Tag: Music

My dream is shattered.

If you got one night on a boat with an underwater speaker to play music for orcas, what would you play?

One of the underrated joys of college radio: discovering artists you’ve literally never heard before. I took a WXAV college radio playlist, turned it into Spotify, and then asked last.fm: “Which of these artists have I never heard before?”

I found another jazz album that fits into the 1% of just right: "Dial S for Sonny" 1957 by Sonny Clark

Why does every store play the same Christmas songs from 1950? Turns out there used to be a stigma around recording holiday music. That stigma accidentally created the canon. When it disappeared, so did our ability to make new classics.

Swedish word of the day: "ganska" = rather, quite, fairly, pretty. So "ganska cool" = pretty cool. Not to be confused with my initial reading of "gangsta cool"

Hidden gem alert. Just discovered Cheap Cuts on Spotify—only 4,512 monthly listeners but their genre-blending sound is incredible. Neo soul meets UK grime meets southern gothic? Yes please.

That moment when you're jamming to a new song, feeling like a cool parent… and your kindergartner walks in already knowing all the words.

This year’s Christmas tradition: a 10-hour playlist with 158 versions of Last Christmas! Next year? Maybe Marshmallow World. What’s your holiday anthem?

Looking for classical background music? You might start by typing a generic Spotify search like “classical.” But why not show some love to your local orchestra? Try searching for the name of a nearby large city, followed by “orchestra.” It’s…

It feels like 49% of jazz is played really fast. 49% of jazz is played really slow. 1% is just right.

Ever wondered where the artists you listen to come from? Or if there are any good bands from Kazakhstan? There is a tool that takes all the music you listen to, and it checks the country of every artist.

Imagine a radio show playing ONE song from EACH Spotify genre. It'd take 8 years to finish! Anyone want to DJ?

When you find a new song on Spotify, how do you know if it's a new song or one from ten years ago?

Ever wondered how a painting sounds? Explore Dave Brubeck's unique jazz interpretation of Joan Miró's artwork.

Lollapalooza just announced their 2024 lineup. What towns searched for Lollapalooza the most?

In an age of streaming singles, imagine a station that celebrates whole albums, providing insights between songs. It's a deep dive into the artistry behind the music. 📀🎧

Ever wondered what the quiet of snowfall sounds like? 🤫 I paired a serene snow scene with the minimalist music of Philip Glass, John Cage, and Arvo Pärt. Read my blog for a journey into winter's whisper. ❄️

I'm thinking about having Mr. T visit Chicago's free classical concert series. You might spot us in the background of WFMT's live stream on Youtube and Facebook.

What combines kazoos, scatting, muppet voices, a Billboard 100 appearance, and played on Captain Kangaroo? Answer: this song!

When we think of Winter Olympics, the first country that should come to mind—NORWAY.

Classical ballet music: good energy, good pacing, good variety

Since I’ve had vertigo a couple times in the past two months, it’s a little odd that the very first track in my Spotify Discover Weekly is a track named “Vertigo“. I rather like it too! Although, I would say…

When searching for Mah Na Mah Na on Spotify, the results include Daft Punk's TRON soundtrack.

I probably enjoy the "Swing Batta Swing" album a bit too much.

Let's make this 1993 song into a meme: "Question [insert some sort of situation] Man, funk dat!"

Spotify had a nice sharing feature. Click on any song, go to the Share menu, and select “Share via Twitter.” A little pop-up appears with pre-filled text containing: • Song title• Artist• URL You could edit any of of these items before…

What if we read lyrics before hearing the song? You have no idea what the music will sound like. Or even the genre. All you have are the lyrics in words. Some songs might sound more poetic than their audio/music…

So bizarre when my “Discover Weekly” playlist from Spotify has the song from the end of the movie “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off”. “March of the Swivel Heads” by The English Beat is the song that plays when Bueller is racing…

Are you a Star Wars fan, but find the traditional soundtracks overplayed? You might find some tunes you like in Disney’s new monster list of 361 Star Wars tracks. Called “Star Wars Complete“, this playlist lasts for 22 hours and…

Whenever you say something awesome over instant message, share this Spotify playlist with the recipient of your incredible words: Trumpet Fanfares. HEY WHY STOP THERE? CAN THE APPLE WATCH HAVE A DEDICATED PLAY A SPECIFIC SONG BUTTON? When you say…