The Plug’n Play: October (‘21)
October 31, 2021
You can listen to the full playlist on Apple Music, Spotify, or Tidal
Below are some of our favorite songs from the month, and a bit about why we love them. The first 11 songs were selected by me, Stanley and the last 12 songs were selected by Kevin. We hope you find a song you like, and check out the entire album!
Stanley: The War On Drugs — I Don’t Wanna Wait
When I think about my favorite songs, I don’t necessarily think about genre, at least in the traditional sense. Rather, to me, what’s most important is the combination of storytelling, musical composition, song structure and dynamics (I like songs that start one place and end in another?), and a general level of musicianship being exhibited. I Don’t Wanna Wait, the fourth track from The War On Drugs’ new album I Don’t Live Here Anymore, fits the bill. The song, which begins set to the sound of a Roland CR-78 drum machine (same drum machine from Phil Collins’ In The Air Tonight), a wailing, yet fading guitar, and a synthesizer, builds slowly, yet maintains a sense of momentum. In fact, it isn’t until the second verse that we hear the bass guitar and acoustic drum set; it’s a patient tune. The song crescendoes at the third verse, but at this point the song’s changed keys, and the listener is transported to what feels like another place, and the once fading guitar is now fully present. I Don’t Wanna Wait is but one of many songs on the band’s new album that shows their skill as both songwriters and composers.
Stanley: Ikechi Onyenaka — Hardships
For the past 3 years, I’ve been playing in the supporting band behind Ikechi Onyenaka, a saxophonist and songwriter from the Philadelphia area. Over the course of that time, we’ve been playing his tunes around the city at different venues, workshopping ideas along the way (that’s one of the beautiful things about playing live music with other people - you literally watch songs evolve over time). While we’d been playing these tunes, they hadn’t been put on wax yet - that is until earlier this year in May! Back in May, we spent some time in the studio recording Ikechi’s debut project — The City Dreams EP — a project about pursuing one’s dreams, yet facing adversity but not bowing to it. It’s a heartfelt project that I’m happy to be a part of.
Stanley: BADBADNOTGOOD — Talk Meaning (Featuring Terrace Martin, Brandee Younger, Arthur Verocai)
Talk Memory, the 5th studio album from BADBADNOTGOOD, sees the band explore new spaces. Since releasing their debut album in 2011, the band’s come to be known for their ability to blend Black musics extending from Jazz, Hip-Hop, Soul, and Funk, gaining the ear of everyone from Ghostface Killah and Mick Jenkins to Kali Uchis and Kaytranada. But on their new album, it feels like the band has taken yet another step, exploring new sonic possibilities. Throughout the album, Arthur Verocai, the sublime Brazilian composer, makes several appearances, adding stringed compositions that make the songs feel both lighter and have more depth. The album also features appearances from Harpist, Brandee Younger, multi-instrumentalist, Laraaji, and Terrace Martin. It’s some of their best work to date.
