It’s been a long day, and stumbling upon this gem was exactly what the doctor ordered. An all time great song covered to perfection.

Also, in the spirit of long days, this song has recently become my go-to office anthem:

I have a bad habit of showing up late to concerts and missing an opening act that I later discover I like as much as the group I’m going to see. That happened to me last month when I went to go see The Barr Brothers and showed up after Leif Vollebekk’s set. I wake up in the middle of the night haunted by my mistake these days. Leif, hailing from Montreal, does the singer-songwriter gig as well anyone out there right now, blending Americana sounds with a Canadian sensibility.

I put on Lou Reed’s Berlin
I had a friend once that asked me..”Who needs Berlin?”
“Well”, I said, “I guess it depends on the state that you’re in.” 

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And here’s a cover of The Killers

The term instant classic is usually associated with sports, not so much music (at least by people who respect the term classic). It takes a long to decompress a great album, and often years or even decades to understand it’s place within a genre. Understanding that, I feel little apprehension in deeming D’angelo’s Black Messiah an instant classic. Coming 15 years after the transcendent Voodoo, this album is loose and free-flowing, denying any sense of an over-thought, belabored studio presence. It’s also complex, penetrating, political, moving, and sonically astounding. There’s truly something holy about this man’s music.

Canadian indie rockers’ Close Talker are midway through their tour promoting their second album “Flux.” I particularly like how the bass and guitar each gets a prominent voice in both these songs. Plus, the band got their name from a classic episode of Seinfeld.

And for Seinfeld fans.

The Punch Brothers released two new singles off of their upcoming album The Phosphorescent Blues, due out January 27th.

Thanksgiving is about consumption, so to honor this marvelous day here are some new songs to consume. There’s no holiday theme, just good music.

He may look like a tough guy with his cut-off shirt, tattoos and heavy beard, but Tim Showalter and his Strand of Oaks project definitely has a gentle side. That side is on display in this stripped down live version of Woke Up to the Light, one of the many great songs off his stand-out 2014 album HEAL.

I can’t remember the last time I’ve been so instantly taken in by a song and artist I otherwise know nothing about. From the first listen Hollywood reminded me of Billy Joel’s New York State of Mind (apparently Jeremy Larson at Pitchfork feels the same way). It’s hard to pull of a song so simple and classic sounding without veering in to the well-worn and over-done. Tobias Jesso Jr. pulls it off.

Also listen to his Take Away Show:

Today I learned that Phosphorescent has a prolific collection of stripped-down covers of timeless (and timeless sounding) songs. The good folks at Cover Lay Down put them all together, and many are available to download. He covers The Beatles, Vampire Weekend, Bob Dylan (because what cover collection would be complete without him), Willie Nelson, Nick Cave, Leonard Cohen, and many more.

Here’s the link.

Don’t know how this slipped through the cracks, but here is the latest from José González (also the lead singer of Junip). His new album Vestiges & Claws is out February 17, along with a new tour.