Marcus J. Moore’s new Substack newsletter, Active Listening, is a “musical diary”
The music journalist promises to “keep it interesting.”
Photo: Jati Lindsay/Instagram
Music journalist Marcus J. Moore has launched a new Substack newsletter.
After being created in July of last year, Active Listening was officially publicized earlier this month, January 21st. For its first post, Moore wrote an essay on American soul singer-songwriter Eugene McDaniels. He also published a piece on Detroit rapper and producer Quelle Chris earlier this week.
Unlike music media’s typical adherence to release promotional cycles, press campaigns, streaming numbers, and other industry standards, Active Listening will instead be Moore’s “musical diary,” he said in an Instagram post.
“It’s about discovery and the appreciation of music in all forms,” he continued. “I promise to keep it interesting.”
Marcus J. Moore is known for his work in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Rolling Stone, The Atlantic, and more. In 2019, he helped lay the foundation for music marketplace Bandcamp’s editorial site, Bandcamp Daily, serving as its senior editor. Two years later, he served as the Hip-Hop Director of the Denver-based record club, Vinyl Me, Please.
Moore is also an established author, penning two books: his 2020 debut title The Butterfly Effect: How Kendrick Lamar Ignited the Soul of Black America and High and Rising (A Book About De La Soul), which was released last November. In December 2024, the writer announced a two-book deal with Simon & Schuster’s Atria Books. In Songs For My Mother, the project’s working title, he reflects on his relationship with his mother through music. Drums Unlimited will be a biography of Brooklyn jazz drummer Max Roach.
Subscribe to Active Listening and keep reading for the full announcement post.
