Chorus.fm’s Top 30 Albums of 2021

Jason Tate Jan 3, 2022

We find ourselves once again at the end of a year. And once again it was a year that found us, as a society, facing new challenges in a world reshaped by a pandemic. As we close the door on 2021, I wanted to take a quick moment to thank everyone who read this website this year. We all went through this together, and I’m as appreciative as ever for having an outlet to write about things I’m passionate about and share with likeminded readers.

Ok, pleasantries dispensed … let’s rank things.

Jason Tate Dec 24, 2021

Happy Christmas Eve!

With tomorrow being a holiday, I figured I’d try and write up my newsletter a little earlier to make sure something got written up. It was a slower music week, but there are some thoughts on new stuff (Half Past Two, Hot Mulligan) as well as some revisited classics (The Ataris), and a run-through of my quest for decent masks, automating changing macOS icons, and commentary on other entertainment I consumed over the past week.

This week’s supporter Q&A post can be found here.

If you’d like this newsletter delivered to your inbox each week (it’s free and available to everyone), you can sign up here.

Jason Tate Dec 18, 2021

It was a relatively slow music week for the industry and in my life last week, but I did watch a bunch of holiday films and start working on my end-of-the-year list. As always, there’s a playlist of ten songs I enjoyed last week, and this week’s supporter Q&A post can be found here.

If you’d like this newsletter delivered to your inbox each week (it’s free and available to everyone), you can sign up here.

Jason Tate Dec 16, 2021

For the past few years, I’ve put together a little gift guide in December full of things that I think make great gifts and are a lot of fun to give or receive for the holidays. This year it took me a little longer to get some time to write, and this week I’m on vacation, so, I finally found a minute to sit down and see what I could come up with. So, here we are, probably too late. Everything on the list is something I’ve used and enjoyed and recommend. I have recommendations posts for software, headphones, and miscellaneous stuff around the house, so the things on this list will be more focused on stuff not included in those posts and geared toward things I’ve come across in the past year or so and think would make good gifts.

I used my Amazon affiliate link when the product showed up there, which gives our website a slight percentage back if you make a purchase and therefore helps fund our continued existence.

If you’d like to get me a gift, becoming a supporting member or gifting another user a supporting membership for a year would mean the world to me. And, if you’re looking for something in just about any price range with a Chorus.fm or AbsolutePunk.net logo on it, check our merch shop.

Jason Tate Dec 11, 2021

This week has a lot of thoughts about Underoath’s new album and then a walk through other music I enjoyed this week (American Football, Neon Trees, Faye Webster) before looking at some other media I consumed and sharing a playlist of ten songs I loved. This week’s supporter Q&A post can be found here.

If you’d like this newsletter delivered to your inbox each week (it’s free and available to everyone), you can sign up here.

Adam Grundy Dec 10, 2021

This past week I had a great conversation with Kevin Whelan (of The Wrens) who has created a solo album, entitled Observatory, under the moniker of Aeon Station. In this in-depth conversation, we chatted about his inspiration for the new album, how he stayed busy as well as creative during the pandemic, and we had some fun discussing the legacy of Sub Pop Records, too. Observatory is available now on all streaming services, or you can purchase the physical version here.

Adam Grundy Dec 8, 2021

Today I’m thrilled to share the latest single from Los Angeles’ own Broken Field Runner, for “Save You.” In this great sounding track, that sounds like a blend between Jimmy Eat World and Hey Mercedes, the band explodes out of the speakers with an emotive force not usually seen with this much urgency. Vocalist/guitarist Tony Bucci shared this about the new single:

‘Save You’ is one of the best songs I’ve ever written. Every so often I write a song and every song I write after it I’ll ask myself, ‘When am I going to write another <fill in the blank>?’ ‘Save You’ is an example of that. It’s one of the only songs in the trilogy of releases that we were able to play live before the pandemic hit, and it has an urgency and energy to it in the live setting. I wrote it for two good friends of mine who experienced a devastating loss and when I shared the demo with them it brought them to tears. In fact, when I sent initial mixes of the song to Dane at Jetsam-Flotsam he replied, ‘If the rest of Runner sounds like this, I’m going to lose my shit.’ It also includes some of my favorite recent lyrics at the end of the song: ‘You are the sun in my horizon / the moon is a lighthouse watching over the cliff / there’s a shore / in the distance a few miles more / called acceptance.'”

If you’re digging this song as much as I think you will, consider pre-ordering the trilogy here.

Adam Grundy Dec 7, 2021

Recently I was able to chat with a band from Annapolis, Maryland called Again In May, whose new EP Feels Like Home came across my inbox and I was immediately hooked. The band consists of vocalist Liam King, guitarist Daniel Contreras, bassist Sean Anderson, and drummer Noah Doney, and their sound is similar to a mix between Saosin and the pop sensibilities of The Format. In this interview, I asked the band about their goals for their music, what other artists they look to for inspiration, and the rapid, grassroots feel of winning their audiences over one show at a time. Feels Like Home is available now on your favorite streaming service.

