Damien Jurado: Wedding Cake

 

Well hello, my professional listeners.

Welcome back to Stay Tuned, where us audio freaks and geeks nerd out over music discoveries and the tales attached.

It's been a while, hasn't it?

When I started this blog last year, I told myself I was going to write whether I wanted to or not. And I did. Same thing with my sketchbook. I try to make art even when I don't feel like it because, unfortunately, inspiration has terrible attendance.

This two-month unplanned "break" turned from one, to two, to four months quickly.

It also wasn't about not wanting to write. I've been thinking about writing every single day.

Every time I sat down, though, I just... couldn't.

I wasn't feeling inspired. I wasn't discovering music at the pace I wanted to. I didn't think the story was "good enough." Mind you, the only employee of Stay Tuned is me. And me is unpaid.

Somewhere along the way, I accidentally started treating this blog like it had shareholders to impress. Every post had to earn its place. Every story had to justify itself. Every recommendation had to be thee recommendation. Turns out, that's a pretty good way to convince yourself not to write at all.

So instead of waiting for the perfect story, I figured I'd tell you the truth about where I've been. And then it hit me. I remembered:

Maybe this isn't a blog about keeping up with what I'm listening to.

It's an archive of the moments music stopped me in my tracks.

That being said, today's story is one I've been meaning to tell for a long time.

If you've been reading along since last summer, you may remember me mentioning Mr. Jurado in my piece about Hannah Frances.

Over the past five years, his ever-growing catalog has become one of my most-listened-to bodies of work, and his songwriting continues to influence my own. 

The funny thing is... Mr. Jurado was in my life long before I realized who Mr. Jurado actually was.

DUN DUN DUUUUUHN.

Grab a cup of something and a snack, Pro Listeners.

This is the story of how I discovered Damien Jurado.

I wish I knew how to begin. Then again, I think Damien would tell me to just start and not change a thing. That feels like the perfect way to preface this.

In 2022, I was lost and did not care to be found. This was before I could accept that I was responsible for my own well-being. Pain was my identity. I allowed it to define me.

Music had lost its zest for the first and only stint in my life. I had no desire to create. Creating... something I never “thought” about doing before losing the zest. I just did it because I did.

Losing that made it easy to accept that maybe I didn’t want to continue living.

The thought of being gone felt worse than being here, so I stayed. I have no interest in meeting that version of myself again. 

But music has always been a dear friend of mine, and somehow always manages to find a way to pull me back up. I think what I'm going to do is share with you the story in my own chronological order. Starting with that Fall of 2022...

Part 1: I'm off to Nebraska  Seattle (Listen to "Dear Tomas Wolfe")

I remember in 2016, 10 years ago, discovering KEXP — the Seattle-based music station and discovery hub beloved by music freaks around the globe — listening to Ladysmith Black Mambazo, the group that famously recorded and toured with Paul Simon during his Graceland era.

Fast forward to October 2022, in the midst battling PPDJDD (post-pandemic-desk-job-depression-disorder) I was skimming through the KEXP archives, when I saw "Damien Jurado - Full Performance (Live on KEXP)". There wasn't any particular reason for me to click on it besides the sheer at-work-boredom, and it was the most recent upload at the time.

He and the host Kevin Cole engage in a short, playful banter, and Damien says, "This is a song called 'Wedding Cake'. It is the first song off my debut record called 'Waters Ave South'. It came out in 1997. January 1997".

I heard his words, softly and earnestly:

“You told all of your friends, he’s someone I’ll regret.’”

I paused.

“He’s out there setting fires to the demons in his head.”

I became aware of myself in that strange way where you can almost watch yourself experiencing your own life from somewhere outside of it. The quality of his voice was nearly indescribable. Maybe it's cheesy to you, but for me, it was like I was hearing a spirit whisper a story to me. Something I needed to hear.

    "Once you called it, "perfect love". You now call it accident. Do you sit with your photo books,             wondering where it went? It was, clearly, never meant to be."

I grieved. 

I came back.

I wanted to make things again.

The timbre of his voice, the way he played guitar, and the rest of the songs... he painted pictures. Most of it felt simple and open to interpretation, with room to make your own meaning out of it, but it also carried its own secret weight that you knew you may never fully understand.

His lyricism captivated me:

    "How do you erase the ghost that sleeps inside your bed?"

Each song he played after was equally as wonderful: Yuma Arizona, Halo Friendly, Lose My Head, Ohio... Lose My Head sounded so familiar, but I didn't know why.

Right after that, I went on a journey diving through his entire catalog. I had no idea what I was getting myself into.

Let me put it this way: when I saw him for the second time at the Barnsdall Gallery Theatre, he began to strum a couple chords and someone shouted, “Woo!”

He stopped and turned.

“How do you know what song it is? I don’t even remember all my songs.”

We all laughed.

And it was true. Damien has quite the discography, and he continues releasing music frequently, whether it’s old recordings he dug up or new ones with artist friends.

After a few days of enjoying endless repeats of his first record (Waters Ave S), and his most recent release "Reggae Film Star", I felt like I had something exciting to look forward to. But my job was still mind numbing, my living situation had its problems, I was not happy...so I thought to myself, "Self, we should do something fun to finally get out of this rut."

So, I googled Damien's name and "tickets", and up came this: "Damien Jurado, Live at Saint Marks Cathedral, Seattle. 25th anniversary celebration."

I asked my mom for my birthday, like a real adult, to help my brother and I get some plane tickets. I found myself a room at the Mediterranean Inn, across from Dick's burgers on Queen Anne Avenue North, and I bought tickets to "Damien Jurado, Live at Saint Marks Cathedral, Seattle. 25th anniversary celebration." 

I had never been to Seattle before. Honestly, I wasn't thinking about the Pike Place market, or the space needle. What I wanted was to go to KEXP, to see SUBPOP, which we did. 

And so we landed on that Friday evening, November 11th, at SEA. As soon as we hit the ground, we had to catch an uber, drop off our bags, and immediately head to the show, which we somehow made just in time. 

The show, for me, was consistent of nearly all songs I had never heard. The best way to hear a new artist. 

St. Marks Cathedral is a beautiful venue. The acoustics were the best I'd ever heard. Not only did I get to see Damien for the first time, but as I mentioned before, this was the first night I ever heard Hannah Frances, who has her own article linked here --> Hannah Frances Article

His voice echoed in that chamber, touched my ears the same way it did during that KEXP performance, but amplified by a hundred. I couldn't tell you the names of the songs he played that night, because I honestly didn't know them, but it didn't matter. Something in me healed that night. Maybe it was Seattle, Damien, Hannah, but I just remember feeling like I was alive again, instead of moving through the world like I didn't exist. 

I remembered why I loved music. I remembered why I wanted to create. 

After filling ourselves with burgers, Bird scooters, and beautiful music, we headed back to LAX. Somewhere between Seattle and the South Bay, I started digging deeper into Damien's catalog... only to realize I had been there before.

Part 2: The Girl with the Mint Cruiser 

This is me in 2012.

I was 18 years old, and this was a massive turning point for humanity. I was a senior in high school, a child really, and suddenly the entire world was at our fingertips.

Back in 2009, before the iPod Touch, I had this exact same Sansa clip-on MP3 player. That thing went everywhere with me, and you could not get it out of my ears. We used to go to the library and rip CDs to drag onto it. I’d listen between classes, on the bus, but most importantly, on my mint cruiser bike: a mythical creature that existed before e-bikes.

I would pedal my minty vessel up hills both ways with my bare feet in the sand to the beach, to school, to my job at Penguins frozen yogurt, I was everywhere.

It was me, my MP3, and my Paul Frank bike bell against this little big town.

