Good morning.
It’s been a few weeks since you last heard from me.
January has been a busy month. I spent two weeks back in New York City after spending two weeks on Long Island and am now finally back home in Austin. We’ve come to the realization that we’re going to have to actually start planning our wedding. Wish us luck.
It was good to be back in New York. We ate out a lot (maybe too much and with mixed results that maybe I’ll write about sometime), saw friends, went into the office, and visited some museums. We tried to parse whether or not we missed living in New York or missed having a life of our own in the city we live in. We ended up leaning toward the latter. It takes time to build a life in a place. We’ve barely started.
I was afraid to go back into the office after being away for a long time. I watched a lot of Mad Men to pump me up. (I’m gonna explain why Season 7 is a masterpiece some day.) But I was glad I did. Even with the continued…um…uncertainty going on, I liked being in an office again and feeling the energy of being around coworkers. I liked getting dinner and lunch with people I love working with and the chance to go to a coworker's apartment to meet her baby. In the end, though, I realized I value the flexibility I’ve been granted as a full-time employee. I’ve worked hard at a lot of different jobs to get to this point. And I still work very hard—just not in an office.
Mostly though during my time in the northeast, I thought about getting older and the places I’ve inhabited in my life and how they exist without you. I’ve thought about this specifically tied to a place called Crane Neck Beach on Long Island. Crane Neck is a “private” beach my friends and I used to frequent. My friend’s family had a pass to park at the beach. We used to camp there overnight as teenagers. As adults we’d boat or ride bikes there or drive our cars. It’s one of my favorite places on the planet. My friend and his family moved away from Long Island and I know one day my family and I will no longer be on Long Island. But Crane Neck Beach will still be there just as it was before us. I stepped on its stones and swam in its waters for one part of history. And that feels real and important to me. Some days, I can almost hold that in my hand if I concentrate hard enough. Maybe it will be a treasure for another young person on their way to getting older as they learn how to appreciate life and search for the things that truly last.
I saw New York this way when I was there. It’s possible I could end up living back in New York again for one reason or another. Who knows? Either way, New York and its many neighborhoods have always been there for so many years and have meant many things to so many people. I recently finished reading a new biography of Lou Reed. The book is fine but what caught my eye was one image in the photo section. It’s a picture of the Velvet Underground and some friends in 1965. Lou Reed stands in the center without a shirt on with his face painted holding a guitar. John Cale is standing near him. They are in some prewar apartment somewhere. My eye fixated on the molding on the walls. I’d been in that apartment. That apartment still exists. Lou Reed is some 23 year old kid somewhere out in Ridgewood or in Harlem or Prospect Lefferts Gardens. It never ends. But I was there for part of it. I think that’s something I can take with me. That’ll last.
Here’s some music I listened to in January. Maybe you’ll enjoy it.
“Sunday Morning” by the Velvet Underground
As I said, I recently finished a new Lou Reed biography and have been listening to a lot of his music for the first time in years. Around the holidays, I was clearing out old high school papers and writing of mine—stuff I clearly wrote after first listening to Lou Reed when I was about 15. It was funny to see my younger self putting on the voice or persona of some street cool junkie just based on what I heard in the music. I wonder what my teachers thought? It’s been so long since I listened to “Sunday Morning” that I’ve actually been able to hear it in a way that is close to the first time. And now this song to me sounds like getting older. The simplicity of the lyrics, and their subsequent power, are stunning. Read them again: “It’s just a restless feeling by my side” “It’s just the wasted years so close behind” “I’ve got a feeling I don’t want to know” “It’s all the streets you crossed not so long ago.” That last one particularly has almost brought me to tears recently. How many streets have we crossed not so long ago?
“Northeast Texas Woman” by Jerry Jeff Walker
“Kisses sweeter than cactus” is one of the best lines (new or old) I’ve heard in a long time. If one could only move through life with the feeling of comfort that this song achieves, seemingly, with ease. In 2024, I want to live the way this song sounds.
