Substacks recommended by Jared Smith

Recommended by Jared Smith

Every album tells a story. Most never get heard. We dig them out with podcasts exploring heavy 70s, 80s metal, 90s alternative, and 00s rock—forgotten masterpieces, lost classics, and legends that still have something to say.

Tá Todo Mundo Tentando | Gaía Passarelli

Desde 2021 | Novo livro: DESLUMBRE: HISTÓRIAS DE OBSESSÃO MUSICAL (Terreno Estranho, 2025)

The Vinyl Room

By Andres

Because life has surface noise

No one writes about vinyl more poetically than Andres, one of my favorite weekly reads!

- Jared Smith

AnEarful

By Jeremy Shatan

Giving you an earful about an omnivorous array of music, from cutting-edge sounds by living composers to new (and old) classics in rock, folk, hip hop, pop, R&B, reggae, jazz, global, and more. Established 2009.

Recent and Decent

By Matt Bull

A celebration of recent and decent music. Playlists, reviews and other musical titbits.

New Bands for Old Heads

By Gabbie

New music recommendations, essays, and community for people who don't keep up with new music. The record store experience, sans snobbery.

New Bands for Old Heads is like having a cool friend who simplifies discovery with playlists, reviews, and witty chatter— perfect for reigniting your music obsession.

- Jared Smith

Music of Africa

Song recommendations, information, reviews, themed YouTube playlists, and more. We focus mainly (but not exclusively) on southern Africa (especially Botswana, Malawi, Zimbabwe, and South Africa) and eastern Africa (Uganda and Kenya).

Dinner Music

By Jacqui

Left-field grooves and retro gems. Weekly playlists and album recs.

My mandatory Monday ritual.

- Jared Smith

The GRID

By THE GRID

Film, TV and Music

Super unique newsletter with great culture content.

- Jared Smith

Earworms and Song Loops

By Steve Goldberg

The songs and bit-o'-songs that gets stuck in my head, worming to the digital surface, and inspiring a host of personal stories along the way.

Dig It!

By Terry Barr

Music, culture, literature

Terms Of Enlightenment by JB Minton

By JB Minton 📺

Certified Consciousness Advisor, New Critic, & Storyteller

Kalowski's Substack

By Kal Hodgson

My personal Substack about music, mainly, with the odd foray into other aspects of culture.

On Repeat Records

By Kevin

Ditch the algorithm. Music discovery made easy—curated by someone who remembers when a mixtape could change your life.

The Discover Tab

By Dan Gorman

Helping you find something good to listen to.

With each issue, you'll learn something new and hear something exciting. Highly recommended!

- Jared Smith

The Run Out Grooves

By Mitchell

Sometimes, the last song says everything. Essays on the greatest (and not so great) album closers. How they’re made, what they mean, and why endings stick.

Hear Hear

By Adam Offitzer

Monthlyish music newsletter with playlists, songs, and artists worth listening to, across all genres.

one of the best ways to stay on top of new music

- Jared Smith

Musical Chairs

By Steve Bradley

A weekly perspective on music every Friday. Information, inspiration, indignation.

Joy of Vinyl

By Rick Coste

I write about the joy of vinyl. From the rituals, improvements, and the strange philosophical pull of the playback experience, my goal is to help you hear more in the records you already own.