This! I had a similar moment just yesterday. A song from way back. I remember everything about those days when my friends and I would listen to it and dance around. It was not the biggest song out there but it was big to us. Only we knew how cool it really was.
Your piece about having established roots is worth its weight in gold. Lean in and relish the familiarity and comfort. I had that until the election and am starting over in Ottawa. It’s one of a handful of things that makes life so sweet.
I am 25. Most people my age I've known do not know or have interest in music I like (60s, 70s and 80s mainly). An open disdain, actually, for it.
For many years it bothered me, and spurred an intense need to know as much as I could of those decades if nothing more than to remember, since I felt like the only one. Especially since more and more singers have passed.
Nowadays, it doesn't bother me. The other day, I was listening to Rocky Mountain High the song, by John Denver. A comfort song.
A line hit me like never before "and he lost the friend, but kept the memory...now he walks in quiet solitude..."
Your reference to people in and out of your life made me think of this.
I am loving getting older as I care less and less what people think of me or my "weird old tastes" lol. And in that, I am paying more attention to what I love.
Forgive my ramblings. Once again, thank you for sharing. I hope you all are well. ✌️
“Spotify and my ‘new’ listening habits make all that history—and attachment—feel flatter, less memorable.”
I have had similar feelings about Spotify as of late. When I had an iPod and CD’s, I knew every song and artist intimately. Now, even if it’s my own curated playlist, someone will ask me what song or artist I’m playing and it’s difficult for me to recall. It’s like the music exists in an ether, and I’m not sure why. iPods were also digital, but they were deeply curated. In order to have the song, you needed to have already found it organically elsewhere (in a movie, a store, recommended by a friend). You probably searched it, bought it, or downloaded it illegally. It was a process. Nothing like “Add to Playlist” that we have today on Spotify. The song is sort of left to linger about, waiting.
Also thank you for making me listen to Corridor of Dreams today! I came upon the track on Spotify funnily enough a couple years ago and had the same feeling about this song. It’s nostalgic and makes me yearn every time I come upon it again, which I will admit is very few and far between. It’s lost somewhere in the million Spotify playlists I have.
I was listening to songs I listened to years ago a couple weeks ago and all the memories associated with them filled my head. I recently had a new friend give me song recommendations and it was fun to listen to songs I never heard of before. The songs that stood out to me were Watch Your Mouth by The Backseat Lovers, Canary Islands by Goth Babe, affection by Between Friends, Soft Spot by keshi, and Take A Bite by beabadoobee. The lyrics “Slide a drink across the table Watch it fall onto the ground Keep your distance she’s unstable Watch your tone and watch your mouth” from Watch Your Mouth by The Backseat Lovers hits me in my gut every time I hear it. The delivery of the lyrics reminds me of a conversation that the guys at work would have about me. They are always giving each other a hard time when they think one of them is bothering me. Also, it reminds me of how protective they are of me. I was talking to a former coworker at an event and some of the guys didn’t like how she was talking to me and went into protection mode. I was listening to music on YouTube yesterday and an advertisement for Dive In by Finn Askew played. I immediately stopped what I was doing and investigated it.
That's so interesting! This made me think of when I worked at a Best Buy type store after high school. All the sales guys were so nice to me, and protective. I loved it, but then later I realized they were all trying to date me. Which makes me sound like I was hot stuff, except I was kind of a dirtbag and I'd just cut all my hair off and could not have looked more GAY. Weird times!
I could totally picture that happening and yeah that is definitely weird. Sounds like something that would happen to me. Thankfully that is not the case with most of the guys at my work. They more act like my big brothers.
Yes, the fact that Spotify can figure out your music tastes is both great! and scary, all at the same time. On the one hand, you're like "Hey! How'd you know I'd like that?" But also "Omg, what else do you know about me that I may not know myself yet?"
Glad you finally feel rooted. I can only imagine what a toll it must've been touring all over the past few decades, just so us fans can experience live performances. As we patiently wait for if/when there will be appearances again, we are mindful and respect your well-being, so take as long as you need to stay grounded and resurface when it makes sense and worthwhile. Take care. =)
I loved this post. I've been reflecting on the concept of time a lot lately and I think it's great that you are too! As always, thank you for sharing your words and thoughts.
