Author: MW Hamilton

Today’s Song of the Day is “There’s a Rhythm” by Bon Iver.

Technically, this is a two for one because I really like the Korby Lenker cover of this song as well.

I discovered this one on a long walk, and honestly it just felt like one of those perfect-for-the-moment songs, so it stuck with me.

Starting with Bon Iver, it’s the instrumentation that get’s me on this song. It grooves, and it keeps introducing new sounds. I love the electric piano; the riff is so relaxing, setting the tone for each new element to stop by and say hello before leaving.

The vocals seem so dry in contrast to the rest of the mix, which is such a cool contradiction to my ears. I like the approach.

Korby Lenker’s version stays true to the original in so many ways, but still pulls off the “different” quite well. The mix is full with lots to focus on in the stereo field. There’s a rawness to the recording and I can hear some subtle imperfections that are quite pleasing. There’s more of a focus on the vocal here, it’s not as dry and much more of a purposeful performance than Bon Iver’s version.

Either way you go on this track, you’ll be happy. Take them both for a walk with you and enjoy your Sunday!

Check them out if you haven’t heard them!

Today’s Song of the Day is “The Freshmen” by The Verve Pipe.

If you’re a Xennial like me, nothing screams throwback to the high school days like the intro to this song. And since The Verve Pipe is releasing new music these days, I couldn’t help but throw this one into the mix for Song of the Day.

It’s such a somber, melancholy tune, and everyone back then treated it with such reverence—stopping to sing along as if it were an anthem for the age. And I guess it sort of was, in a way.

From a production standpoint, I love the left-right guitar mix of the intro. So much bass on the left, very sparkly on the right. The guitar amp recordings really create the vibe of sitting right in front of the stage while the artist decides to slow it down and get personal. Throughout the song, there’s a lot of stereo information; the isolated guitar chunking and fly-ins really fill out the mix. It builds well and has that 90s screamy-ness at the end.

Lyrically, I’m not sure I ever knew what was going on, but for younger listeners, the hooks and callback lines were very strategic so as to create the sing-along moments throughout the song—regardless of the verse lyrics that were more subdued and cryptic. And, “Freshmen—” how were they not going to find a target audience, right?

For me, it’s a song full of nostalgia. I never really got into their other tracks as a young person, but I’ve listened to their albums a lot more as an adult. I’m excited for the upcoming releases and wish the band success!

Check it out if you haven’t heard it!

Today’s Song of the Day is “Clay Pigeons” by John Prine.

So it’s late in the day, I know, but it’s been a busy day in Nashville, and I stopped by Bobby’s Idle Hour on the way home to listen to some writer’s rounds. I heard a singer-songwriter who, without trying, sounded just like John Prine. And since I’m a such a fan of this song, It’s been playing in my head all afternoon.

It’s really the kind of song that sets apart a folk fan and everybody else. The lyrics are just so “pleasantly afternoon-ish,” if that can be used as an adjective. You feel as if you’re sitting with John and taking it all in as well. The rhythm just carries you along with him—a tribute to his guitar playing style.

Though I don’t drink or smoke anymore, every time I hear the line: “smoking cigarettes in the back seat,” I’m tempted to start back. I think it’s just the way he sings it.

So go spend your Friday evening in a quiet little spot and give this one a spin or two.

Check it out if you haven’t heard it!

Today’s Song of the Day is “Hang” by Matchbox Twenty.

Looking at the late 90s this time — not to the angst and crunch of the grunge era, but to a simpler, oh-by-the-way track on Yourself or Someone Like You. “Hang” is a hidden gem — one you’d stumble on after the radio singles had played out, only to realize it was the perfect song for strumming along with your guitar friends while you were first learning how to play.

As a producer now, it’s wild to listen back and pick out details my teenage ears missed entirely. That reverb swell in the second stanza? Once you hear it, you can’t unhear it — it’s like the song suddenly opens a window to breathe. There’s an almost lo-fi intimacy to “Hang” compared to the other tracks on the album. It’s not underproduced, but it is different — raw, more like the band just hit ‘record’ at the end of a long night and captured lightning in a bottle.

Listen closely and you’ll catch the subtle treats sprinkled through the mix. The ambient electric guitar fills set to the left channel to contrast the acoustic guitar. And the acoustic rhythm guitar jumps from left to right, then circles back to wrap you up in the middle. No drums here, just a shaker. It feels personal, like you’re right there in the room with the band, singing along to lyrics that somehow feel like they’re meant for everybody in some way or another.

