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...

Polar brings that springtime refreshment to CT The trees are green, the flowers are booming, the grass is growing, and the whistles of track and field coaches are ringing throughout Connecticut. Here is a quick review of ten songs I've been listening to recently: "Percy Faith" by Damien Jurado: As a single released before the streaming debut of his new album The Horizon Just Laughed , on "Percy Faith" Jurado channels his folk roots, 50's and 60's easy listening grooves, and rainbow-bright keys. Easy listening music icons and Arizona news anchors are referenced with ease- the song floats along- as the last verse condemns the modern world for "knowing everything but no one at all". This letter to the past couldn't more beautiful and easy.  "My Body" David Bazan : Big Dave writes about the mind/body connection, or perhaps, disconnection. Here, Bazan evokes an ancient idea: we know what's good for us, but we don...

It's April 2nd, snow is falling outside, and the Boston Red Sox sit atop the American League East with a record of 3-1. Sounds about right. It's time for a playlist. The other day a friend asked me how I listed to music: do I listen to albums or just collections of songs? With digital options like Spotify, listening to a string of individual songs is easier than ever. I've favored that approach recently. When I was a kid, I'd check out CD's from the Wallingford Public Library- the available mediums at that point demanded that albums were heard. That's how I came to love Bob Dylan's Highway 61 Revisited , and Radiohead's Kid A . I wonder if my appreciation for the statement that music makes would be the same without these listening experiences.  Currently, with Apple Music, Spoify, or whatever, there's an overwhelming amount of songs at one's disposal. It's the age of the playlist. And disparate songs can fit together. Here's some for Ap...

the pale blue dot The musician Chan Marshall (Cat Power's the stage name) once said that "there is a grain of truth in every song". In these songs below, there's at least enough grains of sand to make a beach. Without further ado, here are the songs-they're in no particular order. I'd like to think that together, these songs represent a collage of human experiences in 2017. Each of these tunes is worth a close listen- enjoy! We'll start things off with " Tell Me" by the late Sharon King . Ms. King sadly passed from cancer this year. The former choir leader and Atlanta native made joyful music right up into the end. I love this song. It's celebratory nature is infectious. R.I.P, Ms. King. Thank you for your commitment to music and bravery.  Rapper Sho Baraka splices this woke tune (" Pendantic ") with audio clips from Denzel Washington-" If don't read the newspaper, you're uninformed. If you read the news...

Let's get it out of the way. Solange is Beyonce's sister. But she ain't making the same music. Case in point: her 2016 album  A Seat at the Table , which put the world on notice, and for good reason. In A Seat at the Table  Solange managed to convey truth in every song, line by line, with extended, booming bass lines drawing out her art to the far reaches of space.  She penned these songs with a eye for detail. Profound poetry is paired with layered, modern, and fresh sounding soul to create an album that occupies its own artistic space. While the keyboards, imaginative guitars, sharp drums, and deep layered bass punctuate the poetry to the max, it is Solange's voice that makes your soul feel like it's been soaking in a restorative hot spring. The album is an emotional trip, like a therapy session. It details mistakes, concerns, heartache, ambitions, future hopes-all of it. None of the songs are drawn out, either, but instead its a album that demands you listen...

1. Everlong (acoustic): Foo Fighters Dave Grohl is as likable as he is talented. The former Nirvana drummer throws his acoustic into "drop D" tuning here and delivers a perfect, melodic and moving tune that has become an alternative rock touchstone, moving everyone from David Letterman to Miley Cyrus. 2. A Little at a Time: Magnolia Electric Co The sparse midwest, freight trains, dim lit bars, and regret fill up Magnolia Electric Co's songs. Lead singer, the late Jason Molina, was originally a bass player and thus had an interesting and incredibly unique style in playing the guitar. Random notes seem to fit together like a spray painted boxcar rolling through an Indiana night, as Molina's trademark wind-wandering voice drives asks plenty of questions. 3. They Thought I was Asleep: Paul Kelly Paul Kelly is a clever, emotive, and efficient songwriter. His voice fits every chord he plays with his steady hands. Here, the Australian masters a few turns of phra...

Maybe you'll encounter some of these situations, maybe you won't. Whatever, it won't be tonight! It's hazy, hot, and humid. It's nighttime, you're dehydrated, and a thunderstorm is on the way. Oh, and you're in New York City. The pavement is wet: "Clap Hands", by Tom Waits.  You're driving in suburban Atlanta and the AC is cranked to the max. There's heavy traffic, danger on the roads, but hope of fun and travel ahead: "Mighty 'O'", by Outkast.  Continuing on the from the last scene. . . you're still traveling in Georgia, and the summer heat is searing  right into your head. A bit confused, you head into the parking lot of a motel where you'll spend the night & also where a questionable party is going on by the pool. I should note that this song documents the laments of a lifestyle subdued and defeated by the devil's poison: "Swimming Pools" by Kendrick Lamar You question midd...

If you were like me, when you first listened to Columbia Records 2000 compilation The Essential Bob Dylan  it was hard to believe all the songs were from the same man. The singer who howled his best Woody Guthrie impression on his early classics sounded barely related to the country crooner on "Lay Lady Lay". Neither of them, however, seemed to be connected to the growling preacher on "Everything is Broken" and "Things Have Changed". This apparent disconnection that my teenage ears heard on what amounts to Bob's greatest hits disc was my first hint that when you listen to Bob Dylan, you truly get a whole life. I'd bet that even older fans, who are lucky enough to have followed Bob step by step, were still taken by surprise to hear his crooning on 1969's Nashville Skyline,  his spiritual declarations ten years later on Slow Train Coming , and his new "old" voice on 1989's Oh Mercy . Interesting that all of those albums are exac...

A summer playlist, for crusin' down the road for a country mile or two, hopefully under the enjoyment of a summer sun and low dew points. 1. "We Take Care of Our Own": Bruce Springsteen We kick things off with some fireworks. This tune might be the most inspiring patriotic anthem you've ever heard concerning expanding the social safety net. The heart behind the social contract theory lies here, underneath the shining sun of Bruce's big, fists-in-the-air sound. 2. "I'm Working on a Building": Bill Monroe We move from an anthem calling for a 21st century New Deal to a call for a more intimate spiritual quest. Quit your low-down gamblin' ways and listen up to this fine bluegrass tune from legend Billy Monroe: 3. "The Passion": Ms. Lauryn Hill Sticking with a spiritual theme. . . let the off beat drums find their rhythm and incessant moral questioning mixed with existential wonderin' find their way home and into your h...

A candle has burned down to the end as the clock nears midnight. A cat meows, as a lawyer restlessly sleeps on the couch in his living room with a baseball game on television. The sound is turned down low. This is part four of the essential modern-era Bob Dylan songs. . . . . . Sorry , that was a little tacky. I was riffing off the usual introduction to Bob Dylan's XM radio show, "Theme Time Radio Hour". You can check out the show  here.  You'll get to hear the songs that have shaped Bob's career and American music, all organized around a theme like "money", "cats", or "rain". On that note, here is the rundown of the last installment of the essential modern-era Dylan. You can find part one  here,  part two over  here,  and part three  somewhere around here.  These songs are off Tempest , Bob's latest album of original songs. Part 4: 2010-Present: Early Roman Kings : Here, Bob lays down his dynamic view of the powe...