Bob: Right out of the gate on Controversy, Prince plays explicitly in the extremes of his spiritual/sexual divide. We had to look for it a bit on Dirty Mind, but it’s front and center here. I read that Dirty Mind taught him that he could do whatever he wanted, so maybe that freed him to explore his dichotomy completely openly. … Read more »
Billie Holiday – All or Nothing at All: I’ve been listening to a lot of Ella Fitzgerald lately, but the days leading up to Christmas were grey and gloomy, so Billie Holiday fit a little better. This was recorded a few years before she died, and her voice possessed a sense of wisdom and experience that eluded her earlier recordings…. Read more »
Ben Frost – The Centre Cannot Hold: On my first pass, there are some structural decisions in these tracks that just don’t make sense to me. That makes me realize I want to listen more, preferably in headphones. Japanese Breakfast – Sable and Jubilee: I attempted to listen to Sable while driving in rush hour at dusk, but it made… Read more »
Ben Frost – AURORA: I’m not sure how I missed out on Ben Frost for the past 15 years, especially given the constant presence of Tim Hecker in my ears. On first listen, “Nolan” stands out in a big way. Tim Hecker – Ravedeath, 1972: Despite being one of his most highly regarded albums, I’ve had a difficult time getting… Read more »
Octo Octa and Eris Drew – Fabric Presents Octo Octa and Eris Drew: A good soulful mix that takes me on a journey through a lot of different vibes of dance music that I’ve loved over the years. By the end, though, I was bored. The Joy Formidable – Wolf’s Law: I was falling asleep while driving so I put… Read more »