MY FAVORITE THING ABOUT MUSIC
“ITS BEAUTY LIES IN ITS SIMPLICITY”
Over the course of this year, on more than one occasion, I’ve found myself listening to a record I never knew I even had. How can that happen? Easily, evidently. Whether it’s my wife buying records, random online services I’ve subscribed to in the past, or just simply ones I forget about, there are plenty of times I discover something new. Despite my faithful use of Discogs, it’s easy for me to just lose track.
I am in no way complaining about or lamenting this. In fact, quite the contrary - I’m here to celebrate that. Finding something you forgot about, especially unopened, is like a cosmic gift from the universe. Discovering new music is an unparalleled experience that can give rise to goosebumps on your skin and that tingle through your spine. When you hear something new that matches the frequency and vibration of every molecule of your being, you can’t help but be consumed by it.
In America — really the whole “western world” — we’re exceptionally and tragically limited by the commercialization of the music industry. The music we are exposed to has an extraordinarily limited scope. There’s so much more music out there for us to discover, and my primary way of doing that is through YouTube. YouTube has literally become a window into the global world of music for me. Damn near everyday I try to find something new by arbitrarily picking a country or region of the world and letting it take me where it will. At a certain point, I truly do just let the algorithm (the proverbial ghost in the machine) take over.
My journey through all of my records this year has only further affirmed that passion and driven me to seek out new music from all corners of the world, new instruments that I’ve never heard of, or the enchanting sounds these instruments are responsible for. This month alone I’ve discovered the serenity and tranquility of the Chinese guzheng, a 21-26 string plucked zither that’s been around since around 200 BCE. Another day, I found myself listening to Mongolian throat singing, which sounds intriguing and primal. During another evening, I found myself in late 90s Japan listening to the godfather of lo-fi, Nujabes.
Discovering new music is one of the most rewarding and soul-inspiring things one can do in this life. Music transcends us all - it always has and it always will. I encourage everyone out there to step out of their musical comfort zone and listen to what the rest of the world has to offer. You’ll be far more awestruck and impressed than disappointed. I promise you that.
So anyway, here’s October.
“TRACK OR TREAT”
OCTOBER 1 - AFI - ALL HALLOW’S E.P., “THE BOY WHO DESTROYED THE WORLD”
OCTOBER 2 - DANNY ELFMAN - SPIDER-MAN 2 ORIGINAL MOTION PICTURE SCORE, “DOC OCK IS BORN”
OCTOBER 3 - IRON MAIDEN - THE NUMBER OF THE BEAST, “THE NUMBER OF THE BEAST”
OCTOBER 4 - JIMI HENDRIX - LIVE AT THE FILLMORE EAST, “VOODOO CHILD”
OCTOBER 5 - SLY & THE FAMILY STONE - THERE’S A RIOT GOIN’ ON, “LUV N’ HAIGHT”
OCTOBER 6 - TWIN TEMPLE - STRIPPED FROM THE CRYPT, “I AM A WITCH”
OCTOBER 7 - THIN LIZZY - STILL DANGEROUS, “JAILBREAK”
OCTOBER 8 - BOBBY [BORIS] PICKETT - MONSTER MASH, “MONSTER MASH”
OCTOBER 9 - WARREN ZEVON - WEREWOLVES OF LONDON 7”, “WEREWOLVES OF LONDON”
OCTOBER 10 - NO ARTIST - CHILLING, THRILLING SOUNDS OF THE HAUNTED HOUSE, “SHIPWRECK” [NOT ON SPOTIFY]
OCTOBER 11 - THE ELM STREET GROUP - FREDDY’S GREATEST HITS, “DO THE FREDDY” [NOT ON SPOTIFY]
OCTOBER 12 - ZIGGY MARLEY AND THE MELODY MAKERS - POWER TO MOVE YA, “POWER TO MOVE YA”
OCTOBER 13 - UFO - OBSESSION, “HOT N’ READY”
OCTOBER 14 - ORIGINAL CAST - THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW, “SWEET TRANSVESTITE”
OCTOBER 15 - KATE BUSH - HOUNDS OF LOVE, “RUNNING UP THAT HILL”
OCTOBER 16 - IRON BUTTERFLY - IN-A-GADDA-DA-VIDA 7”, “IN-A-GADDA-DA-VIDA”
OCTOBER 17 - HAMMERHEDD - GRAND CURRENTS, “HYPOTHERMIC PEACE”
OCTOBER 18 - BRIDGE CITY SINNERS - HERE’S TO THE DEVIL, “WITCHES’ WRATH”
OCTOBER 19 - DANZIG - SINGS ELVIS, “FEVER”
OCTOBER 20 - THE GODDAMN GALLOWS - ABRACADABRA 7”, “ABRACADABRA” [NOT ON SPOTIFY]
OCTOBER 21 - LED ZEPPELIN - PHYSICAL GRAFFITI, “KASHMIR”
OCTOBER 22 - MIKE OLDFIELD - INCANTATIONS, “GUILTY”
OCTOBER 23 - OZZY OSBOURNE - NO MORE TEARS, “HELLRAISER”
OCTOBER 24 - PINK FLOYD - THE DARK SIDE OF THE MOON, “MONEY”
OCTOBER 25 - REFUSED - THE SHAPE OF PUNK TO COME, “NEW NOISE”
OCTOBER 26 - RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE - EVIL EMPIRE, “BULLS ON PARADE”
OCTOBER 27 - SOFT CELL - TAINTED LOVE 7”, “TAINTED LOVE”
OCTOBER 28 - SATANIC PLANET - SATANIC PLANET, “VETE AL INFIERNO”
OCTOBER 29 - SUPERTRAMP - CRIME OF THE CENTURY, “BLOODY WELL RIGHT”
OCTOBER 30 - GLORIA GAYNOR - I WILL SURVIVE 7”, “I WILL SURVIVE”
OCTOBER 31 - MOLCHAT DOMA - ETAZHI, “SUDNO (BORIS RYZHY) // Судно (Борис Рижий)”
You know the drill by now. I’ll surface again sometime next month with yet another rambling and playlist. As promised, here’s that playlist of savory savvy selects from this months albums. Enjoy blasphemously.
Don’t forget to check out The Hesh Files.
[Wherever you stream your podcasts]
Skål, scalawags.
In Hesh we trust,
S. Jones
