O why can't I live a life for me

No I'm not depressed, and nothing's been wrong to keep me from writing, though I have noticed in a few blogs I follow as of late that nobody has been having much time to write much of anything. Our title quote comes from a Halloween classic that a few of you may recognize, I hope (big hint: Jen plays it on New Wave wednesday every year around this time).

There has been some blog action centering around the discussion of all things "indie" music and the like that has been largely fascinating, even if I agree with maybe only half of it. Scroll down thru Zoilus for a cogent nexus of many of the debates.

Mostly it's just been sifting through the enormous tide of music that's come my way either by purchase, promos, or my own online snooping, legit and otherwise. I really think 2007 has been a great year for music, and I'm still trying to figure how to cram more stuff in before it ends.

The show will be nineteen(!) years young come next March, and a part of me feels somewhat outdated, now that there are so many avenues for checking out new music. I've long stressed to anybody who will listen that I am not a critic, despite the station's ads; the show is called the Spotlight Review, and I really just want to spotlight. I'm thinking of altering the show's structure just a bit in the new year, but not sure if I'm ready to talk about it, or after 19 years, if that wouldn't take it out of my comfort zone.

My life is good, and I like devoting it to my family, which is why writing a weekly show (it is "scripted", though rather than read it I tend to just use it as a jumping off point) and even a blog seem secondary at best. I will say this: there's been a few perks over the years that keep me hanging on, all selfish: the free music when available, a concert ticket here and there, and meeting some wonderful people (Jason Pierce and Kristin Hersh spring immediately to mind). And good record people too, like Arts & Crafts or Paper Bag in Toronto. I go after them not because they give me CDs, but because I genuinely love the music that comes from them.

Enough kvetching; have a safe Halloween and we'll talk more later. For now, here's the rudimentary playlist for the rest of the year, subject to almost immediate change:

11/5: Sunset Rubdown, I'm Not There soundtrack
11/12: Saturday Looks Good To Me, R.E.M.
11/19: Sandro Perri, Rock Plaza Central, Patrick Watson
11/26: Sally Shapiro, Roisin Murphy, The Tough Alliance
12/3: ?
12/11: Thrill Jockey
12/18: Neko, Xmas

and possibly other stuff from Enon, A Place To Bury Strangers, The Luyas, Stanton Warriors, etc, etc.

I'm debating to squeeze in an album that is really knocking me out: Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, a little off the mark for BER, but is there really an "alternative" any more (see link above) or does an alternative to the alternative maintain a spirit that it meant to have in the first place? (PS: sadly my wife does not share the enthusiasm for the above CD, which puzzles me to no end....)