
eliza out back, end of day
The subject of parenting, mortality and aging is addressed in such an obvious and familiar way throughout the album on love by Fear of Talk. The story told in “eliza out back, end of day” is such a simple, slice-of-life story about someone, ostensibly their father, watching siblings play in the backyard. The kids are full of life and joy, challenging one another in the silly and sometimes unintentionally unkind ways that children play. And that’s how the young learn, to engage, to be silly, to find magic and mystery wherever they turn. It’s here that the singer reflects on the scene, watching their love and happiness in just being. Through that, the character juggles the twin responsibilities of ensuring the safety of these children, while noting the passage of time. As a parent, this is so unbelievably close to my heart, watching my own children live, while acclimating to middle age. Coupled with softly strummed acoustics and the type of layered vocal harmonies that would make Crosby, Stills, and Nash weep, this is an incredibly joyous and moving experience worth finding on your own. —Syd Bishop
Listen on BandcampFTF KD
MOONWALKING
“My process is to choose the beats and then, a few days before my scheduled studio time, I sit down and write to that beat,” said Arkansas-born rapper FTF KD. That creative cycle has seen a flurry of activity all year, with KD releasing one single after another. “MOONWALKING” stands out for its elevated, smooth energy, a nod to his West Coast favorites and Side 3 Studios in Denver, Colorado, where KD recorded it. You can’t understand this artist without acknowledging the Louisville influence. He made Kentucky his home and in 2020 launched his music career, with Evo Auditory being one of his favorite studios. Compare his earliest drops to “MOONWALKING,” released last month, and you’ll notice he evolved quickly without abandoning the sound he first presented. —Sarah Kinbar
Listen on SpotifyHoundmouth
McKenzie
“McKenzie” is the second single off of Houndmouth’s latest album Good For You, which is their first on Dualtone Records. The new record is a return to Houndmouth’s signature Americana sound after the electronic experimentation of the band’s previous release, 2018’s Golden Age. For me, this song of unrequited love is the standout track on Good For You. “McKenzie” is a showcase for everything Houndmouth does well. The song has a lazy, hypnotic groove that pairs well with singer Matt Myers’ subdued vocals. Myers has a knack for delivering simple lines that hint at deeper emotions. As when he sings, “McKenzie / I only see you when it’s dark out / And these streets grow faces / I met you when you was a waitress / I can’t remember what I said / But I was long-winded.” I immediately liked “McKenzie” when I heard the band perform it on CBS Saturday Morning some months ago, and it stayed with me. When the band played it at their show at Old Forester’s Paristown Hall back in November, it drew a big shout of approval from the crowd. I knew then that I wasn’t the only one who had this song stuck in their head. — Michael L. Jones
Listen on BandcampHouse Ghost
Monday Morning
Given their accessibility and charm, it’s incredible to me that House Ghost aren’t household names. On “Monday Morning,” the band tackles the malaise of isolation and capitalism, at least by my reading. Here, the band examines the relative freedom that we have on the weekends, which is disrupted by a return to the grind of a job. Of course, this is through the lens of our cultural cabin fever, our homebody lives that have turned inward to look out. Each verse explores the interior worlds of the singer — for better or worse — as a counterpoint to the return to normalcy and sobriety that comes with the standard work week. The thing is, the composition is so lighthearted and whimsical, a slice of indie-pop heaven that balances lyrical depth and an easy compositional style. That push-pull between heavy philosophical quandaries and danceable dream pop parallels the hookiness of tracks like Outkast’s “Hey Ya!” which is meant here (and always) as high praise. –Syd Bishop
Listen on BandcampKnocked Loose
God Knows
Knocked Loose’s latest release, A Tear in the Fabric of Life, is a concept EP in which over the course of the record’s six songs tell the story of one person’s descent into madness after the tragic death of a loved one. On the song “God Knows,” the band takes the listener on a ride through the protagonist’s emotional hell as they become overwhelmed with grief and despair in dealing with life after loss. Mixing elements of hardcore, death metal, thrash and doom, the riffs come fast and plentiful and the time changes are numerous behind panicked, screamed vocals. They succeed in spades with musically fitting the narrative of the lyrics. Disorienting, unsettling, punishing and, above all else, heavy, “God Knows” is a sonic beatdown! The track ends with a sample of the Beach Boys classic “God Only Knows” that eerily warps as it fades out, setting the tone for what is to come. —Jeff Polk
