Jun 1 2016

Current Events

By David Byrne

Song Artist Purchase
Hi Erykah Badu Amazon
Brokedown Palace Richard Reed Parry with Caroline Shaw & Little Scream [feat. Garth Hudson] Amazon
​untitled 08 | 09.06.2014. (Explicit) Kendrick Lamar Amazon
Green Garden Laura Mvula Amazon
The Place Goes Quiet Nicholas Krgovich Amazon
One Dance [feat. Wizkid & Kyla] Drake Amazon
Burn The Witch Radiohead Amazon
Hold Up (Explicit) Beyoncé Amazon
The Werewolf Paul Simon Amazon
Mixtape [feat. Young Thug & Lil Yachty] Chance The Rapper ChanceRaps
White Privilege Macklemore Amazon
Radio Silence James Blake Amazon
iT Christine and the Queens Amazon
Mama's Gonna Give You Love Emily Wells Amazon
Far Cry Jack Garratt Amazon
Summer Friends [feat. Jeremih, Francis & The Lights] Chance The Rapper ChanceRaps
The Orange Monkey PJ Harvey Amazon
Saint Claude Christine and The Queens Amazon
Millionaire Thao & The Get Down Stay Down Amazon
The Answer Savages Amazon
Talátur Tigermilk Bandcamp
Let I Go [feat. Anthony Joseph] Mop Mop Amazon
Worry Jack Garratt Amazon
Watch Me ANOHNI Amazon
Daddy Lessons Beyoncé Amazon
All We Got [feat. Kanye West & Chicago Children's Choir] Chance The Rapper ChanceRaps
Tilted Christine and the Queens Amazon
Like the Morning Dew Laura Mvula Amazon
Holding On Gregory Porter Amazon
Leaving Nara alt-J Amazon
Can't Get Used to Losing You Andy Williams Amazon
Breathe Life Jack Garratt Amazon
Feel No Ways (Explicit) Drake Amazon
Symphony 1 In the Barrel of a Gun Emily Wells Amazon
Blessings [feat. Ty Dolla $ign] Chance The Rapper ChanceRaps

It’s been a little while since I’ve added a playlist here and while this doesn’t have the surprise and conceptual brilliance of the mixes Eric Welles Nystrom has been curating—Swedish disco from Leolyxxx, Mahgreb funk from DJ Fitz or the Syrian pop from Boshra AlSaad—it does give me cause for optimism. While the world is going to hell in a handbasket, musicians are doing some wonderful stuff. It’s a good moment.

Some of this is mainstream—Drake and Beyoncé are top of the charts, whatever that means now—but quality-wise it’s nice that there isn’t a big discontinuity between them and some new or less-well-known artists like Jack Garratt, Mop Mop, Emily Wells, and Christine and the Queens. A lot of these artists, well known or not, are pushing the boundaries of the genres that might confine them. Chance The Rapper’s record verges into pretty straight up gospel sometimes. ANOHNI (formerly Antony) delivers an issue-saturated dance album and Radiohead has some gorgeous piano ballads on their new record.

It may be tough time for musicians financially, but it doesn’t seem to have dampened their adventurous spirits. In tough times one might expect artists to play it safe—hew to the pop formulas and get by as best they can. But everyone here is taking chances; it’s heartening.

DB
New York City

Jun 1 2016

Current Events

By David Byrne

Song Artist Purchase
Hi Erykah Badu Amazon
Brokedown Palace Richard Reed Parry with Caroline Shaw & Little Scream [feat. Garth Hudson] Amazon
​untitled 08 | 09.06.2014. (Explicit) Kendrick Lamar Amazon
Green Garden Laura Mvula Amazon
The Place Goes Quiet Nicholas Krgovich Amazon
One Dance [feat. Wizkid & Kyla] Drake Amazon
Burn The Witch Radiohead Amazon
Hold Up (Explicit) Beyoncé Amazon
The Werewolf Paul Simon Amazon
Mixtape [feat. Young Thug & Lil Yachty] Chance The Rapper ChanceRaps
White Privilege Macklemore Amazon
Radio Silence James Blake Amazon
iT Christine and the Queens Amazon
Mama's Gonna Give You Love Emily Wells Amazon
Far Cry Jack Garratt Amazon
Summer Friends [feat. Jeremih, Francis & The Lights] Chance The Rapper ChanceRaps
The Orange Monkey PJ Harvey Amazon
Saint Claude Christine and The Queens Amazon
Millionaire Thao & The Get Down Stay Down Amazon
The Answer Savages Amazon
Talátur Tigermilk Bandcamp
Let I Go [feat. Anthony Joseph] Mop Mop Amazon
Worry Jack Garratt Amazon
Watch Me ANOHNI Amazon
Daddy Lessons Beyoncé Amazon
All We Got [feat. Kanye West & Chicago Children's Choir] Chance The Rapper ChanceRaps
Tilted Christine and the Queens Amazon
Like the Morning Dew Laura Mvula Amazon
Holding On Gregory Porter Amazon
Leaving Nara alt-J Amazon
Can't Get Used to Losing You Andy Williams Amazon
Breathe Life Jack Garratt Amazon
Feel No Ways (Explicit) Drake Amazon
Symphony 1 In the Barrel of a Gun Emily Wells Amazon
Blessings [feat. Ty Dolla $ign] Chance The Rapper ChanceRaps

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