No Expectations 053: I’m Not There
A look back on the first year of the newsletter. Plus, my favorite 2023 lists, a new playlist, and the return of the Chicago show calendar.
No Expectations hits inboxes on Thursdays at 9am cst. This is the last newsletter of 2023. I’m taking a two-week break but will be back with more weekly blogs starting Jan. 4, 2024.
Thank you so much for reading the No Expectations Best Albums of 2023 roundup last week. That EOY list was the most popular post in this newsletter’s short history. To the folks who signed up because of it, thanks for being here. I hope you stick around. To the people who emailed or commented about the music they discovered and loved from the blog, you made my day.
Feel free to email the newsletter mailbag for any questions, comments, grievances, or recommendations here: noexpectationsnewsletter@gmail.com.
(If you want to pitch me on your band or client, hit up my personal email joshhowardterry@gmail.com).
Housekeeping
As you read up top, No Expectations is taking a brief hiatus to close out 2023. This is the first pause in the newsletter’s history since I started it in December 2022. It breaks a 53-week streak. Though it feels weird to not keep it going, I think I should take a short breather. It’s a drag to open up emails during the holidays and I don’t want to spend them making Christmas-themed playlists and updating this website just for the sake of it. I’d rather take time to start planning out the 2024 No Expectations editorial calendar, work on new Discography Deep Dives, and schedule artists for the Taste Profile interview series. I also want to familiarize myself with upcoming LPs so I know what music to cover in 2024. Don’t worry: I’ll also take it easy and not think about writing for a while. Hell, I might even drink a beer or two. The blog will be back better than ever in the new year.
The No Expectations Reader
Last week, this newsletter celebrated its first anniversary. When I started it, I had no idea if anyone would care or if I’d be able to maintain my own interest in posting regularly. The one thing I did know is that after a decade of working for various publications (VICE, RedEye Chicago, Netflix) and freelancing for places (Billboard, The A.V. Club, Rolling Stone), I wanted an outlet where I could write about whatever I wanted. While I’m still a full-time freelance writer, the idea of simply blogging without needing to run it by an editor, worrying about traffic, or how it fits into a particular editorial voice, was and still is really appealing. I initially set pretty modest goals like “Get 1000 Subscribers Within a Year” (it’s almost at 2,500 now). I also had goals that were kind of a pain in the ass like “Publish Once a Week For an Entire Year” (I didn’t miss a week and even published twice some weeks).
I’m proud of what it’s become. I think it certainly got better as the months went on. Because there are a lot of new subscribers from the year-end list and because I don’t expect even the most loyal reader to check out every newsletter, I decided to round up some of No Expectations’ greatest hits. These are the more evergreen ones. Several previous newsletters tackled music news—like this one on the Ed Sheeran plagiarism trial that was outdated 24 hours after publishing—and I wanted to showcase the blogs that you could check out whenever. The biggest challenge running this thing is knowing what readers want. I gave up on mind-reading early on so instead of guessing, I’ve just gone with whatever I’m most interested in at the moment. Some readers have asked me to write about my life more (I don’t believe them) while a few just scroll down so they can listen to the weekly playlist. It’s all valid. No matter what, I’m grateful to have this scrappy little blog. I hope you got something out of it in 2023. Thanks for a great first year.
If you’re new to No Expectations, each week you get a wildcard main essay, a new 15-song playlist, updates on what I’m listening to, watching, and reading, and if you live in Chicago too, a roundup of local shows to check out. This list is a good sampler pack for the newsletter. Some of the choices below are artist interviews, others are deep dives on one band, a few are essays, and a couple are answers to mailbag questions from readers.
Discography Deep Dives:
Triple D is a series where I get to write about one artist and do an album-by-album breakdown of their entire catalog. The goal in 2024 is to do one of these every month. January’s edition will be about my first favorite band.