Jason Tate Dec 4, 2021

This week’s newsletter has me revisiting some polar opposite discographies (Strung Out, Simple Plan) as well as looking at some new music I enjoyed this week (Hippo Campus, The Options, Hastings). And, as always, I look at some entertainment I’ve been consuming and share a playlist of ten songs I liked last week. This week’s supporter Q&A post can be found here.

If you’d like this newsletter delivered to your inbox each week (it’s free and available to everyone), you can sign up here.

Adam Grundy Dec 3, 2021

A few weeks back, I had the chance to chat with a band called The Maguas, who recently premiered their single “Release Me” with us. The band is comprised of Erik Miller (Vocals), Luke Prusinski (Bass), Matthew “Jenks” Jenkins (Lead Guitar), Daulton Rissinger (Rhythm Guitar), and Brandon Ossont (Drums). In this conversation, I asked about the band’s songwriting process for the new single, the music influences they bring into their group, as well as the lessons they have learned from being best friends making music together. In this interview we also discussed the band’s goals for the future and where they see themselves in this music landscape.

Jason Tate Nov 28, 2021

A few weeks ago I started working on a new weekend project. I wanted to build a mini-computer that could sit on my desk and display what I was currently listening to. A simple idea. After completing it, I figured I should write up the entire process, because if I don’t blog about it … did it really happen?

I’ve compiled everything I used in making the little device, and walked through the process below. Most of it is pretty straight forward if you’ve ever worked with a Raspberry Pi or Unix before, and I documented the tutorials I used as well as the actual code I used for the website.

Jason Tate Nov 27, 2021

This week’s newsletter looks at the upcoming holiday season and some of the music I find myself throwing on during this time of year. This week, it was a relatively slow music week, but that led me to return to some music I haven’t spun in a while (Mutemath, Academy Is…, Butch Walker). Also, if anyone has some favorite holiday tunes/albums they’d like to recommend, please toss those my way. As always, there’s a playlist of ten songs I enjoyed, and this week’s supporter Q&A post can be found here.

If you’d like this newsletter delivered to your inbox each week (it’s free and available to everyone), you can sign up here.

Adam Grundy Nov 22, 2021

Recently I was able to chat with EJ Olson of the band 09 (pronounced “oh-nine”) to discuss his band’s great collaborative record called Lost Years. The new album features 12 songs with 12 different vocalists ranging from marquee names like Kellin Quinn and Marty Mullins to lesser known names looking to take advantage of the spotlight. In this interview, I asked EJ how the album came together with his bandmate, Chancelor Reeder, as well as the key artists 09 looks to for inspiration in their music. Lost Years is a record that should not be missed and I’d highly recommend everyone checking it out sooner rather than later.

Jason Tate Nov 20, 2021

This week’s newsletter looks at new music I checked out this week (Adele, Jimmy Eat World, Bad Suns, New Found Glory) as well as some old favorites (Jimmy Eat World, Brian Fallon, Days Away), and then I talk a little about how much I love Edgar Wright. Jimmy Eat World and Edgar Wright praise … could this be anymore of a Jason-themed newsletter?

This week’s supporter Q&A post can be found here.

If you’d like this newsletter delivered to your inbox each week (it’s free and available to everyone), you can sign up here.

Craig Manning Nov 17, 2021

When Taylor Swift launched her unprecedented catalog re-record project this past spring with Fearless (Taylor’s Version), the three resident Swifties on the Chorus.fm staff – Craig Manning, Anna Acosta, and Garrett Lemons – dove deep to dissect the plethora of revisited songs, b-sides, and vault tracks. Seven months later, Taylor is back with part two of her backward-looking series, which means we’re back too! And while we all love Fearless, the second album Taylor has deigned to revisit – her fourth LP, 2012’s Red – holds a significantly more special place in all our hearts. At the end of 2019, when we submitted ballots for the Chorus.fm end-of-decade staff list, all three of us shared a number-one pick: Red.

So, the question becomes: Can Taylor recapture the magic of Red for three people who love it beyond all reason? We spent some (read: a lot) of time with Red (Taylor’s Version) to find the answer.

Chorus.fm’s Top 30 Albums of 2021

Liner Notes (December 24th, 2021)

Liner Notes (December 18th, 2021)

2021 Holiday Gift Guide

Liner Notes (December 11th, 2021)

Interview: Aeon Station (Kevin Whelan)

Broken Field Runner – “Save You” (Video Premiere)

Interview: Again In May

Liner Notes (December 4th, 2021)

Interview: The Maguas

Now Playing: My Raspberry Pi Weekend Project

Liner Notes (November 27th, 2021)

Interview: 09

Liner Notes (November 20th, 2021)

So Casually Cruel in the Name of Being Honest: A Closer Look at ‘Red (Taylor’s Version)’