Jeff Melnick

If the good Lord’s willin’ I will be seeing the Mary Wallopers in Brooklyn this weekend with my kids, one of their partners, and an old friend. The kind of plan that makes me count my lucky stars.

I know the young folks say the weekend fun starts on Thursday and today I really felt that because my morning began with a front steps meeting with a toddler neighbor at which we discussed rocks, rain boots, and the color green.

Party!

61 here

🩶

You funny!

Hah!

Right?

Just agreed to review this!

Aesop Rock and Homeboy Sandman have just released the newest EP installment in their LICE series and as a man of a certain age I am delighted to report that Backpack Rap most certainly lives!

I sorta accidentally walked for two hours today because the weather was so sweet and I did so without earbuds which makes me some kind of Spiritual Man

Van hadn’t done much Irish music before this—the only thing that comes to mind is his take on “Purple Heather” (aka “Wild Mountain Thyme”): but soon after he’d write “Rolling Hills” which sure tries to be Olde Irish and then of course his collab with the Chieftans

I know that Last Waltz talk is the most cliched kinda boomer talk, but that’s me so here goes: the way Richard Manuel and Van Morrison turn “Tura Lura Lural (That’s an Irish Lullaby)” into drunken blue-eyed soul is proof that you should wander in dreams, like the song says.

I’m so sad to read the news about the passing of the great Texan Augie Meyers. I’ve often said that I was drawn to Doug Sahm’s voice because it always sounds like it has a smile in it—but of course it was Augie’s organ playing that told the joke in the first place.

I don’t even care if “The Woonsocket Call” is real or not—that is poetry

I took it out of my hometown library when I was 16 and I’ve loved it ever since. And Mark’s book is great.

Literally 2788 Broadway

Me, just before I nap

Oh thank you Zach. Hadn’t gotten there yet.

Hailey Whittiers last year. Megan Moroney and Presley Haile and Ella Langley this year. Katie Pruitt and Maren Morris.

Occasionally I (finally) stumble on an artist I should have known about decades ago and I’m 50% grateful for the music and 50% enraged that none of my so-called friends bothered to inform me.

Judee Sill.

…And then in their 70s those zany Monkee lads came back together to share this shimmering mystery with us—one of the most beautiful songs I know youtu.be/FfruDTmFDUA

Found myself listening to a few records in the last week and thinking “whoa we are in a great moment for women making pop country” and then realizing this has been pretty much true all the time since 1986 or so

Saddest laugh

God I love him

Of course Michael! I’ll do it! (And I grew up with people who used to say “Todd is God!”)

See a Little More Light

Years ago, on a whole ‘nother website, I crowdsourced this playlist in honor of daylight savings open.spotify.com/playlist/4xi...

Solid! A little smaller than I recall but that’s fine. Had a salt and an everything so far and quite pleased. Tomorrow: pumpernickel.

Marked safe in Central Park

💜

In NYC for a very quick trip and feeling oddly safe as a Jewish person