Come over to the dark side. We have music. A deep dive into a few numbers you might have missed so far on your journey through life. 1: “Midnight Man” by The James Gang 2: “Starless” by the Unthanks 3: “Ach heile mich” by Cassiber 4: “Opening Theme” by Morte Macabre 5: “Gotta Go” by Bud Shank 6: “Night Life” by Ray Price 6a: “Repent Walpurgis” by Procol…

A Plethora of Pop writing challenge: Your favorite songs about transportation — I love the freedom of viewing, eating, reading, walking around, sleeping while traveling by train. Can’t do that if you’re driving, and lord knows you can’t do that on a plane these days. …

Your Musical Video of Zen, Volume 1 — Annika Norlin, who sings in English as Hello Saferide, and in Swedish as Säkert!, cheerfully celebrates the eventuality that she and her lover “are going to die together” (the translation of the Swedish title “Vi kommer att dö samtidigt.” The song’s persona simultaneously accepts, welcomes, and fears a fated Liebestod…

Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization is NOT parallel to Brown vs. Board of Education — I’m bracketing out discussion of a woman’s right to choose (which I support) because the Supreme Court’s recent Dobbs vs. Jackson is far more egregious than the abrogation of any single cause or right. …

Plethora of Pop Rate a Song series — Two phenomenal singers step away from their polished studio hits with disarmingly live versions. Both are in Portuguese — I’m providing some translations here, but if possible, listen / watch first, and then check out the lyrics (and then listen / watch again). Rate the songs / performances according to…

Music that differed — The original series by Paul Combs, an album from every year you’ve been alive, is too much of a challenge for this septuagenarian, so I’ve narrowed the criteria a bit. My listening experience is so spotty that listing my favorite songs / albums since my birth year (1950) won’t tell…