Active Listening

Last week I mused about creating mix tapes as a lost way of actively listening to songs – that means entirely focusing on music and lyrics without doing something else at the same time, like checking emails or scrolling on the phone.

Active listening was probably more common when vinyl was the primary form of recorded music. First, you paid good money for the record and wanted a reward, and second, the music did not go on endlessly, but you had to turn the record or put on a new album about every 20 minutes.

Thanks for reading glamglare! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support our work.

Today, all those limitations are gone, making it harder to sit and listen to a record. Because without a few recently acquired albums, where do you start? With the latest releases? Or with some old favorites? You may quickly settle for one of the playlists your streaming service recommends and let it play in the background.

For that reason, I started to enjoy the “Recently Added” list on Apple Music (on Spotify, you can sort your library by date, too). Here I find the latest music I added to my library, similar to the small stack of recently purchased LPs or CDs next to the stereo in years past. Because those records are still fresh in my mind and because of convenience, I put them on more often. This often leads to more active listening because, through repeated play, you pay more attention to the songs and memorize their titles and lyrics.

Yes, we promote our own fast-moving playlist, #glamglarepick, but I hope that does not keep you from exploring exciting artists and spending time with their work. In that sense, please read on and hear what we picked last week.

Song Pick of the Day

Listen to/watch all seven songs on YouTube. Follow our daily updated playlists on YouTube and Spotify for the 50 latest Song Picks of the Day.  Thank you for following us and sharing the excitement.

It is always special to witness an artist’s debut single. “Losing My Mind” is Elena Garcia, aka Tonguetied’s first (and so far only) song, and she chose to take us back to 2021, which was, for her – and for many for us – a mind-boggling experience. The dark, electronic pop song makes appetite for more, so stay tuned.

New York City trio Blonde Redhead has been making music for 30 years now, and most of the time in the same formation. Alone for that, you want to know what their first song in nine years sounds like. Elke has some more interesting tidbits in her post about “Snowman.”

Nova Scotia-based musician Jenn Grant wrote “One Hit Wonders” together with fellow Canadian Ria Mae, and they had a lot of fun doing it. The song addresses how women are treated in the music industry and aims to empower female singer/songwriters to play on their own strengths.

The name of the new song by UK artist Rose Gray is simply “Happiness,” and we can assume that dancing through the night is her happy place. “I take massive inspiration from the euphoric and pure nature of iconic 90’s records,” she says, and her enthusiasm is infectious.

I’ve been a fan of Carmen Mesirow, aka Glasser, since her debut, Ring, in 2010. But for ten years now, it has been quiet around the NYC-based electronic artist. Now she has signed to the renowned label One Little Independent and released a gorgeous new song, “Vine” that takes me back to when I was a Björk super fan.

Inspired by his parents, Montreal-based singer/songwriter Patrick Krief tells a global love story in his new song “Eloise.” He explains: “My father followed my mother from Morocco to several other countries as her family moved from place to place in search of a better life.” There is a happy end: they eventually came together in Canada in the 60s.

We’re going out this week with a dose of optimism. Scottish electronic musician Celestial North gives you a “rabble-rousing pick-me-up on days when life feels a bit much, a reminder that it will all be ok and that we are never truly alone in this world.” Put “Otherworld” on headphones, close your eyes, and you will see how the sun rises for a better day.

Also Happening at glamglare

We fell in love with Dream Wife and their charismatic lead singer Rakel Mjöll in 2016 at the Iceland Airwaves festival. Last Friday, they released their third album Social Lubrication with ten empowering punk rock songs.

On Saturday, we finally saw Nicole Rodriguez, aka Pearla, live at Union Pool. She played songs from her fantastic second album Oh Glistening Onion, The Nighttime Is Coming, which includes our Song Picks “Effort” and “Unglow The.”

Nine Photos from an Afternoon in Long Island City

Thanks for reading glamglare! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.