SOMETHING OLD
Alice Coltrane - Spiritual Eternal
1976
A Wurlitzer organ opens on a dry desert landscape. It arpeggiates, and without pause, suddenly begins to conduct an immense orchestra and retreats into ashram. The strings soar upwards toward an indigo sky while the the horns pull at the roots beneath the earth, and somewhere in between that Wurlitzer keeps everything grounded. This is not dissimilar to Alice Coltrane's life trajectory following the passing of her husband John, when she moved from New York to California and became a monastic spiritual leader.
Alice Coltrane - Spiritual Eternal
1976
A Wurlitzer organ opens on a dry desert landscape. It arpeggiates, and without pause, suddenly begins to conduct an immense orchestra and retreats into ashram. The strings soar upwards toward an indigo sky while the the horns pull at the roots beneath the earth, and somewhere in between that Wurlitzer keeps everything grounded. This is not dissimilar to Alice Coltrane's life trajectory following the passing of her husband John, when she moved from New York to California and became a monastic spiritual leader.
Spiritual Eternal is the opening track of her album of Eternity, her first album since she made that change in her life an opened the Vedantic Center in San Francisco. It represents the widespread musical embrace of spirituality and Hindu culture, seen with rock groups such as The Beatles and in her contemporary jazz circles, most notably her husband and The Mahavishnu Orchestra.
This work is such a grand way to announce Alice's new life. The way the orchestra begins twenty seconds in is inconceivably stunning, and complements her blues-oriented organ playing as much as it complements the traditional jazz drum style from Ben Riley. Later in the album, she draws inspiration from Stravinsky's Rite of Spring, impressively blending classical and jazz ideas with something brand new altogether: something spiritual, and something most certainly eternal.
SOMETHING NEW
Julia Jacklin - Get Away From Me (I Think I'll Love You Soon)
June 15th, 2026
Julia Jacklin - Get Away From Me (I Think I'll Love You Soon)
June 15th, 2026
Australian singer-songwriter Julia Jacklin has announced the September release of The Gem, her fourth album, after a four year drought. This lead single is the perfect example to describe Jacklin:
profoundly vulnerable feelings sung mightily and backed by something to dance to.
profoundly vulnerable feelings sung mightily and backed by something to dance to.
The opening lyric, you don't have to be careful, immediately shows a distinct shift from her last album. On her 2022 song Be Careful With Yourself, Jacklin is open with her lover and sees an enduring future with them. She pleads for them to stop smoking, never speed, not keep their emotions bottled up, save their money, etc. to ensure a life together that lasts as long as possible. Now, there's a shift:
You don't have to be careful
I don't have to be right
You don't have to call me up, darling
If you don't come home tonight
You don't have to be careful
I don't have to be right
You don't have to call me up, darling
If you don't come home tonight
The ultra-worried Jacklin suddenly shows restraint and nonchalance, but I think in reality she's just recognizing her inevitable pattern of some serious "chalance." She asks them to get away, running away from someone she knows she's going to fall in love with due to the suspicion that this love will not be good for her. As frequently as her stunning voice sings that get away from me lyric, she eventually reveals toward the end she's trying to not want [them] to stay. So while her attitude and closeness to the song's subject is a little different from Be Careful With Yourself change, the honesty is still completely in tact.
This single is a serious earworm and encompasses everything I love about Jacklin. I can't wait for the new record!
SOMETHING BORROWED
Otis Redding - Papa's Got a Brand New Bag (James Brown)
1966
Otis Redding - Papa's Got a Brand New Bag (James Brown)
1966
In anticipation of Father's Day on Sunday, we're celebrating with James Brown: the titular "Papa," the Godfather of Soul, and the biological father of at least nine children, as well as Otis Redding, a father of four.
Papa's Got a Brand New Bag was one of Brown's first huge hits, and is integral to the history of music as a whole. It is widely credited as the birth of funk for its syncopation, emphasizing the first and third beats of the measure rather than the more traditional second and fourth beats. The music comes down "on the one," creating a totally different energy than anyone was used to at the time.
In 1966, a year after Brown's release of the song, the legendary Otis Redding covered it live at the Whisky a Go Go. While James Brown's on-stage energy is sort of unbeatable, Redding was a close second. I love when he ad-libs during the sax solo and you can hear him catching his breath, because you just know he was giving it all on that stage.
SOMETHING... FOR A 𝖵̶𝖨̶𝖢̶𝖳̶𝖮̶𝖱̶IOUS NEW YORK CITY
Cat Power - Manhattan
2012
Cat Power - Manhattan
2012
Victor Wembanyama, you'll never be Jalen Brunson.
San Antonio, you'll never be Manhattan.
San Antonio, you'll never be Manhattan.
Last weekend, the New York Knicks won their first championship since 1973. New York has been electric ever since. Sure, empty school buses have been set on fire, a thousand fights have broken out, athletes have been egged... but we've all seen the good and bad happen together. Our society hasn't been so united in ages. Televisions with only a few channels and radios with only a few stations are long lost, and with overwhelming variety and freedom of choice, we've lost each other. For once, we're all together. We've been watching the same program, wearing the same colors, chanting the same slogans. Even as a lifelong staunch sports hater, even the immovable object I am... I have met an unstoppable force. I have completely embraced basketball. I have fallen in love with the Knicks. And I have never been prouder of my home of New York.
There are plenty of huge, energetic songs about NYC and its infectious joy. I chose to go with this one from Cat Power instead, which is chill and understated but still clearly full of admiration.