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Compilations and Steve's Top Spotify Tracks So Far 

Years ago I signed a bunch of songs with an online music library.

One way of presenting the music they represent is by making compilation albums with songs of multiple artists. That's why you may see my name appearing on all these different genre-specific collections on places like Spotify, Apple Music, and the like. The video below show what's this looks like on Spotify, for instance.

So any tracks of mine you find on the internet that don't appear on an album or single that I put out, that's how they got there! 

Here's an example of my top-played tracks apparently on Spotify.

My Spotify "Starred" List - Episode 4 

Joni Mitchell's "Blue Motel"

If I was her in an old Savannah, Georgia hotel or motel room with a blue spread or possibly a blue color scheme, I'd see that too as a possible song. I like some of the playfulness in this lyric.
Traveling for work can be a lonely business. But if it's what you do, you find constructive ways to keep sane. Sometimes that includes writing a song! (See my blog post about my song, "Phoenix Hotel" !)

I can relate. On my starred list it goes!

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Starting in 2012, I began collecting songs in a custom Spotify playlist I simply called "Starred". Currently there are 408 tunes, and I continue to add to it. When I don't know what I want to listen to, I just put on the Starred list. 

My Spotify "Starred" List - Ep. 3 

With time on the road, I got on a Joni Mitchell kick. Started from album 1 and went from there. (Not all on the same day!)

"Black Crow": I was struck by the lyric on this one, the crow as a metaphor for her life on the road. Interesting chord choices to "land" her melody on . 

One wonders, "Was she really looking at the her "haggard face" in the mirror and then suddenly saw a black crow, "that ragged soul", outside the bathroom window and boom, said "I'm gonna write a song"?
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Starting in 2012, I began collecting songs in a custom Spotify playlist I simply called "Starred". Currently there are 408 tunes, and I continue to add to it. When I don't know what I want to listen to, I just put on the Starred list. 

Add Steve's Music to Your Spooky List! 

Did you know I have two Halloween-related songs floating around on the internet? It's true!

Please add them if you'd like to your special "Hollerday" playlist! I've included links below. Click on your choice of sites. If you use other sites, they're probably there to if you search for them. Thanks!

"CHILLER" (Michael Jackson "Thriller" sound-alike) is on:

SPOTIFY
AMAZON
GOOGLE PLAY

 

"MANSION OF HAUNTS" (Parts of Disney's Haunted Mansion Theme backwards!) is on:

SPOTIFY
AMAZON
GOOGLE PLAY

(If I haven't mentioned a streaming site you use, they are probably there too if you search for them)

My Spotify "Starred" List - Ep. 2 

Is there anyone out there like me that has an obsession (A healthy one, I hope-lol) with New York City? This is the first of quite a few tracks I've saved about that very place. "Empire State Of Mind (Part II) Broken Down" by Alicia Keys

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Starting in 2012, I began collecting songs in a custom Spotify playlist I simply called "Starred". Currently there are 404 tunes, and I continue to add to it. When I don't know what I want to listen to, I just put on the Starred list. 

My Spotify "Starred" Song List 

Starting in 2012, I began collecting songs in a custom Spotify playlist I simply called "Starred". Currently there are 392 tunes, and I continue to add to it. When I don't know what I want to listen to, I just put on the Starred list. 

The qualifications for making this list of all genres - enough to make your head spin - are many.

1. Something I have on an old album in my vinyl collection collecting dust that were favorites.
2. Some sort of "new release" that has a production quality or lyric or melody or all of the above that I wanted to hear again more than once. 
3. If a song makes me laugh or go "What?!" - ie: some of the Rolling Stones stuff. (Not necessarily a fan, I can appreciate the spontaneity and humor) 
4. Numerous songs from the same artist that stem from my exploration of artist like Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan, Rolling Stones, etc. I'll start from the beginning of their catalog, give each album a listen, and find some cool stuff I've never heard before.

Here we go!

#1 (In order of addition to list): Helen Austin is an independent songwriter/artist from Canada who has seen lots of success with her songs being licensed on TV shows. I just loved the simplicity of her recordings as something I wanted to take note of for some of my own projects. Her voice is very unique. 

My Top 2016 Spotify Plays 

So here are my top songs of 2016 played according to Spotify. Funny, there are songs about Texas on here, as I played a private texas-themed party in November and, wanting to come prepared, the best way to learn is "repetition". (I believe my daughter had a hand in some of these as well. There is a slight skewing to this list-lol)

New Music Tuesday, or "Hmm, THAT sounds interesting" 

"Landmine" - Three Days Grace

The first song that came on in my drive to a gig really hit home after receiving some sad news (no not family related). This head-banging song came to me as a time of reflection actually on the pressures of life, how they can affect our health, and how we deal with them.  We all have 'em. 

Of course, my songwriter spin on this - love the sound of the recording and real good songwriting. 
 
Psalms 39:4 NLT

“ Lord , remind me how brief my time on earth will be. Remind me that my days are numbered— how fleeting my life is.

New Music Tuesdays - My Spotify Picks 

Every week, as I'm driving to my gigs usually, I listen to New Music Tuesday on Spotify. I like to keep somewhat "tuned"  [wink wink] ...in to what are the latest contemporary music styles and interesting ways their presented. Not to copy, just peruse.
Oh, I skip over plenty of stuff! (Unfortunately, words like "nigger" and "other-words-that-I-choose-not-type-and-sometimes-say-when-I-hit-a-body-part-on sharp-corners-and-things" are now merely songwriting cliches!) But when I'm doing my own thing, I like to think of these other lyric phrasings and sonic elements I hear as ways I can better my own tunes, limited though my skills are. If something catches my particular set of ears, I'll "star" it. It's sort of like playing A&R guy in the car. ("Next!"....intro, verse, chorus....next!....intro, ver...NEXT!") Oh, what fun!
My main focus of course is always writing the best song possible regardless of production.

Follow along on Spotify as I add tunes to my ever mind-expanding list of "starred" tunes to check out again.

 

My Eagles Playlist 

I made a Spotify playlist of some Eagles songs that I like. (You didn't think I would put the hits on it, did you? Ha! I "hear" those all the time!)

And yes, I still have all the vinyl nostalgically habitating a closet a the end of the hall.

What are some non-hit Eagles songs that you like hearing?