Jim Willis

Category: Playlists

  • 2021 Year End Music Review

    Started writing this in my journal but figure it’s probably something share-worthy, here’s a quick look at what I listened to in 2021. Planning on using last.fm this year to better track this stuff. Telecaster/Guitar music Earlier this year during lockdown I picked up a very nice used American Telecaster. I love it. It’s the…

  • Alan Jacobs – Breaking Bread with the Dead

    Jacobs writes about Personal Density in the context of how our current media consumption via The Feed of social media comes at such volume and pressure that our now is becoming more and more compressed and narrow. What seemed so important to us just last week has already faded from our attention as quickly as…

  • HomePod Automation

    Man, i spent way too long trying to get my HomePods to work with Apple’s HomeKit automations this AM. I noticed in my Home app that the latest (the really latest that doesn’t brick your HomePod) update had been installed on my stereo pair of HomePods so I was like, sweet, now I can have…

  • Fingers crossed on this Spotify update for iOS

    I’ve been seeing references to the latest beta of Spotify on reddit where users report that Siri support now works with Spotify. This will be great if it works well! I have been loving my stereo homepods but am itching for better automation/shortcuts and Siri integration and have been using my iTunes library to play…

  • HomePod with iTunes Match

    I’m running stereo HomePods in our living room. Boy what a difference a second HomePod makes! Doesn’t sound as good as my beloved Vandersteens which got relocated during a recent furniture rearrangement and frankly the Homepods don’t make for great “active listening” because the imaging is way to fuzzy and nebulous but for just hanging…

  • Spotify or Apple Music?

    I’ve been using Spotify since July, 2011 (when it first became available in the US). It is my go-to streaming service. We’ve had the family plan for years. I use it to work on collaborative playlists with the other musicians with whom I play. I use it when I am learning new songs–being able to…

  • The Great $100 Home Audio Project*

      (*Actually only  $70 if you already have an amp/receiver to plug into). We’ve been in our house for almost 10 years and I still haven’t found a good way to take advantage conveniently of the speakers that were built into our Master Bedroom ceiling. The speakers feed into a selector box in the basement…

  • The Morning Playlist

    The Morning Playlist Morning is the most difficult time of day for me to select what to listen to. The right playlist can set the day off on a trajectory of inspirado. But a poor choice can count off a day of ennui and lethargy. I need some suggestions to spice up my morning listening.…