Tag: Joints and Jams

Joints and Jams

Joints & Jams – Childish Gambino & Radiant Children

Kia Clay
Click to hear the entire playlist

In my near decade of being enthralled with Issa Rae’s depictions of awkwardness and insecurity, one thing I could always count on was getting put on to great music. 2021 marks both The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl’s 10th anniversary and the conclusion of a groundbreaking five years of Insecure. In honor of that, here are my two favorite songs (one from each property) that I got hip to while watching.

Childish Gambino – L.E.S. (2011) [The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl]

Until this point, the only thing I knew Donald Glover from was the excellent series Community. And honestly, I think that’s the only thing I really need to know him from. None of his other endeavors, including his alter ego as a musician, do much for me. However, the sweeping strings and that driving beat that start this track off are infectious. The song depicts his rather unmemorable night out with a woman on the lower east side, but the production on this track is top tier. It breathes the vibes of that neighborhood – having been there exactly once, I am an expert. Trust me.

Radiant Children – Life’s a Bitch (2018) [Insecure]

The end of the third season’s premiere saw Issa Dee sleeping on the couch of the guy she made a bad decision with, in hot water at her non-profit job, driving for Lyft to get extra money for her own place and figuring out why the Party Lyft idea may not be the greatest idea (even though she did get the opportunity to pick up Nathan with the face). It’s that classic moment in your late 20s where so many things are out of your control, so many things suck. Despite what the title of the song may lead you to believe, it’s not about giving up, but about letting go and doing you. The bass line in the intro is fun and funky, like a 70s throwback and the sing-a-long hook is a strange, wonderful, conflicting mix of nihilism and optimism.

Joints and Jams

Joints & Jams – H.E.R. and Snoh Aalegra

Kia Clay
Click to hear the entire playlist

H.E.R. – Damage (2020)

My friend and I were riding around in her car years ago when she asked me if I’d heard of her. Well, not “her,” but H.E.R. “Who? No?” I questioned. She immediately pulled up a playlist on Spotify and relayed H.E.R.’s mythology in an almost breathless reverence: no one has seen her face, no one knows her name but people are saying that she might be that girl that had that song years ago. Gabi Wilson? Remember her? I nodded along, having no idea who Gabi Wilson was but too caught up in the story for that to register. I liked the music my friend was playing, but each song kind of blended into the next for me. There wasn’t anything I could put my finger on as the “it” thing for me. At that point, anyway. Fast forward a few years and if you are even a slight fan of R&B you have heard of her. Well, not “her,” but H.E.R. If you described her as prodigious, I would not argue, but her deep love of and protectiveness of the R&B genre is what sets her apart to me, which is made apparent in the sample she chose for this song. “Making Love in the Rain,” by trumpeter Herb Alpert (with an assist from a whole Janet Jackson on BGVs) was a top 10 R&B hit a full ten years before H.E.R. was even born, but its use signifies a deftness and sophistication in her understanding of the cultural significance of the building blocks of the genre. She’s performing at the Grammys, right? I swear, if they don’t get Janet to drop in…

Snoh Aalegra – Fool for You (2017)

I may have heard of Snoh prior to 2020, but I seriously doubt it. And no shame, because that’s when she came into a lot of our consciousness. One random quarantine Friday, I was going through Janet Jackson’s IG stories, where she was reposting fan stories and I saw this mix by DJ Jason Y  putting very familiar music to an unfamiliar voice. I screen grabbed it and listened to it at least 30 times and then went to find the singer on Spotify. While it didn’t have the same magic without that classic Janet track underneath, I certainly saw why people were talking about her. The song that I chose for today’s playlist is from her earlier effort and this exemplifies that modern take on a 60s sound with a dreamy quality that she absolutely dominates.

Joints and Jams

Joints & Jams – Patrick Page II

Kia Clay
Click to hear the entire playlist

The first person to have claimed both spots on a single day is Patrick Page II, bassist for the group, The Internet, which reminds me of a hip-hop/R&Bish version of Zero 7 and definitely a group Lynn from Girlfriends would have tried to grift her way into. And when your bassist can release fire songs like this, you just may be a supergroup. 

Patrick Paige II – Voodoo (2018)

If you haven’t been able to tell, I love callbacks. Allusions. Something that evokes the feelings of something else. Whenever I see the word “voodoo,” I automatically think of D’Angelo, which then leads to a feeling of a specific vibe. I don’t know if Patrick made the song and then realized it reminded him of D’Angelo and called it “Voodoo” or if he specifically set out to make a joint that could have been made during those iconic sessions. For my money, this leans more towards the, in my opinion, superior sound of D’Angelo’s debut Brown Sugar and Paige’s falsetto on the hook floats.

