In 2010 I had a project where I only listened to music released in 2010 (except for January 2010: I listened to anything released in 2009 because I mean come on…). It was a fun experiment that introduced me to TONS of bands and music that I still listen to now.

The project changed me a bit. I feel like I can point to 2010 as the year I let go of a lot of shitty music in my past and shook loose a lot of the conceptions I had about what I liked.

There was a story today on the NYTimes about what a shitty year it was for music* but I don’t believe it**. I think it was a shitty year for whatever label-manufactured band that I saw plastered on busses and walls on my way to work, but music is always good. There is always good stuff out there if you look.

To illustrate my point, I am not even kidding, someone just pointed me to an Australian garage band I’d never heard of called “Eddy Current Suppression Ring” on This Is My Jam. Released just this past October:

Isn’t that great?

So yeah, I am doing my music experiment again. This time I’ll blog it here and on This Is My Jam rather than on a separate weblog. It’s hard. It’s fun. But it reminds me that music is always good if you’re willing to look and not worry if some label’s great hope didn’t materialize.

* The worst part is they lead off with the (terrible) return of one of my favorite bands and rhythm sections of all time. I saw Sublime play quite a few times in clubs and backyards (nearly 20 years ago!) before they blew it and Brad died. Stupid stupid stupid.

** THIS GUY knows what I’m talking about