When it comes time to choose shows to review for Mission Creek, I automatically seek the music that would live here, in this happy place. This year’s festival was no different, though I admire the music scene all around Iowa City. This is a special time of year where, somehow, magic happens and there is affordable merch available after sets.

This magic is the reason I go to these concerts blind, in this case Pink Neighbor and Ratboys, without knowledge of the band members or their music. I don’t want reviews or already recorded releases to be my learning material; I want them to teach me in the moment, with their instruments and their voices. And so they do, every single time.

The first band of the night was Pink Neighbor, a band from Grinnell, Iowa, started by Katie In and Erik Garvis. They make music they describe as, “Groovy. Intimate. Loungey. And of course, neighborly.”

Pink Neighbor made music that would fit in perfectly on the soundtrack of a murder mystery about a battle between rock stars and jazz musicians. There are probably aliens involved as well. It would emanate from the cassette player of a car travelling through dreams of pastel-colored sand dunes. They are what you would see if you imagined a band in a lava lamp: iridescent suits, tasseled jackets, sequined tank tops paired with fishnets and thigh-highs, a metallic-shimmering-swirly pink drumset. I was mesmerized. I still was in the morning.

As the name “Pink Neighbor” suggests, the band makes music that feels like home, but one that lives in an imagined place rather than a sentient one. There is jazz from a saxophone, the universe from a keyboard, the rock n’ roll from the guitars, the intensity from the drums.

There was a set of lyrics from a song called “Nebula” that solidified the feeling of communal acceptance and care. They weren’t only sung, but spoken to the audience before the band began to play:

Get down with your neighbor,
shake your hips, wave your hands
and float it on you.

When I drive home for my father’s birthday this weekend, I will bring the copy of Time Driving I bought after the show with me. I can imagine that the car is flying and there is a sherbet-hued desert below me. That’s what this music does. I only wish it could last forever.

Between Pink Neighbor’s set and Ratboys’, Iowa City band, Halfloves, took their place on The Mill’s stage. You can read Caley’s review of their performance here to learn more about what they put out this year for Mission Creek Festival.

As Ratboys took the stage, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I knew them. They look and sound just like the people I have come to surround myself with in my time here. They share our jokes and maybe even feel what we feel. They made me hear what Paramore might sound like if they had been born and raised in Iowa City (not to insinuate that I am anywhere near the realm of surrounding myself with the members of Paramore). Ratboys isn’t too far off, either; the band came to visit us for Mission Creek from Chicago and will also be going on a gigantic tour for the next few months to spread their sound across the country.

An excerpt from my notes at the beginning of the performance: From the tuning, I knew I was in love. Harmony! Melody! I would sit and listen to a band tune forever, if it ever took so long to get the strings to strike perfectly. It never lasts long enough, and Ratboys let their notes slide.

The set started off emulating the thesis Ratboys gave to Mission Creek Festival: to “write songs that tell stories and honor the intimacy of memory.” The first was called “Molly,” about lead singer Julia Steiner’s sister of the same name. The second was “Elvis in the Freezer,” about her cat, who passed tragically at the age of six and was kept in the freezer until a proper funeral could be performed. As a cat fanatic, this one hit my heart hard.

I was struck by the confidence of Steiner’s vocal confidence. It is always impressive to see an artist belt into a microphone without hesitation and with such intense control over their own voice. She was perfectly in rhythm, and the audience had the honor of being introduced to her new, deep-blue guitar. We were the first to hear it on stage.

At the end of their performance I went to Ratboy’s merch table and bought an indigo-sky blue shirt featuring white horses outlined in hot pink. Julia was at the table and I got to tell her what a great show she put on. I could feel the genuine joy she felt in being there, in Iowa City’s happy place of a venue, playing for people who so wanted to be there, listening and learning.

Mission Creek is far from over, so head over to the online schedule and see what shows are coming up! Snag a ticket and support an artist or author if you can.

The post Pink Neighbor and Ratboys @ The Mill 4/3/2019 appeared first on KRUI Radio.

The Alloy Orchestra took the stage at the Englert last Saturday night to musically accompany the German silent film Varieté.

As much as the evening was focused on the musical performance, there was a layer of wonder in the air at the Englert. A group of people were crowing the building to see a silent film in an era where special effects rule all.

Everyone was visibly excited to see the film as much as they were to hear the original music created for it by the orchestra. It was almost as though we had been transported to a time when a silent film was the most magnificent thing to ever have happened.

The plot of the film was simple and thrilling enough: a helpless women shows up on the doorstep of a circus’ bossman. He leaves his wife for her immediately and they go to perform trapeze around the world together.

I am an old soul, so viewing the movie in itself would’ve been a perfect night. The crackly black and white, the first visual effects available to filmmakers, the costume. It was all perfect. What truly made the viewing complete, without a doubt, was the Alloy Orchestra.