“Come and Get Your Love” by Redbone
My fiance and I started watching Reservation Dogs at the end of the year and became entranced by the show’s singular pace and rhythm. We try our best to imitate Paulina Alexis’s inimitable Willie Jack—one of the better character creations of the last several years. This song features at the end of one of the episodes. Never a bad time to listen to this one.
“Islands in the Stream” by Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers
Obviously an iconic song. Heard this one in a restaurant called Gertie in Williamsburg on New Year’s Day at about 3:00 PM in the afternoon. It gave me a feeling of hope. When those feelings spring upon me, I don’t take them lightly.
“Let My Love Open the Door” by Pete Townshend
No other reason for this one being on the playlist other than it seemed to fit in with a run of slick pop from the 1970s and 1980s. Another track that you’ll never turn your nose up at when you hear it somewhere.
“In the New Year” by The Walkmen
During my twenties, The Walkmen were maybe my favorite band. It’s strange to say that but as I reflect back, I spent a lot of time listening to their music, thinking about their music, and writing about their music. Whether it truly deserved all that time is another question. What I do know is that You & Me remains their best album and this song still has an undeniable power. This song places me directly at age 22 with the city of New York spreading out before me and constantly opening itself up. Every day, there seemed to be an answer to find or a truth to learn. I try not to forget that feeling while also knowing life doesn’t operate at that frequency forever. In 2008, I saw the Walkmen play at the Bowery Ballroom right when You & Me came out. I’d memorized the album already thanks to an illegal download. I still think it is one of the best concert experiences I’ve ever had: excitement over an album matched up perfectly with a band at the peak of their powers.
“When You Find Out” by The Nerves
The Nerves. A band I don’t know anything about. I heard this one on a power pop compilation I read about. A testament to the power of the sound The Beatles unlocked and mastered back in 1964-1965.
“Big Me” by Foo Fighters
Is there another figure in music, movies, or TV that is comparable to Dave Grohl? Somehow he’s carved out a singular place in pop culture. To me, he’s mainly been wallpaper. But for some reason I heard this song a few times out in the wild over the last month and it is undeniable.
“Lonely Boy” by Andrew Gold
I also heard this one on a power pop compilation. This is not a “good” song by any means. But those that know me very well, know this is the kind of production I appreciate and have infinite patience for. I guess you could call it seventies as fuck.
“I Ain’t Searchin” by The American Dream
Another one from said power pop compilation. A hypnotic rhythm, great-sounding guitars, and, from what I can tell, great drumming.
“Close to Me” by The Cure
One cold night during our stay in New York, my fiance and I and one of our friends were looking for a bar to go to after dinner. Our first and second choices were packed. Our third and fourth choices were a bit far to walk in the cold. We stepped into some bar called 2A. (I’ll let you figure out the name.) It was just crowded enough and we found a nice corner booth to sit in. This song came on and it sounded fantastic.
“Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes)” by Edison Lighthouse
What else is there to say about Edison Lighthouse that hasn’t already been said? Their legacy towers over the music of the 20th century and this song is perhaps their best and most well-known. In all seriousness, if you don’t like this song I’ll come over with the defibs and help you jump start your ticker.
“Occapella” by Ringo Starr
From Ringo’s Goodnight Vienna (1974) album (a fun romp if you’re in the mood), this is actually an Allan Touissant classic. You might prefer than Van Dyke Parks version from Discover America, but I heard this one at Central Market here in Austin and I like Ringo better than Van Dyke—better sense of humor and definitely a better cook.
“Jawani Jane Man” by Sunil Ganguly
I ate Sunday brunch at a trendy Indian restaurant in Brooklyn. Let’s just call it Masalawala & Sons. The brunch was fine—as brunch inevitably is. (Had dinner there last year and it was great.) But during the meal I heard this song and couldn’t believe my ears. This song fucking rules. One of the best pieces of music I’ve heard in a long time. Trust me.
