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For some reason–probably because it was an awesome show and I miss it–I’ve had Crazy Ex-Girlfriend on my mind of late, so I figured why not feature a song here from the show? Midway through the second season, the character Greg starts to realize that his life is a dumpster fire for a lot of reasons–not the least of which is the drinking problem he didn’t even realize he had. He decides to discuss the subject with his friends, with said discussion being depicted in song. One of Crazy Ex-Girlfriend‘s particular bits of genius is how it often delved into serious topics throughDown the rabbit hole….

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We’re two weeks out from Halloween, so time for some spooky music! This is the entire soundtrack album from the movie Ghost Story, from 1981. I’ve never seen this movie, but I know it’s not the most highly-regarded horror movie ever. Your mileage may vary, obviously. The recording is of a vinyl pressing of the album, but it sounds all right.   Share This PostDown the rabbit hole….

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I’m a rover, seldom sober I’m a rover of high degree It’s when I’m drinking, I’m always thinking how to gain my love’s company For whatever reason–mainly the demands of time as other interests crop up–I realized recently that I’ve listened to very little Celtic music lately. As in, the entire last year. This is not acceptable to me. I found a suitable starting point with “I’m a Rover”, a song that’s been covered by just about everybody in the genre. Here’s Siobhan Miller’s version. Why hers, and not someone else’s? Because it’s the one I’ve just heard, and it’s good!Down the rabbit hole….

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Time to revisit an old favorite, one of my favorite tone poems of all time, in fact: Edward Elgar’s concert overture In the South (Alassio), which is thrilling and colorful and beautiful and exciting. This piece is, quite honestly, everything I hope to find in a tone poem when I first come to one I haven’t heard. Elgar wrote the piece when staying in Alassio, a seaside town on Italy’s west coast, in 1903. I’m not always one to draw clear extramusical associations between a work and some other thing, but…well, if I were summering in a place that looks likeDown the rabbit hole….

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It is now October and autumn is upon us, which means it’s time for some autumnal music. Autumn, like any subject, means many things to many artists, but it seems to have meant something in particular to Japanese composer Toru Takemitsu, who at the end of his life explored autumn extensively in his music: Those steps got longer. Attuned to nature and consequently the seasons, Takemitsu became increasingly autumnal, the season he most turned to in his music. In 1973 he wrote “In an Autumn Garden” for the ancient court gagaku orchestra and “Autumn,” a second work for shakuhachi andDown the rabbit hole….

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Born this date, 125 years ago today: the great George Gershwin. I was actually going to post this piece last week before I suddenly head an “Oh!” moment, one of those cliche moments when the sitcom person slaps their own forehead as they remember the obvious: Why post about Gershwin today, when his birthday is coming up? So, here we are. Gershwin was, of course, probably the first truly great American composer, because he was likely the first to really start to branch beyond the European influences and incorporate truly American forms and American sounds into his music, by bringing jazz and theDown the rabbit hole….

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Sometimes it’s worth looking a bit more closely at the stuff that social media randomly serves up via its algorithms, because you DO find the occasional gem that way…like, for me recently, a band called The Empty Pockets. From their bio: Light flickers in even the darkest of spaces and smallest cracks. Similarly, The Empty Pockets ignite a bright flame of their own by harnessing a joyful friction between Americana, folk, and rock ‘n’ roll spiked with roots soul. The Chicago quartet—Josh Solomon [guitar, vocals], Erika Brett [keyboards, vocals], Nate Bellon [bass, vocals], and Adam Balasco [drums]—lean on an unspoken, yet airtight musical dialogueDown the rabbit hole….

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Oops! I had a piece selected and had started writing the post to go with it, when I realized…that piece is better presented next Tuesday, and not today. It’ll all be clear then. Meanwhile, here is an old favorite of mine, possibly the greatest collection of peasant tunes and drinking songs ever composed: the Romanian Rhapsody #1 by Georges Enescu. There just isn’t a single minute of this piece that I don’t adore, from the wonderful melodies, to the way just about every instrument or instrument group gets something fun to do, to all the little “hitch-steps” in the rhythm that make youDown the rabbit hole….