I’m a delay junkie—I love all the cool and interesting ways it’s used in songs. Listen to the last line of the second verse before the chorus hits. The delay on the vocal double is really catchy!

“Hang” will always be one of those songs for me — a snapshot of high school, cheap guitars, and the comfort of a chorus everyone knew by heart. Proof that sometimes the best tracks aren’t the ones all over the radio, but the ones that stick with you long after the hits have faded.

Check it out if you haven’t heard it!

Today’s Song of the Day is “Far Behind” by Candlebox.

We’re cranking the dial back to the ‘90s today—and honestly, I’ve realized lately just how much that era’s rock and alternative music shaped me. There’s something about ‘90s guitar tones, raw vocals, and that bittersweet angst that sticks to half-forgotten memories like glue.

“Far Behind” is one of those tracks that’s more than just a song for me—it’s a time capsule. Every time that unmistakable guitar intro kicks in, I’m back at Buffalo Billiards, a Nashville Second Avenue throwback and no longer in existence. It was almost ten years after the song first hit the airwaves, but that night, surrounded by the guys I grew up with—one of our last big hangouts before I left for the Army—“Far Behind” hit me in just such a way it marked the occasion forever after.

But nostalgia aside, this track holds up. It’s perfectly perched on that line between grunge grit and alternative hooks. The way the clean, jangly guitar lines open up into that punchy, distorted chorus feels like a full-on mood swing in the best way. And who doesn’t love that stretched-out “maybeeee”—anthemic, raw, and so very ‘90s.

Check it out if you haven’t heard it!

Today’s Song of the Day is “Yellow” by Coldplay.

Sometimes a song from the past floats back into your life like a familiar breeze — and “Yellow” is exactly that for me.

It’s an undeniable classic, but I hadn’t sat down with it in years until last night, when another Coldplay tune shuffled on and sent me straight back to college. I was on a date, driving through a packed campus parking lot and looking for a parking space. That’s when I heard “Yellow” play on the radio for the first time. It marked a rather bland occasion, but it marked it nonetheless.

Production-wise, “Yellow” is deceptively simple, which makes it timeless. That opening crunchy acoustic guitar sets a warm, raw stage — it’s not perfectly polished, and that’s what makes it so human. Then Chris Martin’s voice slides in, drenched in that longing, almost innocent tone that’s become Coldplay’s trademark.

What I love is how the production blooms: the subtle electric guitar layers sneak in, adding shimmer and lift, while the drums stay understated, anchoring the song without ever overpowering it. It’s the sound of late ‘90s alternative finding a new pop sensibility — rock, folk, and ambient textures all rolled into one.

For me, “Yellow” is more than just a song; it’s an anthem for the turn of the millennium — an era when so many of us were discovering new music.

So today’s pick isn’t about unearthing something new — it’s about honoring a song that shaped so many of our interests. Sometimes, revisiting an old favorite with fresh ears is the best reminder of why we fell in love with music in the first place.

Check it out if you haven’t heard it!

Today’s Song of the Day is “Pharmakon” by Humbird.

This one is a gentle detour from some of my recent choices. I stumbled upon this one while curating my Sunset on the Side playlist, and it’s just the kind of song that just eases you into a new week: light, bouncy, and full of thoughtful contradictions.

A quick bit of trivia—pharmakon is an ancient Greek word that means both remedy and poison. It’s the perfect metaphor for a song that tiptoes between opposites. Humbird uses this idea to spin out a series of lyrical paradoxes—nothing too weighty or overwrought, but just enough to stir your brain as the melody drifts on by.

The production here is deceptively simple, and that’s exactly what makes it shine. Humbird’s vocals sit front and center—clear, tender, and warm—like they’re being sung to you from a wooden porch somewhere out in the hills. There’s just an acoustic guitar to keep them company, filling out the stereo field with an honest, earthy vibe. You can hear every string squeak, every subtle click and clack—those imperfections that make a folk song feel like it’s alive in your headphones.

If you need a song that feels a bit like sunlight cast through the trees, this one’s your tune!

Check it out if you haven’t heard it!

Today’s Song of the Day is “And it’s Still Alright” by Nathaniel Rateliff.

