Now spinning at my house, on a warm and dreamy afternoon: The Campfire Headphase (2005) by Boards Of Canada, who specialize in uncannily haunting downtempo electronics...this album is blissful, the sound of all your youthful memories merging into one disorienting moment of staring into the sun

Composition #409, with concrete, brick, and hot-pink outsider. Newton, Massachusetts. 849am Thurs 9 Apr 2026

Project Hail Mary lunchbox cartoons. Somerville, Massachusetts. Fri 10 April 2026 (To Ryan Gosling, who will likely never see this anyway: I am so very, very sorry. But at least we're taking the kids to see the movie tonight!)

Now spinning at my house, an out-of-print Prince side project: Jill Jones (1987) by Jill Jones, who sang backup for Prince in the 1999/Purple Rain era...here he cowrote and produced songs, the Revolution is on one track, Jones nails both the sexy electrofunk and swooning ballads...it's totally fun

Now spinning at my house, sweet groovy weirdness: Clear Spot (1972) by Captain Beefheart & The Magic Band, a short spiky platter of sandpaper-gritty blues-rock, Stax/Volt-ish soul, off-kilter funky stuff, and mesmerizing riffage, all splattered with the Captain's wild yowls and husky croons 🔥

Sometimes it snows in April. Concord, Massachusetts. 8am Tues 7 Apr 2026 #prince

A happy end to the leak in my 2nd floor bathroom shower: The drain-and-tile guy has diagnosed the problem, and before he gets to work, he puts on Coldplay's "Fix You." I mentioned this, and he said they're his favorite band and the song puts him in the right mood. Yes!

Peeps-henge! Credits: Guinness chocolate cake, by my wife. Decoration, by my kid who visited the Stones themselves last month. Happy eating, by me.

Now spinning at my house, because it's a warm Boston evening and I'm bouncing: Honora (2026) by Flea...as a jazz-fusion nerd (hey, I wrote a book on it!) I love how the Red Hot Chili Peppers maestro bassist melds jazz chops, cool grooves, and deep space into one gorgeous marvel...makes me happy!

Now spinning at my house, because it's been a while: New York (1989) by Lou Reed, an album I played a ton when it came out, but not much since...not sure why the hiatus, as the music is great, whether rocking, grooving, or gently swaying...even better, it has some of Lou's most humane lyrics

Now spinning at my house, the brand-new album by this monstrously awesome duo: Sunn O))) (2026) by Sunn O))), who employ a reported 130 tracks of guitars, subtle electronics, and field recordings of nature to create massive drones and pyroclastic riffs that are ecstatic and beautiful, ahhhhhhhhhhh!

Now spinning at my house, because hell yeah, it's Friday night! Fiyo On The Bayou (1981) by Neville Brothers, a spicy musical swampy stew of New Orleans fire, gutbucket funk, and uplifting soul, with a young Whitney Houston on backing vocals! Stay in or go out, have a good one tonight---mrb 🤘😇🤘

Now spinning at my house, a stunning summit of two soul superstars: The self-titled album (1972) by Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway...their voices are breathtaking solo, together they truly soar, their piano h keyboards mesh beautifully too...a real treasure for repeat listens

Now spinning at my house, a gold nugget by one seriously funky flautist: Memphis Underground (1969) by Herbie Mann, who joined top jazz-fusion cats like Roy Ayers, Sonny Sharrock, and Larry Coryell with the house band at Memphis's legendary American Sound Studios...what a sweet springtime joy!

Now spinning at my house, as it catapults me through the roof into the sky: Ladies and gentlemen we are floating in space (1997) by Spiritualized...a vast orchestral space-rock symphony with a full host of strings, horns, keyboards, guitars, and choral voices all engineered for maximum thrust 💥🚀

Now spinning at my house, a haunting half-hour: Drum (1988) by Hugo Largo, a unique NYC quartet with two bassists, an electric violinist, and the swooping piercing soprano of Mimi Goese. Co-produced by @remhq.bsky.social's Michael Stipe, on Brian Eno's Opal Records. It's mesmerizing, otherworldly

Greetings from Spinal Tap

pink /// bea(con)veyance covent garden, london, england 931pm mon 9 march 2026

London-bound. Logan Airport, Boston, Massachusetts. 649pm Sun 8 Mar 2026

Now spinning at my house, a massive soul-funk prophecy: Black Moses (1971) by Isaac Hayes, a 93-minute double LP of deep grooves and orchestrated horns strings flutes, pop hits extended into vast lush soundscapes, anchored by Hayes's deep burnished baritone, plus one of the best-ever album covers

Tonight's music-themed cocktail: King Crimson. Presented with little fanfare, but prepared with powerful flavor: mezcal, amontillado sherry, tangerine, honey, angostura...a complex mix of smoky and sweet, earthy and ethereal...I dug its strong prog vibes! The Foundry, Somerville, Massachusetts.

Now spinning at my house, for Mark E. Smith, who would've been 69 today: This Nation's Saving Grace (1985) by The Fall, just one of the colossal pillars of postpunk that Smith & Co. recorded in the 1980s...it rocks, it grooves, it mesmerizes...a premium case of a band totally wired and locked in

Industrial estate, for Mark E. Smith. Somerville, Massachusetts. 1043am Thurs 5 March 2026

Now spinning at my house, since I got back from Memphis: McLemore Avenue (1970) by legendary Stax house band, Booker T. & The M.G.'s, who recorded these groovetastic instrumental versions of The Beatles' Abbey Road at Stax, 926 E. McLemore in Memphis. My son and I crosswalked in their footsteps!

