Music Diary, Vol. -74

For the rationale behind this mad effort, explanations here. The full series of Music Diary posts are here. The full playlist is above, also here.

Week of Aug. 8-14, 2022

LYRICS: n/a

SONG: What I loved most about Paul Simon's famous Graceland sound was the bright, limpid guitar of Ray Phiri and Daniel Xilakazi, and I found more like that in this ebullient track by Thomas Chauke, from a collection called The Heartbeat of Soweto.

LYRICS: Tom Lehrer, "We Will All Go Together When We Go"

SONG: I cherish some musicians for their gritty sound, others for their melodic gift, but those who regularly bring both, as Madison Cunningham does on this equally gnarly and catchy new single, have my eternal loyalty.

LYRICS: Bob Dylan, "Tombstone Blues"

SONG: Try not to smile at the capering joy that blows, literally and otherwise, throughout flutist Valerie Coleman's "Umoja," not incidentally an ideal showcase for the invaluable troupe she's part of, Imani Winds.

LYRICS: The Beatles (Goffin/King), "Don't Ever Change"

SONG: Guitarist Peter Banks left Yes because he hated the orchestral sounds on their underrated second album, Time and a Word. I disagree with him, and I of course love his replacement, Steve Howe. But I must thank Banks for his playing on this rocking earworm.

LYRICS: Simon & Garfunkel, "For Emily, Whenever I May Find Her"

SONG: Most folks got on the k.d. lang train with Ingenue, but the record that sealed the deal for me was Shadowland, her inspired collab with storied Nashville producer Owen Bradley. They had me from the first notes of this smoky Chris Isaak cover.

LYRICS: Little Milton, "Let Your Loss Be Your Lesson"

SONG: Farfisa organ and surf guitar have seldom sounded as sweet as they did on the records of Peru’s chicha bands of the 1960s. This tasty cumbia by Juaneco y Su Combo, from the essential Roots of Chicha collection, is a perfect intro.

LYRICS: Belle and Sebastian, "Act of the Apostle"

SONG: Among the things I love about Brother Claude Ely’s recording of this irrepressible gospel standard are the irregular bar lengths in the chorus (just try to sing along). Ain’t no time signature gonna hold his spirit down.