A Holiday Playlist
Challenging times make it even more important to express gratitude for the people, events, and things that nourish us and that make the world a better place. Frontier has had an eventful 2021, with inspiring clients and wonderful new team members counterbalancing the difficulties posed by the pandemic and social and environmental injustice. We end the year thankful to be working on rewarding projects and invigorated to keep doing better in 2022.
Our team has put together a playlist of uplifting music by under-appreciated artists, which you can enjoy via Spotify or Apple Music. We hope that, as this year rolls into the next, you’ll savor moments of good cheer and great vibes.
Below you’ll find videos, links to interviews and reviews, and other information. Please support these artists as directly as you can!
Blue Wednesday, “Technical Difficulties”
A soulful beat-maker hailing from Canada’s West Coast. Find Blue Wednesday on Bandcamp and Instagram and watch the official video for the song here.
dodie (feat. Tom Walker), “Human”
A collaboration between UK-based singer-songwriters dodie and Tom Walker. Here is the official video for the song; in this interview, dodie breaks down the meaning of the lyrics. Find dodie on Instagram here.
Charlotte Day Wilson, “Wish It Was Easy”
Contemporary R&B from a Toronto-born singer-songwriter. Find Wilson on Bandcamp and Instagram or read a review in Pitchfork of her latest album, Alpha.
Mulatu Astatke, “Tezeta”
An Ethiopian musician known as the father of Ethio-Jazz, you can find Astatke on Bandcamp and Instagram or watch a video of him performing this song live in France in 2011 on YouTube.
mokina & EyeLoveBrandon, “Lazy Mornings”
This song is a collaboration between a Montreal-born singer (mokina) and a producer based in Tampa, Florida. You can find mokina on Bandcamp and EyeLoveBrandon on both Bandcamp and Instagram.
Philip Shibata, “Seasons to Seasons”
A UK-based Japanese-Canadian musician, Shibata mixes R&B and neo-soul. You can find him on Bandcamp and Instagram, or watch this song’s official video here.
Solawa & Moe Clark, “Sacred Stones”
A collaboration between Métis artist Moe Clark and Montreal-based musician Solawa. You can find Clark on Bandcamp and Instagram and Solawa on Bandcamp.
Luna Li, “cloud castle”
Luna Li is a Toronto-based indie musician crafting dreamy alt-pop. You can find Li on Bandcamp and Instagram and a “visualizer“ video of this song on YouTube.
Mathieu Boogaerts, “Am I Crazy”
A French singer-songwriter with a soft, laid-back style, you can find Boogaerts on Instagram or watch the video for this song on YouTube.
Erez Zobary, “Saku”
A Toronto-based R&B and pop artist known for her soulful vocals, you can find Zobary on Instagram and Bandcamp.
July Talk, “Good Enough”
A five-piece alternative rock band formed in Toronto. You can find July Talk on Bandcamp and Instagram and watch the official video for this song on YouTube.
Saib, “Sakura Trees”
A beat-maker and producer based in Morocco who blends hip-hop and jazz, you can find a few other Saib tracks on Bandcamp.
Gaidaa, “Still Water”
Gaidaa is a Dutch-Sudanese R&B singer making soulful music in California. You can find them on Instagram and Soundcloud.
John Carroll Kirby, “Swallow Tail”
Kirby is a Los Angeles–based composer and pianist making jazz-fusion instrumentals. You can find him on Instagram and on Bandcamp and watch an episode of his web miniseries “Kirby’s Gold” on YouTube.
Andy Shauf, “Quite Like You”
Shauf is a multi-instrumentalist and pop songwriter from Saskatchewan who now lives in Toronto. You can visit his website or find him on Instagram, and an animated video for this song is on YouTube.
Clay and Friends, “C’est tout”
A Montreal-based quintet creating a blend of hip-hop, soul, and funk, you can find Clay and Friends on Bandcamp and Instagram and watch a video of this song on YouTube.
Shay Lia, “Irrational”
A Montreal-based Djiboutian singer-songwriter specializing in alternative R&B, you can find Lia on Instagram.
Aaron Frazer, “Ride with Me”
A singer-songwriter in Brooklyn mixing soul and rock, you can find Frazer on Bandcamp and Instagram and watch him perform live in this YouTube video.
Sea Moya, “The Long Run”
Dividing their time between Montreal and Los Angeles, Sea Moya crafts feel-good psychedelic electronica and can be found on Bandcamp and Instagram.
Khruangbin, “Time (You and I)”
A three-piece band from Texas, Khruangbin creates rock music influenced by Thai Luk thung, among other genres. You can visit the group’s website or find them on Bandcamp and Instagram. The official video for this song is on YouTube. In the video above, the band members discuss their musical influences.
Jane Inc., “Gem”
A Toronto-based multi-instrumentalist who blends rock and pop, you can find Jane Inc. on Bandcamp and Instagram and watch the video for this song on YouTube.
The Avalanches, “If I Was a Folkstar”
Perhaps the most well-known group on this list, The Avalanches spin eclectic samples into disco-influenced collages. You can visit the band’s website or find them on Instagram.
Shintaro Sakamoto, “Let’s Dance Raw”
A longtime Japanese rock star who went solo about a decade ago, Sakamoto makes soft rock. You can read a review of the album this song comes from on Pitchfork or find him on Bandcamp.
Neil Frances, “Dumb Love”
A Los Angeles duo making cheerful alternative pop, Neil Frances is on Bandcamp and Instagram. You can also watch a video in which the band introduces themselves, part of an online miniseries.
