I’m Done With New Music

I’ve decided to stop chasing new music. I’m old. I can’t keep up with all the new music available. Even my oldest daughter has given up. She remembers (barely) living in a time before streaming music. We were dependent on the radio to expose us to new music from new musical artists. Okay, maybe the local record store might have been playing something new and interesting, but you’d have to talk to the dude behind the counter with the long, greasy hair pulled into a ponytail to find out what it is, and nobody wanted to do that.

My search for new music goes back to the early days of FM radio playing rock music. In Chicago, we were blessed to have an evening progressive rock radio show (although every kind of music was played) called Triad. I would sit next to the console stereo in the living room to listen while my mother frowned. I quickly purchased a receiver and speakers for my private listening studio (my bedroom). Click this link for some Triad history. I saved some of their Triad magazines, but I seem to recall recycling them at some point in my past. My loss.

It was Triad’s loss when WXRT burst onto the Chicago radio scene playing progressive rock, folk, blues, jazz, and even classical. WXRT killed Triad, and over the decades have become a very good corporate radio station, albeit with a narrower playlist these days. They do try to play new music, especially Chicago-based artists, but there’s just no way they can play all the new music around these days and still keep a listening base.

Don’t have access to a recording studio? No worries. Record your new music on your phone in your basement or spare room. Fun fact: Boston’s killer debut album was recorded in a basement, but one that had a makeshift studio. There’s just so much new music now that I am officially giving up trying to follow new artists. For example, take a look at the 2024 Lollapalooza line-up.

I’m familiar with all of 3 of the headliners on the left, and I have seen, heard, or heard of only 12 of the supporting acts on the right. I think I might like more, but where do I even start?

So, I have made an executive decision to just focus my attention on summer music that has appealed to me in the past and still holds my interest today. A good example is tonight when Modest Mouse opens for the Pixies at Northerly Island in Chicago. My plan was to sit on 12th Street Beach on Lake Michigan right outside the outdoor concert venue and listen to the show. But I’ve already seen Modest Mouse give what I would describe as a terrible concert performance, and I don’t like many songs by the Pixies beyond this one that I love. Scratch that concert. I’ll go to the beach another time.

I plan to open up my summer concert experience Friday night when I have a tough choice.

• Goo Goo Dolls for $20 about an hour’s drive away.
• Jim Peterik and the Ides of March for $10 about a half hour drive away playing songs from Peterik’s time with the Ides and Survivor as well as hit songs Peterik co-wrote for 38 Special, Cheap Trick, and other rock acts.
• Three Dog Night (with only one Dog remaining) for FREE (if I sit across the river from the concert venue) about a 20 minute drive away. There is no chance I will pay $37 for a ticket to see One Dog Night.

I plan to also listen to the Rolling Stones outside of Soldier Field when they play Chicago later this month. I don’t need to see them. I saw them about 20 years ago when they were old. Seeing them now 20 years later will only remind me of my own mortality and theirs. Except for Keith Richards who may be immortal. Long live Keef.

Other shows I have my eye on include:

• Jeff Lynne’s ELO or a choice between a couple ELO cover bands that both sound excellent.
• 10CC with only Graham Gouldman remaining of the original 4 members. Should it be 2.5CC?
• The wonderful Poi Dog Pondering from my kayak in the river next to the concert venue.

I feel much better now after writing about my decision. I will not seek out new music but allow it to flow organically to me just as the river will flow downstream as I listen to old favorite Poi Dog Pondering songs.