We’re past the halfway point of summer. Already. July 16 was the meteorological midpoint, and ever so slightly, the daylight has begun to shrink. I try to stay positive, because fall is not a bad season, it’s just that time seems to speed up the older you get, and I’d just love to have summer, especially this gorgeous weather in the New Hampshire Seacoast, last another three months.

Morning iced coffees. Blueberries for days. Birds chirping. Live music. And those mid-70s temperatures with a gentle Atlantic Ocean breeze... Wouldn’t that be nice?

I know the cats love this weather, too. Poking their little furry heads in the window sills, feeling that ocean air on their faces, and staring out the back door, hoping one of the many rabbits might just suddenly pop up to say hello…

Summer Reading

Speaking of summer, I have been tearing through my summer reading list and just finished another by J.M. Coetzee.

J.M. Coetzee is in his eighties and still creating beautiful words on paper. His latest, a late 2023 novel called The Pole, is a page-turner and a short novel I just finished.

The Pole is a love story only if you squint. Witold is a Polish pianist pushing seventy, known for a dry, unsentimental Chopin. Beatriz sits on the Barcelona concert committee. He decides she’s his Beatrice. Dante Alighieri is in the room the whole time…

Told in six chapters with short numbered sections, like stanzas, I think. Modest on the surface. Strange underneath and definitely worth the read. Published by Liveright Books.

Next Up: I’m about three stories deep in ‘Thrilling Tales of Modern Men’ by Danny McBride. So far, it does not disappoint!

New Music

This week, New Order released a new collection, The Best Of & The Rest Of New Order. This new deluxe 4CD set combines the original albums with remastered audio, two additional CDs full of rare, previously vinyl-only tracks, and 4 new, never-before-released remixes. The CD version is about $40 bucks… not bad!

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This newly remastered, limited-edition LP just arrived at my house. I can’t wait to lay it on the turntable later tonight! I will always remember Clark Terry. He spoke to my music class at the University of New Hampshire in 1994 and told a story about how he helped save Miles Davis’ life during his early struggles with addiction.

Terry played with Duke Ellington, Dizzy Gillespie, Count Basie, and many more over his long career in jazz. I’ve never heard this album before, but with Shirley Scott on organ, it’s got to be magic!

Originally released on Impulse in 1966, it also features drummer Mickey Roker alongside bassists George Duvivier and Bob Cranshaw.

But First, Coffee

Caffe Kilim is more than a great cup of coffee. They’re also a great neighbor. It has been a fixture in Portsmouth, NH, for years, and it wears that history well.

It's a community spot in the truest sense — the kind of place that welcomes everyone who walks in, no matter who they are or what they order. The benches out front are half the appeal. On a good morning, you'll see regulars, first-timers, and someone's dog all sharing the same stretch of sidewalk.

And there's more coming: a newly upgraded cafe is nearly ready, which means the room that has held the neighborhood together is about to get even better. I can’t wait.
Bring on the dancing goats! 🐐 ☕️

*disclaimer: I don't rank coffee shops. I collect them.

Playlist

Here are ten songs by Canadian artists. Each one is brilliant. I hope you enjoy!

Listen Now on Apple Music

• Sloan - People of the Sky

• Leonard Cohen - Hey, That’s No Way to Say Goodbye

• The Guess Who - These Eyes (2003 Remastered)

• The Band - Acadian Driftwood

• The Tragically Hip - Yawning Or Snarling

• Do Make Say Think - Herstory Of Glory

• Men I Trust - Numb

• The New Pornographers - Myriad Harbour

• Alvvays - Archie, Marry Me

• Voivod - The Unknown Knows

• Angine de Poitrine - Sarniezz

August arrives next weekend. Let’s take the rest of the summer slowly and catch up with the ones that matter. Take care of each other. ❤️ Thanks for reading! - JB

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I genuinely love this time of year. The air smells good, the days last longer, and my attitude seems laid-back and positive despite the ongoing headlines. Kayaking, swimming, bike rides, neighborhood walks, blasting vibrant music created near the equator, and windows wide open all day and night. What’s not to love?

I repeat myself every time it’s a beautiful, warm day with a slight ocean breeze, “I could use 365 days of this.”
”You wouldn’t appreciate it as much,” my wife always tells me.

I simply nod back with a wink each time as if to say, “wanna bet?”

Up The Hearts

I spent this past Saturday in Portland, Maine, with a great pal. We popped into Costco on our way north, followed by a brief visit to Bullmoose Music to pick up the new Trojan Records compilation called Living For The City: Soul Reggae Classics, focusing on Jamaican interpretations of American soul and R&B hits. If you’re a fan of reggae, 60’s soul, and R&B, this one is for you!

It was a clear, beautiful summer day in Portland, with not a cloud in the sky and low humidity, yet lightning struck twice — both from the parking gods. The first time was right in front of Longfellow Books. Like hitting the bullseye on a dartboard with your first dart, you couldn’t park any closer.

The second time? Right outside Après, where we watched the Norway vs. England match on the big screen with 250 other passionate fans of both teams. It was a community table where we all shared drinks, laughs, and new hats purchased from the nearby merch booth. All of this was leading up to the main event: The Portland Hearts of Pine vs. The New York Cosmos in USL League 1 Soccer.

The Hearts won on penalties, and the night was a complete success!

Summer Reading

I just finished reading The Land, and Its People, David Sedaris' latest essay collection. I laughed, cried, and it made me reflect on parts of my own life, too. It was a great read, and I’d love to see him the next time he comes around on a book tour.

I have now moved on to two new books — Universality by Natasha Brown and McSweeney’s Quarterly Concern 82. After, I have new books by Dave Eggers and Yann Martel to read, but I think I’m going to cheat and start a third book — the new Danny McBride short story collection!

What books are you reading this summer?

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Now Playing

Released in 1972, Première Capsule was the only full-length album by Les Champignons. Because the band had no way to distribute the record, they gave most copies away to fans at their live shows. Over the years, it has become a cult classic and has been reissued by Return to Analog Records.

The album features a heavy, psychedelic sound that shifts between blues and progressive rock, highlighted by the epic 11-minute track Le Château Hanté. I picked up this LP in Montreal recently after my wife discovered it on a display wall at Aux 33 Tours on the plateau.

I’m glad she spotted it — it’s a fun record, full of sounds reminiscent of Zappa, Hawkwind, and Gong.

July Playlist

I wanted to create a 10-track summer playlist that has many warm, inviting sounds for you. I think this is it! Let me know in the comments, and I hope you enjoy this one — especially Dat Soca!

Tap to Listen On Apple Music

1. 8 Pearls by Camille El Bacha & Naghib Shanbehzadeh

2. Big Bamboo by Lord Creator

3. Mi Último Fracaso by María Victoria & Héctor “El Árabe” Y Su Orquesta

4. Todo puede ser error by Bill Orcutt & Mabe Fratti

5. Everyday Dub (Adrian Sherwood Reset Dub Version) by Panda Bear, Sonic Boom & Adrian Sherwood

6. The Shadowy Light (feat. Asha Bhosle, Gruff Rhys, Ajay Prasanna, Amaan Ali Bangash & Ayaan Ali Bangash) by Gorillaz

7. Dat Soca Boat by Shadow

8. Lazy Days by 20th Century Steel Band

9. Once in a Blue Moon by Pictured Resort

10. Thunderstorm by Appleblim

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Thanks again for reading. I hope you’re enjoying the summertime as best you can. 🙏

It’s almost time for a kayak. - Jason

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I know I’ve talked about it too many times before, but I absolutely love Montreal more than any other, except maybe London, which is a close second. The people, the art, the food scene, the multicultural feel of each neighborhood, and a music culture that takes every genre seriously. When the Festival International de Jazz de Montréal began its second and final weekend, Deidra and I drove north to the island city of festivals, originally called Ville-Marie, but known as Montréal since 1726.

If you’ve never been to the International Jazz Fest in Montréal, the scale is hard to explain. Over 350 concerts, two-thirds of which are free, are spread across four main outdoor stages around Place des Arts and a cluster of nearby clubs, theatres, and museums. This year’s edition also honored the centennials of Miles Davis, John Coltrane, and Tony Bennett, all born in 1926. During our time at the festival, four sets of music stood out.

Tortoise performed Thursday evening inside Théâtre Maisonneuve. It was a show I circled on the calendar months ago. Thirty years on from Millions Now Living Will Never Die, and they still sound like a band from the future. Watching Douglas McCombs, James Elkington (Jeff Parker’s tour replacement), John Herndon, Dan Bitney, and John McEntire lock into those long, patient builds — vibraphone, drums, and guitar circling each other — I was reminded why I fell in love with this indie band from Chicago. No singer, no filler, and no wasted notes… It was my third time seeing them perform since just last November, and the second in less than a week, after the Cambridge, MA show at The Sinclair on June 30th.

The Boston show was more subdued, with less vibraphone played throughout. The Montreal show started out rough, but after the first two pieces, it settled down, and they got into a groove, showing off for the large Jazz Fest crowd.

DOMi & JD BECK are machine-like. She plays the keyboards like she has three hands. He plays the drum kit like he’s operating a drum machine or part of an EDM project, all fast tempos and breakbeats. It’s part jazz fusion and part organic drum and bass, built for the streaming era, but it more than holds up live. They are absurdly good and fun to watch!

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We wandered up Rue Sainte-Catherine towards the main stage, which two nights prior had drawn well over 70,000 people to see local favorites Angine de Poitrine play. When we turned the corner, it was a sea of young, passionate, and diverse Saint Levant fans, who performed after a brief weather delay. The crowd was too big, but all remained joyful at the TD Stage as he glided between Arabic, French, and English songs. Oh, and he also played the saxophone and DJ’d after his set. A very talented young artist born in Jerusalem, raised in Gaza, and now living in Jordan.

One of the last bands we saw, on the very last night of the festival, was Etran de L’Aïr, a family band from Niger that plays hypnotic, guitar-driven Saharan desert blues rock. As we walked in, they were playing what seemed like an endless groove, which I loved hearing… Deidra, not so much. We then decided to stand in line and try a new ice cream spot called Iconoglace, a local crème glacée artisanale, and while in line, we spoke with some local Montrealers (or Montréalaises) about the state of the world.

