Happy 75th birthday to Jonathan Richman!

Wishing a wonderful day to The Mothers!

Johnny Blue Skies is BACK!

More evidence of the importance of the Oxford comma. I thought Glen Hansard and Moby sounded like crazy collab.

“Stick to your knitting.”

Knittin’ & chooglin’

The Sinners OST arrived in my mailbox today just in time to see the film receive well-deserved nominations for Best Original Score and Best Original Song (among a record number of other categories) at the Oscars.

For Rob Reiner

I’m making a list

If I never see another "You know Elf on the Shelf..." joke again, it will be too soon.

This exclusive edition of John Prine’s Lost Dogs & Mixed Blessings was worth the wait! Thanks, @ohboyrecords.bsky.social!

Spot the differences! For a long time I was frustrated to have only the first BOMP! repress on the right. I finally found the original Mohawk first pressing on the left for a (relatively) reasonable price. I still don’t know why “I’m Straight” was removed from all later pressings.

I can't be the only one who knows a little something about Bob Dylan (including how his career actually turned out) who reads his response as an obvious joke at Berklee's expense?

Up next ...

Today marks the 10-year anniversary of the first vinyl record I ever bought (though my parents had a record collection when I was a kid, my own purchases were all cassettes, followed by a transition to CDs), beginning a hobby and bit of obsession that has kept me busy all these years later.

Nebraska is my favorite Springsteen album, and its story is even more impressive (I haven't seen the movie yet, but I read the book). One nagging thing the editor in me always notices, though, is how a few lines find their way into more than one song.

Now reading/spinning

Won tickets from my favorite radio station (WERS 88.9) to see David Byrne this Saturday!

Rediscovering the intense graphics and thrilling gameplay of my first handheld digital gaming device.

Both of these album covers feature photographs by Henry Diltz, whose artwork will soon be featured in a new exhibition at Emerson College.

Another rough week for music icons

Here are some of the records in my collection that include versions of the song “Stagger Lee” (or “Stack-A-Lee,” “Stackerlee,” etc.).

What’s your favorite song that references the song “Waltzing Matilda”?

Happy 40th anniversary of Live Aid.

Speaking of pairing records with books (as I often am), I was particularly excited to see this combo announced today: a new Jens Lekman album written to coincide with a novel by David Levithan of the same name!

I think I’m developing something of a reputation at my local library.

I've been hearing a lot of "Horses" by Jesse Welles on the radio lately, and I can't shake the feeling that the fiddle part owes a pretty big debt to Bob Dylan's "Hurricane." This is not a criticism.

Getting back into The Bear and picking up its excellent soundtrack the hard and slow way.

New Jonathan Richman album just announced! Vinyl preordered! Get yours at jonathanrichman.bandcamp.com/album/only-f...

The beginning of a Belle & Sebastian rainbow

Who knows the connection between these records?

It’s a bad week for musical geniuses.

Thank you, Sly.

Now spinning/reading

It appears to be a good time for music memoirs. Even as I work to keep up, more keep being published, like this forthcoming one by Evan Dando, looking like Dennis Wilson.

Got a new record today to read along with. It's a damn good album to listen with a damned good book.

On deck! (Sometimes, your library holds come all at once.)

Will I see you there?

My latest listening/reading pairing

I usually don't get caught up in who does or doesn't get inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but I'm super thrilled to see Carol Kaye get this recognition. Here are just two records in my collection that feature her work on bass. It would be too hard to figure out and list every one.

I’m sorry, Alchemist. You brew a good beer and I respect your advice, but I shan’t be drinking from the can.

In more delightful news, the kids playing outside sound like they’re part of the song I’m listening to on the turntable at the moment.

I’m not worried about Spotify being down.

This is fifty.

An appointment at the RMV kept me from Record Store Day today, but I’m fortunate enough to have a son who got in line at his local shop (the birthplace of RSD) at 5:30 this morning and got the two records at the top of my list!