I Pray for My Enemies Joy Harjo (Joy Harjo, 2021) In tumultuous times, to whom do we go for wisdom? In many cultures, poets, elders, and religious figures are...
Music
Until Now Carrie Newcomer (Available Light Records, 2021) Carrie Newcomer’s latest album, Until Now, comes at just the right time, as many of us feel divided...
The Future Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats (Fantasy Records, 2021) You might think bearded, tattooed, perpetual-hat-wearing indie rocker-meets-soul...
Hey What Low (Sub Pop Records, 2021) Creative freedom, vision, collaboration, and discipline: These are very difficult things to hold together, especially when...
It happens every year. The opening chords of Vince Guaraldi’s “O Tannenbaum” surprise me in a coffee shop or store. Notes dance around like falling snow and...
A number of years ago I heard a friend of mine from the Philippines listening to Christmas music in September. When I inquired why he was listening to...
Living for the Other Side The Hillbilly Thomists (Dominican Records, 2021) First off, we have to deal with the band’s name. It comes from Flannery O’Connor...
Peter Stampfel’s 20th Century in 100 Songs Peter Stampfel (Louisiana Red Hot Records, 2021) In 2001 folk musician Peter Stampfel set out to select one song for...
Dark in Here The Mountain Goats (Merge Records, 2021) The sweeping new release by alternative band the Mountain Goats is infectiously upbeat despite its title...
Happier Than Ever Billie Eilish (Interscope, 2021) “I’m getting older, I think I’m aging well” slinks the 19-year-old Billie Eilish as she opens her sophomore...
