#54: Another Year Older and Deeper in Debt
Dedicated to my great grandpa, John Alden, whose voice still echoes in my memory as I grow older
Currently listening to: Sixteen Tons by Merle Travis
Hello, friend.
Growing up, I always loved hearing my great grandpa sing.
He was a man unlike any other. A father of 12 children during the post-WWII baby boom—including my mother’s mother—his voice was like a song when he spoke to you. He seemed to have a permanent smile affixed to his face, despite the fact that he had been in the war at the end of his teenage years.
His presence was warm and comforting like the sun. Everyone gravitated toward him, orbited him like a little solar system of grandkids and great grandkids—especially when he sang. He’d sit down on a camp chair, pick up his guitar, tune it briefly by ear if needed (it always seemed to be in tune because he played it so often), then launch into what all us descendants knew simply as “Grandpa Songs.”
These were mostly classic folk tunes of the early- and mid-1900s—I’ve Been Working on the Railroad, The Fox (Went Out on a Chilly Night), Sixteen Tons. These were songs my grandpa grew up with that none of us little ones realized were originally written out of hard labor or slavery (or just weird, forgotten folktales).
Grandpa could go on for an hour or two, cycling through all his favorites. Even into his 90s, he could pick up that guitar of his and belt out a ballad. When he got tired of singing, he’d set down his guitar and tell us a story about brownies and elves in the forest, whom I’d always imagined as little, almost invisible beings who would play pranks on a couple my grandpa only ever called the “man and woman of the woods.”
After my grandpa passed, the grandkids and great grandkids continued to get older. All us cousins seemed to see each other less often as time went along—a symptom of our generations collectively growing further into adulthood. Last December, just after Christmas, a bunch of us met up and sang grandpa songs, led by a couple of grandkids (now in their 40s and 50s) who could play guitar or banjo.
I remember sitting there by the fireplace in my parents’ living room, crammed into the cozy space with twenty or more of us family members, wondering if I would remember the words after what was well over a decade since I had last heard my grandpa sing these songs.
For the most part, I remembered. The lyrics came out naturally like water flowing downstream. I don’t think any of us there could ever truly forget all the words.
There were some family members there, even younger than I, who didn’t know them. They didn’t grow up hearing them like we did. I hoped that this would be one of those moments they remembered when they got older—that night after Christmas when their family sang all these weird, old folk songs about coal miners and easy living in the summertime. An oral tradition passed down with care and dedication.
***
I turned 28 this week. An unremarkable age. Not yet 30, but thinking about it. No longer in the pure heart of my 20s, but reflecting on them. So far removed from the time of playing in my cousin’s backyard for hours during the long summer days before sitting and listening to my grandpa score the night with his sweet voice.
On my birthday, I went out for sushi and a couple of beers. Satisfied with the simple joy of the night out with my fiancée, we walked out of the small brewery together and I immediately heard her gasp. She was looking up at a vibrant double rainbow arcing across the pale blue evening sky. We stood there in awe, smiling up at it.
As time passes and you grow up, the memories of those who came before can fade bit by bit. It’s the unavoidable erosion of time, like the flowing stream of water cutting into the riverbank of your memory. While I looked at that rainbow, though, I remembered my great grandpa and heard his sing-song voice. His songs flooded back to me.
I was “another day older and deeper in debt,” but not to the old coal miner’s company store—I felt immensely grateful to him and to all of the other people who gave me the life I have now. Those who gave me my love for music and art. Those who spent their lives singing, despite the things they carried with them, like memories of war, slavery, and much harder times (despite how hard these times can feel too).
I’ve lost a few close family members and friends over the years besides my grandpa. When I think of any of them, I think of one song that my grandpa sang—one that has always made me want to cry. That Lucky Old Sun by Frankie Laine. I’ll leave you with that today, friend.
Show me that river, take me across
Wash all my troubles away
Like that lucky old sun, give me nothin' to do
But roll around heaven all day…
The Living Music List
Hello again, friend. I hope you enjoyed today’s story, and I hope you can give some of your family members a hug or a call today. Now, let’s check out what new music might be worth sharing with your loved ones.
Happy listening.
Ambient
Stanza IV by Benoît Pioulard (album / drone, ambient guitar) [Disques d’Honoré]^
Put simply, Stanza IV is a brilliant collection of ambient soundscapes. Each track is built from Pioulard’s signature ability to layer droning, pedal-modified guitar—among other components like voice, bells, and more—all fed through the magically warm finishing touch of tape. Taken on their own, these 4 tracks can provide listeners with endless space in which to situate themselves and look for pictures in the clouds or simply appreciate the blurry formlessness of these longform journeys. — excerpt from my review of the album
Nevertheless by Hammock (album / melodic, contemporary classical) [Hammock Music]
Nevertheless, the latest album from Hammock, exists in a state of awakening. Across 11 ambient guitar, string, and piano works, ethereal light crests and contrasts with darkness, giving shape to physical forms and feelings. Amidst sorrow and grief, melodic motifs and refrains echo from the past to reanimate dreams and faded memories. As Nevertheless asks questions of permanence and purpose, beauty takes shape in the intangible—the traceless connections that gave, and give, meaning. — Bandcamp description
The Kindest Encounters by ‘t Geruis (album / melodic, lo-fi) [Home Normal]
The Kindest Encounters is another gorgeous slice of deeply warm analog ambient music that moves comfortably between melody and noise and all manner of technicolor warble in between… In this digital age, I am so thankful for the warmth of such an analog spirit as 't Geruis wandering the world, sharing the things that sit just slightly out of view; blurred and often forgotten but always there, guiding us home. — Bandcamp description by Ian Hawgood of Home Normal
Every Little Thing by James Osland (album / minimalist, ambient piano) [Driftworks]
Every Little Thing is an album that tenderly explores my own search for belonging amidst the uncertainty of turbulent times. It marks a significant milestone for me, as it's the first body of work I recorded in my new studio, nestled by the sea on the South Devon coast—my first true home.
