Hear Hear: What to stream while you stay inside
A calming playlist, the NYT Mag's music issue, an instant-classic podcast episode + more
Hope you’re all staying safe. Figured I’d make a quick list of some potentially helpful things to listen to this week, if you need it.
The staff of NPR Music made a six-hour calm playlist. “Encompassing classical, folk, jazz, ambient, pop, blues, soul, hip-hop, indie-rock and more, the block of music we're calling ‘Isle of Calm’ is there to help settle your jangled nerves, slow your heart rate and string up a little hammock for your soul.” NPR also put together their annual Austin 100 playlist — 100 songs from emerging artists who were slated to play SXSW but unfortunately won’t get the chance this year.
A playlist of bands who have been hit hard by tour cancelations this week, from Chicago duo Ohmme. (A few of my favorite artists are in this one — Twin Peaks, Ratboys, Ric Wilson, Vacationer, Waxahatchee — and there’s plenty more to discover. I added some to the Hear Hear playlist as well.)
The NYT Mag’s Music Issue features “25 songs that matter now,” and it’s a fantastic interactive package to scroll through, with write-ups from Jenna Wortham, Wesley Morris, Lindsay Zoladz, and more of today’s best culture writers. The songs paint a helpful picture of how music is evolving across genres today, including Billie Eilish, Vampire Weekend, Tyler the Creator, Brittany Howard, The Highwomen, black midi, Normani and more.
An instant-classic podcast episode from Reply All, “The Case of the Missing Hit.” If you haven’t heard this one yet, you should. The concept: “A man in California is haunted by the memory of a pop song from his youth. He can remember the lyrics and the melody. But the song itself has vanished, completely scrubbed from the internet.” Reply All host PJ Vogt tries to help him track it down, and the journey is worth taking.
The best 50 Radiohead songs, ranked by Steven Hyden. I made a playlist (ordered 50-to-1) to pair with this great article on Uproxx Music, which has a blurb for each song.
Bon Appetit’s Alex Delany made this playlist for those working from home. (Or “from wherever.”)
Finally, I added a few tracks to the Hear Hear playlist: New tunes from Waxahatchee, Laura Stevenson, Rufus Wainwright, The Killers, and Norah Jones, all soothing in their own way.
Also, wanted to blast out this tweet from friend-of-the-newsletter No Earbuds about how to support the artists you love if you have the financial means. Plus, another tweet that made me happy. Again, stay safe, and let me know what else you’re listening to this week — just reply to this email if you wanna say hey!