MusicHarbor
Discovery app for new music releases, music videos, events, and news from your favorite artists and record labels by Marcos Tanaka. Because finding new releases on Apple Music and Spotify is abysmal. / thanks for the rec to Paul Carroll!
Beta Love
20 years ago this Valentine's Day a journaled about this mix of love songs. I made Spotify and Apple Music playlists today to rekindle the moment.
None of the music was prerecorded on Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood
Johnny Costa attended every taping, providing live piano accompaniment just off camera with percussionist Bobby Rawsthorne and bassist Carl McVicker. Jazz pianist and composer Charles Cornell shares some history.
Simon Collison’s 2023 in music
I look forward to Simon’s yearly posts and playlists to fuel music discovery into the new year.
Patrick’s picks for best album art of 2023
He does this every year and I always find not just new music to explore, but wonderful art. (He also creates a list for worst album art of the year)
The Official 2023 Sufjan Yule Log
4 hours and 50 minutes of Sufjan Christmas music and a fireplace. / via Bernie Michalik
Hannah Waddington & Brendan Hunt perform Love Shack
Most know the pair as Rebecca and Coach Beard from Ted Lasso. They teamed up with other folks to raise money and awareness for the Steps of Faith Foundation. Brought a big smile to my face.
Top ♫ 100
Andrew Neyer threw it out there: Make a playlist of your 100 all-time favorite songs. Don’t overthink it. Hone at will. (I keep fiddling with mine.) It has been a blast listening to everyone else’s collections thus far. Submit your own!
Albums of the Year 2023
New Commute asked their graphic artist friends for their favorite music of the year and the results are exceptionally good looking. Oodles of art and music to explore!
And Still
This is Peter Gabriel’s 11th song from the upcoming i/o album. Released today on the Hunter’s Moon, it’s about his mum. You can learn more about the track in this monthly video update. The album will be completed with next months full moon.
Nothing Compares 2 U
Choir! Choir! Choir!, with a last minute inclusion of Fiest, pay tribute to Sinéad O’Connor. Powerfully good.
Sam Smith Tiny Desk Concert
Just kicking back on a Friday night after dinner watching this performance and enjoying it immensely. Gave some applause to the TV when the last song finished but figured I'd extend the appreciation with a link. Thanks for being wonderfully lovely Sam Smith.
This Is Pop – A documentary about the band XTC
Loved XTC since Skylarking (and then went back in their catalog and loved that too). They never really toured so I’m curious to learn more about ’em with this doc. / via MetaFilter
Earthling, Golden Gate Park – Sept 17
An experimental music listening party in San Francisco. If I was closer I’d totally go to this (and not just because it’s free!). Been enjoying the introductions to the four bands that will be vibing. / via Tyler Mincey
The Live Music Archive
Open Culture sheds light on this trove of concert recordings on the Internet Archive. Yes, there are a lot of Grateful Dead shows, but there are gems. Spent my morning coffee with this quiet performance by Elliot Smith. There are tons of ways to browse. My only wish would be to sort by performance date.
What’s good: R.E.M. debuts on Letterman
Lately it’s been non-stop Taylor Swift and recipes, but sometimes the YouTube algorithm works.
97X Modern Rock 500
Streaming now! 500 indie songs with original DJs from 97X. Been enjoying it all morning and will dip my toes in the looping broadcast throughout the week.
Remi Wolf Prescription
A little funky yearning medley to close out the week. Just stumbled on this tune and now need to dig back into her back catalog (which is not deep, she’s 27!) Oh, I know Photo ID.
Samples on the Beastie Boys’ ‘Ill Communication’
Matched with the original songs. Fun to get more insight to this Beasties album, a favorite among many.
Blue Monday on Song Exploder
New Order shares the story of how the song came to be.
4 hours of lofi music and visuals
That also happens to be a commercial for the Nissan ARIYA. / via Tim Murtaugh
Pet Shop Boys Lost
Thanks to this post on MetaFilter I learned of this new PSB music.
Fred again.. Tiny Desk Concert
Fred again.. translates his electronic music in wonderful ways for this Tiny Desk Concert.
Borrow Trouble
New music video by Feist has some Michel Gondry vibes. Dig. / via Public Annoucement
(Almost) every music video of Michel Gondry
I loved the 2003 Director Series DVD of Gondry’s work. This YouTube playlist adds in oodles of more recent music videos. Also recommended: The series Kidding with Jim Carrey (with 8 episodes directed by Gondry).
Simon Collison’s 2022 in music
I'm still sifting through year end lists to find new things to read, play and listen to. Colly’s collection is presented so darn good.
The Smile Tiny Desk Concert
Thom Yorke in 2023 looks like a Thom Yorke sent from the future to warn present-day Thom Yorke about machines subjugating humanity in an oncoming dystopia. - @Steven_Hyden
Nicholas Britell: Knowing the score
Kevin Fanning’s post about making variations of the Andor theme reminded me of this segment on CBS Sunday Morning about the composer behind Succession, Andor and a slew of other music for shows and movies.
