Raphael Saadiq’s old soul
Before Amy Winehouse, before Sharon Jones, before a whole slew of singers realized there were still jewels to be mined from classic soul and R&B, Raphael Saadiq got it. The guy had been one third of Tony! Toni! Tone! in the 1990s, but in the years since, he’s reinvented himself, transforming from silky crooner into vintage soul man...and sought-after producer. His new album drops today, and to celebrate, he shares the sounds of kindred spirits, be they The Black Keys, the White Stripes or everybody in between.
Jane’s Addiction...live
We're bringing Jane's Addiction to Google I/O tonight, but no need to hunt for sold-out tickets. You can watch the band perform live tonight at 8 p.m. PT on youtube.com/googledevelopers. And while you're waiting, why not enjoy a few videos hand-picked for you by none other than Perry Ferrell and Dave Navarro? Their introductory video proves their rapport remains strong after all these years.
PJ Harvey “Let England Shake”
Polly Jean Harvey needs no introduction. The woman single-handedly resuscitated rock in the 1990s for a lot of fans; she’s fierce and uncompromising and she never stands still as an artist. Case in point: her new album. “Let England Shake” is a wide-ranging meditation on violence and war, and in commissioning a series of videos for the new album, she certainly isn’t blazing new ground -- we’ve recently profiled album-length films from R.E.M. and TV On The Radio -- but as always, nobody does it quite like PJ. Find out why.
Steve Earle “NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert”
Some may know him for his roles on HBO series like The Wire and Treme, but in fact, Steve Earle is the great unsung troubadour of this generation, a songwriter of uncommon humanity and grit. This live performance in NPR’s offices captures his wit, his irreverence, but most of all his talent.
Sarah Bardeen, Music Community Manager, recently watched “Steve Earle: NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert.”