we somehow managed to get what was originally an analogue tunes production turned into a digital flying machine – social media and everything. simple is the essence to strive for in life and simple is never easy.
so simple it is and here we are, still global, but with an infinitely expansive group of old and new friends to share music, art and life’s musings with. how the world quickly changes – and yet somehow, it doesn’t.
tunes started +25 years ago with an annual hand printed newsletter and cassette. tower records was still in business and our regular haunting ground for music browsing (today it’s other music and rough trade).
we generally found ourselves at tower late on a friday or saturday night – which inevitably led to overspending. what could be better than a live show, buying new music (on vinyl), and then off for more late night fun. what’s more inspiring than something you’re passionate about? music continues to fall into that list of life’s passions.
music by definition reflects societal change and friction. it builds upon what came before. but when it’s done really well, it builds on the past to reinvent. you can still do a lot with three guitar chords and a drum beat.
we went into december 2013, with about 200 tracks from individual artists that made it through multiple culling debates to get to a final 2013 tunes playlist. getting that list down to 150 songs was a real challenge. getting those 150 songs down to 100 this year proved almost impossible.
it’s an incredible period for new music and real artistry – indie wins and like the digital flying machine we’ve just launched with this website and related social media, technology is making it easier to find and hear amazing new music.
we had some interesting discussions about who seemed to influence quite a bit of the music that made it onto this year’s tunes for our times. maybe we were just listening for it, but the simple elegance and sophistication of lou reed’s poetry and music shined through, again and again. as we said before, simple isn’t easy.
new music on this year’s playlist from cass mccombs, courtney barnett, kurt vile, swearin’ and even ty segall have traces of reed that can’t be missed. and yet each song is its own thing. influenced by but uniquely individual and evolved. to borrow a phrase: ch-ch-ch-ch-changes… .
there are some lyrics from nicki bluhm’s “little too late” (on this year’s playlist) that seem a good footing to reflect from as we look into 2014 and on losing the simple inspiration from someone like lou reed…
it’s not how you swim, it’s how you hold your breath
it’s not about playing fair in this life
it’s more about cheating death
if you don’t like getting old
well you’ll hate the other choice i’m told
cause it’s a little too late to die young