The Alloy Orchestra consists of three men: Terry Donahue (percussion), Ken Winokur (percussion), and Roger Miller (keyboards). The group has been making “new music for silent films” since their first performance in 1991, and their decades of practice have clearly paid off.

There were countless times throughout the film I had to remind myself that the music was being performed for us live, in front of our eyes. The arrangements were so stunningly perfect.

As a trapeze artist made it safely into the arms of another mid-air, their cymbals crashed in perfect time. As the camera showed hordes of people enjoying their time at the circus, the accordion created the best series of playful rhythms. As the climax of the film took place, and as the audience realized what was happening, the orchestra built suspense in precise time.

The performance was the best event for a chilly night circa Halloween. The movie had just enough chilling elements that made it great for this creepy time of year.

It was a night of transportation. It was hard to remember that we were in the 21st century. The film and the orchestra didn’t need bright colors or CGI to make the viewing experience into something really special.

The Alloy Orchestra visits the Englert every year to perform alongside a silent film. In the past they have accompanied A Page of Madness, The General, and Metropolis. I can’t wait to see what they decide to build at the Englert next year. I will be right there with them as though we’re in the 1920s.

Keep up with the Alloy Orchestra and where they’ll be next here. You can also purchase their records on their online store or find some performances by searching for them on YouTube.

The post Alloy Orchestra Presents: Varieté @ The Englert Theatre appeared first on KRUI Radio.

Writers of Color Reading

Fatimah Asghar, a Pakistani-Kashmiri-American poet and Fulbright fellow, leads with Writers of Color Reading Series for this year’s Witching Hour. Asghar co-created and wrote an Emmy-nominated web series called “Brown Girls”. Other readers include Natalia Reyes, Siyanda Mohutsiwa, Bruna Dantas Lobato, Aimee Fredericksen, Leon Pan, and Joe Emanuel.

This reading series will take place at The Englert Theatre on Saturday night starting at 8pm.

Julie Byrne

Julie Byrne, performing a concert co-presented with UI student organization SCOPE, is an atmospheric guitarist and vocalist. She has released two albums and two EPs in her career, the most recent titled “Not Even Happiness”. This recent album is inspired by Byrne’s first time witnessing the Pacific Northwest, and it is clear that nature drives her as soon as the album starts playing. Along with being a musician, Byrne is a seasonal park ranger at Central Park in New York.

Byrne will begin her set on The Mill’s stage Friday at 9:30pm after Squirrel Flower plays at 8:30pm.

Puddles Pity Party

Puddles Pity Party is described as “the sad clown with a golden voice.” He remains completely silent when he isn’t singing in a deep, melancholy voice, which caught public attention after his cover of Lorde’s “Royals” went viral. Puddles has performed his acts around the world and was a runner-up on America’s Got Talent. Puddles is an entirely emotive artist, and his work can reach everybody’s heart in some striking way.

The event will begin at The Englert Theatre at 8:30pm on Friday night.

Jack Lion and Jaimie Branch

Electronic, jazz-infused trio Jack Lion will be opening for Jaimie Branch, an experimental jazz trumpeter. Jack Lion, based in Iowa City, draws from each member’s formal jazz training for musical inspiration. Jaimie Branch, also a recording engineer and presenter will be performing with a band full of long-time collaborates for Witching Hour.

The concert begins with Jack Lion at Gabe’s on Saturday at 10pm.

Janelle James and Liza Treyger

Janelle James is a comedian, providing hilarious commentary on aging and family life along with her raunchy storytelling. Liza Treyger recently released her first half-hour Netflix comedy special, used to work on Chelsea Lately, and was a cast member on MTV’s “Joking Off”. The two female comedians’ sets will meld together to create a perfect, humorous evening.

James and Treyger will perform at The Englert Theatre starting with James at 9:30pm on Saturday night.

Parts Unknown Dinner

In the wake of chef Anthony Bourdain‘s death earlier in 2018, the University of Iowa’s International Writing Program and the Chef de Cuisine of St. Burch Tavern, Gabe Branch, collaborate to present the Parts Unknown Dinner. Bourdain was not only the host of a food-based television show, but made an extreme effort to fully appreciate and understand the people who showed him cuisine from across the word. He wanted to know the people, not commodify their food.

The dinner will take place at St. Burch Tavern on Saturday at 5pm, but has sold out in advance.

Passes are still available, and some events have individually priced tickets. For the first time this year, Witching Hour Festival is also selling student passes at a discounted and very affordable price. If you’re interested in attending the festival, check out passes here!

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This is the first installment of what I’m choosing to call the next chapter of my column, “Stella”. Every other week, I will be highlighting a new incredible woman, genderqueer, or non-binary artist. “Stella” became my goal when I noticed these voices weren’t showing up on my playlists; neither the playlists I’ve created for myself or those made for me by Spotify every day.

As a die hard feminist this was upsetting, but it was even more embarrassing. Men were the default, even for someone who finds a deeply rooted connection with women. The more I put effort into choosing female artists, the more I realized just how much I’d been missing out on. This was empowering. I have to make this stretch further than just me.

“Music does a lot of things for a lot of people. It’s transporting, for sure. It can take you right back, years back, to the very moment certain things happened in your life. It’s uplifting, it’s encouraging, it’s strengthening.” – Aretha Franklin

Equality on the airwaves doesn’t come with just choosing cis women. This is why I’m also going to be highlighting transgender women and genderqueer or non-binary people. These groups are far too often ignored, and while cis women aren’t the default, we have the privilege of always being a part of the conversation.

Every other week, “Stella” will be published on krui.fm. Each week there is a “Stella” published, I will be hosting a radio show on KRUI 89.7fm from 7pm-8pm highlighting the artist I have written about. If there wasn’t an article that week, I’ll still be on their air playing only music women, genderqueer, and non-binary folks. Please tune in or listen by streaming on our website!

Today’s article will be about one of the all-time most influential women in the entire music industry: Aretha Franklin. She redefined R&B, jazz and gospel music throughout her life.

Born in 1942, Franklin was born in Memphis, but relocated to Detroit by the time she was five. Though her mother died when she was young, her father was supportive of her singing career, acting as her manager.

Franklin released her first album, “Songs of Faith”, when she was 14 years old. She signed with Columbia Records when she was 18, and released her single “Today I Sing the Blues”. It got her to the top ten of the Billboard Hot Rhythm & Blues Sellers chart.

One year later, in 1961, she peaked at number seven on the Billboard R&B chart with “Won’t Be Long” and was in the Top 40 with “Rock-a-Bye Your Baby With a Dixie Melody”. Through the mid-60s, Franklin was quickly gaining momentum, releasing seven more albums and regularly appearing on Billboard charts before 1967. Then she would skyrocket.

After signing to Atlantic Records, Franklin recorded her first top ten single on the Billboard Hot 100, “I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You)”. Shortly afterward, she recorded her signature song, an upbeat cover of Otis Redding’s “Respect”. This song was later deemed a feminist and civil rights anthem.

She recorded one of my favorite songs, covered by many artists, “(You Make Me Feel Like A) Natural Woman”, on her debut album with Atlantic, “I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You”. This album was her first to go gold and also had another one of my favorite songs of hers, “Do Right Woman, Do Right Man”.

During the early 70s, she released the single “Spanish Harlem” and one of her most famous albums, “Young, Gifted & Black”. “Day Dreaming” and her cover of “I’ve Been Loving You Too Long” were featured on this album. She also went back to her roots in gospel with the album“Amazing Grace” and recorded the most lovely rendition of the titular track.

Throughout the 70s, Franklin’s albums started to dip in sales and on the charts. Even with this bad luck, she still topped the R&B chart with “Something He Can Feel”.

In the later years of her career there was a clear stylistic shift in Franklin’s music. She released her first platinum album “Who’s Zoomin’ Who?” and recorded “I Knew You Were Waiting for Me” with George Michael. She also released a song produced by the incredible Lauryn Hill titled “A Rose is Still a Rose”.

“Being the Queen is not all about singing, and being a diva is not all about singing. It has much to do with your service to people. And your social contributions to your community and your civic contributions as well.” – Aretha Franklin

Franklin has performed at the Royal Albert Hall for Queen Elizabeth, at a gala for Elton John’s AIDS Foundation, and at the Super Bowl. She was also the first woman and woman of color to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1987 by Keith Richards (after 13 men had already been inducted).

She was also a teen mom giving birth to two sons by the time she was 14. She had two more song later in her life. Two of her sisters, Erma and Carolyn, sang backup for Franklin in her recordings. She escaped a violent marriage. She was given an honorary Doctorate of Arts from Harvard. She was Whitney Houston’s honorary aunt after becoming close with her mother, Cissy.

She has received both a Grammy Legend Award and Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. She also has earned a National Medal of Arts and the Presidential Medal of Freedom. She is first on the Rolling Stone’s list of Greatest Singers of All Time.

When she sings you can feel it. She takes her entire life and puts it into her music. She has mastered R&B, gospel, soul, pop, and jazz genres. She has given them new life over her 62 years of releasing music. There is no one like her.

She was the best. She is the best. She achieved more than any other female musician in the 60s and 70s, though she did have some stellar competition. She has been immortalized through all of her achievements, and she is still performing. She was the perfect person to start off my new “Stella”.

Be sure to catch “Stella” on the air Friday, July 13th from 7pm-8pm to hear Aretha Franklin’s music!

“Stella” is a column dedicated to highlighting women and people who identify as genderqueer or non-binary. It is essential that we begin hearing these voices in our playlists. We will delve into their histories, significance, power, and talents. “Stella” is accompanied by a radio show, airing every Friday from 7pm-8pm on 89.7fm. The shows that fall on weeks a “Stella” article is published will highlight the specific artist I have written about, while each other week will feature a variety of women, genderqueer, or non-binary artists.