Some songs hit you with a wall of sound. This one sits with you like an old friend on the porch, weathered and warm, just telling you the truth. “And It’s Still Alright” is Nathaniel Rateliff stripped down — no Night Sweats brass section this time, just raw acoustic guitar driving everything forward, ambient electric guitar whispering around the edges, and an organ that drifts in when you need it most.

What really makes this track shine, though, are the lyrics. And I love this one:

“Standing out on a ledge, with no way to get down, start praying for the wings to grow, well baby just let go.”

There’s something so beautifully resigned about that — like when you’ve exhausted every angle trying to fix something in your life, and the only thing left to do is nothing. Let go, and maybe the answer will show up on its own.

Production-wise, I love how the organ swells up right after that line, almost like it’s giving you permission to breathe. It’s a gentle lift, a pause for reflection, before Rateliff leans back into the conversation.

Lately, I keep coming back to these lyric-driven, almost monologue-style songs. Rateliff has always been great at that balance between broken and hopeful. This song touches on loss, depression, and learning to let go, but it never feels hopeless.

And if you’ve never seen him live, trust me — put that on your list. It’s wild to see that same guy who can get a crowd stomping around a stage also stand there with just his guitar, telling you it’s still alright — and you believe him.

So, if you’re looking for something honest, tender, and quietly comforting today, spin this one. Sometimes we all need a reminder that no matter how piled up things can get, letting go might just be the first step toward the solution.

Check it out if you haven’t heard it!

Today’s Song of the Day is “3:59 AM” by John Moreland.

I found this one while building my playlist Sunset on the Side; a very happy accident. I wasn’t familiar with John Moreland before this, but I was blown away by the very first line: “I been living with a curse, combing through the pages of my youth.” Man, what an opener. And while I was still chewing on that one, the heavy-hitting lines just kept coming — each lyric unfolding like a confessional whispered into the darkness.

This is definitely a song for people who love to let the music slip to the back and just listen to someone tell you a story. No big production tricks, no shiny polish — just a voice that feels lived-in and honest, paired with a guitar that does exactly what it needs to do and nothing more.

As a producer, I find this kind of recording refreshing. Every so often, it’s good to step away from the rock bands and even the more layered indie stuff and just hear a vocalist lay it all out there. I love when you catch a chair squeak or hear the pick clack against the guitar body — those little imperfections remind you this is real. Years ago, I would’ve sweated those sounds in my own sessions. Now? I mostly let them ride. Life’s too real to chase perfection every time you hit record.

So do yourself a favor: listen to “3:59 AM” over a cup of coffee this morning. Maybe Independence Day got a little rowdy, and you need something to take the edge off. Let John Moreland keep you company in that quiet space where the lyrics say the things we’re not always ready to admit out loud. Sometimes, that’s exactly what you need.

Check it out if you haven’t heard it!

Today’s Song of the Day is “Fourth of July” by Shooter Jennings.

I know — picking a song called “Fourth of July” on the 4th of July might seem a little on the nose, but hear me out. This one isn’t just a holiday tie-in — it’s a song that’s permanently stitched into my memory, and for good reason.

Years ago and not long after I’d left the Army, I made my first trip back to Fort Bragg. It was approaching Independence Day, and Shooter Jennings had just dropped this song. I remember it was all the rage during that summer. He opened for Toby Keith and many of my fellow soldiers were able to make the trip to Raleigh and see the show.

That weekend was the last time I got to really hang out with some of those guys. Every time I hear Shooter’s “4th of July,” I’m right back there: young, free for the moment, surrounded by people I’d spent so much of my younger adult years alongside.

Production-wise, this track still holds up. Shooter, the son of the legendary Waylon Jennings, could’ve easily coasted on his outlaw-country heritage. Instead, he brought a rock edge that set him apart from Nashville’s mainstream at the time. There’s this raw, indie-leaning vibe to the whole album — more folk-rock than straight-up country, and a breath of fresh air back then.

Lyrically, it’s an anthem. It’s got that sing-along chorus you can’t help but scream. It’s a little rebellious, a little nostalgic, and exactly the kind of song that captures summer nights and fireworks and memories you can’t quite put into words.

So today, I’m throwing this one on repeat — not just because it’s the 4th of July, but because it reminds me of where I’ve been and the people I was lucky enough to serve with.

Check it out if you haven’t heard it!