Let’s share some playlists! I know we already do this in some form or another across this board, but thought it might be fun to kind of centralize it. Here’s what I’m thinking, based on a group I used to run IRL. Once every three months, I’ll set up a thread calling for mix submissions. It’ll stay open for a month, and anyone that wants to drop a mix is free to do so. My promise to you is that I will listen to every mix, just please keep the lengths sensible since the point here is sharing. That’s the crux of it. So let’s start here. Drop a playlist you’ve made in the comments… could be your latest mix, could be your favourite mix, could be a custom mix for this project. You do you. There are no rules, apart from being kind to one another, which seems a baseline for this place anyway. In future maybe we pick custom themes for these or implement some kinda structure but let’s start it easy. P.S. If any of you wanna make or send me actual mixtapes I’ll take ‘em. DM me and I’ll happily shoot you an address.

When I'm doing the show and I play some mellow or sad music, I often get people checking in if I'm okay. The irony is, that is not what I go to when I'm feeling down. I go to the classics, the anchors, the seminal records that have kept me afloat all these years like The Joshua Tree, Earth Sun Moon, Bridge Over Troubled Water, Let Me Come Over, Cooper Blue and many many more. I'm curious, when things feel heavy, what kind of music do you reach for? Quiet? Loud? Familiar? Something new?

I braved an ice storm for an out-of-town Nine Inch Nails show last night and it made me think of going on musical road trips. I think the furthest I’ve gone specifically for a concert is Minneapolis (from Toronto) though I’ve certainly caught concerts further away while already travelling. My (probably mathematically unbreakable) record there is Sydney.

My favorite music list isn't ready yet, though, I'm honing in (I utilize the ENTIRE year so I don't post that kinda stuff right after Thanksgiving like most). BUT - I can tell you my favorite concerts. SEEMED like I saw a lot this year, but part of that was just working shows & I don't really "count" it unless I saw a full set / most of a set / at least 30 minutes-ish. Saw 56 "shows" / artists this year. My top ten (chronological order): - The Ocean Blue at Crocodile 050225 (playing first album) - Stereo MC's at Madame Lou's 051225 - what a treat to FINALLY see them - They Might Be Giants at Neptune x3! 0613, 14, 15 - will count as one & forever one of my VERY fav live bands - Janelle Monae at Bumbershoot 083025 - WOW - Supergrass at Hollywood Palladium 090525 (playing I Should Coco) - sound as excellent as ever, DECADES later - Oasis at Rose Bowl 090625 - a no brainer because this was an all-time fav concert experience - James at The Showbox 100425 - STILL SO very wonderful, as always - NEVER disappoints - Elbow at The Showbox 101225 - the talent just oozes from these guys & it was wonderful to see them again in my fav venue from up close - Grant-Lee Phillips at Fremont Abbey 111125 - one of my fav HUMANS, let alone artists - absolutely adore him - David Byrne at Paramount 111325 - like nothing else ever - every moment just wonderful

What's a favorite band that you weren't able to see live? There has to be some rules on this one, so here we go: - You must have been able to see them at some point, but didn't, for whatever reason - There's no likely way for you to see them live in the future, for whatever reason For me, there was a chance I could have seen Concrete Blonde play in New Mexico, but I only found out about the concert the day before, and there was no way I would have been able to make it up to the show never mind getting tickets. Also for me, there's bands I thought I'd never see which I've now seen four or five times, and bands that felt like they were right there which I never caught.