No trip up to Montreal is complete without a pilgrimage to Aux 33 Tours on Avenue du Mont Royal, one of the great record stores in North America. I’m not kidding. Have you been? After browsing almost half the shop and talking to a staff member about the Tortoise show the night before, I left with two used Brian Eno LPs (Evening Star with Robert Fripp + My LIfe in the Bush of Ghosts with David Byrne), a new Om reissue of Variations on a Theme, and a reissue of Première Capsule from Champignons, an early-’70s Quebec psychedelic rock band my wife spotted on the wall. Buying Quebec psych in Quebec felt right, like buying Motown in Detroit. She made a great choice — the record sounds great! It’s hard to describe, but it’s sort of Frank Zappa and The Mothers meets Gong, or somewhere in between.

Later that same day, we ducked into Librairie l’Échange to beat the heat. It’s a small book and music shop further down Mont Royal, and I walked out with a fistful of used CDs for very little Canadian money. I bought CDs by Arvo Pärt, Jon Hassell, Erik Satie, and Philip Glass. I noticed the pattern later on the drive home, somewhere just south of Burlington, Vermont, when Deidra fell asleep. After three days of horns, crowds, loud guitars, and drum solos, I’d instinctively stocked up on silence…

If you didn’t know, Montreal wears its art outdoors. They have a short summer season, but plenty of creative, fascinating street art is found almost everywhere you look.

We walked the Plateau, Little Italy, and over to the Mile End neighborhood, where many, many murals decorate the facades of houses, buildings, and garages. I caught a striking street mural near Rue Sherbrooke on our way into the McCord Stewart Museum for an afternoon of viewing small but powerfully curated exhibits all about Canada and the city of Montreal. It was a thoughtful reminder that a museum can be about a city’s people and its culture, not just its objects. If the MMFA gets all the press, I’d send a friend to the McCord Stewart Museum first. It’s three levels high, and each exhibit takes about an hour each. Our visit ended with a viewing of a beautiful Dior dress, worn by Montreal’s own Céline Dion when she performed on the Eiffel Tower at the Olympic Games in France just two years ago.

We ate well, which is very easy to do in Montreal. Montreal has 28 of Canada’s 100 best restaurants, more than any other city in the country. I made a few reservations but canceled one after an afternoon of eating local strawberries at the Marché Jean-Talon.

We ate at a place we’d dined at before, but not for about ten years! It’s a modern Ethiopian restaurant called Le Nil Bleu, located on Rue Saint Denis. We enjoyed Injera bread with a rich vegetable stew-like dish, red lentils in a spicy sauce, chickpea purée, and a few other interesting vegetarian dishes that I cannot recall. We also imbibed with a good bottle of French wine, and the pleasure of eating with your hands after festival food.

Aux Vivres is a vegan lunch spot on Rue Saint Laurent that actually made us feel human again. Flavorful sauces mixed with fresh vegetables and tempeh, oh my! Another night, we hit Le Central, the food hall off Sainte-Catherine near the Quartier des Spectacles made up of 21 restaurants where Deidra and I could each chase a different craving and meet back at the same community table.

We also spent one golden evening in the Vieux-Montréal, splitting a margarita pizza outside at Jacopo, near Plaza Jacques Cartier by the waterfront, hearing the end of the Cabo Verde and Argentina match, and then watching the sunlight fade behind the St. Lawrence River.

After four days in Montreal, with a little bit of heat and some rain, we headed back to New Hampshire. I had a short stack of records and CDs riding behind me in their proper record bag and a wife who tolerates the phrase “just one more record store” with remarkable grace. (Honestly, we only went to two record stores the entire trip)

We had a great time together, exploring neighborhoods, taking funny pictures, getting soaked while looking for cover during a brief downpour, listening to live music, making many trips back and forth on the Metro (which is a very nice service), and walking about 30 miles total around the city of Montreal during our stay. The city remains what it has always been for me: a diverse center full of amazing people where the music, art, and food aren’t separate itineraries. They’re the same.

Also, I popped into Tim Hortons for an iced coffee, maybe twice… I won’t apologize.

Here’s a playlist of bands from Montreal. Tap the photo below to listen now.

What’s the best thing you’ve ever brought home from a trip? A record, a piece of art, a meal you still think about, or maybe just a simple t-shirt? Thanks for reading!

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With that, the theme of this week’s newsletter is a return to youth with a piece to follow on MTV and a playlist from a new Netflix show that takes place in 1990 Great Britain with a brilliant soundtrack.

Let’s begin.

I WANT MY MTV!

I grew up with MTV and I miss it dearly.

I miss Dave Kendall’s 120 Minutes the most, with videos by The Cure, R.E.M., New Order, Sisters of Mercy, The Wonderstuff, Catherine Wheel, The Jesus and Mary Chain, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Erasure, Morrissey, Therapy?, and so many more. Kendall hosted the show from 1986 until 1992. It’s what I consider the golden years of MTV.

I was lucky to have basic cable in the 1980s and early ‘90s, and MTV was part of the package. I remember a precurosr to MTV was a grainy TV station called V66, which aired out of Boston on UHF, alongside WSBK-TV 38 and WLVI-Channel 56. It didn’t last too long, and when MTV came along, it filled the void up until 1992 when The Real World debuted and the network slid further into reality TV shows and became less and less about music.

Do you miss MTV? If so, you’re probably close to my age and we could commiserate our loss together over a Yoohoo and some Hotpockets, however, lucky for us, we can relive the glory days of MTV from it’s very beginnings with an app called MTV REWIND. I discovered this app recently and I’ve skipped around a bunch, but I’m such a sucker for nostalgia and watching classic music videos and old commercials.

Who is this guy keeping MTV alive in 2026??? I don’t know, but he’s a hero.

MTV REWIND

What were some of your favorite music videos?

LINER NOTES

Sharing stories about albums in my collection. My mission is simple: one record and one story at a time. Since I bought my first record in 1982, I’ve been obsessed with the stories hidden in the grooves. This is a sanctuary for the music nerds, and the audibly curious, dedicated to records and the liner notes that keep them alive.

Ryo Fukui, Mellow Dream (1977 / We Release Jazz, 2021)

Monday was Memorial Day and it started gray. Rain on the windows, morning coffee going cold faster than usual. Then, sometime after lunch, and after a coffee chat with a friend, the clouds broke and the sun appeared. By mid-afternoon, it was 70 degrees, and I was excited to sit outside, with the neighborhood birds and rabbits, and catchup on this newsletter. I was also taking a break from the 80s music…

I put on Ryo Fukui’s Mellow Dream, and it matched both halves of the day. Fukui recorded this album in 1977 in Sapporo, Japan. It was only his second release. The trio here, Fukui on piano, Satoshi Denpoh on bass, and Yoshinori Fukui on drums, plays with the kind of looseness that only comes from people who trust each other completely. The record was originally released in Japan and spent decades under the radar. We Release Jazz reissued it in 2021 on a beautifully pressed LP (WRJ002). That Swiss reissue is what sits on my turntable, but while writing this piece, I have it playin gin my headphones courtesy of Apple Music since it sadly doesn’t stream from QoBuz.

Fukui’s piano is the obvious entry point, and it earns every note of the attention it gets on this record. It’s warm and unhurried, as it shows right from the beginning on the title track, Mellow Dream, as it begins with a 2 minute and 30 second solo before drummer Yoshinori Fukui gently enters the conversation. And then Satoshi Denpoh’s bass appears, holding down the center of each track perfectly and the music blends, and you just hear this thing they’ve made together. It’s quite a jam for an opener.

I found this record the way a lot of records find me now. It was an Instagram post from someone deep in the jazz world, a cover image with music playing that stopped the scroll. That’s a different kind of faith than flipping through record bins, but the feeling when the record arrives and turns out to be everything you hoped for is almost the same, righty?

By the way, this pressing by We Release Jazz is clean. The clarity is exceptional with great sonics. I believe you can still purchase this version, or the blue & white marbled version on Discogs or Forced Exposure.

Fukui passed away in 2016, largely unknown outside Japan and a devoted circle of passionate jazz fans and vinyl collectors. This reissue introduced him to a much wider audience, which is well deserved, even if it came too late.

What records have you found through an Instagram scroll that turned into something real?

PLAYLIST

There is a new show on Netflix called, Legends. It’s six episodes and takes place in the United Kingdom around 1990, at the end of Thatcher’s rule. The theme is recognizable, and there are some moments reminding me of scenes in Trainspotting. This is a show about the heroin drug trade in Great Britain and those that worked undercover to bring it down. All episodes of Legends are now available on Netflix. The show stars Steve Coogan as a UK customs agent, Tom Burke as an undercover agent, Thomas Coombes as a Liverpudlian wanting to help, and many more talented people. The show is suspenseful, well written and directed, but for me, it’s all about the soundtrack. It takes me back to the late 1980s and early ‘90s for that acid house, Madchester, and early techno club vibes.

I guess it takes me back to 120 Minutes on MTV to come full circle this week.

Listen Now on Apple Music

Here’s the music from the show:

1. N-Trance - Set You Free

2. EMF - Unbelievable

3. Cocteau Twins - Cherry-Coloured Funk

4. Lost - The Gonzo (Mix)

5. The Stone Roses - Made of Stone

6. The Jesus and Mary Chain - April Skies

7. Happy Mondays - Hallelujah (Club Mix)

8. Adamski - Killer (feat. Seal)

9. Transvision Vamp - Baby I Don't Care

10. Depeche Mode - Personal Jesus

11. Alison Limerick - Where Love Lives

12. Rozalla - Everybody's Free (To Feel Good)

13. Inspiral Carpets - Irresistible Force

14. The Stone Roses - I Wanna Be Adored

15. The Cure - A Forest

16. Guru Josh - Infinity

17. The Fall - Hit the North, Pt. 1

18. Happy Mondays - Loose Fit

19. Manic Street Preachers - Motorcycle Emptiness

LISTEN NOW ON APPLE MUSIC

Records, Anytime.

I’ve mentioned this before, but I have an addictive hobby. I collect and play records. All genres, all sizes. In addition to my vinyl addiction, I have a very small online record shop where I sell many of my own records.

If you ever feel the itch, take a look and share it with your friends.

Until next time… thanks again for reading. - JB

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The trees and flowers are in bloom, the birds are chirping again, and daylight doesn't fade until just past 8 p.m. I weeded and planted flowers this weekend, met some new neighbors, listened to a lot of new music, and got my daily dose of Vitamin D while planting and visiting the ocean nearby.

