MÉLUSINE – Cecile McLorin Salvant

in

As with everything McLorin Salvant releases, MÉLUSINE is an interrogation of music’s capacity to tell all of our truths – the ones we know and the ones we don’t, a journey told through her singular voice across centuries and languages:

A Black woman's head and tongue in profile against a sunset orange; her earring transforming into a serpent

Vinyl duly ordered. So very, very good.

TRAVEL – The Necks

in
yellow sticky note arrows against blue and black

Always a brilliant new release day (24 February) when my two favorite bands – the other being Algiers – release new albums. In the case of The Necks, they continue to do what they do best, which is whatever feels right to them in the moment: it just so happens that their best grows only more transcendent with each release; a testament to the synergy of the creative process, of being in the moment.

HELLER TAG – Conic Rose

in
a pink flower blooms amidst a background of lava-like paint

When I ran away from Berklee, my intention was to compose and create music that merged Radiohead and jazz with my classical training; instead, I ended up working in (and getting fired from) wine shops and becoming a writer. Worked out for the best, because Conic Rose have made a more beautiful cocktail out of those ingredients than I ever could conceive: a new favorite – thanks, Michael, for turning me on to them (BTW, his 8Sided Blog is essential brainfood).