James Pearl Thinks Blogging is Dead

Norm said:
It was a sad day today. I made no progress on my quest to get to level 10. I think I probably have about 3 hours left to get there, so I can make it to the Mayan Jungle in Zwift land. Man, I bet it's going to turn out that the day I hit L10 I am in London or friggin' Richmond. And I won't get to see my rich reward for like a whole day:

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I got an omelette because Sean planted that seed today. I replaced the home fries with a fruit bowl and passed on the toast. They say that you can't exercise your way to lower weight, but I find that the more I exercise the easier it is for me to make healthier food choices.
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1. The Zwift think and reward of opening a new level HAS to be bait for the non trainer people but I will simply just point that out.
2. You can pry the home fries from my fork before it is trained for GD canned fruit.
3. Since when can't you exercise to lower weight? Like seriously, this is Weight Watcher stuff.
 
I had this thought.

It happened the other day, a response to one of my posts on music, on radio I think. It was a reaction to someone, it doesn't matter who, maybe it was Iggy maybe someone else. The idea was this. That with music, in this day and age, that you can kind of Choose Your Own adventure and make whatever you want out of things. With Spotify, you are your own master. I mean this is true, there is no denying this. I subscribe to Spotify, and I think if you are into music at all, you should subscribe. It's totally worth it.

The media medium we live in allows us to literally paint any picture we want. It is our adventure and not only are we allowed to choose it, we are allowed to define the bounds & limits. We define when it starts, the rules, and when it ends. But here is the thought I had. Is this always good? Is this always what we want? Is unlimited choice always a good thing? I am not so sure it is.

Imagine you were going to play a board game with your kid. Well in this new world, we can do whatever we want. So I proffer you this, the ultimate board game of freedom:

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The rules are simple: Whatever, bro. See those lines? Fuck 'em.

I think sometimes when we give ourselves unlimited amounts of freedom this is what the natural outcome of that freedom is. Isn't this why we go to movies, read books, go to see Broadway shows? We go because unlimited freedom is not always a good thing. This is the thought I had the other day. I made a note of it in my Trello blog list, to discuss this at some point. When I picked up the Sunday Times this past weekend and saw an article that may or may not be about this thing (I haven't read it yet), it made me think, ok, it is time to do this blog post.

The problem with choosing my own musical adventure is that my musical adventure is stuck somewhere in time between 1985 and maybe the year 2000 or so. Of course there is more outside that narrow scope but by and large, a huge amount of the things that ended up in my "Library" playlist on Spotify was produced during those years. And to me, this presented a problem, that contrary to the total freedom that Spotify lends me, my perceived freedom tends towards a set list that was defined when I wasn't totally left to my own devices.

Of course, this is why Pandora had an edge on Spotify in the beginning and why Spotify came out with the artist stations. I think between the 2 I prefer Spotify because I don't want to give feedback to the radio. The idea that I can tell Pandora that I like or dislike something is great, in theory. But before long, all playlists pretty much end up playing the Beatles or Led Zeppelin. Look, I like those bands. They great and all. But you know what, I really don't need to hear either of them every day, or every week for that matter. Sometimes I want to hear nothing but new material. I mean, I guess I want to be challenged to like something different now & again.

This is why the WEQX feed has been great for me personally. It allows me to, well, kinda choose my own adventure. Aside from my Library playlist I also have a Starred playlist, which is just a legacy playlist from an old Spotify feature that has been turned into something else. Anyway, the Starred playlist is smaller & newer, and saved locally to my phone for emergencies...like when I am stranded in a submarine, or the 10 minutes while taking off or landing in a plane. Currently it's less than 50 songs and when something gets old, I bump it out to the Library and delete it from this list.

I know there are downsides to allowing The Man to play music for you. I really like the Decemberists song Severed. But if you listen to EQX for X hours, you will hear it played exactly X/2 times. I really liked it. Then I just liked it. Now I like it but you know it would be great if they didn't play it so damn much. So yeah, I get it, choosing your own adventure is great, and I fully endorse it if your adventure does not land you in the same destination every time you play. But for me I need to be given options, but sometimes limited options.

