A Year of Wonder

When Girl Next Door quoted the “00s Tumblr girl aesthetics” (it was actually the early 2010s), it was not the first time that I saw this long-forgotten social network make a reappearance. Nostalgia is big these days, and the Tumblr era was a time when there was still wonder about how the internet could connect people and spark creativity.

Tumblr also sparked its own music culture. Lana Del Rey, Lorde, and Grimes blogged there, but it was the many fan sites that created a constant sense of excitement around many artists. It was a place where fandom could be expressed unabashedly.

I started nydmusic, a predecessor of glamglare, on Tumblr in 2011. Inspired by the growing number of innovative female artists, I collected links, articles, and photos with now-defunct tools like Google Alerts and Google Reader. Looking at the blog today raises the question again: was culture, and in particular music, really so much richer and denser in the early 2010s, or did I just lose sight of where it happens (TikTok maybe?).

Surely the number of people who write about music is smaller now, so there is much less material to work with for a Tumblr-style blog like nydmusic. But that can change: the Tumblr era nostalgia certainly has something to do with craving messy humanness over slick, algorithm-controlled streams.

A Life Told with Wit and Wonder: Simon Raymonde’s “In One Ear”

Did you know that the Cocteau Twins were banned from live TV performances for over a decade? It all began with the BBC in 1984. You’ll find this story — and so many more about Simon Raymonde’s life as a musician, producer, and label mastermind — in his memoir In One Ear.

The book is as candid as it is captivating: Raymonde writes about the darkest chapters of his life with wit, grace, and a surprising optimism. Forget “feel-good books” — this one feels real. And as Elton John put it: “A wonderful book.”

I picked up my copy earlier this year at Brighton’s The Great Escape Festival, where one of the town’s most famous residents appeared for a Q&A. Now, with the U.S. release finally here, I’ll be finishing the second half along with everyone curious enough to dive in. Trust me — you won’t be disappointed.

And yes, ever since, I can’t stop listening to one of his all-time favorite albums: Talking Heads’ Fear of Music, which became the soundtrack of my summer of 2025.

Catch Simon Raymonde on his book tour at one of these places:

• November 10 - Seattle, WA @ Easy Street Records
• November 11 - San Francisco, CA @ Amoeba Records San Francisco
• November 14 - Los Angeles, CA @ Book Soup
• November 15 - New York @ Rough Trade Records

Five Songs: 2011

Listen to glamglare five songs on Spotify, Apple Music, or below on YouTube.

2011 might have been the year I discovered most of my favorite artists. This week’s five songs reflect my top albums and shows of the year, featuring five boundary-pushing female artists.

In the 2010s, I constantly discovered new sites where people were writing about music. One of them was Melodee Writes, run by a woman from London who, like me, searched for female electronic music artists. There I saw the video for Emika‘s Pretend for the first time, which instantly made me a super fan. Later that year, we met her when she opened for Amon Tobin at the Brooklyn Masonic Temple. Emika has released many more records since then, composed a symphony, and is currently setting up a studio for immersive music.

I can’t remember exactly when I first discovered Zola Jesus, but “Night” is such a powerful song, full of fiery energy, that I wanted to hear more from her. We’ve seen her live many times since then, including once at St. Vitus on the eve of a major snowstorm, which only added to the drama of her music.

While the other four artists create clearly electronic music, EMA is much harder to categorize. „California“ is a catchy, noisy pop song with an irresistible, super cool video. EMA released two more albums by 2017 and is currently teaching music recording in Oregon.

Claire Boucher, aka Grimes, was a fascinating artist in the early 2010s—one could say she fit perfectly into the Tumblr era aesthetic. When I discovered her on the blog Dailybeatz, I immediately listened to her first two albums, Geidi Primes and Halfaxa, and concluded that this music is either madness or genius. Coincidentally, we had tickets for a Lykke Li show a few days later, where she opened—one of my favorite shows ever. Genius, indeed.

I discovered the UK singer, songwriter, and producer Gazelle Twin through Google Alerts when she mentioned Fever Ray, which I had set as a search term. Like the Swedish artist, Gazelle Twin also wore masks, and I only learned her real appearance when we met her after a show in 2014. Her debut album, The Entire City, was my second-favorite album in 2011.

Song Pick of the Day

Listen to/watch all seven songs on YouTube. Follow our daily updated playlists on YouTube, Apple Music, or Spotify for the 50 latest Song Pick of the Day features, or subscribe here to receive them in your mailbox in real-time. Thank you for following us and sharing the excitement.

• London newcomer MICAH lets mind, soul, and body intertwine on her luminous debut EP, including the beautiful “for.”
• Spleen United’s “Miss You like Crazy” spins emotional longing into hypnotic techno beauty.
• Girl Next Door turns heartbreak into something almost funny in “Tongue Tied.” Sad but playful, it’s the sound of crying and laughing at the same time.
• ssolana’s “Collage Madness” drifts through emotion and identity — a hypnotic piece of experimental pop that feels like a dream unfolding.
• “The memory is bleak // will you stay with me?” — Immaterialize ’s new single turns impermanence into something quietly beautiful.
• Paris WYA’s “Only Time Will Tell” pairs hypnotic pop allure with breathtaking high-fashion visuals.
• A euphoric pop spark four years in the making — Millie Turner finally lets „American Lightning“ strike.

Nine Photos of 2011 — a year that still feels like sunshine

Looking back at our photos from 2011, a flood of memories comes rushing in. In hindsight, it was such a special year — no one close to us had passed away yet, and despite losing my long-time beloved job, I quickly found a new one (even if just for a year). We were in a good place, and it shows in all the travels we took!

That spring, we set out on a voyage into the Panama Canal aboard the Queen Victoria (1–3). In June, we traveled to João Pessoa in Brazil for the wedding of one of Oliver’s work friends (4–6) — truly a once-in-a-lifetime trip. Back in New York, we caught some unforgettable events, like Monogold’s rooftop summer show (7).

2011 was also the year I started painting (8) — something I’d love to pick up again soon. And to top it all off, we flew to Oregon to see Warpaint (9) play at the Oregon Country Fair. These are just a few favorite highlights from that beautiful year, filled with travel, music, art, and the company of dear friends.