With just ten weeks to go until my formal thesis draft is due for review  I was reflecting on what music has accompanied my recent studies. Each week I listen to so much music with the result that across the period of my Honours i could have listen to more than twenty thousand tracks.

It’s been a mix, sometimes a playlist that comes up on Spotify because I can’t be bothered thinking about what I want to listen too. Maybe it’s listening to The Sound, an Auckland based radio station that streams, listening to the audio of a Pay TV station or a focus on an artist. 

Generally it’s been low key smooth music. Generally it’s stress less music.

I’ve been listening to Tori Amos’s Gold Dust quite a lot. It’s a remix of some of her earlier material. When it was released I thought it was OK and that it was a bit of a rehash however on reflection I can see how it repositions some of her classics and lesser known songs with an orchestral feel. The highlight of the album for me is Girl Disappearing.

When it comes to soft rock it’s hard for me to go past The Shins. James Mercer’s voice is amazing. A great band that we made the great decision to go and see a few years ago notwithstanding it clashed with The Showdown (Adelaide Crows v Port Adelaide). It was an amazing concert with Mercer’s voice just as good live as it is in the studio. Shins highlights include New Slang,  Australia and Kissing the Lipless.

I have also started to listen to Lady Antebellum. An American country band. They have had some success in Australia with Need You Now, I Run to You but aren’t main stream. It’s always nice to find something new to listen to amongst the traditional staples.

Of course there is Springsteen. The decision to download a number of his concerts has enabled me to relive the concert experience. Born to Run my very favourite album of all time live and a number of versions of Rosalita. While on favourite said there is always room for The Beatles.

I know there is a debate about Music streaming services and how little the artist gets paid but as I survey the songs on some of the playlists that Spotify provides they include artists that I would never listen too otherwise and as result provides some money albeit a small amount to people who would otherwise have not got anything from me. So I’m not completely convinced by the argument against streaming. Even if I was, my local CD store has an ever decreasing range suggesting that the dam wall is broken and that streaming is going to be the future. And for all the criticism of it it is better than pirating the music as at least artists get some return. 

So it’s back to the headphones and more writing.