The Not-Pop Music Lensography

Music for the Holidays

Christmas and Winter Standards

I'm making lenses to share some of the many, many versions of great Christmas songs that have been recorded. They include music videos, sample cover versions, and lyrics. They also include guitar tabs/chords or sheet music sources, depending on the song. The Christmas play list lens includes links to the lyrics for all of the holiday songs listed.

NEW! My Musical Toys and T-Shirts Lenses

To date I've only two of these lenses but I intend to make several more concentrating on different kinds of interactive musical shirts, geeky tees, and toys of both sorts. If you have a favorite product in this category please let me know! I'm always looking for more products to review. Thank you!

Lenses About Types of Songs or Sub-Genres

Love Songs, Hip Hop, and Nonsense

This is a very loose category, but some sorts of songs intrigue me. Here are the five I've created so far.

Lenses About Musicians and Bands

These lenses focus on a musician or band in general, rather than on a particular song. I've got at least one and as many as five lyrics lenses for each of these bands listed below, as well.

The Top 100 Love Songs Project

One Hundred Songs with the Word Love in the Title

I've decided to write about one hundred great love songs that include the word "love" in the title. That means a lot of listening and wading through really sappy or sad songs to find enough that celebrate being in love. I've made a good start but the whole series is a work in progress so if you've got love songs to recommend please don't be shy!

Music Lovers: David Dye, Dick Clark, and K-Tel Records

People Who Know but Don't Make Music

This section includes my newest lens about the trials and tribulations of finding, buying, and learning to play the mandolin. I suspect that subject will have a section all its own by the time I'm done. I've also included my lens on David Dye and the World Cafe, American Bandstand, and my favorite places to find great new music. If you've got a favorite radio personality, blogger, or other well-known music lover who deserves a lens, please let me know.

Lenses Dedicated to Blues and Jazz Standards

I've actually got an entire page dedicated to my jazz and blues standards and cover songs. I've included the full list here, for completeness, but that page includes much more information. Sometimes, a song is so well-known and widely covered that it has been performed by dozens of artists for decades. I love songs like that. Here are my lenses about those songs, with more planned. If you've got a favorite blues or jazz standard about which I haven't yet written, please let me know and I'll bump it up the list!

Lenses About Rock Song Cover Versions

Some songs just beg to be covered, whether to completely change the genre or to try and emulate the original artist. Here are the lenses that I've written about some of those songs. Yet again, please drop me a note below if you've got a favorite cover song that I've neglected. I'm always looking for more!

My Monkey-Brain Debate and TwttrStrm Lenses

Tell me off or support my side, please.

Whether you love these topics or hate them, there's room for you to spout off about them. Share your favorite song with the world and what you're watching on Netflix, as well. There's a place for you to include a link to your own page about Xanadu or cover song versions, or to add supporting evidence that proves just how right you are. (I've snuck my HTML help lens in here, because it doesn't fit any other category and I don't intend to do enough off-topic lenses to justify a separate category for them.)

Groups: My One and Only

Lenses about Great Songs, One Each

Martin Sexton Lyrics

Miscellaneous Lyrics Lenses

These are lenses for bands for whom I've only done one lyrics lens thus far. I suspect that will change for most of them, but for the moment these are the lonely singles.

Oingo Boingo Lyrics Lenses

The Pierces Lyrics

Southern Culture on the Skids Lyrics Lenses

WookieFoot Lyrics Lenses

Music of the Month Lenses

One per Year, On-Going

I've put the 2007 and 2008 Music of the Month recommendations on their own lenses, as the main lens was insanely long. The 2009 band recommendations will get moved to their own lens around June, 2010.