Are You Still Listening to Albums?

It is October, one of the busiest album release months. Look at our curated release schedule, which lists far more albums for October than for any previous month.

However, are you still excited about new albums? Before music went digital, albums were the only way to dig deeper and learn more about an artist’s work than you could hear on the radio. But these days?

“music discovery and consumption in 2022 is a weird, confounding, counterintuitive and strangely fascinating place, where the traditional ways of doing things have been completely overturned, but it isn’t entirely clear what’s replaced them.”

This is from “Has streaming made it harder to discover new music?”, an article in The Guardian. The piece is written by Alexis Petridis, who used to run a weekly podcast instrumental in my own music discovery. For example, this was where I heard of Warpaint the first time.

Sadly, the podcast does not exist anymore, and neither do many other sources for music discovery. Of course, you can rely on the opaque ways the streaming services present new music to you. Yet is it not unsatisfactory to have your music taste be guided by robots and faceless committees?

Music is the art form that makes the most direct emotional connection with the listener. That is why it is only fair to give something back to the artist and listen to more than their most popular songs dished up by an algorithm.

Then again, nothing forces you to play the game the way the music industry believes it needs to be played. You neither need to go to TikTok to find your next favorite song, nor do you need to check the charts for what most other people are listening to. You can do your own thing; if you are reading this, then that is probably exactly what you want to do.

If you need inspiration for music discovery, we have plenty of it on our website. For example, check out our favorite albums for an ever-growing list of records we love. And, of course, read on for this week’s seven Song Picks of the Day.

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Song Picks of the Day

Listen to all our daily song picks on our playlists on Spotify and Apple Music.

Rainlights – Mazzy Star Reminds Me of You

Summer is officially over here, making a melancholic rear view of this season’s memorable experiences even more effective. In “Mazzy Star Reminds Me of You,” Brooklyn-based singer and producer Rachel Chevat, aka Rainlights takes you on a gentle ride through memory fragments that paint a vibrant, familiar picture.

Rachel explains:

“‘Mazzy Star Reminds Me of You’ is dedicated to the moments in life, in the midst of summer, where you have everything and nothing figured out all at once. That feeling is as scary as it is exhilarating. This song is a portrait of those vibrant summer afternoons and the people who carry you through them with love, live music, and pizza.”

Listen to our Song Pick of the Day, “Mazzy Star Reminds Me of You,” below:

common goldfish – I Don’t Feel Today

British songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist common goldfish raises important questions with his new single “I Don’t Feel Today.” The track is captivating from the start and offers a fascinating blend of classic piano, psychedelic synths, and earthy vocals.

Based in Tottenham, North London, Jonty Lovell (common goldfish) says about his new single:

We are living more and more on top of each other but for some reason we’re becoming increasingly isolated from one another. The rise of independence and individualism has been at the expense of community and a sense of belonging.

This is a sentiment I often hear from people who are not living in a big city but in a smaller town. Personally, I feel that, especially in a city, you still do have the feeling of community and belonging because it’s not simply handed to you.  However, you need to actively look for it and find your niches and like-minded people. Lovell explains further:

With the pace of life getting faster and faster, we’re spending more and more time in front of screens on a never-ending quest for instant gratification. I do worry that we’re losing our sense of reality and what matters most – human interaction and connection.

A lot is changing, no doubt, and it is important to reflect on these changes and challenge them. The more I love the vibe of “I Don’t Feel Today,” the mesmerizing repetitions, and the great rhythm. Listen to “I Don’t Feel Today,” our Song Pick of the Day:

Connect with common goldfish here.

Alice Boman – Where To Put The Pain

Swedish singer/songwriter Alice Boman puts her reflections in a clear, calm voice over a steady synth line and a rhythm that is as disruptive as the influx of news we receive every moment. “Where To Put The Pain,” she asks when it seems never to stop. But nothing goes on forever, and an extended outro puts the uneasiness gently to rest.

Alice says:

“This song is about dealing with difficult emotions and worries and different kinds of pain. In a world where a lot of things are feeling hopeless and bad things are happening it sometimes gets a bit overwhelming. Sometimes to the point of feeling numb. How do you find a balance in that?”