The post Stella: Aretha Franklin appeared first on KRUI Radio.

I knew very little about female rapper Psalm One when I arrived at the Englert. I’d never heard a song of hers and I had no clue what to expect, but as the theatre filled up with twenty-somethings, I knew I was in for something great.

As Psalm One’s DJ for the evening, Angel Davenport, got on stage, there was immediate applause. As she introduced Psalm One, the audience automatically seemed happier.

As she strolled on stage, one of the first things she said was “if you’re ever feeling the mood in here and want to dance or move, please do.”

Then she began rapping and I was instantly entranced. As I watched her start her set, I thought to myself “she was really born to rap live”. She is clearly in her element.

Psalm One’s music reminds me of a combination of Princess Nokia, Missy Elliot, and Noname, but it was still all her own. It was rhythmic, it was impactful, it was moving.

Both Angel Davenport and Psalm One made a point to engage the audience as much as they could in a fun way. It wasn’t just a thank you three or four times through a set. There was something personal about how they chose to interact with the audience.

At one point, Psalm One explained that she doesn’t rap or sing, but instead she “saps.” She and Davenport also interacted with the little girls dancing to their music in the front row, which was entirely too cute.

The chemistry between Psalm One and Angel Davenport fueled the performance. It created an empowering, positive environment that filled the theatre.

They were constantly hyping each other up like they were best friends dancing around their room at a sleepover. It felt like as they were getting more comfortable on the stage, the audience was more comfortable expressing themselves.

The notes I took during the performance confirm it: “Something emotional happened here.”

There was an entire audience standing and dancing. There were two women on stage owning their presence, confidence, talent and sex positivity. It was like magic watching people interact with the moment.

If women could live in a world that was just like Psalm One’s concert, I think it would be a much better place.

While I thought that the venue would be a barrier for the artists performing, it never was. The Englert gives each attendee a seat, and all the artists that night make moving music. Still, people still got up to dance and move along with the music, but it was sometimes odd to remember we were in a theatre.

She has also performed at The Mill, Gabe’s, the Blue Moose, and the Yacht Club in the past, so it’s likely we’ll see her again in one of these venues.

This year’s Mission Creek was an incredible success and I already can’t wait until next year’s!

Make sure to listen to some of Psalm One’s albums below and watch for her to come back to Iowa City in the future!

The post Mission Creek Festival: Psalm One @ The Englert 4/8/2018 appeared first on KRUI Radio.

I had heard of Dana T before, but only as a part of the band Karen Meat (also playing Mission Creek on Friday the 6th!) While I had heard his album a few times, I didn’t listen to it too much. I was looking forward to attending the show so I could get a grasp of his individual sound, as much as I love Karen Meat.

When I walked into The Mill half an hour before Dana T’s set began, I noticed that there weren’t a lot of people who looked my age. There were many middle-aged or older people there, and the venue was occupied, but not full. People had found their friends and were ordering food and drinks.

And, as is usual at a concert as beautifully intimate as those at The Mill, some audience members had me wondering why those who choose to sit front and center are always the ones screaming conversation over the musician. But the music was about to be loud anyway, so thankfully it was easy to tune out.

After taking my time to settle in, Dana T took the stage with seven band members (one each behind a guitar, string bass, saxophone, trumpet, trombone, keyboard, and drums) and began his set. “This is a song I wrote, but you won’t understand what it’s about. Not because of you, because of me.”

He continues to play a jazzy, rock-y, disco-spirit-y set that has the whole venue swaying. It was upbeat and sometimes toned down, but always very fun. There were layers to every song, and each was just as interesting and essential as the next. It’s like the music was architecture.

There is something about his stage presence that exists both as he performs with Karen Meat and on his own. He moves with the music and as one with his guitar in a way I haven’t seen another artist do.

I’d noticed a saxophone on stage and had put it to the back of my mind, assuming it would be used during a later set and not Dana T’s. While sax (and other brass) had been featured on his album, I wasn’t expecting him to bring a brass trio on stage to perform with him.

There are a lot of people with much more fame that wouldn’t have done that and opted for a smaller show with fewer band members instead. Not only did he make the show more authentic to the sounds he releases on his album, but he didn’t let more than two songs go by without talking about how great his band members were.

This gesture in itself shows that Dana T. puts care into his music they way the instruments interacted with each other and the rhythm they created can’t be described as anything but care. There was more in this than a gig for him, and I’m glad I got to witness it.

Stay tuned for more Mission Creek Festival event reviews on KRUI’s website and listen to Dana T’s album “Tiny Mind Massive Soul” here!

https://youtu.be/V8bizO5qXb4

The post Mission Creek Festival: Dana T @ The Mill 4/5/2018 appeared first on KRUI Radio.

