Six years and 10 days ago, I posted the very first Unblinking Ear Podcast. What am I doing to celebrate this momentous occasion? Pretty much nothing but if you want to buy me a cake, I'll probably eat it. Maybe I'll even let you have some too.
I was going to use this space to do a match by match rundown of this past weekend's Wrestlemania but the untimely passing of Jim Hellwig has made me far too sad to do so.
Music is becoming a cheaper and cheaper commodity to the point where it's nearly worthless. Physical copies are slipping into irrelevance and MP3s are easily obtainable for free. It's high time to we make the pendulum to swing in the other direction and force music to be heard as high art rather than disposable fodder.
I'm afraid this edition the podcast is being posted a week later than originally scheduled/planned due to circumstances in my professional life well beyond my control. However, since I'm not attending this SXSW fest (conference? showcase? synergetic business opportunity?) in Austin this week for the umpteenth consecutive year, you get to hear a collection of new music (and reissues) presented in a succinct, non-overwhelming capacity that will not leave you with an STD.
I hope you appreciate that I completed this edition of the podcast last night instead of beginning a binge watch of True Detective (no spoilers, please) or catching up on the new season of Walking Dead (go ahead and spoil). However, it's a good thing Rick and Morty is on hiatus until March, otherwise you'd be S.O.L.
Yes, it's a new Unblinking Ear Podcast, shockingly delivered on its regular schedule, just in time for you to sync up with your Facebook movie or use as a soundtrack to the opening ceremony in Sochi (that is assuming you're comfortable with using the internet there).
Whoa! A new Unblinking Ear Podcast a mere two weeks after the last one? Will this usher in a new era of timeliness and consistency in 2014? Probably not, so enjoy it while you can.
Welcome to 2014! While this edition of the Unblinking Ear Podcast contains no music from the new year (or The New Year), it does feature some of 2013's best. However, it is not a "best of." It's a mix of some late in the year releases, a few things I've been meaning to play and a few things I overlooked but gleaned from the best of lists of others. If you happen to be the OCD-list-making-and-reading type (and if you've read this far I bet you are), you can check out the best of the year broadcast I did on WFMU last week.