SOUNDTRACK: SNOH AALEGRA-Tiny Desk Concert #947 (February 18, 2020).
In what seems to be a new trend at the Tiny Desk, here’s another artist whom I’ve never heard of somehow and who manages to cram five songs into 16 minutes. (I won’t complain about the length of this show because it’s not that long, but everyone knows you get three songs).
The most fascinating things about Snoh is that she is Iranian-Swedish. And that her band is enormous. And that they all have great names like: O’Neil “Doctor O” Palmer on keys, George “Spanky” McCurdy on drums and Thaddaeus Tribbett on bass. There’s also Jef Villaluna on guitar whose name isn’t that crazy,
Unfortunately her songs and albums have terrible names.
Her new album is called Ugh, those feels again and her previous album is called Feels. (and she’s not even millennial). And then the third song is called “Whoa.” Good grief,
“Whoa” is a sweet love song that is detailed but not explicit. Except the chorus which is “you make me feel like, whoa.”
The rest of her songs have a very delicate soft-rock vibe. Especially with the string section of Ashley Parham on violin, Johnny Walker, Jr. on cello, Asali McIntyre on violin and Brandon Lewis on viola.
But apparently that’s not what her music typically sounds like.
On this day in particular, Aalegra’s tracks were stripped of their punchier, album-version kick drums and trap echoes. In their absence, it’s Aalegra’s delicate vocal runs and chemistry with her supporting singers that resonated most. “I Want You Around” and “Whoa,” which usually rest on a bed of glitchy, spiraling production, felt lighter thanks to the dreamy string section.
All of the songs featured her backing vocalists Ron Poindexter and Porsha Clay, but they were especially prominent on “Fool For You” which ran all of two minutes.
Snoh seemed a little too cool up there, which did not endear me to her. Her voice is certainly pretty though, even if I didn’t like her songs.
[READ: March 15, 2020] Best Friends
This book is a sequel of sorts to Real Friends.
It continues the story of young Shannon in sixth grade and how she deals with the minefields that middle school can present.
The same cast is back–the good and bad friends, the girls and boys and all of the insecurities that are practically a character in themselves.
As the book opens, Shannon realizes that she and her friends are not really in sync. She can’t keep up with the pop songs that they like–how do they always know the newest cool song (her family doesn’t listen to pop music so she is way out of the loop).
But aside form that, things seem good. Shannon is best friends with Jen, the most popular girl in their class. And since they are the oldest grade in school, Jen is therefore the most popular girl in school.
But the girls are always sniping at each other or trying to get Shannon so say nasty things about one of the other girls behind her back (while the girl was listening). Shannon never did, though, because she is really a good person. Something the other girls could use some help with, (more…)
