Your Soundtrack 2.0
*Article from Lexington Line’s Spring Summer 2021 Issue
Check out the full issue here.
Picture this. It’s almost summer, you’re newly vaccinated, businesses are reopening, and you’re about to embark on your first road trip since the pandemic began. You get in your car to begin the drive and are left sitting in the driveway completely lost while choosing music to listen to.
All the songs in your music library suddenly feel old and trite, and all you really want is a playlist of new music that you enjoy just as much as the old stuff. Here are five different platforms you can utilize to soundtrack the new era.
KEXP Radio
KEXP is a radio station based out of Seattle that hosts up-and-coming artists of all genres for exclusive mini-live sessions. Ten years ago, KEXP hosted artists such as Of Monsters and Men, Macklemore, and Florence and the Machine before they exploded and established themselves—just these three performances together generated almost 100 million views in total. KEXP has continued to put out live sets with its new series “KEXP at Home,” and they are constantly releasing new live sessions recorded in the artist’s own space. Not too sure where to begin? Check out Alt-J’s performance from back in 2012, and don’t forget to look out for the lead guitarist who uses scotch tape in lieu of a guitar pick. Whatever your preference, you can find incredible performances in every genre on KEXP’s YouTube channel. Scroll through, have fun, and don’t be afraid to try something new!
Spotify’s Discover Weekly/Apple Music’s Listen Now
Both Spotify and Apple Music utilize features that take all the music you’ve been listening to recently and compile similar songs into a playlist specifically tailored for you. Apple Music has a constantly rotating selection of new music unique to you on the “Listen Now” page at the bottom of your screen when you open the app. Spotify, on the other hand, utilizes “Discover Weekly,” which is a playlist that gets refreshed every Monday with 30 songs based on what you’ve been listening to most recently.
As a Spotify user, I check my Discover Weekly religiously and have made some amazing finds. In the beginning of this year, I found and fell in love with the song “Best for You” by Blood Cultures. My second most played artist of 2020 was Dayglow, another favorite band of mine that I discovered thanks to the on-point Spotify algorithm. What I like the most about Spotify’s platform is that they don’t just recommend music that has already been recognized; artists have shown up on my Discover Weekly with only a couple hundred followers, and I’ve also seen artists with over a billion listeners. Without the music recommendation algorithm, I would never have found so many artists to cherish.
“Radio” Feature on Streaming Platforms
Similar to the music recommendation algorithms on streaming platforms, you can also generate radios based on your favorite artists, albums, or songs. If you’re falling in love with a new song or artist and want more music like what you’re specifically listening to, streaming platforms allow you to generate a radio station tailored around one specific song or artist. My current radio of choice is “Alabama Shakes Radio,” which can be accessed on Apple Music, Spotify, and Pandora. Although Discover Weekly and Listen Now can give you recommendations based on your listening overall, radio features allow you to get an even more personalized experience by further refining what kind of music you want to hear. Added bonus? When it’s safe to have parties again, the radio feature is perfect if you want to play a certain kind of music but don’t have the time to build a playlist of your own.
Pitchfork’s Best New Music
If you really want to impress your friends and family with your newly refined music taste, keep tabs on the infamous music publication Pitchfork. Pitchfork has been around since the late ‘90s and they are known for their expert opinion on the best new music of our time. Their website is filled with album reviews, music news, and artist features, but I specifically want to highlight their “Best New Music” section. This page changes frequently and lists the Best New Album, Best New Track, and Best New Reissue of the current moment. This feature was launched in 2003 and is an excellent way to refine your music palette without having to do extensive research and listening. Turns out, just by frequently checking Pitchfork’s Best New Music page, you can have a new-and-improved music library in no time.
NPR Tiny Desk
Npr started its series Tiny Desk back in 2008 to focus on both up-and-coming and established artists, hand-picked by the NPR team. This platform is special because you never know what kind of artist is going to be featured. Just a month ago, Tiny Desk highlighted Italian singer Rachele Andrioli who delivered a powerhouse performance incorporating Italian, Lebanese, Indian, and Albanian culture into her music. One week later, it was pop icon Miley Cyrus. In other words, when you open up the Tiny Desk YouTube channel you really never know what you will find. Have fun!