We can certainly dive into a debate about the financial and artistic merits of streaming music, but I am absolutely, unequivocally sold on its merits for how I listen to music. There’s an ephemeral quality to anything, anytime that, in some ways, promotes a shallow knowledge of a particular artist or genre. But I certainly dive much deeper into an artist’s body of work now that I can in an economical way and I love it.

This morning, a friend of mine sent me this screenshot along with the text, “This is good in a Shovels and Rope kind of way”. I stopped what I was doing and pulled it up. I never would have guessed (and nor does it matter), that I was listening to Rob Schneider’s daughter. Though I didn’t recognize Elle King as someone I’d heard of before, she’s more of a household name than my podcast and playlist habits allow me to recognize. I listened to Love Stuff on repeat for the rest of the work day. After a day of listening, my favorite tracks are “Ex’s & Oh’s”, “Under the Influence”, “Kocaine Karolina”, and “American’s Sweetheart”. I have a feeling, though, that this is one of those albums that will have a revolving door of favorite tracks when it’s all said and done with me.

Later this evening, NPR Music caught my attention with this tweet, simultaneously catering to the music of my youth (R&B) and of my present (folk-country, americana). Another artist I’ve never heard of but probably should have, Night Beds has a new album, Ivywild coming out in August. I listened to the two tracks available in Apple Music and I was hooked, so I dug a little deeper. I’m three or four rotations in on Country Sleep, so I think I found another keeper.