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 surprising Rate-a-Record Challenge — Conflict is the essence of storytelling. Here are three dramatized songs about conflict. You may need to listen to each several times to pick up on the storyline, but I believe you’ll find the experience worthwhile. Hello Saferide, “Long Lost Penpal” Annika Norlin and Firefox AK act out a retrospective drama of a woman reaching…

Off-brand instrumentals for healing and sleep — Gracias to Paul Combs (Ten Soothing Songs for If I’m Ever in a Comatose State) and Pierce McIntyre (Coma Feel The Noise: Songs I’d Like Played If I’m Ever in a Comatose State), the relaxing prescriptions below are “off brand” because they’re atypical of the louder sort of music we…

Rate-a-record challenge (Art Garfunkel, Jennifer Warnes, Glenn Campbell) — I hope that these three songs will be a treat for you. The writer (Jimmy Webb) is considered by many one of the greatest modern songsmiths. And the three vocalists (Art Garfunkel, Jennifer Warnes, and Glen Campbell) are among the most esteemed interpreters of our era. As you discuss and…

Finnish or Swedish? Rate these records. — Help me out, Rate-a-Record fans. I’m planning a review of the albums on which these songs appear, and I need your opinions. Each song has the same melody and instrumental background, and each is sung by Anna Järvinen, one in Swedish and the other in Finnish. Järvinen is a Swede-Finn…

Guitarist, vocalist, absurdist — I’m starting a new series: “Digging ___”, a sort of archaeology of superlative but forgotten musicians, writers, and artists. First up, Slim Gaillard — well-known to brilliant cabaret pianists, fans of jazz musicians who prefigured rock / r&b / rap (like Louis Jordan), and finger-popping hipsters like Jack Kerouac. Because…