interlude: hungry for more?

the many oracles of Run It Back

May 11, 2023

what are interludes? this space will focus less on the music and more on the newsletter at large. i’ll sporadically share these peaks behind the curtain on what makes Run It Back flow. hope you enjoy :)

happy ~~Tuesday~~ Wednesday! i was going through it yesterday feeling overwhelmed, so we’ll have a Wednesday interlude this week 🙏

today’s edition will be focusing on all the different sources i go to for new music. tbh, i wanted one place to house it all when i’m feeling uninspired. i figured why not share it with y’all too 🤠

it can feel overwhelming at times with all the good music out and places to find it. it’s like when friends recommend tv shows lmao

empath_bussy

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my mantra? follow the vibe in the moment. i know i won’t get to everything and i don’t want to lose sight of what’s in front of me

here we go :)

1. radio

here are some of my go-to stations:

KUTX: from right here in Austin (which i spotlighted in Volume 129) plays such a huge variety of music that i’m grateful for every day 🙏
KCSM: a jazz station broadcasted from the College of San Mateo in California
- fun fact: i chose this community college despite living a block away from another just so i could have my mom’s car to drive to and from 🤪. it was a 2002 Honda Accord with manual windows and locks where i needed a cassette tape to AUX cord adapter to play music. simpler times 😌
- anyways, it’s a charming station that brings the hometown flavor and the site looks like it’s from 1998 lmao

Flood FM: i touched on Flood FM in Volume 131 and they deserve another shout here. whenever i’m on my indie / alt / rock tip, this is where i reside. also huge W that there are no commercials 🙏
local online radio like Lower Grand Radio. i’m biased towards stations from back in The Bay (such as Lower Grand) because it’s a great way to stay connected. here are some more from The Bay
also a ton of national NPR stations (like KEXP) are great

2. media

documentaries
movie soundtracks (which i’ve gone on and on about how they can bring us back to the feeling we had when watching the movie which is a beautiful thing)
tv soundtracks
podcasts + interviews

specific shoutout to HBO for always having fire soundtracks to their shows. we’re rewatching Barry in preparation for season 4 and i’m surprised with myself with how many songs made it to Run It Back lmao

Scott Vener is one of the standouts, having been the music supervisor for HBO shows like How To Make It In America and Entourage. he now cohosts the OTHERtone podcast with Pharrell and Fam-Lay:

3. being present: taking in surroundings and listening

whenever i’m out, i try and take a beat to take in where i’m at and listen. i far too often get caught up in the #hustle mentality to get whatever i’m doing done as fast as i can

i love when places like these share their vibes en masse (i touch on this in Volume 135 as well)

*live look at me in a natural wine shop soaking in the vibes*

examples of places i’ve found great songs:

restaurants
gym: i love going to my divey ass barbell gym where they’ll play hella loud EDM (not preferred) all the way to Lil Yachty’s discography (preferred)
barbershop: my barber only plays 70s soul / r&b and i’m grateful every day he shared his Apple Music playlist with me
shops

4. being curious

my curiosity has led me down so many different rabbit holes:

top level exploration into an artist: i’m never too proud to start with the top songs on Spotify, can’t listen to an entire discography in one sitting!
random YouTube recs
- compilations like this Japanese jazz at night mix
- in-studio concerts / recordings like COLORS, Tiny Desk Concert, Live on KEXP, and ARTE Concert:

random concerts: following different venues and just going on a whim
venues with live albums: the legendary Electric Lady Studios puts out live recorded albums in their space along with releasing their own records. the Faye Webster edition is one of my all-time fav projects ever
Radiooooo: an online musical time machine. it’s beautiful. i can dive deep into 70s psych rock from the Philippines or 90s Colombian alternative at any time

there’s countless others and too many to name… just know that there are options where you least expect it

5. vibe curators

this goes out to all the vibe curators out there: 👏 you 👏 are 👏 valid 👏:

playlist pushers: you know those ones on IG like @thisjointiswavy or other like Derrick Gee, they’re a great entry to shuffle into
DJ mixes / compilations: Peggy Gou, Channel Tres, and Vegyn are some of my favorite artists / DJs that i’ll always check out. My Analog Journal is great as well:

blogs and newsletters: No Bells and
White Crate
specifically
skate vids
bball vids: mostly Dunk Comp :)

6. and most importantly… friends and family!

a tried and true Run It Back mantra: connecting with people (especially loved ones) over music is my love language. it’s been a blessing that my dad has shared his taste with me over the years

i always always always love hearing what people have been listening to lately. my partner Veronica and i have a Spotify playlist where we’ll share what we’re both listening to at a given time. it’s honestly my draft playlist for Run It Back lmao. it’s passive friend homework that i’ll gladly participate in

that was a lot 🤪. it’s beautiful to see it all in one place. if you have anything to add please let me know in the comments!

hope y’all enjoyed this special peak behind the curtain ❤️‍🔥

- claudio / claud / @offballscreen