Mavis Staples‘ second solo album, Only for the Lonely, is a heartfelt, heartbreaking, and heart-lifting record, with the songs expressing a lot of emotions and moments Staples was living through at the time.
“I Have Learned to Do Without You,” with its slow-dance guitar and drums and soulful string arrangements, automatically lets you know this album is going to be full of songs to which anyone who’s been through heartbreak can relate. Staples sings, “I got over you!”, but you’re not sure if that’s 100% accurate. “How much water can you pour in a boat before that boat begins to sink?” Staples asks on “How Many Times” – in which her exasperation with a lover comes through in every note.
She finds better times on “Endlessly,” as she sings, “You were made for my arms to surround.” to a lover to whom she’ll be “as faithful as the sunrise.” The horn section on “You’re the Fool” is a great backup to Staples’ powerful and soulful voice. On “Since I Fell for You,” her gospel vocal training shines and makes you pay attention.
“What Happened to the Real Me” is a powerful anthem for jilted lovers everywhere, with Staples’ backing band putting down a solid groove while horns and strings charge behind her voice. “Since You Became a Part of My Life” and “It Makes Me Wanna Cry” are back-to-back, going from praise of a lover and how they changed Staples’ outlook on life to Staples being crushed after his departure. It shows how well she can sing either type and make you feel all those emotions. The closer, “Don’t Change Me Now” has Staples thanking her lover for taking the time to build the love they have, and pleading that he doesn’t screw it up. You’ll think, “Yep. That guy’s an idiot if he thinks he’ll find better.”
Only for the Lonely is a perfect title for the record, as Staples sings to those of us (all of us?) who have felt that emptiness and hope cycle of love again and again.
Keep your mind open.
[I haven’t learned to do without your subscription.]
Durand Jones & The Indications — the trio of DurandJones, AaronFrazer, and BlakeRhein — release “Lovers’ Holiday,” the third single/video from their forthcoming album, Flowers out June27th on DeadOceans. On the heels of last month’s “FlowerMoon,” hailed by Billboard as “one of their most irresistible dancefloor tracks yet,” “Lovers’ Holiday” is a fantasy getaway track fit for cruising and sees the band delighting in the softer side of soul and disco. Of the track, the band says: “We didn’t want to give ourselves any rules with ‘Lover’s Holiday.’ We wanted to make something authentic to our sound, while also giving our fans— the lovers— something to swoon about.”
Accordingly, the song’s video featuring videography by AndyWoodward and KimoKennedy and editing by RenaJohnson depicts The Indications performing on sea-side cliffs and by grass-covered mountains.
For as far as Durand Jones & The Indications have come, Flowers grew from the desire to return to their roots in a Bloomington basement, a space where they first found camaraderie in gritty funk and Southern soul that would inspire their self-titled debut. As on that 2016 release, The Indications prioritized collaboration while creating Flowers. Much of the self-produced album was written together at Rhein’s Chicago studio, and many tracks are based on one-take demos — proof that vibes were particularly high, each member pulling from their refined tool kits with ease.
With Flowers, a strong sense of the band’s maturation and conviction is reflected across its 11 songs. “All of these songs touch on such mature topics, things that we never got to sing about before,” says Jones. “We are all in our 30s, have all been through ups and downs in our personal lives and professional lives, and flowers are a sign of maturity, growth, spring, productivity.” Frazer adds: “We took the spirit of play that started the project, and added in the wisdom and lessons we’ve acquired through the years.”
Following their recent triumphant European headline run which included shows supporting LennyKravitz, the band will kick off an expansive NorthAmericantour in September with some of their largest shows yet. Today, they announce their return overseas with a run of shows in the EU and UK in February2026, with stops in London, Paris, Amsterdam, and more. A full list of dates is available below, and tickets are available here.
