Category: Blog

Music for Inspiration – 2021

In the midst of COVID, I started leaning on music to find inspiration, release, escape and enjoyment. My focus leaned towards albums. I am fascinated by the storytelling component of a full album. I’ve focused on exploring mostly LPs (Long play records – usually 8 songs or more) with some EPs (extended play records – usually 4-6 songs). Some come as recommendations, some are stuck in my head when I wake up, and other times I explore an artist I’ve recently discovered or haven’t listed to in a number of years.

This is year 2 of exploring albums and different artists. 2020 full list is available here. See this post for my top 10 albums of 2020. New albums released in 2021 are noted.

  • Saturday, Jan 2: Madvillain, Madlib, MF DOOM – Madvillainy
  • Sunday, Jan 3: SAULT – Untitled (Rise)
  • Monday, Jan 4: FKJ – French Kiwi Juice
  • Tuesday, Jan 5: BERWYN – DEMOTAPE/VEGA
  • Wednesday, Jan 6: Amber Mark – 3:33am
  • Thursday, Jan 7: Nbdy – Admissions
  • Friday, Jan 8: SAMA’ – SAMA’ – BBC RADIO 1 ESSENTIAL MIX – 2019.07.06 (set)
  • Monday, Jan 11: Sublime – Sublime
  • Tuesday, Jan 12: Jim Bryson, The Weakerthans – The Falcon Lake Incident
  • Wednesday, Jan 13: Michael Franks – The Art of Tea
  • Thursday, Jan 14: Isaac Hayes – Hot Buttered Soul
  • Friday, Jan 15: Dolly Parton – Coat of Many Colors
  • Tuesday, Jan 19: Brian McKnight – Anytime
  • Wednesday, Jan 20: Cristoph – On the Inside
  • Thursday, Jan 21: Gogol Bordello – Gypsy Punks: Underdog World Strikes
  • Friday, Jan 22: 112 – Part III
  • Monday, Jan 25: Kelsey Lu – Blood
  • Tuesday, Jan 26: Dwson – Impulsiv
  • Wednesday, Jan 27: Yves Tumor – Heaven To A Tortured Mind
  • Thursday, Jan 28: Maxwell – Now
  • Friday, Jan 29: Jack Johnson – In Between Dreams
  • Monday, Feb 1: Weezer – OK Human [2021]
  • Tuesday, Feb 2: Santino Le Saint – Rage of Angels
  • Wednesday, Feb 3: Madlib – Sounds Ancestors [2021]
  • Thursday, Feb 4: Flume – Flume: Deluxe Edition
  • Friday, Feb 5: Moon Boots – First Landing
  • Monday, Feb 8: SG Lewis – Dawn
  • Tuesday, Feb 9: Foo Fighters – Medicine at Midnight [2021]
  • Wednesday, Feb 10: islandman – Kaybola (Deluxe Vesion)
  • Thursday, Feb 11: Against All Logic – 2017-2019
  • Friday, Feb. 12: Bonobo – Late Night Tales: Bonobo
  • Tuesday, Feb 16: Black Coffee – Subconsciously [2021]
  • Wednesday, Feb 17: Tank – Savage
  • Thursday, Feb 18: Sam Shure – Laconia
  • Friday, Feb 19: Keith Jarrett – Budapest Concert (Live)
  • Monday, Feb 22: Bob Moses – Desire
  • Tuesday, Feb 23: U-Roy – Dread in A Babylon
  • Wednesday, Feb 24: Arlo Parks – Collapsed in Sunbeams
  • Thursday, Feb 25: Bicep – Isles [2021]
  • Friday, Feb. 26: Hoody – Alpine Grooves, Vol 7 (Kristallhutte)
  • Monday, March 1: Idris Elba – Murdah Loves John
  • Tuesday, March 2: Phoebe Bridger – Punisher
  • Wednesday, March 3: Meg Myers – Sorry
  • Thursday, March 4: Crossfade – Crossfade
  • Friday, March 5: Bunny Wailer – Blackheart Man
  • Monday, March 8: Kings of Leon – When you see yourself [2021]
  • Tuesday, March 9: U2 – The Joshua Tree
  • Wednesday, March 10: Gregoire Maret, Roman Collins, Bill Frisell – Americana

Mission Beach and Northern San Diego, California, USA

Visited Fall, 2020
Favorite spots
Hike, watch the sunset or go paragliding at Torrey Pines State Reserve
Smoothies at NoW Cafe
Coffee at Better Buzz and Bird Rock Coffee Roasters
Pints at the Belching Beaver North Park Tasting Room, I recommend the Belching Beaver Viva La Beaver- Mexican Chocolate Milk Stout

Play the Role

If you want to be loved,
Darling, just play the role.

Remember, I decide your value.
You are only here for how I need you, nothing else.
Your comfort… not my concern, I’m sure you’ll figure it out.

How naïve are you?
Oh perfect… you don’t listen to your boundaries.
Use and abuse?
Of course you won’t pushback.

You keep telling me you want to be loved,
But then you push back and tell me I’m doing it wrong.
Don’t you get how this works.
You don’t get a say in how you want to be loved.
Your pleasure isn’t my concerned.

Now you want to hold power and be in control.
I’ll make you pay.
I’ll use those feelings, that care, compassion, and empathy to destroy you.

Did you forget?
My feelings are your responsibility.
Your job is to take care of me first.
How dare you push back and think yourself worth is even close to mine

How dare you make me uncomfortable.

You do not get to be the comfortable one.
Show me how much you actually love me.
How dare you enjoy anything that diminishes me.
You will be punished if this makes me look bad.

How dare you enjoy something at my expense.
How dare you challenge me. You are not equal.
Take it, take all the abuse, more, you deserve it.

I’m so sorry.
You should have just listened.
You don’t know better.
You’ll do better next time.

If you want to be loved,
Darling, just play the role.

My Top 10 Albums of 2020

In no particular order. These are the albums that helped keep me going this year.

  1. The Gaslamp Killer – Heart Math
  2. Chromeo – Quarantine Casanovas
  3. Moses Sumney – Græ
  4. The Weeknd – After Hours
  5. Jordan Rakei – Origin (Deluxe Edition)
  6. Franky Wah – The Revival, Vol. 1
  7. DVBBS – Nothing to see here
  8. Major Lazer, Diplo – Music is the Weapon
  9. Sufjan Stevens – The Ascension
  10. SAINT JHN – While the World was Burning