The L4LM Monthly Mix is a serial playlist curated with care by the Live For Live Music staff, a small group of dedicated music lovers with unique and varied tastes. Each month, we bring you a new mix of tracks—from the old to the new, the beloved to the obscure, the silly to the sentimental.
This month, as we celebrate Women’s History Month, we’re bringing you a very special edition of the L4LM Monthly Mix comprised entirely of female artists, female-fronted bands, and songs prominently featuring female performers.
This article serves as your listening guide for the L4LM Monthly Mix—your liner notes, your peek inside our brains. Hear a song you like as you listen through? Scroll down (or “cmnd + f” search) and find out “what’s good” with the selection—why that music moved us this month. We hope we can help you discover something that moves you, too.
Dive into the March 2021 edition of the L4LM Monthly Mix below and subscribe on Spotify to make sure you don’t miss any new L4LM Monthly Mixes. You can also scroll down to the bottom of the page to revisit past months’ mixes.
L4LM Monthly Mix – March 2021 – Women’s History Month
MARCH 2021 – LINER NOTES
Nina Simone – “Feeling Good”
What’s good: Welcoming a new dawn, and a new day… things are starting to look up in the world of live music! –Kunj Shah
Ms. Lauryn Hill – “Doo Wop (That Thing)”
What’s good: A classic track from a historic record. –Andrew O’Brien
Mavis Staples – “Slippery People – Live” (Talking Heads)
What’s good: The crossover cover I never knew I needed. –Michael Broerman
Janelle Monáe – “Come Alive (War of the Roses)”
What’s good: Is there a triple-threat right now cooler than Janelle Monáe? Pretty wild that I can say I saw her perform on the main stage at Lollapalooza and star in an award-winning film about NASA scientists in the same year. –Sara Shah
Sharon Jones – “Midnight Rider” (Allman Brothers Band)
What’s good: R.I.P. to the QUEEN of soul. –Sara Shah
Khruangbin – “Evan Finds the Third Room”
What’s good: Hello? Is Laura Leezy a queen? YES. –Andrew O’Brien
H.E.R. – “I Can’t Breathe”
What’s good: There’s a reason this track just won “Song of the Year” at the Grammys. If you don’t feel a pit in your stomach when H.E.R. sings this chorus, you weren’t paying attention last summer. –Andrew O’Brien
Tedeschi Trucks Band – “Midnight In Harlem”
What’s good: Mama Susan. Is there anything else to say? –Shelby Bretschger
Drugdealer – “The End Of Comedy”
What’s good: Weyes Blood lets her inner Carole King shine on this minimalist, yet sonically fulfilling track. –Shelby Bretschger
Brittany Howard – “Stay High (Spotify Singles)”
What’s good: There is no one who commands a crowd quite like this absolute powerhouse. This version of the song gives me chills. –Sara Shah
Gorillaz ft. Little Dragon – “Empire Ants”
What’s good: My most played song of the 2010s decade (according to Spotify). –Shelby Bretschger
Billie Holiday – “Strange Fruit”
What’s good: I watched The United States vs. Billie Holiday recently and hadn’t fully understood the importance of this song before then. She was nothing short of a revolutionary, and it should be required viewing for all Americans. –Sara Shah
Judith Hill – “Americana”
What’s good: This up-and-coming badass burst onto the scene recently and stole the show at Georgia Comes Alive with a performance featuring her adorable mom, who plays in her touring band along with her dad. Her new album, Baby, I’m Hollywood!, is a powerful statement on the state of affairs in our country. –Sara Shah
Jennifer Hartswick – “Stay” (Rihanna)
What’s good: If you only know Jen as a member of Trey Anastasio Band, you’re missing out on one of the best vocal jazz albums of the last decade. All of Nexus is worth many listens, but I’m partial to this gorgeous reimagining of the Rihanna smash hit. –Andrew O’Brien
Fruition – “Santa Fe”
What’s good: Mimi Naja’s singing on this song from 2016’s Labor of Love made me an instant fan of Fruition. She also just put out her debut solo single (which you can check out here). –Andrew O’Brien
Fleetwood Mac – “Dreams”
What’s good: This song got an unlikely boost last year from cranberry juice skateboard guy, but it was essential way before that. –Kunj Shah
Karina Rykman – “Dirty South”
What’s good: As Karina Rykman slowly trickles out solo singles (two a year for the past two years) the anticipation grows unbearable for a debut LP. –Michael Broerman