Listen on BandcampLacey Guthrie
Lion Pose
Twin Limb vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Lacey Guthrie stepped out on her own in 2021 with her debut solo album, The King of Holding Onto Things. And I do mean solo, as she wrote and played everything heard on the record. While elements of Twin Limbs’ other-worldly, atmospheric dream pop sound are certainly present here, Guthrie strips them back to a darker, drearier, more melancholic layer. Nowhere is this better displayed than on the album’s fourth track, “Lion Pose.” The track — carried by Guthrie’s rich, beautifully haunting vocals and backed by minimalistic synthesizers, electronic drum beat and layered backing vocal harmonies — creates a sweeping cinematic dreamscape that the listener can’t help but be caught up in. This is more than a song you hear; this is music you feel. This is an experience. A four-minute mental journey where the darkness of despair collides head on with the light of hope. Yes, Lacey Guthrie has truly stepped out on her own! —Jeff Polk
Listen on BandcampLil Nas X ft. Jack Harlow
Industry Baby
This collab between Lil Nas X and his good friend Jack Harlow dominated the charts last year, and with good reason. It’s impossible not to vibe with the chorus, in which Lil Nas X tells his detractors that no matter what they say, his career is back on top, and he’s not going anywhere. The song’s music video, set in a men’s prison and full of bright pink, is just as noteworthy — the gay sexual imagery, including a scene of nude male dancers in the showers, is anything but subtle. (Combine that with the trumpets that start and then underscore the track, and you could say that the video is very horny.) Of course, the local element here is Jack Harlow, who raps about his own successes as he gets felt up by a female prison guard, survives the electric chair, and makes a prison break with Montero. The two of them have put together a solidly catchy pop-rap track that we’re proud Louisville has a connection to. – Carolyn Brown
Listen on SpotifyMarzz
Love Letter
Louisville artist Marzz released her EP Love Letterz in the spring of this year, and the two tracks she was most confident would pop were “Cleopatra” and “Countless Times.” But there is a sleeper hit on the album called “Love Letter,” which she recorded five years prior at the age of 16. The song began with a beat she found on YouTube and was recorded in her uncle’s home studio — Marzz’s first time ever in the booth. She explained the delay in releasing the record: “Because that was, like, my first song that I ever wrote, I didn’t really think people would connect to it, but honestly they do.” And how do listeners connect? “They DM me a lot. One lady wrote that she listened to ‘Love Letter’ over and over when she was going through some traumatic relationship things, and it helped her love herself and grow.” —Sarah Kinbar
Listen on SpotifyMELANCHOIR
THERE’S NO SUCH THING AS LOVE
With beautifully-muddled shoegaze verses and a striking chorus that catches a little bit of melodic fire, MELANCHOIR’s “THERE’S NO SUCH THING AS LOVE” is magnetically melancholy, unpredictably sweet and emotionally crushing. The lyrics, which are concealed by layers of swirling noise, match the tone of the song, providing the jolt of a fractured memory that you can’t quite piece together, but you can distinctly feel. The sounds are experimental without getting into just-trying-to-be-weird territory, and the lyrics are poetic, dark and personal, while still having a universal element of youthful heartbreak and ambiguous relationships that can echo back to a specific time and place for a lot of people. It feels both comfortingly familiar and wildly original — a true testament to its craftsmanship all the way through. —Scott Recker
Listen on BandcampMolly O’Malley
You Look So Good
There were a lot of good songs released to the world in 2021, but not all them have the ability to make you feel the way “You Look So Good” does. Molly O’Malley’s latest song hits on all the right notes, glazing the listener in a feel-good melancholy, bouncing with an ‘80s new-wavy nostalgia that will have you in search of the nearest mall food court looking for love. Impressively, O’Malley (who plays every instrument here but bass) has delivered it all through the sugary-layered, lo-fi lens of a deceivingly-mature pop number. The singer and songwriter says she penned “You Look So Good” as an ode to her happiness with her romantic situation at the time, but, after the ear jewel of a chorus drops, you’ll be the one that’s smiling. —Tyrel Kessinger
Listen on BandcampMy Morning Jacket
Love Love Love
Whenever Jim James and company head into the studio, there are inevitably going to be a few heartfelt idealistic tracks that emerge from all the far out experimental explorations. “Love Love Love” is the latest example of just such a thing. It’s an ethereal and gorgeous take on a timeless theme of coming together. Hell, even the title echoed the opening lines of the Beatles’ classic, “All You Need is Love.” In a troubled city like Louisville, we definitely needed to be reminded of that sentiment this past year. —Kevin Wilson