Somewhere in 2012, I was gifted my first iPod Touch, the 5th generation, and suddenly, instead of listening to Pandora on the computer, I had it in my pocket.

Pandora is one of the underrated heroes of the zillennial generation. It was my absolute favorite way to discover music.

One of my favorite stations I started was the Fleet Foxes station. If you're unfamiliar, please listen to Sun Giant immediately. Actually, just listen to all their albums, but start there.

Pandora was a gateway to all this untapped music potential. It was this little magical portal that kept introducing me to artists I never would have found otherwise.

Fast forward again to 2023, just a few months after my Jurado discovery. I’m listening to Reggae Film Star on repeat. When the album ends, another song starts playing, and suddenly I’m transported back to being The Girl with the Mint Cruiser.

The song was “Sheets.” I couldn’t remember who it was by, but I knew I loved it. I was singing along, thinking, “Wow... I haven’t heard this song in forever.”

Then I grabbed my phone, and my stomach did a somersault.

It was Damien Jurado.

I just stared at the screen.

“Holy shit. This song has been Damien Jurado the whole time?”

I was beside myself. Here I was, falling in love with an artist I thought I had just discovered, completely unaware that my 2012 self had already found him first.

“Sheets” and “Go First,” both from Caught in the Trees, were two of my favorite songs in 2012. They lived in my Fleet Foxes Pandora rotation, buried under years of forgotten stations and songs I hadn’t heard in over a decade.

And then, by way of KEXP and the sounds of Washington State, they found their way back to me.

How strange that we can leave little pieces of ourselves behind without even realizing it.

Part 3: Maraqopa and Beyond

So, I flew all the way to Seattle, flew back to L.A., dug around in my musical archives from ten years prior, only to find out that Damien was playing in Los Angeles... on March 18th.

With Hannah opening. Again.

Why didn't I just look for an L.A. show in the first place? I don't know. But you know what? Four months was plenty of time for this hyper-fixated music nerd to dive headfirst into the Jurado sea.

I didn't want to rush it, though. I couldn't. I don't know how. I only know how to get hooked on one song or album and stay attached to it until something else hooks me.

So, here's what's hooked me.

1) Reggae Film Star

This album has had my heart from first listen. The orchestral suites, the soft strums of nylon guitar, the bizarre yet captivating story happening behind the lyrics...this is a no-skips album for me. There's something about the way this album is recorded. Could be the deliciously wet reverb, could be that maybe it's recorded on tape, I don't actually know. What I do know is, this is a story about a group of filmmakers.

 It's not often you hear such a combination of words in music. Things like:

-Heard my thoughts played through a tape delay

-Funeral T-Shirt

-Put your hands out, or have you eye blown wide. I ain't playin' now

-Too much blood on the sidewalk, the boom in frame

-Change of clothes, better fitting shoes, praying for a change in the weather

-He dies in the scene, we have to get it right, step closer to the window...if you're unwilling, we have your replacement

I could keep going, but I'd be here forever. I could quite literally write an entire dissertation on just the album alone. 

Like I said, this is a no-skips record for me, but just for the sake of giving you something to start with, my "favorite" is "What Happened to the Class of '65". 

Reggae Film Star exudes a curiously combined energy of melancholy, anxiousness, and sheer beauty. It has a way of touching your ears that feels familiar. You know how in the music video for Take On Me (A-Ha) the main character gets pulled into a comic strip and becomes a part of it? I feel like that's what happens with this record. You get pulled into a different world and time, and also somehow feel like it's really your world that's changed because it's being scored by this cinematic masterpiece. The string instruments are emotive, the bass player is the driver, the guitar is the anchor. It is a gorgeous record and it transports me every time I listen.

If you listen to it, let me know what you think. 

2) Waters Avenue South

I love this record I love this record I love this record. Each song is so uniquely Damien for the time period it was released, and is another no-skips record. This is the album that Wedding Cake was released on. I want to tell you to listen to every single song: Angel of May and it's mystifying feel, Yuma AZ for it's epic anthem-ness, Hell or Highwater for the reflective nature...

But again, I am forcing myself to pick one. And for that, we're gonna shout at the top of our lungs.

TAAAAAAKE A RIDE, THE RIDES ON ME! TAAAAAAAKE A RIDE, THE RIDES ARE FREE!

Circus, Circus, Circus

I adore this song. It sounds like something I would've loved as a teen but didn't hear it till much later. You'll hear this twangy guitar ping ponging around in the headphones in between the verses that just sends me to another place and time. 

3) For my last suggestion, I'd like to give you a list of songs to listen to, plus a link to every album he's ever released that's available on bandcamp. These are in no particular order:

- Every Album  <--- you can pick whatever you want here

- Gary's Hand (most recent release)

-Cigarette Rope (Another recent release)

-For Each Familiar Scene (Demo)

- Cheryl's Cake (reminds me of Reggae Film Star) 

- Nature With All Her Force Will Have the Final Word (Fuck yea)

- Always Memphis (I have no idea who sings this but I LOVE it)

- James Hoskins (get out of my way I'm going fast!!)

- Throw Me Now Your Arms (the most beautiful about not being alone, at least I think)

- Allocate  (I gave you Dear Thomas Wolfe from the same album earlier)

- QACHINA (Another no skips record, Visions of Us on the Land, go go go)

- Silver Timothy (quintessential Damien) 

- Maraqopa (Also the same of his own record label, and the title of this record, and, a no -skips record) 

- Lose My Head (I song I could sing with my whole body and feel healed every time)

- Ohio (Probably Damien's most popular song besides Sheets, I like the KEXP version best)

- Ohio '24 (My other favorite version of Ohio. I heard this live at the Moose Lodge in Pasadena. I had no heard this recorded version before. He played it with his incredible band comprised of Lacey Brown, St. Yuma, Aura Ruddell...I cried)

- Beacon Hill (A Damien classic)

- Ghost of David (If you think this list is long, you should see his full discography. I'm patting ymself on the back for this list. I love the guitar in this one. Parking Lot from this record is one of my favorites.)

End Credits

It's been 4 years. I've seen DJ in moose lodges, cathedrals, and tiny theatres alike. The sets are always different, and you always hear something of his you haven't heard. To me, music discovery at its finest.

It's not impossible for me to make a list of all my actual favorites, but I want you to have your own discovery experience. 

I have a lot more I could say about DJ and his impact on the independent music world, but I'm not a Wikipedia page and part of the fun of discovery is the Youtube rabbit hole of interviews and live performances.

I hope you find one DJ song that you like. If you do, let me know in the comments. 

Stay Tuned, professional listeners. You never know what artist might circle back around to your life.  

— Berly D

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Mario Biondi: This Is What You Are

Listen to THIS IS WHAT YOU ARE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5IzccDy94Zg     

Greetings loved ones. Spring has sprung, summer is en route, and life is picking up speed. Adults and children alike are growing, warm weather animals are returning, and here I am, locked in a warehouse until 1:30pm, when I can head to the park and watch the butterflies meet between the leaves, ask the park bench grandmas if they're enjoying the day, convincing myself that being stuck inside 40 hours a week is somehow better than what Tilikum and Shamu had. Too soon for Sea World jokes? F*ck that place, it's definitely worse than having to be here. Why does knowing that not make me feel better? Don’t call me dramatic, but the negativity and my newly returned teenage angst might just make me one.

It takes time to understand that not all thoughts and feelings we perceive as negative are actually negative, or even real. Often times, what is felt as negative exists in reality as simply the truth. Well, the truth is what I try to tell 100% of the time here. Since this is the case, I’m going to keep that going by talking about a discovery that took me from not liking an artist to fully appreciating and enjoying them.

Let me ask you this: is there any music you don’t like?

