Hello, Stereo Typers. It’s been awhile since I have written in this space and I apologize for that. Allow me to explain the series of unfortunate events that have led to my unplanned and prolonged absence. I’ll start with the fact that Stereo Typing is no longer a Boston-based blog. I wasn’t able to find a job in order to obtain a lease and stay in Boston. For now, I am back living with my parents like the plot to so many bad sitcoms. I’ll spare you the gory details on what that’s like (hint: It’s not fun). The second major issue arose when I got back home and discover my computer wouldn’t boot.
I have been dealing with issues surrounding my computer since the moment I purchased the Asus all-in-one unit. I had already sent it back to the company twice, once on my own dime. The second time it was returned with the hard drive wiped clean despite my signing a form explicitly stating they do not have my permission to do so and I would receive a phone call if such actions were necessary. Many of my writings both blog-related and otherwise perished in the wake of this. As a citizen of the internet, I find it is my duty to report Asus’ horrid customer service. In lieu of sending it back for a third time and still having the same issues, I decided to take matters into my own hands and disassembled the computer myself only to discover that the repairman had broken a bracket inside and had failed to properly connect the hard drive. Thankfully, being the renegade IT man I am, it seems that I have remedied the situation… at least for now.
With all that was going, I was ready to hang up my music blogger title. I had still been vigilantly following music the entire time so it’s not like I didn’t have plenty to write about. After all, what’s going to get you through hard times better than music? I’ve listened to so much music this year that I feel like I should be on a music addiction show crying about how I listen to 12 new albums a day and ignore all my phone calls. Nonetheless, with my current financial woes, I figured it would be a waste of my time unless I was getting paid.
That brings us to today when I stumbled upon Berklee College of Music’s report on the salaries for music professionals. As someone with a degree in Music Industry, it is always a frightening and discouraging endeavor combing through such information. While perusing the various categories, I saw that they had music bloggers listed as $23-66K and I had to chuckle to myself. It seemed utterly ridiculous to me that one can make money, yet alone a living, from music blogging. Many of the bloggers I know - including some of the more popular ones which will remain nameless - don’t make a cent. Moreover, we just do it for the love of music and an almost manic compulsion. This is why I am once again writing here despite my many threats that “I’m done with that shit.” Suddenly, I remembered that I used to blog simply so my friends knew what I was currently spinning. I once again felt compelled to share the music that had left an impact on me.
I couldn’t possibly cover all of the tunes that have helped me through the past 3 months but the playlist below covers a great deal of my latest favorites alongside some truly memorable music videos. From the blistering masterpiece “Lupine Dominus” by Thee Oh Sees to the haunting reverb-drenched “Run” by Blonds, you are sure to discover something that leaves a lasting impression. I urge you to look into all these artists and their respective releases, as they are here for a reason.
Before you dive into everything, I have to remind you that while I may not have been blogging, I hadn’t stopped putting my efforts into Exploding in Sound Records, a label that I help run with Dan from Exploding in Sound. If you’re interested in the ethos and inspiration behind the label, I have to point you in the direction of a recent interview with Ian MacKaye about the legendary Discord Records. I could not be more proud of the four releases we have under our belt right now. Not only are we releasing records, but we have the pleasure of releasing our favorite records. Our latest release, Pile’s Dripping, is honest-to-goodness my favorite album of 2012 and is currently selling like hotcakes – grungy, angular hotcakes - so grab a copy while you can! I’m not just blowing smoke; it is the real deal. You can check out everything from the label here and listen to everything else below. Enjoy!
Thee Oh Sees - "Lupine Dominus"
Spider Bags - "Papa Was a Shithead"
PAWS - "Miss American Bookworm"
Guards - "Coming True"
Dum Dum Girls - "Lord Knows"
Deftones - "Leathers"
METZ - "Wet Blanket"
Chelsea Light Moving - "Burroughs"
Earl Sweatshirt - "Chum"
Debo Band - "Asha Gedawo"
Dan Deacon "Lots"
Crystal Castles - "Wrath of God"
The Soft Moon - "Insides"
Wild Nothing - "Paradise"
Mac DeMarco - "Freaking Out the Neighborhood"
Parquet Courts - "Light Up Gold II"
Unnatural Helpers - "Toil"
Low Culture - "Screens"
Sic Alps - "Glyphs"
Nothing - "Downwards Years to Come"
Delicate Steve - "Two Lovers"
Blonds - "Run"
Dinosaur Jr. - "Watch the Corners"
Tame Impala - "Feels Like We Only Go Backwards"
Foals - "Inhaler"
Moonface - "Headed for the Door"
Two Fingers - "Vengeance Rhythm"
FIDLAR - "Cheap Beer"
Benjamin Gibbard - "Teardrop Windows"
Hallelujah The Hills - "Call Off Your Horses"
AXES - "Wet Wet Wet Wet"
Deerhoof - "Mario's Flaming Whiskers"
Violent Soho - "Neighbour Neighbour"
Motel Beds - "Smoke Your Homework"
Night Beds - "Even If We Try"
Villagers - "Nothing Arrived"
No comments:
Post a Comment