EVEN THE STARS 2021 PLAYLIST

We've compiled a playlist of forty of our favourite songs of 2021, a mix of singles and album tracks from new and established bands.

Full list - VLURE, Ist Ist, James, Odd Morris, Julia Bardo, Marissa Nadler, Self Esteem, Wolf Alice, Dry Cleaning, Low Hummer, The Slow Readers Club, Stephen Fretwell, LIINES, Lime Garden, wych elm, Soot Sprite, FIKA, Egyptian Blue, Sprints, Proletariat, Blanketman, Rosellas, Pixie Cut Rhythm Orchestra, Meggie Lennon, talker, Wyldest, Hectorine, Solis, Lanterns On The Lake, Roxanne De Bastion, Blankenberge, English Teacher, Francis Of Delirium, Hates Talking, Grandmas House, James Holt, Thyla, Bleach Lab, The Clockworks and Bullet Girl

EVEN THE STARS ALBUMS OF 2021 - 5 to 1

2021 has been a very strong year for albums. Our top three would have topped this list in most of the years that we've being doing this. Our top five features a band about to celebrate its fortieth anniversary with an album that stands up against anything they've ever released, a Manchester band's second album in two years who are hopefully on the brink of bigger things, a rich emotional debut from an Italian songwriter, a long-awaited return after over a decade away from a much-loved singer-songwriter and a ninth solo album from a singer entering her third decade in the business.

Julia Bardo / Pale Blue Eyes / Stonebow - Halifax Festival Of Words - 22nd October 2021

Julia Bardo finished off her UK tour supporting her debut album Bauhaus L'Appartamento in the slightly surreal surroundings of the Albany Arcade in Halifax's Borough Market performing the album in full and her own interpretation of a Pixies' classic. The impressive support came from last minute replacements Pale Blue Eyes and a new local band Stonebow.

Julia Bardo - Bauhaus, L' Appartamento

It's two years since Italian-born Julia Bardo, then of Working Men's Club still, announced herself to the world with the stunning debut single Desire, a world away from the band that had broken into daytime 6 Music with their own debut Bad Blood. By the time the Phase EP had come out the following year, just prior to lockdown, Julia was out on her own, newly-signed record deal in hand and already making her mark. A year and a half on, Bauhaus, L'Appartamento, a brand new set of songs prefaced by a few appetiser singles, is out in the world, is a statement of intent yet also a revealing honest laying bare of all the uncertainties of loving and living far from home.

Ist Ist / The Goa Express / Abbie Ozard / Julia Bardo - Manchester Night And Day Cafe - 5th August 2021

The first of a new series of BBC Introducing showcases at Manchester's Night And Day Cafe saw headliners and hometown heroes Ist Ist play their first non-distanced show in the city since June 2019 with an impressive supporting cast of Introducing favourites The Goa Express, Abbie Ozard and Julia Bardo in a sold-out venue of music lovers making their first excited tentative steps back out into the world of gigging again.

Julia Bardo - Manchester International Festival - 14th July 2021

A sunny Manchester mid-afternoon felt like a perfect introduction to Julia Bardo's forthcoming Bauhaus L'Appartamento album as she played a seven-song set of tracks taken from the album with her five-piece band on the main stage in Manchester International Festival's Cathedral Square hub.

Julia Bardo - Manchester Yes - 11th March 2020

Julia Bardo played her "hometown" show in Yes's Pink Room in Manchester on Wednesday night to celebrate the launch of her debut EP Phase and to introduce new material as well as a cover of one of the most recognisable songs ever recorded.

Julia Bardo - Phase EP

Phase is the four-track debut EP from Italian singer-songwriter Julia Bardo released this Friday via Wichita Recordings. Featuring recent singles I Wanna Feel Love and Please Don't Tell Me plus two brand new tracks, the EP showcases varied styles with Julia's exquisite vocals as the centrepiece.

Blossoms / Julia Bardo - Manchester Ritz - 4th February 2020

Blossoms' non-stop promo campaign for their third album Foolish Loving Spaces rolled into Manchester's Ritz for an intimate launch show that mixed tracks from the album with old favourites, revealing their expanded live set-up and delighting an audience of young and old fans alike.

TRACK OF THE DAY : Julia Bardo - I Wanna Feel Love

Julia Bardo has revealed I Wanna Feel Love, her second single and her first since signing to Wichita as well as being the lead track from her debut EP Phase that is due out on March 6th. The track possesses the same timeless feel to it as her debut single Desire whilst referencing her Italian heritage at the same time.

20 FOR 2020 - EVEN THE STARS TIPS - Part One

Every year we give our predictions as to bands that will make their mark in the following year. Sometimes we're way off the mark, sometimes we're spot on and other times we're a year or even two or three ahead of a band breaking. What really matters though is we think these twenty artists are great - and think you should check them out.

The Blinders / Julia Bardo / Millie McLeod - Blackburn Museum - 8th August 2019

The Blinders headed to Blackburn on Thursday night for an intimate stripped-down set in the unusual setting of Blackburn Museum supported by Julia Bardo and Millie McLeod. A seventy-five minute set saw them play very different versions of songs from their debut album Columbia and a series of songs from their second album writing sessions.

TRACK OF THE DAY : Julia Bardo - Desire

Desire is the debut single by Manchester-based singer-songwriter Julia Bardo, an impressive sounding song, drenched in 60s vibes and a timeless vocal.