Spring is here in Brooklyn!

Spring is busting out all over (not quite June, but it's around the corner), and we New Yorkers have a lot to look forward to. Not only are the flowers blooming and the trees sprouting, but we have some great (and free) musical events just around the corner (a listing of my recommended options is forthcoming). In honor of the newfound greens, yellows, and reds in my daily strolls, here is a springtime playlist of some of my favorite tunes to lighten your step and to accord your sounds with the sights. Feel free to add suggestions.

"I'm Waiting for the Man" Velvet Underground
"Every Part of Me" Sam Roberts
"Daphne" Django Reinhardt
"Spit on a Stranger" Nickel Creek
"New Shoes" Paolo Nutini
"Shirt" Peter Mulvey
"Moanin'" Quincy Jones
"It's the Nighttime" Josh Rouse
"Heavy Metal Drummer" Wilco
"Careless Love" Madeleine Peyroux

Paul Simon to take a Gershwin...

This just in, the Library of Congress has a music award! In fact, it has been instituted this year and it's called the Gershwin Award (I'm hoping it'll soon be termed the "Gershie" among the informal circles). Paste reports that Paul Simon will be the award's first recipient.

Simon has an extensive body of work, and much of it is both musically and literarily gorgeous. There Goes Rhymin' Simon, Simon's second solo project, is a fantastic way to get a sense of his impact on the American musical (and literary) landscape. "American Tune," a world-weary ode to a nation adrift from its ideological core, repeatedly reduces me to contemplative silence. While the inspirational "Love Me Like a Rock" and upbeat "Kodachrome" inspire me to look beyond myself and consider optimism, one of the more potent effects of listening to quality songcraft. And the soulful, finger-picked jazz chords (a Simon staple, jazz-inspired chords and quirky progressions) of "Something So Right" fills space like the warmest blanket on a frosty night. So, go, give a listen, and remember (or perhaps, discover) why Simon is one of our nation's finest tunesmiths and poets.

A first post...

After a little over a year since my last blog project, I figured that it was time to return to the sphere. My previous blog was a (very useful) tool I used to communicate with folks back home while I traveled through Europe and South America. This time around, I'm looking to jump into the very large pool of bloggers tackling culture, politics, and the like. I figure I might as well start and see where it takes me, and perhaps my focus or niche will find me instead of the other way around. So here goes nothing...wish me luck!