My second freebie list entry (though these are in no particular order) is Gugu Mbatha-Raw, the English actress who broke out in 2014 with excellent performances in the underrated films Belle and Beyond the Lights. Mbatha-Raw is back this holiday season playing the wife of Will Smith’s character in Concussion, a film about the NFL’s coverup of serious medical issues.
Recently, I happened upon a couple of musical performances by women on my laminated freebie list. Fans of the classic sitcom Friends will recall that a “freebie list” names the five celebrities you can take to bed without repercussions from your spouse.
Unlike movies, television and books, music is an art form that allows for passive appreciation. Many songs reward careful attention to the lyrics, the melody, the production. But some music is best heard in the background — of a dinner party, a restaurant, a club, even a grocery store.
I don’t know if it’s an insult to say that I consider Al Green a perfect passive artist. I love the man’s voice and the general vibe of his music, but it isn’t the sort of thing I’ll sit down and dissect over headphones. And I won’t play it in my car, which I consider active listening. But as the backdrop when company’s over, slam dunk.
Bruce Springsteen’s 2007 album Magic is one of the most resonant artistic commentaries on the G.W. Bush years. It’s loaded with songs about economic and cultural disillusionment and tracks critical of the war in Iraq.
Springsteen’s gift in protest songs like today’s random SOTD is to make these political issues personal. ‘Devil’s Arcade’ is told, at least in part, from the perspective of the wife or girlfriend of an Iraq war veteran. She focuses on their intimate moments, not the violence of the war, but the effect is just as shattering.
[Note: This post was supposed to go live before the one about my 9 year-old’s Belgian DJ discovery]
I’ve always discovered new music through magazines and websites, and occasionally because I’ll hear something out in the world and decide to track it down later.
But as my daughters have gotten older, they’ve increasingly become a source of new musical leads. I can thank my 13-year-old, Sophia, for bringing Lana Del Rey to my attention, for example, and now I’m a bigger fan than her.
Meet Me In Montauk 