Changing the mood
De-stressing musical suggestions to help combat the holidaze

Happy, happy all. I hope that all of you – our impressively devout Telegraph readers and those of you perhaps visiting and picking up our free weekly for the first time – are taking a few moments to slow down and take a minute as we transition into winter. We’re not there yet, thankfully, but with one of our local ski hills opening last weekend, it sure seems like it’s nearly upon us. I’ve become a fan of using this column to remind myself, and, as such, all of you – to employ some coping mechanisms to navigate these frantic days/nights/weeks – so bear with me.

Take a few deep breaths over the course of a day. It’s nothing new, but it is amazing how something so seemingly commonplace can reset you in the moment. It really does help to mellow the pace of things and keep me slightly more aware of how I’m feeling.

And I’ll admit it: I’m not the greatest at identifying exactly how I’m “feeling,” so a bit of self-assessment can go a long way. Do I need time away from people? Am I overwhelmed? Am I hungry? Am I tired? Any of these can make or break me, so checking my internal barometer is becoming paramount. I’ve also come to appreciate that, no matter what I’m experiencing in the moment, it will pass. 

And while feelings may be temporary, music has always been a constant in my life and can be a near-immediate mood changer. I’m not sure if I ever consciously attributed therapeutic value to it, but it has very much been there for me since I was a kiddo. It’s certainly a positive adaptive strategy. I get excited about new and “new to me” music alike. Usually this time of year, new releases start to taper off, but you can always count on a handful of more-than-worthwhile stragglers at year’s end. 

A couple weeks back, legendary underground hip-hop artist Aesop Rock released “Integrated Tech Solutions” on the storied Rhymesayers record label. This was a release I’d had circled on my calendar for months. Active for 20-plus years on the fringes of independent hip hop, no one approaches the genre quite like he does. Vivid, abstract, sometimes absurdist yet carefully detailed storytelling and a singular style of word play/word choice make Aesop your favorite rapper’s favorite rapper. Largely self-produced, the record demands repeated listens in the most joyful way. I get that not everyone likes rap/hip-hop – but don’t knock it until you’ve tried it. 

Last Friday, with just three days advance notice, André 3000 (Outkast) surprise released his solo debut album, “New Blue Sun,” and it is likely as polarizing as a solo debut can be. The album was announced via NPR(!?), and their columnist Rodney Carmichael calls it “a stunning 87-minute mind-bender, minimalist and experimental ... one thing it is not, however, is a rap record: No bars, no beats, no sub-bass …. What (André) does do is play flute, and plenty of it – contrabass flute, Mayan flutes, bamboo flutes – along with other digital wind instruments.” A couple colleagues of mine with pre-release listens suggested it was “late-night bath, early-morning coffee music” and “good for yoga,” both of which track. After two solid listens, it is, simply, a beautiful and more than solid record. 

This week Ghost Woman, a garage psych outfit from Alberta, Canada, released its second record of 2023 (following January’s “Anne, If”) with “Hindsight is 50?/?50.” Songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Evan Uschenko believes that this is the group’s first album that “finally captures the true nature of the band” and that “the first two albums were never meant to be albums: they are like pages from diaries that have long since been burned. With the introduction of Ille van Dessel as co-writer/drummer, the project feels like it has a direction.”

The reverb-drenched surf, psych and twang are all still very much there (OK, maybe less twang), and tonally this album feels heavier, thicker and darker. If this is the rock and roll destination he initially set out for – and it’s now fully realized here – I’m all for it. 

Next month, I’ll find a way to pare down some of my favorite releases from this year into some sort of cohesive list. Be forewarned that cohesion isn’t my forte. That said, I do encourage you to send anything you’ve especially enjoyed this year my way, new or not. I’m always up for suggestions.

Again – don’t forgot to be good to yourself these next few weeks. Try to mitigate all the stressors. You’ve got to show up for you before you can show up for anyone else. Speaking of which, I’ll also take any and all tips you’ve got for self-care. Send them my way at the email address below. Along with questions, comments and gripes. Especially the gripes. KDUR_PD@fortlewis.edu ?