Slow Burns, or How Not to Listen to Music

I always have a hard time getting started on the new year, since I’m still processing my records from last year.

Once I’ve done that, I’ll also try to catch up on records from the prior year that I missed.

The new year also tempts me to reset in some way - maybe re-assess some older records. And, since this is the last year of the decade, why not give another listen to all the music I heard since 2010?

Then there’s the whole World History Project, which will probably go on until I’m dead.

There’s rarely a time when I don’t have some kind of program going on. And right now I’ve got at least three.

So unlike normal people whose decision tree for listening to music may go something like this:

1. Do I want to hear this record?
1. Yes, then put on it on.
2. No, then find another one.

Mine is slightly different:

1. Is this record part of WHP and are we up to that year yet? 
1. Yes, then
1. Do I feel like hearing it? 
2. Yes, then put it on.
2. No, then
2. Is it part of my Decade review? 
1. Yes, then
1. Do I feel like hearing it? 
2. Yes, then put it on.
2. No, then
3. Did I buy it recently?
1. Am I really enjoying it, or do I need to get to know it better? 
1. Yes, then
1. Do I feel like hearing it? 
2. Yes, then put it on.
2. No, then
4. Do I JUST FEEL LIKE HEARING IT? 
1. Yes, then put it on.
2. No, then go back to the shelf and find another.

I’m not even going to go into whether or not the record would drive another family member nuts...

As embarrassing at this all sounds when written down, I still strangely proud - to the point I find it odd other people don’t do something like it.

So, dear reader, I ask you, do you simply slap on a disc (or play your mp3) a la example one above, or do you have a method?

No?

No all-night “night music” festival?

No stacking of all your live Grateful Dead (or Allman Brothers) albums to simulate an actual show?

No featuring one artist, playing one album after another - no matter how bad the later ones were - until you were done?

So I'll then assume you never have a hip hop weekend?

No blues summer?

No classical winter?

No jazz winter?

Don’t you realize there is layer upon layer of theme, duty, timing, segue, time of day, and time of year to consider??

Don’t you impose any rules on yourself, like: No drastic segues, or don’t play post-Beatle John Lennon on the same day as Post-Beatle George or Paul? (Ringo is fine. He doesn’t count.)

Or only Post Beatles?


All of this is to explain what's taking me so long to keep up. I’m awash in music while simultaneously navigating numerous musical agendas.

But at some point, I must come up for air and report back on what I’ve heard. And I’ve always found the ass-backward approach useful, so let’s deal with some of the new music I’ve just gotten, in descending order of how much Mrs. Jaybee hates it.  (What, you don’t think that matters?!)

These records all come from 2018, and all happen to be female artists, none of whom are disappointing:


Snail Mail: Lush (2018)

Mrs. Jaybee hates this record. I barely got to the second song when she said to please stop. When I protested, she put it on to make sure she hated it. And she did.

It’s the voice she said.

But I like it a lot - voice included - so I’m not sure what the problem is. There is a low key whiny-ness to it, and a sameness of tone, but I’ve always been a sucker for that. And the weird-chord droning is cool, too.

Sounds enticing, doesn’t it?

We caught her a few weeks ago when she opened for Interpol and Car Seat Headrest, and she didn’t disappoint. Not me, ‘cause I liked her and not Mrs. Jaybee, because she didn’t.

So I gave it another spin, and I was impressed that the overall sadness didn’t get me down, the guitar playing was agile and the voice committed to each and every song.

Sounds like she’s pretty good-hearted, too. That can help during the cold weather.

A-

“Pristine”




Cardi B: Invasion of Privacy (2018)

Being more involved in the actual world that I am, Mrs. Jaybee already heard - and liked - some of this.

Weirdly fun. Over the top, brassy, obscene as hell, but pretty honest in a real housewives kind of way.

This woman has personality to spare, but I can only take so much.

B+

"Went Through Your Phone Last Night"



Kacey Musgraves: Golden Hour (2018)

Grammy and Pazz and Jop winning and who am I to argue? (Hey, the Grammy’s haven’t been horrible lately. What, with The Suburbs, Morning Phase and Golden Hour winning during this decade. I’m used to them sucking ALL the time.)

This is a real pretty record, sometimes beautiful and snob that I am, it's really only that Grammy imprimatur that's keeping me from loving it.

And Mrs. Jaybee admits to liking it.  So it looks like I've bought myself more time.

A-