A playlist for a “post-truth” world…

Lies:

• Liar — Three Dog Night
• Smiling Faces Sometimes — The Undisputed Truth
• Would I Lie To You? — Eurythmics
• Lies — Thompson Twins
• All Men Are Liars — Nick Lowe
• Lies — The Knickerbockers
• Tell Me Why — The Beatles
• Liar, Liar — The Castaways
• You’re Telling Me Lies — ? and The Mysterians
• Promises And Lies — UB40
• Secrets And Lies — Jonatha Brooke
• Live A Lie — thenewno2
• Don’t Lie to Me — The Rolling Stones
• Lie to Me — Jonny Lang
• Rebellion (Lies) — The Arcade Fire
• Lies — J.J. Cale
• The Weight of Lies — The Avett Brothers
• White Lies — Cheri Knight
• Love In The Lies — Amos Lee
• Gimme Some Truth — Jakob Dylan
• Word Game — Stephen Stills

Video Playlist:

(All rights reserved by the copyright owners. This nonprofit, fan-made video playlist is solely to promote awareness and interest in the artists and the music.)

As spring turns to summer, it’s always great to hear the songs of the birds. The artwork for the cover is assembled from sketches Renee did on her iPad.

BirdLand (2013):

• Birdland – The Manhattan Transfer
• And Your Bird Can Sing – Matthew Sweet & Susanna Hoffs
• Bluebird – Buffalo Springfield
• Bluebird – Mark Knopfler
• Birds of a Feather – Phish
• Birds of a Feather – The Civil Wars
• Maybe Sparrow – Neko Case
• Penguins – Lyle Lovett
• My Songbird – Emmylou Harris
• Birds & the Bees – The Bird & The Bee
• Fragile Bird – City & Colour
• Birdhouse in Your Soul – They Might Be Giants
• Excellent Birds – Laurie Anderson & Peter Gabriel
• Bird on a Wire – Jennifer Warnes
• Blackbird – The Beatles
• Blackbirds – Erin McKeown
• Dixie Chicken – Little Feat
• Little Red Rooster – The Rolling Stones
• White Bird – KT Tunstall
• White Bird – It’s a Beautiful Day
• Three Little Birds – Bob Marley & The Wailers

Video Playlist:

(All rights reserved by the copyright owners. This nonprofit, fan-made video playlist is solely to promote awareness and interest in the artists and the music.)

I made this mix to commemorate my son Aaron’s new job this year as a footwear designer at Nike. The illustrations are from his sketchbook (and portfolio) pre-Nike. Needless to say we are very proud…

New Shoes:

• Sailin’ Shoes/Hey Julia/Sneakin’ Sally Through the Alley — Robert Palmer
• Old Brown Shoe — The Beatles
• Travelin’ Shoes — Elvin Bishop
• New Shoes — Paolo Nutini
• Italian Shoes — Mink DeVille
• (The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes — Elvis Costello
• Goody Two Shoes — Adam Ant
• Walking In My Shoes — Depeche Mode
• Those Shoes — The Eagles
• Bad Sneakers — Steely Dan
• Blue Suede Shoes — Carl Perkins
• Walk That Walk — Terry Evans
• Take Off Your Shoes — Bobby “Blue” Bland
• Brand New Shoes — She & Him
• The Red Shoes — Kate Bush
• I’ll Come Running — Brian Eno
• Hole In My Shoe — Traffic
• At or With Me — Jack Johnson

Video Playlist:

(All rights reserved by the copyright owners. This nonprofit, fan-made video playlist is solely to promote awareness and interest in the artists and the music.)

There are so many great songs about the beach and summertime (my favorite season) that I keep making, and remaking, this playlist. But, to kick off the long holiday weekend right, here’s the latest version.

Beachcombing

• Beachcombing — Mark Knopfler & Emmylou Harris
• Let’s Go Surfing — The Drums
• On The Beach – The Revillos
• Rockaway Beach — Ramones
• I Wanna Be a Lifeguard — Blotto
• Mimi On The Beach — Jane Siberry
• Echo Beach — Martha and the Muffins
• Hot Summer Night — Grace Potter and the Nocturnals
• Hot Summer Day — It’s A Beautiful Day
• Summer — War
• Summer In The City — The Lovin’ Spoonful
• Good Day Sunshine — The Beatles
• Sunny Afternoon — The Kinks
• Summer Wine — Nancy Sinatra and Lee Hazlewood
• Blues Beach — Steely Dan
• Summer Skin — Death Cab for Cutie
• Summertime — Janis Joplin
• Mother Ocean — Jimmy Buffett
• The Warmth of the Sun — Matthew Sweet & Susanna Hoffs
• Surf’s Up — Brian Wilson
• The Endless Summer Theme — Sandals

Video Playlist:

(All rights reserved by the copyright owners. This nonprofit, fan-made video playlist is solely to promote awareness and interest in the artists and the music.)

I made this playlist after I had open heart surgery to replace a leaky valve in my heart several years ago (I’m fine now thanks). That’s why a lot of these songs feature broken or damaged hearts.

