The truth is, we play womxn artists every hour of every day on WNXP. That’s one of the many blessings of rocking with Nashville’s Music Experience. The fact that March is Women’s History Month and Tuesday was officially International Women’s Day just gave me the extra oomph to feature a full hour of female vocalists and instrumentalists.
Stream the March 10 #ThematicStatic and weigh in (on Instagram, Twitter or via voice memo) to request a song for next week’s show: a song named after a real person, first and last name, like Mattiel’s “Jeff Goldblum,” which I played at the end of today’s show.
Prelude
Lucius – “Next to Normal” – U.S.A. – Jess Wolfe and Holly Laessig are vocalists based in L.A.
Sia – “Electric Bird” – Australia – Her real name is Sia Kate Isobelle Furler.
Seratones – “Good Day” – U.S.A. – A.J. Haynes sings lead in this Gulf Coast band.
#ThematicStatic Playlist
Daisha McBride – “Loyal” – U.S.A. – We’ve covered Daisha’s music (and her-story) early and often on WNXP, and more recently, her late 2021 album Let Me Get This Off My Chest was our #RecordoftheWeek).
Buscabulla – “NTE” – Puerto Rico – One half of this married duo is vocalist Raquel Berrios. I still can’t get over their dreamy NPR Music Tiny Desk (Home) video recorded in a car on the beach:
Angélique Kidjo ft. EARTHGANG – “Take It Or Leave It” – Benin – I was first introduced to Kidjo when she won the World Music Grammy for her Celia Cruz covers, not realizing she’d previously done a bang-up job with Talking Heads’ Remain in Light. She’s also collaborated with Burna Boy and has a new record on the way. What a force.
salyu x salyu – “Tadano Tomadachi” – Japan – This new-to-me artist was requested by Nick on Twitter and her vocal layering as instrumentation is WOW. (I misspoke on-air and said her record Soundbeams was released in 2014, when it’s really a 2011 LP. Sorry!)
Little Simz ft. Cleo Sol – “Woman” – England – With backing vocals from the singer in SAULT, British rapper Little Simz shouts out women of color from around the world:
Miss Jamaica understand food for the soul
“Woman”
She get up in the kitchen or she throw down
Ain’t nothing without a woman though
Woman to woman, I just wanna see you glow
Aretha Franklin – “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman” – U.S.A. – What can you even say about this voice, and this song penned by another leading lady Carole King? Gee whiz, this live version is fiery. And I played it by request from my mother Holly in Kentucky.
Björk – “Human Behaviour” – Iceland – This prolific artist first fronted The Sugarcubes, but her solo records — including the first one, fittingly called Debut, which came out in 1993 and included this hit song — made her an international icon. I’ve heard her shows are otherworldly, and am inclined to believe that. (Have you seen Bjork sing live? Hit me up on Instagram or Twitter and tell me about it, if so!)
Porridge Radio – “Back To The Radio” – England – Dana Margolin fronts this London-by-way-of-Brighton band, and this new tune is new tune about our favorite medium for music discovery. (Of course, we’re biased.) Their record Waterslide, Diving Board, Ladder To The Sky is out in May. Here’s the official video:
Little Dragon – “Killing Me” – Sweden – Mark requested this cut from the electronic band fronted by Yukimi Nagano.
Those Darlins – “Be Your Bro” – U.S.A. – Matthew asked for Those Darlins, a beloved and sorely missed Middle Tennessee band that included the late, great Jessi Zazu up until her passing from cancer in 2017. (Check out the Nashville Scene appreciation of this lovely human.)
Mattiel – “Jeff Goldblum” – U.S.A. – The Atlanta duo plays Exit/In here in Nashville this Sunday!
