Brian Sawyer
@brianjsawyer.bsky.social
Spot the differences! For a long time I was frustrated to have only the first BOMP! repress on the right. I finally found the original Mohawk first pressing on the left for a (relatively) reasonable price. I still don’t know why “I’m Straight” was removed from all later pressings.
November 16, 2025 at 6:40 PM
Spot the differences! For a long time I was frustrated to have only the first BOMP! repress on the right. I finally found the original Mohawk first pressing on the left for a (relatively) reasonable price. I still don’t know why “I’m Straight” was removed from all later pressings.
I can't be the only one who knows a little something about Bob Dylan (including how his career actually turned out) who reads his response as an obvious joke at Berklee's expense?
November 11, 2025 at 9:18 PM
I can't be the only one who knows a little something about Bob Dylan (including how his career actually turned out) who reads his response as an obvious joke at Berklee's expense?
Today marks the 10-year anniversary of the first vinyl record I ever bought (though my parents had a record collection when I was a kid, my own purchases were all cassettes, followed by a transition to CDs), beginning a hobby and bit of obsession that has kept me busy all these years later.
November 7, 2025 at 12:04 PM
Today marks the 10-year anniversary of the first vinyl record I ever bought (though my parents had a record collection when I was a kid, my own purchases were all cassettes, followed by a transition to CDs), beginning a hobby and bit of obsession that has kept me busy all these years later.
Nebraska is my favorite Springsteen album, and its story is even more impressive (I haven't seen the movie yet, but I read the book). One nagging thing the editor in me always notices, though, is how a few lines find their way into more than one song.
October 25, 2025 at 4:26 PM
Nebraska is my favorite Springsteen album, and its story is even more impressive (I haven't seen the movie yet, but I read the book). One nagging thing the editor in me always notices, though, is how a few lines find their way into more than one song.
Now reading/spinning
October 1, 2025 at 9:15 PM
Now reading/spinning
Won tickets from my favorite radio station (WERS 88.9) to see David Byrne this Saturday!
September 30, 2025 at 2:13 PM
Won tickets from my favorite radio station (WERS 88.9) to see David Byrne this Saturday!
Rediscovering the intense graphics and thrilling gameplay of my first handheld digital gaming device.
September 7, 2025 at 6:57 PM
Rediscovering the intense graphics and thrilling gameplay of my first handheld digital gaming device.
Both of these album covers feature photographs by Henry Diltz, whose artwork will soon be featured in a new exhibition at Emerson College.
August 8, 2025 at 5:46 PM
Both of these album covers feature photographs by Henry Diltz, whose artwork will soon be featured in a new exhibition at Emerson College.
Another rough week for music icons
July 24, 2025 at 10:59 PM
Another rough week for music icons
Here are some of the records in my collection that include versions of the song “Stagger Lee” (or “Stack-A-Lee,” “Stackerlee,” etc.).
July 18, 2025 at 11:06 AM
Here are some of the records in my collection that include versions of the song “Stagger Lee” (or “Stack-A-Lee,” “Stackerlee,” etc.).
What’s your favorite song that references the song “Waltzing Matilda”?
July 15, 2025 at 10:45 AM
What’s your favorite song that references the song “Waltzing Matilda”?
Happy 40th anniversary of Live Aid.
July 13, 2025 at 10:05 PM
Happy 40th anniversary of Live Aid.
Speaking of pairing records with books (as I often am), I was particularly excited to see this combo announced today: a new Jens Lekman album written to coincide with a novel by David Levithan of the same name!
July 10, 2025 at 3:11 PM
Speaking of pairing records with books (as I often am), I was particularly excited to see this combo announced today: a new Jens Lekman album written to coincide with a novel by David Levithan of the same name!
I think I’m developing something of a reputation at my local library.
July 8, 2025 at 6:47 PM
I think I’m developing something of a reputation at my local library.
I've been hearing a lot of "Horses" by Jesse Welles on the radio lately, and I can't shake the feeling that the fiddle part owes a pretty big debt to Bob Dylan's "Hurricane." This is not a criticism.
July 1, 2025 at 12:38 PM
I've been hearing a lot of "Horses" by Jesse Welles on the radio lately, and I can't shake the feeling that the fiddle part owes a pretty big debt to Bob Dylan's "Hurricane." This is not a criticism.
Getting back into The Bear and picking up its excellent soundtrack the hard and slow way.
June 28, 2025 at 6:08 PM
Getting back into The Bear and picking up its excellent soundtrack the hard and slow way.
New Jonathan Richman album just announced! Vinyl preordered! Get yours at jonathanrichman.bandcamp.com/album/only-f...
Only Frozen Sky Anyway, by Jonathan Richman
12 track album
jonathanrichman.bandcamp.com
June 24, 2025 at 8:02 PM
New Jonathan Richman album just announced! Vinyl preordered! Get yours at jonathanrichman.bandcamp.com/album/only-f...
The beginning of a Belle & Sebastian rainbow
June 21, 2025 at 7:08 PM
The beginning of a Belle & Sebastian rainbow
Who knows the connection between these records?
June 16, 2025 at 7:30 PM
Who knows the connection between these records?
It’s a bad week for musical geniuses.
June 11, 2025 at 5:09 PM
It’s a bad week for musical geniuses.
Now spinning/reading
May 24, 2025 at 6:20 PM
Now spinning/reading
It appears to be a good time for music memoirs. Even as I work to keep up, more keep being published, like this forthcoming one by Evan Dando, looking like Dennis Wilson.
May 23, 2025 at 2:41 PM
It appears to be a good time for music memoirs. Even as I work to keep up, more keep being published, like this forthcoming one by Evan Dando, looking like Dennis Wilson.
Got a new record today to read along with. It's a damn good album to listen with a damned good book.
May 10, 2025 at 9:01 PM
Got a new record today to read along with. It's a damn good album to listen with a damned good book.