One of the Lucky Few

 
So much time has passed since I last found myself here in front of this glowing screen, frantically pecking away at the keys like my life depended on it. I couldn’t tell you why I strayed so far for so long, but I can tell you that there were a confluence of events in the past couple of years that eventually crushed my spirit. It hasn't helped that the pandemic has been an unprecedented, cataclysmic disaster exacerbated by the U.S. governments' inability to effectively act in the country's best interest.  Due to following the guidelines put forth by the CDC and the local government, my girlfriend and I have been fortunate enough to stay healthy so far.  Though, the effects of staying at home and away from people are clear. After close to nine months of dealing with the effects of self-isolation as a means of preservation, my hair has become long and disheveled with crow’s feet and frown lines emerging from my weathered face. I don’t even know if I would be able to have a normal discussion with someone as I’ve become so comfortable with being alone with my own thoughts.

Despite all of this, I am one of the lucky few who has been able to hold a job for the entire duration of this pandemic, and I have not had to worry about keeping a roof over my head or putting food on the table. For this, I am eternally grateful. I can’t even fathom the depths of struggle that millions of Americans feel right now, and my heart goes out to each and every one of them. I suppose that I finally recognized the need to climb out from behind the curtain to share something with my readers about my personal experience with all of this as a form of catharsis. I hope that all of you are safe and healthy, and that you have been able to maintain your sanity throughout one of the biggest global tragedies in the history of this world.

With that said, I would like to pivot to music and what this pandemic has meant to the musicians in the face of all this. With the pandemic effectively closing the doors of music venues across the world, many musicians have been forced to learn how to earn a living without their main source of income. You might have thought that this would result in a world with no new music, and that artists would simply throw in the towel.  

I am happy to say that this couldn’t be further from the truth. In fact, if this year has taught me anything it’s that the power of the human spirit and the drive to make the world a better place are stronger than the forces of evil and corruption that continue to beat us down. So much music has been released in 2020 that it makes my head spin to think about listening to it all, but one thing is for sure, the quality of the music being released this year is better than most years in recent history. Maybe it’s because they have nothing to lose, and everything to gain by releasing new music since the doors of most music venues have been closed since mid March. Without the revenue from touring, many artists have taken to the internet in the form of free, or pay to view livestream shows recorded at home or sometimes in empty venues. However, the money that artists earn with these livestreams is minimal compared to a regular tour. Considering this, many artists have decided that this is a perfect time to release new music, as many people are looking to get their mind off of the current state of the world.

I can honestly say that I have purchased more music through Bandcamp, and other record labels in both physical and digital formats this year than any other year in recent memory. What this means for all of you is that I have been painstakingly working on completing a year-end post with a list that I feel represents the best music released this year.

In the meantime, please enjoy this random mix of songs that were playing during a recent scenic drive around the city while my Tidal app was on shuffle.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tidal Currents- Mix #1