 

    I met a dude a few months ago at the bar where I play music on Saturdays. Just a guy who frequents the watering hole. Sometimes he strikes up conversations with me about daily life or music. Eventually we came to a point where he admitted to me that he quote, "hates The Beatles". I'm not gonna sit here and tell you The Beatles are the best band in the world,  but I will argue fallacies: do you mean to tell me that out of 229 recorded tracks, not including live and studio variations, that you can't find one redeeming quality about a single track? I find that hard to believe. I don't find it hard to believe that you're full of shit. 

That moment taught me a lot. It made me realize that I didn't want to be that kind of music appreciator. I wanted to stay open, I wanted to hear beyond what first meets my ears: try new songs by the same artists, try to understand messages that don't necessarily relate to me, feel what I haven't felt, do research and find reasons to appreciate music for what it is. Even if I personally don't like it, at least I can see why other people do. 

However...sometimes, you just know yourself, and you know you really don't like what you're hearing. Got any songs in mind? Let me know why in the comments, and then, think about it again, and tell me something you decided you liked about it after revisiting it.

So now that I've worn out the psychological talk, I'm sure you want to know what this mysterious song I don't like is. Let me tell you a story...

Hey, wait a minute. You've seen this image before. That's right, this is from last weeks blog. Rare Tunes, Sieste on the beach, where I talked about Alex Ligertwood and Spirit. Love that tune. You know what I don't love...the song right after it. 

I'm Her Daddy by Mario Biondi. The song starts like this:

How do you do Lucy?
You sure been hard to find
I heard you had a daughter
Six years old and I
Just can keep from cryin'

Six years and Lucy oh Lord have mercy
That's a long time
That's a long time...

Is she pretty?
Has she grown?
Does she sleep well in a room of her own?
Can I see her?
Does she know...
Yeah I'm her daddy
I'm her daddy...

 

...K. Let's talk about it. If you haven't listened just go to the bottom of this and come back or it's might not make sense. First of all, I don't want to sit here and bash another artists choices, especially about a band and a singer that I actually really like now, but listen...this song, is not good. There. I said it. Are you happy now? Let's talk about why.

The lyrics, the melody, and the instrumentation don't match. If you read the lyrics, you're clearly getting a heartbreaking story about a man who just found out that he's a father after 6 years of not knowing. It's a dramatic story that in the right context and musical structure, could be received appropriately. Now, is there a "right" context, is there a "right" structure? No. You get to have fun and decide that. 

Now you’re probably wondering what I think, and how I stay open while still having a strong opinion.

Here's the thing: a song is a song, and there are many factors that make a song what it is: mixing and production, lyrics, singer, singers vocal approach, melodies, guitar bass drums etc. There's a lot about this track I enjoy. The sax solo is killer, the band is tight yet relaxed as hell. It's mixed well. It's a "good" track in those regards. For me, these lyrics are weird. I feel like I'm listening to a swanky old school Disney Villian be creepy and weird. I'm laughing as I'm saying that because it sounds ridiculous. But really, the music is just not meant to support this kind of message. The music is great, really. Very cool vibe. Not for this context...in MY humble opinion.

And staying open — Mario Biondi has an incredible voice. I was so turned off by the lyrics initially that I couldn't hear anything else. I've listened to it a handful of times now, and it's grown on me. However, I can't ignore those things I'm feeling. That's why I wanted to find out who Mario Biondi and the High Five Quintet are. Who's insanely rich voice is this and why am I not hearing it on the kind of track it deserves?!

So, what did I do? I went digging of course. I looked through Mario Biondi's catalog, and I was surprised at what I found!

 

 

Mario's voice was featured as the voice of The Hook-Hand Thug in the Italian dub of  Disney's "Tangled." He is far more well known than I would have guessed. I'm not sure what I was expecting, but usually compilation albums like Rare Tunes have a couple handfuls of underground artists. Mario is world famous. I shouldn't be surprised especially since the song right before it was Spirit by Alex Ligertwood (Santana).  It makes me want to look into the album even further. 

Upon exploring his discography further, I wanted to click on whatever sounded good to me. I'm sure you know what I mean. I saw a song titled This Is What You Are. Okay Mario, tell me what I am.

 My mind was immediately changed. Fun percussion, jumping bass, steady ride, and in comes Mario's voice...

Take me up and let me down
Hold me when I'm sad
Take my eyes to look around
Take my ears to listen to the stars
This is what u are 

*cue horns*
Knock me down knock me out
Make me feel shy
But when you hold me in your arms
I can just forget the tears I've cried
This is what you are  

 *cue string section*

 Now we're rockin'. Now we're in it. Before I was listening to the track from the outside of it, but now...now I'm in it. Fully immersed. It felt natural, seamless. The tune met my ears effortlessly.

I ran to the YouTube comments. I wanted to know what other folks were saying. Who cares what Rolling Stone says, I want to know what the people think!

13 Million views from folks all over the globe! Some share mistaking him for Barry White, others romanticize drinking a glass of whiskey with a lover and listening in a hidden speakeasy. Here's some of my favorite comments:

 

 

 

I guess I'm gonna have to dive into Handful of Soul! I love seeing folks from all over the world connect through mutual music taste; people from all different backgrounds and stories, sharing why the music is important to them. At a concert, music unites us. We all come to a place to appreciate and enjoy. In the modern world, we can also gather in the YouTube comments and get all kinds of sentimental and excited. 

The internet is seemingly dividing us more and more every day, and yet, here — where music is all about love and appreciation, people seem more connected than ever. At least by my own internet standard.

 That's the thing about being on socials. Everyone's experience of it is different because of the algorithm. Somehow, the algorithm led me to Rare Tunes, which brought me to Spirit, and then to I'm Her Daddy, which sent me to Mario and This is What You Are. 

This Is What You Are hit me like your first sip of ice water after walking around the Zoo in the middle of August. I love these lyrics, I love the horns and strings, the band is super tight. I love how this melody hardly changes. Mario delivers it so well. The way the song is structured feels like a tune I'd hear in a movie like Chef (Jon Favreau), when shit hits the fan in the restaurant, but everyone's keeping their cool, and flowing seamlessly through the kitchen like a choreographed dance. It's the kind of music that makes you want to get up and do things. I'd say the same about tracks like What'd I Say by Ray Charles. When the groove comes in, your legs just get movin' and your mind feels sharp, or as the kids would say, locked in. 

I almost missed something beautiful because I reacted too quickly…I went back, and I thought about it. I wanted to question my disdain for a piece of music that would have hit me completely differently if it was in another language. I wanted to understand why I felt the way I did. I have a better understanding now, and I truly feel that if we all made that kind of effort towards music, the industry would change drastically. Imagine if we made that kind of effort for each other: an effort to understand what's uncomfortable, an openness to trying flavors and combinations we would normally turn our noses at. Friends, I want to encourage you to become a professional listener:

1) Listen to everything 

2)  Listen to it at least twice 

3) Ask yourself what you like and don't like about the music

4) Ask yourself why

5) Listen to it a third time

They say "don't judge a book by it's cover", but in the music world, you could walk into wherever they sell music, and pick out a CD, a tape, an 8 track or Vinyl, and decide, "this is the one", just because of the cover, and a lot of the time, you're right. Judge an album by its cover, it could help you find something you love, or hate, but either way, you've got something to talk about, and that's the whole damn point.

 Stay tuned, professional listeners. —BD 

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Listen to THIS IS WHAT YOU ARE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5IzccDy94Zg

 __________________________________________________________________

Quick ending credit notes for those who are really reading...Blog number 22 folks. It's pretty exciting. Next blog is my lucky number 23, and I'll talk more about my excitement and joy...as I always do. Have fun, be safe.

