april 13 trl
I have written a blog post of some sort every (week)day since August 11. Sometimes people ask my why. Some of the people who ask why aren't actually asking why, they're asking why I do it for free. I do it for free because that's what blogs are, or were, before everyone felt the need to become a brand and put out a product. I'm not a brand, and this blog isn't a product. It's just a blog.
I do have a dream of getting paid to make things like this blog, though. I wrote about it here. But this blog will always just be a blog, a place where I put my thoughts and all the other stuff. If you are of a certain age, you will know what I am talking about because you will remember it.
Anyway, on April 8 I posted a short list of songs (with links to streaming platforms) with little write-ups for each instead of talking about the world, sharing pieces of stories I'm working on, or writing unhinged birthday messages. Doing so has seemingly made a lot of people happy, because I have been getting hella texts, including one that started "Thanks for keeping your blog going, because your posts make me feel hopeful.
My reply:
Anyway.
Songs.
🎵🎵 David Byrne + Brian Eno, "Strange Overtones"
"Strange Overtones" is one of the truly great all-purpose songs. Bad news? "Strange Overtones." Bad day? "Strange Overtones." Need some motivation? "Strange Overtones." Want a soundtrack to quickly tidying up your place before someone comes over? "Strange Overtones." Additionally, this is one of the songs I end up (accidentally) singing out loud while I'm in public.
🎵🎵 Ra Ra Riot, "Dance With Me"
I was a big Ra Ra Riot fan since shortly after they released The Rhumb Line in 2008. I also loved The Orchard (2010). When 2013's Beta Love dropped, I was paid to review it for somewhere —— PopMatters, I think —— and I just... couldn't. I would start, and then stop. I'd listen to the thing all the way through and try to write something good, or critical, or anything better than bad, and I just couldn't. Nothing connected. My opinions were vague. My structure was unwieldy. The thing I was so good at doing was the one thing I couldn't do. I ended up telling my editor that I couldn't write the review, and that I was sorry. I thought it was the record. It wasn't. It was a medical situation that I won't go into more detail about (sorry not sorry). When I got better, I listened to the record again and really, really liked it. And "Dance With Me," its opener, always makes me smile.
🎵🎵 Feist, "Mushaboom"
I hadn't listened to "Mushaboom" in a minute, and neither have you, and so this one is for both of us. Feist is a national treasure and I'll have words for anyone who says otherwise.
🎵🎵 Sextile, "Contortion"
Sometimes you've just got to move your neck in weird ways according to some infectious beat —— and this Sextile track is as good as any to do that to. Sextile is crazy interesting btw. They're what happens when post-punk and synth rock give each other a very special hug and then ask to watch you give someone else a very special hug. Maybe. TL;DR you should fuck with them.
🎵🎵 Boy Harsher, "Pain"
pain breaks rhythm breaks rhythm breaks rhythm
pain pain breaks rhythm breaks rhythm breaks rhythm
pain pain breaks rhythm breaks rhythm breaks rhythm
pain pain breaks rhythm breaks rhythm breaks rhythm
pain pain breaks rhythm breaks rhythm breaks rhythm
pain pain breaks rhythm breaks rhythm breaks rhythm
pain pain breaks rhythm breaks rhythm breaks rhythm
pain pain breaks rhythm breaks rhythm breaks rhythm
pain
🌲 gonna
🌼 go
🌱 touch to
🌳 grass bed
🌷 now
Be good to yourself.
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