So…What Have I Been Listening To?
To say I’ve felt withdrawn from new music releases this year is an understatement. Few albums have really knocked me on the ass and begged to be listened to. Maybe it’s a continuation of the music malaise I found myself in toward the end of 2020. Maybe it’s my failure to reconcile my own disappointment in Eric Church’s three record release. Maybe it’s as simple as just enjoying some of my favorite releases from years ago again and again and again.
But let me be very clear. I’ve been listening to music. Plenty of good music. New releases. Old favorites. Older artists with new releases. Recently-discovered artists with music from a decade back. Rather than just jump right back in with a rundown of what I’ve been listening to since I last published a piece, I figured I’d talk a little bit about the last ten songs on Apple Music I listened to on this very night. Just to flex my writing muscles a bit. Get back into the habit, if you will. So…let’s get into it!
10.) “It’s About Blood”
Steve Earle
2020
Yes. I’m still blasting this song through my headphones. Yes, I still get to the end of this song and want to see Don Blankenship put away for life for how he treated the miners at Upper Big Branch. And, yes, I still will raise a drink to the memory of all coal miners who have lost their lives thanks to the reckless, never-ending chase of the dollar by the company.
9.) “True To Life” (Live)
Son Volt
1996
“What the hell are we all doing here,” asks Jay Farrar in “True To Life.” Another probing, deep question from one of the greatest songwriters to walk the world. This isn’t a happy song. Not in the slightest. And, yet, Farrar’s tone and delivery make the nihilistic recording give the listener a realistic picture of life in modern America.
8.) “Wasted Days”
John Mellencamp and Bruce Springsteen
2021
Here’s a new release for you! And one that *did* knock me on my ass. What more do you need? Bruce Springsteen, the greatest artist of all-time, teaming up with John Mellencamp, a legendary, massively influential heartland rocker. Acoustic, folksy production. Riveting lyrics. And an organic harmony that won’t quit. Fantastic.
7.) “Take Me”
Virginia Man
2017
I’m not kidding when I say I just found this band tonight. Reminiscent of The Lumineers or a more polished Old Crow Medicine Show, Virginia Man knows how to create songs that allow the listener a chance to breathe when he or she needs it and knows when to turn it up to ten. “Take Me” is driven by the drums, but the lyrics really shine, and the piano compliments the theme of the song so, so well.
6.) “Release”
Pearl Jam
1991
When I first went to college, I really only knew country music. It wasn’t because my parents kept me sheltered. It wasn’t because I inherently refused to listen to anything else. I just…loved country music. Still do! Somehow even more now than I did then. But when I went to college in the fall of 2012, I found Pearl Jam. And I found raw, angsty music that I related to instantly. Pearl Jam was my first true rock band discovery. “Release” was the first Pearl Jam song I ever heard. And I was hooked. Eddie Vedder’s writing and lyrical delivery. The urgency of the band. The importance of life itself. Man, I’m getting goosebumps thinking of it.
I sat with Pearl Jam tonight for an extended period of time. For the first time in a long time. And while I’ll always be turning to Bruce Springsteen and Kip Moore and Waylon Jennings first, Pearl Jam hold an extremely special place in my musical heart.
5.) “Oxytocin”
Billie Eilish
2021
In 2029, when we look back at the decade, Billie Eilish will be regarded as THE artist of the past ten years and a legend in music. Happier Than Ever is my personal favorite album of the year. Mature songwriting. Spacial, layered, intelligent production. It’s got it all. And the song I can’t stop spinning this year? “Oxytocin.”
4.) “Southeastern Son”
Turnpike Troubadours
2012
God bless Evan Felker and The Turnpike Troubadours! The news from a couple weeks ago that the band was getting back together has been the best part of the music world in 2021.
But the song I’ve been playing all year? “Southeastern Son.” The change of pace from the verses to the chorus is genius. The narration and perspective of the main character is sympathetic and real. We’re all just better off for having those boys from Oklahoma back together.
3.) “Another Day In Paradise”
Quinn XCII
2015
Credit this one to my girlfriend. She’s been a fan of Quinn XCII for years, and I’ve gladly hopped on board. We were lucky enough to see him play Radio City Music Hall, and he played his ass off.
Despite being his signature song, “Another Day In Paradise” didn’t cross my radar until this summer for some reason. That’s the awesome thing about how I got to know Quinn’s music. It wasn’t just the hits. It was the album cuts. The songs you don’t know unless you’re a huge fan.
2.) “South On Ya”
Luke Combs
2021
Look, the reality is, college football dominated my life this fall. And it definitely took priority over new music. That’s just how it is. College football is incredibly special to me. Maybe there’s a piece coming about that some day? But we’ll leave it there for now. Though “South On Ya” doesn’t explicitly mention college football, it was used as the theme for the SEC on ESPN early on in the season so I naturally gravited toward it.
Speaking of college football, Hail to Pitt…your 2021 ACC Champion.
1.) “Darkness On The Edge of Town”
Bruce Springsteen
1978
Unfortunately, Apple Music doesn’t have a thorough, detailed “Wrapped” like Spotify. But at least it has a rundown of a user’s 100 most-listened to songs in order. For two years in a row now, “Darkness On The Edge of Town” has been my number one.
“Darkness On The Edge of Town” is the perfect song. Springsteen, Jon Landau, and Steven van Zandt absolutely nail the production (for the whole album, by the way). It’s the ideal song to end any album. And the song is crafted in a way that’s always accessible to listeners who have gone through the same sort of things at one time or another.
So, that’s what I’ve been listening to tonight. Stay posted! There will be more pieces coming soon!
