New York is freezing, and there is no end in sight. I don’t remember previous cold streaks this intense. Maybe it is the difficulty of staying warm in a building with an energy efficiency rating of D (we didn’t pay attention when we moved in). Maybe it is that when you are locked into a smaller space, you get cabin fever more quickly?

The new music releases also seem to have slowed down after the beginning-of-the-year rush. On Monday, I was checking whether my email was okay because my inbox didn’t move until the afternoon. No worries, though. We still have enough great songs for our Song Pick of the Day series.

On Tuesday night, we were looking for some swanky vibes for an evening in, so we searched for long mixes on YouTube, and the result turned out to be even more delightful than expected. It is very calming to watch someone like DJ Lilycay mix chill music in her sunlit Brooklyn apartment while also enjoying her morning coffee. Or, if you want something more escapist, check out LIKA spinning tracks on a pool terrace at sunset in Mykonos, Greece. Coincidentally, both DJs hail from our home country, Germany.

If you are in a cold area, stay warm. If not, enjoy! As always, keep the music playing.

Cover Song of the Week

Norah Jones’ songs are built around her inimitable vocals, so for a good cover, you need to change up a few more things to make it work. The New York shoegaze duo smush does it well with their version of “Don’t Know Why.” The original introduced Norah Jones in 2002 as a singer and pianist – none of the songs on her Grammy-sweeping debut album were written by her.

The band says about the song:

’Don’t Know Why’ is a really special song for us because it always reminds us of New York City. When we first started working on our cover of this classic we hadn’t yet moved to NYC and it would always bring to mind thoughts of Norah Jones there at the start of her career. To us it seemed like she had found an indescribable magic in that place and it was very inspirational to us at the time. Since moving here, we have found something similarly special and this is our way of saying ‘thank you.’

standards, an EP with five more cover songs, comes out on February 20.

Five Songs

Listen to glamglare five songs on Spotify, Apple Music, or below on YouTube:

Music can warm the heart and mind, so enjoy here five past Song Pick of the Day tracks that we connect with summer.

• A bright, sunny day cannot be better expressed sonically than in Kelly Lee Owen‘s „Sunshine.“
• strongboi‘s „one thing“ radiates carefreeness on a hot day.
• Any song by Californian duo Eli & Fur teleports you to a sunset party by the sea. „Make Believe“ is a one-off single from August 2025.
• Summer nostalgia is perfectly captured in Shaina Hayes‘ „Sun and Time.“ Treat yourself to the video.
• The Eiffels from California celebrate a „Beautiful Life.“ You can do that in any season, but it is easier in summer.

Song Pick of the Day

Listen to/watch all seven songs on YouTube. Follow our daily updated playlists on YouTube, Apple Music, or Spotify for the 50 latest Song Pick of the Day features, or subscribe here to receive them in your mailbox in real-time. Thank you for following us and sharing the excitement.

1. Vanderlye – “One Way Train”
   Whispered beginnings and entwined voices create a gentle push and pull, letting melancholy and warmth coexist without ever settling.
2. Siri Neel – “I Think I Said Something”
   Confidence replaces apology as luminous vocals assert presence, sidestepping narrow expectations with clarity rather than confrontation.
3. Donna Lewis & David Lowe – “Meet Me”
   Between pulse and pause, sweetness meets quiet strength, suspending time inside a fleeting moment of connection.
4. Daughter – “Not Enough”
   Here, fading intimacy is traced through hushed guitars and a voice that carries resignation more than drama.
5. plantoid – “Ultivatum Cultivation”
   Restlessness drives this slow-burning maze, where unease and focus circle each other through constant, absorbing turns.
6. Earth To Eve – “Never Change For A Man”
   Self-determination anchors a playful cinematic frame, turning refusal into motion rather than a slogan.
7. Virginia MacNaughton – “The Thread”
   Grief and resolve intertwine as urgency pulls forward, guided by expressive vocals and a sense of unfinished circles closing.

Nine Photos: January, Interrupted

The snow and the cold have New York City firmly in their grip, and it’s not much fun to go outside or walk around, let alone take photos. And photos of what exactly? Piles of dirty snow? Snow puddles the size of wading pools? The single shade of grey the sky seems committed to? If this sounds a bit bleak — well, yeah, it is. It’s January, baby. And February doesn’t seem to improve things much either, weather-wise.

Hence, Barbados to the rescue.

We had wanted to visit Holetown during our last trip to Barbados, but other plans got in the way. This time, though, two days before Christmas, we hopped on a small bus packed to the brim with locals, blasting a fun, reggae-inspired, Christmas-themed playlist from its speakers. After a lively fifteen-minute ride, we arrived at Holetown Beach, a bit busier than our spot in Fitts Village, but still decidedly on the quieter side.

We were ready to explore Holetown’s shopping mall, which was beautifully decorated for the holidays, but not with the usual American tinsel, but in a creative, joyful Caribbean style. The mall itself was buzzing with people, browsing luxury brands alongside local artists’ shops, and we happily settled in for a Thai lunch.

For the ride back, we hopped on another bus, returned to our little beach, and relaxed as the sun went down and the sky slowly darkened.