There’s a lot to enjoy about new comers Cassie’s Crutch. The West Hartford band’s new single, aptly titled “Sunshine and Grey,” plays with tone, pace, and even features the bells and a violin.

Connecticut music darling Addy Edward has given us his first offering of 2021, “Too Hungry to Eat.”

A self-described “trash pop” three piece from L.A., Suzie True fits well into the pop rock aesthetic. With catchy guitar from G Leonardo and Lexi McCoy’s smooth bass over the steady Sarah “Danny” Pineapple on the drums, the band makes great use elements of the genre that have been staples since, well, the 90s.

With industrial hip-hop sounds that begs for comparison to Run The Jewels, New Haven’s SotoLish serves up the production and bars to carry those expectations appropriately. Their latest release 404 is a gorgeous 11 song release that’s over too soon. Connecticut music fans have themselves a real winner.

New London’s AnUrbanNerd released “Dent,” which sounds like everything Lil Wayne’s Rebirth should have been.

The debut album from the soulful Aaron Frazer is music that explores the peaks and valleys of love. Introducing… is a rollercoaster ride of emotion that is well done, invigorating, and our favorite album early in 2021.

Maine-based musician Matt Lajoie has released his first all-electric solo guitar records that runneth-over in both grandeur and stillness. Paraclete Tongue and Sun Language are “cosmic pastoral” efforts that will bring you peace and harmony in 2021.

The debut album from the Groton duo shows promise for the future, both as a studio band and for live performance.

Niamh (pronounced Nieve) is a musical painter. According to their label, the Connecticut musician sets out to create music that “[blurs] the lines between myth and reality” and their success is immediately apparent. Their self-titled album Niamh, was released to kick off 2021.

I’ve never been a cocaine user, but I love music that helps me imagine what a coke binge might feel like. Alive & Amplified fits squarely into this category. As the seventh track on the high-energy album states so eloquently, it makes you want to get “loose and juicy.” I never knew it until now, but I DEFINETLY want to get loose and juicy.

New Haven’s Ceschi has teamed up with Bridgeport’s Siul Hughes to deliver an impressive 3 track EP titled Drkwlkr. Each bringing a wealth of experience with them, they prove to be a formidable duo rhyming over three well produced records.

To know AnUrbanNerd is to understand he is an artist of his community. He helps run a performing arts venue for local artists and wears the “nerd” moniker proudly. In July, he dropped his latest EP.

Indie rock outfit Friends Don’t Die and their two newly released singles were brought to my attention recently and they didn’t disappoint. In fact, I would say I was pleasantly surprised at how polished the songs were, as they’re the only two tracks that are publicly available.

Mild Monk’s newest work, Pocket Comforts, released through Hartford’s Funnybone Records, is the peace everybody needs during the chaos of the holidays. The ambient album is a moment to relax and center yourself with a loved one in front of a fire place or on a drive between hectic stops. It’s upbeat, lowkey nature will revive you and appreciate all that this season is about: family and reflection.

The affable Casey Cochran is a renaissance man. His personal list of accomplishments are as varied as the wind, and his latest is no different. This week the Connecticut native released his first album, Take It Slow.

With fewer than 25k followers between Twitter and Instagram, odds are that Ivy Sole is one of the best rappers you’ve never heard of. The jazzy, soulful Philadelphia product put out her latest work SOUTHPAW last month.

There’s nothing less useful than writing about a widely acclaimed album that came out about a year ago or comparing a rap duo from Atlanta to OutKast, but I’m about to do both. Groundbreaking.

This could be an album review for Peach Pit’s excellent new project, You and Your Friends. I could tell you about the moving descriptions of troubled love woven throughout the first seven songs. I could tell you about my favorite songs (“Black Licorice;” “Camilla, I’m At Home;” “Second Life with Emily”). I meant to. I even took serious notes. But then I made it back to the song that brought me to the album in the first place. “Live At The Swamp.”

With corona virus gripping the world, it feels like everybody has one eye fixed on health care and another on the economy. A lot of people are trying to make the most of a difficult situation, making a hustle to get some extra cash during uncertain times. It’s with this backdrop that Sam Lachow released “Fifteen Pennies,” which has him laying out the hustler’s mentality.