Listen on BandcampThe N8vs, Trapkingkai,
Rmllw2llz
Good Dope
The general theme is the same for so many of us here in the state: just let me live, motherfucker. That’s exactly what “Good Dope” is about: finding the best highs, the best parties, the best (hottest) partners, and most importantly, the best community. As part of the N8Vs comp that came out a few months ago, this is an ideal number, a track that pays homage to finding your tribe and living your best life. Every emcee goes hard here, referencing the finer things in life while comparing their crew (rightly) to the Wu-Tang. That’s the thing here, is that while each player on this track is a star in and of their own right, together they form a Voltron to fuck shit up. This is the kind of track you put on at a party to get things live, the track you put on when you got the job or got that special someone’s number, or just when the weather is dope as hell.. This is for the finer times in life, the moments that you need to celebrate. —Syd Bishop
Listen on SpotifyRoutine Caffeine
Pennies in the Garden
With a rock and roll heart and a dream-pop core, Routine Caffeine’s “Pennies in the Garden” is a slick and addictive track that lives in-between genres, with a brain-burning guitar line, hushed vocals, steady drums and a couple of twists and turns along the way. A rumination on how the present meets the past, the song is coming-of-age poetry about what you used to be and what you’ve become, surveying vivid memories and fracturing them into visceral snippets. All the way through — all of the instruments, all of the words — are incredibly clever and sharp, without overcomplicating anything. Hyper-smart, but never convoluted, “Pennies in the Garden” mines entire fields of riches, and, in an age where everything has been done, still manages to feel original. —Scott Recker
BandcampSam Brenzel
HACKED
When anxiety reaches an all-time high and intrusive thoughts multiply in your mind, it can feel as though something, or someone else, is taking control. These are the unseen forces Sam Brenzel evokes and addresses head-on in the captivating lead single from her debut EP, Scorpio Moon. “HACKED” finds the narrator gradually losing grip on her own psyche:“Go, go, go / Get out of my head,” she sings to the intruders. Propelled further by a minimal synth hook and glimmering guitar, by the chorus she already knows it’s too late: “My mind’s been hacked.” There is hope in this hauntingly infectious groove that persists, and for Brenzel, music was the means for that profound self-reflection. At the heart of “HACKED” is a sobering reminder that while we can’t always escape our pasts, we may use those times of turbulence to craft something beautiful. —Lara Kinne
Listen on SpotifyShi – ?
Lawn Care for Adults
“Depressive Suicidal Stoner Doom,” this is how Louisville’s Shi describes their sound. While that is entirely accurate, there is certainly more to it. Sure it’s dirty, grimy, ugly and sludgy, but there is a bourbon-soaked, Kentucky-fried Southern metal groove to it. “Lawn Care for Adults,” from their latest album Basement Wizard, starts out with a fuzzed-out bass line that gives way to a stoner, desert, psych metal vibe with a bluesy, boozy swagger to it. Then a little past the halfway mark, the band picks up the tempo and embraces their hardcore punk influences in a fit of Black Flag meets Buzzoven-esque rage. Lyrically, this song takes direct aim at Trump and his ilk, and in rather unflattering terms. At first lashing out in frustration at the lies and gaslighting, then following it up with a call to arms, and finishing with a very un-Shi-like bit of optimism at rising up against them. —Jeff Polk
Listen on BandcampWombo
Just Like Time
Equal parts groovy and hysterical, Wombo’s “Just Like Time” invokes an unstoppable, primal energy. Their 2020 release, Blossomlooksdownuponus, marked the beginning of a new sound for the band which they’ve mostly continued with 2021’s Keesh Mountain EP, albeit slightly more stripped down and danceable. However, “Just Like Time” sees the band returning to the manic and avant-pop songwriting of their debut release from 2017, Staring at Trees. For me, the two most ear-grabbing elements of this song would be the fantastical synth lead that occasionally creeps under the band and the head-spinning lyrics that paint vivid portraits of deja-vu nothings from like two weeks ago, or 10 years ago, or something. While these could be considered the main attractions by myself and others, the track as a whole is irresistible and effortlessly commands the listener to dance. Come to think of it, this is just like that one time when…—Doug Campbell
Listen on Bandcamp
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