Here’s one on Sufjan Stevens
Here’s another on Vampire Weekend
Taste Profiles:
My favorite part of music journalism is interviewing people. I like talking and I like conversations that have a vibe beyond the traditional artist-journalist Q&A. The pieces with hacky “Why did you call your album this?” questions are such a drag and you can tell artists get sick of getting asked the same five things over an album cycle. I started the Taste Profile interview series to help combat that. By having a musician pick three formative things and three things they’re into now, you can disarm them into just hyping up the things they care about. It’s been a ton of fun.
Here’s an interview with Slaughter Beach, Dog’s Jake Ewald
Here’s another with Ratboys’ Julia Steiner
Essays:
I think the word “thinkpiece” is one of the most inelegant words in online media. That said, you could say I write “thinkpieces” sometimes. Here are a few instances when I wrote essays that didn’t make me cringe after publishing. If you want to know the ones that do make me cringe, you’ll have to sign up for the paid tier.
On the difference between “songs artists” and “vibes artists”
On seeing my first show from Phish, a band I once hated
On growing up with late-night TV and watching it die
Mailbags:
Occasionally, a No Expectations reader will send an email to the mailbag (noexpectationsnewsletter@gmail.com) and I’ll answer their question. The most popular one I get is “I’m coming to Chicago—where should I eat and drink?” which I haven’t posted to the blog yet. These questions from aspiring journalists below are a good example of how the format works.
“Can you still make a career out of music journalism?”
“I’m starting out in music journalism. Do you have any advice about pitching?”
Album recommendations:
The meat-and-potatoes of this newsletter is recommending new music to check out. That said, I think it’s important to also give shine to LPs that came out over a year ago. Album cycles aren’t real: they’re a fabrication of the music industry made up of people with low imaginations and short attention spans. If the music is good, it’s as good now as it was when it came out. This series, which will continue in 2024, gives praise to full-lengths that I missed when they came out.
13 Albums I Missed in 2022
Some Shameless Plugs
I was on the Tonight’s Musical Guest Today podcast
The hosts of Tonight’s Musical Guest Today saw my essay on the death of late-night TV in the newsletter a few months back and asked me to be on their podcast. I’m happy they did. Their show does deep dives on one artist via late-night TV performances. It’s a great concept already but the guest gets to choose who to cover in the episode. (Too often you go in blind on these things and end up looking like an idiot). I initially chose Wilco but realized that the recording would just be me raving about that band so I decided on Coldplay instead. Now, I wouldn’t call myself a Coldplay defender (though I think the first few records are Good and I am actually quoted on the Wikipedia page for their 2013 effort Ghost Stories). I just figured it’d be a more interesting conversation to talk about a band that I sometimes like and sometimes loathe. I had a blast on this one. The hosts were funny and we got along swimmingly. I even think some of my jokes were good too. If you can stomach two and a half hours of Coldplay riffing, try this out.
I wrote about my top five songs by The Cure in Luke O’Neil’s newsletter
Luke O’Neil’s Welcome to Hell World was the first newsletter I ever became a paying subscriber to. I’m still there and it’s always fantastic. A few months ago, Luke asked if I could contribute to a roundup of writers listing their Top 5 Weezer songs. I passed because I’m not a Weezer fan (I like “Islands In the Sun” lol) but I’m grateful he gave me another shot to talk about The Cure. Though I wouldn’t consider myself a superfan of the Robert Smith-led icons in the same way that I love Dylan, Lou Reed, or Pavement, their music has been a pretty ubiquitous presence in my life for the last two decades. My top 5 included a couple of expected songs and a few curveballs like the opening track to the unjustly-maligned 2000 LP Bloodflowers. A huge honor to be on Welcome to Hell World alongside so many great writers.
I joined Dan Ozzi and Ian Cohen to guest on the Indie Basketball podcast
Indie Basketball is a podcast that, you guessed it, operates at the intersection of indie rock and basketball. They’ve interviewed some great artists about their love for the NBA but the other week, they had me, Ian Cohen, and Dan Ozzi to “draft” album openers. I will note that I accidentally deleted my list in the middle of recording so my last few picks are me scrambling to remember what I put. I should’ve added “Astral Weeks” over Slowdive’s “Alison” but I’m happy with my picks. Always great to see the buds and legends Dan and Ian too.
