albums i listened to all the way through

posted this week and every week (15)

May 18, 2025

Uh, hello out there?

Somehow, this note I wrote about zines and Generative AI garnered over 4k likes and now there are more of you on the other side of this email blast than I presently know what to do with. Does that make me sound ungrateful? I hope not. I am—well, trying to follow Josh Datko’s advice and not look at the damn numbers.

For all you new folks—look, uh…I almost never write about the dreaded AI. I do enough thinking about it in my 9-5. (We have a whole Teams chat devoted to it, if that gives you any indication of what’s happening in library land.) Sometimes, I write about zines. Mostly, I write about music.

Every Sunday, I make a list of the albums I listened to that week, front to back, and reflect. It’s sort of become my Sunday morning ritual. I don’t feel complete without it.

I’m really quite shocked that a note about zines reached the numbers it did. I genuinely expected maybe ten of my favorite Substack friends to like and restack it. Then, all of a sudden, my coworkers were sending me screenshots of my own note in group chats. My students were responding to it. Teachers from every level of education found it. So did the inevitable AI truthers, which is par for the course I suppose.

Regardless, it resonated, which is all I could ever hope for in this insane digital hellscape that is the World Wide Web in 2025. I’m glad to have so many new folks here, but just know—music is my jaaam. I can’t quit it, nor do I want to.

I hope you all will keep your hands and feet inside the ride at all times and stick with me.

It’s been a strange week of highs and lows. On one hand, I went viral. On the other hand, I went viral.

The Spring semester ended this week, and with it, my desire to do much of anything. There must be some lingering senioritis in my mind and body. As soon as mid-May hits, I just want to sleep. All the work should be done. It’s time to celebrate by sleeping for fourteen hours straight.

I’m almost 28, but my students and the college atmosphere keep me feeling 22.

I went to a Martha Wainwright show a few weeks ago. A young twenty-something came up to me and started talking as if I were just like her—a newly minted drinker, with the whole of my 20s ahead of me. I thought she was pretty cool, working for her college radio station, dressed like an Downtown East Village girl, sans the social media presence and try-hard attitude.

“How old do you think I am?” I asked, curious.

“22?” She guessed.

“I’m 27.” I shrugged.

“You don’t look that old.”

Thanks?

This happens to me more than you might think. It’s funny. How I manage to hold hours-long conversations with folks in their 50s and kids in their early 20s—I don’t really know. I guess I’m somewhat of a generational chameleon.

Case in point—I spent the first half of my week listening to Cameron Winter’s album Heavy Metal. There were so many moments where I couldn’t believe my ears. Seriously. “Drinking Age” is a masterpiece. A 22-year-old kid wrote a generation-defining album? Wow. If any of you 40- and 50-somethings are worried about the kids these days, just go listen to this album.

I feel the same about MJ Lenderman. I’ve known of him since he was in high school. In typical small world fashion, my college roommate’s little brother was one of his best friends. So, I’ve been listening to this kid’s music since he was about sixteen, which is both weird as hell and bittersweet in a way I can’t quite articulate. (Highly recommend giving his entire discography a full listen.)

In short, Gen Z’s depth and creativity never cease to astound me.

As an aside, I’ve found myself making playlists again.

With this new year’s devotion to more album listening, I let my mix-making tendencies fall by the wayside. I lost the will and reason to make a mix for the last few months. I was, frankly, exhausted by the constant urge to curate. I needed a break.

Now? I appear to have a reason :) I can’t get into the details, but just know—this album listening era has completely changed how and why I make playlists. I’m no longer just adding suggested songs that “fit the vibe.” I seek out specific moments, albums, and songs to include in something small, tangible, and endlessly re-playable.

Anyway, here are the albums I listened to all the way through this past week: