Bill Callahan’s “Riding for the Feeling”
I’ve done a lot of leaving as an adult. The poetic call it nomadic, the nihilistic call it lost, and I’ve been known to call...
Julie Byrne’s “Melting Grid”
When I first moved back to New York in the early, wintry days of 2018, I was nearly a year into working nights for Pitchfork....
Nilüfer Yanya’s Steely Mask
I’ve been retreating since the start of the new year. Part of it comes down to logistics (I’m moving to another country in just a...
A Barenaked Christmas
Christmas music is a mood best supported by variety rather than entirety. Before streaming services became our de facto listening system, I recall hand-selecting five...
Weyes Blood’s “God Turn Me Into a Flower”
The problem of long COVID looks different for everyone who ends up with this unfortunate condition, and many experience overlapping diagnoses. For me, it has...
The Zest of Early Mornings and Tribe
Look at me making grand proclamations about listening to softer fare in the early mornings only to have that stance tested just days later. A...
The Hush of Early Mornings and PHOX
When I moved into my little Durham bungalow last year, it was with the express purpose of playing my stereo whenever I damn well pleased....
Plains’ “I Walked With You a Ways”
In my late 20s, I used to espouse a theory that went something like this: Relationships are an experience, and people should have a lot...
Damien Jurado’s “The Shape of a Storm”
The most honest love songs are those tinged with a hint of melancholy. Perhaps it’s the paintbrush of the romantic that has colored my perception,...
Charley Crockett’s ‘The Man from Waco’
When I first saw Charley Crockett swagger across the stage, at the rescheduled 2021 MerleFest, I knew I was a goner. As the audience trickled...