The primary way I build my digital music collection is by maintaining a playlist called, “The Rotation.” On this list I load albums of artists I’m interested in hearing, mostly new-to-me artists or albums. Because I need some organizational principle to conduct this survey I go by the alphabetical listing of the artist. I typically move from earlier records to later records, although there are exceptions, and if I’m excited to hear a new album by a favorite artist I’ll add it in an apparent random placement to hear it sooner than later. From this list I’ll select tracks to add to my collection. It’s rare that I DNF a record, and uncommon for me to not select a single track from it. I’ve been doing this for a while and am currently on my 9th trip around the alphabet. Below are the albums heard in a given session and what thoughts, if any, I have about them. These are mostly first impressions, so don’t expect in-depth analysis.
Asterisks (*) after the album title indicate that it is a new-to-me record.
Norah Jones: DAY BREAKS (2017)*
The older I get the more I appreciate Norah Jones. Conveniently, the older she gets the better her music is getting. I never had much of an opinion of her until recent years, but back in the day she was an artist people seemed to love to hate and spit derision upon for reasons I did not understand. For me she was someone in the background of pop music, maybe with a niche audience, but not one who’s music I felt compelled to dive into until more recently. Looking at her catalog, her music has ranged from jazz to country and she seems to have played with everyone. She’s like Yo-yo Ma. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if she’d played with Yo-yo Ma, too.
Collected Tracks:
- Burn
- Tragedy
- And Then There Was You
- Don’t Be Denied
- Carry On
North Mississippi Allstars: POLARIS (2003)*
I keep listening to these records as they come around, but I’ve never really been able to get “there” with this band. I like some of their stuff, but not very much. This is frustrating because on paper I should totally be into this (Like Drive-By Truckers or The Head and The Heart) and I just don’t jive with them. This will be my last try with them.
Collected Tracks:
- (None)
Nostalgia 77: SONGS FOR MY FUNERAL (2004)*
I found this artist on Tidal a couple years ago. It’s a good mix of jazz, soul, and electronic music. While I hate the artist’s name (or nostalgia in any context), they’ve proven to be of some quality that keeps me interested. However, that interest did not extend to this record from which I claimed 0 tracks. It was boring electronic music that might be good to fall asleep to, if you’re one who can do that. I’ll keep going with them, though, for a while because I know there are gems out there.
Collected Tracks:
- (None)
The Nude Party: HOT TUB (2016)*
Another artist I found on Tidal a couple years ago. This is a consistently fun folk-rock band that keeps their tongue firmly planted in their cheek. This record features a jangly indie sound with a total MC5 vibe. It sounds like it was recorded quick-and-dirty all at once, concert style, in a warehouse. It feels like a high-quality bootleg recording without the audience bleed through.
Collected Tracks:
- One More Mile
- Time to Go
- Pistol
- Poor Boy Walking Blues
- Life’s a Joke
Dawes: OH BROTHER (2024)*
Doing this one out of the normal rotation because I was excited to hear it. Like The Nude Party, these guys keep their tongue in their cheek. While it seems they’ve had some turnover in the lineup over the years, they’ve stayed consistent with their quality and identity. I felt this album was more subdued with less whimsy than most of their work. Still highly enjoyable though.
Collected Tracks:
- Surprise!
- House Parties
- King of the Never-Wills
- The Game
- Hilarity Ensues
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