Loring Cornish is profiled here in the January issue of Baltimore.

A few days ago, I talked about the best music of 2008 on Dan Rodricks' radio show . Here's a link to the segment and my list of personal faves (plus a few extras). Happy listening.

Al Green: Lay It Down (Blue Note)

Paul Weller: 22 Dreams (Yep Roc)

Beach House: Devotion (Carpark)

Manuel Barrueco: Tango Sensations (Tonar)

Felice Brothers: [...]

What piece of art changed your life? How did it affect you?
When I was five years old, my Dad took me to see a movie with Louis Armstrong and Danny Kaye. It was called The Five Pennies. I saw Louis play trumpet and sing in the movie and told my Dad to get me [...]

Last Thur-Fri's Baltimore Round Robin shows at Sonar were a blast—well run and adventurously programmed. Beach House, Santa Dads, Double Dagger, Smartgrowth, and Dan Deacon were among the many highlights. Deacon's trademark glo-skull is pictured above.

What piece of art changed your life? How did it affect you?
When I was fifteen, my high school on Long Island put on a production of Thornton Wilder's Our Town. Prior to that, I had not been exposed to anything artistic—theater, classical music, dance, visual arts, what have you—but from experiencing that show, and [...]

After playing various major cities around the country, the Baltimore Round Robin Tour (finally) comes to Baltimore the next two nights. With an impressive line-up of local indie acts—Beach House, Dan Deacon, Double Dagger, and many others—and an intriguing concept—the bands set up around the perimeter of the room and take turns playing—it figures to [...]

This is my daughter at Ike's house. He's showing her how to play "Rocket 88." No kidding.

What piece of art/music changed your life? How did it affect you?
When I saw Pinetop Perkins, he was with Sonny Boy Williamson. We were comin' home from school, and we heard this music. Ernest Lane's father lived on Yazoo Street in Clarksdale, right behind Centennial Baptist Church, in them shotgun houses there. We were on [...]

Ten years ago, I spent a few nights at Ike Turner's house. I was writing a profile of Ike for The Oxford American magazine, and I arranged to stay at his house outside San Diego. He and his wife, Jeanette, were genial and hospitable hosts—she fed me the best catfish and cornbread I've ever [...]

A few years ago, I was in New York writing about Baltimore native Joe Holtzman and his amazing magazine, Nest. While there, I got talking to Nest's hotshot graphic designer, Tom Beckham, who doubles as a hotshot jazz musician. A vibraphonist, Beckham's been developing a solid body of work. His vibrant playing made 2006's [...]