Durand Jones & The Indications Tour Dates (New Dates in Bold) Fri. July 4 – East Sussex, UK @ Love Supreme Jazz Festival Sun. July 6 – Ewijk, NL @ Down The Rabbit Hole Sun. July 6 – Werchter, BE @ Werchter Festival Park Wed. Sept. 10 – Tucson, AZ @ Rialto Theatre * Thu. Sept. 11 – Phoenix, AZ @ The Van Buren * — SOLDOUT Fri. Sept. 12 – Flagstaff, AZ @ Orpheum Theater * Sat. Sept. 13 – Abiquiú, NM @ Blossoms & Bones Mon. Sept. 15 – San Antonio, TX @ Aztec Theatre * Tue. Sept. 16 – Austin, TX @ Stubb’s Waller Creek Amphitheater * Thu. Sept. 18 – Atlanta, GA @ Variety Playhouse * Fri. Sept. 19 – Nashville, TN @ Brooklyn Bowl * Sun. Sept. 21 – Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club * Tue. Sept. 23 – Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer * Fri. Sept. 26 – Boston, MA @ Citizens House of Blues * Sat. Sept. 27 – New York, NY @ Webster Hall * Tue. Sept. 30 – Indianapolis, IN @ HI-FI Annex * Wed. Oct. 1 – Chicago, IL @ The Salt Shed * Fri. Oct. 3 – Englewood, CO @ Gothic Theatre * Sat. Oct 4 – Fort Collins, CO @ Washington’s * Sun. Oct. 5 – Salt Lake City, UT @ The Depot * Tue. Oct. 7 – Oakland, CA @ Fox Theater * Fri. Oct 10 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Greek Theatre * — SOLDOUT Sat. Oct. 11 – Las Vegas, NV @ Brooklyn Bowl * Thu. Oct. 23 – Del Mar, CA @ The Sound * Fri. Oct. 24 – Sacramento, CA @ Channel 24 * Mon. Oct. 27 – Portland, OR @ Crystal Ballroom * Tue. Oct. 28 – Vancouver, BC @ Commodore Ballroom * — SOLDOUT Wed. Oct. 29 – Seattle, WA @ Showbox SoDo * Fri. Oct. 31 – Boise, ID @ Knitting Factory * Sat. Nov. 1 – Bozeman, MT @ The ELM * Mon. Nov 3 – Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue * Tue. Nov 4 – Milwaukee, WI @ Turner Hall Ballroom * Wed. Nov 5 – Detroit, MI @ Saint Andrew’s Hall * Fri. Nov. 7 – Toronto, ON @ The Concert Hall * Sat. Nov 8 – Montreal, QC @ Beanfield Theatre * Sun. Nov. 9 – South Burlington, VT @ Higher Ground Ballroom * Tue. Nov 11 – Columbus, OH @ Newport Music Hall * Wed. Nov. 12 – Asheville, NC @ The Orange Peel * Fri. Nov. 14 – New Orleans, LA @ Tipitina’s * Sat. Nov. 15 – Houston, TX @ The Heights Theater * Sun. Nov. 16 – Dallas, TX @ House of Blues * Tue. Feb. 10 – Glasgow, UK @ SWG3 Galvanizers Wed. Feb. 11 – Manchester, UK @ New Century Hall Thu. Feb. 12 – London, UK @ Roundhouse Sat. – Feb. 14, Paris FR @ Le Trianon Sun. Feb. 15 – Brussels, BE @ Ancienne Belgique Tue. Feb. 17 – Amsterdam, NL @ Paradiso Main Room
* = w/ The Psycodelics
Keep your mind open.
[I’ll feel like I’m on a lover’s holiday if you subscribe.]
Durand Jones & The Indications — the trio of DurandJones, AaronFrazer, and BlakeRhein— announce a fall North American tour and release “FlowerMoon,” the second single/video from their forthcoming album, Flowers out June27th on DeadOceans. On the heels of a successful European headline run which included shows supporting LennyKravitz, the band’s expansive tour includes some of their largest shows yet, with stops in NewYork, Chicago, LosAngeles, Toronto, and more. Tickets go on sale Friday, April 25th at 10am local time. A full list of dates is below, with tickets and further information available here.
Following lead single “BeenSoLong,” praised by Rated R&B as a “petal-soft tune [that] rides with the smoothness of an early ’70s soul jam,” “Flower Moon” guides listeners to an end-of-night dancefloor with Frazer’s trademark falsetto on full display. Reflecting on the track, Jones says: “It felt right to release ‘Flower Moon’ with this record. Spring is here and the flowers are blooming everywhere. We really wanted to catch that essence of the song and bring it to life for the listener. Also the Flower Moon is happening in a few weeks, so everything just seemed aligned to bring this song to our fans. It’s a feel-good tune to enjoy with friends or a loved one.” The song’s accompanying video was directed by AlecBasse.
