It's hot as hell. Sorry to say, the music you're about to discover will only make you hotter, but at least you can be cool while feeling anything but cool.
It's time for Fresh Picks.
For albums, we've got the incredible voice and retro soul of Baby Rose, an uplifting group effort from Allison Russell and friends, and the A++ (Kari's from South Dakota, I guess that's how they do it) storytelling of John R. Miller.
For singles, Margaret Glaspy's feral and spicy (hence the hotter) "That Rose," Obi Original and The Black Atlantics' summertime bop "Sorry Oga!" and the lovely vocals on Sallyforth's "Nettles."
And the cherry on top? Our resident queen of prog rock Heather Johnson tells you all about Rush's fourth album 2112 in this week's "Pick from '76."
Check out this week's suggestions from Music Director Kari Hedlund, Asst. Music Director Malachy Koons and Membership Services Coordinator Heather Johnson.
Albums
Album of the Week: Baby Rose - YEARNALISM
Baby Rose continues to carve out her own lane on YEARNALISM, the third album from singer-songwriter Jasmine Rose Wilson's project. With one of the most unmistakable voices in neo-soul, Rose leans into a broader range on the new album with a blend of retro R&B, some draws from disco, Philly soul, Motown and '90s influences to create a deeply soulful and varied sound.
As the title might indicate, YEARNALISM explores longing in all its forms, from love and heartbreak to the desire for freedom and the need to leave someone behind.
Don't miss "When I'm Gone," "But Nvm," "Let Me Go" and "Better" before taking it down a notch with "Sunday" and "Believe Me."
Allison Russell - In the Hour of Chaos
Collaboration is the name of the game on Russell's third album, and the cohesive sound the many voices create hammers home the project's goal of finding connection in a time of increasing isolation. After opener "Rainbows," every song on In the Hour of Chaos has at least one featured vocalist from Russell's talented circle of friends. Highlights are "Black Lavender" with Brittney Spencer, "Chaos Theory" with Kyshona and Sara Watkins, and "Two Stars" with Chibueze Ihuoma. -MK
John R. Miller - The Great Unknowing
A master class in songwriting, John R. Miller's new release is, as Megan Buffington says (in the latest Spin that Ish), a no-skips album. Kicking off with the snarly "Don't Bet On Me" into the New Orleans leaning swagger of "Far From the Station," the album moves through songs that are varied in depth and energy. This is Americana music to the core. A++. -KH
Singles
Margaret Glaspy - "That Rose"
Guttural vocals and a spicy sexy intro are not words I would typically associate with Glaspy, but I like it. Her second single from the upcoming album, I Am Both, is feral and poetic in describing a serious longing for your other half : "I dreamt you were holding the head of a rose like it was my breast/ You stuck your nose into that flower like your face into my chest/ And took a looooong breath." -KH
Obi Original and The Black Atlantics - "Sorry Oga!"
The rising Afrobeat singer brings the heat in this summertime bop with his band The Black Atlantics. Bubbling guitars, uplifting horns and plenty of percussion anchor the groove as Obi struts his stuff. Every song of his is a little slice of Nigeria made right here in Minnesota! -MK
Sallyforth - "Nettles"
Formerly known as Yonder, the Emma Jeanne and Hattie Peach (The Penny Peaches) indie-rock band are back with an earworm rocker, the third single from their upcoming debut album. In a tight two minutes and 30 seconds, their vocal talents and knack for a catchy melody are contrasted by the distorted electric guitar. -MK
Pick From '76
Rush - 2112
2112 is Rush’s fourth of 19 total studio albums, and it remains their second-best selling. It’s half sci-fi concept album and half prog rock goodness, all with that distinctive Rush sound: Geddy Lee’s at-times piercing voice, Alex Lifeson’s soaring guitars and Neil Peart’s complex rhythms.
Side One tells the story of a future where technology rules every facet of human life. In this computer-regulated society, creativity and individualism are punished. Our hero, previously content in this world, stumbles upon something that changes everything: music. Side Two contains five tracks that are unrelated to Side One’s story, although (perhaps excluding “A Passage to Bangkok”) they do have somewhat similar themes, including freedom, feeling lost and searching for truth.
In the summer of 1994, 2112 was 18 years old and I was 14. I loved music, so I usually had something blaring into my ears. I owned a pink boombox, a Walkman and a handful of tapes, including crackly mixes recorded from the radio. The money I earned babysitting had a lot of earmarks, so there wasn’t a lot left for my music budget. Fortunately for me, vinyl was allegedly on its way out, so it was abundant at garage sales, and the console stereo in my house certainly wasn’t going anywhere. Vinyl may not have been “cool” among rural Minnesota teens at that time, but it was readily available.
One Saturday morning, I bought a big box of assorted records for $5, and that’s where I found 2112 hiding among Bread and Perry Como. Radio hits aside, this was my introduction to prog, and I played the album over and over (and louder and louder) that summer. The album spoke directly to my teenage angst, my longing for independence, and frankly, my nerdiness.
That same 2112 has lived all the places I’ve lived for more than three decades. It’s been stuffed into storage units and neglected in garages, so it’s not in pristine shape, but it plays OK. And do I still occasionally scream along to “The Temples of Syrinx"? Yes. Yes, I do. -HJ
