Today’s rotation is a weird mix..in the best way. A jazz-tinged boom-bap track from Staten Island, a brand-new indie ballad out of Melbourne and a forgotten Neil Young slow burn that still hits. I hope you find something you like 🙂
The playlist is coming on Friday, I have not forgotten! For the songs that are not on streaming I will be creating a YouTube playlist. I’ll be updating each of them after I send each newsletter!
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One to Grow On - The UMC’s
Released in 1991, this track floats with positivity, groove, and clever lyricism, proving that not all ‘90s rap was about grit and grind.
The UMC’s comprised of Haas G and Kool Kim, came out of Staten Island during hip-hop’s golden age, but they weren’t trying to be “hard”. The track rides a jazz-influenced sample from Bill Cosby’s “Ursalena” and delivers bars that feel like a pep talk.
It’s lighthearted, their flow is sharp, and the beat has this rhythmic bounce to it produced by Haas G himself.
In a time when rap was starting to split into harder and more aggressive lanes, The UMC’s offered something warmer and weirder. Think: early De La Soul energy meets meets Fresh Prince of Bel Air swag.
The track hit No. 2 on the Billboard Hot Rap Singles chart, and while The UMC’s didn’t stick around long as a group, this one has stood the test of time. The duo only released two projects but ultimately couldn’t compete with the gangster rap heavy hitters of the time like Tupac or Biggie Smalls.
People Settle Down - Way Dynamic
I really love modern songs that feel like they come from different time periods. People Settle Down, the latest from Melbourne’s Way Dynamic (aka Dylan Young), does exactly that. It’s soft-spoken mixed with groovy licks and quietly profound.
This one arrives ahead of Massive Shoe, Dylan’s upcoming full-length, and it sets the tone beautifully. With sun drenched chords, subtle harmonies, and lyrics that feel more like a conversation than a performance, the track explores the desire for stability and connection.
It’s a song that will put a little wiggle in your body. It’s got this quirky feel good tone to it. I love how dialed in the instrumentation feels on this record. It almost makes you feel like you are in the room with Dylan as he’s recording.
Way Dynamic has always lived in that in-between space somewhere between baroque pop and bedroom indie. This track shows just how good Dylan is at capturing a feeling. This song will sit with you in a quiet, groovy and meaningful way.
Midnight on the Bay - The Stills-Young Band
Written and sung by Neil Young during his post-CSNY (Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young) reunion stretch with Stephen Stills, Midnight on the Bay is all about atmosphere: breezy organ lines, softly fingerpicked guitar, and that unmistakable harmonica. It plays like a love letter to solitude drifting along the shoreline of memory, maybe loss, maybe peace.
“I’m still thinkin’ about you, little darlin’,
and I wonder if you’re thinkin’ about me...”
It’s not flashy, and it didn’t chart high. That’s probably part of the reason I never heard this record before, but that’s exactly what makes it such a beautiful crate find. I didn’t even know the two of them broke off and made an album together, which was a pleasant surprise. You probably won’t hear it on the radio, but you should hear it here. Especially if you love classic rock.
Quote of the Day
Great art is timeless, and yet it's a true expression of who the artist is in that moment
Video of the Day
There’s something I find endlessly inspiring about watching musicians in the studio..especially footage from an era before I was even alive. These rare moments are time capsules, capturing the raw energy of creativity as it unfolded in real time.
Back before the digital age, recording music was an entirely different experience. Artists didn’t have the luxury of unlimited takes or software to piece together a perfect performance. Every session counted. In one part of this video, the playback cuts out and you can see the frustration, because they knew they’d just lost the moment. And that’s what made it so special: the magic had to happen in real time.
Music back then wasn’t about perfection. It was about capturing something real. The tape hiss, the missed notes and the spontaneous magic gave the recordings life. Those imperfections weren’t flaws; they were fingerprints of music being capturing from the universe.
Photo of the Day
Sorry for the poor image quality..this was the best version I could find. There’s something magnetic about this photo. Guns N’ Roses backstage, pre-legend status and dripping in swagger. Just a band on the brink of immortality, caught in a rare moment of calm. The image was shot in 1986 just months before their worldwide classic album, Appetite for Destruction. You can feel the grunge of the room with the sticky floors, the cigarette smoke and the Sharpie-tagged walls.
Photo by Marc Canter
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