On Flowers, The Indications’ fourth album and first since 2021’s “disco and funk infused” (Billboard) PrivateSpace, the group leaned into a particular desire to return to their roots in a Bloomington basement, a space where they first found camaraderie in gritty funk and Southern soul that would inspire their self-titled debut. Just as they did on that 2016 release, The Indications prioritized close-knit collaboration while creating Flowers. Much of the self-produced album was written together at Rhein’s Chicago home studio, and many tracks are based on one-take demos — proof that vibes were particularly high, each member pulling from their refined tool kits with ease.
Reflecting a strong sense of the band’s maturation and conviction, the 11 songs that make up Flowers are grown and sexy, fit for cruising, and delight in the softer side of soul and disco. “All of these songs touch on such mature topics, things that we never got to sing about before,” says Jones. “We are all in our 30s, have all been through ups and downs in our personal lives and professional lives, and flowers are a sign of maturity, growth, spring, productivity.” Frazer adds: “We took the spirit of play that started the project, and added in the wisdom and lessons we’ve acquired through the years.”
Durand Jones & The Indications Tour Dates (New Dates in Bold) Fri. July 4 – East Sussex, UK @ Love Supreme Jazz Festival Sun. July 6 – Ewijk, NL @ Down The Rabbit Hole Sun. July 6 – Werchter, BE @ Werchter Festival Park Thu. Sept. 11 – Phoenix, AZ @ The Van Buren * Fri. Sept. 12 – Flagstaff, AZ @ Orpheum Theater * Sat. Sept. 13 – Abiquiú, NM @ Blossoms & Bones Mon. Sept. 15 – San Antonio, TX @ Aztec Theatre * Tue. Sept. 16 – Austin, TX @ Stubb’s Waller Creek Amphitheater * Thu. Sept. 18 – Atlanta, GA @ Variety Playhouse * Fri. Sept. 19 – Nashville, TN @ Brooklyn Bowl * Sun. Sept. 21 – Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club * Tue. Sept. 23 – Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer * Fri. Sept. 26 – Boston, MA @ Citizens House of Blues * Sat. Sept. 27 – New York, NY @ Webster Hall * Tue. Sept. 30 – Indianapolis, IN @ HI-FI Annex * Wed. Oct. 1 – Chicago, IL @ The Salt Shed * Fri. Oct. 3 – Englewood, CO @ Gothic Theatre * Sat. Oct 4 – Fort Collins, CO @ Washington’s * Sun. Oct. 5 – Salt Lake City, UT @ The Depot * Tue. Oct. 7 – Oakland, CA @ Fox Theater * Fri. Oct 10 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Greek Theatre * Sat. Oct. 11 – Las Vegas, NV @ Brooklyn Bowl * Thu. Oct. 23 – Del Mar, CA @ The Sound * Fri. Oct. 24 – Sacramento, CA @ Channel 24 * Mon. Oct. 27 – Portland, OR @ Crystal Ballroom * Tue. Oct. 28 – Vancouver, BC @ Commodore Ballroom * Wed. Oct. 29 – Seattle, WA @ Showbox SoDo * Fri. Oct. 31 – Boise, ID @ Knitting Factory * Sat. Nov. 1 – Bozeman, MT @ The ELM * Mon. Nov 3 – Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue * Tue. Nov 4 – Milwaukee, WI @ Turner Hall Ballroom * Wed. Nov 5 – Detroit, MI @ Saint Andrew’s Hall * Fri. Nov. 7 – Toronto, ON @ The Concert Hall * Sat. Nov 8 – Montreal, QC @ Beanfield Theatre * Sun. Nov. 9 – South Burlington, VT @ Higher Ground Ballroom * Tue. Nov 11 – Columbus, OH @ Newport Music Hall * Wed. Nov. 12 – Asheville, NC @ The Orange Peel * Fri. Nov. 14 – New Orleans, LA @ Tipitina’s * Sat. Nov. 15 – Houston, TX @ The Heights Theater * Sun. Nov. 16 – Dallas, TX @ House of Blues *
Durand Jones & The Indications — the trio of DurandJones, AaronFrazer, and BlakeRhein — return today with the announcement of their new album, Flowers (out June 27th on Dead Oceans), and the release of its lead single/video, “BeenSoLong.” For their fourth album and first since 2021’s “disco and funk infused” (Billboard) Private Space, The Indications leaned into a particular desire to return to their roots in a Bloomington basement, a space where they first found camaraderie in gritty funk and Southern soul that would inspire their self-titled debut. Just as they did on that 2016 release, The Indications prioritized close-knit collaboration while creatin Flowers. Much of the self-produced album was written together at Rhein’s Chicago home studio, and many tracks are based on one-take demos — proof that vibes were particularly high, each member pulling from their refined tool kits with ease.
