Music

T-Bone Burnett discusses recording techniques and a sense of place on this week’s All Songs Considered. This is essential listening if you care at all about music, or if you wonder why listening to most of the stuff on the radio today just feels so exhausting.

She really likes the video, “of the kids who know how to fly.” Her favorite parts are the “nap time” and of course “flying to Neverland.”

Some really good stuff was put up on Daytrotter this morning. Listen.

The Black Keys have just put together their best record yet: Attack & Release. I’m proud to say that these guys are from Akron, our hometown. Even with their huge success (supermegastar producer Danger Mouse worked on this album), they’ve stayed here, and have no plans to move–which is pretty cool, considering the mass exodus of young people to places that occasionally enjoy sunshine. They developed their sound to match the abandoned rubber factories and gray skies of our dear old city, and it’s great stuff (trust me, I know that music birthed from a blue collar rustbelt town doesn’t exactly entice, but it’s good. Really.)

Here’s a little video tour the duo gave to a Wall Street Journal reporter. I was happy to see shots of our neighborhood (Square Records and Highland Square is right around the corner).

Update: The related article in the Wall Street Journal is decent, too.