Spinnin' around

Some recent finds from KCRW in Los Angeles, which, along with RFI Musique in Paris and Içi Musique (the fomer Espace Musique) in Montréal, is my go-to broadcaster for new music these days. I wouldn't say no to Philadelphia's WXPN either. I miss living in the Harrisburg area and being able to pick that one up on my car radio.

I have no idea who Marian Hill is, but I like the Aaliyah quality to the music and her voice for "Got It," although admittedly that may be a superficial comparison. Still, there is a hip-hop sound to the song without being slavish to it. My humble opinion.



Ah, a day without video--just enjoy the music of Børns, who I also know nothing about. But what do you need to know? What a lush, gorgeous, melodic song! It vaguely reminds me of something Brent Bourgeois would have done back in the day, something unapologetically heart-on-the-sleeve without being too ridiculous.

I would have hurt someone for a chance to have hair as thick and luxuriant as Brent's back in the day. I would have hurt someone for hair, period.



And there's this, "On the Regular" by Shamir, which gets props for me from sheer catchiness, vibrant colorfulness, and a seeming disregard for street cred and gender tickboxes. Clearly, reading the comments in YouTube (always a disheartening action), this is a preponderant concern for a certain segment of the population, part of whom seem unable to accept the notion that Shamir is a young man or move beyond the "outrage" that Azealia Banks (please don't ask me to relate who she is because this isn't my genre and I honestly don't care enough to investigate further) did it first with "212."

A matter of opinion, I guess. I frankly don't hear Azealia as being an original, and that's really a slam against her. There's nothing wrong with taking a riff, expanding upon it, and making it your own: That's called inspiration and was considered normal in the pre-litigious copyright age. So both she and Shamir are doing what they should do and more power to 'em.
br />But at least Shamir doesn't repeatedly make crude references to his vagina. Sorry to be an old man here, but it seems well past time to move beyond talking about your sex organs in popular culture. Is there anything left to know at this point?

Rant off! Enjoy some quality time with the music.