Reflecting a strong sense of the band’s maturation and conviction, the 11 songs that make up Flowers are grown and sexy, fit for cruising, and delight in the softer side of soul and disco. “All of these songs touch on such mature topics, things that we never got to sing about before,” says Jones. “We are all in our 30s, have all been through ups and downs in our personal lives and professional lives, and flowers are a sign of maturity, growth, spring, productivity.” Frazer adds: “We took the spirit of play that started the project, and added in the wisdom and lessons we’ve acquired through the years.”
For Jones personally, Flowers is the result of significant personal transformation. “I had spent the last year and a half laying everything out that I felt insecure abou — I felt insecure about my sexuality, growing up poor; about a myriad of things. I laid all of that out on the table and it made me such a stronger person, to the point that I got back to the Indications and I was way more sure of myself.”
On lead single “Been So Long”, this renewed sense of camaraderie is front and center, as the Indications sing in unison: “It’s been so long/since we’ve been gone/it’s good to be back together.” It’s a song that contemplates the universal experience of returning to your hometown, alongside their experience of creating Flowers– a personal homecoming. Of the track, The Indications say: “‘Been So Long’ felt like a natural choice for the first single from the new album. Although it hasn’t been that long since we’ve been apart, it is the longest stretch the band hasn’t toured or released music in nearly a decade. The feeling of returning to your hometown is not unlike getting back together with your band mates after a spell. Some things have changed nearly beyond recognition, while others are exactly as you always remembered. In the video we are joined by Chicago musicians Wyatt Waddell and Michael Damani, two very gifted singers who lent their voices on the recording of ‘Been So Long’.”
Since forming in 2012, the road has taken The Indications from those origins at Indiana University, Bloomington to the global stage, selling out shows across Europe, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand to the West Coast— where DJI has a strong following among the lowrider and vintage soul enthusiasts. Next week, they will support LennyKravitz in arenas around Europe on his Blue Electric Light tour.
It has also seen the release of their three thoughtful, harmonic albums: Durand Jones & The Indications (2016), American Love Call (2019) and Private Space (2021). Pulling sonically and spiritually from each of the group’s previous releases and solo work, Flowers is the next stage of The Indications’ inspired soulful discography. They’re not only accepting their flowers, but indulging in their sweet and sexy fragrance.
“When I think of Flowers, I think of this sense of naturalness. There’s a lot of courage in showing the human side of making music,” adds Rhein. “We spent the most energy playing to each other’s strengths and learning how to support each other. Being able to make art from an intuitive level takes a lot of confidence, not second guessing yourself, not asking if it’s going to be well received.”
“We’re so blessed to have such a wide range of influence and musical minds that have such a good grip on the things that they love, and the ability to synthesize those influences and bring them to a group setting,” states Frazer. “So we’ll continue to do what we’re doing for many years to come.”
Lonnie Holley is singer, songwriter, artist, educator, and poet…and, surprisingly to me, a trip hop artist. I knew that his new album, Tonky (named after his nickname from growing up in and around honkytonks), would be full of gripping tales from his life and views on the current American landscape. I didn’t expect it to be layered with found sounds, electric beats, and trip hop touches.
The opening track, “Seeds,” is the longest at over nine minutes and has Holly telling about how fields he worked as a child until he was exhausted or often beaten so bad he couldn’t sleep. The string instruments strum out growing tension while simple synth chords are like the hums of spectres watching from the other side of the veil. “Life” is a short poem of hope with Holley encouraging us to use small actions to grow big change.
“Protest with Love” is the most punk rock song I’ve heard in a long while, and it’s wrapped in a lush trip hop track. “If you’re gonna protest, protest with love…Let love do its thing,” Holly advises. Loving thy neighbor, heck, just being nice, is one of the most rebellious acts you can do in 2025. In the jazz and post-funk (Is that a thing?)-inspired “The Burden,” Holley tells us all that it’s on us to remember those who came before and how we need to honor them (“The burden is like a spell that’s been cast upon you. Burdens of our ancestors to unravel and clarify in history.”).