It’s also great to have the windows wide open again, allowing that coastal summer breeze to politely intrude on the Sunday morning jazz playing from the turntable…

NEW MUSIC THIS WEEK

Not much brand new music this week, but there were plenty of newly pressed reissues, music new to me, that I discovered. From perusing Bandcamp to ordering a few albums from Forced Exposure, I have plenty of new sounds to explore this week.

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First, here’s something I found on Bandcamp from Brownswood Recordings. It’s a limited-edition compilation celebrating the label’s rich, global catalog. It was founded in 2006 by broadcaster and English DJ Gilles Peterson. It’s worth a listen!

I didn’t visit any record stores this weekend, but a few new albums did land on my doorstep, and I’m looking forward to getting them on the turntable beginning today.

Some of the new LP titles include…

Arthur Russell, Love Is Overtaking Me (Audika Records), a collection of Arthur's folk, pop, and country songs.

Art Ensemble of Chicago, People In Sorrow (Play Loud!) was originally released by EMI's Pathé Marconi imprint in 1969. It’s a 40-minute piece by the quartet that has been unavailable on vinyl or CD for a long time.

Marlena Shaw's The Spice of Life (Vampisoul), also released in 1969, is her second and final studio album for Cadet Records. The album weaves together soul, funk, jazz, gospel, and blues. I’m really looking forward to this one!

And with that, let’s get into some more music talk, shall we?

LIVE MUSIC

Natural Information Society at Space

Portland, Maine | May, 2026

I ventured up Route 95 last Thursday evening for some delicious tacos at Taco Escobarr, a quick arcade visit to get the high score on Galaga, followed by a fine live show from Natural Information Society, almost next door at Space in downtown Portland, Maine.

I have a few albums by this NIS, and I’m somewhat familiar with two of the members, one being a member of BASIC, who I’ll see next month, opening for Tortoise — but that’s another story…

It was my first time seeing them perform live, and it was worth the drive up in the downpouring rain. They performed one piece of music to a sold-out crowd that lasted about 72 minutes. The band consists of founder Joshua Abrams on guimbri and electronics, Lisa Alvarado on harmonium, Mikel Patrick Avery on drums, and Jason Stein on bass clarinet.

It’s hard to describe this music because it’s jazz, psychedelic, raga, avant-garde, and experimental, but to me, it sounded great. If you’re a fan of Bitchin’ Bajas or Chicago Underground Duo, you might also dig Natural Information Society.

LINER NOTES

Sharing stories about albums in my collection. My mission is simple: one record and one story at a time. Since I bought my first record in 1982, I’ve been obsessed with the stories hidden in the grooves. This is a sanctuary for the music nerds and the audibly curious, dedicated to records and the liner notes that keep them alive.

Cocteau Twins, Heaven or Las Vegas (4AD, 1990)

It was the spring of 1991 and my senior year of high school was nearly done. I remember visiting Strawberries Records & Tapes on Woodbury Ave. in Portsmouth where they had just reorganized the bins to make room for CDs (those long cardboard boxes that stood as tall as the LPs they were replacing).

You’d flip through them the same way. as vinyl, with the same half-second appraisal of the cover art. And that’s where I found Heaven or Las Vegas. Or maybe it found me?

4AD released the album in September 1990 and it was produced by Robin Guthrie, who also played guitar and programmed the drum machines. Elizabeth Fraser handled all the vocals. The cover art was pure dream logic. It was full of blurred color, no hard edges, it was nothing that wanted to explain itself. It was very 4AD at the time.

I drove home from Strawberries in my 1979 Ford Fairmont with the CD popped into the Sony Discman, running through a cassette adapter into my car’s tape deck. Somewhere on that drive, “Cherry-Coloured Funk” arrived. I tried, but eventually gave up trying to understand exactly what Fraser was singing. Her voice was acting as another instrument, treated and layered by Guthrie into something between a choir and a synthesizer. It was blissfully gorgeous and I was hooked.

Back home, I played the whole album again on my brand new Sony five-disc carousel. Bedroom door closed, lights low. “Heaven or Las Vegas” and “Frou-Frou Foxes in Midsummer Fires” were pure ethereal dream pop for me... The melancholy was there, and so were the gothic undertones. The whole album felt weightless.

Critics have been catching up ever since. Pitchfork gave the album a perfect 10 in their Classic Albums series and NME called it one of the finest British albums of its era.

I still have that original CD. About ten years ago, on a trip to London, I walked into Rough Trade East near Brick Lane and found the reissued LP. It came home with me without a second thought. Two formats, thirty-plus years apart, and the album still holds the same kind of power it did in that Ford Fairmont.

Heavenly is exactly the right word. I won’t argue.

If this album is new to you, start with “Cherry-Coloured Funk” and “Iceblink Luck.”

PLAYLIST

🎧 New Music Playlist: May 2026

Here’s a collection of ten new songs, from many genres, released this month. Let me know your thoughts and enjoy!

LISTEN NOW ON APPLE MUSIC

1. SHOLTO & Phoebe Coco — Everything Is Stolen Anyway

2. Kevin Morby — Field Guide For The Butterflies

3. Dua Saleh — Flood (feat. Bon Iver)

4. Future Islands — The Ink Well

5. Deer Tick — ACI

6. of Montreal — Already Dreaming

7. Aldous Harding — Coats

8. Fruit Bats — That Goddamn Sun

9. Graham Coxon — Alright

10. Jasmine Myra — Some Rain Must Fall

Records, Anytime.

If you’re looking for new or gently used vinyl and CDs, I have a small, handpicked online vinyl shop run from my small room. It’s a delightful collection of Folk, Rock, Jazz, Electronic, and Indie records. Feel free to peruse at nocturnalmusic.net

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Until next time, thanks again for reading. I know it’s been a few weeks since my last newsletter arrived in your inbox, but I’ll be back again next week. 🙏

I appreciate all your comments and notes.

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Is it Spring yet?

Hello Again! It’s been a few weeks, but a lot has been going on, including some live music in both Portland, Maine, and Boston, Massachusetts.

Recently, I headed up to SPACE in downtown Portland to see drummer Daniel Villarreal perform with two exciting young musicians — vibraphonist Victor Viera-Branco and bassist John Moran. Fresh from the Big Ear Festival and on stage for a truly exciting set of music. Keep your heads up for this vibe player, as I’m sure he’ll be everywhere before too long!

The next night, I met some folks in Boston for dinner, then went to the MGM Music Hall at Fenway to see Bridget Everett perform with her band. You may know her from the HBO show, “Somebody Somewhere,” but she’s also a great singer and a very funny person. Everett has described herself as an "alt-cabaret provocateur." Did you know her bass player is Adam Horovitz, a.k.a. Ad-Rock of The Beastie Boys?

A Quasi-Book Review

Adventures in Modern Recording by Trevor Horn (Nine Eight Books UK, 2022)

Something new here, and something I won’t do too often… I’m not really a book reviewer, but I picked up Trevor Horn’s memoir in London last Spring. It’s a producer’s life told through the records that he made. Instead of a straight, year-by-year story, Horn uses each chapter to zoom in on a song, which includes “Video Killed the Radio Star,” “Owner of a Lonely Heart,” “Relax,” “Slave to the Rhythm,” “Kiss from a Rose,” and more. Each track is a different moment in his career and in pop music history.

If you grew up on 80s pop, like me, you were exposed to a lot of Trevor Horn records. He was the singer and producer of The Buggles. He briefly fronted Yes, believe it ot not… He produced ABC’s “The Lexicon of Love” and helped build Frankie Goes to Hollywood into a one-hit wonder. He produced Band Aid’s “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” in 1984 and later worked with Seal, Pet Shop Boys, Cher, Rod Stewart, and too many more.

Each chapter in this book takes a record and tells you what was happening around it: the artist, the studio, the gear, the accidents that became features, the fights, the jokes. It’s a memoir shaped just like an album. Anyone who cares about how records get made or loves the 80s, this is for you! Also, a signed copy is a nice thing to own.

Liner Notes

Sharing stories about albums in my collection. My mission is simple: one record and one story at a time. Since I bought my first record in 1982, I’ve been obsessed with the stories hidden in the grooves. This is a sanctuary for the music nerds and the audibly curious, dedicated to records and the liner notes that keep them alive.

Christmas Day, 2004. Wes Anderson released The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou into theaters, and I was there. Co-written with Noah Baumbach, the film starred Bill Murray as Steve Zissou, a washed-up oceanographer chasing a jaguar shark across the open sea. The box office was unkind, but it didn’t matter. I walked out of that theater in love with the film and obsessed with its soundtrack…

The secret weapon in this film was Seu Jorge, the Brazilian singer and actor who played a crew member who spent his downtime strumming an acoustic guitar and singing David Bowie songs in Portuguese. I bought the original soundtrack on CD within a few days after seeing the film.

As a lifelong David Bowie fan, and someone who has traveled to his childhood home in Bromley, South London, and stood at the Bowie Bandstand in Beckenham, where a 22-year-old Bowie performed at the Growth Summer Festival in August of 1969, I thought I knew these songs inside and out. “Rebel Rebel,” “Life on Mars?,” “Ziggy Stardust,” and “Changes.” Then Seu Jorge stripped them down to an acoustic guitar, translated them into Portuguese, and created his own magical interpretation of these classic songs.

I have this album on CD and on limited edition yellow vinyl, which I picked up last year at a Barnes & Noble in Rhode Island. This is also the album that deepened my love for Wes Anderson’s approach to music in film. He doesn’t just pick songs that sound good over a scene, he picks songs that become the scene.

The Royal Tenenbaums wouldn’t be the same without “Needle in the Hay.” Rushmore lives and dies by its British Invasion soundtrack. And The Life Aquatic simply doesn’t work without Seu Jorge sitting on the deck of that ship, softly singing Bowie while the world falls apart.

Playlist

This playlist moves between jazz tradition and modern experimentalism with quiet confidence. You've got post-bop in Abercrombie, Henderson, and Milt Jackson sitting alongside the raw, improvised energy of Corsano & Orcutt and the slow-burn ambient drift of Pullman's 13-minute "October."

The Fontaines D.C. cover of Sinéad O'Connor is beautiful, while Steve Gunn closes things out with something reflective. It could possibly be a late-night listening session where the thread isn't simply genre but mood. I hope you enjoy!

• “Pebbles” – John Abercrombie Quartet

• “Waltz For Sweetie” – Joe Henderson

• “Black Boys on Mopeds” – Fontaines D.C. (From Help 2, War Child Records)

• “October” – Pullman

• “My Funny Valentine” – Milt Jackson

• “Distance of Sleep” – Chris Corsano & Bill Orcutt

• “Park Entrance” – Steve Gunn

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New Music

It was Record Store Day, and while I didn’t stand in line, I did get some great new albums later in the day. Did you participate in RSD 2026? If so, what did you get?

Here are my quick highlights:

Don Cherry - Blue Lake (Live)

Stuart Copeland - Rhythmatist (Autographed)

Jazz Dispensary: Magia Brasileira

Also, I’m really looking forward to Saturday, May 16, in Keene, NH, for The Thing in the Spring, featuring Natural Information Society. Are you going?

Thanks again for reading. Until next time! - JB

Depeche Mode‘s Violator was released in 1990 and, 36 years later, it still sounds like something being built, not something simply remembered. I’ve been listening to this record again this week, and what keeps striking me isn’t the songs, it’s the architecture (although “Personal Jesus,” “Policy of Truth,” and “Enjoy the Silence” are some of the best pop songs ever written).

Producer Flood built a world of electro-machinery and placed something deeply human at its center. The electronics and synths didn’t just guide the lyrics, they pushed back, often taking center stage. That’s the trick Violator pulled off. There’s a direct line from that to modern marketing.

Your best campaign probably needs fewer messages, not more. Let the campaign’s creative do the work! A landing page with a single clear CTA will outperform one that explains too much. Again, let the creative help guide the audience through the campaign. The brands people remember aren’t the loudest; they’re the most purposeful and the ones most creative.

Martin Gore didn’t need a full orchestra. Dave Gahan didn’t need to shout. The music and production carried this album more than the lyrics, in my opinion, and that’s why I remember it and still play it 35 years later.

The next time you’re tempted to add another feature callout, another hero banner, another email in the sequence, ask yourself this: What would Flood do? But in all seriousness, what’s the version of your ad campaign that trusts the audience enough to leave something unsaid? Restraint isn’t a creative limitation. It’s a strategic choice. The brands that figure that out tend to build something that lasts longer than a campaign cycle. Violator is still in my regular rotation and still teaching me something every time. I even bought the vinyl reissue last year!

In your own marketing work, where do you find it hardest to resist the urge to say more? •

The cats are still adjusting, but they’ll get there.

And with that, let’s get into some music talk.

Talib Kweli at Jimmy’s Jazz & Blues Club

Friday night, I caught Talib Kweli at Jimmy’s Jazz & Blues Club in Portsmouth, NH, and it was one of those shows that remind me why live music matters. He played two nights, two sets each, and all four sold out. That tells you everything you need to know about where Kweli stands in 2026. We caught the 9:30 set, which didn't actually start until almost 10 pm, but nobody seemed to mind.

I first heard his music back in 1997 or 1998, through the Mothership Connection on WUNH 91.3 FM. When the Mos Def & Talib Kweli Are Black Star record dropped in 1998, it was in my CD player nonstop, and it’s still one of my favorite hip hop records. So hearing him perform songs live, nearly 30 years later, was something special.

But the show was so much more than a nostalgia trip. Kweli and his talented band moved through genres as if flipping through a crate of records. We got hip-hop, rock, some reggae rhythms, a taste of Fela Kuti, a Beatles cover, and an incredible 80s & 90s hip-hop montage led by the keyboard player that had the whole room moving. The setlist felt like a music education course compressed into 80 minutes…

What struck me most is that Talib Kweli has not wavered. He’s still rhyming with that conscious hip hop style that made him who he is, still telling the crowd to think, still paying attention to what’s happening in the world, and asking us to do the same. In a time when that message feels more urgent than ever, he delivered it with conviction and without pretense. If he’s coming to a city near you, go. You won’t regret it.

Liner Notes

Sharing stories about albums in my collection. My mission is simple: one record and one story at a time. Since I bought my first record in 1982, I’ve been obsessed with the stories hidden in the grooves. This is a sanctuary for the music nerds and the audibly curious, dedicated to records and the liner notes that keep them alive.

The Smiths, The Queen Is Dead (Rough Trade Records, 1986)

I was introduced to The Smiths right after they broke up. My friend Ken and I bought most of their albums on cassette at the local mall, and The Queen Is Dead was often on repeat on the boombox in my backyard. This was during my high school years, between 1987 and 1991. I probably first heard them through college radio and through friends at school, but however it happened, the music stuck. Ken and I eventually saw Morrissey live in 1992 at Brandeis University on the Your Arsenal tour, and that only deepened my obsession.

Released on June 16, 1986, The Queen Is Dead was the Smiths’ third studio album, produced by Morrissey and Marr, with engineering by Stephen Street. The album cover, designed by Morrissey, features a still of French actor Alain Delon from the 1964 film The Unvanquished. The album’s title was borrowed from a chapter in Hubert Selby Jr.’s novel Last Exit to Brooklyn. In the late 80s, I had no idea about the film or the book it was named after. No one in my orbit did! 😎

Many of the references in each song also flew right over my head. I was a teenager. I just loved how it sounded. But as I’ve gotten older, I’ve come to understand much more of what Morrissey was writing about. The anger at the monarchy, the class frustrations, the dark humor wrapped in simply gorgeous melodies. That said, for me it has always been about the guitar work of Johnny Marr, the subtleness of the drums, and Morrissey’s vocal style.

Marr’s playing on this record is some of the finest guitar work in that era. The album had a denser sound than the Smiths’ earlier records. Bassist Andy Rourke composed his bassline in the studio, a performance Marr later described as something other bass players still haven’t matched.

I just love the jangle pop sound of Manchester, England, in the 1980s, and The Smiths were the best at it. The production, the mix, the way every element sits in its right place. It’s just a beautiful record all around. NME named The Queen Is Dead the greatest album of all time in their 2013 list, and Rolling Stone ranked it 113th on their 2020 update of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. I won’t argue!

I own a repressing on Rough Trade Records, along with a handful of Smiths 12” & 7” singles. And I still love Morrissey’s solo work, even though, well, he’s gone a bit nuts these days. But this album? Forty years on, and it still sounds like the future. I wish they had made more.

New Music Playlist: April

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1. Les Imprimés - Miss The Days (feat. Ama Li)

2. Gorillaz - Orange County

3. Out Of/Into - Familiar Route (feat. Gerald Clayton, Immanuel Wilkins, Joel Ross, Kendrick Scott, Matt Brewer)

4. Jasmine Myra - Likeness and Shadow

5. Parlor Greens - Drop Top

6. Tenor Saw and Sly & Robbie - Roll is Called (7-inch mix)

7. Jill Scott - A Universe

8. Madvillain - Accordion

9. Nightmares On Wax - Looking at You Dub

10. Kevan Adrian - Give It Up (single)

New Music This Week

A few purchases this week, between Bandcamp and a trip to a record shop…

On Bandcamp, I preordered the new Jeff Parker IVtet album, Happy Today, on International Anthem, due out May 15. If you know Jeff Parker’s work, whether from Tortoise, his solo records, or with Flea, you know this is going to be worth the wait. I also picked up Antonio Carlos & Jocafi from Jazz Is Dead, featuring Adrian Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhammad. The Jazz Is Dead series continues to be one of the most consistently rewarding reissue and collaboration projects going.

I also made it out to Dyno Records in Newburyport, MA, which is always a good time. I grabbed a used vinyl LP of the John Abercrombie Quartet’s M from 1981 on ECM Records, a gorgeous record if you’re into that ECM sound.

On the CD side, I picked up Bill Evans and Eddie Gomez’s Intuition (Fantasy, 1974), Yusef Lateef’s Live at Ronnie Scott’s (Gearbox Records, 1966), and a Japanese pressing of Cecil McBee’s Music from the Source (Enja Real Jazz Classics, 1977). That McBee record is a deep cut and an absolute gem!

Until next time, thanks again for reading. - JB

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Last weekend, I traveled to Connecticut to visit family and celebrate a birthday. It was a quick but fun trip that included dinner and meeting many new faces. On the return, I had lunch at Le Jardin Cafe and then popped into Red Scroll Records in Wallingford, CT, to see what was new. I picked up a few albums, both new and old, including a CD by The Necks, a reissue of Mule Variations by Tom Waits, a new release by Los Angeles sax and flute man Aaron Shaw, some electronic music, and a collection of Japanese disco, funk, and boogie from the 1970s and 80s. It’s a great store, and I could have stayed longer, but I didn’t want to keep the driver, a.k.a. my wife, waiting too long! 😀

On the voyage home, in the steady rain along a busy Route 91 north, we listened to a lot of music, including this particular favorite of mine by The Pogues, Lorelei. It’s from their 1989 album called Peace and Love, and it’s one of my favorite songs. The funny thing is that Shane MacGowan isn’t the singer here. Instead, guitarist Phillip Chevron & Kristy MacColl took the lead. The song is based on the poem by Heinrich Heine.

Liner Notes

Sharing stories about albums in my collection. My mission is simple: one record and one story at a time. Since I bought my first record in 1982, I’ve been obsessed with the stories hidden in the grooves. This is a sanctuary for the music nerds, and the audibly curious, dedicated to records and the liner notes that keep them alive.

Being a high schooler in the New Hampshire Seacoast in the spring of 1989, the world felt a little smaller when doing my homework with 100.3 WHEB on the dial. There was a specific magic to those evenings, hearing a DJ like Scott Ladouni play a song that sounded like nothing else on the airwaves, at that moment. When “Dirty Boulevard” first crackled through my speakers, it wasn’t just a song; it was a poem about the reality of city life for many immigrants, far away from my little neighborhood. Lou’s expressionless delivery and that rhythmic guitar, along with Rob Wasserman’s effective bass line, paired with the sound of that well-mic’d snare, well, it hooked me right away. It felt like an invitation into a dark, crowded world made of asphalt, alleys, and people just trying to survive.

After that first listen, I demanded a trip to the Newington Mall the very next day. The routine was sacred: a straight shot to The Musicsmith to buy the cassette, followed by a stop at Paperback Booksmith to browse the Farside books on the crooked shelves. The day was fueled by the mandatory Orange Julius and a salty pretzel. If the cassette bins at the mall didn’t satisfy my itch, the ritual ended with a bike ride over to Strawberries Records & Tapes to check the neon-lit aisles for more music.

Did you know that Lou Reed included a directive in the liner notes of the album?

“This record is meant to be listened to in one sitting, as though it were a book or a movie.”

