Today’s Connections reminds us to never travel far without a little Big Star.

All I want in life is to persuade everyone, when encountering politics & culture, to ask, "why are we talking about this?" I mean that very literally: anything you encounter on your screens reflects a choice. Someone covered that, talked about that, rather than the many other things out there. Why?

Ron Carter & Bill Frisell at Birdland earlier this evening: both a low-key history lesson and a series of incandescent present moments. Imagine the depth of magic it takes to make “You Are My Sunshine” a deeply emotional experience in 2025.

“One nation under a groove.”

A less fatlistic title for ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER is the line ANDOR got to first: WE HAVE FRIENDS EVERYWHERE

It’s a beautiful day in NJ & time to #volunteer at the Montclair Jazz Festival—let there be jazz!

This is what radicalized me.

@superchunk.bsky.social covering @themagfields.bsky.social "I Don't Want To Get Over You" at The Bowery Ballroom

I’ve been rewatching the Coen Bros filmography this month and while drawing a Barton Fink illustration, it struck me how much their films feel like Far Side cartoons: funny, strange, clever, yet frequently inscrutable. Anyway here’s a thread!

Mail call

I crocheted Patti Smith’s Horses cover

I will never apologize for a post

I feel attacked by this, which makes me very happy.

Question for Neil Young heads: Do you listen to the Ditch Trilogy in the order it was recorded (TFA>TTN>OTB) or the order it was released (TFA>OTB>TTN)?

I’m consistently amazed and confused by the degree to which some people will get hammered to see Shakespeare in the Park.

I’ve spent a few weeks w/the Tim Barnes comp via @islandhouserecs.bsky.social and it’s a deeper experience on each listen. Beautiful, patient journeys that surface expansive conversations between the musicians on each track. Don’t miss this one. timbarnes.bandcamp.com/album/inside...

things were better when the computer lived in its own specific room and you only went in there sometimes

album covers but with muppets: thread

Is today a good day? It sure is—the new @superchunk.bsky.social LP showed up in the mail from @mergerecords.bsky.social

3 things I need shelter from: 1. The storm 2. The powder 3. The finger

Other people have better imposter syndrome than me I bet

Crosby Stills Nash & Young & Jan & Dean & Seals & Croft & Simon & Garfunkel & Dean & Britta & Damon & Naomi w/Ghost

Lack Flag

This is a fascinatingly bad take, right from the part up top that misrepresents how record stores work. The clever part is mixing in bits that are definitely true to deflect from the ones that certainly aren’t.

Only 11+ months to prepare…

Day 3 of volunteering at the 2025 Newport Jazz Festival is in the rearview, and that’s a wrap on the whole thing! It was a treat and a privilege to work with the Green Team to redirect tons of waste to composting & recycling, and the music, weather & overall vibe were perfect. Bring on 2026!

Day 2 of volunteering at the 2025 Newport Jazz Festival was a blast! Great music & conversations. I would not have guessed that the indisputable highlights would be a set by Rich Ruth and a banjo/harp/drums trio w/Bela Fleck, Edmar Castañeda & Antonio Sanchez. Both were pure magic.

Wrapped up Day 1 of volunteering at the 2025 Newport Jazz Festival! Helped people sort their trash, recycling & compost, and saw excellent bands from Berlin, London, Philly & Providence. Can’t wait for Day 2…

The episode titles for Murderbot each sound like (and in 1 instance actually is) a song title by @themountaingoats.bsky.social

There’s this muppet on TikTok who transcribes and then scats incredibly difficult jazz solos so well and I could not possibly love a thing more

I got permission to share this, and I'm extremely grateful for that. The Onion got this letter from one of our subscribers in Alaska. She works with dementia patients and decided to leave a copy in the car for each one. This email made my year. Read it and you'll see what I mean. People are good.

Maybe my favorite Zappa record? Certainly a contender.

Don’t blame me—I’m listening to the Sun Ra Arkestra.

This really reads like his name is Oneohtrix Point and the author is mad that he tours without telling anyone.

I had a summer job at a top 40 radio station in upstate NY in 1992. I know every corner and crevice of every one of these songs (and a few others, too). Haunting.

ha

tried to research something for a joke and got sidetracked by Google fabricating an R.E.M. song that does not exist

I saw Lon Chaney walking with the Queen.

Pleased to report that I put on an old noise 7” that wasn’t labeled 45 or 33 1/3…and playing it at both speeds didn’t fully solve the mystery. 🤷

This is WILD.

It’s that time of year again—#volunteering at the RIVERVIEWJAZZ ORG festival in Jersey City! C’mon by for a fun day and excellent music by the river.

I wonder which letter Dr. J was there to help with…?

Darklands and Automatic are better than Psychocandy.

This is fantastic.

This feels like an early draft of a @themountaingoats.bsky.social song.

After several excellent experiences at the old Bang on a Can Music Marathon, I'm excited to dive into my first-ever Long Play Festival! bangonacan.org/long-play-20...

There's a specific brand of warm springtime happiness that can only be accessed via the first 3 Camper Van Beethoven records.

Opinion: Society Will Still Need Snarky Music Critics After Civilization Collapses thehardtimes.net/blog/opinion...