 

Spirit (feat. Alex Ligertwood): Siesta On The Beach

Listen to SPIRIT: https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=1phuZFCUyVk&si=oFkiPSjTvDKCHJTt 

Well hello nerds. It is I, captain delirium, reporting live from the beginning of the end of a tumultuous, spine cracking, migraine inducing week. Every eye twitch and forsaken dish in my sink has brought me to this Friday moment; a moment where I can finally sit down and pretend I know what I'm talking about for 5-10 minutes worth of reading. It has been a "feeling" week, sandwiched between major upswings bursting with new love and light, and hoping the grip of my fists can help me keep "it" all together when the pendulum flies the opposite way faster than my own blink. It's the kind of week that only music and love making can save. I'm no Carrie Bradshaw, and this isn't that kind of column, but I can certainly shimmy my way into a positive reality by thinking thoughts like...

 I close my eyes

I imagine a world without pain, or suffering 

Somewhere to live where there's peace and understanding

Where people can be unafraid and be loved the way it's supposed to be

And all humanity works and lives in harmony 

Feel the spirit 

Hear the spirit

Touch the spirit of love

Know the spirit 

Teach the spirit

Spread the spirit of love

Listen friends, you don't need to know church to know gospel. Gospel is the truth. This right here? This is the truth. A few weeks ago I came across an album that popped up in my research I was conducting for another article. What had me immediately? None other than the album cover. I loved everything about this cover. I love the title choices, love the setting sun that's printed into the background, the relaxed look on each of their faces, and selfishly, they're doing exactly my favorite activity: nothing. 

Nothing on the beach! That's the direct translation of sieste. You're welcome. I'm not spelling that wrong by the way. I had to look into it. Siesta, which is what I was also thinking it was, is in fact "Nap" in Spanish. Sieste however, seems to be French. Voila. De rien.

Anyway, RARE TUNES in big letters at the top. My favorite. Combined with a sieste, on the beach?! I close my eyes, I imagine a world where I'm doing that right nowwwww...

I kinda do that everyday. On my lunch break at work, I always have my beach chair with me. Me and my chair we go to the park down the street from the office and plop ourselves down there in the thickest, softest grass this side of compton. Sun is almost always shining at that time and I close my eyes, I imagine a world without pain, or suffering...*COUGH* sorry that keeps happening. I just really love a sieste anywhere.  

*chefs kiss* It's going on my wall for sure

Do you guys know what a ghost kitchen is? Essentially it's an established restaurant that decides, "Hey, we already sell X, and all these items I buy that can make X, can also make Y...so I might as well also start selling Y, but, under an alias via food delivery apps." Rare Tunes Sieste on the Beach is essentially that. It's the ghost kitchen of records. Someone took all these obscure tracks, re-releases, or even repackaged/renamed recordings and threw them on a chill/ambient/jazz combo number 5. From that we got Spirit. Yayyyyy.

Where does Alex Ligertwood come in to all this? He's the singer of the tune, and guess what, you've probably heard him before. Unless you've never heard Santana, which is possible, but also, what are you doing?  Alex Ligertwood was the lead vocalist for Santana, across five different stints, from 1979 to 1994. Pretty wild huh? The music world is always unfolding in ways that surprise me. There’s no clear, verifiable connection between Ligertwood and this song: no commentary, no interview or info floating around.

 And you know what, I like it like that. Not everything needs to be known. 

Maybe that’s what this week has been trying to teach me. Not how to control everything, not how to hold it all together so tightly...but how to let something good reach me anyway.

The world isn’t perfect, but we can still find places where it feels like it is.

 Normally I get into the soft folds and the intricacies of the instrumentation. I’m going to keep it simple this time because really, the answer is simple. The mixing is perfect, the vocals are soulful and passionate. You can hear that the band and the singer are playing and singing from truth. It’s honest. It’s fun, celebratory, reflective…I view this tune with a level of importance, message wise, and sonically, like I would talk about Let it Be to a stranger. Let it Be has a nostalgic connection that I feel amplifies the level of “goodness”. You might think, “how could you compare the Beatles to this?”. It’s not about comparing. It’s about how I feel the message, the intention, and the love that went into making it. 

This is a beautiful song. It takes me from my inner turmoil, back into reality. In my reality, the spirit of love is what living is all about. And that wonderful, beautiful sentiment, just happens to be wrapped up in the most groovy, rockin’, danceable package. Don’t get me started on Alex’s vocal riffs and those horns, I’ll be here forever. Bravo Alex, bravo band, bravo RARE TUNES. 

Stay safe, stay in love, stay tuned —BD

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Listen to SPIRIT: https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=1phuZFCUyVk&si=oFkiPSjTvDKCHJTt

 

 

Polly Paulusma: Back to the Start

Hey Audio Freaks. I hope your week’s going alright. It seems a lot of us are having a tough one for various reasons: money's tight, work is rough, not getting enough sleep. We're all going through it together, and there's something relieving about that. I'm yawning as I type this and try to find the energy for the things I love after using all my energy on corporate BS all day. Yea, Little Ms. Positive's forever long fuse is shortening...slightly. 

Despite my shortening fuse and the harsh realities aside, I always know that music will find a way to bring me back to life without explanation, without warning, and without expectation. Music doesn't talk back you know. 

Well...I guess it does...

My inspiration for this piece is the concept of the song itself, Back to the Start. I'm going back to the beginning, where I'd hear a song, had no way to look it up, and just had to hope I'd hear it again. Luckily, I can still play songs over and over again, but I haven’t gone to another song, I haven’t looked for interviews, history, or any info at all. All I've got is this song, the story of how it found me, and the feeling of how fucking awesome it is. Let me tell you a story...

A Thursday in March 2026

Thursday, March 26, 2026. 2-6-2-6.

Just figured I'd say that the double 26, spiritually, suggests shifting focus towards achieving internal peace, to nurture your relationships, and suggests finding balance between material and spiritual needs.

I had just finished up an artist showcase where I was the featured artist at Mike Ford's open mic. Mike Ford is a local artist that runs the open mic over at one of my favorite spots in the South Bay, Project Barley Square. Used to be an old English pub till the fam over at Project Barley collaborated with them to keep it alive, and it sure is alive and well.

There are beautiful old school chandeliers, a fireplace, comfortable outdoor patio...a very cozy vibe for a brewery. And you can bet that Project Barley always has great music, no matter the location. This particular night at the Square was special. Everyone in the room was so lovely and warm. I opened up to the audience about my social media addiction and having been away (8 weeks now), and Mr. Ford and his audience received me with open arms and wonderful questions. I played my songs, we chatted, it was a great evening. Thank you Mike, and thank you Project Barley for always supporting local acts. I will link all of their info at the base of this article.

It was about 10:45, maybe 11pm already. The air was nippy, and my senses were buzzing after pouring my life into the room. I could feel the tip of my nose and my cheeks buzzing. I knew I had to be up for work at 6:45, but when my friends invited me to jam after my show, I couldn't say no.

En route to Hermosa Beach, the streets were empty. Really empty. There's something about Torrance. Its own 180s have striking differences. It's a whirlwind in the day with cars everywhere, families trekking across this little-big town. But at night? You can feel like the only soul on earth. Suddenly the roads are wide open and you can hear the hum of the street lights.

 

I don't remember what I put on in the car, but by the time I got to the King Harbor sign, a song came on. One hit, and boom. "You've got something to hide, and you can run all you like 'cross plains and over mountains." What? What is this? I'm listening. I was experiencing love at first sight in its full purity. By the time the second chorus came in, I was already singing along with it. My diaphragm started to tighten and I started to full-belly laugh. How did this happen? It's like I've been listening to this song my whole life. It sounded like something that was familiar, but I also knew that I definitely had never heard it before.

