Nate Stone »
Songs of the Day: “My Love Is Real” & “Would That Not Be Nice” by Divine Fits (2012)
About a year ago the head of A&R at Merge records called me up and asked who the top five artists on the ‘most played’ list from my i-pod were. He wanted to reward
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Song of the Day: “Old Folks” by Miles Davis (1961)
My grandfather listens to jazz exclusively. He lived through the birth of rock n’ roll, Chuck Berry, Elvis, but as far as I can tell he never swayed from his first love. It isn’t
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Song of the Day: “Devon” by Grimes (2010)
In anticipation of her performance tomorrow at Seattle’s Capitol Hill Block Party, our song today is “Devon” by Grimes. There is an alien quality present in all Grimes’ songs, but this one in particular is
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Song of the Day: “Deadbeat Summer” by Neon Indian (2009)
Something has happened in Seattle. People are distorting their faces to entertain other people’s children. A drunk buying a jug of wine at the grocery store let an eager teenager cut in line. A
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Song of the Day: “Parallel Lines” by Junior Boys (2009)
Electronic music, especially when coupled with a whispering vocal, can appear self-indulgent. The digital / electro-mechanical pallet is broad, but also limiting: it has the luxury of uniform, reliable sounds, but the performer can
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Song of the Day: “Plenty Is Never Enough” by Tenement Halls (2005)
Why is it that an acid tongue and pessimistic snarl are so attractive in a singer? We like it when people call bullshit, that’s why. Chris Lopez, in the tradition of Elvis Costello, writes
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Song of the Day: “Jade Visions” by The Bill Evans Trio (1961)
Bill Evans is my favorite pianist, possibly my favorite musician. He has a sensitivity that I have never heard in another player. Even when he’s flying aggressively through a solo there is supreme grace;
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SONG OF THE DAY: “TO THE SKY” BY MAPS (2007)
We Can Create is one of my favorite records from 2007. It has a wonderful lightness to it; the songs float above you, swooping down periodically to lift you up before gently returning you
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SONG OF THE DAY: “MOTHER” BY ROGER WATERS (1990 LIVE IN BERLIN)
Last night Roger Waters performed The Wall at Key Arena in Seattle. In an interview on 60 minutes last week, in response to a question about the album’s resilience, Waters said that it “strikes
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SONGS OF THE DAY: HANDSOME FURS (2006 – 2012)
If I hear a song that interests me I go to you tube and look it up, often finding a live performance that presents a new dimension to my impression of the band. This
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