From the opening tracks about relationships, AIDS, and the annual gay pride parade in Greenwich Village, to songs about urban life and those less fortunate, religion and faith, his friend Andy Warhol, and spoken-word environmentalism, the entire album is excellent.

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Popping that tape into the deck for the first time, the beautiful plastic smell that came with every cassette, still fresh, still warm from unwrapping, was almost a rite of passage. It’s 35 years later, and the ‘Statue of Bigotry’ still feels relevant as it did when that tape was playing on the Sherwood in my bedroom. Between the anchors of Montgomery Ward and Bradlee’s, and the glow of The Dream Machine arcade, I found a masterpiece album. New York remains a masterclass in how much weight a few chords, deep and meaningful lyrics, and a lot of truth can carry.

Playlist

LISTEN NOW

• Thundercat & Lil Yachty — I Did This To Myself (feat. Flying Lotus)

• Tom Misch — Red Moon

• Ladytron — I Believe in You

• Tedeschi Trucks Band — Who Am I

• Kim Gordon — NOT TODAY

• Les Imprimés — Next Summer

• Mitski — I’ll Change for You

• I’m With Her — The Obvious Child (Nashville)

• David Hillyard & The Rocksteady Seven — Home For Dinner

New Music This Week

This creative, artful album arrived in the mail this week as part of the International Anthem winter bundle. Now available on Bandcamp or in most local record stores. It’s a string trio - violin, viola, and cello with beautiful effects throughout the album. I love every track, but my standout is paper folding | disappearing.

This entire EP is worth owning, but the first track, CARA MALUCO, is a jammer. Psych rock, garage fuzz, and hints of punk rock all mixed together for you to play loud. I also got the vinyl, which is limited and comes with an etching on side two. Worth checking out!

If Nick Cave singing Jimmy Webb and Glen Campbell’s Wichita Lineman isn’t enough, well, there’s so much more here! Flea and his delightful cast of musicians also interpret songs from Frank Ocean, George Clinton, Eddie Hazel, and Anna Ronell. It also has some beat poetry by Flea and conscious thoughts with A Plea. While Flea plays trumpet and bass throughout his debut jazz album, he’s joined by the album producer and saxophonist Josh Johnson, guitarist Jeff Parker (Tortoise), bassist Anna Butterss (SML), and drummer Deantoni Parks. Johnson, Parker, and Butterss were part of a residency in Los Angeles called Mondays at the Enfield Tennis Academy, billed as Jeff Parker’s ETA IVtet. You can purchase their live albums online from International Anthem and Eremite Records.

That’s all for this week.

Thank you so much for reading! I always appreciate it. - JB

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Springtime Is Near

They just love the spring air and hearing the birds chirp, the squirrels frolic, and the neighborhood dogs tease them as they walk by… unfortunatly it was only a few days and ‘false spring,’ but it can’t be much longer until the krokus start to bloom and the birds return from their winter travel… just so my cats can chatter and pretend to hunt them from the window sill on the inside of the screen. And with the fresh air and open windows returning soon, so will the Bossanova and Latin jazz on my turntable to celebrate the new season.

Liner Notes

Sharing stories about albums in my collection. My mission is simple: one record and one story at a time. Since I bought my first record in 1982, I’ve been obsessed with the stories hidden in the grooves. This is a sanctuary for the music nerds, and the audibly curious, dedicated to records and the liner notes that keep them alive.

Pink Floyd Meddle (EMI / Capitol)

There’s a copy of Meddle that I’ve had for years, and I still think about the first time I heard Echoes... Nothing can really prepare you for that opening “ping.”

I actually bought this record on CD first, sometime in the early 90s, while in college. The LP came later, maybe 15 years ago? Rick Wright sent that single keyboard note through a Leslie rotating speaker, and what came out was arguably one of the most recognizable single notes in the entire Pink Floyd catalog. It kicks off “Echoes,” a 23-minute piece that fills the entire second side and takes the listener on a cosmic ride. No gaps, no interruptions. You just ride it out!

But don’t sleep on side one, because it’s just as good in its own way. “One of These Days” opens the record with a bassline that grabs you immediately, but it’s Nick Mason’s voice that delivers the only lyric that is both menacing, funny, and unexpected.

Their label, EMI, at the time had only eight-track multitrack recording facilities, which the band didn’t like, so they moved to 16-track tape at a smaller London studio. Those extra tracks gave them more room to breathe and experiment.

I’ll admit, I have a soft spot for “Fearless” that probably has nothing to do with Pink Floyd. The track closes out with a field recording of Liverpool FC’s Kop choir singing “You’ll Never Walk Alone,” and it fades out in a wash of reverb. As a huge Liverpool and football fan, hearing that crowd on that song gives me chills every time.

It’s one of those moments where sport and music collide in the best possible way, and the fact that it ended up on a Pink Floyd record still feels like a lovely accident. ⚽️ 🎶

Playlist

New Music :: March 2026

Click the link above to listen on Apple Music.

I think this playlist has a great feel to it and flows pretty well. Give it a shot!

1. Kim Gordon Not Today

2. Flea Traffic Lights (feat. Thom Yorke)

3. Les Imprimés Next Summer Fading Forward

4. Harry Styles Dance No More

5. Kölsch Get Lost

6. Thundercat & Lil Yachty I Did This To Myself (feat. Flying Lotus)

7. James Blake I Had a Dream

8. Pat Metheny Don’t Look Down

9. Flying Lotus CAPTAIN KERNEL

10. Robyn Talk To Me

New Music This Week!

Here are a few new pieces of music that ended up on my desk this week…

Bill Frisell In My Dreams (Blue Note Records) 2026

From Blue Note Records:

“Bill Frisell’s In My Dreams is a family reunion of sorts, which brings some of the acclaimed guitarist’s closest friends together into a unique sextet featuring Jenny Scheinman on violin, Eyvind Kang on viola, Hank Roberts on cello, Thomas Morgan on bass, and Rudy Royston on drums. Their deep musical history goes back decades, though never before in this particular configuration, and together they travel wide expanses of American music, including Frisell originals as well as Jazz and Americana staples.”

George Duke I Love the Blues, She Heard My Cry (MPS) 1975

I just got a bunch of CDs in the mail from MPS, including some hot Jean-Luc Ponty records, but this was also in the mix, and it was a fun listen! Not recommended for those who only want to hear Duke as an instrumentalist, though it's enjoyable if you like rock, soul, and blues alongside your fusion.

Trust me, you’ll like it. 😀

Gregory Uhlmann Extra Stars (International Anthem) 2026

“The compositions and production techniques here reflect Uhlmann’s musicality perfectly, surely the result of him being as much a seasoned practitioner as he is an avid listener. If there is a middle ground between Cluster & Eno, Terry Riley’s Shri Camel, and Yo La Tengo’s There’s a Riot Going On, it’s somewhere nearby.”

- International Anthem

Thanks once again for reading. Until next time! - JB

Spring is only 14 days away. Looking outside, it doesn’t feel that close, but it’s okay. We can’t control the weather, and it’s the least of our concerns right now, right?

With all that’s happening on this planet right now, let’s all take a deep breath and try to work towards peace and stability for all. The cats and I would like that very much.

And with that, let us dive into some music talk. 🙏🏼

Joel Ross and Good Vibes

Last weekend, I saw Joel Ross perform at Jimmy’s Jazz and Blues Club in Portsmouth, NH. His newest album was just released last month on Blue Note Records, and this was the last stop on his East Coast tour. His band was young and impressive, featuring Maria Grand on tenor saxophone, Kanoa Mendenhall on bass, Tyler Bullock on piano, and Jeremy Dutton on drums. With his ensemble Good Vibes, Ross makes music that's technically ambitious yet keeps you interested and engaged throughout. The first piece lasted almost 75 minutes, with a quick break to introduce the band before diving into another 20-minute piece, and then an encore followed.

The club was almost sold out, and everyone near me was glued to the stage the entire time. I had seen Ross perform a few times before, the last time was at The Montreal Jazz Fest a few years back with Makaya McCraven’s ensemble.

If you see Joel Ross coming to a venue near you, I recommend catching him live.

You won’t regret it.

Liner Notes

Sharing stories about albums in my collection. My mission is simple: one record and one story at a time. Since I bought my first record in 1982, I’ve been obsessed with the stories hidden in the grooves. This is a sanctuary for the music nerds, and the audibly curious, dedicated to records and the liner notes that keep them alive.

I fell in love with Gorillaz back in March 2001, when I was visiting San Francisco for a conference. I stumbled into their debut album while perusing inside a Virgin Mega Store downtown. It was an import, which made me want it even more. Being a fan of Blur and Dan the Automator, I knew this album would be special. Damon Albarn also reintroduced the world to a variety of musicians, past and present, and it was sort of a music history lesson. This theme wold continue upon each new album…

Fast forward to this week, and a new album called The Mountain.
This new release feels like the Gorillaz album Damon Albarn has been building toward since 2010’s Plastic Beach. It’s cohesive, transportive, and evolving slightly into a new direction.

The two original creators of Gorillaz both lost their fathers recently, so this album is personal to them both, and it’s full of posthumous appearances as a reminder of who we’ve lost. (Bobby Womack, Tony Allen, Mark E. Smith, and Dennis Hopper)

The Indian theme runs throughout this album, reminding me of how much Albarn is a fan of international and world music scenes. A fantastic cast of Indian musicians, including Anoushka Shankar, Asha Bhosle, and the Bangash brothers are given real space to breathe and make this record unique.

The first track I heard was “Damascus” with Yasiin Bey and the brave and incredible Syrian singer and songwriter Omar Souleyman. My favorite tracks would also include “The Manifesto,” “The Shadowy Light,” “Delirium,” and “The Sweet Prince.“

I bought the deluxe CD version, which includes four bonus tracks, but I may eventually grab this on vinyl, too. It’s an excellent record to listen to on the commute into work, as it helps me get into the right frame of mind.

New Music Playlist

LISTEN NOW

• Flea - Traffic Lights (feat. Thom Yorke)

• Analog Africa - Albores De Mi Selva

• Jappie Lebona - You’ve Got It

• Chris Lyons - It’s Come Over Me

• Altin Gün - Gönül Dağı

• Jasmine Myra - Reflections

• Eek-A-Mouse - Ganja Smuggling (reissue)

• Tyler Ballgame - I Believe In Love

• Fabiano do Nascimento & Vittor Santos Orchestra - Vittor e Fabi

• Okonski - Easy

New Music This Week

I made a few purchases on Bandcamp Friday, a mini haul, perhaps?