This was that song, Back to the Start by Polly Paulusma. I parked at the studio and I couldn't even get out of the car without finishing the third play. I was singing with my whole heart, I was feeling every word as though they were my own. I had a great jam till about 12:30 with my buds, and then got back in the car and put it on again immediately. The song had infected me in the most childlike obsessive way. I must've listened to the damn song 100 times in the course of 3 days.

 BACK TO THE START, AGAIN

If you've been here for a while, you know I'm a Youtube music user. The Youtube music algorithm astounds me. I don't know how it works, but I know that whatever they're doing to get music out there to people, I really feel like it's working. I'll take a look into it deeper at another time and we can chat about it.

 I went hunting on her artist page. 259 subscribers. My impression is that the Youtube music subscriber numbers are far more accurate than other streaming services. Most of the time here, the subscribers are active listeners. So what you may see as small, because social media has skewed your view of what "a lot"
 is, are actual listeners. I digress, this is a topic for another time as well. 

I wanted to allow this song to breathe into my life without going on a deep dive on Polly too soon. I wanted to savor the moment like I was waiting for an album to come out after a single drops. But of course, I got curious. Why was I the only "like" on this tune? It was too good. It didn't make sense.

I found lots of her music but again, haven't listened to it yet. I'm so stoked to dive into her discography like a bottle of wine; let it breathe and savor it. I'm allergic to wine, I don't know why that was my example. Lets go with a good cheese instead. Let it age, take small bites, savor it...I'm hungry.

 Polly has this sound that feels like a friend telling you that everything is going to be okay. A pat on the back, or a package that arrives that you forgot you bought — you come home and it's on your doorstep, and it feels like Christmas morning on a Friday in April. Sounds like a grounded, openhearted presence that suddenly appeared in your life when you were the most ready for it to arrive.

 Here's something cool: I did find a second posting of this tune on her album pictured at the top, Fingers and Thumbs. The major difference I'm hearing between the "radio edit" and the album version is the mix. We've talked about the mix many times, but for those who are new, we're listening to the levels of volume across all the audio we're hearing: guitar, bass, drums, vocals, back up vocals, etc. 

There are also a handful of fun, tiny details that are different between the two. The intros are different (album version has an organ intro), the musical break in the album version is longer, and yes the mix is different. A major, MAJOR difference I caught: in the radio edit, there's a second electric guitar part that really stands out. It's a plunk back and forth from the "6" to the "1" (these are notes in a scale, and we don't need to get too far into that. Just listen for the guitar that's going "bing bong bing bong bing bong bing" over and over. You'll hear it). It gives it this feeling like the song is going to go on and on forever which is exactly what I want. Like biting into a succulent 6 foot meatball sub; it's never gonna end and you're so, so happy about it.

Usually I lean towards whatever I heard first, but truthfully...I can't pick this time. 

Friends, you know I love a good hunt for interviews and history, it's all part of the love of discovery. Going back to last weeks blog when I asked, "What does it mean to love something before you understand it?" — I've been living in that.

I remember being a child and hearing songs and wondering what the person looked like. With the introduction of social media, AI at our finger tips...we're slowly  losing the beauty of mystery. Patience is a beautiful thing, especially in a case like this. It's thrilling to know that there's a whole catalog of music from Polly out there that I have yet to hear. As soon as I publish this, I'm gonna listen to the whole Fingers and Toes album. Screaming internally. 

Cross Plains and Over Mountains 

I don't know who Polly is singing to here. It can be interpreted in many ways. I'm gonna go with what I feel (shocker). I think she's singing to herself. Which means when I hear it, I'm singing it to me. For you, you may feel it differently. Let me know in the comments how it meets your hearts ears. 

The moment these first words hit my ears, I fell in love:

You've got something to hide 

And you can run all you like

'cross plains and over mountains

The chains you drag behind you leave track marks in the air

 Wow. I remember I just exclaimed UGH YES. And her VOICE? I haven't even said anything about that yet. What a voice. Earnest, effortless, gorgeous. 

 You're asleep on your feet, and all the people you meet

'cross plains and over mountains

Fooled by mirrors, think the light is shining brighter there

This is the most beautiful take on "the grass is always greener" that I have ever heard. The repetition lyrically and melodically of " 'cross plains and over mountains" is perfect. Music like this makes me feel dumb in a perfect way. Like that tight feeling in your cheeks and face when you're unable to stop smiling whilst meeting a potential lovers eye. I feel like I can't articulate thoughtfully and with the measure of depth the song deserves because I'm having a visceral, human experience over it.

I drive a 2005 Ford Explorer. The dash is old school alarm clock digital green. I'm driving in the middle of the night through rows of trees next to the ocean, a little too fast, singing...

 Come on Come on, we're going back to the beginning

Take a wrong turn, and you take it to heart so easy

When you come home, I will be waiting by the fire

And we'll take it all back to the start 

Life is a movie folks. Music has that ability. And the way that I feel it is going to be different than how you feel it. For me, this was the moment I remembered, I understood, that music is my salvation. Because of how this music met me, because of how I related to these words, I understood myself more deeply though the lens of another. Someone who I may never meet or speak to, has given me a gift. A gift of comprehension, solace, celebration, and love. 

THAT is the reason why storytelling will never disappear. THAT is the reason that human-made audio and visual experiences will never die. Music connects us in ways that only living beings can understand.

Ms. Polly, I am so looking forward to diving fully into your collection. Thank you for sharing your beautiful music with us.

Stay tuned in, my fellow freaks. Music Discoveries are like a box of chocolates: sometimes you get buttercream and you're falling in love, other times you get raspberry and you wanna puke. Either way, it's all part of the experience. 

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Listen to BACK TO THE START

 ENDING CREDITS NOTE: If you ever watched "As Told By Ginger" growing up, Back to the Start feels like it could have been the theme song for a sister show. Here's the "As Told By Ginger" theme song, I'm in Between by Macy Gray

---

Paul Weston: Solo Mood

 

 

Friends, today I'm starting with a sentiment. A reflection if you will. I have some thoughts about music and discovery I'd like to share with you, in the hopes that it will encourage you to not take life so seriously, and to enjoy said ride. 

Last week, I read a post from a Substack user that appeared in my home feed. The rough edges rubbed me the wrong way, but also, the right way. I'm not into online drama; I simply want to share my thoughts so that I can tie this all together. Here's what it said, and what I replied with:

 

 

Zinger.

 All of this to say that whether you're a reader, a writer, a digger, a listener, whatever your flavor, it's all good. There will always be other people trying to give you rules for music, as if the music didn't come before the rules.  

 What if all the great reasons for loving music naturally instead of "working hard" to find it, is the whole point?

All these discovery rules got me thinking: 

What does it mean to love something before you understand it? 

89 CENTS

Today's blog will be a bit different than usual. I'm not diving into too much history, but more so, getting personal with you. 

In the spring of 2014, a little over a decade ago, I was driving my Grandma Ella (Mom's mom) around, as I often did. We would hit the town, go to lunch, stop for coffee, watch the ducks at the park, and shop in all kinds of stores. 

It seems that all the women in my family, including myself, love antiques. Antiquing has become a bit of a past time for us all. Some, like my Mom, love miniatures and and Victorian era pieces. While I also love those things, I'm looking for cool coats, jewelry, and records. Duh.

 We stopped one afternoon at a local thrift spot. It was a crowded place. Crowded with items of all kinds. Old felt church hats with a feather and a chain, golden picture frames with family photos of those who've been gone longer than I've been alive, smells a bit like grandmas evil basement, so, smells good. Like clean laundry and also, must. Unfortunately, it's long gone, and I can't remember the name. Part of getting older, or, maybe just losing my mind.

