#NewMusicMonday • July-August, 2023

Americana. Folk. Rock 'n' Roll. 

Just when I think I won't find enough of the music that moves me, I find enough. 

In the playlist this week, you're going to hear lots of violin, mandolin, and acoustic guitar. There's more exciting Americana/Folk music being made today than Rock 'n' Roll, but Guided By Voices will be enough to mix up this mix.

If you remember Nickel Creek back in the 90's, they're back to deliver even more textured arrangements and vocals. Growing and evolving, that's what this playlist is about.

Andrew Bird's new album is wonderful. This guy just keeps getting more interesting. Same for Blake Mills. Layers and layers with these two. If you take the time to listen, your time will be well spent.

If you haven't heard of Maia Sharp, listen to her new album. Every song's a winner and in this playlist. How often does that happen? Well, I guess I did the same for Nickel Creek and Andrew Bird...

Enjoy the playlist my friends, there's enough to find some gems.

#NewMusicMonday • February, 2023

Within a genre of music you're going to encounter, sameness. As a big fan of rock 'n' roll back in the 60's and 70's there were always the imitators. This continues today as many young artists fall into the stereotypical pattern of sameness all trying to relight that spark of familiar hits by previous artists. 

In listening to modern streaming genre playlists with titles like, "Fresh Folk," "Emerging Americana," and "All New Indie," I find that they just seem to perpetuate homogenous grouping of young artists and their niche songs. I'm totally showing my age here, but how many solo droning self-indulgent "smelly cat" artists can there be on a new songs streaming playlist? This past week I kept saying to myself, where have all the bands gone?

In any event, it's getting to be a bit of a grind, as I don't have the time I did a few years ago to do a deep dive hunt for rock 'n' roll and Americana and put a monthly 50+ playlist together. So I'm going to just roll with it. If it takes me two or three months to put a worthy new playlist together with a little musical diversity, then that's where I'm at with my taste in music in 2023. 

There are so many young talented artists I have discovered for myself in the past eight years and shared with my dedicated little group of Monday Monday listeners that I will alway keep this #NewMusicMonday series going. So even though I'm basically saying that the new gems are further distanced from each other these days, it's probably the same feeling I had back in the late 1970's too.

Enjoy my friends. There's people like (header above left to right) Andrew Bird, Bonny Light Horseman, Joy Oladokun, The Lemon Twigs, Caitlin Rose, and (below them) the Milk Carton Kids out there making great new music.