NYTimes link: The Tyranny of Convenience

I did eventually read the article after writing most of this and it wasn't exactly the same idea, but it does stand as an adjacent thought set to this one. The article does touch specifically on streaming TV versus having to wait to watch something, which is a similar, yet different, thought. As someone who grew up watching stuff on network television and having to wait for it, the anticipation of the next episode, or the discussion between them, added to the show's experience. As much as I love Netflix dropping an entire season on us at once, it removes the anticipation, and it removes the discussion between the episodes when Binge Watching is now a thing. I won't lie, we binge watch too. It's wonderful.

Having the Olympics broadcast to us at a specific time and place and...imagine the horror, watching it live, does add a sense of enjoyment for me. Well, at least until the media circus does everything they can to make the athletes cry. Is it me or are they 1 step away from spraying them with mace in an effort to get them to shed tears?

There is something to be said about convenience and there is something to be said about freedom of options. I have personally thought that for years the concept of convenience is a bad excuse, that we fall back on this to explain why we don't want to do something. Stated another way, we strive for convenience because it is lazy. But answer this for me. What accomplishment in life that you truly value has been convenient? Do you have a PhD? An MBA? Have you ridden 200 miles in a day, or eaten 150 hot dogs at once? The list of things that you tell people about yourself are never convenient things.

Anyway, it was just a thought.

 
Fear not, the Decemberists new album, I'll be Your Girl (That's the name of the album, I will not be your girl) will be out March 16th. While I'm a Decemberists fan, I can't say I love the new song. Colin Meloy confessed he and the band felt the need to get away from making another album that sounds similar to previous material and ventured into different territory. In any case I will give the new material a listen so I am familiar with it when I see them play in Brooklyn.

I like the Star Playlist on Spotify. Whenever I hear a new song i like or and old one that hits me, I star it. For me it's like a chronological music thing.

Sometimes listening to the radio is good because it's random and you don't have to think about what to play, like letting Gozick lead at Hartshorn or Allaire, you don't have to think about where to turn, just sit back and enjoy the ride.
 
Took this over the w/e thinking about you, bill, and iggy.
other than being exposed to music i'd never hear, the station matches the mood to time-of-day.
pay attention to how it changes from 11:00 to 1:00. good stuff.

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i wish it was convenient to make that pic smaller....

I see so many unhappy people, because they are "inconvenienced" - and by that, i mean there is only half-and-half for
their "plain" coffee - instead of having hazelnut flavored coffee, and pumpkin spice non-dairy creamer in a pour bottle.
the pour bottle being very important, so they don't have to understand what two tablespoons look like in individual cups,
or be inconvenienced to open them.

Can't enjoy the moment, or what is available for just "what it is" -
is this high maintenance? How can someone go through life this way, it has to be a continuous stream of disappointment
every time they leave their home. So maybe they don't leave.
The inconvenience is totally inside the mind. Like people waiting for a parking space, when there are plenty 1 row back.
or not waiting for someone to cycle-by before pulling-out.
etc. point made.

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saw something else that bothered me - women advocating for women to be more selfish.
stop putting others first - i don't want to make this a sexist thing, that was just the article.
shouldn't we be asking everyone to be less selfish? isn't there great gratification in giving,
especially time, cause you can never get that back. doesn't that connect people more, and connect more people?

hopefully i stayed somewhat on target here - i was wondering where you were going with that image!!
good topic.
 
We have often discussed how our age group is some of the only ones who remember how things USED to be, pre-internet, but also are very comfortable in the internet-age.

