Right. So #NewMusicMonth is all the way over. I did as well as one does when they accept an Internet challenge on their own blog. I should have stuck with the initial premise to just write a sentence about it and keep going. But it was going well and a few people did tell me that they checked out new music because of the posts. And everyone needs new music in their lives.
The difficult thing about the month was new music has to be taken in small bites. You have to give a few tracks a sample and see if it’s something you can get into. Some you like instantly and it’s your new favorite thing. Sometimes you have to take it in small bites and put it away and visit it again later. Some instantly leave a bad taste in your mouth and no matter how good people swear it is, it just ain’t for you. And so on and simlies and metaphors and analogies and whatnots.
Anyway, I skipped some days because I was full and it’s hard to pick 28ish days of new music because how do you even know about things?! I literally picked some albums because I liked the cover art. I am also now indebted to Spotify for $9.99 a month for the forseable future. If you follow me and see lots of Kidz Bop because I have a five year old that loves the heavy rotation.
Anyway we left off at Day 16.
Day 17 – Coldplay, Head Full of Dreams
This did absolutely nothing for me. NOTHING. It wasn’t terrible and it all sounded like Coldplay but do you know how you felt when you first heard X&Y? Yellow? Even Strawberry Fields? I got none of that. How did they land the Superbowl? Thanks Beyonce?
Day 18 – Chris Stapleton; Traveller
Right, so I watched some of the Grammys and while it was generally meh, I completely got my face melted by one Chris Stapleton, Gary Clark Jr, and one queen supreme Bonnie Rait. Now, you know how I feel about Gary and Bonnie is legendary but I was like “ok who is this Chris Stapleton character?” Then I accidentally saw him being funny on Jimmy Kimmel and I was like this is going on the list. OMG OMG PUT HIM ON YOUR LIST. This is straight up legit real country and I can’t even call it folksy or nothing. This is like wife left you, dog died, lost my job country. And like 75% of the songs mention whiskey. Put this in your earhole.
Day 19 – I was tired
Day 20 – Andra Day; Cheers to the Fall
It’s not proper to say that she reminded me of Amy Winehouse because 60s doo woppy soul doesn’t belong to just one person. But Andra Day reminded me of Amy Winehouse even though they aren’t close to the same and I pine for Amy and this wasn’t a substitution because nothing will be but it was good and she’s great and I’ve been meaning to listen for a while.
Day 21 – Beck ; Morning Phase
I’m not a Beyhive member so I have no ill feelings towards Beck for winning best album. Despite all the angsty white boy tendencies I have, I was a late comer to Beck. Yes I know Loser but that was it. Currently the album Guero is my shiz but I literally can’t even think of anything I liked from Morning Phase. Very Simon & Garfunkle. See also: Coldplay.
Day 22 – Tired??
Day 23 – BJ the Chicago Kid; In My Head
All my podcasts had been on the new Kanye and I wasn’t ready so I searched the new music joints on Spotify and saw this and I liked the cover art. It was kinda like Anderson. Paak with the singing AND rapping and being good at both but had A LOT of church it in. Not like it’s appropriate to listen to in substituion for gospel but heavily influnced by church. And that’s ok. It was good.
Day 24 – Animal Collective; Painting Within
My XM indie channel talked about this music a lot and it is totally indie and godawful terrible noise I couldn’t even believe I had on my phone for the 40 minutes or whatever I listened to it. OMG THE WORST.
Day 25 – 27 I was busy party planning.
Day 28 – Justin Bieber; Purpose
Why not. The internet swore it wasn’t terrible and it isn’t but it’s like who taught Justin Bieber about trap music and then let him sing over trap beats (if you don’t know what Trap Music is…I’m sorry for you). It wasn’t bad. It’s like he’s trying twice as hard as Justin Timberlake with a quarter of the soul. But still, it wasn’t bad.
Day 29 – Kanye West; Life of Pablo
Because of peer pressure and FOMO (fear of missing out) I had to listen. It wasn’t good. I was wondering if I let the presumed persona of Bieber and Yeezy cloud their music and it’s impossible not to but my problem with Kanye is that I was comparing him to old Kanye. Not even Dropout Kanye. Just decent Kanye. It wasn’t good to me. In fact, I only really loved the Kanye interlude where Kanye was speaking about Kanye.
But I did enjoy getting into new music so I might do some New Music Mondays from time to time. Cause why not.
(featured image via some brilliant soul on Twitter)
Guero is my absolute favorite Beck album. Que Onda Guero will always make me smile. Basically that whole album is amazing.
I haven't heard the new AC album but check out "Merriweather Post Pavilion." I love "My Girls" and "Brother Sport."
Music month is also a very important thing for all of us and we can make our life and essays are really nice for us. The music memories are really nice for all of us because these important for all of us. These things should become greatest for all us.