By ABQGR
Happy New Year, music fanatics. As always, if you're here on this page, thank you for taking the time to support not only the endeavors of ABQGR but the endeavors of the many musicians we've celebrated so far in our publication.
Today we're switching up our monthly routine to highlight a few playlists that you may or may not be familiar with. The playlists below may contain some overlap, but each one illustrates a wide spectrum of original, independent music.
Kicking it off, our very own Gote McDonald compiled a list of every artist (available on Spotify) that has been covered in each monthly listen through 2021. If you missed some of our installments or would like to revisit something awesome, check this out.
Jolynn Alarid put together this playlist for ABQGR around when we began finding our footing. We're a very small operation - with one or two of us working on this project at a time - so when we have someone willing to put in an effort like this, it goes such a long way. Thank you for curating this playlist, Jolynn.
Desert Records kept the tunes rolling out this year. This record label out of Albuquerque is unmatched and continues motivating us to always dig towards the heart of desert music.
From the High Desert of New Mexico comes a sound that rumbles out from the mesas, soars with the swirling psychedelic skies, and lands on the desert plains. Desert Rock, Straight outta the desert. Come join the ride as Desert Records introduces you to a whole new generation of Desert Rock.
Craig Buchanan, who plays with Gilead Rises in addition to running his own solo project, sent this ever growing compilation our way earlier this year. While we're just getting around to officially sharing it with you all, it has been a great source of listening inspiration. This is a fantastic example of what listeners can do for their favorite local or touring bands; pop them on a playlist of your own and share them!
Whether you're decluttering your living space for the new year, in need of a good dance session, or on a long, solo drive into the ether, turn up one of these collections. Thank you to each and every artist who shared their creations this year; we're eager to fine-tune this publication and create a comprehensive catalog of Albuquerque music.