Grandmas walking around. We had our own rhythm in a store: start together, separate when needed, come back together somewhere before paying, leave together. She was about 5'0", and I'm 5'10", so, it was her job to find me, which wasn't hard. If I needed to find her, I'd just call her cell and listen for it ringing. When it was dying, her phone would say "low battery", in the most non-AI generated, pixelated tone. We still say it in my family and it cracks us up.

 I found this record there. I saw what you see above; a blue background, blue like the clearest possible day, must be around 3pm in the summer time... a single seagull is floating over head, with 2 words — Solo Mood. That was all I needed. Like picking the right cases in Deal or No Deal. You just know.

 89 cents it was. Written on a small, neon yellow, circular sticker with a red pen. I don't think I even read the back. Just picked it up right then and there and went YEP. Probably took grandma for frozen yogurt, and then went home and listened to it on my Crosley. I played the hell out of that record player. 

First impressions, a complete surprise.  Beautiful, slow, sleepy trumpets. The sound of crackling from the record meets my ears like sprinkled salt falling on a paper bag...the orchestra is pristine, but relaxed. I fell in love with it immediately. 

 I used to share my bedroom with my Grandma when she would come visit from Brooklyn. I was playing the record in my room when she walked in to lay down for a nap, and I remember her turning her head and going, "Oh, this is nice, I love this song!". The song was Autumn in New York.

Further in the future I'm curating my own playlists and I think, "I really love the first 2 songs on that record, I wanna add them to my Slow Drive Sunday Sounds playlist." So I did. Rockin' Chair, and Foggy Day by Paul Weston. 

I've been listening to those 2 songs in my playlist for years. It wasn't until last week (March 2026) where I thought to myself, "damn...this is so unbelievably good. Who is Paul Weston anyway and why is his orchestra so perfect?"

Lo and behold, this blog is born. 12 years in the making. 

Who was Paul Weston and his Orchestra? Why was that music familiar to my Grandma? 

 Paul Weston and His Orchestra

 1956. A leap year. Beautiful cars. The birth of the coolest kind of Diner. Also, the year this record was pressed. Paul Weston, however, was born in 1912. Just over 100 years before I found this record.

He was a composer and arranger who helped shape the sound of mid-century American music. His smooth, relaxed orchestral style became a foundation for what we now call easy listening. He worked with artists like Jo Stafford and Nat King Cole, and played a major role in early Capitol Records. His music feels effortless, and it helped define an entire era. 

On the back of the record, we've got a list of tunes and jazz standards. Most of these standards were written long before Solo Mood was released and became famous through multiple films over decades. 

SIDE A 

        Rockin' Chair    
        A Foggy Day    
        Body And Soul    
        Sweet Loraine    
        When It's Sleepy Time Down South    
        Lullaby In Rhythm 

SIDE B

   
        A Hundred Years From Today    
        Dancing On The Ceiling (He Dances On My Ceiling)    
        Autumn In New York    
        Honeysuckle Rose    
        You Are Too Beautiful    
        The One I Love (Belongs To Somebody Else) 

Music and Muscle Memory 

  Full transparency, I didn't know a single song on this list when I first heard it. I didn't know timeless tracks like Autumn in New York or Honeysuckle Rose yet. I didn't really know what a jazz standard was.

For those who may not know, a jazz standard is a song that has been widely performed and recorded by many artists over time, becoming a shared part of the jazz repertoire. They're songs that don't belong to just one artist; they've been played, re-imagined, and passed around so much that they've become part of the language of music.

And even then, this definition has expanded over time. Standards are still standards, but the list has grown significantly. They're definitive of periods of time, and have shaped cultural moments. The list stretches  far beyond American borders.

All that being said, I'd like to get real with you for a moment.

For years my sweet Grandma had dementia. Some days were better than others, but we're grateful she was mostly herself until the end. She meant a great deal to my family, and we miss her greatly.

Grandma loved John Denver, Elvis, and so much more. Before and during the dementia, she always lit up when she heard music she loved. That moment when she walked in the room and she heard Autumn in New York, she remembered something. 

She was recognizing a time. She was hearing what once was, and yet, still was... because in the moment, she was there again. She was recalling something that had already existed long before I found it sitting in a thrift store. 

It's no secret that music has that kind of power. The power to remind, and re-live remarkable joys — positively overwhelm the soul and spirit of a human body.  

In 2073, I'll be 80. Hopefully my brain will be sharp. Maybe we'll have the power to project our memories onto walls through our eyes by then. Maybe I'll hear Autumn in New York, and I'll think back to 60 years in the past when I saw my Grandma light up, and how she thought about her life 60 years before that...120 years of joy. Maybe a young-ling in my family will see me recalling my joy, and they'll remember it for another 60. That is, after all, the essence of music discovery. 

What does it mean to love something before you understand it? 

When music meets you where you are, and it continues to transform, deepen, like a love connection. It is in fact, a love connection in its own right. Don't ever let anyone tell you how that's supposed to show up for you. Maybe Mr. Sir from Substack is working too hard to find music. 

This quote is pinned to the side of my website, I'll leave it here for you: 

Why work hard when you can work Joyfully? —Sadghuru 

Go accidentally fall in love again with something you already loved. Share a song you love to someone you love. Tell them why you love it. Listen to something you haven't heard since you were a teen. You never know what you might come to understand about yourself and the world around you. 

Keep your heart open, my friend. Aka, Stay Tuned xo —BD 

Thanks for reading. If you dug this post, SUBSCRIBE ON SUBSTACK to recieve blogs direct to your email! Feel free to tip the scribbler and leave a comment. I'd love to hear from you. Venmo: https://venmo.com/u/berlyd

Listen to SOLO MOOD: https://youtu.be/CIFGeCRLpXI?si=bdn400YAn09B7W_G  

 

 

 

  

 

Noah Shepherd: Just for a Night

Happy Fried Egg, as we say in my world. It’s Fried Egg the 20th! What’s cookin’? Sweet jams. Are you tired of me yet?

Y’all, I am stoked. I’m chuffed. I’ve been sitting on this for way too long, mostly because I didn’t know where to begin.

I found this artist on Instagram. There’s a video of a guy with a mustache riding his bike down a road, over shirt flailing, wearing the kind of expression that says he's got a sneaky secret. The caption reads: “My music’s so underground, even you haven’t heard of it.”

 Here's the reel: REEL REEL !!

Bro knows his audience. And we are all very happy to be seen.

Typically, my articles have a flow: excitement, discovery backstory, artist history, and then we really get into the music. I like that. It works.

But today? There’s almost nothing out there on this guy. No interviews, no deep dives, no semi-neatly packaged narrative. So instead, we’re just going to sit in it. Speculate a little. Chat about some jams. 

I’ll give you a few recommendations, even though NoahFreakingShepherd has very quickly become a no-skips artist for me. I’ve got a soft spot for 2020s bedroom folk, but I’ll say this as earnestly as I can: this man has stolen my musical heart. Lyrically, melodically, chord-ally… it just hits in an equally simple and profound way.

Honestly, just get in the car, put his music on, and you'll get it. If you don't, I can't help you.

 

 NOAHFREAKINGSHEPHERD

When you look at Noah's socials, you can gather quite a bit quickly. He's got a couple videos that went viral just for hot takes like Willie Nelsons arm hair, blazers on Christmas, and "Thing's That'll Make  a Grown Man Cry". Spoiler alert, it's a a tear in a man's favorite sentimental jacket. 

He's a seemingly charming and funny guy who's been posting reels and tiktoks since at least 2023, as far as I could scroll. Here's some other things I've gathered with my brain, eyes and ears (Noah, if you see this, feel free to fact check me).

