I encountered an odd note on one of the many Jimmy Buffett obituaries/tributes that poured forth from the Internet the past several days: Buffett’s best-know song “Margaritaville” was notably chosen for something called the “RIAA Songs of the Century.” I googled, of course. In 2001, the RIAA, the Recording Industry Association of America, polled a … Continue reading On the RIAA’s 365 Songs of the Century
Category: Musicality
On what a music critic can do
I have a weakness for music criticism. I find myself…easily convinced. A compelling review can send me listening through an album multiple times, even when I’m certain on first listen I don’t like it. Knowing this weakness, I try to keep in mind a few things that a music critic may aim to do: Change … Continue reading On what a music critic can do
On Jimmy Buffett and “He Went to Paris”
There were many Jimmy Buffets—the obituaries and reflections I’ve read today following his death make this much clear. There was the affable beach bum, the entrepreneur, the best-selling author, the sailor—a universe of people in one person. My favorite Buffett is pre-Parrothead, before he refined the easygoing persona that he later built a billion-dollar fortune … Continue reading On Jimmy Buffett and “He Went to Paris”
On Nanci Griffiths’s “Love at the Five and Dime”
There’s a new cover version of “Love at the Five and Dime” out there—a lovely duet recorded by the late John Prine and Kelsey Waldon. The track is a single off an upcoming tribute album to Griffiths, assembled slowly over the past few years by Emmylou Harris, following the death of Griffiths in 2021. I … Continue reading On Nanci Griffiths’s “Love at the Five and Dime”
On being a better pitchman for my favorite things
At least three people asked me the past couple of days: Who did you see at Red Rocks? But despite my love for Boygenius and my separate but related love of music criticism and talking about all things music, there’s a real reticence that overtakes me in these moments. And not just reticence—a verbal emptiness. … Continue reading On being a better pitchman for my favorite things
On the argument that performers should “shut up and play”
For several years, I was a regular reader of a country music news and reviews website that I won’t name here. I won’t name it, because it’s infamous for its combative creator and its abusive, rage-filled comments section. Honestly—-and you’ll just have to trust me on this!—I didn’t read for the venomous takedowns or snarling … Continue reading On the argument that performers should “shut up and play”
Ebook announcement! On twenty-six CDs I found cleaning out my 2009 Subaru Outlook after a car accident
Woo! After months of fussing, I have finally completed a brief book of essays inspired by an old CD case I found after my car was totaled last May. Here's the introduction: A few days after the accident, we drove to the auto body shop to say goodbye. The adjuster had totaled the car—the repairs … Continue reading Ebook announcement! On twenty-six CDs I found cleaning out my 2009 Subaru Outlook after a car accident
On Jason Isbell’s “Cast Iron Skillet”
As my friend and fellow Isbell fan Dan put it: This may be the best song Jason Isbell has written in a while. "Cast Iron Skillet" is a marvel of songwriting—partly because it offers an update on the template of "Outfit," one of Isbell's most famous songs. That song, written in the voice of Isbell's … Continue reading On Jason Isbell’s “Cast Iron Skillet”
On the joy of music lists
There’s no need to make a list of your Top 50 songs, my friend cautioned. He and two friends went through the arduous task a few months before, and he was encouraging me to do the same—but he wanted me to know that it was no simple road ahead. “If you’re like us, it’s going … Continue reading On the joy of music lists
On not practicing
One reason I challenged myself to blog every day of 2023 was to practice my writing. I write for work—but not every day. And certainly not like I used to write for work, when I worked for Oxford Dictionaries, and was constantly developing new blog content. When I write for work, it's usually project narratives … Continue reading On not practicing
Taylor Coe 