No. 03

5 songs worth your attention this week — November 6th, 2025

FUNDAMENTAL
1. Lay My Love by John Cale & Brian Eno (Wrong Way Up, released 1990)

It has recently come to my attention that John Cale is, in fact, a bit of a diva (a revelation that’s only deepened my appreciation for my fellow Pisces). In 1968, Lou Reed ousted Cale from The Velvet Underground after constant clashes over their musical direction: Reed wanted a more accessible sound, while Cale pushed for the avant-garde. Flash forward to the late eighties, when Cale and Brian Eno—another of my all-time favorites—holed up in Eno’s home studio to record what would become their only collaborative album, Wrong Way Up. It’s said the two clashed so intensely they nearly canceled the entire project. And yet, from that very friction, they created some of the most beautifully layered, unexpectedly euphoric music either has ever made, (!) in my opinion (!).

Lay My Love, the album’s opener, explores themes of devotion and (at times unpleasant) vulnerability, set against Cale’s plaintive vocals and Eno’s intricate production. It manages to be both structurally ornate and emotionally direct, a rare synthesis of their respective talents. “I am the termite of temptation.” Same.

Good for train rides, confessions.

FUNDAMENTAL
2. Take My Number by Marshall Hain (Free Ride, released 1978)

The British duo Marshall Hain, best known for their UK hit Dancing in the City, broke up after granting the world just one album in 1978. Take My Number is my favorite track of theirs. It captures the feeling of late-twenties/early-thirties dating: sexual confidence, a newfound, been-around-the-block assurance, and a breezy, settled-in tone.

Good for late night conversations, wine bars/bookstores.

SAD CLASSIC
3. Come Winter by Bohannon (Gittin’ Off, released 1976)

Hamilton Bohannon’s Come Winter is as soft and lovely as it is gut-wrenchingly sad. Released at the height of his disco-funk era, it stands apart from his more celebrated upbeat work. It’s a slow burn that tugs at the heart in subtle, lingering ways. Melancholic, deeply funky, and full of the particular longing only winter can bring. A cuffing season anthem, perhaps?

Good for couch days.

RECENT RELEASE
4. greaser (panda bear version) by The Crying Nudes, Panda Bear (Single, released this October)

The Crying Nudes, a mysterious collective with ties to the equally enigmatic Dean Blunt, have teamed up with my American Apparel era favorite, Panda Bear, for a new take on their track greaser. The result is a hazy dream-pop moment that fuses The Crying Nudes’ post-internet aesthetic with Panda Bear’s signature 2010s indie-cool vocals. The track feels both familiar and foreign. It’s making me reconsider tight jeans.

Good for walking around at night.

FUNDAMENTAL
5. It’s My Life by Jim Ford (Point of No Return, recorded 1960s-70s, released 2008)

Jim Ford was an unmistakable American original, a Kentucky-born songwriter who mixed genres so intuitively that his music lands with everyone from suburban dads to the most obscure downtown art folks. It’s My Life is a raw, defiant statement of purpose from an artist who was largely unappreciated in his own time. The song, which was unreleased for decades, is a perfect hybrid of country and funk, with Ford’s weathered voice front and center. It’s the sound of a man who’s lived a tough life and has the stories to prove it. Reflecting on his career, he once said, “I was feeling like I got robbed over the years, which I did, but it ain’t gonna bother me no more. I’m just gonna pick up and go on, they can kiss the biggest part of my ass.”

Good for road trips, saying no.

Also available on Apple Music here.