Author Archives: olneyce

50 songs for 50 states: Montana

Posted on May 28, 2018 by olneyce

What I learned from looking through my options for Montana is that there are a truly disproportionate number of songs about Montana which explore the following theme: “I’m lonely because my baby left me, but at least Montana is beautiful.” … Continue reading →

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50 songs for 50 states: Missouri

Posted on May 21, 2018 by olneyce

Tear-Stained Eye – Son Volt Missouri is one of the few states where the official state song is competitive, thanks to a nice Johnny Cash version of “Missouri Waltz.” Still, it was never going to beat out one of my … Continue reading →

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50 songs for 50 states: Mississippi

Posted on May 14, 2018 by olneyce

Here’s to the State of Mississippi – Phil Ochs If one wanted to develop a typology of states, there are plenty of features they could use to establish key lines of differentiation. Geography, climate, demographics, wealth, etc. But in many … Continue reading →

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50 songs for 50 states: Minnesota

Posted on May 7, 2018 by olneyce

There are plenty of solid choices for Minnesota—home to Prince, The Replacements, and Robert Zimmerman, just to name a few. Girl From the North Country would be the classic pick, while Prince’s Rock and Roll is Alive, and It Lives … Continue reading →

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Album Review: Structure by Chvad SB

Posted on March 13, 2018 by olneyce

Structure by Chvad SB A deep electronic drone, punctuated by little ripples of organic sound. It’s the sound of quiet unrest, the slow etching of shadows cast by the light of a full moon. It reminds me a lot of … Continue reading →

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The songs everyone should hear

Posted on January 4, 2018 by olneyce

Over the last couple weeks, I ran an informal survey asking people for the ‘five songs they think everyone should hear.’ I left it to those surveyed to decide precisely what that meant. My hope was to get enough responses … Continue reading →

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Top 25 albums of 2017

Posted on December 18, 2017 by olneyce

Last year I struggled to find fifteen albums I could fully endorse. This year I probably could have run the list out to forty or fifty if I had the time to write them all up. I don’t know whether that’s just … Continue reading →

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Top 50 songs of 2017

Posted on December 15, 2017 by olneyce

2017 has been a year of revolution in gender politics, and that has absolutely been reflected in the musical world as well. As with so many industries, there is a sense that the dam may be bursting: that sexual violence, … Continue reading →

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A time of reckoning: the Democratic Party and sexual abuse

Posted on November 16, 2017 by olneyce

Breaking news today that Al Franken kissed and groped a woman without her consent.  Franken has long been a minor hero of mine. An ideologically passionate but intensely pragmatic politician, who took advantage of his celebrity to move into public … Continue reading →

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Top 10 Ani DiFranco songs

Posted on October 28, 2017 by olneyce

Ani DiFranco burst out in 1990 with a self-titled album of complex, beautiful, haunting songs characterized by a unique guitar picking style and an evocative lyrical style. Ever since, she’s spent three prolific decades experimenting with an impressive array of musical … Continue reading →

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