Monday, June 28, 2021
#NewMusicMonday • June, 2021
Monday, May 31, 2021
#NewMusicMonday • May, 2021
In most streaming services, algorithm-created or hand-made playlists are collected into a current narrow genre format. From a pure listening perspective, I can't take the same-same type of songs all in a single playlist for one sitting. I guess it's the same reason I gave up on commercial AM-FM format stations years ago.
Monday, April 26, 2021
#NewMusicMonday • April, 2021
Darnella Frazier (Center) |
"When I look at George Floyd, I look at my dad, I look at my brothers, I look at my cousins, my uncles," Frazier said. She said she has stayed up some nights "apologizing and apologizing to George Floyd for not doing more and not physically interacting and not saving his life." But, she said, "it’s not what I should have done. It’s what he (Chauvin) should have done." (USA Today)
In my search for new music this month, I found an Allison Russell song on Spotify who will be releasing her debut solo album, Outside Child in May.
My usual moaning in new music searches for rock 'n' roll and Americana genres of music is that there is just sooooo much music coming out every month. Actually, a nice problem to have in a world full of real problems, don't you think?
I look at lots of different 'New Releases' reviews and playlists from many of the music streaming services or major (and even minor) online music publications out there.
So why check out my little music publication every Monday?
My answer, I generally curate a new playlist every week. I do this from artists' EP's or albums over just 'singles' releases. It doesn't mean I don't do singles, I include them in almost every playlist I make. It's just a marked contrast with the commercial music streaming playlists today that are typically put together with a mix of singles only.
As a distinction from the pack, my YouTube playlists are most often a mix of 2-5 songs from an album or live video recording with individual artist singles mixed throughout. My hope is that you'll come away with at least one familiar or new artist that causes you to further seek out their songs or albums.
With that said, here's 68 songs, most you've probably have never heard before. Believe me, I'm often just a couple of weeks or even days ahead of you on that one, but in channeling my inner Stephen Colbert I'll say, "A curated mix of my taste in music, found in album, sifted and separated by song, and carefully sorted, that is my segment... A Playlist."
Enjoy my friends, stay well and mask-up!
Monday, March 29, 2021
#NewMusicMonday • March, 2021
Right now, I'm on a Neil Young biographies jag. Good friend Ken Forman sent me Neil's 2012 autobiography, Waging Heavy Peace: Hippie Dream that was perfect timing with his new batch of releases that I have mixed in this month's playlists. Thanks Ken!
Friend Mark Hunter and I are getting together next week for some takeout sushi and beers. After not seeing each other for many months due to the pandemic, he's going to bring along the 2003 Neil Young biography Shaky for me to borrow, and I'm going to do the same as he has never read Waging Heavy Peace. I love how I'm reading these backwards in time.Neil's a very special musician to several generations now. If you're into my blog and playlists, you know I always manage a way to stick his tunes in my playlists. So enjoy some of his new old stuff that I have selected and mixed right in with all the younger musician's new songs. I'm thinking, Neil would probably like that last sentence.
This week, all the work is in the playlist (80 songs), or my new spin on an old proverb, The proof of the playlist is in the listening.
That's all I got.
Enjoy my friends, stay healthy and mask-up.
Monday, January 25, 2021
#NewMusicMonday • January, 2021
A day, I as an American citizen would never have thought possible. Almost three weeks ago, a mob incited by President Trump, descended upon our U.S. Capital and created a violent insurrection against our constitution by trying to stop the legislative process to certify our 2020 Presidential election.
One year later in October 2020, I wrote another blog, The Senate A Silent Majority, and the #WrongSideOfHistory, where I updated the graphic by adding the 'electoral 2020' to go along with the featured song of that blog by Paul Hobbs, The Senate A Silent Majority. In taking inspiration from Paul's song I wrote, The present Senate majority (fifty-three) Republican senators have simply been, SILENT. Silent to act as Trump almost provoked a war with North Korea. Silent to act on any meaningful legislation like rebuilding our nation's infrastructure. Silent to act by watching immigrant children locked in cages at the southern border. Silent to act on the President's attempt to use a foreign power to influence our election. Silent to act on a world-wide pandemic with over 8 million U.S. cases and over 220,000 American deaths (so far). I could go on...