Among the many things I remember about life, pre-internet-music, was listening to an album, in full. We hardly ever do that any more. I think as a pre-teen, my favorite band probably would have been Steppenwolf, had I not had to listen to the entire Steppenwolf album - which made me realize that Steppenwolf was in fact a two-hit-wonder (apologies to anyone who loves Steppenwolf).
Having to endure bad Steppenwolf made me realize that a favorite band should have a body of work beyond 2 songs.
 
fidodie said:
saw something else that bothered me - women advocating for women to be more selfish.
stop putting others first - i don't want to make this a sexist thing, that was just the article.
shouldn't we be asking everyone to be less selfish? isn't there great gratification in giving,
especially time, cause you can never get that back. doesn't that connect people more, and connect more people?
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ok... so this is NOT an OMG that's so sexist reply... and i am not a mother or anything like that... and, for the record, i am plenty selfish

but i think those types of articles are aimed at women who put their families and work and all that stuff above their own happiness... like they don't take the "me time" to enjoy something... they feel like they have to be super women or something and do everything so they wind up being unhappy.

does that make sense?

i'm all for people being less selfish but also being selfish and taking some personal time to just do whatever they want... like you said, take the moment to let a cyclist pass... or don't get all huffy when someone's slow getting off the train... but do go get that pedi and spend that hour without worrying about what's in your inbox or the dishes sitting in the sink.

speaking of which... i need a pedi. :D
 
I've never had any luck with the streaming services. The algorithms frustrate me after 3 songs and I turn them off. As someone rapidly approaching 40 years old I think I'm still listening to a considerable amount of new music. In my weird little world of post hardcore experimental metal it JUST DOESN'T GET ME DAD. Also a lot of the artists I like self produce and don't partake in these services. Even Clutch, which I could argue is the most prolific rock band of the last 20 years doesn't have their catalog up.
I probably average visiting St. Vitus bar in Brooklyn twice a month which works as my outlet for new music. Openers for the bands I know I like tend to jive with me.
Last month I saw Secret Chiefs Three open for Dead Cross at Warsaw. Absolutely blew my mind. I went and saw SC3 again that week they were so good. But I can't find a single recording that expresses how awesome they were live. It's 50% the new drummer though, the dude is something magical. I can't wait to see them again. I would have for sure hit FFW on an mp3 though.
Another that stuck out to me was seeing the Reverend Horton Heat at the Stone Pony and when the show was over walking across the street to Asbury Lanes (RIP) and the band playing hypnotized me. The most amazing 3 piece I've ever seen. Hooked. Love em to this day. Dub Trio
But another outlet is just the record label. Both bands I fell in love with were represented by the same record label, Ipecac. Love em or hate em, I think Mike Patton and I have the same taste in music. Trey Spruance gets me too. And when they team up everything is awesome.
Nothing is worse than people trying to suggest music to you, but here's some Trey/Patton shit that probably passed you by in the late 90s
Also a pretty amazing fan made video, especially for the time it was made.
 
Dominos said:
had I not had to listen to the entire Steppenwolf album -
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Yeah, one could argue that the evolution of listening to music post album format cranked up the demand for pop hits. Music has gotten more and more convenvient to listen to over time, like flicking through the internet on our phone if something doesn't grab us in 2 seconds we bail.

Looking back, listening to Mountain Jam 1&2 by the Allman Brothers(44 minute instrumental) was painful. Thank God it's so easy to make playlists these days.
 
pooriggy said:
Yeah, one could argue that the evolution of listening to music post album format cranked up the demand for pop hits. Music has gotten more and more convenvient to listen to over time, like flicking through the internet on our phone if something doesn't grab us in 2 seconds we bail.

Looking back, listening to Mountain Jam 1&2 by the Allman Brothers(44 minute instrumental) was painful. Thank God it's so easy to make playlists these days.
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Why i still by vinyl. I occasionally sit down with the intent of listening to music. Vinyl really helps that experience. I'll also remain stubborn and only put full discographies on my phone. Never one song. I do wish the hardware shuffle button still existed. Sometimes I like to hit random, and then continue the album from there. This is super difficult now.
 
So, when it comes to music, I've resisted streaming, for a variety of reasons, some of which tie into your thoughts.