I liked hearing about how you discover new music. As an autistic person I’ve always found change difficult and used to be very resistant to new artists, now I make an effort to look into artists that other artists I like recommended and I look into songs I like from movie sound tracks and if I like then enough I look into their music.
The only time I actually went looking for music was when I went looking for a queer artist I could relate to (the two of you), all the ones I’d found were gay women (like I thought I was at the time) but were hyper feminine. Nothing wrong with that of course, and I wouldn’t say you or Tegan aren’t feminine, but I found you both easier to relate to because it seemed that, like me, you didn’t seem to like wearing dresses very much.
Since then the only other time I went looking for artists was when I worked out I’m non-binary.
By the way, when I was looking for a gay woman artist, I’d almost given up when I finally found you two. I’d heard a lesbian couple I followed online mention you a couple times as a cultural reference and checked you out. Only to find you were/are exactly what I was looking for. I’m So glad I found you both.
I’ll try to expand my music taste by trying out another band again this week.
Thank you for sharing Sara. I’ll have to check out some of the band’s you recommended. Awesome to hear some of the stuff that you were listening to just before Sid’s arrival.
Thanks for sharing. I agree about independent music stores feeling like they're run by men and for men. On the bright side, independent bookstores always make me feel like they're run by women or queer people, for women or queer people. I wonder why that is.
You and Tegan have definitely been those people for me, like the cooler older brother, that allowed me to discover new things, from TAL to the New Pornographers to As She Climbed Across the Table, Kavalier and Clay... some of my favourite discoveries, some of the stuff I still listen to, writers I still read today, came from your sharing of your faves. So thank you for that and thank you for continuing to share, you cooler, older sisters :)
As far as sources for music go, I’ve always been more of a YouTube Music person. But I will definitely have to check the band out. I’ve never heard of them either.
Maybe of all people you’ve earned the right to be a snob about music.
I don’t use Spotify much. Sometimes when I’ve let your playlists run on unattended and Spotify takes over, I’m sure it’s not my taste they are catering to since I didn’t choose the songs. But the fact I can’t tell where the playlist ends and the algo begins has offered some interesting music I thought you’d chosen.
I could never get into Spotify. In the beginning it didn't even have the bands or songs I liked, so I forsook it and never looked back. I still use iTunes and an iPod to this day. I buy and rip CDs, buy music off Bandcamp, rip live versions of songs off of YouTube... There is such a joy and process in curating my lists and collections.
What I do miss is the radio. Having the right song play at the right time, in perfect tune with your feelings. I have a local radio station that plays the kind of music I like, and I'm always overjoyed when they play something I've discovered all on my own, like Orville Peck or Royel Otis.
I will forever be the list-maker, desperately trying to not miss out on the next song I'll love.
I feel the same exact way as you going into record shops. The elitist snobbery sometimes is incredibly eye roll inducing, but luckily it doesn’t stop me from frequenting and purchasing what they look down on as not legitimate music or whatever. It’s definitely their loss!
Sara, thank you for your posts. For the past few months I’ve been having a lot of feelings around Spotify. I’m hoarding the masters of my songs for my first full length album…still unsure how I want to release them in these times. Your words help. And I too have been listening to The Cleaners From Venus. My current favorites are The Mercury Girl, Gamma Ray Blue, A Personal Issue, and This Rainy Decade. I really love being on the same wavelength as you. Feels kismet. -Nick Storm
Sara, I always appreciate music recommendations from you, and your nostalgic musings. I truly hope that every music fan has that friend growing up who introduces them to really cool music. I was lucky to have a friend like that. And I think I was that friend for some. I also benefited from my older brother working at an indie record store in our hometown lol which absolutely catered to men and was run by men. He unfortunately worked at several more record stores over the years 💀 many, many stories on that subject 😂
I rarely use Spotify. I only use it when someone is sharing music with me. It's definitely a great platform to discover new music.
I often feel like we become time travellers when we listen to music. I hear something from childhood and it automatically brings me back to those days. I'll hear something new and the lyrics will remind me right away of something I've been through.
"I always wanted the bands I loved to be mine and only mine" - I feel you
I know. Very relatable line, right?
Absolutely
You feel like this because loving music is like a relationship. It's so special. <3
This! I had a similar moment just yesterday. A song from way back. I remember everything about those days when my friends and I would listen to it and dance around. It was not the biggest song out there but it was big to us. Only we knew how cool it really was.
