Rich Ruth – I Survived, It’s Over: This is creeping into my thoughts so I pulled it out again this week. The thing that stands out most is the way Ruth and his band touch on so many feels—jam bands, ‘60s free jazz, ‘80s dodgy jazz, IDM, new age—yet never land squarely in any of them, instead forging their own… Read more »
Lazy Dog and Buzzin’ Fly mixes: I dug out Ben Watt’s post-EBTG mixes this week and they’ve been keeping me constant company. Lazy Dog relies more on classic soul and funk style basslines, and that’s been scratching a big itch. Noah Kahan – Stick Season: It hasn’t grabbed me but I’d like to listen more. Killer Mike – Michael: Pretty… Read more »
Lanterns on the Lake – Versions of Us: I didn’t know this band two weeks ago but this album has stayed in regular rotation. Introspective music, insightful lyrics, and phenomenal drumming that I eventually figured out was Philip Selway from Radiohead. Dave Matthews Band – Walk Around the Moon: I’ve always preferred DMB’s softer and more reflective side, so I… Read more »
Tina Turner – Private Dancer: I was 14 when this came out and I thought it was stupid. Surely The Scorpions knew more about overcoming adversity than some random middle-aged woman I’d never heard of. Clearly, I was an idiot when I was 14. Tina Turner is amazing, but I still think this album is lame. Donna Summer – On… Read more »
Taylor Swift – Speak Now: From the early line about a careless man’s careful daughter to the triumphant glow of “Long Live” (a strong contender for my favorite Taylor Swift deep cut), I love the storytelling on Speak Now. Rich Ruth – I Survived, It’s Over: This has stayed in regular rotation for the past few weeks and I hear… Read more »
Rich Ruth – I Survived, It’s Over: The only instrument I hate more than sax is guitar. This album overflows with both, yet I loved it immediately and listened to it multiple times. This is apparently the musical story of Ruth’s experiences with eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy, and it feels like a journey through psychological despair. In… Read more »
Jessie Ware – That! Feels Good!: For the second week in a row, this is on constant play. It’s not groundbreaking, but it’s energetic, sexy, and fun. I have a hard time staying still when this is on. Fela Kuti and Egypt 80 – Army Arrangement: On one hand, there’s no reason to listen to Army Arrangement when Fela recorded… Read more »
Jessie Ware – That! Feels Good!: Julianne Escobedo Shepherd inspired me to listen to That! Feels Good! when she wrote that the record is “a genre (disco) revival album that’s painstakingly true to its source material, but doesn’t sound like a curdled rehash.” She’s right, Ware pulls it off. This is fun and sexy, and it makes me wish I… Read more »
A lot going on in life, so I’ve dumped some highlights of the past few months into a single list. Antonin Dvorak – Rusalka: It’s like the Little Mermaid but with murder! In the first act, I love the personification of a wave as a woman who is hugging the man she loves. Claire Rousay – Everything Perfect Is Already… Read more »
Richard Strauss – Four Last Songs / Antonin Dvorak – Rusalka: As I listened to Victoria de los Angeles last week, I realized two things: most of my favorite opera recordings are more than 60 years old and I know virtually nothing about opera. This week I’m digging into singers and compositions that I don’t know. Renee Fleming’s recording of… Read more »