Spotify
I’m pretty excited to be able to use Spotify. Nat would say this is an understatement. I haven’t stopped talking about Spotify since I signed up last Saturday. More importantly, I haven’t stopped interacting with music since then either.
Today, Nat said, “Hey, there’s a new Death Cab album?”
“Oh, yeah. I’ve been meaning to check that out,” I replied.
“Hey, so go check it out!”
Boom. Instant. Playing in the family room. Streaming from my phone to a wireless speaker set-up.
I was showing Spotify to my dad on Sunday and he was impressed. “Look up Elmore James!” Not only did Dust My Broom, a CD collection my dad and I claim as a favorite, it had at least 50 more albums featuring Elmore James, people doing Elmore James, compliation featuring Elmore James and other slide guitar players I didn’t know, etc.. My dad and I consider ourselves pretty intense blues fans, but even we don’t have 50 compilations including Elmore James.
This is indeed what Chris Anderson is describing in The Long Tail, how digital possiblities make shelf-life zero, so niches can go deeper into their specialities.
I feel a rekindled excitement about engaging with music again, like when I was 13 and discovered my dad’s vinyl collection hidden in a cabinet. The difference is this cabinet is endless. Plus, I’m virtually encouraged to try everything without fear, without guilt, with pride! I’m sharing songs with my friend Alan (who sent me Counting Crow’s “Einstein on the Beach,” a song I haven’t heard since high school!) Jake is sending me cover song requests which I can listen to instantly. I’m starting to read up on music blogs like ConsequenceofSound to find new acts to try.
This is just the coolest thing that’s ever happened to music since the birth of the electric guitar.