Billie Eilish – “you should see me in a crown”
What’s good: This b*tch is batsh*t crazy and I f*cking love it. –Sara Shah
Yaeji – “Raingurl”
What’s good: With roots in Korea, Atlanta, and Queens, NY, Yaeji synthesizes house and hip-hop into gorgeous textures and dance-heavy beats. –Shelby Bretschger
Remi Wolf – “Photo ID”
What’s good: Eclectic, indie pop-funk delivered with colorful, Gen Z excellence—Remi Wolf is for sure a rising force to be reckoned with. –Shelby Bretschger
Sia – “Hey Boy”
What’s good: Sia is just her own unique brand of a human/alien, and I respect that. Also, her music is a ton of fun. –Sara Shah
Beyoncé, Blue Ivy, WizKid, SAINt JHN – “Brown Skin Girl”
What’s good: The catchiest song of 2020. And yes, I know it came out in 2019. Don’t @ me. –Andrew O’Brien
Megan Thee Stallion ft. DaBaby – “Cash Sh*t”
What’s good: “Savage” may have made Megan Thee Stallion a household name (given the TikTok virality), but “Cash Sh*t” was the first song that really hooked me a few years back. Much love and congrats for her recent Grammy wins! –Shelby Bretschger
Selena – “Always Mine”
What’s good: The late Queen of Tejano music is one of the most celebrated Mexican-American entertainers of the last century, and this track screams “80s dance pop.” –Shelby Bretschger
ROSALÍA – “MALAMENTE”
What’s good: No one else in music right now sounds like Rosalía. She blends flamenco, R&B, and latin pop for a brand propelling her to well-deserved stardom. –Shelby Bretschger
St. Vincent – “Pay Your Way In Pain”
What’s good: Getting some serious Prince vibes from this new St. Vincent. –Andrew O’Brien
Dua Lipa ft. Madonna, Missy Elliott – “Levitating”
What’s good: I mean… Missy Elliott, Madonna and Dua Lipa on the same track? Talk about a trio of GODESSES. This disco funk track is a vibe. –Sara Shah
Hiatus Kaiyote – “Get Sun”
What’s good: Hiatus Kaiyote are back, and in doing so, prove once again that Australia has the best bands on the planet right now. –Tom Shackleford
Southern Avenue – “We’re Gonna Make It”
What’s good: Nope, that’s not an old soul record—it’s a track off Southern Avenue’s latest. I guess you can call it an “old souls” record. This band’s sound is timeless. –Andrew O’Brien
Heart – “Barracuda”
What’s good: Many thanks to the Wilsons for teaching a young Andrew about carnivorous fish… and rock n’ roll. –Andrew O’Brien
Imogen Heap – “Hide and Seek”
What’s good: I first heard this track in high school, and I’ve still never heard anyone manage to muster a sound quite like Imogen Heap’s trademark siren song. –Andrew O’Brien
Grace Potter – “Toothbrush And My Table”
What’s good: Grace turns on a bit of NOLA swagger on this one. Can’t beat it. –Kunj Shah
Etta James – “At Last”
What’s good: This song had been around for nearly two decades before Etta James recorded it in 1960. Now, I can’t imagine anyone else singing it. She owns it. That’s the power of Etta in a nutshell. –Andrew O’Brien
Brittany Howard – “You’ll Never Walk Alone” (Rogers and Hammerstein)
What’s good: Sometimes, you don’t need more than two minutes to make an impact. Damn! –Andrew O’Brien
Laure Mvula – “Church Girl”
What’s good: Laura Mvula first captured my ear’s attention on 2016’s The Dreaming Room. After five years away, she returns with the lively “Church Girl” which pays homage to 80s MTV-era production alongside her trademark vocal layers. –Tom Shackleford
The Highwomen – “Crowded Table”
What’s good: The Highwomen—the supergroup composed of Brandi Carlile, Amanda Shires, Maren Morris, and Natalie Hemby—took home a well-deserved Grammy for this timely single. –Michael Broerman
Amanda Shires – “Break Out The Champagne”
What’s good: Exactly what Amanda Shires was thinking when she took home a Grammy with The Highwomen for “Crowded Table”. –Michael Broerman
Dolly Parton – “Do I Ever Cross Your Mind?”
What’s good: Do I? –Michael Broerman
Brandi Carlile – “The Mother”
What’s good: Call your mother. –Michael Broerman
Lizzo – “Stayin’ Alive” (Bee Gees)
What’s good: Lizzo flipping the Bee Gees? Sounds like a strange choice—until you hear it. Then it makes perfect sense. –Kunj Shah
Haim – “Falling”
What’s good: The Haim sisters really know how to get your head bobbing. –Jimmy
Phoebe Bridgers – “I Know The End”
What’s good: “When I get back I’ll lay around / And I’ll get up and lay back down” about sums up the past 23 years for me. –Michael Broerman
