Ryan Adams Rethinks "New York, New York"

This is worth a listen. Ryan Adams is the ultimate reminder that great musicians aren't always the most affable people. But his song was in the right place at the right time to tap our spine in a time of pain, and he's got plenty of talent to back it up.

Adams went on WNYC to perform a mesmerizing arrangement of his song, "New York, New York," a song that reminds us that the soundtracks to our lives don't always have to be perfect matches for our moods or our moments. They only have to be there with us, burning a timecode into our memory.

The song starts at the 5:45 mark. I dare you not to be moved.

DJ for an Hour... Relive the Action! The Drama! The Monotone!

Billy DJ for an Hour CUT.mp3

(I removed my name to protect my family.)

Most readers already knew about and/or suffered through the "DJ for an Hour" I enjoyed with our local NPR affiliate, but I had a couple -- yes, two -- people who read this blog say they were unable to listen and would love to be able to hear it.

So above is the full hour. The slider allows you to fast-forward through the music, or through my random commentary, or all of it. It's like TiVo or something!