February is Music Writer Exercise Month #MWE • Page 79

Top album of the decade for me

 

Red Moon is so good. A couple tracks didn’t work for me but the ones that do hit hard

 

Yeah it’s definitely all over the place but the more I listen the more I appreciate it all

 

Day 24
Hapa - S/T (1992)

Wanted something different today and checked out this multicultural Hawaiian duo. I am currently blown the fuck away. Listening to their next album after this one right now—also damn good! Truly blissful and unique stuff.

 

This all sounds super-appealing.

 

I know next to nothing about Hawaiian music and I loved it. Will have to continue exploring.

 

Sounds interesting. Have you heard of Orchestra Baobab? They were one of my earlier picks this month and seem more up your alley based on this description for a Senegalese listen.

 

Day 25
Prince - Purple Rain (1984)

Some of this felt a bit like hanging out at a roller-rink on my first listen. I think I’ve been exposed to Prince the wrong way? I’m listening to this for the second time now with headphones and it’s immediately hitting harder. In general, I think I prefer his proggy / rock side. Def need to continue exploring to find what I love.

 

Listening to Sign O’ the Times now and this seems more my style. Fantastic stuff.

 

The thing about that album is it’s like Born to Run: it’s his called shot. He decided he wanted to be a big big star so he made an album to show he was a genius and land hits in every genre he could…and he nailed it.

 

Yeah, there is just so much going on. I needed to listen twice to allow myself to digest it. Feels like I’ve opened up a rabbit hole as I’m now checking his other stuff.

 

HYLI Vol. XCVIII - The Yellow Sign and Bill Fay

wrote about bill fay for the newsletter if you're interested

 

Day 26
Third Eye Blind - S/T (1997)

Don’t make fun of me for not having heard this in full until now.

(I absolutely loved it)

 

Listening to Blue now just bc I enjoyed the s/t so much. Wow, these guys are something else. Why did I wait so long to do a deep dive?

 

Day 26.5
Serge Gainsbourg - Histoire de Melody Nelson (1971)

This was cinematic and extremely luxurious for such a short album (only 28 min!). Glad I don’t know a lick of French bc the concept is supremely creepy. Dude seemed like a total sleaze but I don’t know enough to speak more on that.

 

Edit: Oh no shit, the nifty slide guitar on “Lucille” is no less than the queen, Bonnie Raitt.

 

That cover rocks

 

Great record and a pioneering lesbian artist. Lots of good reasons to throw it on.

 

Day 27
2Pac - All Eyez On Me (1996)

A double album is probs not the ideal intro as it was a little overwhelming, but I still enjoyed it. Definitely need to go back and listen to his earlier albums now.

 

Me Against the World is the more digestible and only a hair less brilliant