Artist Primers (only for paid-subscribers)

an AHB's Goodies guide to some of my favorite artists

Mar 11, 2025

∙ Paid

What is AHB’s Goodies’ mixtape delivery service? This about page covers the basics. Visit this footnote1 for an introduction to some favorite old posts. Mostly it is a website designed to encourage eclectic music discovery without relying on algorithms—much like the experience of sharing cassette mixtapes in the 1990s.

Upgrade to paid

What you’re reading here is an evergreen post exclusively for paid subscribers. (Also friends of the mixtape delivery service who I’ve given a complimentary subscription!) Periodically, I will update it with new Artist Primer playlists.

Each of these were created for my personal listening, often as I myself was exploring the discography of the artist in question. So I won’t claim you are listening to a playlist crafted by an expert; rather, I’m sharing the human experience of exploring another person’s creativity through the lens of my own biases and taste. For some reason, in the age of AI maximalism, the value of that feels…off-trend. But I’m a big believer in taste—having it, refining it, sharing it.

White dudes are overrepresented in this initial collection of playlists. I plan to remedy that.2 For context, in many cases, I created these playlists as a way of remembering an artist soon after they died, or experienced a moment of increased cultural visibility. i.e. a biopic, a career revival, a reunion tour, etc. I’d like to hear your recommendations for musicians who most deserve an Artist Primer. Suggestions in the comments or respond to the email version of this post. As always, thank you for listening.

jumpsuit created by artist & filmmaker Barbara Hammer, as spotted in the Beinecke Library’s Collections of LGBTQ Creativity at Yale University

Get full access with a paid subscription

What is an Artist Primer?

This portion of AHB’s Goodies will always remain behind a paywall. It is a growing collection of playlists offering a human-curated entry point into the discographies of some major players and cult figures in music. Never knew where to start with Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton or Nick Cave? Never even heard of Daniel Higgs, The Sadies, or Low? Well do I have some playlists for you.

For now most of them are Spotify-only but I plan to remedy that over time.