On This Week’s Musical Discovery

I’ve learned over the years that writing is occasionally less a planned activity than it is a series of serendipitous accidents. Consider the BBC’s Scotland Introducing podcast. I can’t tell you why, over a year ago, I started listening to this podcast. But I do. Every Friday, I download the new episode and give itContinue reading “On This Week’s Musical Discovery”

On Songs, Stuck In The Mind

I have two songs stuck in my head. The first. Carbon Leaf’s “Lake of Silver Bells.” It’s from their new album, Nothing Rhymes With Woman, and when I’ve listened to the album the past week and I’ve reached that track, I will instantly repeat that track. Three or four times, even. So maybe it’s notContinue reading “On Songs, Stuck In The Mind”

On Today’s Musical Discovery

This morning I downloaded the latest episode of Vic Galloway’s Scotland Introducing podcast. It’s one of the things I look forward every Friday, to see what unsigned Scottish bands Vic is going to profile this particular week. I wasn’t that taken with this week’s episode. There were some live session tracks, and they were justContinue reading “On Today’s Musical Discovery”

On Things I Did On Friday

I was in a Scottish mood yesterday. My RSS feed reader told me that the latest episode of Scotland Introducing, a podcast devoted to unsigned Scottish indie bands, was available. I followed that, throughout the day, by listening to Idlewild, Camera Obscura, Y’All Is Fantasy Island, and I’m probably forgetting one or two other ScottishContinue reading “On Things I Did On Friday”

On Celebrating Scottish Heritage

Today, April 6th, is celebrated as Tartan Day. This holiday commemorates America’s Scottish heritage, from the colonization of the New World to the Declaration of Independence and beyond. I first learned of Tartan Day some years ago at the North Carolina Renaissance Faire, and the idea intrigued me. If the Irish get St. Patrick’s Day,Continue reading “On Celebrating Scottish Heritage”

On Discovering a New Band

I have odd listening habits. Take, for instance, the BBC’s Scotland Introducing podcast, which plays music from unsigned Scottish bands. I’m not sure how I found this podcast, but it’s the kind of thing I’d be interested in. Scottish bands like Travis are just really my kind of thing. On the latest episode, Vic GallowayContinue reading “On Discovering a New Band”

On Tartan Day

March 17th is St. Patrick’s Day, when Americans of every stripe celebrate the nation’s Irish heritage. Today, April 6th, is Tartan Day, when Americans of every stripe celebrate the nation’s Scottish heritage. Wait, you haven’t heard of Tartan Day? Truth to tell, neither had I, until last year when buying Guinness for St. Patrick’s DayContinue reading “On Tartan Day”