And let it shine
Just own the night
Like the Fourth of July
Monday, December 28, 2020
My Favorite Songs of 2020
Monday, October 05, 2020
#NewMusicMonday • September • 2020
A YEAR of #NewMusicMondays January-March • April-May • June • July-August • September • October • November • My Favorites of 2020 |
The Immediate Family - Russ Kunkel, Leland Sklar, Steve Postell, Danny Kortchmar, and Waddy Wachtel |
Artists from this weeks playlist also include: Bruce Springsteen, Alicia Keys, The Flaming Lips, Fleet Foxes, Waylon Payne, Ben Harper, Joan Osborne, Mike Polizze, Gillian Welch, Sarah Jarosz, Molly Tuttle, and Sierra Ferrell to name the multiple songs.
Enjoy and stay well my friends.
Monday, June 29, 2020
#NewMusicMonday • June • 2020
I'm for that
–James Taylor
A typical Pickleball setup using a tennis court |
Pickleball is a great social activity. Everybody is chatting it up with lots of laughter just like old times, but from my box seat view, I see no masks or social distancing. C'mon boomers, you still can be flexible, just like your pickleball wrist!
For our visiting grandkids their parents have come up with a simple term to explain our times, No San Diego Zoo (opened last week), Legoland, or Disneyland because of the "Big Germs." :-(
It's a different summer in a turbulent year, but we are learning to do things differently and still have fun together.
Breaking News- VP Pence gets pensive and decides to wear a mask to a Texas mega-church on Sunday. Better late than never... at least I hope it's not too late? Anyway, baby steps for Trump's little bucko.
Source - New York Times |
Hey, but on the positive side, new music keeps rolling in everyday. I can't keep up with all the broadcast and Internet services with artists and bands just putting out more live and recorded music across all the streaming services everyday. I'm glad I've made #NewMusicMonday a series because I keep finding new songs and albums being pumped out in this first half of 2020.
If you are spending the time to read this blog, you probably love music, and I will suggest, you need to be listening to music more than ever! Make the adaptation necessary in your behavior to spend 15 more minutes a day listening to music. I'm just a guy here finding and organizing what I think are good songs to listen to and if you like my playlists, cool. If not, find sources where you can hear music that moves you emotionally. I need that movement more than ever, and I'm guessing so do you.
Stay well and enjoy this playlist my friends.
Monday, May 18, 2020
#NewMusicMonday • April-May • 2020
Purchase or Stream on Amazon |
Ever-Roving Eye.
– Pitchfork
Stay well my friends, music always helps.
References
Monday, March 16, 2020
#NewMusicMonday • January-March • 2020
In May, I'm hoping to see The Rolling Stones, Sting, and Sheryl Crow. I wrote the previous sentence a couple of days ago and now those concert dates will be probably cancelled as well. I've now tried to see the Stones twice in my life, and both shows cancelled...
Today, maybe finds you at home. Most of my family in San Diego and in the Seattle area are home today with their children. I have three children who are teachers who will be teaching from their laptops at home using online communications and apps with their students and staff this month and possibly into April. I have other family members in various jobs able to work with their colleagues from their laptops as well. Safe to say, people are close to home these days.
These next several weeks may be a good opportunity to retreat into your album or CD collection. It may be a good time to take a deeper dive into your music streaming service. It may be a time to look to music to either calm or rock your soul, maybe both.
Greenbelt trail a mile from my house |
I was going to save this week's playlist for the last Monday of this month but decided to go ahead and put out this collection (56 and counting) of new music releases from January - March now. Maybe you need the comfort of hearing some old tunes right now, but maybe it's also a good time to spend the time to hear some new stuff as well.
So enjoy this new playlist my friends as I wish you and your family well in the weeks ahead.
Note- I'm sure you can't help but appreciate the irony of Mike Campbell's band being named, The Dirty Knobs as much as I do. The Dirty Knobs kick off the playlist with a very Rolling Stones-like song, Wreckless Abandon (new album expected March 20th). Now wash your hands.
p.s. The last two songs on the playlist are for Vinny.