Still ramping up.

I’ve listened to more new music this month than I did January through April combined. I liken the feeling to getting your appetite back after you've been rundown with a long illness that killed your desire to consume anything at all because your body can't even muster the energy to process it. May has been a particularly introspective month for me personally, but it's also been the month that I changed my schedule up and instituted some major lifestyle changes that have taken hold in a number of healthy ways.

I'm still working on regaining my old vim and vigor when it comes to music and arts and cultural writing—the last 2 years took a particular emotional toll in that segment of my productivity. While my day-to-day 9-to-5 writing has remained strong I think that's because the section of my brain responsible for that has stayed sharp and focused no matter what my current personal situation has been. In some ways I've probably strengthened that section of output since it both allowed me to be creative and avoid inward thinking. Writing in the service of something outside of you can be really great when you're trying to avoid negative periods in your life.

Anyway, here's a peppy video about "bad vibrations" for you to enjoy off Josh Berwanger's forthcoming album Watching A Garden Die, out June 28. I'll share more on this closer to its release date, but it seemed just the right mixture of upbeat negativity for a Monday morning post built on the self-reflection of rebuilding positivity out of darker times.