As hilarious and antiquated as buying and listening to cd's might be to some who are reading this (Hi Luke!), it allows/forces me to consume music as the artist intended. Putting an album on shuffle, or listening to things piecemeal, just doesn't jibe with the way I've always consumed music. And I think there are plenty of people still releasing music who want it to be heard as an album.

I rarely buy new music through brick and motor outlets, though I still love to go to places like Vintage Vinyl and the Princeton Record Exchange when I get a chance. But ordering stuff from an artist's Bandcamp page puts money in their pockets substantially more than the insultingly meager fees they might get from any streaming service, and allows me the occasional personal connection that comes with a handwritten thank you note included with a cd or shirt or whatever.

Buying stuff still allows me to dig for new music. I'm no less stoked now to be discovering and buying new music than I was in my teens and 20's. While I still return to stuff I got into in high school and college, the bulk of my listening is music from this century, most of it from this decade. So I'm not mired in some robot's idea of what I ought to be hearing, or stuck on an island of nostalgia. I'm reading music blogs and checking out streams of new stuff constantly, and then buying things that capture my interest.

One huge advantage of being able to stream stuff is that I rarely buy anything without hearing it first, so the days of putting out money for an lp and being disappointed are pretty much gone.

While I grew up obsessively listening to vinyl for hours in my room, the majority of my listening now occurs in my car. That's where I can just sit and really listen to an album, and I tend to treat new things the same way now that I always did: I buy something and listen to it over and over again, until it really gets into my system, or (occasionally) I decide it's not really my thing.

I realize that I'm in a shrinking minority here, as cd's are being produced (and sold) in decreasing amounts, and players are beginning to disappear from new cars. But I'll deal with those things when I have to.
 
ChrisG said:
While I grew up obsessively listening to vinyl for hours in my room, the majority of my listening now occurs in my car. That's where I can just sit and really listen to an album, and I tend to treat new things the same way now that I always did: I buy something and listen to it over and over again, until it really gets into my system, or (occasionally) I decide it's not really my thing.
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I'm sure I told this before but when my coworker gave me that mustang I have it has 250k+ on it, none of the radio presets were set, and there was never a cd in the player. He drove that thing never listening to music in it once.
When I asked him why his response was something like "I don't go to an opera house to drive my car, why would I listen to music in here?"
me: *blinking incredulously*
 
gtluke said:
occasionally sit down with the intent of listening to music.
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I find driving to or home from work on a reverse commute(going opposite way of traffic) along the parkway gives me the time to listen to music with intent.

Also there is something about driving(not in traffic) that relaxes the mind and allows it to flow.

Vinyl may be cool but cruising down the Pkwy with tunes cranking does it for me.
 
I am an album junkie. This is what defined what was a great band and a one hit wonder. Super bands were the ones who told a story from first track to the final. Shame that the art has disappeared. Funny how rock started by getting the hit on a 45 and here we are back to the hit. Except now as far as kids (teens) go it's not rock but rap. I have now become my dad because I can not relate.
No problem listening to mountain jam 1 &2 while wrenching on bikes.
 
I use spotify at work (actually used too because it appears to be blocked at the moment) but I can't just listen to a station, even if it from one artist because I can't jump from "album 1" to "album 4" unless it something like Millencolin where every song could have been on every album. But the style and progression between albums bothers me. I also listen to on artist at a time. If I am not feeling them that day, I switch to something else. But jumping between artists makes my brain explode.

However I solely buy music electronically now but I do miss the album artwork / layout and breaking open a CD for the first time. Similar to print / electronic books / magazines / etc, there is just something special about holding a product, that someone put a shit-ton of work into, in your hands and then experiencing what they produced.
 
Interesting how posts here have mostly skipped over the "CD's and filler tracks killed the album"
discussion.
But this is an interesting take on this I hadn't considered:
mattybfat said:
Funny how rock started by getting the hit on a 45 and here we are back to the hit.
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