The Plug’n Play: November (‘24)
December 3, 2024
Illustration by Malaaya Adams
You can listen to the full playlist on Apple Music, Spotify, or Tidal
Each month, my friend, Kevin and I select some of our favorite songs from the past month, compiling them into one playlist. While our tastes overlap in a lot of ways, they also diverge. Ultimately, these songs represent what has drawn us in, made us curious, or feel something. If you’re looking for new music, this is the place for you!
Songs 1 - 13 were selected by me, Stanley. Songs 14 - 30 were selected by Kevin. We hope you find a song you like and check out the larger body of work, whether it’s an EP or an album. Below are a few words on some of my favorite songs from the month:
Fly Free — Black Buttafly
Black Buttafly — pianist, songwriter, and producer from New Brunswick, New Jersey — is a child of the Black church; of Black sacred music(s). Fittingly, Black Buttafly, who still plays the Hammond Organ in church each week, counts the likes of J Dilla, Patrice Rushen, Stevie Wonder, and Herbie Hancock as influences — a group of artists that have, in their own ways, been molded by the sounds of the Black church. On Fly Free, the title-track from Black Buttafly’s debut EP, the artist skillfully maneuvers between styles and genres. There are horns, distorted guitars, a Rhodes Piano, a Hammond Organ, and drums played just a little bit behind the beat — it’s an amalgamation of sounds that have a distinct, yet recognizable, origin (D’Angelo’s Black Messiah comes to mind as a sonic reference point here as well). For me, Fly Free (the EP) is an exciting extension of a tradition and expertly done at that. The compositions are exciting and the mix of the project sounds good. It’s well worth your time to check out!
Stay By My Side — Michael Kiwanuka
On Small Changes, Michael Kiwanuka’s fourth studio album, I was most struck by his carrying of the Bluesman tradition. It’s not that his songs are “sad” — though sadness plays a part of his songwriting repertoire — but that they explore the emotion and depth of human relationships. Longing, regret, desire, and hope are all present and consistent throughout his music, and the work of everyone from Albert King to Bessie Smith.
Here, Kiwanuka finds himself with a number of recurring characters appearing across his discography, namely, Inflo, the producer who’s been at the helm of London’s R&B scene for the past decade working with the likes of SALT, Little Simz, Cleo Sol, and others, and Danger Mouse, the veteran producer who’s made his way through the 21st century with impressive dexterity and grace, working with everyone from Norah Jones and Black Thought to Adele and MF Doom. Together, Kiwanuka, Inflo, and Danger Mouse have developed a distinctly lush sound built on 60s and 70s Soul music(s). On Small Changes, the acoustic guitars, chorale arrangements and string orchestras that have become commonplace in his music have been positioned alongside drum machines and electric drum kits, making for an exciting sonic contrast.
I got the chance to see Kiwanuka in October as part of a co-headlining tour with Brittany Howard — it was an awesome show! — and I wish I could experience it again, only this time with more familiarity with the newer tunes and the anticipation of how they might be presented in a live show.