Let’s begin with Minyo Groove 1963-1979, the latest in the Wamono series, compiled by Tokyo DJ and record collector Yoshizawa Dynamite. Traditional Japanese folk songs reimagined.

Cara Maluco EP is the latest from Osees, a four-track one-sided 12” (with etched B-side) that finds John Dwyer and company pushing even deeper into psych-punk and krautrock territory.

DJ Amir Presents Strata Records: The Sound of Detroit Vol. 2, diving deeper into the Detroit label’s catalog, features some funky and groovy corners while still honoring its avant-garde roots, and includes a previously unreleased Charles Mingus alternate take, among others.

Until next time, thanks again for reading. - JB

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Yep, it’s still cold and snowy here in coastal New Hampshire. It looks like we got another foot of snow today and more later in the week, but Spring is only 26 days away! I’ve said this in the past, but it’s true once again this week: It’s a good time for staying indoors with a warm bowl of soup or a hot cappuccino, and reading a book or listening to a record. I swear, spring is less than a month away!

John Coltrane’s Giant Steps is 66 Years Old

February is Black History Month, and 66 years ago, John Coltrane stepped into the studio to record Giant Steps, which was released in February 1960 on Atlantic Records.

It was his first album as a leader for his new record label, and recordings began about two weeks after his final sessions with Miles Davis for Kind of Blue. It’s still one of my favorite albums by Coltrane.

Liner Notes

Liner Notes is a new section where I share stories about albums in my collection. My mission is simple: one record and one story at a time. Since I bought my first record in 1982, I’ve been obsessed with the stories hidden in the grooves. This is a sanctuary for the music nerds and the audibly curious, dedicated to records and the liner notes that keep them alive.

R.E.M. Murmur (I.R.S.)

When R.E.M. released Murmur in 1983, it didn’t sound like anything else heard on the radio. Back then, most pop and rock music was full of bright synthesizers, but R.E.M. played beautiful jangly garage rock with one of the best vocalists, and songwriters, in rock music at the helm. They made an album that felt quiet, earthy, and contagious. It was made for college rock. Peter Buck’s Rickenbacker guitar explored beautiful ringing sounds, and the whole record felt like a walk through the woods near Athens, Georgia. Murmur wasn’t trying to blow out your speakers, it was trying to pull you in with its clever lyrics, irresistible and captivating guitar melodies, simple but effective bass lines, and unpresuming, pleasant drum beats.

R.E.M. paved the road for a lot of the indie and alternative bands that I would discover in high school and college. It’s classic because it’s honest, simple, and still sounds great almost forty-three years later. In high school, I couldn’t wait for new music from R.E.M. I had all their albums on cassette.

My favorite tracks? ‘Catapult,’ ‘Talk About the Passion,’ ‘Radio Free Europe,’ ‘Sitting Still,’ and ‘We Walk’. I just loved their sound and it brought me to appreciate other bands with a similar feel, like The Feelies, The Smiths, The Chills, and The Replacements. What about you?

New Releases

New albums or reissues now available for purchase on vinyl, CD, or digitally.

Various Artists Aman Aman - Greek Anatolian Laments (Mississippi Records)

Wonderful historic Greek recordings courtesy of Mississippi Records. This is a collection of songs originally released between 1911 and 1935 on 78 RPM records.

Aman Aman translates to “mercy,” a call of despair, but also one of joy and admiration. Now available on vinyl or digital download.

Moonchild Waves (Tru Thoughts)

Brand new album in the vein of neo-soul, R&B, and jazz from this Los Angeles group featuring guests like Robert Glasper, Jill Scott, and many more. Released Friday, February 20, 2026, on Tru Thoughts.

Playlist

LISTEN NOW

1. The Rolling Stones - Winter

2. Badly Drawn Boy - Fall In A River

3. The Album Leaf - On Your Way

4. Archers Of Loaf - Chumming The Ocean

5. Esmerine - Imaginary Pasts

6. Bat for Lashes - Daniel

7. Daniel Martin Moore - Lay Down Your Lonesome Burden

8. Belle & Sebastian - The Fox In The Snow

9. Andrew Bird - Dissent

10. Kristin Hersh - Your Ghost (w/ Michael Stipe)

11. Marisa Anderson - Sant Feliu de Guíxols

Library Additions

Here are a few other new albums that I added to my collection this weekend…

What new albums have you purchased recently?

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Thanks for reading. Until next week! - JB

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I spent Valentine’s Day in Portland, Maine, meeting a dear old friend and his wife for a fantastic dinner in the Old Port area of Maine’s largest city. There are many reasons to love Portland, Maine, but one of the biggest is the hearts that have begun to appear once again from the Valentine’s Day bandit, a tradition that originally started in 1979.

Whether you spent Valentine’s Day with a loved one or you were just chillin’ on the couch listening to records, I’m curious, what’s a love song you never get tired of hearing? For me, it’s Gladys Knight and the Pips version of ‘Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me’ and The Beach Boys’ ‘God Only Knows’. What about you?

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Liner Notes

In 1993, I spent many Saturday nights inside a locked studio at WUNH 91.3 FM. I was the voice of the 2 a.m. to 6 a.m. shift for an entire semester.

It’s a strange feeling, DJing overnight. You assume you’re shouting into the void, but then the phone rings. It’s an insomniac, a night-shift worker, or someone waking up at the crack of dawn, all connected by the same frequency.

Being alone in that studio gave me the keys to the kingdom: the enormous music library full of CDs, 45s, and rows of LPs. I started digging through the bins, and I found a record with handwritten notes on the sleeve calling the artist a “genius” and a “historical figure.”

That record was Richard Thompson’s Rumour and Sigh, released a few years earlier, in the Spring of 1991. As recommended by the comments, I dropped the needle on “1952 Vincent Black Lightning,” and the night suddenly paused. It’s a beautiful story told through some of the most mind-bending acoustic guitar work I have ever heard. Thoughtful, unique storytelling about James and his rare British motorcycle that he gave to his girlfriend, Red Molly, after his death.

Then I went back to the second track, “I Feel So Good,” an upbeat, beautifully crafted song featuring Thompson on a Fender Stratocaster and a Chamberlin organ played by Mitchell Froom. The track sounds like a celebration until you actually listen to the lyrics about breaking someone’s heart. That’s the Richard Thompson magic.

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Thompson emerged from the 1960s British folk scene, but by 1991, he had perfected this sort of Indie Folk hybrid, and it was a hit at college radio stations across the country. If you want to hear a masterclass in songwriting, listen to the way he balances the tragedy of the lyrics with his guitar picking on “God Loves A Drunk,” a song about addiction.

Before I dropped the needle that early morning at WUNH, I didn’t realize I was about to play music by a man who was heavily invovled in defining the British Folk scene of the 1960s. Thompson was a founding member of Fairport Convention. While the rest of the UK was improving on the sound of American blues, Thompson and his band were digging into both centuries-old British ballads and Bob Dylan covers.

By the time he reached his solo career and his legendary (and heartbreaking) duo years with his then-wife Linda Thompson, he had become one of the best songwriters in music.

Final Thought

There is a reason why some critics call Richard Thompson one of the best-kept secrets in music. Finding him in that dusty, sticker-laden bin at WUNH felt less like a discovery and more like an initiation.

It was my introduction not only to Thompson, but also to Fairport Convention, Fotheringay, Planxty, Pentangle, Steeleye Span, John Renbourn, Burt Jansch, Sandy Denny, Teddy Thompson, Incredible String Band, Ralph McTell, Nick Drake…

My journey into British Folk continued at a local record store where I worked for a few years while finishing school. The manager was super knowledgeable in music, and he introduced me to “A Sailor’s Life” by Fairport Convention (1969), guitar by Richard Thompson. That is still one of my favorite pieces of music, some 30+ years later. Thank you, Bill. 🙏🏼

Listen to the magic:

Tell me about your “locked studio” moment. Have you ever had a late-night discovery? A song or a book you found when the rest of the world was asleep that ended up staying with you for decades? Maybe even still with you today?

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Thanks again for reading. Much appreciated. - JB

Since I bought my first record in 1982, I’ve been obsessed with the stories hidden in the grooves. This is a sanctuary for the music nerds, and the audibly curious, dedicated to records and the liner notes that keep them alive. Let’s dig in!

Liner Notes

Imagine recording an album in 1956 and not having a single person hear it for over forty years. That’s the mystery of Hampton Hawes’ Bird Song.

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Hampton Hawes was considered one of the greats of West Coast blues-driven piano. His influences came from Bud Powell and Charlie Parker, both early inventors of BeBop. Bird Song is a special album because it’s almost like a time capsule release. These trio recordings are from 1956 and 1958, but weren’t released until 1999 by Contemporary Records courtesy of Original Jazz Classics and Fantasy Jazz.

The album features 12 tracks, nine of which were recorded in January of 1956 with Paul Chambers on bass and Larance Marable on drums. The other three pieces of music were recorded in March of 1958 with Scott LaFaro on bass and Frank Butler on drums.

Shortly after these tracks with LaFaro and Butler were laid down, Hawes was arrested and sent to prison for heroin possession, and didn’t return until a 1963 presidential pardon. He’d later write about this journey in his autobiography Raise Up Off Me, but these recordings capture the trio right before the storm: virtuosic, forward-thinking, and tragically unaware of how long it would be before he’d see a piano again.

Bird Song was a revelation because it caught Hawes right at his peak, blending his Charlie Parker influence (hence the title) with his signature West Coast swing. This entire album is beautiful, and I love Paul Chambers' bass playing alongside Hawes’ bebop-style piano, covering Charlie Parker, Cole Porter, and Dizzy Gillespie, but my favorite tracks are the 1958 dates with Scott LaFaro on bass.

On What’s New, LaFaro’s incredible bass-playing is on full display with an early solo before Hawes’ piano gently rolls back in, eventually joined by Frank Butler’s crisp snare. It is simply a beautifully recorded piece of music.

Hearing I'll Remember April gives me chills. It starts mid-tempo, and the tightness of the Hawes/LaFaro/Butler trio is almost supernatural. While it was originally performed by Woody Herman, Hawes firmly places his delightful version alongside those recorded by legends like The Bird, Miles Davis, and Chet Baker.

