Open Mic/Ask Me Anything
Have a question? A rant or hot take? Here's your chance to sound off!
Good morning!
It’s time for another Open Mic/AMA!
A lot of new faces have joined us since the last time we did one of these (hey there!), so I thought it might be fun to do again.
As noted last time, one of this platform’s superpowers is the direct line between writer and reader. There’s no algorithm, so there's no need to bend one’s writing to appease one. It also provides space for writers to check in with everyone. I intentionally don’t run ads here, which means paid subscriptions and word of mouth fuel this entire project.
This is an AMA, but it's also one of my regular pulse checks. I genuinely want to hear what you have to say!
You may also have noticed that the comment section continues to flourish. I couldn’t be happier about that— please keep the conversation (and recs) coming!
I mention it every time, but it bears repeating: This is a smart, curious community happy to share their knowledge and ask questions of one another.
So, ask me anything you want about music (or even non-music questions)!
Either reply to this email or leave a comment, and I’ll be back next week to answer some of them.
In the meantime, here (again) are a couple of questions for you:
What would you like me to write about?
Have a record you’d like me to review?
Is there an appetite for On Repeat merch?
A specific artist?
How about something off menu?
Will the Brewers break my heart again this year?
Is there anything you want to see more of here? Less of?
How about frequency? Too much? Not enough? Just right?
Another one of my favorite things about Substack is that it gives projects like this room to take the twists and turns that other platforms might not. We should take advantage of that.
All questions/comments/rants/raves welcome. Hot takes, too.
Thanks for being here,
Kevin—
At the risk of sounding like a broken record (hehe), I still think your For the Record essays are what I enjoy the most. Of course there’s the Monday discussion and the other posts, but something just hits differently on Saturdays. If so inclined you could always do another in a similar style on another day, perhaps shorter, for all subscribers or something.
I don’t know what it is that fascinates me the most about those essays. It’s just how you take something from ordinary life or the news, zoom in on a deeper meaning, and tie it back to the start. It’s like Sam Cooke singing acapella: no frills, nothing fake, just real. (When I start throwing the big singer comparisons like with Mariah and Sam Cooke, you know I mean it lol).
Questions to you, well, I feel like I’ve already taken up so much comment space… alright: BSB or Nsync? 🤣 Happy weekend!
I would like your thoughts on women's presence or lack thereof in your record collection. I know that mine is dominated by male artists and I only hear female musicians through their work in bands with a few exceptions, such as Neco Case. I do not know why I do that, but I would like to hear your take on that.