not that anyone asked but.mp3

the stars have encouraged me to share the point of all this

If you are reading this you may be wondering why I bother sharing music in this highly inefficient format. Well for one, its been a couple years since I’ve contributed anything to this void we call the internet. I figured it’s time for me to participate meaningfully in some way or another. Considering that listening to music is about all I do, I felt that weekly posts about it was achievable for me.

I also deleted my spotify and am trying to listen to music in forms that are more beneficial to me and the artists. Since I am no longer making playlists, these posts sort of act as personal archive for me.

In addition to that, I don’t know if you have noticed, but this country has taken on a new, heightened flavor of ugly that threatens to suck all hope, beauty, and magic out of every day life. I believe that continuing to create space for art and beauty in our lives is a key act of resistance. I’ve attended several live shows this fall, and each time I was struck by the power music can have on the masses. In a time where people all over the country gather for hateful rallies, it gives me hope that there’s also people who are gathering for music.

To me, good music is the expression of feelings that can’t be put into words. There are some feelings that can only be felt in melodies, beats, and strums. There are some truths so profound, that music is the only translation for our limited human ears. And there are some gaps between us so big, that it takes music to hear one another from across the canyons that seem to separate us.

So anyways, that’s why I continue to share music. I don’t believe any reader would listen to every album in every post. But my hope is that maybe someone out there will find an album or song that touches them deeply, brings them joy, and maybe even changes their life.

So with that being said, here are this weeks album picks.

West End Girl - Lily Allen

There’s not much I can say about this album that hasn’t been said on the internet already. A couple of articles I read actually evoked some sympathy from me for David Harbour. I do think it was a brave move on Lily Allen’s part to create and release this album, and while it’s tempting to give in to the White Feminist Fuck Men soundtrack of it all, I actually think that take robs this album of what it actually is. Fuck that he did that to her tho. I’ve had a lot of rotating favorites, but right now Pussy Palace is my favorite earworm.

Good Story - Eliza Mclamb

Duuuuuuuuuuuuuude. This album is such a classic MP favorite. The Gen-Z flavor of singer/songwriter/pop/rock is not one that everyone can appreciate, but I will to my dying day. I had to call in sick for work today so I self-prescribed lying around the apartment and listening to this album as an antidote for the excruciating pain I was experiencing. Results were questionable. Also a really good car album.

Capacity - Big Thief

If you’ve been around for a minute you may have picked up that I always have some Adrianne on rotation. This album carried me through quiet moments this week, and matched my feelings towards the moody weather we’ve been experiencing. I’m grateful for the second half of the album, starting at Mythogical Beauty, picks up a bit and keeps me from completely surrendering to seasonal depression.

Flyer - Nanci Griffith

I’m deeply protective of my love for Nanci Griffith. A bit of a wandering traveler herself, to me her music gets to the heart of what it feels like to be a girl from the south. I’ve just finished all the travelling I intend to do for the fall and this album accompanied me through many mountains and plains in the last month.

Good Old Boys - Randy Newman

Mitch and I listened to this album while roadtripping last weekend because we heard a podcast episode about it that debated the importance of providing honest perspectives about the state our country, even if it means representing some uglier, darker truths. Despite the offputting use of the n-word in the first track, I actually really enjoyed listening to this album, and might even venture to say it was my favorite out of this week’s picks. Marie in paticular melted my heart a little bit.

DEAD - Sudan Archives | This week's pick-me-up. Miss u Jane <3

No cover of the week this week, as I’ve gone down an educational video rabbit hole. Instead, here is the fascinating map of fungi.

Mercury is going into retrograde in a few days, so I am preparing to enter a deep state of laying low in hopes that I make it out on the other side unscathed. I may even take a break from substacking if I can stand it and try to do some resetting. Intentions include getting serious about crafting, spending some time in a different dimension, and reading one (maybe two!) books.

me tryna communicate through mycelium networks

From the stars,

mp