A tropical storm is pushing through North Carolina as I write, which means heavy rain smacking the skylights, wind gusts bending the trees that overhang our home, and weather-related alerts lighting up my phone. I’m listening to music, as I usually do this time of day—not an album, however, but a mix courtesy of YouTube.
I clicked play on the new single from the Staves, “Waiting for the Joy,” about 40 minutes ago, and have since let the algorithm do its thing. It’s mostly clips I’ve previously played, including ones from Sophie Gault, Bella White (times five), Sierra Ferrell, Lana Nauphal, Jessica Pratt, Mazzy Star and the Salarymen. Melbourne-based Rowena Wise’s “Indifferent,” which was just featured, is new to me, however, and I liked what I heard. I’ve added its album home, Senseless Acts of Beauty, to my Apple Music library and plan to listen to it in full later today or tomorrow.
The latest single from singer-songwriter Hayley Reardon, “Barcelona,” is now playing. Like many of her songs, it’s one part confession and one part confection, a bittersweet treat that attaches itself to the soul. It’s mesmerizing.
Some folks have grand visions that their blogs will upend the established order of things. I don’t. I’ve never expected to reach anyone beyond fellow travelers, aka folk-flavored fans who enjoy old favorites but haven’t lost their zest for new artists, new albums, new songs. If you like Neil Young, for instance, odds are you’ll like most of who I spotlight. We also enjoy the electric musings of many artists, plus soulful treatises of singers like Dylan Bailey, whose voice is soaking through me as I type.
A clip of Mikaela Davis & Southern Star performing Neil Young’s “Down by the River” is now radiating from the speakers. It weaves together a myriad of my musical interests. Mikaela became one of my favorites when I saw her open for the Staves in 2017. I’m a longtime Neil fan, obviously, and fell for Mary Lou Lord—who’s on supporting vocals—in the early 1990s circa her “Some Jingle-Jangle Morning” single. She’s joined at the microphone by her daughter Annabelle, who’s released a few cool songs of her own with Robot Hand, a band that features Southern Star’s Shane and Cian McCarthy. (Small world, eh?) Wilco bassist John Stirratt is also on stage.
To borrow from something I wrote in my overview of Dan Fogelberg’s The Innocent Age, “making music isn’t akin to making a model airplane; there’s more to it than inserting the right pieces into the correct slots, slathering on glue and letting it dry. Likewise, experiencing music is about more than just strapping on the headphones or cranking up the stereo. It’s an idiosyncratic exercise that’s as much about the listener’s headspace as it is the artist, album or song; there’s no right or wrong, per se, just likes and dislikes, with much—if not all—of those situational.” It’s why, from time to time, I share tidbits from my life. They frame the whys and wherefores of said connections.
We live in what’s fast become a passive age for music entertainment; many explore no further than the recommendations and playlists provided by the streaming services. But if what they hear spurs them to investigate further, hopefully their Internet search leads to this blog. If my musings spur them to seek out the album in full, or other albums by the artist(s) in question, then I’ve achieved what I set out to do. That’s the change I seek, one fan at a time.
The Old Grey Cat 
Thanks OGC! Your musings do spur us to listen to other artists quite often. The Neil Young taste seems to be broad and deep. You’ve achieved what you set out to do. Congrats!
LikeLike