“Let those who have ears, let them hear…We might not have it all together, but together we have it all,” Holley preaches in the beginning of “The Stars” — a powerful track about how people brought over on slave ships saw the same stars we now see, but how much have we progressed since then? The included rap by Open Mike Eagle is so slick it might drop you to the floor.
Holley makes sure you’re paying attention on the growling (and slightly funky) “We Were Kings in the Jungle, Slaves in the Field.” “Strength of a Song” has some of Holley’s strongest vocals on the record as he sings about finding hope and power in music. Near-industrial drums make “What’s Going On” sound like a roaring muscle car engine. “I Looked Over My Shoulder” is psychedelic jazz mixed with dark-wave synths.
“Wait a minute…” Holley says at the beginning of “Did I Do Enough?” Good heavens, haven’t we all thought that at some point — especially if you’ve been through a tragedy, or someone close to you has? The song is just Holley’s heartfelt vocals above ambient synths that build to gospel-like grandeur and it’s a stunner. “That’s Not Art, That’s Not Music” has Holley firing back the criticisms aimed at black music and culture upon their detractors.
The album ends with the hopeful “A Change Is Gonna Come,” but Holley asks, “Are we ready for something to happen?” One has to recognize the signs, when to stand up, and when to take flight. We have to be willing to accept change from divisiveness to inclusion. “How can I love God without loving you?” a woman asks not only herself, but also all of us. It’s the main message Holley wants to convey, and one we all must hear.
This is already one of the best albums of the year.
SPELLLING (aka Chrystia Cabral) announces her new album, Portrait of My Heart, out March 28th via Sacred Bones, and shares a video for the lead single, “Portrait of My Heart.” On Cabral’s fourth album as SPELLLING, the Bay Area artist transforms her acclaimed avant-pop project into a mirror, as her lyrics for Portrait of My Heart tackle love, intimacy, anxiety, and alienation, trading the allegorical approach of much of her previous work for something she says is “pointed into my human heart.” The result is the sharpest, most direct SPELLLING album to date, and its immediacy emphasizes the essential mutability of Cabral’s practice. From the dark minimalism of her earliest music to the lavishly orchestrated prog-pop of 2021’s The Turning Wheel to this newly energetic expression of her creative spirit, Cabral has proved again and again that SPELLLING can be whatever she needs it to be.
In what became the genesis for the rest of Portrait of My Heart, the title track, with its propulsive drum groove and anthemic chorus of “I don’t belong here,” is the most potent embodiment of the album’s turn toward emotional directness. Once Cabral came up with the main melody, she found herself using the song as a tool to work through the anxiety she sometimes struggles with as a performer: “If this is what I’m supposed to be doing, and that I’ve chosen this life path, why does it cause me so much discomfort all the time?”
“When the lyrics for the title track came together, it really started to morph everything in this more energetic direction, instead of this more whimsical landscape that I’ve worked with before. It started to become more driven, higher energy, more focused,” Cabral explains. “And I have a big affection for it because of that. I love that it feels like it withstood transformation, which is something I always want to aspire to with things that I make. I want them to have this sense of timelessness. It could exist like this, or like that, or like this, but this is the one for right now.”
The accompanying video directed by AmbarNavarro explores the obsession that comes with making art when you’re deep in the hole of creativity and it consumes you.
Before undertaking her tour for The Turning Wheel, Cabral assembled a band including core members Wyatt Overson (guitar), Patrick Shelley (drums), and Giulio Xavier Cetto (bass), and their ongoing collaboration has uncovered new contours of the SPELLLING sound. Cabral still writes and demos in isolation, but presenting the songs for Portrait of My Heart to her bandmates, named the Mystery School, helped her discover their eventual lively, organic forms. So did working with a trio of producers—The Turning Wheel mixing engineer Drew Vandenberg, SZA, collaborator Rob Bisel, and Yves Tumor producer Psymun.
However, Portrait of My Heart is also shaped significantly by its guest musicians. The original plan was to have a featured artist on every track; that idea was scrapped when Cabral realized some of the material was too personal to put in someone else’s mouth. But a few key features help shape the album. Chaz Bear (Toro y Moi) sings on “Mount Analogue,” the first true duet in the SPELLLING discography. Turnstile guitarist Pat McCrory turns Cabral’s original piano demo for “Alibi” into the crunchy, riff-y version that appears on the record, while Zulu’s Braxton Marcellous gives “Drain” its sludgy heft. These parts aren’t just incorporated seamlessly into the album; they feel like an integral part of its universe.
