“Almost Like Praying” is a benefit song by composer and playwright Lin-Manuel Miranda to raise funds for relief efforts in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria. The title of the song is a lyric from “Maria” a song in the musical West Side Story about the female lead character from Puerto Rico. In addition to the recognition that the name Maria will never be seen the same in Puerto Rico after this disaster, the song lists the name of every town in Puerto Rico. A team of all-star singers perform the song to a reggaeton beat. Visit the Almost Like Praying website to get the song and/or make a donation to the Hispanic Federation. Learn more about the song in this interview with Lin-Manuel Miranda on NPR’s All Songs Considered.
The Brooklyn band Florist performs “Blue Mountain Road,” a sad but beautiful song about death and loss, inspired the death of singer Emily Sprague’s mother.
This weeks track comes from the Olympia, Washington electro-pop duo The Blow. “Get Up” is a spoken word rap over a simple synthesizer beat that brings 80s flashbacks and also reminds me of the dance punk band !!!. The songwriter Khaela Maricich describes the song as being about “the feeling of my whole spirit being crushed by extreme capitalism.” The Blow’s new album Brand New Abyss is due for release in September.
St. Vincent (aka Annie Clark) is back with a new single called “New York.” It’s a different sound for her and not for those who are sensitive to profanity. Read more at All Songs Considered.
Ok, this blog has grown moribund and I find it impossible to keep myself organized enough to create a monthly “What I’m Listening To Now” post. So I’m bringing back “Song of the Week.” Especially since I heard this great new song on the radio (yes, the radio!) by Jessica Hernandez & The Deltas. The band is from Detroit, Hernandez sings in English & Spanish, and this track at least reminds a bit of the early B-52s. Enjoy some hot music for this hot Independence Day weekend!
I hear too much infighting about the best way to conduct the resistance, so it’s good to hear this podcast the multiple fronts on which progressives are fighting for our country and our future.
I’ve always enjoyed visiting the Temple of Dendur at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Turns out that the temple is not as old as I thought nor has it been in the Met for as long as I’d imagined either. The stories of why it was built and how it ended up in New York are equally fascinating.
Viewers of nature documentaries expect that everything in the film comes directly from nature, but having microphones in the right place to capture sounds is so difficult and dangerous that most animal sounds are produced by foley artists.
The story of a Louisiana town where many of the residents are descendants of 272 slaves sold to fund Georgetown University.
Albums of the Month
Artist: Charly Bliss Album: Guppy Release Date: April 21, 2017 Favorite Tracks: “Glitter,” “Black Hole,” and “Ruby”
Thoughts: The Brooklyn power pop quartet bring back a mid-90s sound reminiscent of Letters to Cleo and Velocity Girl. Eva Hendricks sings a bit nasally over fuzzed-out guitars and drums with lyrics that aren’t anywhere as sweet as they’re sung. It’s a great throwback but having lived through it all the first time around, I’d prefer something new. Rating: ***
Artist: Future Islands Album: The Far Field Release Date: April 7, 2017 Favorite Tracks: “Beauty of the Road,” “Cave,” and “Shadows”
Thoughts: I was not familiar with the Baltimore-based synthpop outfit, but the reviews of the album were good so I thought I’d give it a shot. The sound is very 80s, reminiscent of Orchestral Maneuvers in the Dark, but Samuel Herring’s vocals overlaying the synths are more growly than romantic. Once again, I’m feeling that I’ve heard this all before. The highlight is the duet with Debbie Harry on “Shadows.” Rating: **1/2
Artist: Alexandra Savior Album: Belladonna of Sadness Release Date: April 7, 2017 Thoughts: This debut from the Portland, OR singer-songwriter features moody crooning over 60’s style jazz-pop. It’s a little bit reminiscent of Fiona Apple, not to mention umpteen singers from the swinging sixties. There’s too much polish on this album and the raw talent Savior has is unable to shine through. Rating: **
Artist: The New Pornographers Album: Whiteout Conditions Release Date: April 7, 2017 Favorite Tracks: “High Ticket Attractions”
Thoughts: I’m a long-time fan of The New Pornographers and I’m disappointed by their latest release. There’s nothing new about it as the reliance on synthesizers seems to just water down their traditional sound rather then expand into new territories. The emotion and variety of previous albums. Perhaps the absence of Dan Bejar contributes to the lack of balance and feeling of incompleteness. Rating: **
Artist: Gorillaz Album: Humans Release Date: April 28, 2017 Favorite Tracks: “Ascension” (feat. Vince Staples),”Momentz” (feat. De La Soul), “Let Me Out” (feat. Mavis Staples and Pusha T), and “We Got the Power” (feat. Jenny Beth)
Thoughts: The band of animated characters is joined by an army of guest artists on this hip-hop, indie pop, electronic dance party album. It’s all over the place and delightfully strange but there’s a little something for everyone. Rating: ***1/2
That’s April! If there’s something I should listen to in May, let me know in the comments.
Emily Temple-Wood decided the best way to get back at misogynist trolls on the internet is to write a new entry about a woman scientists on Wikipedia every time they attack.
An interview with Kate Hennessy, author of a new biography of her grandmother, Dorothy Day.
Song of the Month
Frank Turner adds another song to the rapidly growing Resistance Mixtape, “The Sand in the Gears.”
