Hi, everyone.  I know, I know.  It’s been too long between blog posts.  Between gearing up for the spring record shows, the WFMU Record Fair in Brooklyn, picking up (and listening to) new vinyl – and you, know, working – it’s been tough to squeeze in some good writing.

You know what comes next.

The COVID-19 pandemic – aside from cutting a wide swath of human and financial destruction that is at the time of this writing, sadly only beginning* – wiped out all of my spring vinyl plans, one by one.  The record stores are closed, social distancing is preventing even meeting up to look at potential collections to buy, and the late spring and early summer does not look promising, either.

We’ve got to all do our part to stop this pandemic, and so I’m at home 24/7, working remotely, cooking, sleeping, writing, and listening of course.  The weather has been more favorable than a couple of weeks ago, so it has been less claustrophobic, and I’m able to get out, run and take the dog on walks.  Many, many walks.  And we have (re)discovered our wonderful neighbors and friends, albeit six feet or more away from each other, and found kindness in the most unexpected places.

One bright, shining, silver lining to this new, hopefully temporary life has been in discovering new music and rediscovering treasured recordings.  I have not bought a new piece of physical media in over a month (shocking, I know!) but thanks to the wonders of TIDAL and HDTracks, have been able to voraciously tear through a slew of new or underexposed music.  I’ll be writing about that in the coming days and weeks. 

Until then, stay safe, stay home, stay six feet away, and wash your hands! See you soon.

*mind you, this is not a minor aside.  I do not wish to minimize or make light of what is happening to our world; I am positively horrified at what is happening right now, and hope that all of you are doing well, or at least as well as can be expected.