Ultimately, though, Portrait of My Heart is nobody’s record but Cabral’s. She fearlessly draws the curtain back on parts of herself that she’s never included in SPELLLING before—her feelings of being an outsider, her overly guarded nature, the way she can throw herself recklessly into intimate relationships and then cool on them just as quickly. “It’s very much an open diary of all those sensations,” she says. There’s a real generosity in that, as listeners may recognize themselves in Portrait of My Heart in a way they haven’t on past albums.
SPELLLING will be touring the US this coming spring, beginning with a special hometown headlining show at the Great American Music Hall in San Francisco, before making stops in Los Angeles, Chicago, Brooklyn, Austin, and more. Tickets are on sale now and are available here.
SPELLLING Tour Dates: Fri. April 4 – San Francisco, CA @ Great American Music Hall Thu. April 24 – Los Angeles, CA @ Teragram Ballroom Fri. April 25 – Tucson, AZ @ 191 Toole Sat. April 26 – Albuquerque, NM @ Sister Bar Mon. April 28 – Austin, TX @ Parish Tue. April 29 – Houston, TX @ White Oak Music Hall Wed. April 30 – New Orleans, LA @ Santos Fri. May 2 – Atlanta, GA @ The EARL Sat. May 3 – Asheville, NC @ The Grey Eagle Sun. May 4 – Washington, DC @ Union Stage Tue. May 6 – Philadelphia, PA @ Underground Arts Fri. May 9 – Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg Sat. May 10 – Amherst, MA @ The Drake Mon. May 12 – Detroit, MI @ El Club Tue. May 13 – Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall Wed. May 14 – Minneapolis, MN @ Fine Line Thu. May 15 – Omaha, NE @ The Waiting Room Sat. May 17 – Denver, CO @ Bluebird Theater Mon. May 19 – Reno, NV @ The Holland Project
We’ve reached David Letterman’s favorite spot – the top ten. Let’s see who made the cut this year.
#`10: Dummy – Free Energy
This blast of shoegaze rock is bright in all the right spots and massive in all the others. I hadn’t heard them until 2024 and they ended up being my favorite shoegaze discovery of the year.
#9: New Age Healers – The Spin Out
This is cool psychedelia from the northwest. The album’s cover is indicative of what you experience while listening to it: A swirling mind trip down into strange places, or a mystical wind lifting you up from the ground and into the night sky. It’s your choice.
#8: Aaron Frazer – Into the Blue
Made after he transferred from the east coast to the west coast, Frazer created a second album of great, soulful R&B that’s both honoring and elevating the genre.
#7: Operator Music Band – Four Singles EP
It’s amazing this album even exists when you consider one of the band members nearly died after falling through a skylight before they were ever in the studio. The fact that they made a solid electro post-punk EP afterward is a testament to their commitment to each other.
#6: Meatbodies – Flora Ocean Tiger Bloom
Meatbodies easily are one of the best bands I discovered in 2024. This album is a great mix of psychedelic and garage-punk that immediately left me wanting more from them. I was also lucky enough to see them live twice, and they crushed it each time.
What do you do when you move across the country in search of something new and also ache for what you’re leaving? If you’re modern-day soul crooner Aaron Frazer, you play practically every instrument on a new record, Into the Blue, and sing about it. Frazer moved from Brooklyn to Los Angeles, and it’s difficult to determine by the album’s cover if he’s standing on an east coast beach and looking toward his future, or on a west coast beach and looking at his past.
“Thinking of You” starts the album, hinting that the cover image might be of the latter. “I’m still thinking of you,” he sings as lush string arrangements and (new for him) samples of R&B soul jams surround him. The spaghetti western guitar of the title track bounces around Frazer’s falsetto like a happy bee in a meadow.
The hip hop sampling and beats on “Fly Away” are another great, new touch for Frazer. “Payback” will get you on the dancefloor, and Frazer’s drumming on it is slick. “Dime” (“Tell Me”) with Cancamusa on guest Spanish vocals is super sexy. “Perfect Strangers” isn’t the theme to the TV show of the same name, but is a gospel-influenced love song.
