New Mix: Cowboy Junkies, Michael Stipe, Wallice, more
Top row, left to right: Abraham Alexander, Michael Stipe, Wallice; bottom row: Cowboy Junkies Courtesy of the artists hide caption
I begin this week's All Songs Considered with two brilliant collaborations. First up, Michael Stipe's new song, "Give Me A Hand," inspired by a punk rock party he attended in costume in the early '80s. He's joined by Gaelynn Lea, our 2016 Tiny Desk Contest winner. Their song is part of Brian Eno's "Earth Percent" project, which raises funds for organizations tackling the climate emergency. The other collaboration is from Abraham Alexander and Mavis Staples. Abraham Alexander was born in Greece to Nigerian parents; he moved to Texas with his family as a preteen to escape racial tensions back home. Soon thereafter, his life got even harder when his mother was killed by a drunk driver. Sometime later, a friend handed Abraham a guitar, and songs began flowing. I play Abraham Alexander's song "Déjà Vu."
Bees in a Bottle are the Portland duo of Christine and Chad McAllister. Their new album, The Sun Left and Took The Moon With It, drew inspiration from the loss of two friends, one by suicide. Christine began to think about the ones left behind, and the song you'll hear, "Wet Widow," reflects on the loss Courtney Love faced with the death of Kurt Cobain, and also Tina Chesnutt on the loss of her husband, Vic Chesnutt.
The second half of the show begins with a true earworm of a tune; it's the music from the Los Angeles-based artist Wallice and a song called "Best Friend."
The sibling's Margo, Michael and Peter Timmons, along with Alan Anton, have been Cowboy Junkies for the past 37 years. Their music is filled with heart and passion with a gentle sway. Their first album of new material in five years is coming at the top of June; it's called Such Ferocious Beauty, and Michael Timmons introduces us to a song about his father called "What I Lost."
I'll end the show with a tune from Angelo De Augustine. He's spent the past three years not only working on his new album, Toil and Trouble,but using his imagination to take himself out of reality. "Another Universe" is the appropriately named song about the tech and fantasy that went into this breathtaking tune.