The album closes with Blue ‘N’ Boogie, a three-minute Dizzy Gillespie tune. It’s high-speed bebop where LaFaro keeps rolling, accented by Butler’s perfect timing and the extraordinary piano of Hawes.

Lastly, the 1958 tracks on Bird Song are a taste of what you can also hear on Hawes' album For Real!, which was recorded that same year but not released until 1961 by Contemporary Records, while he was still in prison. Both sessions were recorded during that same magic window with Scott LaFaro before Hawes' hiatus. Sadly, just before the album was released, and while Hawes was still locked up, LaFaro tragically died in a car accident. He was only 25 years old.

Take a listen, let me know if you can hear the shift in energy between the two trios, and tell me your favorite tracks. Aside from the YouTube link above, the album isn’t streaming on any digital platforms I could find, but you can get a copy on Discogs.

Thanks for reading. - JB

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Way before my career in digital marketing, and before the thousands of CDs and LPs that now line my walls... there was a local mall, and a record store inside called The Musicsmith, where a nine-year-old version of me bought his first album.

It was the spring of 1982. My dad took me to the mall and told me I could pick one record after a haircut. I can still see the store's layout, the rows and rows of records, and the wall of cassette tapes. Once I felt the weight of that record in my hands as I pulled it from the bin, I had to have it. It was Joan Jett & The Blackhearts, ‘I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll.’

I picked this album because of the title track. I’d heard it over and over on the radio, and it felt like a bolt of lightning. Great energy, easy to sing the chorus, and she looked like a badass. I just needed to own that sound.

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But a funny thing happens when you buy your first record: you realize there’s a world beyond the hit single. While the world was obsessed with the “put another dime in the jukebox” hook, I was falling in love with another song, the last song on side A.

Most people know the Tommy James original, but Joan Jett’s version is a masterclass in tension. To this day, when that powerful guitar kicks in, and her voice drops into that low, grainy “over and over,” I still get chills. Later, when the solo occurs, and the drums take off, and the band chimes in with “Ba da da da da da,” I never miss a chance to play the air drums. It taught me, at age nine, that a great cover isn’t just a copy; it’s a reclamation. But yes, I did think it was her song back in 1982…

Why it still matters.

In a world full of digital algorithms, there is something sacred about the first record you ever chose for yourself. It’s the DNA of your taste. The beginning of the evolution of why you like this music and why that particular genre or artist is right for you.

What was the first record that you ever picked out for yourself? Do you still listen to it? Let’s talk about where it all started for you!

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…and yes, I still have the orignal album.

Lately, I’ve been thinking about how to take this community to the next level. I’m a lifelong learner, and as many of you know, someone who loves nothing more than sharing a lost or rare record. I’m exploring some new ideas, and I’d love your honest take…

Could you share your thoughts on the following possible new segments?

• The Crate Digger’s Digest - Focusing on rare finds, the history of physical media, and/or the stories behind the vinyl.

• The Human Algorithm - The antidote to AI-generated playlists. I’ll continue to create playlists, keeping them available on Mixcloud, Apple Music, and QoBuz, and also offering exclusive playlists available only on Substack.

What’s the one thing you wish you had more of in your music life right now? Help finding specific albums or just better “human” recommendations to escape algorithms?

Thanks as always for reading.

JB

Another Subscription?

So Pitchfork just introduced subscriptions. For $60 a year, you can read more than four reviews, comment on their reviews, and review albums yourself. Maybe I’m naive, but other than paying for access to reviews (with ads), commenting and reviewing albums yourself is free via any social media or blog platform, no? I honestly don’t see any benefit to a paywall for an ad-supported website like Pitchfork. Don’t get me wrong, I totally support journalism and music writers — in fact, I subscribe to a bunch of magazines, and I have a few music-related Substack subscriptions as well. All totally worth it. I just don’t see the value here... unless it was a lot more than just reviews. What do you think?

By the way, one of my Substack subscriptions is to Jazz and Coffee, written by the talented Syd Schwartz. He’s very knowledgeable in more genres than just jazz (and coffee), and this amateur writer highly recommends subscribing, if you can. You won’t be disappointed.

International Anthem’s Winter Bundle

It’s sort of a subscription, right? The Winter Bundle from International Anthem includes two records for $45 (plus $6 shipping) or the limited edition color vinyl for $52 (plus $6 shipping). IARC 107 and IARC 108 will ship around March 20th, and downloads will be provided via Bandcamp on or before the ship date.

I wonder what these two releases could be? Any guesses?

A Little Plug…

Who is Samuel S.C.?

Samuel started in the early 90s in State College, Pennsylvania. They were a punk rock band that toured constantly on the DIY hardcore and punk scene. They played shows with well-known bands from that time, including Avail, Promise Ring, Chamberlain, Anti-Flag, Grain, and Kerosene 454, among others. Samuel was the main band on drummer Eric Astor's label, Art Monk Construction, which put out some of the most respected 7-inch vinyl records of the time. In 2021, as Samuel S.C. returned, adding the S.C. to reflect a new beginning while paying homage to the band’s origins.

This is their new song:

A Hidden Jewel

Have you heard of Analog Tone Records? It’s a new jazz label created by saxophone player Jerome Sabbagh and pianist & recording engineer Pete Rende, dedicated to analog tape. All their LPs are 100% analog, available in 180g vinyl and digital formats. Stand Up! is an incredible album by Jerome Sabbagh, featuring guitarist Ben Monder, bassist Joe Martin, and drummer Nasheet Waits. It features eight tracks in which the band interprets the music of artists such as Trent Reznor, Kenny Barron, Stevie Wonder, and others.

This album and the label are new to me. I just heard about both while reading a best-of-2025 list. It was brought to my attention through The Gig by Nate Chinen, another great read here on Substack.

New Release This Week

Soul Jazz Records Presents: Junglist!

A heavyweight new selection of classic and rare original jungle. Now available on LP, CD, or digital. Order online. All tracks date from 1993-95, at the height of jungle. Rarities include Bizzy B & TDK’s ‘Big Things.’

An Exciting Preorder

Katzin - Buckaroo (Mexican Summer)

I’ve been listening to the three available songs from Katzin's forthcoming debut album lately. New York-based, his sound is rooted in the mysterious West meets indie pop. Catchy tunes! The debut album arrives Friday, February 13, 2026.

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No playlist this week, but it will return next Sunday. If you’re looking for one, explore all of my past playlists here. 🙏🏼

Thanks for reading.

I appreciate all the comments and ideas you’ve sent me. Keep ‘em coming!

Stay safe, and take care of each other. Until next week! - JB

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As we observe Martin Luther King Jr. Day this year, the urgency of now that Dr. King once spoke of feels more like a roar than a whisper. In an era where the political landscape seems dominated by darkness, we’re reminded that progress is never permanent; it’s a practice.

Today, honoring Dr. King means more than just remembering his dream; it means protecting each other in a world that feels increasingly designed to pull us apart. ❤️

The Weekly Spin

On Saturday, I got together with a few friends, and we visited two record shops in northern Massachusetts. The first visit was to Dyno Records in Newburyport, which has a new owner. He seems to be into jazz more than any other genre, which is great! We chatted about Discogs, local businesses, and the new auction app Whatnot.

After lunch at Abraham’s, the next stop was Welfare Records in nearby Haverhill. An impressive used-vinyl, CD, and cassette shop, the selection is laid out brilliantly by genre, and the store offers an excellent view of the Merrimack River while shopping.

Fresh Finds & New Releases

This has been another busy weekend for my speakers after picking up some used albums at Dyno Records and Welfare Records. Here’s what has landed in my collection…

• Bob Wills - The History of Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys: Bob Wills didn’t just play the fiddle, he engineered a sonic revolution by combining big band swing, fiddle, and the blues to create Western Swing. With the Texas Playboys behind him, Wills proved that a steel guitar and a holler could bridge the gap between rural tradition and urban sophistication.

• Milt Jackson - Milt Jackson Quartet: Milt Jackson is one of the best jazz vibraphonists ever to play the instrument. Recorded in 1955, this LP's sound is warm and intimate, featuring Horace Silver, Percy Heath, and Connie Kay. Jackson, Heath, and Kay were all part of the Modern Jazz Quartet. This album was also released as "Soul Pioneers" later in the 1960s.

• Ancient Infinity Orchestra - It’s Always About Love: You can feel the joy in this music, a blend of modern jazz and soul with traces of folk. Led by bassist Ozzy Moysey, the ensemble leans into a campfire-esque spiritualism, most notably on the standout "Chant for Don Cherry," where shimmering harps, woodwinds, and collective vocals create a sonic embrace.

On the Radar

New or recent releases available for streaming:

• Sault - Chapter 1: (Soul) – Already on their 13th album, this collective unleashes another masterpiece with help from Cleo Sol, Jack Peñate, and Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis.

• Craig Taborn - Dream Archives: (Jazz) – I’m new to Craig Taborn, but I’ve been a fan of drummer Ches Smith for a while now, so I’m eagerly awaiting hearing this entire LP today! This album was recorded live in New Haven in early 2024.

  

The Weekly Mix

I just felt like a good soul mix was needed... Dive into a seamless blend of vintage soul, deep funk, and global grooves that transition effortlessly from the gritty horns to the breezy jazz and all stops in between. You might get a lil’ sweaty.

Click below to listen now on Mixcloud.

Thanks for tuning into this week’s edition!

Join the Conversation: What are you most excited about? Let me know in the comments! If you enjoyed this, please consider sharing it with a fellow music lover.

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See you next week,

JB

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I was fortunate to see The Grateful Dead three times and to see two more memorable shows with Bob Weir. One of those was particularly heavy. It was August 9, 1995, at the Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom. It was the day Jerry Garcia passed, and Bob played an incredible set with Ratdog dedicated to his longtime friend. The second time was more recent, back in 2022 at the Westside Music Bowl, where he and the Wolf Brothers gave us a beautiful Americana take on the Dead’s catalog.

With Bob’s passing this past Saturday at age 78, we’ve lost a true American icon. Whether you were a Deadhead or not, his impact is undeniable. From psychedelia to country and rock ‘n’ roll, he didn’t just play music history, he helped write it.

I took these photos and the video in New Haven, Connecticut, on October 1, 2022, at the Bob Weir and Wolf Brothers performance. Rest in peace, Mr. Weir.