Your piece about having established roots is worth its weight in gold. Lean in and relish the familiarity and comfort. I had that until the election and am starting over in Ottawa. It’s one of a handful of things that makes life so sweet.
I love this post, Sara. Thank you for sharing.
I am 25. Most people my age I've known do not know or have interest in music I like (60s, 70s and 80s mainly). An open disdain, actually, for it.
For many years it bothered me, and spurred an intense need to know as much as I could of those decades if nothing more than to remember, since I felt like the only one. Especially since more and more singers have passed.
Nowadays, it doesn't bother me. The other day, I was listening to Rocky Mountain High the song, by John Denver. A comfort song.
A line hit me like never before "and he lost the friend, but kept the memory...now he walks in quiet solitude..."
Your reference to people in and out of your life made me think of this.
I am loving getting older as I care less and less what people think of me or my "weird old tastes" lol. And in that, I am paying more attention to what I love.
Forgive my ramblings. Once again, thank you for sharing. I hope you all are well. ✌️
“Spotify and my ‘new’ listening habits make all that history—and attachment—feel flatter, less memorable.”
I have had similar feelings about Spotify as of late. When I had an iPod and CD’s, I knew every song and artist intimately. Now, even if it’s my own curated playlist, someone will ask me what song or artist I’m playing and it’s difficult for me to recall. It’s like the music exists in an ether, and I’m not sure why. iPods were also digital, but they were deeply curated. In order to have the song, you needed to have already found it organically elsewhere (in a movie, a store, recommended by a friend). You probably searched it, bought it, or downloaded it illegally. It was a process. Nothing like “Add to Playlist” that we have today on Spotify. The song is sort of left to linger about, waiting.
Also thank you for making me listen to Corridor of Dreams today! I came upon the track on Spotify funnily enough a couple years ago and had the same feeling about this song. It’s nostalgic and makes me yearn every time I come upon it again, which I will admit is very few and far between. It’s lost somewhere in the million Spotify playlists I have.
I still use iTunes and an iPod to this day. You describe the process of curating one's music exactly as it is. I cannot ket go of it!
I was listening to songs I listened to years ago a couple weeks ago and all the memories associated with them filled my head. I recently had a new friend give me song recommendations and it was fun to listen to songs I never heard of before. The songs that stood out to me were Watch Your Mouth by The Backseat Lovers, Canary Islands by Goth Babe, affection by Between Friends, Soft Spot by keshi, and Take A Bite by beabadoobee. The lyrics “Slide a drink across the table Watch it fall onto the ground Keep your distance she’s unstable Watch your tone and watch your mouth” from Watch Your Mouth by The Backseat Lovers hits me in my gut every time I hear it. The delivery of the lyrics reminds me of a conversation that the guys at work would have about me. They are always giving each other a hard time when they think one of them is bothering me. Also, it reminds me of how protective they are of me. I was talking to a former coworker at an event and some of the guys didn’t like how she was talking to me and went into protection mode. I was listening to music on YouTube yesterday and an advertisement for Dive In by Finn Askew played. I immediately stopped what I was doing and investigated it.
That's so interesting! This made me think of when I worked at a Best Buy type store after high school. All the sales guys were so nice to me, and protective. I loved it, but then later I realized they were all trying to date me. Which makes me sound like I was hot stuff, except I was kind of a dirtbag and I'd just cut all my hair off and could not have looked more GAY. Weird times!
If you’re cool guys will want to date you short haired dirtbag or not. lol
I could totally picture that happening and yeah that is definitely weird. Sounds like something that would happen to me. Thankfully that is not the case with most of the guys at my work. They more act like my big brothers.
Yes, the fact that Spotify can figure out your music tastes is both great! and scary, all at the same time. On the one hand, you're like "Hey! How'd you know I'd like that?" But also "Omg, what else do you know about me that I may not know myself yet?"
Glad you finally feel rooted. I can only imagine what a toll it must've been touring all over the past few decades, just so us fans can experience live performances. As we patiently wait for if/when there will be appearances again, we are mindful and respect your well-being, so take as long as you need to stay grounded and resurface when it makes sense and worthwhile. Take care. =)
I loved this post. I've been reflecting on the concept of time a lot lately and I think it's great that you are too! As always, thank you for sharing your words and thoughts.
