What started off as an excellent concert lineup just got better and better as the date approached. The additions of Spoon's Britt Daniel and Kevin Drew were a bonus treat. Music, reading and charity aside, perhaps the biggest wow moment was show headliner Jim James' new closely cropped haircut. The My Morning Jacket front man sheared his trademark Muppet locks since the last time we've seen him about. Not that it affected the music in any way, which nearly stole the show from some other very capable performers. Check out more thoughts and pics at BV and Stereogum, and check out our interview with 826NYC's Sarah Vowell. (pic via Muzicspy's flickr) more ›

Shari Goldhagen, Author, Family and Other Accidents more ›

Fact: Thunder Road is the greatest song penned by an American songwriter in the last 30 years. This is an unarguable, unassailable, unquestionable truth. If you don't believe us, check out the giant three-disc reissue of Born to Run that Columbia Records put out last week. Even McSweeney's loves Bruce Springsteen! Check out their list of "Bruce Springsteen Songs, If the Title More Accurately Reflected the Subject Matter:" more ›