As Heartbreaking Bravery revamps and relaunches, it will be undergoing some changes, including deletions, updates, and other forms of refinement across its recorded history. This includes, unfortunately, Heartbreaking Bravery‘s inaugural post, which featured a well-written song that was tarnished by the actions of its author(s). Art and artist can not always be separated, and I would rather have this publication shed light on people who didn’t abuse their platform. This holds especially true for those who had the privilege of attaining a status as an artist of note, no matter how small that specific note may have been in the grand scheme of things. (This is not intended to be cattily diminishing, but a harsh reflection of the reality of bands operating within music’s DIY-leaning ecosystems.)

In place of the review that launched the publication, I have assembled a playlist that comprises a number of the songs and videos that were highlighted in standalone posts, or marked out as best-of’s. (One song per post, with a few posts skipped over, for various methodology reasons; as new posts appear on the site, this playlist will be updated accordingly.)

A renewed start deserves a renewed focus, and though there will be changes, there is still a plethora of history worth honoring. What better way to extend appreciation, past and present, than creating a composite of the tunes and videos that kept Heartbreaking Bravery humming along. Some beginnings deserve to be rewritten, and so much of what came after was, and remains, beautiful.

As it evolved, Heartbreaking Bravery encompassed a number of facets that extended beyond the premise of track and album reviews. This came to include journalistic essays, personal essays from guest authors, commentary on film, and other stray musings on multimedia and politics. But the vast majority of its content was powered by under-heard voices, with a bent towards leveling the playing field and fostering community. Over time, that community became harder to maintain, for a number of reasons. But one thing that never lost its potency was the resonance of its soundtrack, where a few of those under-heard voices rang out at full volume.

Even as Heartbreaking Bravery pushes forward and takes on new shapes, music will still be its beating heart. And while a few of the past notes that turned sour will be phased out of the mix, there’s still a rich, intricate pattern that remains, waiting to be (re-)explored.

Why not put a breadth of that story right at the start? Let the beginning carry through to the end; let the end link back to the beginning.

Enjoy a robust, living, featured-materials compendium, presented in chronological order. (But feel free to access it here and shuffle, for variety’s sake.)

Contained herein is a focused snapshot—and extended time capsule—of what is, was, and will always be Heartbreaking Bravery.