Human Algorithm | 09.30.24
Sad Girl Autumn Playlist 🍁 Guest Post in OneTrackMinds about Jack Johnson & heartbreak ✍️ My 1st DJ Set 🎧 Espresso Martini DJ Set + Recipe ☕️
The past 2 weeks I’ve been exploring Substack Notes (which is available on your homepage and reminds me of a Twitter feed) and experimenting with posting there daily (you can find Music Club’s Notes page here). It’s been a great way to find other people & newsletters that you may not have stumbled upon. I got music recos from a music newsletter gal from South Africa where I’ll be going for my honeymoon soon and went on a hike with another music curator who also has a German Shepherd. Oh and this week’s playlist mood also comes from someone I connected with via notes. It’s a place where people are keen to interact and connect with one another which is a nice place to be in.
As a bunch of new members joined recently, welcome to Music Club! I call the newsletter the “Human Algorithm” (or HA for short) because my playlists are curated by a human and inspired by the various feelings, emotions & moods we feel as humans. Each newsletter I share new playlists along with various life updates.
🍁 New Playlist: Sad Girl Autumn
I love when people ask “can I have a playlist for _____”! I view it as a musical challenge and a creative brief. Looking for some inspiration for this week’s newsletter, I asked a new member that joined over the weekend for a playlist prompt. She shared “This time of year I love a Sad Girl Hour playlist. Something about autumn has me in those nostalgic longing feels. Would love a playlist that represents your interpretation of falling in and then out of love.”
Falling in and then out of love…oooph. The highest of highs and the lowest of lows.
^ Sad Girl Autumn has also been added to this playlist which gets updated with each new playlist.
✍️ Guest Post: “No Combination of Words…a story about Jack Johnson & heartbreak.”
OneTrackMinds (a live live storytelling show in London and podcast) reached out to me to write about a song that changed my life to feature in their Substack newsletter. When I saw the message come through I was honored to be invited by another music newsletter. Then the pressure hit…what song do I select?? You can read my guest post here or listen to me recite it below! My response actually goes well with the playlist request as I touch on love - the creation and endings of various loves, which is always painful, partially because you can’t yet see what’s ahead.
🎧 DJ Update: My 1st Recorded Set
2 weeks ago I purchase my first DDJ controller with the goal of sharing Music Club sets, as Spotify playlists don’t always do dance music justice! I recorded my first set which I’m pretty proud of. Obviously lots of room for improvement but as my partner tells me don’t let perfect get in the way of good :)
You can listen to the set below and learn more about how I approached it coming from a playlist curation background. Next in the queue is a Halloween Techno set!
🎵 Music Club Beats - Now Playing: Sept 16 - 30
Feat the latest by member Ethan Buckner, Barry Can’t Swim, Suki Waterhouse
^ For my new members, I update this playlist bi-weekly with a batch of new songs I’ve heard recently
☕ Spill the Beans: The latest on Beans Per Minute Coffee
I teased in my last newsletter I was working on a special BPM Cold Brew drink with a local coffee / record shop in LA. Unfortunately they are moving so it’s been put on hold. Definitely bummed as the seasonal Cold Brew was tasty (think fall, but not pumpkin and not too sweet) and was a great way for people to try the coffee. I was also going to host a weekly Friday meet-up for members to on stop by!
But alas, time to pivot…I will try to organize something similar elsewhere in LA - ideally another coffee shop that is open to brewing BPM (even creating a special drink together) and hosting Music Club members. In the meantime, I’ll share the recipe with everyone soon!
For new members, I launched a Music Club coffee brand called Beans Per Minute (BPM) in August that revolves around coffee + tunes! I am currently roasting a balanced, bold medium roast called “House Mix.” If coffee is your thing, I invite you to follow along on Instagram & Shopify.
Catch-Up on Music Club
☕️ Have you jumped on the Espresso Martini craze? If so, this set & recipe is for you!
I discovered your Substack through the notes app! I love the concept of coffee with music!