Moen is an Iowa native and graduated from the University of Iowa recently. She is a self-taught guitarist and jazz/blues singer alongside growing in popularity with the general public.

She wrote, recorded and released her first album locally and often returns to Iowa City to venues such as The Mill and Big Grove. Moen writes her own music, inspired by artists such as Stevie Nicks, Angel Olsen, Lake Street Dive, Joni Mitchell, and the Alabama Shakes. All of these are also conveniently bands I love listening to, and their influences definitely emerge in her music.

She has released two albums, her self-titled album in 2016 and “That’s All I Wanted” in May of 2017.

Her first album showcases her vocals more than anything else, but I don’t know if it’s possible to keep them hidden. It holds so much power. Stevie Nicks’ influence definitely comes out in “Keep Your Love,” particularly vocally. Lake Street Dive also has a very strong presence throughout the album. Although it is easy to spot Moen’s inspirations here, it’s also very clear that she has something entirely her own going on in songs like “Lost It” and “Songbird.” It’s personable, almost like the listener is one-on-one with her. Moen and her voice have built a home.

Though her self-titled album is astounding, it is clear that Moen has developed her musical talents and songwriting abilities by “That’s All I Wanted.” The album features twelve other Iowan musicians such as William Elliott Whitmore (folk and country singer) and Dana Telsrow (guitarist, also performing at Mission Creek Festival 2018!).

I also personally love Moen’s cover of “I Put a Spell on You,” originally popularized by another jazz and blues singer Nina Simone. Her deep, rolling voice captures the song perfectly and adds a new layer of movement to it.

She also released a cover of Daniel Johnston’s “True Love Will Find You In the End.” This cover really showcases Moen’s voice in a folky Americana tone in a way not overtly noticeable in her other songs. Listen to both below!

Moen has had the honor of performing with a lot of other really talented artists, such as Caroline Smith, Lake Street Dive, and Lucy Dacus. She will be playing alongside The Weepies at Mission Creek Festival 2018. I haven’t even seen her live yet but she’s already made her way onto several of my playlists. I can only imagine how much more powerful she would be on an empty stage.

Check out who else is coming to Mission Creek here or on KRUI’s website!

The post Mission Creek Festival Promo: Elizabeth Moen appeared first on KRUI Radio.

Roxane Gay, a cultural critic, and feminist writer has been publishing her novels, short stories, and essays since 2011. Her most recent, “Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body” and “Difficult Women” were published in 2017 and both made their appearance on the New York Times Bestseller List.

Her most popular work, “Bed Feminist” was published in 2014 and has been taught in classrooms across the country. It contains a collection of essays that will most likely be on any feminist reading list you can find on the Internet.

Gay was also one of the first two black women to write for Marvel. She co-wrote a Black Panther comic, “World of Wakanda,” with Yona Harvey, which focused on the romance between female characters Ayo and Aneka.

If you want to know more about Roxane Gay, listen to this interview about her latest work, “Hunger”, on NPR (her voice is very soothing to listen to, though the subject matter is not), or follow her on Twitter (she is hilarious and confronts her trolls head on).

Amber Tamblyn will be joining Gay in conversation at the Englert. Though she is most known for being an actor, she is also a very accomplished poet.

Tamblyn has published three collections of poetry titled “Bang Ditto,” “Free Stallion,” and “Dark Sparkler”. In “Dark Sparkler,” she analyzes 25 female actors who died before their time in a collection of poetry.

She has also written for the New York Times (read her articles “I’m Not Ready for the Redemption of Men” here), and wrote and directed the upcoming film “Paint It Black,” which will be released in June of 2018.

Carrie Brownstein will also be joining Tamblyn and Gay for Mission Creek Festival 2018.

Brownstein is best known for co-directing, co-starring, and co-writing popular television show “Portlandia.” “Portlandia” has won multiple Emmy Awards and is extremely popular for its hilarious commentary on hipster culture.

She also wrote a memoir published in 2015 titled “Hunger Makes Me a Modern Girl” about how music became her therapy.

Brownstein initially gained attention as a member of the rock band Sleater-Kinney, a group well known for the feminist revolution of punk rock in the 1990’s. You can listen to their most recent album, “No Cities to Love,” here.

We can’t wait to see you all at the Englert for a conversation between Roxane Gay, Amber Tamblyn, and Carrie Brownstein. Keep your eye out for more information on Mission Creek performances on KRUI’s website!

Check out the Mission Creek Festival website, here.

The post Promo: Carrie Brownstein + Roxane Gay + Amber Tamblyn In Conversation appeared first on KRUI Radio.

Buffy Sainte-Marie is a Canadian singer-songwriter and visual artist born in 1941. She released her first album “It’s My Way!” in 1964 when she was 23 years old. While the album never charted, it was still deeply influential in the folk genre and to Native American peoples.

