A few years ago, I finally got rid of the heavy pleather binders of CDs that were occupying valuable storage space in my closet. I’d fully committed to streaming music, I reasoned. If I wanted to hear a song, I’d find it online. Who even owned a CD player anymore?
I miscalculated. I can locate most obscure tracks, but I can’t listen to the mix a friend made me of favorites from the Nigerian AM radio station he listened to as a child. The Rufus Wainwright compilation a boyfriend sent me when I was living abroad and feeling homesick in my 20s. The songs are out there, but the artifact is gone. I can access the raw materials, but not the thing itself.
Once I become misty-eyed over the CDs I’ve loved and lost, I can go deep into longing for the shoe boxes of mixtapes gone forever, the inexorable marching of time, etc. I yank myself back: Mixtape nostalgia is an old pastime, sticking your tongue in the spot where the pulled tooth was. Here I am, in this moment, with the splendor of endless choice! It’s a gift! Right?
As I write this, I’m listening to and loving Jana Horn, an artist new to me, whom I discovered via my colleague Lindsay Zoladz’s new newsletter, The Amplifier. The promise of The Amplifier is an alternative to the algorithm, personalized recommendations from a music critic who understands the paralysis of too many options. (Check out her list of songs that define her! A conceptual sibling of the likes/dislikes list I discussed a couple weeks ago.)
A friend recently told me she had undertaken the project of digitizing her old mixtapes, and I kicked myself again for not keeping mine. But there’s a lightness, a figurative and literal spaciousness to clearing shelf space for new enthusiasms, new obsessions. I have room for Lindsey’s twice-weekly recs, for new college radio stations and forest sounds and poolside tunes and other digital phenomena.
What are you listening to lately? Send me one song (just one!) that’s bringing you joy this spring, and I’ll compile them into a playlist, a human-curated, algorithm-free soundtrack to the new season.
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THE WEEK IN CULTURE
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A Texas judge issued a preliminary ruling invalidating F.D.A. approval of an abortion pill. But another judge quickly issued a decision that contradicted it.
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The judges’ conflicting orders created a legal standoff that will almost certainly escalate to the Supreme Court.
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Are abortion pills safe? Here’s the evidence.
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Classified documents that appear to contain U.S. national security secrets surfaced online.
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The U.S. generated job growth last month, but at a slowing rate that appeared to reflect the toll of rising interest rates.
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Critics viewed the ejection of two lawmakers from the Tennessee House as race-driven and pushed to return them to their seats.
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Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas said he followed others’ advice when he decided not to disclose lavish gifts and travel from a wealthy conservative donor.
CULTURE CALENDAR
🎬 “Renfield” (Friday): You would be forgiven for assuming that Nicolas Cage had previously played a vampire in multiple films. Technically, he has never played one (unless you consider his role in “Vampire’s Kiss” as canonically bloodsucking — whatever it is, it’s genuinely bananas). Until now. Here, he plays the real-deal Dracula, living in modern-day New Orleans, alongside his titular servant (Nicholas Hoult).
📺 “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” (Friday): Amazon is closing the book on its award-winning show about a female stand-up comedian (Rachel Brosnahan) in ’50s and ’60s New York City with this fifth and final season. If you want more Brosnahan, you can find her on Broadway starring alongside Oscar Isaac starting at the end of April.
RECIPE OF THE WEEK
Chicken Breasts With Lemon
Chicken seasoned with lemon is a classic, whether the bird is roasted whole or sautéed in parts. This beloved interpretation from Pierre Franey stars boneless, skinless chicken breasts that are quickly seared in a skillet and then coated in a tangy, easy pan sauce. The secret to its citrus intensity is using two teaspoons of grated lemon zest along with the juice. Some fresh or dried thyme, shallots and a little garlic round things out, while butter adds richness and helps carry the other flavors. You could serve the chicken as Franey suggests, with mashed potatoes with garlic and basil. But I think torn hunks from a crusty baguette would be effortlessly elegant — and just as appealing.
REAL ESTATE
What you get for $295,000: A converted 19th-century schoolhouse in Elizaville, N.Y.; a one-bedroom condo in Washington, D.C.; or a 1920 home in Peoria, Ill.
The hunt: They had $350,000 and a dream to live together. Could they make it in Manhattan? Play our game.
ADVICE FROM WIRECUTTER
Check your bike helmet
Prepping for your first spring bike ride? Examine your helmet. No, helmets don’t “expire” — the EPS foam under the shell can last for eons. (Just like foam coffee cups!) But if you’ve crashed while wearing your helmet — even if you don’t remember hitting your head — replace it. (Wirecutter has recommendations.) You can’t see whether the impact compressed the foam, and if it did, the foam is toast. Also, check the fit. If the straps tend to loosen or the padding inside has worn thin, your helmet won’t fit snugly, which means it can’t protect your head. — Christine Ryan
GAME OF THE WEEKEND
The Masters golf tournament: Last year, golf was ripped in two. LIV, an upstart league funded by Saudi Arabia, offered big-name players boatloads of money. The PGA Tour punished players who joined, and its members spent months sniping at their carpetbagging competitors. The drama comes to a head this weekend at one of golf’s most prestigious events, which includes players from both leagues. Everyone has been cordial so far, but make no mistake: Both leagues really want to win this one.
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NOW TIME TO PLAY
The pangrams from yesterday’s Spelling Bee were painkilling and planking. Here is today’s puzzle.
Take the news quiz to see how well you followed this week’s headlines.
