A Quick Housekeeping Note

 

It's been a while since I've devoted consistent and considerable words to this space. Really, 'cos there wasn't a need. I published words elsewhere. And then the usual: life, etc., etc.

Recently, I got the itch again. I was thinking about dude I used to ride the bus with, Jonathan Maack. Jonathan was one of those dudes in my musical life. He helped shape my interests. He was a year older, had good taste, and a personality that screamed, "I have to sit you down and tell you what to do." So, he wrote me a list. It was a list of must-have/-listen albums. The most familiar things on that list were The Clash. He had some things that haven't aged well, like KMFDM. And he also had some wholly unfamiliar shit like Einstürzende Neubauten. I spent years going through that list. In fact, I still haven't finished that list (still haven't gotten into Einstürzende Neubauten). No matter, the experience of chatting with him on sweaty afternoons and the list itself were instrumental in introducing me to new sounds, music crit, and all that good shit.

What triggered this rando thought? The Kid. I'm sure the Kid will have an equivalent experience (and it may not even be about music; maybe it'll be about civil service or quantum physics), but I got to thinking on how much that list and all of Jonathan's scribbled teenage musings meant to me.

For years, I've been making lists of what I listen to. I've written about some of it. But most of it stays in my head. I'd like to change that.

The plan is to write a few bars about music. Posts about good music. And bad music. It'll be a guide about a bunch of music. Like a more realistic Desert Island Disc catalog. And all of it will be directed at the Kid.

I admit, strong chance the Kid won't read this. Maybe the Kid will. Even slimmer chance the Kid will hang onto any or part of this. And, sure, there are plenty of better-suited platforms. But, eh, fuck it.

P.S. I may also write about films. Variety is the spice, right?