I’ve been catching up on a few releases I may have slept on in 2025. The songwriting on this album is remarkable.

What's a song you'd want to hear on your birthday?

Always liked this song, adding a little levity to ‘Automatic’, and the little detail from Wikipedia that R.E.M. would never play this one live.

Not sure what circumstances someone would play this for me, but my birthday is right after tax day in April.

What's your favorite song to listen to while doing chores?

Chores? I'm usually sweeping and mopping the floors, loading the dishwasher, taking out the trash. Sometimes you need a crack of sunshine to break through the mundane. This is the opening track to Radio DDR, a great album released earlier this year by Sharp Pins. They released another great album (Balloon Balloon Balloon) in November. This jangly guitar pop is giving me life while I clean up.

Share a song that captures the feeling of being homesick.

This song is about being away from your home. You can hear both the longing and regret in the singer's voice on this one. No one did heartache like Townes.

What's your go-to song for getting ready in the morning?

I usually don't put music on until that first cup of coffee. This is a good upbeat, anthemic starting point for generating a "station"/playlist for other GBV tunes and similar indie rock.

What song would you dedicate to your younger self?

This song. I dedicate it to my older self too. And of course, Gillian Welch was able to make this song even sadder.

What's a song that feels like magic every time you hear it?

When David Ruffin comes in with "I've got suuunshiiiiiiiiiiiiiine..." I can't help but smile. It lifts me. Every. Time.

The Mamas and the Papas recorded this song too. I love their version, and it is magical to me too. But the Mamas and the Papas didn't have David Ruffin in their vocal group.

What's your favorite song to sing in the car?

This is one of a handful songs I can remember all the lyrics to. I keep a playlist of music released in 1978 and that gets played in the car a lot. What a great year for music.

Algorithmically, I thought I should know Peel Dream Magazine by now. Their music has been compared to some of my personal favorites Broadcast, Stereolab, and Yo La Tengo. The "Peel" in their name is a dedication to the late BBC Radio1 deejay John Peel. I'm just old enough that the phrase "Peel Session" means something to me. They are on a favorite label, Topshelf Records (I'm in the Discord).

Ah well. I found my way to this music via the SimpleBits Studio Notes newsletter. Dan writes he heard them on SiriusXM. Long live the radio and the personal recommendation.

Rose Main Reading Room is a great name for a concept album about New York City and its landmarks. This is a "headphones record"; baroque pop meets Y2K dream pop sounds. I love everything I've heard so far, and my ears are hungry for more.

This has been my most played track for a couple weeks, and that’s what makes it crucial today.

Is it the vibraphone? Is it the horns?

I tried, but I can’t get into the rest of the album as much as this one song.