
Just try googling eye images for some squirm-inducing fun. That should prepare you for the literally eye-popping image that illustrates Contrast Podcast #171 . I decided I would rather spend a ridiculous amount of time going through my own photos for a good eye shot. The above turned out to be my favorite. Whose eyes are those? Click on the photograph to see. My choice for the podcast was this great old favorite of mine by a short-lived Portland band called Hazel, whose history I covered in my very first Time [...]

As a Christmas gift to our readers, for the entire month of December, our live MP3 recordings of the Decemberists at the Hollywood Bowl (July 7, 2007) will be available for download as a zip file. Our policy is to remove all files where we do not have specific permission from the artist after a short time, but we have had many requests to repost this concert. The Decemberists at the Hollywood Bowl , July 7, 2007, [ ZIP ] What can you give us for Christmas? How [...]

My first post about MySpace friends had some success, so I'm doing it again. It could become kind of an irregular feature. MySpace certainly has its frustrations and limitations, but for me it is also a candyland of fine new musicians that I can actually contact. Today I'm featuring three of those whose music I have come to enjoy immensely. I play these songs often, and I hope you'll like them too. All three have had releases within the past calendar year that are available to purchase as albums or individual songs. [...]