Buffy Sainte-Marie, along with being a talented songwriter and singer, is also one of the most recognized advocated for the rights of indigenous peoples throughout the Americas. She focuses on protecting the intellectual property of Native peoples and fights against the exploitation for Native American artists.

In 1997, Sainte-Marie created the Cradleboard Teaching Project, which makes multimedia core curriculum about Native American cultures. Cradleboard is the branch of the Nihewan Foundation for Native American Education, founded in 1969 by Sainte-Marie. The foundation supports Native American college-bound students and helps students with lower grades gain access to a college education. Sainte-Marie has also been awarded with the American Indian College Fund’s lifetime achievement award for all of her hard work.

Her passion against the mistreatment of indigenous peoples is evident from the first song on her album titled “Now That the Buffalo’s Gone”. Sainte-Marie uses the near-extinction of the American buffalo as a metaphor for genocide against native peoples by the Europeans. The song is so powerful that it is now considered a classic folk protest song.

The final verse says the most to me: “Oh it’s all in the past you can say / But it’s still going on here today / The governments now want the Navajo land / That of the Inuit and the Cheyenne / It’s here and it’s now you can help us dear man / Now that the buffalo’s gone.”

“The Old Man’s Lament” is a very depressing song sung from the point of view of a man is raising a son that he knows isn’t his. “She goes out every night to a ball or a party / And leaves me here rockin’ he cradle alone / The innocent laddie he calls me his daddy / But little he knows that he’s none of my own.”

“Ananias” is a song that surprised me to hear. Ananias was a member of the early Christian church in Jerusalem, and suddenly died after lying to the Holy Spirit about money. After his death, people started to fear the Lord. The lyric “Ananias, Ananias / Tell me what kind of man this Jesus is, my Lord” is repeated for the majority of the song.

I think Sainte-Marie’s point is that she doesn’t understand the grace of a God that could allow one of his followers to drop dead or could allow any of his followers to fear him. This would be an interesting message for her to give out, especially since there is such little variety in the song’s lyrics.

“Mayoo Sto Hoon” is a beautiful song, and I’m really sad that I could find lyrics or translations anywhere. The song is sung in (I’m assuming) a Native American language that I do not know, and I wish I couldn’t found any information about it. Until I can find out more, all I know is that Sainte-Marie’s vocals sound absolutely lovely on this slow-paced, calm track.

“Cod’ine” is about addiction to the pain medication, codeine. “You’ll forget your woman, you’ll forget about man / Try it just once and you’ll try it again /  It’s sometimes you wonder and it’s sometimes you think / That I’m a-living my life with abandon to drink / And it’s real, and it’s real, one more time.” Since there is, unfortunately, such little information about Sainte-Marie that I can find, I am not sure if this song comes from personal experiences or if there is another inspiration for this song.  

The song begins to kind of drag on near the middle, since each verse ends with the same repetitive line, but I imagine this is a representation of addiction. The song was later covered by Janis Joplin and appeared on her album “This is Janis Joplin 1965”, though she changed some of Sainte-Marie’s lyrics.

“Cripple Creek” is an Old Time Appalachian folk song that has been popular since at least the early 1900’s. It definitely sounds out of place at first on “It’s My Way!” but it’s also really neat to hear Sainte-Marie recreate one of the very first folk songs since she would go on to influence the genre herself. It is a fun, uplifting song to listen to, and is a welcome break here.   

“Universal Soldier” became one of Buffy Sainte-Marie’s most famous songs, especially so after it was covered by the popular artist Donovan. The song tells the story of a soldier that believes he is fighting for peace, but doesn’t recognize that he is part of the unrest. This song became a definitive anti-war anthem for the 20th century.

“Babe in Arms” is the story opposite of “The Old Man’s Lament”. In this track, a pregnant woman already mothering one child is stuck at home alone while her husband is away drinking and living a freer life. To end the story, we get the lyric “And were it not for this wee baby / Well, you know what I’d do / Ooh, to my fine man / Ah, don’t you know, I’d shoot him and put an end to his life of sin.”

“He Lived Alone in Town” is perhaps the most melancholy song on the album. It tells the story of a man who is left by a woman he loves. While they both love each other, she leads him on a chase to find her, though she knows will never end and she will not be with him. The song ends with the lyric “So, wander with me now / Or wander off alone / But know I love you, tearful one / Much more than I can show.”

“You’re Gonna Need Somebody on Your Bond” is another traditional folk song Sainte-Marie covers on this album. Her rendition is very quick and upbeat, but has a daunting message. “You’re gonna need somebody on your bond / Way after midnight when Death comes a-creepin’ in your room.” Blind Willie Johnson, a blues musician this song is accredited to, says the song deals with the idea that one needs a legally binding contract in order to get into heaven. Donovan also covered this song after it was on Sainte-Marie’s album.

