I’ve been listening to this album on repeat for a few weeks! It’s got some great scream/sing-along-in-the-car tracks on it, particularly “Jícama” and “I Don’t Believe In Death.” Here’s “Jícama,” but I encourage you to give the whole album a listen on Spotify.
On Repeat: Chilango Blues, by Mon Laferte
It’s May 2020, and for more than two months now, to keep each other—loved ones and strangers alike—safe and healthy, we’re all staying inside and avoiding contact as much as possible. I’m in my hometown of El Paso, my one-week trip from early March now in its third month. I feel lucky to have sunshine and family within my reach, but of course it’s bittersweet—what I’ve left behind, and what will no longer be, linger in my mind.
I don’t know when I’ll see my partner, sheltering at home on the East Coast, next. In a different world, we’d planned to take off for Mexico City at the end of this month, for our second long-ish stay there together; he was going to work on his dissertation and I was going to translate, translate, translate all summer, popping out for a street taco at mealtimes, or warming up one of a dozen tamales we’d have stocked in the rental apartment’s fridge. That’s how we’d imagined the summer, anyway. It’ll have to stay imagined for a while, as we’ve (of course) cancelled the trip.
So, a fitting tune for all of that: the amazing Chilean singer Mon Laferte’s “Chilango Blues.”
In the world of home-enclosure, a couple funny, eerie lines from the song: “Se acabó la democracia en casa / Ahora vive un monstruo en la terraza.” A straightforward translation: “Democracy has ended at home / Now a monster lives on the terrace.” Now imagine it rhyming and Mon Laferte’s voice crooning it. So good.
Anyway, I hope that your terraces remain monster-free and that we can keep democracy alive, at home and outside it. Take care.
On Repeat: Green Garden, by Laura Mvula
Hi! This is my way of casually coming back to this blog after months of radio silence. Oops.
I’m currently living in Mexico City, working on my dissertation thanks to a fellowship from BU. I’ll write some blog posts about it soon, but for now, a song that always brings me some joy: Laura Mvula’s “Green Garden.”
And: please donate to Beto O’Rourke’s Senate campaign. Thanks! More to come . . .
On Repeat: Forever
It’s my favorite time of year! The sun is out more days than not, and it’s warm and bright everywhere I go. That’s kind of how Matt and Kim’s music makes me feel, no matter the season, so I’ve been listening to their latest album while out on runs or packing boxes. (I just moved to a new apartment for my last 5 weeks in Boston before leaving for Mexico . . . it’ll be a summer of many boxes and suitcases.) I like this song because it still has Matt and Kim’s usual upbeat danceability, yet the message is actually kind of pessimistic! So it’s a funny contrast. Enjoy!
On Repeat: Hiedra Venenosa
This song by the Instituto Mexicano del Sonido / Mexican Institute of Sound came up on one of my daily Spotify mixes last week and I can’t stop listening to it now—it’s so catchy!
After a few listens you’ll find yourself joining in on the drawn out “aaaahhhhh”s between verses, even if you can’t manage to sing along to the rest of the speedy lyrics . . .
Enjoy:
On Repeat: Natalia Lafourcade’s Tiny Desk Concert
I adore Natalia Lafourcade’s music, so it was such a treat to be able to watch her perform with her musicians for this NPR Tiny Desk concert! Enjoy.
(For more, I heartily recommend her “Hasta la raíz” and “Lo que construimos.” The latter is one of those songs that I simply can’t hear without wanting to sing along. Love.)
On Repeat: Homemade Dynamite [Remix]
I had Lorde’s Melodrama album on repeat all summer while I was scanning microfilm in the basement of the Yale Library, and this song is a remix of a song from that album (now featuring Khalid, Post Malone, and SZA).
Since November, much of my hope has been brought to me by young people who are full of energy and fight. I’ve found myself listening to young artists who bring that energy to me musically: Lorde, Khalid (who, like me, is a proud El Pasoan!), Tash Sultana, Harry Styles, and Noname, for example. With its featured artists of Khalid, Post Malone, and SZA, this remixed Lorde song is a superforce of that youthful fire that’s been so valuable to me lately. Enjoy!