Category Archives: soul

#32 – I Can’t Stand the Rain by Ann Peebles

Another weekend of big demonstrations across the country and there seems to be less aggression than in the previous weekend.  There’s still no shortage of incidents of heavy-handed policing, but the demonstrations as a whole seem to have played host to fewer large conflagrations.  The big moves that Minneapolis has pledged to could provide aContinue reading “#32 – I Can’t Stand the Rain by Ann Peebles”

#31 – Dirty Computer by Janelle Monáe

I wasn’t familiar with Janelle Monáe when I worked on a concert film for her back in 2013, but by the end of the show I was a fan.  On a day that saw a second Saturday in a row of national protests, it would seem like the state of our nation is pretty dire. Continue reading “#31 – Dirty Computer by Janelle Monáe”

#30 – Mama’s Gun by Erykah Badu

With everything going on in the world, it’s pretty tempting to try to disconnect from reality with any number of distractions.  Music has always been a great escape for me, so it’s been helpful this week to have a steady stream of protest music by activist artists.  It makes for a nice mixture of greatContinue reading “#30 – Mama’s Gun by Erykah Badu”

#26 – Paris Live 1969 by Ritchie Havens

As Los Angeles goes under curfew for a second night of demonstrations, I decided to listen to some Ritchie Havens, who was probably the first activist/musician that I was exposed to.  I remember seeing footage of him from Woodstock when I was young and was blown away by how one man with an acoustic guitarContinue reading “#26 – Paris Live 1969 by Ritchie Havens”

#25 – To Pimp A Butterfly by Kendrick Lamar

Kendrick Lamar is the next social justice crusader/artist for our little listening project, with many more to come.  As Los Angeles goes under a curfew tonight amid increasing demonstrations and rioting, it’s hard to think about anything else.  The combination of coronavirus quarantine and mass protest across the country are giving white Americans a tasteContinue reading “#25 – To Pimp A Butterfly by Kendrick Lamar”

#15 – Invisible People by Chicano Batman

Today is my first, and hopefully last, quarantine birthday!  I wanted to pick an artist that I have good memories of seeing live since that is the thing I am missing the most these day.  I had never heard of Chicano Batman before I saw them play an early afternoon set on the Outdoor StageContinue reading “#15 – Invisible People by Chicano Batman”