“The Incest Song” is an incredibly morbid story. The lyrics describe the death of a woman carrying the child of her brother. The woman’s brother is in love with her, but chooses to stab her to death since he’s been given a bride by their father. He then goes to his wedding directly afterward, where his father asks why he’s crying so much. This would have to be my least favorite song from the album, both because it isn’t as musically interesting and because the subject matter is a little too out of place for me.

The lyrics of “Eyes of Amber” are lovely in their imagery.  It is a song about the lessons of love, or about the person who teaches someone how to love, even if it is a self-taught love. “Heart of fire light / Heart of the flowers of the / Jungle / Heart of snow / You come again and you are / Midnight wind.” The fleeting feeling this song gives is very light and precious.

And finally, at the end of the album we get the title track, “It’s My Way”. I really, really wish that I could say I liked this song, and I do like the message an independence that Sainte-Marie is claiming within it. However, the song is very repetitive, with almost each line beginning with the words “I’ve got my own” and very little variation in the guitar accompaniment. I wish there had been more poetic lyricism, but I still appreciate the meaning.

As I was researching Buffy Sainte-Marie, I became more and more shocked that I hadn’t heard anything about her ever before. She was covered by Janis Joplin and Donovan, both extremely popular artists in the 60’s, but of course there is endless information about both of them.

She penned the most popular anti-war anthem in the era where the United States was arguably the most anti-war it’s ever been. She influenced folk music as a whole, a genre that was extremely popular at the time. She is still doing this hard work today at 77 years old and yet, as hard as I look, I can find barely any information about her.

The album as a whole is very classically folky and very quick to listen to. These thirteen songs together are only forty minutes long, and I wish there was more. This time of year, when it’s still cold but also kind of like  spring, make me crave folk music like no other. Of course, this won’t end until the end of the summer, so this album will make a great addition to the playlist I’ll be listening to for the next six-ish months.

Something else to check out: Buffy Sainte-Marie’s “Medicine Songs”. These songs were created to not overwhelm or oppress any group of people during the tense political climate we’re living in right now. Sainte-Marie says these songs are meant to enlighten and uplift those who hear them, and are meant to motivate the listener to fight for their rights and beliefs.

Listen to both “It’s My Way!” and “Medicine Songs” below!

The post Stella: “It’s My Way!” by Buffy Sainte-Marie appeared first on KRUI Radio.

For this week’s Stella, I’ll be discussing Erykah Badu and her debut album, “Baduizm”.

Erykah Badu, born Erica Wright, changed her name in her youth. She believed that “Erica” was a slave name, so she added the term “kah”, a word meaning “inner self” to the end. She came to choose “Badu” as her last name as it was her favorite scat sound in jazz music.

While “Baduizm” was her premier album, Badu reached number one on the Billboard Chart for R&B and Hip-Hop and number 20 on the Billboard 200. She also won two Grammys for the album, one for Best B&B Album and one for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for the single “On & On”.

Released in February of 1997, “Baduizm” went triple platinum after it spawned three singles: “On & On”, “Next Lifetime”, and “Otherside of the Game”. The album firmly planted Badu as a staple of neo Soul music, perfectly blending jazz and hip-hop to create a new genre.

“Basuizm” begins with a bassline and leads into the beat of a drum with “Rim Shot (Intro)”. The drumming technique used is the namesake of the song; when a drummer hits the rim of the drum as well as hitting the drum, it’s called a rimshot. 

This song lays the foundation for the rest of the album very nicely. It exudes classic jazz and modern R&B. Combined with Badu’s perfectly catered vocals, there is no question that even the first track from “Baduizm” paved the way for neo-Soul as an established genre.

“On & On”, Badu’s first single, is the second track from the album. This song really showcases Badu’s writing talent. She was able to make many references to the same concept: a circular figure or motion, kind of like karma.

“The world keeps turning” and “My cypher keeps moving like a rolling stone” are just two examples of lyrics that point toward this cylindrical motion. Badu also makes references to her astrological sign, Pieces, whose image is two fish swimming in a circle.

The song reflects the idea that life goes on (& On) through struggles if we have faith. Badu’s faith in this respect goes toward a God. “Most intellects do not believe in God but they fear us just the same” and “If we were made in his image then call us by our names” are lyrics Badu uses to express her religious beliefs. Though I am not religious, the song still really resonates with me in another kind of spiritual way.

Religious motifs continue in the opening monologue of “Appletree”. Badu addresses her listeners are “the Creator’s righteous children”. The title “Appletree” and Badu’s lyrics mentioning “picking fruit” could be a reference to the Garden of Eden. 

After the first three tracks of the album, “Baduizm” begins to focus for a while on complex love.

“Other Side of the Game” discusses the story of a new mother who stays at home alone while her husband or boyfriend is out making money to pay the bills.

“Next Lifetime” begins with a discussion between Badu and one of her friends, explaining that while she can see herself with him, she can’t leave her current relationship.

