365 – New Music Daily

To preface this, something that will read completely out of context for newer or future readers, I’ve just hit my 200th post and am nearing my 200th album. While this blog started as an idea to visualize what I’ve been listening to, I would be remiss (not remised, grammar fucks, I googled it) to not mention how much I appreciate you all reading this, and how much I appreciate how it has evolved. It may not seem like much, but having ~2000 views, 250+ people who’ve checked out my blog, people reading all my posts, all is very cool for me. It’s certainly motivated me to keep up with the blog, keep up with the listening, and write more. I sincerely appreciate it, even if I get shit for not posting (8 days in a row now, bitch).

Anyways, thanks. Moving on.

An album that certainly merits revisiting, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot remains the marquee record for Chicago-based, Jeff Tweedy led group Wilco, and for good reason. This album has some absolutely gorgeous songs, great production and amazing structuring throughout, all driven by Jeff Tweedy’s original and fantastic writing.

This album serves personally as a lesson in two ways. First, the age-old tale and one of the things that annoys me most about the culture surrounding music – over-labeling of genres. People call this alt-country. Some might call it folk. Some might call it indie rock, alternative rock, rock, etc. Who gives a shit man. I am over genres, especially everything to do with the words indie and alternative. How can it be alternative rock if they sound like a lot of other bands? It’s softer, acoustic rock music. DESCRIBE IT. God dammit. I don’t care if this is me yelling at the sky.

Second, this is a major lesson for me in taste evolution. When I first heard this album, I thought it was good, but that Tweedy lost me a lot (he did still, but a lot less), that the oddball production was just that, odd, and that some of the acoustic riffs were boring. I feel that one of the best things to come from this album quest – and something that I hope readers of this & music listeners in general will come to appreciate – the exposure to so many different kinds of music from this blog has really greatened my appreciation for so many different genres.

I mean look at the blog. I’m an alternative rock head now? I guess so. Listening to so much music has, of course, allowed me to love newer artists, songs, albums, but it has also allowed me to appreciate some songs that I may not have beforehand, example being Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. This is an incredibly unique alternative rock album from a band who does not have many imitators, at least none that are very successful. All this to say, listen to more music, expand your taste. Well, don’t if you don’t want to. But you’ll probably come away from it loving more music, and loving music that you already know even more.

Favorite songs: Kamera, Radio Cure, War on War, Jesus etc. (top 5 most gorgeous songs?), Ashes of American Flags, Heavy Metal Drummer, I’m The Man Who Loves You, Pot Kettle Black