This book looks cool

Now this is a role model

Pals we made a holiday podcast. We go DEEEEEP into 20th century Christmas songs. Privileged to talk about the legend Nat King Cole! www.npr.org/2025/12/18/n...

One time Eric and I were at the Princeton Record Exchange and in the famous two-dollar pins we found a treasure trove of Joe Ely records. We bought them and wow did we get schooled about Texas music. A great and genuine troubadour. We just lost him. RIP www.youtube.com/watch?v=9NpD...

It would be!!

Here's a quick post about Sananda Maitreya's modern hymn, "I Have Faith in These Desolate Times." It's the song I returned to the most during 2025, an especially difficult and awful year. alyxvesey.substack.com/p/song-for-t...

Awful news all weekend. this is trivial but I just want to say that since childhood I always found the gap in Rob Reiner’s teeth very attractive. He was great as Meathead and he deserved that dish Sally Struthers

Honestly, the voice of a generation

See The Secret Agent in the theater if you can. So much happening in the background in this film. Sex, for example. Ambient horniness melded with anxiety, what a mood

I can't do math, so my final list of Top Songs of 2025 ended up being 23 tracks. Here it is: www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0ty...

saw this band a ton when I lived in SF and metal was going thru its Bay-led renaissance, glad they're still out there!

Just saying again for the general public, I am sorry I called CMAT a "UK sensation." I meant that she's big in the UK, huge Glastonbury artist etc, but it made it look like I was folding Ireland into the UK. As an Irish-American + generally a human I would never do that. We are issuing a correction

NPR Music’s Best Albums of 2025 list is live! Each capsule features a link to hear the music on any streaming service. TYSM to @npr.org critics @annkpowers.bsky.social, @idislikestephen.bsky.social, @natechinen.bsky.social, @totalvibration.bsky.social, @robinpr.bsky.social. Follow them!

Hey there, CMAT is Irish and I should have said so

It's the "For What It's Worth" of now, listen people

It's hard to find but here is my PERSONAL list of top albums for 2025. Sign up for the NPR Music newsletter to see another 10 plus another 15 top songs this weekend www.npr.org/2025/12/11/g...

Our best albums list is up! You may have read others, ours is the best. NOTE: this isn't my personal list, will post that separately www.npr.org/2025/12/11/g...

WXPN's countdowns rule!

I love what my colleague and friend Felix Contreras wrote about the great, now late, Raul Malo. Thank you Raul for your voice, yes, but more for your generosity, adventurousness, and refusal to acknowledge false divides. www.npr.org/2025/12/09/n...

Man that Dove Ellis album coming along right after I filed all my year end best lists and wrecking them all

Some spiritually edifying reading for a Sunday morning

This is freaking incredible

Anchorman

In the NPR Music newsletter I point to the @npr.org Books We Love feature, where you can find thousands of recommended reads, and offer more music book suggestions. I focused on memoirs this year -- so many great ones! Here's what I recommended, you need to subscribe if you wanna read why tho: 1/

1 million per cent agree. Same with record stores. And thrifting.

I learned a lot this year from Dave's globally tuned ears, check out his lists!

If you are psychotic perhaps you want a playlist for your holiday meal that is all songs with “thank you” variations in the title. Here it is open.spotify.com/playlist/5ax...

Having had a meltdown today about something I need to fix in an essay already in process to be published I'm hear to say what everyone watching Plur1bus seems to ignore: this show is about a WRITER.There may be chill, warm-spirited writers, but they've worked to get there.Insane is our natural state

Exciting news from @spinstersounds.bsky.social a Top 5 label for me -- the fantastic Rosali album No Medium is back in stock in vinyl rosali.bandcamp.com/album/no-med...

Reggae is soul (not only soul but it is) and this is Sam Cooke level

In The Kingdom Udo Kier played a monstrous baby strapped to a wall and it was one of the most poignant tears-inducing performances ever. RIP to an actual genius

Today in the NPR Music newsletter I wrote about ten great cover versions from this year. Thought I'd tease those of you who haven't signed up with a few.... 1/

For example, wholesome and fun convos about your fave old songs at All Songs+! www.npr.org/2025/11/20/n...

This is a big part of the hilarity of it all

In addition to having dire implications etc etc this whole Lizza/Nuzzi thing is frankly hilarious

You know you want to scream THAT line at the top of your lungs every day. @artsorority.bsky.social and I go deep on "Killing in the Name" in our latest episode for All Songs Plus. Rage Against the Machine forever! Sign up to hear the pod here: www.npr.org/2025/11/20/n...

New York friends! I'll be at the CUNY GRADUATE CENTER tomorrow at 6:30 p.m. talking storytelling with my pal @jasontougaw.bsky.social who asks the BEST questions. It's free, please come if you can! www.eventbrite.com/e/ann-powers...

Please join us!

RIP to a bard who meant so much to Nashville

coming up sooooon

Yay and yay especially for the Audio Books column! Kudos

I do hell yeah

Who do I know in the most magical borough? Come on down! So privileged and delighted to be reading/conversing with my friend the genius Deborah Paredez

👏👏👏

in 2023 I saw the aurora in Sweden while standing next to a Russian astronomer who kept shouting “AURORA” I’m good for life

I couldn't quite put my thoughts together about Rosalía's new LUX, but it's amazing -- Julianne Escobedo Shepherd reached inside my brain and did it for me. THANK YOU. Subscribe to @hearingthingsco.bsky.social btw it's great www.hearingthings.co/rosalia-lux-...

OK I'm making a list. I have my opinions but what was your favorite album released this year?

Absolutely love this interview with longtime Alice in Chains and original Soundgarden manager Susan Silver. I have admired Susan since I was 18 and she is still dropping wisdom! variety.com/2025/music/n...

This is so damn beautiful

That's a great stack of books, delighted to be part of it! And that Musician magazine interview is great. (actually both are)