Patrick Paige II – On My Mind/Charge It To the Game (2018)

A love letter to his sister, Paige’s bassist background really shines early on in this track and, yo! He raps?! For this song, he leaves the singing to Syd, vocalist for The Internet and its simplicity is a big part of its beauty. Oh, but wait. Towards the end, the beat completely flips, vocals are slowed and distorted and the song takes on a different personality. Kari Faux takes on singing the hook for the decidedly unsisterly switch.

Joints and Jams

Joints & Jams – Kelly Rowland and Brandy

Kia Clay
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Kelly Rowland – Don’t You Worry (2019)

Is one of my life’s dispositions to be drawn to the best singer in a group, even though they are the second most popular and not destined for mega success? My JC Chasez devotion is very thoroughly documented and is really a part of my brand at this point. A lesser known fact is that one Kelendria Trene Rowland is my favorite member of Destiny’s Child. Her voice is unmatched. Her music, on the other hand, is uneven. So imagine my delight when I heard this new song, which is so firmly rooted in the sound of 90s R&B (the greatest of all R&Bs, imo). If you notice her ad-libbed “Ha” after the modulation toward the end of the song, the story in my mind is that she knew she didn’t miss with this one.

Brandy – I Wanna Be Down (1994)

So that 90s R&B sound of the previous song? More specifically, it sounds like this song (both the original and the remix, which is even more impressive). This song is as special to me today as it was in 1994 when I was listening to the version I taped off the radio on my dad’s Walkman during recess in 6th grade. It’s sonically interesting, her low and raspy voice unlike anything I’d heard from her predecessors, like Shanice or Tracie Spencer. And the lyrics! How brave of that girl to just ask the damn thing and state her purpose! Gimme some of that confidence today!

Joints and Jams

Joints & Jams – Bernard Wright and Rockwell

Kia Clay
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Bernard Wright – Who Do You Love (1985)

Like all teenagers of the 90s, I was first introduced to this song via LL Cool J’s “Loungin’” remix. I was old enough to know that beat was so fire that it couldn’t be original, but these were the pre-Shazam days, so I was destined to live a life of ignorance until now. The source material is no slouch; I can’t imagine how hype that drum machine made the club in the 80s.

Rockwell – Somebody’s Watching Me (1984)

If you needed proof that Michael Jackson had the Midas touch in the 80s, look no further than this rubbish. Rubbish, in tribute to Rockwell’s insanely ridiculous UK accent he adopted for this song…and maybe his entire career? Who knows. But let’s be serious: his career is basically this song, right? Anyway, c’mon man. You are from Detroit! Enter one MJ, who I imagine just casually swung by the stude, put in about 15 minutes of effort singing the hook, and then went to feed his lions or something. Number one hit – boom!

Joints and Jams

Joints & Jams – Matt Wertz and DNCE

Kia Clay
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Don’t call it a comeback! …or, you know, you probably can. I’ve been super absent these past…7 months. Hey! Don’t judge me.

You know those people who tell you that so-and-so has the song on the summer? I REJECT those! I make my own summer song playlist, and you can find it below…

Matt Wertz – Easy Things Hard (2016)

Wertz has been one of my fav-o-rites for a little over a decade now, but he really surprised me with this latest release. For as long as I’ve known his music, he’s been that guy. You know that guy. White guy. With a guitar. Or WGWAG, if you will. And that music will always have a sort of timelessness to it, but this time he took a bold step into straight up pop music. No one could ever wonder if this came out in 2004 or 2007 or 2011; it’s a product of today. It’s a bold, ballsy move and it worked. However, I adore the fact that it’s also still unmistakably Matt. This song perfectly encapsulates the artist he’s always been with the guy who is unabashedly chasing a specific sound, because, why not? I dig it, Matt.

DNCE – Pay My Rent (2015)

I now know two Jonas Brothers’ names! Joe got it absolutely, perfectly correct with this group. First of all, they released an EP. Artists don’t appreciate the EP these days. 4-6 songs? I CAN NEVER GET TIRED OF 4-6 SONGS! Better to leave me wanting more than to leave me wondering why I paid $9.99 for this (hashtag, support music). Second, these songs are just fun! I basically listen to the whole EP multiple times, every other day. This one is my favorite. It’s cheeky, it’s danceable, it’s singable. What else could I want from my summer songs?