Now spinning at my house...is it postpunk or new wave? Well, it's Replicas and The Pleasure Principle (both 1979) by Gary Numan, two killer capsules of ominous synths, booming beats, dystopian sci-fi, earworm melodies, and thrillingly heavy electronic riffs that have thrilled me since I was a kid

windows ,,, beige detroit michigan 1244pm sat 21 feb 2026

Now spinning at my house, the first album by one of my lifelong favorite bands: Crocodiles (1980) by Echo & The Bunnymen, a band I've revered since junior high and one of the best live bands I saw as a teenager...whether it's neo-psychedelia or postpunk, it's definitely a fire-breathing monster!

Memphis Bass Pro Shops Pyramid lunchbox cartoons. Thurs 26 Feb 2026

Now spinning at my house, a sentimental party favorite: King Yellowman (1984) by Yellowman...a big bouncy record, wherein electrofunk meets dancehall and soca in a sonic stew that may or may not constitute a classic, but no matter, it's just a completely solid slab of hot joyous fun

Blizzard lunchbox cartoons. Somerville, Massachusetts. Weds 25 Feb 2026

Now spinning at my house, on this kingly sunny day after the blizzard: Synchro System (1983) by King Sunny Adé, super maestro of Nigerian juju music, with endlessly swaying roiling rhythms, gorgeous vocals, and the lead guitar of the King himself whose flow is as sweet and effortless like honey

East McLemore Avenue. Memphis, Tennessee. 133pm Fri 20 Feb 2026

Now spinning at my house, my son's request as we do a Lego set with the blizzard outside: I Am (1979) by Earth Wind & Fire...as a foot-plus of snow whirls in the wind, we're warm indoors with this classic of fleet funk, sweet soul & beautiful ballads, from "Boogie Wonderland" to the mighty "Star"

Elvis Presley's racquetball court. Graceland, Memphis, Tennessee. 1138am Fri 20 Feb 2026

Isaac Hayes's gold-plated 1972 Cadillac. Stax Museum of American Soul Music, Memphis, Tennessee. 225pm Fri 20 Feb 2026

freight 》》bridge Mississippi River at Memphis, Tennessee/Arkansas. 357pm Thurs 19 Feb 2026

Elvis Presley's microphone. Sun Studios, Memphis, Tennessee. 1109am Thurs 19 Feb 2026

Miller Time with The King. Memphis, Tennessee. 802pm Weds 18 Feb 2026

Now spinning at my house, on a bleak Boston day: Deeper Well (2024) by Kacey Musgraves, 14 songs of such lovely dreamy country folk that it feels like you're laying in the grass on a verdant Tennessee hill as a hushed temperate mist swirls around you and holds you close

Barred owl. White Mountains, New Hampshire. 425pm Sun 15 Feb 2026

Today's drive: To my daughter's ski race and back. Soundtrack: Two Elton John double albums...going out, into the blazing sunset, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (1973), the classic we all know...coming back, into the deepening twilight, Blue Moves (1976), the moody dark horse we all should know better.

Brandi Carlile lunchbox cartoon for my kid, who I took to the concert last night at TD Garden in Boston. Holy smokes, what a show, what a genius. Moments of quiet intimacy, moments of heartfelt humor, moments of raging rock. If she comes to your town, you must see Brandi Carlile in concert.

Now spinning at my house, from the defunct new age label Windham Hill's short-lived jazz imprint: Tears Of Joy (1988) by Tuck & Patti, a duo of soulful vocals and intricate guitar...and Metropolis (1989) by Turtle Island String Quartet, playing lyrical covers of Pat Metheny, Coltrane, Lee Morgan 💯

Now spinning at my house, in honor of Andrew Ranken, drummer for The Pogues, who has passed away: If I Should Fall From Grace With God (1988) by The Pogues...more than a masterpiece, it warms me like a favorite sweater and makes me feel all the emotions from joy to pathos...thank you, Andrew---mrb

Now spinning at my house, as I'm writing on deadline: Second Toughest In The Infants (1996) by Underworld, a shimmering and pulsating electronic epic...yes, I'd rather be back in a club, losing my mind to this on the dance floor, but in my home office, its delirious relentlessness helps me focus

Now spinning at my house, a concert by one of our greatest musical geniuses and one of our greatest bands: Prince & The Revolution: Live, by Prince & The Revolution, from the Purple Rain tour, 30 March 1985 at the Carrier Dome, Syracuse, New York...two hours of rock soul heart and joy, amazing 🔥💜🔥

Now spinning at my house, one of the 1990s best albums, by one of the USA's greatest live bands: Kiko (1992) by Los Lobos, wherein each of its 16 songs is different from the next, the songwriting is stellar, they play a vast variety of instruments, the production is evocative...a 10/10 masterpiece

Now spinning at my house, a mighty mountain of German postpunk: Gift 1983-1984 by Xmal Deutschland, legends from Hamburg, whose 4AD boxset just came out last year, containing the albums Fetisch (1983) Tocsin (1984) plus two EPs...loud yet ghostly, chilly yet fierce, atonal yet catchy, what a band!

Now spinning at my house, hot'n'sweet grooves for a cold bright morning: The Payback (1974) by James Brown, the Godfather of Soul's magnum opus, clocking in at 73 flawless minutes...the eight long tracks are classics, as they ride the polyrhythms, bass, horns and JB's chants into one funky sun

Now spinning at my house, the morning after the Grammy Awards: DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS (2025) by Bad Bunny, an hour of exhilarating eclectic music, stirring up reggaeton electronica salsa and folk music into songs that range from massive bangers to haunting ballads...so glad it won Album Of The Year!