Most songs about dancing fall into one of two categories: Instructional. These are songs whose sole… Read the postWeek 239: “Coffee” by Sylvan Esso
Whatever happened to hats? I mean, people still wear hats. But these days, most hats… Read the postWeek 238: “Goodbye Pork Pie Hat” by Charles Mingus
Singing is good for you. Study after study tells us so: from reducing the risk… Read the postWeek 237: “You Got Me Singing” by Frank Eddie
Jazz has come to an interesting point in the life cycle of musical genres. It’s… Read the postWeek 236: “Hopopono” by GoGo Penguin
I’ve got nothing against parties, nightclubs, pub crawls, or any event that involves a lot… Read the postWeek 235: “Abendlied” by Josef Rheinberger
For someone who’s interested in music, I feel like I’ve overlooked Nick Drake. I was… Read the postWeek 234: “River Man” by Nick Drake
I grew about ten inches between my 12th and 15th birthdays. Not exactly a freakish… Read the postWeek 233: “Only Growing Old” by Kate Davis
Because Paul Simon’s Graceland album was a staple of my family’s long road trips, I… Read the postWeek 232: “You Can Call Me Al” by Paul Simon (The Honey Ants cover)
One of the weirdest things about growing up is that at some point, in conversations… Read the postWeek 231: “Home Again” by Michael Kiwanuka
My house is the last one on the street, and all down the west side… Read the postWeek 230: “Within It, Along” by Tess Said So
I’m a bit of a sucker for plaques. I might be late for a meeting,… Read the postWeek 229: “Sleepy Lagoon” by Harry James
I’ve been in a few bands over the years, and I can tell you that… Read the postWeek 228: “Saendscho” by Islands Of Light
Like many people, I spent a lot of time killing bugs as a kid. The… Read the postWeek 227: “Passage” by Knowledge Of Bugs
I’m usually a bit wary of tribute albums. Tribute albums are the musical equivalent of… Read the postWeek 226: “Waltz #1” by Elliott Smith (Christopher O’Riley cover)
A mandatory part of growing up is having a mind-blowing conversation with a close friend… Read the postWeek 225: “Outta My System” by My Morning Jacket (Washed Out remix)
Being a professional entertainer is probably tough in any era, but can you imagine trying… Read the postWeek 224: “Gee But I’d Like To Make You Happy” by The Boswell Sisters
For a bird that weighs about as much as a handful of paperclips, the nightingale… Read the postWeek 223: “Blue Nightingale” by Madeline Tasquin
I recently read that 1999 was the worst year in the history of music. It’s… Read the postWeek 222: “Dry the Rain” by The Beta Band
Sometimes, less is more. Sometimes you don’t need a plate piled high with food, a… Read the postWeek 221: “Am I Wrong” by Keb Mo
Clara Wieck’s father Friedrich decided that she was going to be a musician well before… Read the postWeek 220: “Liebst Du Um Schonheit” by Clara Schumann