The Lineage Sound
I grew up moving around. Following my dad’s TV news career, we’d pick up and shift to a new city if not every year then...
A Bouquet of Songs
I’ve been thinking lately about music as a conversation. For me, that tends to take place internally. When I listen to music by myself, it...
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 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....
The Low Notes
In the range of sounds, I far prefer the low notes. Drop an octave from middle C and something about that majestic resonance pangs in...
Lone Wolf (Act I and II)
There was a time when I wasn’t so good at being alone. During the start of my PhD program (over a decade ago now), I...
All That Jazz
I used to be embarrassed about my introduction to jazz and soul, for mine was a strange passageway: romantic comedies. Although I don’t remember it...
The Summery Sweetness of Eaux Claires
Rare are the times when a moment is so perfect you recognize it while it’s happening. Usually that kind of appreciation happens after the fact,...
Burnout By Any Other Name…
It’s never a good sign when the art that most enlivens you begins to feel draining, when staring at the wall feels more restful than...
Movement & Location
People move for all kinds of reasons—a job, a relationship, to be closer to family. Sometimes it’s just a matter of changing scenery or finally...