songs – Ashish Seth

It’s like watching a movie with the lights on
You’re paying attention to the glare
You’re not paying attention
Pay attention to the glare
You’re not paying attention

I should’ve,
could’ve,
would’ve
If I could
But I didn’t even do that
I could’ve done this
I should’ve done that
Maybe if I did those
Maybe if I did this
By now, I should be here
By then, I should’ve been there
Before that, I must’ve been there
After this, I hope to be here
When did I ever get here?
I had originally planned to get there
There must’ve been a mistake down the line
My hopes and fears are words on white paper
And someone crossed them with a line
Who crossed them with a line?
Were these dreams ever mine?
What if it was me that crossed them off?
What if I don’t want them anymore?
Why isn’t it full yet?
Why did I miss that?
When did I miss it?
Why did it pass me by?
Why didn’t the others warn me?
Maybe it happened differently
If this happened like this
Then why is it like that?
If only it went like that way
If only that way went like this
If this is the end
Have I even got there yet?
Maybe we passed it
Maybe you distracted me
Maybe I should’ve done this alone
Maybe I should’ve had someone else
Maybe we went the wrong way
Maybe we haven’t reached it
Maybe we don’t know what it looks like
Maybe I’m the only one who made it through
That can’t be true, no, I still have you
Maybe my hopes and fears didn’t shine through
Maybe I was ambushed
Maybe they left me
By then, I should’ve had this
By now, I should’ve been here
Maybe I’ve fallen behind
Maybe I’m ahead of my time
By now, I should’ve seen this
By now, I should have this
But I haven’t even done that yet
But I haven’t even been there yet
But I haven’t even felt this feeling
But I haven’t even seen this through
Maybe we will get there even now
Maybe we will get there even still

Baby can you pause the love?
Things take time for me to shake out
It’s like watching a movie with the lights on
Can’t help but pay attention to the glare

By Ashish Seth

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July 18, Three Stooges, Music, Credibility and Obscurity

July 18, Three Stooges, Ashish Seth

Music, Credibility and Obscurity
By Ashish Seth

Often times famous musicians will make put out DJ mixes or advertise their current playlist. Are these mixes an attempt to demonstrate a highly unique musical taste, an attempt to bolster a reputation and gain respect? Is good musical taste simply having a playlist that doesn’t look like anyone else’s? Is good taste in music simply having a playlist no one can recognize? Why is musical credibility found in how deep you dig the crates of musical obscurity?

It’s an assumption that when we pick up a DJ mix from a celebrated musician, we’re expecting songs by artists that very few people know. Apparently the skill in crafting unique mixes is supposed to show the listener that the artist’s taste in music is far superior, that they are on the frontier of music and so you should listen to them. A DJ mix becomes a badge of street cred, a ritual demonstration, a routine check up at the credibility doctor, a document to the genre that says “I know my shit!”

But however pretentious the listeners are in their conception of the producer’s intent on creating such mixes, I think DJ mixes are attempts at documenting the musical psyche, the mental space where all the inspiration and creativity takes place. A DJ mix or playlist is the sound of the artist’s head: if these are the songs that inspire the artist to create, we know where his head’s at when he’s walking the streets, doing his groceries, picking up kids from work, etc and so forth. I implore all listeners to stop buying into the illusion of bestowing indie cred or making bold statements about a musician’s musical taste based on the uniqueness of the mix. Some of the greatest songs may have been inspired from the most obvious places. Instead, a DJ mix or playlist is a document of the artist’s personality: the songs chosen are just how deep the artist had to dig the crates in the musical wilderness to find himself. If anything, it says something about his persistence to be himself.

By Ashish Seth