New Music, New Adventures 2025 #6

A birthday, communicating, and saying no

New Music, New Adventures #6

I turned 62 this past week. For some reason that number is sounding more ominous than any before it. I mean really, 62?! Maybe it’s because I’m only a month away from retiring but I really feel I’m entering a new life chapter. Frank had to fly back to Chicago for his annual judging of speech tournaments, so he wasn’t here in Palm Springs to help me celebrate. This isn’t a big deal because he always showers me with birthday attention before or after and this year he took me to a nice restaurant called Willie’s in Palm Desert the night before he left.

The weekend itself did bring more people to town though. On Saturday I spent part of the afternoon with my old college friend Ron from San Diego. We did a little thrift store shopping before enjoying a coffee and some good conversation at Koffi. We then headed to dinner with his husband George and my friends Steve, Pete, Jim, & Loren. A great group of long-time friends for sure, although I could have done without the political talk. (Don’t worry, we’re all on the same side.)

I spent Sunday watching the BAFTA Awards on Brit Box and then the SNL 50^th Anniversary Celebration while engaging in a few gin martinis and having a great two-hour phone conversation with my friend Pat back home. It was a great night and show.

Monday was my actual birthday, but, for various reasons, Ron decided to head back to San Diego. What made the day truly special though was the arrival of my friend Natalie who took me to an Agua Caliente spa for the afternoon where we enjoyed a mineral pool, salt cave, outdoor hot tub, and lunch. It was a wonderfully relaxing time and while some of the services there were not co-ed, we managed to spend a lot of time together in deep conversation. I’m incredibly lucky to have people like Natalie and Ron in my life. They both date back to college and we still have the same intense discussions that we did forty years ago. The time I spend with them is a model for how I like to engage with others. I do have other friends like them that I am very fortunate to have in my life but having such intimate and personal time together doesn’t happen often enough. Natalie helped positively shift the perspective in my own head about the rest of my time here and where things are going when I head back to the Midwest.

The new music that accompanied me on my journey this past week included another track from A Flock of Seagulls and some other interesting new relatable discoveries.

New Music from 20^th Century Hitmakers that Boomers and Gen X’ers Might Like:

A Flock of Seagulls – Perfect

This is the third track from the group’s most recent album Some Dreams that I’ve mentioned this year. However, this one is least like what one might imagine when they remember their sound. Perfect is a melodic rocker without the usual synths we associate with the band. It shows off a harder side with softer lyrics about the beauty of a long-term relationship.

New Music from Contemporary Artists that Everyone Should Check Out:

The Wombats – Can’t Say No

While several of the songs on The Wombats new Oh! The Ocean album reflect a noticeably downbeat lyrical attitude, Can’t Say No suggests a reckless abandon and the act of just letting go. My own ambivalence at times for the constant revolving door of in town guests and entertaining may have linked me to one of the song’s key lines: “Doing everything we can to increase the noise, and we don't care if its trash that fills the void. You know I can't say no.” So, what’s the void? Retiring? The political situation in the U.S. and around the world? Too much vacation time? Either way, while I don’t think I’ve been filling my time with trash I do think agreeing to so many things and at times feeling like I am losing a sense of my own self and interests can be problematic. Sometimes it’s good to say no!

Rose City Band – Radio Song

There’s a sound to this band and to this song that is reminiscent of some of the great country rock of the 1970s, such as the Eagles, Allman Brothers Band, Crosby, Stills, & Nash, etc. The twangy guitar work, the vocals, melody, and beat all very much feel like comfort sounds for the soul of someone turning 62.

Bad Suns – Communicating

This one is pure unabashed pop. The hook is infectious, and the sound has the energy of some of the less sappy Maroon 5 songs of the last 15 years or so. It’s hard not to move to this one and sing along to the easily understandable chorus.

Link to my 2025 playlist:

Spotify

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