It Wasn't An Algorithm

One of my favorite ways to come across songs I haven't heard yet is to search for a song I already do know and love in YouTube then click on something in the "Up Next" column. I keep clicking on to the next until I find something I want to listen to whole way through. Usually, this goes pretty well and I almost always find a new piece of ear candy.

Things didn't pan out that way today. I just wasn't picking up what YouTube was putting down. So then I moved on to my other go to. I went straight to Stones Throw's channel. They have been one of my favorite indie record labels since I first found my way to them. Growing up, I got pretty into Peanut Butter Wolf. I loved everything he touched, produced, mixed, you name it. His sound was hip-hop-heaven to my ears — funk, soul, breakbeats, horns, jazz, and even some strings sometimes. So when I found out he started a record label, it was my musical nerd wish come true.

I love math. I love science. I love technology. And I deeply appreciate the craft that Stones Throw does so well. As a label, they cultivate and advance a sound, while also challenging genres themselves. They experiment with hip hop, soul, funk, boogie, rock. They push musical boundaries.

While I suspect I'll revert back to my mindless clicking occasionally, letting Google/YouTube/Facebook/whoever deliver some media to my eyeballs based on algorithmic guesses, there's just no replacing the good taste of music lovers who want to share solid grooves, who curate the finest aural experiences and build relationships with musicmakers.

And now, my new favorite song, and a video just released today.

Thank you, Stones Throw. Thank you, Gabriel Garzón-Montano.