Now spinning at my house, as the amplifier for my new hi-fi stereo system arrived today, so I could finally use the new turntable etc: Ascension (1966) by John Coltrane, his free-jazz large-band colossal masterwork, is the first album I'm playing, and tonight its chaotic resplendence just sends me

Now spinning at my house, as I'm doing laundry from our Iceland trip... Cornucopia Live (2025) by Björk...bought at Smekkleysa record store in Reykjavík, the 2-CD set + DVD concert film...oh the music is glorious: her powerful voice backed by a full choir, winds, harp, and big skittering beats...

íslenski fáninn faxaflói, iceland 919am mon 3 aug 2026

your friendly local churchyard cat stokkseyri, iceland 1159am sun 2 aug 2026

gods þingvellir, iceland 422pm sat 1 aug 2026

volcanic crater, cloudscape kerið, iceland 1016am sat 1 aug 2026

glacial ice, basalt beach jökulsarlón, iceland 406pm thurs 30 july 2026

moonrise (à la hotel room) kirkjubæjarklaustur, iceland 1221am fri 31 july 2026

liquid mirror (à la hotel room) kirkjubaejarklaustur, iceland 741am thurs 30 july 2026

38000-ft sunrise somewhere over greenland, north atlantic 351am tues 28 july 2026

Now spinning at my house, because on a day of crystalline blue skies and swaying green trees, you have to listen to... Around The World In A Day (1985, expanded deluxe edition 2025) by Prince, wherein this genius traded in his purple reign of rock glory for a sonic landscape of kaleidoscopic wonder

blueberry fields, dusk clarry hill, maine 815pm weds 22 july 2026

in the cosmos of a tide pool, the sun is a protean disco ball, endlessly scattering patterns of light birch island, maine 1211pm mon 20 july 2026 (video: 1 min.)

self-portrait :: ionized//plasmatic knox county, maine 1052pm Sat 18 July 2026

Now spinning at my house, as wildfires dim the skies to a smoky yellow: Ascenseur pour l'échafaud (1958) by Miles Davis, the soundtrack to Louis Malle's brooding French film noir...here Miles plays moody vignettes in a Parisian quintet—so effective, he makes both the music and film utter classics

Today's walk: 4 miles. Soundtrack: The Information (2006) by Beck. His most spacy and spooky record...eerie sounds, samples, synths...lyrics of lonely disorientation...taut clanging polyrhythmic grooves...it's as much a haunting hazy vibe as it is an album of tunes, and I listen to it all the time.

Today's drive: Maine to Boston. Soundtracks: Van Halen (1978) Van Halen II (1979) Women And Children First (1980) Fair Warning (1981) Diver Down (1982) and 1984 (1984), all by Van Halen. With 3½ hours on the road, I introduced my son to the six albums of the David Lee Roth era, and lo, we rocked.

venus, regulus ============ dusk ============ woods knox county, maine 930pm fri 10 july 2026

Today's run: 6¼ miles. Soundtrack: Confessions II (2026) by Madonna. Her latest is a sensational electronic song cycle, with bottomless beats and the joy of her having a blast. I had a one-guy house-party on the streets, and I ran for the first time in a year, because I just had to MOVE IT, folks! 🔥

Now spinning at my house, a perfect rainy-day box set: Joni's Jazz (2025) by Joni Mitchell...I've long owned all her albums, but as the jazz aspect of her career is my favorite, I couldn't resist this 4-CD compilation of brilliant music, a lovingly curated set beautifully sequenced and produced💗

Today's walk: 5¼ miles. Soundtracks: Fear Of Music (1979) and Remain In Light (1980) by Talking Heads. One jagged and paranoid album, the other polyrhythmic and hallucinatory, both laden with grooves—they altered my life as a teen, and they make look at the world around me differently, even today.

A-U-T-O-matic, I'm so in love with...the official Prince store in Terminal 1! Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, Minnesota. 12noon Sun 5 July 2026

cumulus ====== corn near zumbrota, minnesota 1034am sun 5 july 2026

Independence night. Rochester, Minnesota. 951pm Sat 4 July 2026

Happy 250th birthday, America, from me and the furball. cheers---mrb 🎂🇺🇲🎂

moonlight 《impasto》 somerville, massachusetts 444am thurs 2 july 2026

Today's walk: 4¾ miles. Soundtrack: Tales From Topographic Oceans (1973) by Yes. With four 20-minute tracks, this is notoriously one of the most pompous and preposterous prog-rock albums...but I love it because it is ridiculous, beautiful and weird. It's like an epic poem from another dimension.

Today's walk: 6½ miles. Soundtracks: Black Tie White Noise (1993) and Earthling (1997) by David Bowie. On this warm bright day, I first chose Bowie's sleek silky album of electro-soul, then his brash metallic slab of big-beat drum&bass. Neither have changed my life, but they make it more fun.

Now spinning at my house, as I share a birthday with this classic! Purple Rain (25 June 1984) by Prince...I already loved the 1999 album, but this one (and the movie too) reshaped my young life going forward. I don't remember if I got it for my birthday back then, but it still feels like a gift. 💜

Now spinning at my house, as I'm seeing The Church in concert tonight! Seance (1983), Remote Luxury (1984) and Heyday (1985) were the first albums I owned by these Australian rock gods, then I got everything before and since. My kids have grown up with this music, and my daughter is coming too!