My Newest Musical Love: Bardcore

A few years ago I watched the charming movie Austenland, which is about a fictional resort in which everyone pretends to be in a Jane Austen novel. One of the lasting benefits of the movie for me was the soundtrack–there were a few covers of songs with minstrel instrumentals. I had never heard anything like … Read more

What’s Your Favorite Ambient Music?

A few times a week, Megan works out in the room next to my office. Her workout routine involves virtual instructors for a company called Orange Theory, and every part of the routine has an upbeat song associated with it. I don’t listen to music while I work, as anything with words will impede the … Read more

My Favorite Songs of 2019

It’s been an interesting year for music for me, as I very rarely listen to music at home or in the car. However, I’ve taken several road trips with Megan through Virginia, back and forth to Kansas, and through New Zealand, so I’ve bought a number of songs that we both enjoy listening (and singing … Read more

My Favorite Songs of 2018

As I compiled this year’s list, I loved seeing how the various songs triggered different memories and connections over the past year. I’ll mention a few of them below: Typhoon, probably my favorite band, came to St. Louis earlier this year. I had a great time, though I had the chance to tell the lead … Read more

What Is Your Favorite Cover of a Song?

There’s a scene in Logan Lucky–a fantastic heist movie–where a young woman sings John Denver’s classic song, “Take Me Home, Country Road.” By sheer coincidence, I watched another movie a few days later (Kingsmen: The Golden Circle) that prominently features the same song. So you could say that the song got stuck in my head … Read more