All religions, arts and sciences are branches of the same tree. All these aspirations are directed toward ennobling man’s life, lifting it from the sphere of mere physical existence and leading the individual towards freedom.— Albert Einstein
1969 funk album from New Orleans, Louisiana. Early instrumental funk, kept fairly minimalist—guitar, bass, organ, and drums. Just a bunch of fun little jams.
My picks: "Here Comes the Meter Man," "Cardova," "Stormy"
Tiny Desk, eat your heart out. NPR is showcasing this group of kids from Cork, Ireland, and their infectious bop, "The Spark." The youngsters are part of a rap initiative called Rhyme Island and created the song for Cruinniú na nÓg (Gathering of Youth), a day of creativity for under-18s in Ireland.
This percussion concerto from New Zealand combines traditional percussion as well as modern. A product of its geographic location, Japanese and South Pacific instruments are included as well. Together they rock!
Metal Classical Rocks recommends classical music that is metal or rocks every Friday.
In honor of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, I want to recommend Japanese-American Kishi Bashi’s song film “Omoiyari.”
It’s described as “a musical journey to understand WWII era Japanese Incarceration, assimilation, and what it means to be a minority in America today.”
The film is streaming on Paramount+ and the record is available on most platforms. Both are amazing.
André 3000 is one of the greatest rappers of our time. He spoke to Hanif Abdurraqib from The Bitter Southerner magazine about freedom, fame, flutes, and if André will make another rap album. "I can only give what I’m feeling," he says.
2005 was an INSANE year for music. We got albums from:
Jamiroquai
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
Aimee Mann
Ladytron
Andrew Bird
Brian Eno
Sufjan Stevens
The Chemical Brothers
LCD Soundsystem
Eels
Gorillaz
Goldfrapp
Beck
Rihanna
Death Cab for Cutie
Even Big Star got back together to release an album. Oh so did Depeche Mode!
Inspired by a thing I saw on Reddit earlier today, I’m going to try listening to more complete albums this year. Maybe daily? We’ll see how it shakes out.