Fasman’s Finds is our column from Rebecca Fasman (intrepid record nerd, DJ, and curator at the Kinsey Institute) in which she shares what she’s listening to and why.
I have been VERY happy with the snow this week. Here in Bloomington, we’ve had a thick coating of the best type of snow, the type of robust, non-watery snow that stays crisp and snappy on the frozen ground. I will take this over the ubiquitous wet, grey, snow-slush forever, and I especially love the way this type of snow muffles sound. We all move through it differently, trying not to fall, paying attention to the ground, to our watery eyes, to the spots on our bodies where the cold air hits us. There is something revitalizing about this deep freeze phase of winter, joy in the hibernation and coziness of inside and care in the intense body awareness and efficiency when outside. Here is a perfect song for all of it, from an equally perfect album: “The Shepherd with the Flute,” by Girma Yifrashewa, on his stunning 2014 release Love & Peace. Stay safe and cozy.
On the 1998 track “Resurrection”, Chuck D of Public Enemy rapped “lack of rhymes, meaningless punchlines” “no more disses, repeated hook lines and choruses” calling out hip-hop’s growing infatuation with infighting and pop crossover success. 23 years later mainstream hip-hop is virtually indistinguishable from tween pop, but thankfully we’re also still getting new artists true to the craft. Take for example, “Never Again” by Reedus 3M, a song that reminds us that the real artistry of hip-hop will always be in the lyrics, the point of view and the flow of the rapper.