“Time Will Tell” brings in disco elements as Frazer sings about possibly finding love in his new environment, and probably if he’s made the right choice to switch coasts. “I Don’t Wanna Stay” seems to indicate his choice was right, or at least the best option available at the time. The song is a great, slow soul jam with snappy drums and sultry backing vocals. “Play On” is another good soul tune, and “Easy to Love” is downright groovy.
“Sad boy, you loved and lost, but you keep trying,” Frazer sings on the closing track, “The Fool,” which incorporates jazz flute with its seduction-ready bass and cool lounge guitar into an ode to unrequited love and a song of hope. It’s a cool way to end the record, with encouragement to keep at it until love arrives.
Frazer has given us another soulful, slick, sexy record, and not many are doing music like this or as well as he is right night.
Violinist and now singer Alexvndria starts off her debut EP, Hopeless Romantic, with violin plucks and string arrangements in a brief instrumental (“Epigraph”) to make you think this is going to be an avant-garde jazz album.
Nope, it’s an EP of stunning love songs. “He Loves Me” is a lush cover of Jill Scott‘s song with a full orchestra and a jazz trio backing her. “Silly Me” (with great, subtle jazz drumming from Drew Marsh) was recorded while Alexvndria was touring with The Broadway Sinfonietta, and the whole EP was recorded over four months and in six different cities. The song has Alexvndria lamenting all the time she’s wasted waiting on a lover to finally commit.
“Stay” is a similar theme, with Alexvndria waiting for her lover to even just say, “I love you.” (“I might have gave my heart too soon, but I’m dying to know.”). You hear tracks like this and wonder, “How has she not been singing this whole time?” Her voice is perfect for neo-soul and someone needs to hire her to sing on their latest trip-hop or house music project. The EP’s closer, “Twilight,” started with a bass solo and, according to a quote from Alexvndria in the liner notes I received, “Before I knew it, I was calling up a friend to improvise over it and recorded the whole song in my living room.”
The EP ends with a quick fade out, like a lover rushing out the door to make it to their flight back across the country. You want more, and part of you knows you might not get more, but you’re willing to wait and you’ll always have the memories.
The cover of Betty Davis‘ second album, They Say I’m Different, shows her in a futuristic outfit with Egyptian themes, wicked boots, and holding clear glass or plastic rods for some reason. She looks like she just emerged from a spaceship designed by Sun Ra. It’s fitting because she, and this album, were so far ahead of their time (1974) that she might as well have been from another galaxy and a distant century.
Starting with the sexy, slithery, smoky “Shoo-B-Doop and Cop Him,” Davis curls up next to you like a frisky cat that might nuzzle you or bite you at any moment as she sings about her plans to seduce a new lover. Mike Clark, a frequent collaborator with Herbie Hancock, puts down such a tight beat that it feels like it might burst. As if that opener wasn’t sexy enough, along comes the BDSM classic “He Was a Big Freak,” which is rumored to be about her ex-husband, Miles Davis. Whomever she sings about enjoyed Betty being a geisha, talking dirty, and being whipped with a turquoise chain. Davis’ cousin, Larry Johnson, rolls out perhaps his funkiest bass groove on the record. A nice touch is a slight reverb on Davis’ vocals now and then, reflecting the song’s subject going into his subspace meditation.
She’s already missing that freaky lover on “Your Mama Wants Ya Back,” which has a groove that has probably inspired more post-punk bands than we could count. “Don’t Call Her No Tramp” takes aim at one of Davis’ favorite subjects – her critics. The Rhodes organ riffs on it are sassy and so hot they might’ve burned the player’s fingers. Speaking of hot grooves, “Git in There” could set a dance floor on fire.
The title track has Davis looking back at her youth and the musicians who formed her tastes (i.e., T-Bone Walker, Sonny Terry, Lightnin’ Hopkins, Chuck Berry), paying them respect in phat funk currency. Davis uses the structure of blues on “70s Blues,” but spins it into 70s funk and soul. “I’m so tired of the blues,” she sings. “The blues have taken over, and they’re runnin’ my soul.” You can feel the grind of the 1970s in her voice and the solid riffs of her entire band behind her. The album ends with the jazzy, smooth “Special People,” in which Davis her lover that she’s going to give him everything she has.
The reissue of the album also includes rough mixes of “He Was a Big Freak,” “Don’t Call Her No Tramp,” “Git in There,” and “70s Blues.” Even these “rough” mixes are smoother than anything else you’ll hear today.
The whole album is like that. Davis’ whole catalogue is like that.
