MMM USA Newsletter August 2020

Hello, My Name is Matt...

Issue #05 / August 2020
Music Music Music

- I've been immersing myself in a lot of music lately. In the past, I would have labeled this a form of escapism. It seemed like a perfectly logical way to deal with a life that was filled with long stretches of dissatisfaction and boredom. I feel different now. Where am I escaping to?

I'm not sure what happened? I still feel like life is filled with (what Buddhists call) Duhkha or just that general feeling of unsatisfactoriness. It doesn't seem that much different than how I felt before. But now when I'm listening to music, or making it, or even writing about it, I feel a connection to things that I wasn't conscious of before. It feels good. It feels like the opposite of escapism.

I mean what is music... it's just waves of vibrating energy. It can get pretty "woo woo." At some level isn't everything vibrating? It's like everything could be music. So, clearly, I'm being influenced by this wonderful book that I just finished. It's called How Music Works by David Byrne (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/How_Music_Works) . I would especially recommend this to any people who were looking at trying to make music their career or just make music. But I think just about anybody who like music would find this book interesting. Even though it was written in 2012 and some of the info is just slightly dated (especially considering how the pandemic is affecting the business side of being a musician) I'd say he did a pretty good job of keeping the information timeless.

- I released a new Major Matt Mason USA demo recording this month. It's called Victims Of the Storm (https://majormattmasonusa.com/2020/07/20/victims-of-the-storm-demo-by-major-matt-mason-usa/) . It features Brian Hurtgen on drums and Dane Bridges on bass guitar. I really feel this project starting to gel. It was recorded at the not so recently relocated Olive Juice Music studios in Shawnee, KS. I hope to be rolling more of these out soon!

Victims of the Storm (Youtube) (https://youtu.be/bRSI1p8oAkQ)
Victims of the Storm (Bandcamp) (https://majormattmasonusa.bandcamp.com/track/victims-of-the-storm-demo)

- On Saturday, August 22, I'm taking part in a Facebook Live Open Poetry Live Stream sponsored by 8th St. Publishing and Revolution Records. I'm planning to read a handful of new stuff. I love Promise and all the kids at Revolution so it should be a good night. I think there are people reading from all around the country. It starts at 8 pm central US time. Here's a link to the EVENT! (https://www.facebook.com/events/1775835422556724/)

- I made a list of some albums that have been in heavy rotation for me this month.:

PJ Harvey - Dry
PJ Harvey - Dry Demos
Phoebe Bridgers - Punisher
Car Seat Headrest - Making A Door Less Open
Psychadelic Furs - Made Of Rain
John Fahey - Death Chants, Break Downs and Military Waltzes
Shabaka and the Ancestors - We Are Sent Here By History
If You’re Not Part Of the Solution... Soul, politics, and spirituality in Jazz 1967 to 1975
The Pixies - Bossa Nova (https://majormattmasonusa.com/2020/08/16/pixies-bossanova-30th-anniversary-vinyl-release/)
John Hassell - Vernal Equinox
Lucinda Willimas - Good Souls Better Angels
Kathleen Edwards - Total Freedom

- Thanks to a recommendation from my friend Sam, I've been enjoying the Netflix comedy Toast of London (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toast_of_London) . What is it about those British comedies? The way they seamlessly sew together the most ridiculously, surreal scenarios with such true and honest commentary on the human condition is beyond me. It's brilliant!

I recently finished all seven seasons of the show Alone (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alone_(TV_series))  which you can check out on Hulu. Watching Alone, alone, during the pandemic has been a very meta experience. Even more so because I recall my father being obsessed with the show when it first aired. There's something I find deeply moving about watching these folks confront the isolation and adversity of living in nature with limited resources.
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https://majormattmasonusa.com/2020/08/03/major-matts-1st-monday-august-2020-playlist/ Here's a link to my latest playlist: Major Matt’s 1st Monday, August 2020 Playlist (https://majormattmasonusa.com/2020/08/03/major-matts-1st-monday-august-2020-playlist/)   (https://majormattmasonusa.com/2020/08/03/major-matts-1st-monday-august-2020-playlist/)  If you don't know about these it's a playlist I do each month with a little mindful moment about music. To Subscribe to get a new playlist every 1st Monday of the month. Click on my user link (https://open.spotify.com/user/1230320001?si=MqglCSBGQG6xb1PgJGnVHQ)  or search: Major Matt’s 1st Monday on Spotify to cruise past playlists and discover more music.
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Ihttps://majormattmasonusa.com/contact/f you didn't get a sticker for signing up for this newsletter and you would like one you can go here: https://majormattmasonusa.com/contact/ to send me your address and I'll be happy to send you one in the mail. In the interest of waste conservation, if you live in the Kansas City area and/ or think you may be seeing me soon just let me know. I'll try to have some on me and I'd be elated to personally (and safely) deliver one to you. To respond with any comments or questions feel free to use the contact link above. Even if you just feel like telling me how you're doing, I'd love to hear from you.

Until we meet again,
MMM

https://majormattmasonusa.com
https://majormattmasonusa.bandcamp.com
https://www.instagram.com/majormattusa/
https://twitter.com/MajorMattUSA
YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVISxqLtgjTZbYYV8mlNigg)
Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/artist/5A2heSAQ342otq1kpCorIl?si=_chVpa1yQceeAY_bFGCalA)



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