Joints and Jams

Joints & Jams – Train & Zack Hexum

Kia Clay
Click for the full playlist

Train [with Marsha Ambrosius] – Wonder What You’re Doing for the Rest of Your Life (2014)

I spent the first minute and a half of this song being very confused about why Marsha was singing with Train. Is this really Marsha Ambrosius? (yes) Did she co-write the song? (no) Are they on the same label? (no) Is this just a thing that’s happening right now? (yes) Once I got past my bewilderment, I had to listen to it again because I paid zero attention to the song the first time. Then I had to listen to it again because it was super cute and catchy. Then I had to listen to it again to dance around. Then I listened to it several more times. It was a thing that was happening; what can you do?

Zack Hexum – Easy For You (2007)

I roadtripped it back home for Christmas, and that usually means that I break out my iPod classic and roll with whatever shuffle is serving me. When this popped up I was kind of mad because I forgot how good Zack Hexum is. He has this engaging, almost Todd Rundgren-esque voice; not the sound of your typical pop singer or even your typical white guy with a guitar. I love the smartness of his lyrics — this song is about ambition vs. love. If you’re so focused on the former, does the latter even have a chance? What? Who even writes songs about that? As a plus, his name is spelled correctly, as Zack Morris is the yardstick by which all other Zacks are measured. None of that Zach business here.

Joints and Jams

Joints & Jams – Dave Barnes & The Eddie Higgins Trio

Kia Clay
Click to launch the full playlist

I’m on vacation this week, so no excuses for not getting this out on time! This one is a special Christmas edition!

Dave Barnes – Meet Me at the Mistletoe (2010)

I had an Instagram series on my favorite Christmas songs last year and I talked about this song back then. Everything still holds.  It’s dreamy!

The Eddie Higgins Trio – The Christmas Waltz (2012)

I’m pretty sure that I just found out the name of this song last year; I only knew it as that “three-quarter time” song before. There’s a theme going on here! I heavily associate Christmas music with pianos (probably because of the A Charlie Brown Christmas album; is there anything more perfect?) and this is the song that plays in the Christmas shopping scenes of my life. Because I’m weird. But it’s fine.

Check out the full playlist above!

Joints and Jams

Joints & Jams – Karyn White and Cathy Dennis

Kia Clay
Click to launch full playlist

For such an aggressively titled playlist, I’m doing a poor job of sticking to its theme.

Every part of 90s music holds a special part of my heart. Let’s look at the early 90s today.

Cathy Dennis – Touch Me (All Night Long) (1990)

I think I may have thought she was Madonna when I initially heard this song. I should have known better, though, because she had a cute voice. Cathy, you were a special kind of artist, like a Poison Ivy cosplayer who was made just for Club MTV and then you dipped out of the spotlight, flipped it and wrote all the songs. For that, I salute you.

Karyn White – Romantic (1991)

Ah, yes. I know that people stanned Karyn when she told you that she loved the way you loved her, but wanted you to know that she was not your superwoman on her debut album. Ritual of Love, however, is my preferred Karyn White. The difference seems to be Karyn’s involvement in writing and switching from the Babyface / L.A. Reid hit machine to the Jimmy Jam / Terry Lewis one. Those guys…they have a knack for making love songs that display the fun and joy in sexaaaaay times and being in love (see one “Love Will Never Do Without You”). I approve.

Joints and Jams

Joints & Jams – Lalah Hathaway and Ernie Halter

Kia Clay
Click to launch the full playlist

I struggled so hard to get this out last week. Didn’t happen. Then I tried to do it yesterday…and I went to bed like the old person I am.

A day late, but here we go:

Lalah Hathaway – Angel (2015)

Her voice is unreal. Or, more like, it’s unreal how much of her father I hear in her. That talent is literally passed down from God. Anyway, as much as I like her, I think her material can be uneven. This recently released live album, though? This album is her at her best. I love that she chose a “lesser” known Anita Baker single (aka, not one off of her monster hit machine Rapture) to show off that killer contralto. If those low notes don’t shake you to your soul like they did with my girl India.Arie…then I got nothin’ for you.

Ernie Halter – Love No Limit (2015)

Ernie’s a special artist and this simple, stripped down version of a somewhat jazzy Mary J. Blige song showcases that. It feels easy and effortless in his hands in a way and I always thought that the original tried a little too hard with the Anita Baker vibe. This is the version you never knew you always needed to have in your life.