30 Comments
May 25, 2022Liked by Ted Gioia

Just listened to your interview with Rick Beato. Eight hundred albums in myriad genres in five months. I thought, Boy I wish that guy would give his recommendations! I just subscribed to the substack and my first post is this. THANK YOU!! This looks like the start of a beautiful relationship!

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I was brought here via Rick Beato. I loved that interview. Just subscribed. I can and will get some of these on the radio. That's because I volunteer at a community radio station were I do a radio show. I can play whatever I want on the air. I think that's the best kind of radio.

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May 25, 2022Liked by Ted Gioia

Thank you so much for this, I am new to your work but enjoying, this post made me feel just like the moment, as a child in a west Texas drive in theater, Dorothy opened the black and white door to the color of OZ, it will take a while to explore this part of the universe, much obliged.

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May 25, 2022Liked by Ted Gioia

This made my day! I am looking forward to deeply diving into these albums and artists.

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So, if, say, I were to make a playlist with those albums and leave it endlessly on repeat, say, I’d change the algorithm - with your help and inspiration of course. Earlier this morning I was thinking about the Algorithm Liberation Front. This could be an action to make us all proud - or loud. Owning the algorithm is the future. Thanks, Comrade Ted!

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Started with the Steve Poltz. Already digging this! (Also came here from the Beato conversation.) I really hope Supervinyl takes off, whatever form that takes. As a musician and a listener. Your observation about music being the only thing that has gone DOWN in media quality is spot on. But we traded that for portability. So, that has to be considered. Even lossless streaming wouldn’t give us liner notes and physical possession. I miss cassettes and CDs!

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May 26, 2022Liked by Ted Gioia

Yes, great interview with Rick. New Substack subscriber. Thank you.

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May 26, 2022Liked by Ted Gioia

Like several others, I was brought here by your interview with Rick Beato. That was a great discussion - very interesting and very informative. But, I'm going to save my biggest compliment for your album recommendation. I'm listening to LAGQ right now for the first time and I can't thank you enough. This is the best acoustic guitar centered music I've heard since the Rice/Carlini River Suite for Two Guitars. THANKS AGAIN!

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May 26, 2022Liked by Ted Gioia

Great music, Pastor Champion is fantastic. Many thank, hours of enjoyment…

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Poltz is a giant on the San Diego scene.

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May 25, 2022Liked by Ted Gioia

Ted, do you recommend any of the streaming services? I barely have another way to play music these days, but I don't want to be a prisoner of the algorithm, and I want to support the artists. Help!

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May 25, 2022Liked by Ted Gioia

Love Steve Poltz, Ted. I've seen him several times over the years in San Diego. He continues to write and perform great music.

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May 25, 2022Liked by Ted Gioia

Super Duper. Thank you Ted

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May 25, 2022Liked by Ted Gioia

The latter lyrics remind me of Al Stewart lyrics.

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So good to hear an eclectic mix of tracks with each having a resonance of integrity. Gioia lives up to his reputation and delivers.

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i appreciate the surfacing of underappreciated music, but your framing is wrong. the algorithm is not to blame. i've gotten at least two of these titles in my regular recommendations from spotify. the problem is one's listening history (the basis of personalized recommendations) and effort (or lack thereof) in finding non-commercial music. all you need to do is browse bandcamp every once in a while (or explore music tiktok, or even pitchfork for that matter) to find all sorts of things that don't end up in mass-marketed playlists. this isn't a new problem, it's always taken some effort to find music that's outside the mainstream.

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