Toro y Moi - Anything in Return - 2013.

Another recommendation from a friend. Today was from Nick!

Once again, I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect from a suggestion by Nick, only because I know he’s got a wide repertoire of music taste (that doesn’t include The Beatles!). At first listen, this album reminded me a lot of Tame Impala’s sound. Which I love now, but always takes me a few listens before I fall in love with or can call out favorites.

Again, I really like this electronic, synth genre but its just not the music I go out of my way to find. I usually have to dig deep or have it forced into my algorithms by recommendations from friends (like this).

Anywayyyyy. I was listening to this in the background while building furniture for my apartment, which I found perfect for the task. There were moments in Say That and Cake that I caught myself bopping my head and really tuning in while screwing in nails and a door knob lol. I think both these songs have some really strong open synth bars that made me zone out from the task at hand and zone into the music.

These parts of the songs made me realize again how I need music sometimes to get my brain thinking straight and clearly. I just need something to bop my head to and alt-electronic music is perfect for it.

The other thing that I started thinking about was how I am functional to a fault. Let me explain - I look for the functionality of things almost too often. While listening to this album, I started thinking, “this would be perfect music for me to listen to during work while I’m writing outreach messages or building a deck.” I have to assign everything a purpose for it to have meaning or value to me. Why can’t I just like something to like it?

Without diving into that rabbit hole, I’m really looking forward to listening to the rest of Toro y Moi’s music to stimulate my lil head the next time I have furniture to put together or clear out my inbox. I guess you can say this made me feel productive, charged the wires in my brain, turned the gears.

Now that I’m writing this and no longer trying to get something done, it makes me miss summer nights in college. I feel like this would be music I’d put on in my car, drive down to south jersey or just cruise around town. The late night trips down the parkway always made me feel invincible and alive. This would have been a soundtrack down Route 1.

Lastly, this album makes me wanna start smoking weed again. Wish I could just zone out and listen to How’s It Wrong over and over. Those two notes against the robotic beat sounds like contemporary, electronic R&B introduction. That’s a weird description but it makes sense in my head.

Overall, super into this album. Will return to pick out my favorites to add to my Good Stuff playlist. Maybe one day when concerts start up again, this will be the show that catapults me into my next career. (IYKYK) Thanks Nick!

Edit after posting - I feel so validated because I just did a quick read of his Spotify bio and they said he has 80s R&B influences!!!!! Look at me!!!!!!!!!! Holy shit.

Burial - Untrue - 2007

I asked my friends for their favorite albums and Bennett dropped this one.

My resident audio expert, Bennett is all about the sound engineering and technicalities. If I ever wanted to make an album, I’d ask him to produce it. That being said, I should have known he’d recommend something fully out of my wheelhouse. Regardless, I still enjoyed listening to this.

I knew he’d drop something good, but had no idea what to expect.

I’m out of my lane listening to this one, but still found myself picking up some really interesting electronic sounds.

Near Dark had this interesting snare drum looped with a mouse click type and coin dropping. I think its super interesting how people layer these sounds to make music like this. It’s the type of underground trance music you’d hear at a secret warehouse party in Berlin or Brooklyn … or Shoreditch lol.

Overall, I was into the luminous and muffled sound that coated each song. I pictured a cold evening, rain on the ground, black combat boots and a man with a vendetta.

I hate to say it, but the first few songs really sounded the same to me, I found myself checking if I’d hit the repeat button a few times. I think that really tells me what kind of things I hear in music - the lyrics, the story, the emotion.

I want to lay vocals on top of some of these songs.

I didn’t look into Burial before I started listening to the album so when I finally did read up, it all made sense. The cities he is most listened to in are London (he’s a Brit), Berlin, LA, Sydney & Brooklyn (in that order).

Pretty cool shit. Not my go-to music, but if I ever decide to trip I’d put this on for sure.

Adding this bit after I posted for the first time… But I’ve kept the album on while writing and just had this thought. I really like how it reminds me of the Disclosure album that I love so much, but with a darker edge to it. Like it sounds really refined and clean, but there’s this sound of grit that comes through.

Billy Joel - The Stranger - 1977

This is going to be a reoccurring theme - another artist, album that I should have been exposed to growing up but never actively heard or tried to dive into.

I chose this album because Vienna is one of my favorite songs at the moment. I heard it for the first time (that I can remember) watching The Politician on Netflix with Ben Platt. His version was nice, but the song only made sense for the context of the episode. It caught my ear again while mindlessly listening to a Spotify radio playlist for You Really Got a Hold on Me in November. The story caught my ear. “You’re so ambitious for a juvenile… tell me why are you so afraid… What’s the hurry about? You better cool it off before you burn out… You’ve got so much to do and only so many hours in a day…” You get the point. The song was screaming at me.

Anyway, I knew I wanted to choose Billy Joel for this, so this album was a no brainer.

