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My thoughts today are about the return to "normalcy". I am happy to have received both doses of the vaccine and I hope more people will reach that stage. I got to see live in-person, inside music for the first time on Sunday, but to me this is not yet a return to an old normal and to be honest, in some ways, that old normal is not coming back - which is okay - I look forward some new normal but I don't think we are there yet either. This current normal is something that I will have to adapt to I guess. For me, going out to see live music (usually in a smaller venue) was often a spontaneous thing, and I usually went out alone and then always met up with friends. The current normal seems to demand more planning and in some cases buying "pods" of four seats. For some, this works really well... for me, again, it will be an adjustment.
I also have a form a social anxiety which is kicked into high gear what with being away from going out for over a year, the new rules etc. This is something I will have to overcome in order for me to exist in this new normal.
I was not someone who often went to large gathering type events, so changes there will not affect me.
My night out Sunday went well - not much advance planning - I think several people were feeling our way around new expectations which helped with my anxiety. I felt more prone to stay rooted in one spot than I used to....
I always need to acknowledge that some people are not yet ready to go out like I did and some are way ahead of me on that. My general feeling is that the only people who are 100% certain of anything these days are the people who are clearly wrong. The rest of us are trying to do right, feeling our way through, and hoping for grace.
And just like that it is time to wrap up this week's Featured Friday Playlist. As always, we save some cool music to finish off the week (songs 28-32):
28. "Time Crystals" by Coyote Man
First up, we have a recent single from this Chicago-based progressive instrumental band. Cool stuff.
29. "Noah Mount" by Ben Conley
Next up, we have a bluesy new single from this L.A. based artist. This is my first exposure to his music, and I like it.
30. "Nosebleed" by ZOLA
Next, we have the first single following a year-long hiatus from San Francisco-based singer-songwriter ZOLA whose indie-pop music often combines French and English lyrics. A great sound on this track.
31. "HEADLIGHTS" by Sleep Nation
Keeping stateside for one more track, we have the new single from this alternative rock band from right here in Nashville. The powerhouse bluesy song's story is a modernized version of Wayne Cochran's 1961 song "Last Kiss" which was covered in more recent times by Pearl Jam.
32. "U Can't Hide" by RUMBLE (feat. Blackout Ja)
And we close things out today and for this week's playlist with our second time featuring the Chinese Man Records artists RUMBLE - who also closed out a playlist last November. Here they are joined by reggae dancehall legend Blackout Ja.
Featured Friday Playlist
