The Music Never Ends
On the second weekend, after we moved to New York City, we went to Greenwich Village with a bunch of new friends to visit the jazz club Smalls. Of course, it was packed, and we did not get in. The same happened in other venues around Bleecker Street, so we ended up in a standing-room-only pub. Not much fun, so we gave up and walked home.
Back then, I thought of Greenwich Village as the center of NYC nightlife, but in reality, its heydays have long passed. But there are still live clubs with a long history around. For example, the Bitter End where we recently saw the single release show by the local artist Janita. Bob Dylan played there before, and so did Joni Mitchell. Later, Lady Gaga and John Mayer performed here before they became superstars.
We remember the Bitter End mainly for the show of the Columbus, OH-based singer/songwriter Katie Reider. This was in 2006 before we routinely went out to see small shows, so it was exciting to see a new musician playing beautiful original songs and chat with her after the set.
Katie later decided to move to NYC, and we were looking forward to seeing her play more often. Unfortunately, she fell ill and died in 2008 at the age of 30. Her records are available for streaming, and they did not lose their appeal more than twenty years later. Her 2002 record, “I Am Ready” (Apple Music | Spotify), seems ahead of its time, blending acoustic sounds and subtle electronics.
The Scottish band Simple Minds goes on tour this year, supported by Soft Cell and Modern English. Probably many fans only want to hear three songs: “Don’t You (Forget About Me),” “Tainted Love,” and “I Melt With You.” I’m unsure about Soft Cell, but the other two bands have a much broader repertoire. For example, listen to Simple Mind’s Empires and Dance (Apple Music | Spotify) 1980 album for some intriguing electronic new wave music.
Björk has called Spotify the worst thing that happened to musicians. The perils and benefits of the currently dominant all-you-can-listen streaming model in music have already been discussed in all breadth. I find it more interesting that she calls out explicitly Spotify. The Swedish company was not the first to offer the streaming model – Rhapsody in 2001 was the first, and they are by far not the only one who provides this service.
Spotify is not even a music company anymore, as it aggressively diversifies into podcasts and ebooks. At this point, they look more like an enterprise to make money on the stock market for its shareholders and, most notably, its founders. One suspects that if they could change the culture and drive people to cheaply AI-generated music, they would. All the incentives are there.
Still, most people are on Spotify, so we will continue to offer our playlists there. But we now also have them on Apple Music. If you are a subscriber, check out #glamglarepick, glamglare favorites, and the full playlist of 2025 Song Pick of the Day tracks.
glamglare favorites
Listen to glamglare favorites on Spotify, Apple Music, or below on YouTube.
To celebrate Kim Wilde’s latest album Closer (Apple Music | Spotify), we look into 1981 when her career took off. “Rocket to the Moon” is from the new record (it contains a reference to the song “2-6-5-8-0” from her first self-titled record). “Chequered Love” was her biggest hit in Germany in 81, but it could not pass Kim Carnes’ “Bette Davis Eyes” to reach number 1 in the charts. An eternally iconic song of 1981 is “In the Air Tonight” by Phil Collins. We only recently noticed the vengeful lyrics that may or may not have been directed at his ex-wife. The last new song is the new wave classic “Fade to Grey” by Visage, which was co-written by Midge Ure, who makes a guest appearance on Closer.
Song Pick of the Day
Listen to/watch all seven songs on YouTube. Follow our daily updated playlists on YouTube, Apple Music, or Spotify for the 50 latest Song Pick of the Day features, or subscribe here to receive them in your mailbox in real-time. Thank you for following us and sharing the excitement.
"Charred Grass" is an observation that caused Cross Record to think about "moments that stick with me and help me feel real— essentially, times in which time itself ceases to exist." Our fellow New Yorker Olivia Reid feels the cold season here, too. Her new song “All in Time” features ambient samples for a wintery feel.
The Montreal singer, songwriter, and producer Dawn Cadence finished her 3-song EP "sacré coeur" last Friday with "girl2GOD," a dark pop gem about "identity, worth, and the journey from being seen as a body to embracing the sacredness of selfhood.." Let "Aeroplane" lift you into the wondrous state between here and there when you have time to reflect on the future and the past. For this song, the Californian duo Double Wish collaborated with Ark Identity.
The Brooklyn band Momma announces their new album for April 4 and releases a fun new single, "I Want You (Fever),” about waiting for a breakup to be completed. "To Make Me Feel Good" is a powerful track about the reliance on validation from others. It will be on Fiona-Lee's debut EP, "When I Wake Up," out next month.
Lastly, we have "cosa rara," a collaboration between Lucrecia Dalt and British legend David Sylvian. It's a gorgeous song!
New Albums Out This Week
Nine Sunshine Yellow Photos from Lisbon, Portugal
Yellow, or in Portuguese “amarelo,” is a dominating color in Lisbon’s street life. The pretty yellow trams, of course, and the color of many buildings, but also the sunsets and even the street lamps. In only two weeks, Oliver and I will travel to Lisbon again for a bit of time out, sunshine, and a plethora of delicious food (it’s a fish lover’s paradise!), local wine, and friendly people.
Photos: Elke Nominikat