Maybe because I wanted to understand the context of the album after harping over a single for so long, but the stories in these songs are what stuck out to me the most. Opening with moving out, starting a new life, becoming independent. Music matching this exciting fast paced vibe. That guitar riff of quick notes in the chorus leading into the ma ma ma ma… I don’t know what I’m trying to say lol. I guess that this one just feels like someone’s about to start a journey and the music matches the anticipation. Like he’s leaving because he doesn’t agree with how life is being lived here.

The Stranger… the album cover and title. I’m into the spooky tone this one has and the fade intro and outro with the piano and whistling. Kind of masking what the real tone and sound of the song is. Stick around long enough to find out what’s really inside or skip to the next song.

Scenes from an Italian Restaurant … love the jazz.

Overall these are all songs and stories that are incredibly relatable and timeless. I guess that’s why everyone loves him. You can’t go wrong.

I did a very quick read of Rolling Stone’s song by song review for the 40th anniversary, and just fell in love with the story behind Vienna. Still my favorite song. Also obsessed with the story behind She’s Always A Woman. How sweet. Pretty badass in my eyes.

SZA - Ctrl - 2017

Another artist in my orbit but never carved out time to listen or investigate.

The first things that stuck out to me were the lines that I’ve seen scattered across social media as tweets and captions. It’s pretty incredible how modern music is so heavily intertwined into social networking. What would that equivalent be in the Rolling Stage age? Like how did people showcase their favorite lyrics from music? Maybe through tattoos and/or art? But nothing is as fleeting as an instagram caption…

The second thing that stuck out much SZA spoke about a “you”.

Without digging into her as an artist or the ‘why’ behind the album, I’m super curious to learn more about the subject of these songs. Was it on individual? What’s the story behind him/her/them? I guess I should also preface I was baking cookies while listening to this tonight, so I can’t admit I was fully focused.

The Weekend stuck out to me as an individual song - maybe because I’d heard it before. Or maybe because the chorus and hook were real catchy. The notes and way she sings “my man is your man is her man too” the note bouncing along. So good.

Overall, I’m in love with the R&B and soul to all the sounds and music. AND Obsessed with her tone!!! UGH. No wonder people are obsessed with her. She brings that R&B heart back into songs. Like Mary J Blige sounds.

I want to go back and read about who was recorded in the opening and closing song. I believe she says its her Ma but I need to fact check!

Rolling Stones - Out Of Our Heads - 1965

I have always known about the Rolling Stones, but never listened to them.

I guess it’s kind of funny how I developed this attachment to music considering my family only listed to what was on the radio or on the karaoke machine growing up. I always think about this when I come across artists or bands that I feel I should have had more exposure in my younger days.

But I was never exposed to them and I wanted to hear more.

First of all, I had no idea they had such a chill, poppy vibe. It makes sense for the era and time of their come up. Very hippy, woodstocky. A sound so similar to The Beatles. I really had no idea that’s what their sound was like.

I guess I’m starting off on a great foot here. I want to go back and relisten to their greatest hits and pick out a few favorites.

Music Writers Exercise: February 2020

I’m not a song writer, nor am I a professional musician. But I love music and think, feel, thrive through music, so I figured why not participate in this. Not for anyone else but for myself. Really just hoping to create space around rediscovering music and exploring, understanding the art a bit more.

Here are the albums I chose, but they might change!

1. Rolling Stones - Out Of Our Heads - 1965

2. SZA - Ctrl 2017

3. Billy Joel - The Stranger 1977

4. Burial - Untrue 2007

5. Toro y Moi - Anything in Return 2014

6. Solange - A Seat at the Table - 2016

7. Sampha - Process 2017

8. Stormzy - Heavy is this Head 2019

9. Tracy Chapman - Tracy Chapman 1988

10. Real Estate - The Main Thing  2020

11. The Allman Brothers - Eat A Peach 1972

12. P!nk - Beautiful Trauma - 2019

13. Megan The Stallion - Good News 2020

14. Tyler, The Creator - Cherry Bomb 2015

15. Little Hag - Whatever Happened to Avery Jane? 2020

16. Common - Be 2005

17. The Strokes - Room on Fire 2003

18. mewithoutYou - It’s All Crazy! It’s all False! It’s all a dream! Its alright 2009

19. LCD Soundsystem - This is Happening 2010

20. Paul Simon - Graceland 1968

21. The White Stripes - Elephant - 2003

22. Red Hot Chili Peppers - Blood Sugar Sex Magik 1991

23. Lewis Del Mar - AUGUST 2020

24. David Bowie - Aladdin Sane 1973

25. Prince - Purple Rain 1984

26. Chris Stapleton - Traveller 2015

27. Brian Fallon - Local Honey - 2020

28. Shakey Graves - And The War Came 2014