What I listened to:
Aquarium Drunkard: 2023 Year in Review
Every year without fail this is the most essential and eclectic year-end list. Aquarium Drunkard is the best website. I’m going to slowly make my way through this one throughout the year and beyond. Every time they put out a wrap-up post, they’ll have a half-dozen things I’ve never heard that will become future alltimers.
Post-Trash's Year In Review: The Best of 2023
Post-Trash founder Dan Goldin (Exploding In Sound Records) is one of the best people working to highlight under-the-radar releases and champion deserving artists. This is the only list you need if indie rock is your bread and butter.
No Expectations 053 Playlist: Spotify // Apple Music
This week’s playlist is a selection of my favorite songs from artists I didn’t include in the year-end list. Some of these were accidental snubs that I forgot about when compiling my 2023 roundup and others are standalone songs that didn’t feature on a new full-length album.
1. Meg Baird, “Star Hill Song”
2. Fran, “Palm Trees”
3. Stephen Steinbrink, “Cruiser (Reprise)”
4. Sam Evian, “Life Go Low”
5. Tex Crick, “Mulberry Wine”
6. Lily Seabird, “Grace”
7. Stella Kola, “Free Afternoon”
8. Andy Shauf, “Wasted On You”
9. John Andrews and the Yawns, “Starving Artist”
10. Fishplate, “Angel’s Gone”
11. Washer, “False Prize”
12. Paul Cherry, Kate Bollinger, “Playroom”
13. Tobacco City, “Motorcade”
14. Graham Hunt, “Emergency Contact”
15. claire rousay, Helena Deland, “Deceiver”
What I watched:
I’m Not There
There are fans of Bob Dylan who hate I’m Not There and there are fans of director Todd Haynes who hate I’m Not There. I don’t fall into either camp: I love both artists and think I’m Not There is electric and fun, even during the messy parts that either didn’t age well or didn’t land perfectly. I’d advise you not to think about this film as a biopic of Bob Dylan rather than an impressionistic, nonlinear, and fantastical film inspired by his life and music. Six actors play fictional characters meant to be avatars of Dylan’s varying personas. Ben Whishaw’s Arthur nails Dylan’s voice the best, Cate Blanchett’s Jude is the most thrilling, and Heath Ledger’s Robbie is the most affecting. There are some moments where it feels too much like Big Fish but the soundtrack is great and it’s a hypnotic watch. I hated it in 2007 but I’ve warmed up to it a lot over the years.
What I read:
This Wheel's on Fire: Levon Helm and the Story of the Band by Levon Helm
After Levon Helm died in 2012, I bought a copy of his memoir and treated it like a Bible. In the unlikely situation I’m ever a guest on Marc Maron’s WTF, I would absolutely choose Helm when he’d ask, “Who are your guys?” I decided to give This Wheel’s on Fire another spin over a decade later after my annual rewatch of The Last Waltz. It’s still great, even if it will sour your feelings toward Martin Scorcese’s legendary concert film and Robbie Robertson. Alongside journalist Stephen Davis, Helm writes with grace, color, and charm as he gives an unflinching account of the Band, their initial brotherhood, and how the music industry (and Robertson) soured that bond. I’ll probably read Robertson’s memoir next. I should also warn you: the memoir opens with a brutal account of the night Richard Manuel committed suicide. What a life Helm led. He was a true believer in great songs and the galvanizing force of live music until the very end.
