Mighty Glasgow is home to a range of influential contemporary artists including Donovan, Jesus and the Mary Chain, Mogwai and many others. Edinburgh, by contrast, is small, low-key, melancholic, and perhaps the musical underdog. And that is why I love it.

Bloop Records Festival at an Abandoned Hospital in Lisbon. Photo by Mike Long.

Arriving in Lisbon, which sits on the heels of eastern Europe, felt like landing on another planet. The city is covered in multicolored tiles, and the streets are like small, daunting mountains.The tiles and marble that cover the city lend it a unique acoustic sound. Walki...

Street performer in front of Berlin Cathedral. Photo by Mike Long.

Trying to understand what’s happening musically in Berlin is like trying to eat one dish from every country in one sitting: You’ll fail, but you’ll learn a lot on the journey. Berlin encourages musicians from various countries and unique styles to join its bustling streets, resulting...

Prague is a city with an affection for revelry, and this is clear as soon as you enter the city. There are hundreds of places in which to party or simply pass the time, and most of them have a particular eerie bent. There are nightmare-themed bars, large baby statues with no faces and torture museums to keep tourists and locals entertained.

Alexandrina band @ Form Space in Cluj-Napoca, Romania. Photo by Mike Long.

The word “Transylvania” usually conjures up images of a giant castle, possibly some bats, a sickle-like moon and almost certainly a vampire or two. In fact, Transylvania is a diverse region in Romania about the size of Louisiana that’s full of vibrant scenery and dark music. D...

 Budapest, Scenes from the Citadel. Photo by Mike Long.

The crumbling architecture, overgrown parks and rough but welcoming vibe of Budapest embraced me as an old friend. First the city felt cool and distant, then warm and comfortable--as if it mean to welcome me all along. Both cities (Buda and Pest, which reside on either side of the Danube River),...

In the Wiener Konzerhaus in Vienna rests a large frowning bust of Beethoven. He is not happy to see me or anyone else. In my time exploring the acoustic and musical waters of Vienna, I’ve found that the celebrated masters of classical Vienna still hold influence today, just not in the way you might think.

What comes to mind when you think of Vienna?...

Ireland’s musical pedigree is arguably one of the most influential and well-known in the world. Ireland has impacted modern music in ways that defy probability for such a small nation. From Irish folk tales to roving Irish ballads, there’s something astoundingly resonant and approachable about the heart of the Irish people. “Folk” is undoubtedly the...

 Copenhagen City Streets. Photo by Mike Long.
 

Music is an integral part of almost every culture. It ties us to our past and connects us to our future. The earmarks of music, the rhythms, the melodies and harmonies may vary in arrangement but the impact music has on every aspect of culture is consistent--often without our knowledge.  What would a we...

The HMC is kicking off a new series called Acoustic Cities: Music and Travel. Correspondent Mike Long heads to Europe to turn over every stone in search of strange and beautiful melodies and the people and stories that craft them. Acoustic Cities will explore how the music of a city, village, country impacts the culture, the demographics, the politi...