This has been a good year for music lovers of all types and walks of life, and I am definitely a lover of all types of music. One of the questions I put on a questionnaire earlier this year about dealing with mental health during covid-19 quarantine was what type of music or artists have gotten you through this time? I was jazzed to see the responses. I mean, it's not like anyone answered exactly like me and wrote about how Chromatica has energized their quarantine creativity but I know that the interest is there. (as a side bar btw: if you filled out my woman's mental health during covid quarantine questionnaire- thank you so much, seriously it means the world to me. and no I'm not ditching this project. It's for an article I'm writing for another mental health site and I am just still wrapping my head around the concepts. If you are interested in filling out the questionnaire, feel free to email me and I'll send it to you. lindsayreneeloomis@gmail.com)
I want to get back to the Deftones and how the White Pony album was introduced to me. I think it was October of 2001, so right after the 9/11 terror attacks. Us West Michigan school aged kids were just tryna get through life as normal. I feel like kids these days can relate to that. I didn't have a drivers license or car until I was 18 and already graduated so I was at the mercy of others to dive me places. I remember driving from Grand Haven, Michigan to Grand Rapids to attend a haunted attraction. One of those ones were people drive hours from all over to attend and then spend hours once again in line for 10 minutes of scary fun and it's always sooooo worth it. I remember hearing Change (in the house of flies) and the creepyness of the music felt so in vibe with the times of the season and the fear and excitement in the air. I felt like we were on the precipice of war and I was always a moody teenager at war with myself on top of it all. The song stayed with me until I finally purchased the CD around December-ish of 2001 and my life changed forever. It was my first dalliances with any sort of metal. To me it was part of the alternative music scene that seemed so dark and sexy to me. Something I had only experienced thus far with the Smashing Pumpkins.
I just pre-ordered this baby! Can't wait. The Deftone's White Pony album was absolutely essential for my 17 year old self. It was pure magic and hormones and excitement in every song. I have fond memories of staying up all night, thinking about school crushes and what would happen the next day while listening to this CD on a discman while laying in my bed pretending to sleep. This was a habit I started in 8th grade upon getting another CD vital to my being and that's The Foo Fighters The Colour and The Shape. I would lay in bed and think about crushes I had on people and who would have thought that many, many moons later I would walk down the isle to one of these songs! (this song actually!) (PS I played the violin growing up from 4th grade to senior year of high school. I have a thang for strangs) So insane to me that it's now the 20th anniversary of this album. I'm into it. I'm loving the way bands are doing things like putting out re-mixes of albums. Speaking of Smashing Pumpkins...
Can you believe this is happening? (link for bruhhh). I don't know what this will be? A re-boot? A sequel? I don't even understand how or why we are so lucky but I am here for it. Did anyone check out Wyttch? Sort of a Halloween gift from Billy and co. Again, what's not to love? I've had so many people in my past really get down on music makers anytime they come out with anything. Like an-y-thing comes out by someone that they've loved they have something bad to say about it. Like, I don't understand why we attack artists when they don't release something we 100% love or it's not out yet....we have to wait too long....boohoooo. Get over it! Enjoy the art! We need to stop harassing artists online and in person about when they release stuff or cry when it's not ready. I see this a lot in fandoms and it always makes me cringe.
Let's talk about another great album release this year and that's AG6, aka Positions! Let me preface my delight in this album by talking about why I'm so suddenly into pop music again. It's been a while. I've noticed a trend in my life where I am most happy and creative and functional when I'm listening to a lot more upbeat music. Earlier this year during quarantine I realized that I was mostly listening to music made and performed by men for many years now. I started dabbling in newer music made by women and I started off slow with Lana Del Rey. but eventually even her music got too depressing for me. I also fully loved and was entertained by Fiona Apple's latest album and it helped me immensely during quarantine. Enter Chromatica, my first full album by Lady Gaga that I fully embraced which in turn led me to finally give in to the talents of Ariana Grande. Let me tell you something, nothing get's me through a shift of retail work like a day full of AG songs. Her latest album is just as fun, flirty and full of sexual innuendos as her Christmas & Chill album. I'm patiently awaiting the arrival of her latest music video for the song 34+35 which is premiering today at 9am pacific time.
I've found that listening to more music made by women recently has not only made my days a little more upbeat but also helped boost my creativity and my own interest in music making and song writing. What music has gotten you through these tough times? How about your music app? Personally I use Amazon unlimited music and it had fully gotten over the heartbreak that is itunes (RIP). Click this link and get amazon unlimited music 30 days for free on me!
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