For the last four years, I’ve listened to at least one new album every day. This music discovery bender started in 2020, when pandemic boredom set in and I realized that my grasp on music history was thin. I compiled a list of 350 of the most influential albums of all-time, and then I listened to each and every one of them.
In 2021, I made another list, and got close to that number again. Quad-City Times Reporter Gannon Hanevold In 2022 and 2023, I focused on listening to new records, looking to build width in my music knowledge instead of depth. And this process was even more exciting.
I found new artists, scenes and friendships I never would have found by sticking to my same old songs. But 2024 has been different. It’s been three weeks since I heard something new.
As somebody who has shaped their entire world view, free time and career around discovering new music, I feel like I somehow unlearned how to speak. I’ve bookmarked albums from the last few months that I want to hear, but I haven’t had the energy to actually press play. The list is stacking up, and — Billie Eilish, Rainbow Kitten Surprise, Mach-Hommy, Dehd.
.. — it’s overwhelming.
When I drive, I’m feeling lazier and just click shuffle on my whole streaming library and calling it a day. Even then, it’s a whole lot of skip-skip-skip before settling on a track. I actually counted on my last 15 minute drive: 20 songs skipped, three songs played.
Yikes. I’ve been waiting to write this column, hoping.