Hey Sara,
Thanks for posting! And for reading!
I liked hearing about how you discover new music. As an autistic person I’ve always found change difficult and used to be very resistant to new artists, now I make an effort to look into artists that other artists I like recommended and I look into songs I like from movie sound tracks and if I like then enough I look into their music.
The only time I actually went looking for music was when I went looking for a queer artist I could relate to (the two of you), all the ones I’d found were gay women (like I thought I was at the time) but were hyper feminine. Nothing wrong with that of course, and I wouldn’t say you or Tegan aren’t feminine, but I found you both easier to relate to because it seemed that, like me, you didn’t seem to like wearing dresses very much.
Since then the only other time I went looking for artists was when I worked out I’m non-binary.
By the way, when I was looking for a gay woman artist, I’d almost given up when I finally found you two. I’d heard a lesbian couple I followed online mention you a couple times as a cultural reference and checked you out. Only to find you were/are exactly what I was looking for. I’m So glad I found you both.
I’ll try to expand my music taste by trying out another band again this week.
Thank you for sharing Sara. I’ll have to check out some of the band’s you recommended. Awesome to hear some of the stuff that you were listening to just before Sid’s arrival.
Phoenix, he/they, 18, Australia
Thanks for sharing. I agree about independent music stores feeling like they're run by men and for men. On the bright side, independent bookstores always make me feel like they're run by women or queer people, for women or queer people. I wonder why that is.
You and Tegan have definitely been those people for me, like the cooler older brother, that allowed me to discover new things, from TAL to the New Pornographers to As She Climbed Across the Table, Kavalier and Clay... some of my favourite discoveries, some of the stuff I still listen to, writers I still read today, came from your sharing of your faves. So thank you for that and thank you for continuing to share, you cooler, older sisters :)
As far as sources for music go, I’ve always been more of a YouTube Music person. But I will definitely have to check the band out. I’ve never heard of them either.
Maybe of all people you’ve earned the right to be a snob about music.
I don’t use Spotify much. Sometimes when I’ve let your playlists run on unattended and Spotify takes over, I’m sure it’s not my taste they are catering to since I didn’t choose the songs. But the fact I can’t tell where the playlist ends and the algo begins has offered some interesting music I thought you’d chosen.
I could never get into Spotify. In the beginning it didn't even have the bands or songs I liked, so I forsook it and never looked back. I still use iTunes and an iPod to this day. I buy and rip CDs, buy music off Bandcamp, rip live versions of songs off of YouTube... There is such a joy and process in curating my lists and collections.
What I do miss is the radio. Having the right song play at the right time, in perfect tune with your feelings. I have a local radio station that plays the kind of music I like, and I'm always overjoyed when they play something I've discovered all on my own, like Orville Peck or Royel Otis.
I will forever be the list-maker, desperately trying to not miss out on the next song I'll love.
I feel the same exact way as you going into record shops. The elitist snobbery sometimes is incredibly eye roll inducing, but luckily it doesn’t stop me from frequenting and purchasing what they look down on as not legitimate music or whatever. It’s definitely their loss!
Sara, thank you for your posts. For the past few months I’ve been having a lot of feelings around Spotify. I’m hoarding the masters of my songs for my first full length album…still unsure how I want to release them in these times. Your words help. And I too have been listening to The Cleaners From Venus. My current favorites are The Mercury Girl, Gamma Ray Blue, A Personal Issue, and This Rainy Decade. I really love being on the same wavelength as you. Feels kismet. -Nick Storm
Sara, I always appreciate music recommendations from you, and your nostalgic musings. I truly hope that every music fan has that friend growing up who introduces them to really cool music. I was lucky to have a friend like that. And I think I was that friend for some. I also benefited from my older brother working at an indie record store in our hometown lol which absolutely catered to men and was run by men. He unfortunately worked at several more record stores over the years 💀 many, many stories on that subject 😂
I rarely use Spotify. I only use it when someone is sharing music with me. It's definitely a great platform to discover new music.
I often feel like we become time travellers when we listen to music. I hear something from childhood and it automatically brings me back to those days. I'll hear something new and the lyrics will remind me right away of something I've been through.