What's a song you'd want your best friend to hear for the first time?

I will answer this one a different direction. This is a song that, if somebody else tells me they like it, I figure we could be friends - at least musical friends. This level of chill jam is something very special.

Had pretty well forgotten about this song, but put it as the first track on my morning running playlist. It gives me one track to sort of get into an energetic place before the really high-tempo stuff kicks in. And the first line:

"Your eyelids are made of lead, you can't keep them up, it's sleepytime..."

Pretty sure that's exactly how I felt this morning my first half mile.

What song do you associate with your favorite book or movie?

Wait, I have to pick a favorite?!? How in the world do I choose? I could've chosen anything from O Brother, Where Art Thou? or from That Thing You Do! or any of the Arcade Fire instrumentals from Her, or anything from Once...

Instead I'm going to pick a fun song from John Carney's other excellent movie musical, Sing Street. Love this one.

What's a song that makes you want to learn an instrument?

Let's take it to one that made me want to learn an instrument. When I was in high school I fell hard for Harry Connick's soundtrack to When Harry Met Sally. This track has a beautiful mellow saxophone solo that I still know note-for-note. That inspired me to try taking up the sax. I tried. I added it to my list of experiences that convinced me that I wasn't gonna enjoy playing instruments I had to blow into.

Share a song that perfectly soundtracks your commute.

First, it's gotta be a commute home. I don't listen to music on the way in; not awake enough yet in the morning. Bruce Hornsby playing piano live is one of my favorite things. And at 8 minutes long, by the time the track is done, so is my (nice and short) commute. Perfect.

I was cleaning up my music library the other night and ran across this banger. Seriously, the Mermaid Avenue records (Billy Bragg & Wilco setting music to Woody Guthrie lyrics) are full of goodness.

Changed up my running playlist last night and stumbled back across this song, which makes an excellent addition to it.

VoL are channeling their best REM vibe here, and it's delightful. The song is so tight - compact and efficient with a fantastic chorus. It's one of those songs I could just put on repeat for a while.

I'm not a big crier. But if there's a song that always gets me right in the feels, it's this one.

Life doesn't discriminate between the sinners and the saints It takes and it takes and it takes And we keep living anyway We rise and we fall and break and we make our mistakes And if there's a reason I'm still alive When so many have died I'm willing to wait for it

When I was a teenager, I remember being on a family camping vacation to Estes Park, Colorado, and heading down the hill from the campground to meet one of my best friends who was a student for the summer at Rocky Ridge Music. Lydia and I were both pianists and were a little bit competitive about it. (She went on to get a degree in piano performance, so she wins in the long run.) She was practicing with a few other musicians, and they were working on this opening movement to Claude Bolling's wonderful jazz suite.

Later on as an adult I bought the score and practiced some of it. Still need to run across a good flautist if I ever hope to perform it, though.

It's pretty awesome to have friends who make amazing music. I was a fan of Andrew's before I became a friend; his music is even more meaningful now.