On finding music worth keeping
Notes on how music discovery actually works — why recommendations go stale, how to get unstuck, and why we still believe in the album.
Why your Discover Weekly stopped surprising you
It isn't broken — it's doing exactly what it was built to do. Here's the feedback loop that narrows your recommendations over time, and five ways to break out of it.
ListeningHow to get out of a music rut
A rut isn't a shortage of music — it's a decision problem. Why they happen, and seven ways out that don't require overhauling your personality.
GuideHow to find new albums (not just songs)
Almost every discovery tool deals in tracks. Eight places whole records actually live — critics' lists, Bandcamp, labels, credits, and the habit that makes them all work.
ArgumentWhy the album still beats the playlist
Playlists are frictionless and forgettable. Albums ask for more and give more back. A case for the record as the unit of discovery — and when a playlist is still the right tool.
GuideHow to use Last.fm to find better music
Last.fm quietly keeps the most honest record of what you actually play — across every platform, for as long as you let it. How to set it up, and what it's good and bad at.
More on the way — we write when we have something worth saying, not on a schedule.