In “Afro (Freestyle Skit)” Badu uses her and her boyfriend’s hair to describe their relationship. When he promised her tickets to a Wu-Tang Clan concert, she got her hair put in cornrows and his afro was flat on one side.

“Certainly” had become one of my favorites for its lyrics. “Who gave you permission to rearrange me / Certainly not me.” “Was not looking for no love affair, baby / And now you wanna fix me.” “The world is mine / when I wake up / I don’t need nobody telling me the time.”

I choose to interpret this as Badu’s commentary on unsolicited attention, assault, or men that are far too persistent when it’s been made clear there is no common interest. I finally have the perfect tune to play when I get fifteen Facebook message requests from the same strange man just saying “hey.”

“Certainly” is reprised later in “Certainly (Flipped It)” as the second to last song of the album. The two renditions are completely different, as the second is more groovy than it is jazzy. The tempo is quicker, the octave is higher, and Badu comes of as sassier. Both are still absolutely beautiful.

These songs in particular do an excellent job of showcasing Badu’s vocal talents. Her voice is perfect for the slow-moving jazz accompanying these complicated tales. Throughout “Afro (Freestyle Skit)” the listener is able to feel Badu’s personality more. She is giggling in the beginning, and since she sings with minimal musical background, there is more room for her to tell a story with her voice alone.

The album takes a musically stylistic turn from this point on. Especially since the previous four love songs were so similar, the change was almost striking. The songs move from slow, deep jazz rhythms to those with higher energy. This change also comes about in lyrical context. Badu isn’t always singing about sad romances or heartbreak anymore, but brings in a theme of hopefulness.

“4 Leaf Clover” is the first song on “Baduizm” that immediately strikes me as different from the rest. Badu isn’t the only vocalist on the song. There are several harmonized voices layered behind Badu’s throughout the choruses. I miss Badu’s voice as a feature in this track. I’d grown attached to it from the beginning.

“No Love” has a beautiful intro. Badu jazz scats her way into the song. While the song is about unrequited or underappreciated love, the music itself doesn’t feel sad, but rather optimistic. I feel conflicted about this song for this reason. I wonder what kind of emotional reaction Badu wants her listener to have. I feel like this song should make me frustrated or angry, but I’m confused about it instead.

“Drama” is a song that I think we could all use right now. It focuses on persevering through different kinds of oppression, namely different layers of racial segregation. “So tired of hearing people say / how can we go on?” Badu tells us in this song that there isn’t room for giving up in the fight for equal rights and recognition.

“Sometimes” tells the story of one last complicated love story. “Sometimes / I don’t love you anymore / Sometimes / I’m in love with you.” We heard a little bit of this track earlier in the album with “Sometimes (Mix #9)” which provided a short preview of the full song and gave a nice, forty second break in the flow of the album.

“Baduizm” ends it’s show with another recording of “Rim Shot” which begins with applause. This really allowed the album to go full circle and feel like a completed project. It also ties in with the karmic motif from “On & On” in the beginning of the album.

I would definitely listen to this album again even if it was just Badu’s vocals on their own. This album feels vulnerable and powerful and confident and insecure simultaneously. Erykah Badu is an original artist. She was the first person to create any music like what is featured on “Baduizm”, and she was also a woman of color in a field largely donimated by men.

Badu has been a huge inspiration in many ways, but has also had her share of recent controversy.

In late 2016, Badu sang at a benefit concert in Detroit to raise funds for testing over 11,000 untested rape kits. 81% of these rape kits belonged to women of color. This was an excellent way for Badu to use her fame to advocate for thousands of women (nearly 9,000 of whom were women of color) who didn’t get the chance for justice they deserved. She also has her own charity called B.L.I.N.D., which provides community development for inner-city youth through multiple art forms.

However, Badu has come under some scrutiny in Janurary 2018. In an interview, Badu said that she “saw something good in Hitler” and went on to defend Bill Cosby, who has been accused of years of sexual abuse by over 60 women. This is odd coming from a person who has clearly been a leader in human rights, including those of women who had been sexually assaulted or raped. These statements are incredibly polarizing in the present political climate.

Badu went on to release seven more albums after “Baduizm” including two mixtapes and one live album later in 1997. Her most recent is the mixtape “But You Caint Use My Phone”.

In one of the tracks “Cel U Lar Device” and throughout the album, Badu samples Drake’s “Hotline Bling” to, in my interpretation, illustrate the woman’s side of the story or to introduce the potential double standards represented in his original song. Of course, it could also just be a cover.

More about this mixtape can be found in this Rolling Stone article. I would highly recommend listening through it!

Listen to Erykah Badu’s album “Baduizm” below or here.

Stella is a column surrounding analysis and appreciation of the 150 albums chosen by NPR as the best created by women thus far. Each week I choose an album from this list I’ve been wanting to listen to, that peaks my interest, or that seems like essential listening to write about. The column’s goal is to provide female identifying readers with the empowerment that can only be obtained through a badass woman and her amazing music.

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