Present Tense
Mike ConklinPresent Tense is a daily newsletter from music writer Mike Conklin for lifelong listeners who are committed to making room for new music—following the threads from the records that shaped us to the ones being made right now.
| Platform |  | Pricing | Only free issues | Publishes | Daily |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Issues | 130 | Founded | 2 years ago | Last Issue | 11 hours ago |
| Active | |||||
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mikeconklin22.substack.comLatest Issues
A Moment for Kurt Vile’s Guitar Playing, Please
There are currently more important things happening in the world, even more so than usual — ranging from multiple members of my immediate family being laid up sick in bed to Election Day anxiety to another installment in the never-ending se...
I Literally Cannot Stop Listening to This Song
I spent a fair amount of time in the car over the past couple of days, driving my kids to and from various Halloween-related events, and I’m pretty sure the only thing I listened to the entire time was the Present Tense Song of the Day play...
Imagine Not Boring Yourself Half to Death?
2026 marks 40 years since the first-ever Guided By Voices release, a seven-song EP called Forever Since Breakfast, the title of which now strikes me as funny in the context of the band’s career. According to the Guided By Voices Database, w...
Why Signature Guitars Matter
Not that anyone asked, but I would never buy an artist’s signature guitar. I find the idea somewhat embarrassing, like the guitar nerd equivalent of a sports fan wearing a jersey with their favorite player’s name on the back. I realize I’m...
Some Housekeeping and a Song That Is Very Much After My Own Heart
Gooood morning, all. I feel an irrational sense of obligation to explain the slight uptick in missed days around here over the past few weeks, even though there is very little indication that anyone has even noticed. One of the days I misse...
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| Subscribers | Engagement | 79 | Monthly Web Visits | ||
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| Accepts Sponsors | Estimated Cost per Ad | ||||
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Authors
The writers behind this newsletter.
A music-loving suburban dad and longtime media professional with a ton of records, more guitars than necessary and lots of thoughts on creativity, community and the power of both.
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