Esopus CD #25: Jokes

Introduction by Demetri Martin

We commissioned 11 musicians to create songs inspired by a joke of their choice

Esopus CD #24: Pioneer Sessions

Tracks from the recording studio of Pioneer Works

Esopus CD #23: Close Calls

Musicians mine near-miss experiences for 13 new songs

Esopus CD #22: Organs

Ten participants musically dissect the body part of their choice for our 22nd audio compilation.

Esopus 21 Audio Comp: Trans-African Mix

Introduction by Emeka Okereke

A “mixtape” by the founder of Invisible Borders

Esopus CD #20: Personal Effects

Wesley Stace, Prince Rama, and 8 others draw inspiration from personal belongings

Esopus CD #19: Customer Service

Jens Lekman, Richard Swift, and 10 others craft songs based on customer-service experiences.

Esopus CD #18: Slonimsky’s Thesaurus

Musical patterns from an influential 1947 book inspire 10 new songs.

Esopus CD #17: Fear Itself

13 musicians, including Meursault, We Are Augustines, and Corey Dargel, created songs inspired by Esopus readers’ irrational fears.

Esopus CD #16: Composers

Composer Anthony Cheung curated a compilation of emerging and established composers.

Esopus CD #15: Television

Esopus asked Stephin Merritt, Cloud Nothings, Andrew Cedermark, and 7 others to create songs based on the TV show of their choice.

Esopus CD #14: Artists

Sharon Van Etten, Doveman, Big Troubles, and 10 other musical acts created new songs inspired by, and named after, visual artists.

Esopus CD #13: Nostradamus

The quatrains of 16th-century prophet Nostradamus inspired 11 new songs by the likes of Frightened Rabbit, Phil Kline, and Lia Ices.

Esopus CD #12: Black and White

Nina Nastasia, Sam Amidon, dj/rupture, and 8 others create songs based on black-and-white films

Esopus CD #11: Advice

We urged 11 musical acts, including Shearwater, Wye Oak, and Lucky Dragons, to take some advice—and turn it into a song.

Esopus CD #10: Good News

Positive thinking—and inspired songwriting—from Neko Case and A.C. Newman, Busdriver, Ryan Adams, Atlas Sound, and 8 others

Esopus CD #9: Dreams

Guest edited by Mike Powell

Esopus asked musicians such as Dirty Projectors, Paavoharju, and Califone to use our readers’ dreams as source material for new songs.

Esopus CD #8: Spam

The scourge of cyberspace serves as inspiration for 10 musical acts including Owen Pallett, Frida Hyvönen, and The Submarines.

Esopus CD #7: Ouija

Ouija board experiences—spiritual or otherwise—lead to 13 new tracks by musicians ranging from El Perro Del Mar to The Rosebuds.

Esopus CD #6: Help Wanted

Grizzly Bear, Devendra Banhart, Marissa Nadler, and 7 other musical acts create brand-new songs based on job listings.

Esopus CD #5: Audio-Visuals

Esopus invited musicians to write songs inspired by works of visual art; contributors included The Mountain Goats, Britta Phillips, and Jim White.

Esopus CD #4: Imaginary Friends

Musical artists including Vetiver, Kimya Dawson, and Kate Pierson bring Esopus readers’ childhood imaginary friends to life.

Esopus CD #3: Product Displacement

Sonic Boom, The Baptist Generals, El May, and 8 others embed advertising jingles and slogans in brand-new songs.

Esopus CD #2: Missed Connections

Eleven musician-couples, including Chris Frantz & Tina Weymouth and Low, create songs inspired by Craig’s List “Missed Connections” ads.

Esopus CD #1: Public Domain

Musical acts including Dean Wareham, Mark Eitzel, and Phosphorescent craft songs based on public domain material.