We humans are great (mostly). Our amazing minds let us do incredible things. And sometimes, they try to screw with us. When that overlaps with guitars, I find it massively interesting. Check out the story of The Mystery B-String Noise…

A five-part podcast tracing MF DOOM from Long Island to Leeds. I reckon it's worth a listen, even if you're not a hip hop head.

Good morning! Need an antidote for the algorithms? Looking for a place to share the music you love with like-minded people? You’re in the right spot. For those of you who are new, we kick off every week by sharing what we’ve been playing, and the playlist below is some of what’s been in heavy […]

Who were Automobile? There are just three songs on Soundcloud, “Yours Sincerely“, “Watchfiend” and “Stayin’ In” that have been uploaded by a user called Martin McIntyre. There is no information about band members, no information about when these songs were recorded, nor where. The only hint we get here is the other uploads Martin has […]

"People Get Ready" by Eva Cassidy Share a track that has one of your favorite vocal performances of all-time. If I had a time machine, I would ride it straight to this bar on this night to watch the late, great Eva Cassidy perform her signature song. Gone much, much too soon. Rest In Power, Eva. View Lou Plummer's Crucial Tracks profile

I spent big chunks of time typesetting on the weekend, which meant that I had time to enjoy some music (as well as various policy mandated training videos). Last weekend, I listened to Miles Davis’s classic, Kind of Blue (1959). Like most people, I love the album (and I’m quite partial to the mono mix;… Read More →

In an eclectic Monday Pressing Concerns, we’ve got a new album from Swirls, a new EP from Entrez Vous, a deluxe version of the Julianna Riolino album from last year, and a compilation of new Chicago indie rock bands including Friko, Sharp Pins, and Horsegirl. Check them out below! We’ll be back on Thursday! IfContinue reading "Pressing Concerns: Red Xerox, Julianna Riolino, Swirls, Entrez Vous"

On Sundays I try to at least quickly note some of my favorite listening from the week prior — things I would later regret having not written about in more depth, so better to share here briefly than not at all. ▰ “Deep Green” is a fantastic, slow-burn track off Eivind Aarset’s new album, Strange Hands, […]

I haven't recorded or uploaded anything solo in over a year — the last thing I put up was a jam session with Trevor Clay back in November…

To celebrate the 20th Anniversary of their long-player, Inner Space Outta Sound, Nightmares On Wax have entered a friendly clash with groundbreaking post-punk UK dub pioneers On-U Sound. Adrian Sherwood and his ever-evolving collective have reworked 8 of the songs for a new album, due in April, titled In A Space Outta Dub.  The set […]

The Wallflowers are touring "Bringing Down the Horse" 30 years later!

"The narrator of HOVEL is trying to defamiliarize the familiar world; she’s trying to see the world anew by probing it from as many strange angles as possible."

ABBA last performed in London in 1979. And yet, yesterday afternoon, I was in an East London arena watching them perform. Except they weren’t really there. ABBA Voyage is not a reunion tour. It’s a new form of live performance, built on a blend of digital production, physical staging, and carefully engineered illusion. Many reviews focus on the music and the spectacle, but that’s only part of the story. As a technologist, what makes ABBA Voyage notable is not that it recreates a band, but tha...

Lee Greenwood – “God Bless the U.S.A.” March 22, 2026 SONG REVIEW OVERALL (OUT OF 10): 0, but only because you can’t get negative ratings on the … Song Review: Lee Greenwood – “God Bless the U.S.A.”, or How Greenwood’s Musical Atrocity Exeplifies What is Wrong With America

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My relationship with music and music streaming is complicated. No, I don’t mean on the real life relationship sort of way, but I guess a sort of transactional relationship. On one hand, I enjoy listening to music and supporting bands. However on the other hand, I wish a number of things were changed not only to better support the lesser-known artists, but also the current trend of music. What I love Easier for me to focus It’s very easy to get distracted while people are talking around you, k...

One of the many unfortunate consequences of current developments in the Persian Gulf* is an impending shortage of titles for blog posts.** The long-standing tradition of The Sphinx is that I generally name posts after songs – I can’t remember why, other than a wilful refusal to promote myself properly by making it clear what […]

A new week and some exciting changes on my latest Top 30 chart. First off, Vermont-born and now Nashville-based folk pop singer-songwriter Noah Kahan takes over the #1 spot with his heartwarming song “The Great Divide”. The talented 29-year-old began releasing singles in 2017, followed by his debut album Busyhead in 2019, but burst onto … Continue reading My Top 30 Songs for March 22-28, 2026

Having brought Lee Dorsey over to Britain for three tours during 1966, promoter Roy Tempest set up another British tour in spring 1967. For this tour, it appears that London-based Scottish band, The Scots of St James may have backed Lee Dorsey on all dates, although we’d be interested in anyone who can provide more … Continue reading Lee Dorsey’s British tour in March 1967 →

Not quite sure why I've written that title. It's not really that. It's a song built from reasonably random TikToks. But maybe it's about love, everything is really isn't it?

Let's talk podcasts! Here are some of my favorites: A History of Rock Music in 500 Songs (music history) - About once a month or so, Andrew Hickey tells a documentary style story of a famous rock song. He includes a bunch of music clips and tries to give the cultural and musical context of why the song happened, not just the stories of the people involved.  If Books Could Kill (self-help books) - Peter and Michael discuss best selling self-help books. For some reason these guys crack ...

But I never look inward, try not to look upwardAnd some nights, I pray a sign is gonna come to meBut usually, I'm just trying to get some sleep-fun. The last time I wrote a post regarding my music choices in life was somehow only in May, 2024. But I felt like it was longer. But I disgress. Despite my best efforts (to date), about 92%* of my Spotify listening has been confined to the "Ultimate Playlist". Whenever I find a new song that is cool and interesting, I simply put it on the playlist and…