Fresh Finds & New Releases

We might only be eleven days into the new year, but the buzz around upcoming records is already building. We’re still in the early stages, but I see next Friday as the official start of the 2026 music cycle. I think it’s the week that we truly step out of the holiday shadow… I’ve found these two sites to be some of the best resources for keeping tabs on new releases. If you’re looking to plan your listening for the coming months, give these a look: upcomingvinyl.com & albumoftheyear.org/releases

Even with the few new releases, I still managed to add a few albums to my collection this week.

🎧 In My Collection

Music acquired this week at local record shops or online.

• Gregory Corso - Die On Me:

  This is a fascinating piece of history, blending archival tapes from 1959 with sessions captured by Hal Willner back in January 2001. Available for the first time on vinyl. What makes this collection so special is that it features the final voice recordings of legendary Beat poet Gregory Corso. You will also hear Corso musing on his life in conversation with Allen Ginsberg, Marianne Faithfull, and Studs Terkel. Hearing him recite his poems and break down his own work in such detail is a real gift for anyone who appreciates the Beat era.

  “People say that I’m the greatest American poet of the 20th Century. I tell them they’re wrong. Gregory Corso is a far greater poet.” - Allen Ginsberg

  

• Hank Mobley - Hank: This is another top-tier Blue Note session, featuring a lineup led by Hank Mobley (tenor saxophone). Along with Donald Byrd (trumpet), they were the front line for the second iteration of the Jazz Messengers with Art Blakey. This 1957 album was just reissued on Blue Note Records as part of the Tone Poet series. It also features Bobby Timmons (piano), John Jenkins (alto saxophone), Wilbur Ware (bass), and Philly Joe Jones (drums).

  “middleweight champion of the tenor saxophone.” - Leonard Feather

  

  Pullman - III: Pullman is a great ‘studio-born’ project from Chicago in the late 1990s. It brought together a core group of musicians from bands like Tortoise, Rex, and Come to explore a more acoustic, stripped-back sound. Their 1998 Thrill Jockey debut, Turnstyles & Junkpiles, is a delightful LP full of atmospheric guitar work. Some have compared it to the style of John Fahey and Leo Kottke. It’s a quiet, intricate record that still holds up perfectly today. Fast forward 28 years, and they’re back with their third album, produced by Bundy K. Brown and now available on Western Vinyl.

  ---

On the Radar

New or recent releases available on streaming.

• Parlor Greens - Emeralds

  This band is one of the most fun, energetic, and tightest organ trios I’ve ever seen live. The band is led by Jimmy James (The True Loves, Delvin Lamarr Organ Trio), and if you ever get a chance to see them perform live, don’t miss out. He’s such a trip and fun to watch play the guitar …and a wonderful human being, too. The new release arrives on March 26th on Colemine Records.

  For now, have a taste of the first track, Eat Your Greens.

  The Lone Bellow - What A Time To Be Alive

  I’ve been a fan of this band since I first saw them live at The Newport Folk Festival back in 2012. After their set, I met the trio, each of whom signed the LP I bought, and we discussed their performance and upcoming tour. On stage, they were full of energy and passion, and each song was delivered with deep emotion and grace. I’ve seen them perform a handful of times, and I look forward to this new album due out in February. It’s been almost 14 years since their debut, and it’s great to see how they have evolved in songwriting and musically, too. Below, click to hear the first track from their forthcoming new album.

The Playlist

I created an electronic mix with a retro feel. I mixed and selected these tracks to ease you into the cold winter air and, hopefully, not another cold war. ☮️

I created this mix with Mixcloud. I hope you enjoy.

LISTEN ON MIXCLOUD

• 00:00:00 Pole - Rondell Zwei

• 00:06:48 Four Tet - Teenage Birdsong

• 00:09:24 Boys’ Shorts - Athena

• 00:14:28 St Germain - Rose Rouge

• 00:20:42 Oskar Offermann - Silent Prayers

• 00:28:49 Kolsch - In Bottles

• 00:34:12 Deadbeat & Camara - I Don’t Get It After Midnight (Medley)

• 00:41:34 Schneider TM - The Light 3000 (Schneider TM & KPT.michi.gan)

• 00:45:00 Coki - Buzzin’

• 00:48:40 Paul Van Dyk - Another Way

• 00:53:36 UNKLE - Portishead Plays U.N.K.L.E

• 00:57:17 KILN - Ero

• 01:00:55 Tricky - Christiansands

In Conclusion…

Thanks for reading! As we proceed deeper into January and wintertime, I wish you and your loved ones peace. Think positively, do good, and treat one another kindly. I’ll have more music news next week.

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Join the Conversation: Are there any new releases you’re excited about in 2026? Let me know in the comments! If you enjoyed this, please consider sharing it with a fellow music lover. See you next week, JB

Happy New Year! 🎉

I hope your holidays were filled with good company and even better soundtracks. Hopefully, you’ve finally surfaced from the 'Best of 2025' rabbit hole with some new favorites in tow. But as much as I love a year-end retrospective, there’s nothing like the clean slate of January. The holiday décor is packed away, making room for the real excitement: the first wave of 2026 release dates, the leaked festival lineups that keep us dreaming of summer, and that inevitable itch to upgrade the HiFi setup.

But first… I closed out my 2025 concert calendar at The Press Room with a double bill that felt like a gift. Chris Forsyth took the stage first, offering a preview of his forthcoming album with BASIC, which also features Douglas McCombs (Fender Bass VI) and Mikel Patrick Avery (percussion, drum machine, electronics). Steve Gunn closed the night with a beautifully intimate set. The standout for me was a sprawling, gorgeous cover of Nico’s ‘I’ll Be Your Mirror.’ I ended the night the only way a music nerd should: picking up a fresh copy of his latest album at the merch table and sharing a quick word with him about the set.

Fresh Finds & New Releases

The first week of 2026 has been a busy one for my speakers. Here is what’s landed in my collection and what should be on your radar.

🎧 In My Collection

Here’s the music I acquired this week at local record shops or online.

• Frank Sinatra - In the Wee Small Hours: This album is considered one of the first concept albums. It has a general theme of loneliness and heartbreak, and, in my opinion, it's the one album you should own if you only own one album by Frank Sinatra. I found a used copy on CD at BullMoose Music this weekend. Initially released in 1955 on Capitol Records, it has been remastered and reissued multiple times.

• Leonard Cohen - You Want It Darker: I’ve heard this album on streaming services, and I absolutely love it. I saw it used copy available at Bullmoose Music, so it was a no-brainer. It’s dark, at times eerie, and gives me chills when the first track begins. To me, it’s one of Cohen’s best as far as lyrics and vocal style. I love his deep, raspy, almost Tom Waits-style haunting vocals. Cohen was a brilliant poet. Released on October 21, 2016, on Columbia Records. He passed away only 18 days later, at the age of 82.

• Jimmy Reed - I’m Jimmy Reed: Reed is at the top of the list of Chicago blues greats. He wasn't flashy, and his relaxed vocals and signature harmonica style created a sound that felt honest and familiar. First released in 1958 on Vee-Jay Records, the Bluesville Series from Craft Recordings and Acoustic Sounds is reissued on 180-gram vinyl, and it sounds great.

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On the Radar

New or recent releases available on streaming.

• Bill Callahan - My Days of 58: Callahan’s new album will be released at the end of February, but you can hear two new songs now and preorder it from Drag City Records. I’m really digging ‘Lonely City,’ and I’m looking forward to hearing the entire album, which seems like a ‘90s throwback to the days of ‘Wild Love’ when he recorded as Smog. The new album features guitarist Matt Kinsey, saxophonist Dustin Laurenzi, and drummer Jim White.

• Asher Gamedze - A Semblance: Of Return: South African drummer and composer Asher Gamedze has a new project. He’s teamed up with a close group of musician friends to explore how making music can be a form of freedom. Gamedze is a huge part of Cape Town's independent scene, and his new album arrives at the end of February. You can listen to one track right now, called ‘Following Up.’ It’s available for preorder from Northern Spy Records.

The Playlist

I’ve curated a selection of ten new tracks to soundtrack your week. This week’s theme is a nice, gentle re-entry into the first full workweek of the new year, featuring new music coming soon.

I created this playlist for both Apple Music and QoBuz users. I hope you enjoy!

APPLE MUSIC PLAYLIST

QoBuz PLAYLIST

1. Damascus (feat. Omar Souleyman and Yasiin Bey) - Gorillaz

2. Talking Drum (feat. John Medeski) - Julian Lage

3. Smoke Rings - Chris Cheek

4. The Good Life - Sleaford Mods

5. Hit My Head All Day - Dry Cleaning

6. Cold Waves - Crooked Fingers

7. No Getting Over You - The Lone Bellow

8. In the Willows - Tyler Ramsey

9. Weightless - Pullman

10. Platero y yo, Op. 190 (Solo Guitar): III. Return - Niklas Johansen (Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco)

In Conclusion…

Thanks for tuning into this first edition of 2026! It feels good to be back in the swing of things, and I truly hope you found a track or a story here that resonates with you. As we kick off this new chapter, I’m wishing you a great year ahead. One filled with health, happiness, and, of course, an incredible soundtrack. Here’s to 2026 being a standout year for music, art, and for all of us. ❤️

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Join the Conversation: Which of these releases are you excited about? Let me know in the comments! If you enjoyed this, please consider sharing it with a fellow music lover. See you next week, JB

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Roon is fantastic for anyone serious about their digital music collection. It doesn’t just play your files (and streams from Tidal or Qobuz), it also elevates the entire experience by layering in rich, detailed metadata. That data is what makes Roon so unique. For each album, you get the liner notes, album credits, recommendations, and so much more. It has transformed how I browse, discover, and organize my digital music library.

…and with that said, I just viewed the albums I listened to the most on Roon this past year, and honestly, the list makes sense for the year I’ve had. It’s a journey through deep, contemplative listening, and I wanted to share the top five that dominated my digital listening in 2025.

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The number one spot goes to Entrance Music by Okonski. Right behind it is Open Me, A Higher Consciousness of Sound and Spirit by Kahil El’Zabar’s Ethnic Heritage Ensemble. Next, it’s the spiritual, soulful jazz of The Eternal Now by Chip Wickham, followed by The Life You Save by Flock of Dimes. And finally, rounding out the top five, is Disquiet by The Necks from down under. They’re masters of patient, evolving soundscapes.

2025 was a year of deep listening for me, with a lot of jazz and a lot of challenging yet rewarding experimental work. If you want to try Roon for free, check it out here.

What were your most-played digital albums this year? Let me know! - JB

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