What’s a hidden gem you wish more people knew about?

My kid introduced me to Bukahara, a group hailing from Germany but with strong Greek & North African influences.

Thursday's #earworm... this was my first introduction to Eva Cassidy. Such a voice... such a loss at a young age. (Also, the trio playing with her is top-notch.)

A song from college or early adulthood.

I don't even know why this one came to mind, but for these prompts, why not?

This morning's earworm. I was listening to the Song Exploder podcast on this song yesterday, mentioned it to my family last night, and my 16-year-old daughter immediately said "oh yeah, that's a good song, I went through a real phase with it back in freshman year". And so now the song hits me not just as a classic 90's ballad of unrequited love, but as one my youngest daughter probably shed her own tears to... oof.

Anyway, classic song.

#earworm

What is the oldest song you like?

A lovely, ambiguous prompt. What sense of old do we mean here? Recordings only go back so far... but songs go back as far as history and even further.

Of The Father's Love Begotten is translated from a Latin text written by Prudentius, who was born in 348. The plainchant melody we put with the words goes back at least as far as the 10th century.

I don't have a favorite recording of it, but this one is representative enough.

A song off the last album you paid money for.

I mean, I pay money for a streaming service every single month. But if we interpret this as the last album I bought as an album, I'm not sure, but it's probably this one from Andrew Osenga.

A song from the 2010s that you like or means something to you.

When even was the 2010s? Pretty sure Hamilton fits in there, and lordy did I listen to it a lot back in those days.

A song from the 1990s that you like or means something to you.

Oh good grief, the 1990s spans high school and college for me... this could be a whole series.

Let's just go with one that hits that HS to college transition right on the nose.

A song from the 1950s that you like or means something to you.

There's a great collection of Brubeck live recordings from the 1950s, this is just a sample. I love me some Dave Brubeck, particularly when he's playing with Paul Desmond.