Last week, my friend Rubaina shared with me the reddit story of a girl who spent all of her life trying to find a tune that her Dad loved. The joy in that girl’s words as she described this experience, was powerful enough to send redditors flooding the Youtube comments of that track. See for yourself!
This story made me think of how I keep running into good music from time to time but miss saving or liking it for future reference. A recent example of a forgotten tune that I stumbled upon after many years of research was Joe Satriani’s “Always With Me, Always With You”. This is an amazing piece of music sure to stir some rich emotions in your soul.
And thus, inspired by all this brain food, I wrote today’s poem. A poem about the magic of rediscovering a forgotten tune.
And what’s more, I’m super excited that Kevin from “On Repeat” has taken over today’s “Some Fun Stuff” section on Hello Universe!
Look at that tagline!
“On Repeat is the place for remembering your favorite songs and discovering new ones.”
Could there be a better fit for today’s subject! I am super excited to have Kevin sharing this newsletter with me today, and I urge all you music lovers to subscribe to his newsletter “On Repeat” for some bangin’ recommendations!
Alright, with all that said, the poem starts in 3… 2… 1!
What is it? A memory? Sudden but temporary! 🤔 Slow and faint it captures me. It makes me think. Enraptures me. 🎈 Soft and slow, it plays away and comes to my mind, every day! 🧠 I try to hum it. Sing it. Strum it. On some wood I try to drum it. 🎼 People tell me, "Just research!" But I don't know what should I search? 🔍 And then one day I strangely stumble into it, and my heart rumbles! 💗 Joy engulfs me. Twists me. Turns me. Passionately soothes me. Burns me. 🔥 This journey of a thousand miles. Has ended with a toothy smile. 😁 And on this lovely afternoon. I've found back my forgotten tune. 🕺
That’s it! Thanks for reading Hello Universe this week.
Keep reading below to see Kevin’s recommendations on “Some Fun Stuff”!
Some fun stuff:
by Kevin Alexander from “On Repeat”.
Playlists are my love language.
Remember that kid that was always making mixtapes? That was me. Later, I was the one burning CDs for everyone. Today, I help people build better playlists.
How do I do that? Music straight to your inbox 3 times a week.
Maybe it’s an old favorite. Maybe it’s a new discovery. Either way, it’ll be something I know will brighten your day.
Give On Repeat two weeks, and I’ll give you a new favorite song.
Read “Forbidden Beat” by S.W. Lauden: As a teenager, I played drums in a band. That didn't last too long- a lack of talent and a horrible case of stage fright will do that- but my love for the instrument stayed. Lauden’s latest book tells the story of drumming in punk music from those who were there. Hiding behind their kit, at the back of the stage, drummers rarely get the credit they're due. Forbidden Beat works to change that. Disclosure: I have previously edited some of Lauden’s work on Medium.
Listen to My Writing Soundtrack: I was recently honored to have one of my playlists featured on Substack. I originally built this playlist as a soundtrack to one of the platform’s weekly “writing hour” sessions. My quote for the article was “If you’re like me, a flow state is like the tides with energy coming in waves; this playlist reflects that.” That’s always been the case when I’m in front of a screen typing away. Maybe it’s true for you as well? Give this “writing soundtrack” a shot, and let me know!
Watch this trailer of the Vinyl Nation Documentary: Born out of a desperate attempt to save/promote independent record stores, today “Vinyl Nation” has since taken on a life of its own. Told through the eyes of music fans, Vinyl Nation is a fantastic documentary that weaves the Record Store Day’s origin story with the resurgence of the vinyl itself as a medium. Watch this trailer and discover a fascinating journey fueled by passion.
That’s it from my end. I hope to see you all soon, “On Repeat”. 😇
Punit here again! I’m so happy that Kevin agreed to share his amazing musical perspective on Hello Universe today. I would love it if you also shared some fun stuff that you love to read/ listen to/ watch across the internet, down in the comments.
See you next week!
P.S. - We all forget and rediscover some amazing music from time to time, and those tunes end up becoming all the more valuable because of the journey they took us on. What are the tracks that you have rediscovered on your musical journey? Are there any songs that are constantly “On Repeat” in your library? Drop a link to your favorite “Forgotten Tune” in the comments below or share it as a reply to this email! 🙏
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I always have tunes in my head. And when I saw this issue popping up in my mailbox, it put another song in my head. "The radio's playing some forgotten song". From Radar Love, a song by the Golden Earring, a band from my home town in The Netherlands. So yes, this poem struck a note with me. Great writing, as always, Punit. And nice to have have Kevin as a guest. Good discovery for me. I subscribed... Oh, Radar Love can be found here: https://youtu.be/aRlSHG5hRY4
Nice collaboration idea!