— Noah is a multi-instrumentalist and lyricist

— Noah makes his own music

— Noah is a producer

— Noah's studio is in his bedroom (or some room) in his humble abode (maybe)

— Noah is from Oceanside, San Diego which apparently you can't call DAYGO though I personally enjoy that silliness. (Being from a beach town as well, we always call Redondo, DONDO. We like it.) 

—  Noah has a mustache and a blinding watch tan

 —Noah is making bangers about love, living, and and the endless human pursuit of happiness 

Feast your eyes on the beauty of my hard earned research! One day, they'll publish this article in a music history textbook as a profound turning point in music discovery. "What a proFOUND proFIND," they'd say. 

Just fire me. Oh wait, I'll just fire myself. 

 

 

Noah's Freaking Audio

There are a few major points I want to bring into this conversation: timbre, lyrics, and something else I haven't figured out yet 'cause I'm still writing. 3 is the magic number. There's something else I wanna say. I'm not there yet. Let me think...

SHEP's catalog is like if music was a shoulder-sat sidekick that gives your ears a warm hug. A drive by the ocean. It has that certain quality that bossa nova has; just relaxed enough to chill, just upbeat enough to shimmy. I dig it, like a shovel baby.

The instruments and the audio are turned back in a way that lets the treble (high end) brush the ears lightly. For example, in one of my absolute favorites, No Where's Home, there's some lead guitar parts that don't necessarily fill the speakers, even though it's the lead. It's the kind of lead guitar/melodic hook that just feels good to listen to because it breathes the way a singer sings. There's no overplaying happening in SHEP's music. Just enough. Goldilocks and the Fweakin Shep.

And honestly, it goes beyond that. He has multiple instrumental tracks as well that are unique in their own right.

I'm not sure how I feel about comparing artists as a way to describe someone's music. SHEP's music is certainly his own; however, he does remind me of all the best parts of a few artists I love, and I'm sure you do as well: Jack Johnson (lyrically/melodic delivery), Mac DeMarco (guitar tone), Her's (song structure), and in the best way possible, certain songs of his remind me of video games, particularly Animal Crossing. Let's come back to that.

So we've got potential influence, timbre (Tam-BUR)... Oh. I guess I accidentally remembered what I wanted to write about by just writing about it. Cheers, brain.

LYRICS and other things I want to say

Mr. SHEP is sentimental, existential, romantical (I told you 3's the magic number). His music has this sort of new-love innocence that's priceless. It's honest, it's straightforward, it's uncomplicated.

Here are some of my favorites:

1. Wait — this one, keyboard tone and melody in particular, sounds like it's right out of Animal Crossing
2. Just For a Night — you're gonna love that transition between feels. It picks up tempo at the perfect spot. All of a sudden, you went from loving the road and coasting, to doing 90 in a 65.
3. You're the One — please let me play this bass line. It's so fun and scratches my brain in the perfect way. In that kind of "never get tired of it" way, like Mike Dirnt's bass line in Longview (Green Day)
4. No Where's Home — this song is perfect. BUT, the best part is the lyrics.

I can tell by the way that you tie your shoes and the way that you wear your clothes

You've been through it before

No where's home

The way that you talk the way that you walk

The smiles you give to the people that stalk on their free time

No where's home

Chorus (this is the best part)

But you'll keep on movin' anyway, looking for something worth it to make you stay

You'll keep on searchin' for your zone

You're better off when you realize that nowhere's home

And so on... The imagery in the next part is so beautiful it's hard not to just write out all the words here.

Oh wait, I can do that. Please be gentle, there are no lyrics to be found on YouTube Music (I don't use Spotify).

Your cigarette burns in your soft red lips

The people around you try to tell you how it fits

But you don't care

No where's home

Travelin' round like a beat-up jug, man

Tryna make a living to purchase a house for your old man

No where's home

But you'll keep on movin' anyway, looking for something worth it to make you stay

You'll keep on searchin' for your zone

You're better off when you realize that nowhere's home

I'm gonna come back to this blog and be sad that I didn't talk about more of his tunes. It's true. I do love every one. If you gave him a listen, let me know what you think in the comments. Maybe you think his music sucks. I wanna know why you're wrong.

Love you. Stay tuned

 

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-BD

Listen to Just For a Night: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w5sLkt0CD1k 

 Listen to No Where's Home: https://youtu.be/2qoGQlTCRFw?si=e0ZyoNRqtu1kOsGf

 

 

 

Webinar™: 公衆 Pool

 

I N T R O . C O M 

Time to dial up and log in, folks. Hellokimi93 signing into AIM for a quick chat about this week's music discovery. Hellokimi93 was actually my first email. My AIM was idancedance123. So, hmu.

I actually found this artist in 2025, but I am unfortunately blessed with too many great discoveries to write about. So today we are going back in time, which is fitting, considering the music itself feels like stepping into a digital time capsule. Let me ask you this: how niche is too niche? In the last 25 years, the word niche has deepened like the ocean itself. With the introduction of the internet, there are now more corners of the musical world than ever before. And by corners, I mean sub-genres within sub-genres.

Discoveries like this are exactly why I write everything down. One day I hope to be documenting music history for genres so niche, so buried in the digital strata, that only an internet deep diver such as myself could be trusted to chronicle them.

You might have to wait a while for that though; I'm currently on hold...

---

Reflections

You may or may not remember that last year I wrote a super blog about a compilation album called Buddha Bar. I have basically sworn off super blogs since then, mostly because I know how much work that was. Don't get me wrong, it was equally full of joy, excitement, and intrigue. While it is my second most successful piece of writing to date (golf clap), that particular article covered fourteen different artists and was even labeled "too long" for a Substack email. Alas, I love the research, the mystery solving, and the internet hunt.

This will not be a super blog because we are only focusing on one artist. However, for the first time here, I would like to discuss multiple songs from a single album. Hooray for milestones...which is funny, considering this album sounds like you're trapped inside Windows 95.

---

w w w . d e e p d i v e . c o m

(2021, album cover pictured above)

What do we know about Webinar™? The album I want to focus on today is w w w . d e e p d i v e . c o m, released in 2021. The title alone feels like a hyperlink pulled straight from the early internet.

Here's the Bandcamp site:
https://fullmetalrecords.bandcamp.com/album/w-w-w-d-e-e-p-d-i-v-e-c-o-m

As a musician, history buff, and a sucker for atmosphere, I am giddy like a piglet in the mud.

Webinar™ appears to be a producer who primarily creates instrumental beats, but the music is quietly intertwined with an experience. I'm usually resistant to the word "nostalgic." Nothing bothers me more than when words turn into trends. The minute a word becomes fashionable, companies start slapping it onto anything they can sell, pretending they're helping us reconnect with the past.

HOWEVER, when I hear music like this, something strange happens. It sounds familiar. It feels familiar. Comforting.

Those are normal reactions when we hear music we like, but the way this album is assembled allows you to almost disappear into it. Float, even.

I'm going to break this down here for you in a few categories:

1. Concept/Vision — What kind of picture is the producer trying to paint?

2. Sampling — What am I hearing that's familiar?

3. Mixing — How am I receiving what I'm hearing?

I want to look at a few different songs from the album to help me help you understand what's happening here. Listen, at the end of the day, this is the kind of "thing" you either get or you don't. For those that don't, I want to try to help you understand. For those that do, I want to know if you're seeing, feeling, and hearing what I am.

Get ready. We're surfing into cyberspace now...

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1) C O N C E P T . S Y S

(Concept/Vision)

w w w . d e e p d i v e . c o m is an album full of what we like to call Chill Vibes. From the album cover through the music and the website itself, it's a digital passport.