Harry Bertoia’s Sonambient sculptures
Went down a rabbit hole watching and listening to this. / via Drew Daniel
The Soundburger is back
We celebrated this portable record player back in the day. And now it's back and with Bluetooth to boot! / via Tom
Kyoto EP
Simon Collison’s Site Nonsite journey continues with a second EP. Two songs streaming now. More records should have release notes for each track like Simon has provided (scroll down).
Teenage Engineering Record Factory
Compact and portable record cutter that allows you to create your own 5” vinyl records and playback in lo-fi sound. WHOA + NEATO! / via Tom
Record grooves
Had I never seen these before? I have no idea, but they're neato.
Mndsgn “Truth Interlude”
A bit more of Ardhira Putra's illustration paired with some smooth sounds to close out the week.
Fire from Elements lll movement
Composed by Katerina Gimon. Performed by the 2022 TMEA Texas All-State Treble Choir under the direction of Dr Lynda Hasseler. This is powerful. / thanks Henry
Perfect Stranger
Mellow, quiet, yearning duet by John Mark Nelson and Sofia Mills (Thanks TikTok)
Joan Shelley’s New Songs Soothe Old Wounds
“These actions are small, she said, like writing new songs to process old wounds. But maybe they prove more meaningful than submitting to darkness.” Listening now. Thanks Zan
‘Otomo’ at the Royal Albert Hall
Bonobo close their 5 night residency at the Royal Albert Hall with Anna Lapwood on pipe organ. Her expression of joy is beyond doubt. I can only image how those 9,999 pipes sound irl.
New Commute
Always looking for new music and super enjoying the singles and playlists of New Commute thanks to posts by Wolf Bomb
Hiroshima EP
Simon Collison created something that's hard to encapsulate. In one breath, it's an EP of atmospheric music, but as you dig deeper you find it's a diary, a love letter and a reflection, a different way to experience a place.
Free
Another _excellent_ music video by Autumn de Wilde for Florence + The Machine. Bill Nighy stars as Florence’s anxiety.
Fall On Me
Thanks to the podcast I just listened to, I'm reminded of what was certainly my introduction to R.E.M. with their of their first music videos for this song.
A conversation between Rick Rubin and Michael Stipe
This episode of the Broken Record podcast digs into the formative years of R.E.M. and potential future projects / via @davidpurcell505
Orange Blood
Woke up reflecting on something that was related to the color orange, did a music search and this song came up and I dig it. Lovely randomness.
Born to Love
Just played this Ray LaMontagne song to fill the rest of the afternoon with some warm feelings. Nice addition of Sierra Ferrell's vocals to the track.
Gyorgy Ligeti’s Artikulation visualized by Rainer Wehinger
Donald Craig scanned the pages of visualization from the 70's and synchronized them with the music. / via @pixlpa
A Journey…
Waking up and listening to this album by Hinako Omori thanks to Simon Collison. Having coffee. Easing into Saturday.
I Am Stretched On Your Grave
Chuck's post goes down so many lovely rabbit holes. A low res performance by Sinéad O’Connor that draws you in. A newsletter by Neko Case. The underlying beats. Another cover of the cover.
Florence + The Machine – King
A music video where you stay for the credits. Directed by Autumn de Wilde, choreographed by Ryan Heffington with costumes by Kate Mulleavy & Laure Mulleavy. 🔥
Documentary about how The Traveling Wilburys formed
Even all low-res it was lovely to see how this album came to be and friendships preserved.
Goodnight, Metal Friend Mix #21
Seth Werkheiser's mix of spooky doom, ambient, gloomy tunes to help you fall asleep. I think these tracks are great for focus while working or thinking, or thinking at work! It's like being in some sci-fi movie.
Simon Collison’s favorite music of 2021
Colly curates music he finds interesting each week and then makes a huge list with meaningful descriptions and links to streaming services at the end of each year.
Hans Zimmer career timeline
Dig this series from Vanity Fair where creative folks describe highlights (and low points) of their career. This one from Hans Zimmer makes me appreciate his soundtracks even more.
Browsing music another way
Jon Hicks wanted to "Restore some kind of physicality to my digital music collection" and I think he succeeded. (Scroll down to the link for Leigh's video demonstration)
ABBA Voyage
There were murmurs that new ABBA music would be coming for some time, but now that it's just days away? Yeah, I'm giddy.
Opera + a rock quarry
I've kept this post from Kottke alive at the end of my RSS reader for 2 weeks because I didn't want it to go away, so I'm saving it here.
Dancing to Sirens
I asked about the song playing and Erik said it was the same musician that did the Xanadu cover linked earlier. Here's a story about his new song - "a tribute to a time that is hopefully over."
The Smile, live
Metafilter collects links to videos and downloads for this performance at the virtual Glastonbury festival. Featuring Thom Yorke and Johnny Greenwood (from Radiohead) with drummer Tom Skinner.
The Linda Lindas “Racist Sexist Boy”
Poser. Blockhead. Riffraff. Jerkface.