Tonight.

 

To be concise: Lykke Li makes beautiful sounds that I want to listen to.

Kate Bush danced like she wanted to.

30 some odd years ago, the music video hadn't yet developed its affinity for special effects, half naked girls, and cameos by film stars. It was unrefined and shot in one take in the woods with its star in a modest, long red dress and dancing like she's never danced before [and thankfully not many have danced since].

Questionable dance moves aside, the song is beautiful. And beauty's something modern day music doesn't always promise nowadays either.

The Impossible Girl lands in Kansas City.

Sometimes you see a band in a big stadium and the impact of the light show and the surround sound and the power of thousands of fans all swaying to the same beat proves overwhelmingly beautiful. And occasionally you sit on the floor of a small lingerie boutique and watch a girl and her guitar perform in the dressing room and you well up a little bit. Because that's pretty beautiful too.

Thanks to Peregrine Honig for hosting Kim Boekbinder at Birdies this week and introducing me to a great new artist. Kim Boekbinder is from NY and just spent several months in Australia and I discovered her in the Crossroads District of Kansas City, Missouri.

And thanks to Kim for penning a diddy about Facebook stalking. We all do it. No one should be ashamed...

How to make it in America.

When you're working on a show about America, it is easy to get patriotic. You see enough American flags and energetic fervor around them and you start to believe the hype. Which is a good thing. But America: Now and Here isn't just about hype and it's not about patriotism. It's about a dialogue and a conversation.

And it is probably not a coincidence that this song has been on repeat on each of my Apple music devices over the last several weeks.

Charles Bradley, I couldn't have started a more universally engaging conversation had I tried. Which I might have. But didn't have to. Cause this song does it so superbly.

Why is it so hard to make it in America?

Please enjoy Bradley's dance moves around 2:30 and 4:30 responsibly.