Another day, another publicist’s claim that this or that soon-to-be-released song or album is the greatest thing since sliced bread—that’s how it often seems from here in the trenches, at least. The emailed missives dive deep into the sonic abyss, almost always referencing past and present influences in hopes that the mentions will spur recipients to click through the links and check out the proffered music, then feature it on our websites or blogs.
The funny thing is, I’ve discovered a slew of wonderful music from such pitches—from Lillian Leadbetter’s intoxicating State of Romance to Amanda Whiting’s harp-first jazz to the colorful pop art that is Holly Palmer’s forthcoming Metamorphosis. As my Bandcamp collection shows, despite being provided with high-quality WAV files, I routinely put my money where my mouth is: I purchase many of the albums I feature.
Back on point: I’m a small cog in the music-industrial complex—a quirky one, perhaps, but a cog nonetheless. I scan the emails and, as the Doobie Brothers advise, listen to the music; when it speaks to me, I feature it within these pages. Many other online ‘zines do the same, of course, with quite a few posting the press releases in full with minimal tweaks. Some even add bylines and pretend that the artist quotes in the “articles” are original to them. In a sense, it’s the AI approach without any AI involvement; they’re cool with passing off someone else’s work as their own.
Of course, I also spotlight an array of new releases that I come across on my own—from flipping through Apple Music’s virtual racks most Fridays to pressing play on its New Music Mix to—believe it or not—clicking through Instagram ads. It’s amazing to me just how much good new music is out there.
Today’s soundscape is a different beast than it was even a decade ago, to say nothing of generations long past. Back in my day, aka the late 1970s/early ‘80s, we leaned on friends, radio, reviews, music tomes, and record-store clerks to introduce us to hip sounds we might otherwise have never found. Quite a few of my favorite LPs, such as Lone Justice’s debut and the Long Ryders’ Native Sons, were purchased based solely on a critic’s recommendation. All the world’s grooves weren’t a few clicks—or Siri/Alexa request—away; music fandom was, at its core, a pay-to-play enterprise.
My goal for this blog was, is, and will forever be the same: celebrate music and, to a lesser extent, movies and TV. My hope is that folks who come across it will read my whimsical ramblings, equate some or all that I say to their lives, and seek out the sounds and shows I recommend. Too, I hope to leave readers with a smile.
All of which is to say: “Plain Jane,” the latest Stax-soaked single from country-soul singer Lexie is well worth a listen. She’s a UK-born, Dubai-based artist who reminds me of Mavis Staple one moment, Joss Stone the next. The press release quotes her as saying, “[H]ome is a feeling, not a place, if you are always on the move. It got to the point where I was just living out of a suitcase and had to find peace where I was at, that’s what inspired me to write the song. It’s a collection of moments, memories and feelings during my travels, combined to make the perfect cocktail of pop, soul and storytelling.”
FYI, “Plain Jane” led me, yesterday morning, to check out Lexie’s past works. Her 2024 album, Diaries of a Disastrous Dating Life, is well worth a listen, too.
The Old Grey Cat 