What we have here, to get as detailed as we can, is a compilation of instrumental tracks that paint a picture. That picture, I believe, is a combination of 90's and 2000's office or home office nostalgia. Windows, to be exact. A time when your PC speakers always sounded a bit muffled, even if you didn't know it at the time.

Without getting into mixing yet, the timbre of the tracks is a huge part of what is supporting this vision. Imagine you're on hold, and you're hearing the most banger hold music ever. It doesn't happen too often, but when it does, you're left hoping that maybe you'll get put on hold again.

It's a distinct experience. Not entirely unique, but instantly recognizable.

The concept, I feel, is a combination of hold music, smooth jazz, and hip hop, melded together with a proper mix that sounds like listening through a Bluetooth headset from 2001. The project sits somewhere in the vaporwave universe, a genre known for sampling smooth jazz, corporate lounge music, and early digital aesthetics.

The album cover is most certainly a major part of the experience of this record. If you were a kid that had access to a public pool, a friend's pool, a vacation or summer house, whatever, the internet has made it very clear that no person has ever had "a single original experience." People on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok would also say something like, "So, we all just had the same childhood?"

This album is an example of that particular piece of summer childhood experience. The feeling of staring into the sun-lit, electric baby-blue pool, the tip of your fingers breaching the surface, adults playing relaxing music in the background, maybe you're waiting for your mom to use the bathroom in the hotel lobby, or you can hear your dad waiting to talk to someone on the phone.

It's no one particular experience, but a multitude that supports this album's vision.

Upon further surfing, I found a statement on a site called:
https://www.utopiadistrict.com/tag/webinartm/

I don't know who it was written by, as the X username link says the account doesn't exist.

Here's what it says:

"w w w . d e e p d i v e . c o m is an album able to deftly navigate the nuances of many subgenres of the vaporwave scene. While on the surface, it might appear to be a traditional lo-fi album. As the album progresses, you find tracks able to successfully navigate out of the box it had seemingly placed itself in. You wind up with some unexpected influences flooding the album while never losing the lo-fi vibes it establishes out of the gate... But the biggest triumph of the album is arguably its selection of samples and loops, as the album stays engaging from beginning to end, avoiding the lulls you'll often encounter in longer albums."

Hopefully between my statement and theirs, you get the idea of what's being done here.

What you need to know is this: vaporwave is a genre built to mirror moods.

Their statement mentioned samples and loops, and that's next on our list.

Surf on.

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2) S A M P L I N G . W A V

It's not clear if Webinar uses samples by chopping things they've heard or if they play the samples on instruments themselves, but either way, it's done so well.

Some of the samples I heard right away. Others took me a moment, and some I don't recognize at all.

Here are the ones where I'm 99% sure I know what I'm hearing:

1) Euphoria

This track starts with a smooth jazz sax teasing the beat. There are twinkling beeps that sound somewhere between dialing a phone and a yummy 80's electric piano sound.

Just before the kick drum starts, the sax begins a more structured melody. That melody is most definitely "Take 5" by Dave Brubeck, but in 4/4 time, not 5/4.

If that just looks like fractions, that's fine. Music came before theory did.

It just means that instead of counting in a rhythm of 1-2-3-4, you add an extra beat and count to five. They did not do that here. They changed the melody to fit the 4/4 vaporwave beat, and it's hip as hell.

If you didn't know, "Take 5" is one of the most famous jazz standards in the animal kingdom, known for its distinct 5/4 time signature.

Sampling it was an amazing move for nostalgia and for newbies discovering jazz through vaporwave alike.

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2) ThirdEye.wave

This was an immediate hear for me. I automatically caught this one because she's one of those artists I've listened to countless times, and it's unmistakable for Sade fans.

This is undoubtedly the bass line from Sade's "No Ordinary Love."

This is like one of those "slowed and reverb" covers you might find on YouTube. If you've never heard of that, there's a section of YouTube where folks take a song, slow it down, pitch it lower, and add reverb, creating a nostalgic, almost dream-like version of the song.

pushes up glasses Actually, this is not a new practice. Musicians and producers have been speeding up or slowing down tracks for decades.

Nerd has spoken.

Anyways, enough about that. This track is great at keeping a groove. We're not going much of anywhere here, and we don't need to. Just that juicy, snappy snare drum with a blanket over it, smacking the Internet's ass.

(We're almost to mixing.)

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3) サイバ

Sorry bro, you're not getting Sade past me. We got another one.

Paul Denman, Sade's bass player, is one of the most underrated and phenomenal bass players around. He just lays it down, and he sticks with it, and it's beautiful.

There's no question why Webinar would sample not only one, but two Sade songs.

And again with that beautiful snare.

Also, no, I don't speak Japanese, but I know how to use a translator. From that I got "Wise." Can someone tell me if that's right?

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3) M I X I N G . E X E

Okay, I was good and I waited, right? I mean, I talked about the mix a lot already...

Yeah right.

Oh my goodness, the essence of this beautiful project. We're finally here.

You may be asking yourself, "What is mixing?"

For those who don't know: you know how in a house with dimming lights you can walk over to the wall and make the light by the window nice and bright, but then you want the light over the couch to be real dim, and the one next to your bed you've got an app to make it red or any other color?

That's kind of like what mixing is, but instead of your living room ambience, it controls the ambience of the track with sound, not lights.

On a single track you have sounds that sit in treble, mid, and bass ranges, bass being the lower end and treble being higher. But it's not just about low and high. It's about how those tones hit, or kiss, your ear depending on how you want them to arrive.

This, my friends, is a master class in mixing.

Have you ever listened to music with a pair of headphones from an airplane that you bought from a flight attendant? It doesn't sound good.

This sounds like that, but instead it sounds good.

Does that make sense?

It's completely intentional.

When you think about hold music, it never sounds that clear, but you kind of wish it did, especially when it's good. This is just clear enough.

I think what Webinar has done here is turn the treble way, way back so even the higher notes don't hit as high in the ear. They touch more than they hit.

There's a grain, an almost vinyl or tape-like quality to the sound, like listening to an old record.

I'm convinced you could put this album out with some regular old mixing and it would not feel or sound the same.

That's how deeply integral this is to the project.

So congratulations, Webinar. Your sub-genre's sub-genre is a goldmine.

And I'm obsessed.

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公衆 Pool (Track 4)

The title of this blog and my favorite song on the album.

No special samples.

Hey, did you not realize this is the only blog I haven't started with a discovery story? That's because it's not really a story this time.

It was simply recommended to me by the YouTube Music algorithm. Not the album, just this track specifically.

My favorite number is 3. This track is 3:33.

We were going to hit it off from the get-go.

No delay, no build-up. Just groove right away.

And it is SUCH a great groove.

There's one thing happening in the tune but I have no idea what it is, and I have an attachment to it.

It sounds like this:

dung-ga-dong-ga-dung-geh-dah.

It happens on about the third beat every few measures.

It's some kind of percussion instrument? A keyboard? I have no idea, but it rips, and I love it, and it's stuck in my head constantly.

I walk around my office going:

dung-ga-dong-ga-dung-geh-dah
dung-ga-dong-ga-dung-geh-dah
dung-ga-dong-ga-dung-geh-dah

This groove hooked me from the first play.

I hope you can find something to enjoy from this wonderfully weird corner of the internet.

You guys have heard enough of my unorganized ranting for one day.

I hope you're jamming out wherever you are, and from all of me here at Stay Tuned, stay tuned, crate diggers. Love ya’ll to pieces from Substack to Blogger. Hey do me a favor and send this to someone you think is cool. Reading this will make them cooler. ILY

Share your recent discoveries with me in the comments. I might just feature it.

— BD

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Listen to w w w . d e e p d i v e . c o m here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qyaG-ZNYqJM

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