Brinsley Schwartz, “Country Girl” (1970)

You think I don’t know that Nick Lowe knows how to write the hell out of a song?! Because I do. Know.

Dolly Parton, “Here I Am” (1971)

A post asked when Dolly went from being a fun entertainer to a deeply and even ferociously appreciated artist. The time I noticed it was in the mid-90s when my Indigo Girls and Joni Mitchell loving friends surprised me by becoming obsessed with “Jolene”. I have to say it took me longer to recognize her genius, but I have to think I would have been on board much sooner if I had heard this song.

There is not enough praise in the world for Dolly. RIP.

Mandy, Indiana, “I’ll Ask Her” (2026)

Simply one of the most upsetting and angering songs I’ve ever heard, but it’s one that needs to be in the world.

LCD Soundsystem, “Home” (2010)

Still perfect.

Jens Lekman, “Increasingly Obsolete” (2025)

I didn’t give this song enough love last year, so I’m making up for it. Like so many Jens Lekman songs, it’s a good song and then you listen to the lyrics and love it.

Slow Leaves, “Tired” (2026)

Nothing like a song that’s nothing but a great hook.

Man/Woman/Chainsaw, “Nosedive” (2026)

This is like a catalog of Things I Am A Sucker For.

Teenage Fanclub, “Cul de Sac” (2001)

I’m sorry I spent so much of my life without this whole album. Love it.

The American Analog Set, “We’re Computerizing and We Just Don’t Need You Anymore” (2001)

a) Gorgeous, and b) Hard not to see that title in Our Current Moment and think “Oh.”

MEMORIALS, “Life Could Be a Cloud” (2026)

It’s not easy to decide whether the loud part or the soft part is better. Well, okay. It’s the loud part. But the quiet part is beautiful.