“Where To Put The Pain” will be on Alice Boman’s second album “The Space Between,” out on October 21 via Play It Again Sam. So listen to our Song Pick of the day on your favorite streaming service or watch the video, directed by Isak Berglund Mattsson-Mårn, below:

Asylums – Instant Coffee

Granted, instant coffee couldn’t be further away from a freshly brewed cup of coffee made from just ground coffee beans if it tried, but it serves as a metaphor for the state we’re in as a society. The new single by British quartet Asylums is no big lament but more of a pensive track, that doesn’t even go all gloomy but is beautifully nostalgic and instantly catchy. The vibe “Instant Coffee” conveys is like being invited by a dear friend or a caring stranger to a good cup of coffee (sic!) and a lovely chat. Dave Eringa, who produced “Instant Coffee,” says about the song and Asylum’s frontman Luke Branch:

It’s like all of Luke’s songwriting to date has been leading up to Instant Coffee, a beautifully melancholic perfect pop song with real depth! Late 90’s Albarn meets the great bits of American indie at a classical concert & they all get together for a party!

“Instant Coffee” is such a beautiful melange of feelings and melody! It immediately appealed to me as I earlier today set up a scene and took some photos for tomorrow’s International Coffee Day. For now, listen to “Instant Coffee,” our Song Pick of the Day, and then tomorrow some more:

Connect with here Asylums.

Alice Pisano – Ink

Falling in love is wonderful. In “Ink” Italian, London-based singer/songwriter Alice Pisano goes out of her way to let the other person know. The upbeat, bubbly pop song is an instant mood lifter, and you want to be with her, having fun at that party.

Alice says about the song:

“I can get a bit shy in social situations, especially at big parties. But I also have a more bubbly and outgoing side, and having a crush on someone tends to drag me out of my shell. When I wrote it I was dating someone and I was in that initial infatuation phase, when you get butterflies in your stomach. It didn’t end well, but that is another story!”

“Ink” will be on Alice Pisano’s upcoming EP “Shattered But Still Cool.” Watch the fun video below:

Smut – Let Me Hate

Smut are a Chicago-based indie-rock quintet gearing up to release their sophomore album, How the Light Felt, due out on November 11th via Bayonet. Along the way, they just released the beautifully mellow and wistful “Let Me Hate.” The intense negative feeling in the title makes a lot of sense once I learned about the track’s backstory, then I knew I had to feature the track. Vocalist Tay Roebuck provides the following insight:

For years after my sister’s death I could not dream about her. I’d hear my family members talk about her visiting them in dreams and telling them she’s okay or misses them, there was a lot of mysticism going on the first few years. When I did start having dreams she was always out of reach, walking into another room as I entered or people would be assuring me she was present somewhere if I could find her. ‘Let Me Hate’ is about the first time I had a dream where my little sister spoke to me after she died. I knew if I let her go she’d slip away and when I woke up I was angry at myself. So it’s a very literal song.

We all have different experiences, yet this sounds familiar. I too have lost my sister eight years ago, suddenly, and the dreams that followed were intense. However, I am glad about these dreams because -for a little while- she is still here, alive in a dream. Tay’s spin is different, of course, but hearing these lyrics makes the world a more empathetic and connected place, even or especially when Tay sings: “Let me hate this world for taking you.”

The song comes with a lyric video created by the band’s drummer Aidan O’Connor, featuring photos from Smut‘s summer North American tour with Wavves. Listen to “Let Me Hate,” our Song Pick of the Day:

Connect with Smut here.

Precious Pepala – Looking For Trouble

Why do they tell girls and women not to walk on the street alone after dark? For 17-year-old British singer/songwriter Precious Pepala this question is more than about personal safety; it is about a culture that accepts assault against women like a streak of bad weather. But Precious does not cave in: “Looking For Trouble,” is a big song, an anthem that makes clear that the status quo is no longer acceptable.

She says:

“‘Looking for Trouble’ is a song about rape culture and victim blaming. It addresses the unfortunately relatable feeling of fear when walking alone at night as a female. The lyrics also address the way that victims of sexual abuse are all too commonly questioned about things such as their clothing, actions or level of intoxication as if to justify predatory behavior. I feel very passionately about discussing this subject matter through my music and I hope this song acts as a conversation starter, because these issues need to be discussed until we see change.”

“Looking For Trouble” is Precious Papala’s second single, and we can’t wait to see where she goes from there. Listen to our Song Pick of the Day on your favorite streaming service or below:

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On Our Turntable

This video should have a million views: Blake Morgan - My Love Is Waiting

Making the NYC subway look desirable and full of promise is a tall order, in particular at the gritty stations around Coney Island. But director Alice Teeple turns the trains into a metaphor for movement to better times - because the waiting is over for NYC singer/songwriter Blake Morgan.

Read our feature about “My Love Is Waiting.”