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.

I spent a good chunk of the morning listening to the Rebuilding soundtrack, which came out today and I think will be a regular fixture in my "music for getting work done" rotation.

A good soundtrack should give you the feel of the story's time and place and characters. The album artwork by Julienne Alexander is quite resonant too. I'm very interested in watching the film.

2026 will bring another Ratboys album produced by Chris Walla. I’m looking forward to hearing the rest of this release, and getting tickets when the band plays Albuquerque. 🐀

Here's a re-working of a popular Haruomi Hosono song from 1982, with more of a bluegrass sound.

Just a hundred days to go until spring training.

What song best captures your current phase of life?

I was going to skip this prompt entirely, and then Apple Music surprised me with this song out of the blue this evening. The words “you are who you’re supposed to be” sound like an affirmation to my ears.

A flower pressed in a book of songs What's left to wonder after we're gone?
And don't spend, don't spend your whole life Waiting on the turning of the season of your mind

Your favorite demo or unreleased version of a song.

I like what they do here without instrumentation, just vocals.