I can mark every era of my life with music. High school was big-hair rock and alt rock like Depeche Mode, New Order and The Smiths just as grunge was exploding. College was They Might Be Giants, Stef’s 80’s compilation CD, and angsty Lillith Fair music. My Starbucks years brought me Ani DiFranco, Miles Davis, Neko Case, Suicide Machines, and NOFX. Citibank was for Dashboard Confessional, The Postal Sevice, Arcade Fire, and Interpol. And later The Strokes, The Yeah Yeah Yeah’s, Band of Horses, Rubblebucket, and Tycho.

But there’s been nothing new for the last 5 years. I have listened. But nothing has grabbed me the way new music used to.

Without my primary emotional outlet and touchstone, I am adrift. Maybe I have hit the age where I cannot connect with new music. Maybe there’s some trend in production that my ear just doesn’t like.

Lately I am drawn to music from the 70’s that I never used to favor. I get excited when Three Dog Night or Fleetwood Mac comes across my dial. It’s got me thinking.

I started drum lessons 4 years ago. I am wondering if I am sensitive to something that I wasn’t before. Am I hearing time that’s been synched to a click track (digital time) vs human time.

More on this to come…