Category Archives: New in 2021

UMC50: 50 Can’t Miss Songs from 2021

UMC family, we love you. We’re thankful to have made it another year together, through the inherent challenges of the times. And, even though this has been an especially wacky holiday season, we want to make sure we leave you with one more parting gift before we say hello to new possibilities in 2022.

That parting gift is this year’s UMC50 playlist.

We scoured our UMC20 Best Of playlists — and our other UMC20 playlists, for months where there wasn’t a “Best Of” (2021 was weird, y’all) — for 50 tracks that we feel paint a picture of the musical year that was. You’ll hear variety. You’ll hear some things you don’t expect. You’ll see familiar names on the list, as well as first-time inclusions in our now-annual tradition.

It was important to us to get this to you. We hope you enjoy it as you reflect on 2021, and celebrate what is to come in the year ahead.

Listen to UMC50

Our Underground Holiday Hits Playlist is Back!

Last year, this was the UMC20: Holiday Edition. Since then, more holiday jams have been released by independent artists all over the world, and we decided that we couldn’t leave it to just 20 songs!

We’ll be updating this every year, and we’ll be adding way more than we subtract. This year’s updated playlist has tunes from artists all over the world — from right here in Nashville, to all the way in Israel. So, let the record show that the spirit of the season is alive and well, everywhere you go.

Get in the Spirit

Partner Content: What You Need to Begin a New Artist Project (Besides the Obvious)

I am thrilled to announce that I am now a contributing writer for Muze, the dating app for musicians. Muze allows musicians to find their perfect musical matches, leading to stronger and longer-lasting collaborative relationships between artists.

Here’s an excerpt from my first article. Check out the full article on the Muze blog by clicking the button below!

When thinking about what you need to begin an artist project, some obvious things come to mind. You will need to find your sound – or at least, a sound that you are comfortable having as a starting point for everything to come. You will need to pick an instrument (don’t worry, singers – your voices count, too!). You will need the right gear to keep everything sounding great. Then, you will need to develop proficiency at your craft. And, if you are starting a band, you will need to find other members to complete the lineup. (The great news? You can find your next bandmates anytime you log into Muze!)

However, there are some less obvious – and in some cases, intangible – items involved in starting an artist project that are just as essential toward your long-term success. Let’s dig into some of the important things that may be flying under your radar, as you begin your mission toward superstardom!

Songs You Should Hear: The All-Jenna Edition (Dec. 17, 2021)

It’s been a wild holiday season around these parts, as I alluded in this week’s UMC20 post. Somehow, December has been the busiest month of the year for the second year in a row. That’s a great thing!

It also means that I needed some help getting you some Songs You Should Hear this week. Fortunately, UMC Contributor Jenna Rose has had plenty ready to go in the queue. So many, in fact, that we have enough to feature her picks exclusively for the next couple weeks, if we so choose.

That’s what we’re choosing to do this week. Come get some…

Songs You Should Hear: Dec. 17, 2021

Hear What You Should

Guitar Shopping: The What, the Why, & the How with Music on The Move Studios’ Caitie Thompson

To put it short: I know VERY LITTLE about guitars. As a baby songwriter, I knew even less. So, I figured: what better way to make it easier for the next generation of songwriters, than to have all the questions I have answered by a professional! That professional is my amazing business partner — and guitar goddess — Caitie Thompson. 

If you have any questions, feel free to contact us at info@musiconthemovestudios.com. Let’s get right down it!

Read more

UMC20: We Found Some Gems (Dec. 14ish, 2021)

Thanks again for your patience as we put this one together. There are a TON of fun projects coming through these days. Not to mention, we’re gearing up to make New Year’s Eve one to remember over at The East Room. The workload is real!

Nonetheless, it’s come time to deliver this week’s jams to you. Certainly, the artists featured on that show linked above are part of our plans this week. We also took some time to crawl through the submission forms and even our email inbox to find some multi-genre gold.

Share in our riches and check out this week’s UMC20 below!

Listen to UMC20

Get Ready for the NashLive! New Year’s Experience!

2021 has been a stellar and transformative year; one where we witnessed the triumphant return of live, non-virtual music. To celebrate, the folks behind NashLive! have one more trick up our sleeves as we say hello to the New Year.

Learn More

LISTEN: Arula is ‘Alive Now’

Though difficult to endure in the moment, hopeless and lonely feelings are often the catalysts that lead us to our most powerful breakthroughs. This type of ascension-from-the-ashes is explored on “Alive Now,” the latest single from San Francisco-based avant-pop artist Arula.

Hear the Single
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