“Blood Milk Moon” by Hermanos Gutierrez
The only way to follow up something like “Jawani Jane Man” is with an instrumental. This track by Hermanos Gutierrez does the trick in my humble opinion. I don’t know where I found this one. Maybe on one of Matthew Schnipper’s great playlists.
“Take out Some Insurance” by Jimmy Reed
This song scores one of my favorite scenes in any movie. There is a part in Diner (1982) when Mickey Rourke’s character, Boogie, is driving along a country road outside Baltimore with Kevin Bacon’s character, Fenwick, in the morning after a long night. They see a woman riding a horse in a field. Boogie tries to hit on her. The scene then unfolds as follows:
Boogie: What’s your name?
Woman: Jane Chisholm, as in the Chisholm Trail
(The woman rides off on her horse.)
Boogie: (Muttering to Fenwick) What fucking Chisholm Trail?
Fenwick: You ever get the feeling there’s something going on we don’t know about?
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve thought about that scene and especially about what Fenwick says. There’s always something going on that you don’t know about. That’s pretty much been the story of my life.
Anyway, “Take out Some Insurance” is a great track by Jimmy Reed who, I am told, is known mainly for the hypnotic nature of his compositions. I’m pretty sure you could drive for several hours on non-interstate roads listening to this song on repeat and not get bored. Google has a feature on its Map that could help you do that if you were interested.
“You Are Not Needed Now” by Townes Van Zandt
A dirty little secret about me is that I don’t really know that much about Townes Van Zandt. Surprising right? I’m a sad bastard, so you’d expect I’d know a ton about Townes Van Zandt. This is a beautiful song and it sounds absolutely terrific. I put this on a playlist a couple years ago that I made for a rainy Memorial Day weekend. A friend of mine loved it. When I had dinner at his apartment in Harlem he was playing it and I had to Shazam this song.
“The Ballad of Danny Bailey (1904-1934)” by Elton John
I can feel myself wanting to listen to all of Elton John’s albums again. Some of the album cuts from Goodbye Yellow Brick Road are so good. Like this one. This one was never gonna compete with the title track or “Benny and the Jets” but good lord Elton and Bernie were just in a zone there for five years or so. I’ll never understand how that really works.
“The Price Is Right” by Cindy
I have no idea who Cindy is. I listened to this one on a recent Matthew Schnipper playlist and felt very moved. I also liked the little thumbnail of the album cover.
“Handhold” by Car, the garden
During my trip to New York I had a reservation at a Korean restaurant called Atoboy. I made a lot of hasty reservations before I went to New York. That’s the game now. You have to have something. As the reservation came closer, I got cold feet after reading some Reddit reviews. So I scrapped it. Instead my fiance, her sister, and I went to a Koreatown standby called New Wonjo. Line was out the door, just like it was a decade ago. Glad I had a reservation. The food was fine but the energy and vibe was exactly what you want at a Korean BBQ restaurant on a winter Friday night in Manhattan. I heard this song while we were eating and was so glad my Shazam could pick it up.
“Head Over Heels/Broken” by Tears for Fears
In the group chat I have with my childhood friends, we’ll sometimes send voice memos where we sing a snippet of a song that’s stuck in our heads. One of my friends did that for this song. We don’t thank Tears for Fears enough for what they’ve done for us.
“But Not Kiss” by Faye Webster
Sometimes I peruse the new releases carousel on Spotify looking for album covers that look cool. What a modern life I lead! I saw this one and took a listen. Worth a listen of your own if you ask me.
“Out In The Open” by Gemma
My time in New York happened to coincide with a show that my friend’s band, Gemma, was playing at a place called Bar Freda in Ridgewood. First of all, Bar Freda is a great place. I recommend going there some time. Just a nice ol’ regular bar. Second of all, Gemma sounded great and they played this song from their last album. I really love this song.
“Baat Ban Jate - From ‘Qurbani’” by Biddu
I’m guessing this instrumental is from a movie. I heard this one during my brunch at Masalawala & Sons. It immediately struck me. A perfect instrumental to wrap up a playlist.