95 North. . . The Newspaper

Up here in New England, I'm pleased to report that we actually had a spring. The occurrence of this important, transitional season, has set the proper conditions for the birth of an excellent start to a summer 2019 playlist. Here we go: "Diddy Bop" by Noname Noname is a Chicago poet at heart. Melodic, spacey keys pair with sharp hits on the snare and flourishes from a synth/bass to create a unique sound, not far from 90's era Outkast, with a bit more shimmer & soul on the edges. Here, we get a sense of Noname's world, as the realities of family and community push themselves to the forefront- the borrowed 20 dollars, old air conditioners, the stays with cousins when the light bill went unpaid at home. Despite summertime struggle, those stars in your pocket (the unique talents and perspectives we all have) just might be plentiful enough for sharing.  "Return to the Moon" El Vy Humans first landed on the moon in the middle of t...

Just for fun, here are 5 songs in which the word "king" appears in the title: " King of Pain " is a classic 80s song from the Police, channeling the energy of light reggae and soft taps on the piano, "King of Pain" is like it's own little hummingbird that revs its muted engines at just the right times. And of course, lead singer Sting has always been dramatic. " King of Spain " is an early, Dylan inspired folk tune that espouses an escapist fantasy over a jangly acoustic guitar that makes you want to clap. " It's Good to be King " by Tom Petty is a steady tune, as Tom nasally preaches the virtues of having your own emotional space in life. Who knew Petty was all about personal boundaries and the practice of self-care? At the end of the tune, the last minute or so, there's an utterly beautiful instrumental piece-a place where strings meet cascading guitars. " King Rides By " by Cat Power is a song t...