Albums of the Month
Artist: The Feelies Album: In Between Release Date: 24 February 2017 Favorite Tracks: “When to Go,” “Stay the Course” and “Turn Back Time” Rating: ***
The Feelies are a band that seems to have always been around, but this is only their 6th album in 40+ years. They managed to both influence R.E.M. and be beneficiaries of R.E.M.’s popularity in the 1980s. The jangle pop of this album is reminiscent of the 80s, not in the 80s Nostalgia Industry way but in the type of music you’d hear your older sibling’s cool best friend listening to in the car in the 80s. The songs appear laid back, but grow in lyrical and emotional intensity.
Artist: The Shins Album: Heartworms Release Date: 10 March 2017 Favorite Tracks: “So Now What” and “Cherry Hearts” Rating: ***
The Shins return with their typical high harmonies and wall of sound arrangements. This album appears to do some genre hopping – ska to EDM to psychedelia – but all within The Shins’ framework. Definitely a good return to form after a long 5-year hiatus.
Artist: Peter Mulvey Album: Are You Listening Release Date: 25 March 2017 Favorite Tracks: “D.I.A.,” “Are You Listening,” “Just Before the War,” “The Details,” and “Oh, The Rain” Rating: ****
Peter Mulvey is who I’d want to be as a singer-songwriter. On this new album produced by Ani DiFranco, Mulvey’s bass voice resonates and his profound lyrics are full of thought and emotion. Definitely an album you’ll want to check out.
Better late than never, here is the report of what I was listening to in February, a short month punctuated by a delightful vacation where I mostly listened to the laughter of my children.
A discussion of the United States involvement with the rest of the world from isolationism to the world’s police to the more sinister activities of imperialism and corporate hegemony.
The divide between urban and rural populations is one of the major causes of political disagreement in the US today, and one that goes back throughout the history of the United States.
Movies have a track of audio description intended to help the visually impaired and this podcast describes the art of narration and how audio descriptions can benefit all viewers.
The chilling law of civil asset forfeiture that allows police to take property from suspects even if they’re not convicted or even charged with crimes.
All about why school turnarounds – a theory of fixing low-performing schools by firing the teachers and staff that has widespread, bipartisan support – is an idea that doesn’t work, and what actually does.
Song of the Month
Chicago singer-songwriter Zeshan Bagewadi (aka Zeshan B) provides a powerful interpretation of the 1970 protest anthem “Cryin’ in the Streets” by George Perkins that ties together generations of protest for justice and equality in the United States. Learn more about the song The World interview.
Albums of the Month
Artist: Tinariwen Album: Elwan Release Date: 10 February 2017 Favorite Tracks: “Sastanàqqàm,” Ténéré Tàqqàl,” “Assàwt,” and “Nànnuflày” Thoughts: The Northern Africa Desert Blues band from Mali’s most recent release includes guest appearances by indie artists like Kurt Vile, but the band itself is the stand out performer of this collection of melodic, resonant, and politically-charged tunes. Rating: ***1/2
Artist: Clap! Clap! Album: A Thousand Skies Release Date: 17 February 2017 Favorite Tracks: “Ar-Raqis” and “Elephant Seranade” Thoughts: Clap! Clap! is a project of Italian producer Cristiano Crisci, who creates instrumental dance tracks relying heavily on indigenous percussion. An earlier Clap! Clap! recording, Tayi Bebba, made my 2014 favorite albums list. While not as strong as its predecessor, A Thousand Skies is equally enjoyable as festive ambient music for a party or for getting through a gray day at work Rating: ***1/2
Artist: Visible Cloaks Album: Reassemblage Release Date: 17 February 2017 Favorite Tracks: “Bloodstream”, “Place,” “Valve (Revisited)” Thoughts: Somewhere between Phillip Glass, a church organist, and a lullaby lies this lovely collection of ambient tunes. Rating: ***
Artist: Molly Burch Album: Please Be Mine Release Date: 17 February 2017 Favorite Tracks: “Fool” Thoughts: A collection of retro, country-tinged tracks sung sweetly by a barroom singer. It’s pretty and well-produced, and while there’s nothing wrong with Burch’s album it’s nothing we haven’t heard before from Patsy Cline and singers produced by Phil Spector among others, so it’s just a tad bit dull. Rating: **
Moby is back with a band called The Void Pacific Choir and a new album called These Systems are Failing. “A Simple Love” is a great track off the album.
Just when you thought there was already enough David Bowie content on this blog, today’s Song of the Week comes from the recently released cast recording of the David Bowie musical, Lazarus. Sophia Anne Caruso’s interpretation of “Life on Mars?” is the perfect Bowie and the musical theater. I can’t stop listening to it.
Today, we are halfway to St. Patrick’s Day as celebrated on the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast. Thus this week’s song is an Irish folk tune from halfway around the world in the Czech Republic, where the band Poitín is one of the most prominent members of the Irish pub music scene.
I can related to the subject matter of this tune “Tired By Kids” as related on the band’s website:
Tom (concertina) wrote the last tune in this set and named it after his own experience as a father of three kids and owner of a very boisterous dog. Celebrating the ups and downs of parenthood!
The song “Your Best American Girl” by Mitski has been out for several months, but I only became acquainted with it a few weeks ago, and then I heard it broken down in this excellent episode of the Song Exploder.
“Ya” by Factory Floor is reminiscent of “Oh Yeah” by Yello, perhaps even less lyrically challenging, but I can still envision it played over an action montage in an 80s comedy. It’s Labor Day Weekend after all, and the workers of the world don’t want to think too hard, but they do want to dance.