Heart Full of Holes (2007):

• Heartbeat – Buddy Holly
• Devil in His Heart – The Donays
• Heart – Nick Lowe
• Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad? – Moby
• Heart Full of Holes – Mark Knopfler
• Fidelity – Regina Spektor
• I’m a Broken Heart – The Bird & The Bee
• The Heart’s a Lonely Hunter – Thievery Corporation (w/David Byrne)
• Heart of Glass – Nouvelle Vague
• Expressway to Your Heart – Soul Survivors
• What Becomes of the Brokenhearted – The Funk Brothers (w/Joan Osborne)
• Piece of My Heart – Big Brother & The Holding Co.
• Unchain My Heart – Joe Cocker
• When My Heart Beats Like a Hammer – B.B. King & Eric Clapton
• You’re Breakin’ My Heart – Harry Nilsson
• Only Love Can Break Your Heart  – Saint Etienne
• Secret Heart – Feist
• The Bleeding Heart Show – The New Pornographers
• Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band – The Beatles

Video Playlist:

(All rights reserved by the copyright owners. This nonprofit, fan-made video playlist is solely to promote awareness and interest in the artists and the music.)

“Shake Rattle and Roll” was one of the first “rock” songs and an antecedent to the term “rock and roll” (both essentially referring to the same thing). Whatever the reference, even with today’s artists, there’s still a whole lotta shakin’ goin’ on.

Shakin’ Shakin’ Shakes (2014):

• Shake Your Hips — Joan Osborne
• I’m Shakin’ — The Blasters
• Shakin’ Shakin’ Shakes — Los Lobos
• Shakin’ All Over — The Guess Who
• Shake, Rattle and Roll — Big Joe Turner
• All Shook Up — Elvis Presley
• Hippy Hippy Shake — Chan Romero
• Twist and Shout — The Beatles
• Shake Some Action — The Flamin’ Groovies
• Let England Shake — PJ Harvey
• Shake It Out — Florence + The Machine
• Shake — The Head and the Heart
• Shakedown Street — Grateful Dead
• Shakey Ground — Phoebe Snow
• Shake — Otis Redding
• Shake a Tail Feather — Ray Charles (with The Blues Brothers)
• Shake Shake Mama — Bob Dylan
• Shake ‘Em On Down — North Mississippi Allstars
• Can’t Shake These Blues — Chris Smither
• Shake It Off — The Spinto Band
• Shake the Disease — Depeche Mode
• Shake It Up — The Cars

Video Playlist:

(All rights reserved by the copyright owners. This nonprofit, fan-made video playlist is solely to promote awareness and interest in the artists and the music.)

I originally made this mix several years ago when iPods were new and Razor scooters were the hot toy (hence the illustration). Heavy on British pop (what else is new) with Bing Crosby and The Andrews Sisters closing it off because it just isn’t Christmas without “Der Bingle.”

Santa Rocks

A Collection of Some of Santa’s Favorite Rockin’ Holiday Tunes!

• Thanks for Christmas — The Three Wise Men (XTC)
• Wonderful Christmastime — Paul McCartney
• Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer — Ringo Starr
• Christmas Time (Is Here Again) — The Beatles
• Christmas Day — Squeeze
• I Believe in Father Christmas — Greg Lake
• Gabriel’s Message — Sting
• Walking in the Air — The King’s Singers
• Comfort and Joy — Simon and Garfunkel
• Light of the Stable — Emmylou Harris
• River — Joni Mitchell
• Blue Christmas — Sheryl Crow
• 2000 Miles — The Pretenders
• Christmas Wrapping — The Waitresses
• Mele Kalikimaka — Bing Crosby and The Andrews Sisters

Video Playlist:

(All rights reserved by the copyright owners. This nonprofit, fan-made video playlist is solely to promote awareness and interest in the artists and the music.)

The idea behind this mix was not to focus so much on traditional country, or even “alt.” country, artists – but rather rock artists doing country(ish) songs or country artists doing covers of rock or pop songs. In other cases I picked the songs because they seemed to me to be examples of contemporary artists using country instruments in an “unconventional” or unexpected way.

[Unconventional] Country Time Mix (2010):

• Hit ‘em Up Style – Carolina Chocolate Drops
• Saga of the Old West – Steve Martin
• Father’s Son – Fistful of Mercy
• Little Lion Man – Mumford & Sons
• Can’t Find My Way Home – Alison Krauss
• Tragedy – Peter Wolf (w/Shelby Lynne)
• Stuff You Gotta Watch – Levon Helm
• What You Gonna Do Leroy – Buddy & Julie Miller (w/Robert Plant)
• Move Up – Patty Griffin
• I Don’t Want to Spoil the Party – Rosanne Cash
• Rocky Racoon – The Beatles
• Country Honk – The Rolling Stones
• Complicated Shadows – Elvis Costello
• Amanda Ruth – Rank and File
• Ways to be Wicked – Lone Justice
• The Thrill is Gone – Jerry Garcia & David Grisman
• Ooh La La – The Ditty Bops
• I’ve Gotta Feeling – The Secret Sisters
• Beg Steal Or Borrow – Ray Lamontagne & The Pariah Dogs
• Buckets of Rain – Neko Case
• Silver Lining – Steve Poltz
• Southfried Backyard Train – Paul Curreri

Video Playlist:

(All rights reserved by the copyright owners. This nonprofit, fan-made video playlist is solely to promote awareness and interest in the artists and the music.)