During this transformative period, I spent countless hours wandering the coastal paths and nature reserves, quietly observing the shifting seasons and immersing myself in the rhythms of my new surroundings. Those moments of reflection and discovery became the heartbeat of the album.
Blood at Night and Blood at Night II by Chat Pile (compilations / noise, tape loops, experimental) [Dungeon Earth]
A dual release from Oklahoma city band Chat Pile best known for their 2024 noise rock/sludge metal album Cool World.
From the Bandcamp description of Blood at Night:
“This release contains the entire collection of manipulated tape loops recorded during the making of Cool World. Sections of most of these tracks were dissected and subtly woven into the final version of the record. All the original cassettes used on this collection were sourced from OKC thrift stores and cover a variety of oddball niches like hypnosis tapes, local band practices, hotel conference background music and the occasional religious self-help lecture.”
From the Bandcamp description of Blood at Night II:
“We recorded Cool World at Chat Pile H/Q from December 2023 to March 2024, and during that time we scheduled two specific improv recording sessions to help shake loose the grind that can occur when creating a record from scratch. The first session, represented here by the first three tracks in this collection, included myself, Ron and Raygun blasting feedback and synth squeals at high volumes for a couple hours. The second session involved myself, Luther, Ron, Vincent Ciarlo and Mekala Littleton and excerpts from this jam are represented in tracks 4 through 7. Nothing from either of these sessions ended up on Cool World, but we had fun making them and think these tracks are cool enough to live forever on a cassette.”
All Genres
TOP 3:
The Violets Are Blue by VOLTIJ (album / electronic) [Independent]^
This release, my fourth, is a bit of a different beast in that I focused on composition first and used did sound design to support the compositions, which is just about opposite of what I'd done before. It's a bit diverse stylistically and experimental but definitely has lots of ambient stuff. — note from VOLTIJ who shared this album with our community on Discord
T0M F00LERY by REYSHA RAMI (album / electro pop) [Independent]
A new entry in the electroclash canon, this record is bound for dark club dance floors around the world. Wear your weirdest fit, don your comfiest dancing shoes, and go get FREAKEE.
I WANT MY LOVED ONES TO GO WITH ME by Noah Cyrus (album / folk)
“For a long time, I couldn’t really trust in my own choices. I had to learn how to make decisions for myself and make that transition into adulthood,” Cyrus said in a statement. “But I’ve found who I am, I know who I am, and this record shows what I had inside me all this time. This album is me.” — Noah Cyrus, speaking to Rolling Stone
Music List Reminders: Bold and ^ denote reader-submitted work. Bandcamp links provided for every record that is available on the platform. If an album is not on Bandcamp, YouTube or other streaming links are provided. List format: Title by Artist (release type / genre or subgenres) [Label].
ICYMI: Instrumental Conversations #3 with Benoît Pioulard
On Wednesday, I shared a new interview with Brooklyn-based multi-instrumentalist Benoît Pioulard about his album, Stanza IV, which released today (see #1 in the Ambient list).
Benoît shared so much interesting insight into his new record, his production process, his dedication to analog gear, his community of collaborators, and how he seeks “humanity” in music. It was a really enjoyable conversation and I hope you’ll find some inspiration reading it.
Hearing Our Humanity with Benoît Pioulard
Welcome to Instrumental Conversations, an interview series with artists, label owners, and other creatives in the ambient and instrumental music space.
500 Sub Giveaway FINAL WEEK—win a free album + book!
Hum, Buzz, & Hiss officially hit 500 subs this week! Thanks to all of you for reading. This milestone means the world to me. This is now the final week for you to enter the giveaway in which I’ll be buying 1 winner a free album of their choice on Bandcamp + sending them a signed copy of my poetry book.
Full details on how to enter below!
Invite a friend to subscribe to Hum, Buzz, & Hiss on Substack using the referral link on my leaderboard page: https://meltedform.substack.com/leaderboard
DM or email me your referred friend’s name/email so I can confirm they subscribed (DM on Substack/Discord or email me at meltedform@gmail.com)
1 grand-prize winner will receive an album of their choice on Bandcamp (digital or physical, max $15) + a signed paperback copy of my poetry book Shifting Senses, Lifting Lenses: A Book of Poems and Songs.
Additionally, 2 more winners who refer their friends will also receive copies of the book.
Giveaway ends July 18!
That’s all for this week’s issue. Thank you for reading. Until next time.
Your friend,
Melted Form
Remember to listen to the hum, buzz, & hiss of the world around you—there is music to be heard there.
Read the previous issue of The Living Music List:
Afterword—Let’s Get In Touch
Are you an artist, a label owner, or a member of the press? Want to share an in-depth feature of your upcoming release, an advertisement, or a guest post for a future Hum, Buzz, & Hiss issue? Get in touch with me at meltedform@gmail.com or join our Discord Community. As always, I would love to hear and recommend your music, especially if it’s new and ambient/electronic/experimental.
