Kevin Warwick, Reader associate editor
Sly Stone, High on You Beginning with the vibrant patchwork jeans that the shirtless, levitating Sly wears on the cover, this jam of a solo album—missing any call-out to the Family Stone—is yet another lesson in tweaked-out funk from one of its pioneers. Sly’s silky vocals (and the funky gospel choir backing him) groove along in a strut that oozes absolute cool, but it’s all about the bass, man: the walking slap bass of the title track, the distorted bass twang of “Who Do You Love?,” the blown-out bass fuzz of “So Good to Me.”
Laura Doherty, children’s musician
Andrew Bird, “Pulaski at Night” I first heard this song, from Bird‘s 2013 EP I Want to See Pulaski at Night, in Orange Is the New Black, and I’ve been obsessed with it ever since. It’s beautiful, full of his signature woven, swirling string parts. The lyrics resonate with me—especially the lines “Come back to Chicago / City of light” and “We’re starting over.” After living here 20 years, in 2012 I moved to New York (where I grew up), but I came back to Chicago less than a year later—and it did feel like starting over. I’ve driven on Pulaski and wondered what part of it Bird was talking about. Was it the view of the skyline from the west?
Rich Rankin, music producer
St. Vincent, St. Vincent After experiencing all that “David Bowie Is” at the MCA’s recent mind-altering and inspirational exhibit, I’m especially happy to know that art-rock is still alive and well—and St. Vincent is proof. This 2014 album is chock-full of luscious elements: actual melodies, imaginative arrangements, unusual beats, and smart lyrics that blossom with each listen. No doubt Bowie’s work has influenced St. Vincent‘s music, but it’s obviously also colored her sense of fashion and theater.
