When the time came for him to go on, most of the crowd had dissolved. It was well after midnight in Bucktown and the bar was dead, so Presto Descanto performed his new album in its entirety from start to finish for twenty people while the rest of the world really missed out.

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Thanks to the iPod Nano, everyone in the English-speaking world has heard “1234″ and indie boys utter her name with lust and reverence (and a little envy that she slides so easily into those skinny jeans). With sold-out shows worldwide and nearly half a million records sold, Leslie Feist is the little indie rocker that […]

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Driving is more than a commuter obligation for me, it’s a pursuit. In the right car, with the right music, a drive to the gas station becomes a lark. For me, every ride is a joy ride.
Last week Kimberlee published a list of songs that get her through long hours on SoCal’s highways […]

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Georgia-born drummer, New York City busker, womens’ health advocate and guitar slapper, one Ovation and two hands1: meet Kaki King, Listen In’s first Woman In Music.

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Remember that M&Ms commercial that aired a ways back; the one that made you feel like you were being lulled into a chocolaty childhood dreamland? Mmm. So sweet, so silky. Melts in your ears. That may have been your first taste of Iron & Wine.

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I’ll be honest with you: I don’t really like Björk. I find her eccentricities irritating and there’s something about the way she opens her mouth when she sings that makes me fear for my life. Her perpetual smile and that pleading countenance (why are there so few English words for a frown?) are […]

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I have a sneaking suspicion that my Secret Santa done found me out. Strictly speaking, the gift I received was not a “tool”–it was a record (and still is) and you need a turntable to “use” it. As luck would have it, my SL-1700 was at the ready.

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This Twelfth Day carol takes its lyrics from a Victorian poem of the same title. The poem was composed by G.K. Chesterton†, an English author famous for his masterful use of paradox to present acumens of “common sense”. Though Chesterton’s writing was often tongue-in-cheek, he produced seminal works of social and political philosophy.

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We’re approaching the home stretch, folks. We’ve picked the themes; we’ve picked the songs; we’ve even done research to make sure it all comes together. But before we do that, we have to make sure we know how all the pieces fit.

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Last week, Eric Atienza asked: “What does your winter comfort music sound like?”

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