March 2018 ~ Born Under Punches

“This song exposes the asymmetry behind male grievance. It's about the way that the practical realities of living in certain bodies decimates the hypothetical framework of false equivalences. In short, there are real differences between negative feelings towards different groups, based on how likely those negative feelings are to contribute to the physical harm, or death, of their targets. And you thought you were listening to a jaunty indie rock song.” 

Featuring: Angélique Kidjo, Wu Man, Clara Rockmore, Pussy Riot, and more.

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November 2016 ~ F******CK! (America)

"I just don’t recognize my reality, my America, in all this crap. I know that my life, and the lives of so many people I know, has nothing to do with these cartoonish characterizations. So, to battle this maddening reductionism, I want to state for the record who this real American is."

Featuring: Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings, A Tribe Called Quest, Laura Marling, Run the Jewels, and more. 

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June 2016 ~ Feeling the Fugue

"One of the surprising things I've learned is how much more moving I find dance performances than classical music. Spurred by that experience, I've been trying to develop my classical music knowledge a little. As I suspected, knowing something about the historical/musicological context and technical skeleton of the music really helps."

Featuring: Margaret Glaspy, Vince Staples, Christian Scott, Bacao Rhythm and Steel Band, and more.

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January 2016 ~ "...from the forthcoming..."

"I've been trying to slowly educate myself about Chicago's deep bench of new music ensembles, and I'm betting it will be hard to find any more interesting, virtuosic, and soulful than eighth blackbird."

Featuring: Christian Scott, Yeasayer, Gabby Pahinui, Ron Funches, and more.

 

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