Chronicles Vol. 1 by Bob Dylan
I’m mad I was told to skip this book early on and I’m mad it took me almost 20 years to finally get around to it. I don’t care if Dylan is bullshitting on a few points (no, I don’t believe his claim that Blood On the Tracks is a concept album based on Chekhov’s short stories). But the way he bends the truth is basically his whole deal and why I’m such a massive fan. In his 2004 memoir Chronicles Vol. 1, Dylan writes winding, fascinating, and sparkling essays on his life during the making of three of his LPs: his 1962 debut, 1970’s New Morning, and 1989’s Oh Mercy. His prose is incredible and the way he thinks about music is so fascinating. I especially loved how he wrote about New Orleans and how he eventually warmed up to Daniel Lanois in the studio. Pretty funny stuff. His thinking behind the Never Ending Tour? Mind-blowing. The Philosophy of Modern Song is up next.
Dreaming the Beatles: The Love Story of One Band and the Whole World by Rob Sheffield
Rob Sheffield is a great writer whose 2007 book Love Is a Mix Tape is absolutely beautiful. It’s one of the first music journalism memoirs I read and it’s stuck with me over 15 years later. Though I’ve never met him, he’s been one of the most supportive people to countless friends and peers. I still read him whenever I can—he’s a legend— and even though we now vehemently disagree on, say, Taylor Swift and Harry Styles, I always check in to see if I’m missing something or just being a hater. (In music writing, people whom I disagree with are often more interesting than the folks who share my tastes). We agree about The Beatles though. This is a fan-centered and cultural perspective on the band, their relationships with each other, Rob’s life soundtracked by these tunes, and the dozens of incredible songs during and after the band. Reading this, I better understand where he’s coming from when he raves about marquee pop albums. I still don’t share his tastes but his enthusiasm is truly infectious. While I did audibly say “fuck off” when he wrote that Bob Dylan’s Lennon tribute “Roll On John” on 2012’s Tempest was bad, I had a blast revisiting this music and reading Sheffield’s effusive and funny prose on the biggest band ever.
The No Expectations EOY Chicago Show Calendar
Thursday, Dec. 14: Olive Avenue, Red Scarves, Niko Kapetan (Friko) at Schubas. Tickets.
Friday, Dec. 15: Hollyy, Jacob on the Moon, Wyatt Waddell at Lincoln Hall. Tickets.
Saturday, Dec. 16: The Armed, Model/Actriz at Metro. Tickets.
Saturday, Dec. 16: Bitchin Bajas, Glyders at Thalia Hall. Tickets.
Thursday, Dec. 21: Andrew Sa and Friends at Hideout. Tickets.
Thursday, Dec. 21: Smushie, Modern Dairy, Frankie Master at Subterranean. Tickets.
Friday, Dec. 22: Motorbike, Cel Rey, SPVD at Empty Bottle. Tickets.
Friday, Dec. 22: Andrew Sa and Friends at Hideout. Tickets.
Friday, Dec. 22: Ratboys, Disq at Thalia Hall. Tickets.
Wednesday, Dec. 27: Patti Smith at Salt Shed. Tickets.
Friday, Dec. 29: The Lemonheads, Kiwi Jr. at SPACE. Sold out.
Saturday, Dec. 30: The Lemonheads, Kiwi Jr. at SPACE. Sold out.
Saturday, Dec. 30: NNAMDI, Monobody at Empty Bottle. Tickets.
Sunday, Dec. 31: NNAMDI, Stress Positions at Empty Bottle. Tickets.
Sunday, Dec. 31: The Lemonheads, Kiwi Jr. at SPACE. Tickets.
Sunday, Dec. 31: Joyce Manor at Thalia Hall. Tickets.
"I gave up on mind-reading early on so instead of guessing, I’ve just gone with whatever I’m most interested in at the moment. "
Tbh, I think this makes for the most interesting writing. From my observer's perch, it seems like readers are more interested in personal takes/perspective than anything else.
At any rate, I'm happy we crossed paths this year! No Expectations is a fave of mine. Enjoy your time off. Who knows? Maybe 2024 is the year I finally break out of my cocoon and come down for show.
Congrats on your great year, Josh - I know it certainly enlivened mine. And so glad you finally read Chronicles Vol. 1. I've been telling people for YEARS that it is an essential book about music, regardless of your feelings about Dylan. Cheers for a great holiday season and a happy and healthy 2024.