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Jeffrey Silverstein – Petal Steel : Playlist
Jeffrey Silverstein’s album You Become the Mountain was released in early April. It’s become my go-to album when I’m in need of some soothing, quietly affirming, binaural tones. It’s ambient, affirmative, extremely pretty, and a little weird. Which makes sense considering that the record’s inspired by the landscapes of the Pacific Northwest, meditation, long-distance running and Silverstein’s experience as a special education teacher. The album is difficult to classify – reminiscent of the Sea and Cake, while electronic beats and excellent pedal steel playing abounds. It’s great. I asked Silverstein to make a guest mix knowing he must have impeccable…
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Psychedelic Cowboy : Playlist
Hi friends, It’s been a minute. Lots of great stuff coming up – new Neil Young next week, Bob Dylan, later in the summer that Zephaniah OHora and Kenny Roby. Missin’ live shows something bad and hoping all our artist friends are staying afloat. I hope people take this time to buy and deeply listen to records. One of my many quarantine projects has been watching music documentaries and Sir Doug and the Genuine Texas Cosmic Groove was one of the best I’ve seen. I also highly recommend the Laurel Canyon two-parter on Epix, Remember My Name, Fallen Angel, The…
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Songs for 6000 Feet : Playlist
I’m currently quarantined in the place I lived as a teenager, and it was here where the vast fields and mountains inspired my interest in and subsequent love for Americana. This is essentially the playlist I made fifteen years ago, with some additions to keep it feeling fresh and up-to-date. I used to listen to these songs, and imagine my life here – hiking, cooking, practicing guitar, finding joy in the simple things. At that age though, the too-small town had me longing for bigger things and I headed out for a more exciting place, but now here I am,…
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Troubled Folk Songs : Playlist
I suppose it’s time to release this playlist into the wild. I’ve been working on it since November, gradually. Initially I named this one “Things I’m Sensitive To.” I’d been fascinated by this concept of ‘unearthed’ records for a minute, but had little guidance after a while and so went it alone. Over the next few weeks, I discovered the Numero Uno group but also did some heavy research seeking distinctly lo-fi private pressings from the very early 70s, or things that tend to be classified as “loner acid folk?” I guess, meaning that it was people who had been…
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Songs of the Year : 2019
Spotify’s Wrapped feature delivered today, and although I obviously recognize the irony that I’m about to use their service to self-promote my vain tastes, it’s become increasingly clear that it’s a necessary (emphasis on) evil in the streaming age. I try to support artists by going to shows, buying merch, buying vinyl directly and using Bandcamp. Plus, you know, starting this website in hopes that my niche and small readership will discover something new they like and go out and support musicians similarly. I have a fantasy about one day inventing some API that connects to Spotify and allows you…
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The Californiana Primer : Playlist
Here’s a draft I wrote on 8/16 when I started making this playlist, “What is Californiana, anyway? I don’t know, sounds made up. A true California album does not need to be made by California natives or locals, it can simply have influences of traditional sounds associated with those made in Laurel Canyon in the 60s. Working with Thom Monahan, or working with someone who has worked with Thom Monahan, seems to help add a shimmering, sun-lit quality. It can be sad but there’s gotta be hope. Direct references to Los Angeles, beaches, surfing, canyons, boulevard, etc. aren’t necessary but…
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The Obvious LA Songbook: playlist
This blog post almost seems redundant because all the music I listen to with a few exceptions could probably go onto this playlist. That’s what this whole dumb website is about, right? Anyway, I’m going to LA tomorrow and wanted to add one more playlist to my collection of 900million. I actually made the ultimate on-the-nose LA mixtape on a cassette when I was about 13 years old – Beverly Hills by Weezer, Free Fallin, Beck, all that stuff. My best friend loves to make fun of the time we drove to LA and all the way from West Covina…
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See America Right : playlist
I made this playlist in 2013 and it still slaps. Highly recommended for countryside highway drives.
