Author: Jim Kourlas
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Mark Eitzel + American Music Club Mix
The kids are not alright. When my friend Mike remarked how bad a year it’s been for new music releases, I felt relieved; I’m not crazy. Most everything I’ve heard this year is beat-less, drenched in vocal effects and saddled by therapy lingo. I was struggling to put together a mix this month when I…
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August 2023 Mix
I wish I were meeting my fiftieth year with more grace than this but here I am, still grumping ceaselessly into the past. Jessica Anne came to town from Chicago. We had ribs, donuts, and a reading at the Benson wine bar. The boy gave me this card after asking me if I was like…
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July 2023 Mix
A lil itty-bitty mix this month that I have to admit I like but don’t love. Like: the songs are good but not a lot of them really pop out as memorable. I don’t know if that’s because I’m not in much of a listening mood these days or I’ve exhausted the music seams I…
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June 2023 Mix
I spent some time in Chicago recently and snapped this picture of my old lavanderia. Sunday afternoons with a paperback and an iPod. Then I’d get carryout from Taqueria Super Burrito, letting my pit bull Stanley lick up my burrito drippings off the hardwood floor. Those weren’t good times but gosh do I miss Chicago.…
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May 2023 Mix
Last weekend, I found myself in the Fremont, Nebraska, HyVee, pictured above. It’s the setting for a lot of action in my manuscript which I’m calling This Glorious Middle State. I started sending it off to literary agents a couple weeks ago. I don’t know how I ended up writing a novel that takes place…
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April 2023 Mix
It’s kinda sort of maybe warming up here in the Midwest, which means parking lot medians are being mulched. If they have any mulch-worthy medians, that is. I love this American National Bank building on Maple and 90th. It reminds me of monstrous concrete buildings and civic decorations in Yucatan. Anyway, I finished my novel…
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March 2023 Mix
What on earth is this dog breed? I saw it in Mexico City a couple of times, or maybe it was the same dog over and over. It’s amazing. If anyone knows, let me know. There are dog breed identifying apps but I’d rather live in the mystery or have someone tell me. I’m exhausted…
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March Fadness 2023
I had a blast taking part in the 2023 MarchXness music essay tournament. Posting my little essay about Bob & Doug McKenzie’s one hit wonder “Take Off” was humbling. There are so many amazing writers who know far more about music than I could hope to. But I relished the chance to write about my oldest friendship,…
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February 2023 Mix
My son Theo cut out and drew the map for airplanes above. I taped it to the wall above my desk because I liked how the planes are following a path beneath the clouds toward the sun. I’ve always suffered from depression and felt like he was offering to be my navigator through it. The…
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January 2023 Mix
Last month was the first time in forever that I didn’t finish at least one mix. I suppose it was a busy month what with the holidays, but in truth I was probably just listening to classic rock. Ever since I moved to Omaha, I’ve fallen back to bad old nostalgic habits. But this January…
Jim Kourlas 