Don't Want To Take Attendance Anymore

On the relentlessness of music world deaths.....

After the news broke about the death of David Crosby on January 18, social media was swarmed with “prepare to grieve” lists devoted to beloved artists of advanced age. Among them:

Tony Bennett 96

Harry Belafonte 94

Burt Bacharach 94

Sonny Rollins 93

Miss Lavelle White 93

It was a grim (reaper) head’s up, the worst kind of “coming attractions” reel, and it prompted a bit of handwriting over editorial policy here at Echo Locator HQ. The flurry of January deaths made me realize that since this newsletter began, I’ve been wildly inconsistent about obituaries and appreciations. Jeff Beck, who departed on January 10 after an incredibly vibrant and somewhat underappreciated career, was a no-brainer. The EL mission is to explore “nearly vanished sounds, spirits and ideas” about music; Jeff Beck was hiding in plain sight for years. His studio records deserve a larger audience. His exacting approach to the tone and demeanor of the electric guitar should be studied widely, across genres.

But….nothing on Crosby?

It didn’t seem necessary. The singer and songwriter of Byrds and Crosby Stills Nash and Young fame was well and extravagantly loved. His canon is well established. Until the vault inquest begins, there’s not much to add to the elegant prose that marked his passing – my best suggestion was “Don’t sleep on the later work with Becca Stevens,” and, by extension, give it up for a recording artist who seeks new collaborative energy at a moment when he might be expected to kick back.

The absence of Crosby love here at this time shouldn’t be read as any judgment on his work. Or a symptom of compassion fatigue — when I heard the news I reached right for “Wooden Ships” from the 1969 classic Crosby, Stills and Nash. Rather, it’s a recognition that the media landscape is clogged with people on Obit Patrol, and that despite the occasional tributes on offer here, this humble endeavor has a different mission – to shine a bit of light on underloved talents and approaches to music that are rapidly disappearing in the digital age. (One example among gazillions: When was the last time you heard an honest-to-goodness crescendo on a contemporary record?)

The steady torrent of vault discoveries and lavish packages devoted to obscure artists suggests that we are in a moment of profound reappraisal – examining what long-neglected works can teach us about the present state of music, and its future. I started Echo Locator to participate in this discussion, and to share enthusiasm about works that never appear on the landing pages of streaming services. I anticipated struggling to come up with one topic a week; now I could post something daily. I won’t, because I value sanity (yours and mine!) and because I believe in the notion of editorial curation. That word invites reflex ridicule these days – I don’t need a sommelier to “curate” my morning tea experience, thanks – but is clarifying when making decisions about coverage, and the effort involved in properly acknowledging an artist’s life and work. There are no fixed rules for this stuff. If the mission is to pay attention to the unknown geniuses who’ve shaped the music ecosystem almost anonymously, we’re probably going to have to let some big stars saunter offstage to the Great Beyond with a heavy sigh and a deep bow of gratitude.

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This seems like a good time to gut-check another aspect of the Substack omniverse: Free or paid?

Echo Locator has been free since inception, largely because, first, I wanted to determine proof of concept — and then I had to ascertain that I could deliver two pieces (an essay and some sort of playlist or bonbon) each week. It’s stayed that way largely out of inertia – and the fact that there’s a degree of marketing vaudeville necessary to cultivate and retain paying customers. Not my wheelhouse. Volunteers welcome!

So…..please take our short survey! Send answers and any feedback to: echolocatormusic@gmail.com

1.      Should Echo Locator charge a set fee for paid subscription?

2.     If so, what is a reasonable per-year cost?

3.     Should the entire site and its archives only be available to paying customers?

4.    If not, would you prefer a tip-jar model, a la Buy Me A Coffee, that would allow readers to make micropayments in reaction to individual pieces?

Thanks in advance for any/all insights, thoughts, reactions. And…thanks for reading. Means a ton.