Photo courtesy of CBS
Yolanda Adams
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Here's What Went Down At "A GRAMMY Salute To The Sounds Of Change"
Featuring performances by stars from Patti LaBelle to Andra Day to Gladys Knight, "A GRAMMY Salute To The Sounds Of Change" was a decades-spanning celebration of the songs that both reflect and alter the course of social justice history
GRAMMYs/Mar 18, 2021 - 09:01 pm
When Woody Guthrie wrote "This Land is Your Land," he certainly understood he was expressing something important to the world. Ditto John Lennon with "Imagine" and Marvin Gaye with "What's Going On." But could any of them have known we'd still be singing them in 2021? That amid the racial nightmares of George Floyd's killing and the anti-Asian violence that just battered Georgia, we'd return to the well of songs from 50 or more years ago for healing?
Welcome to "A GRAMMY Salute To The Sounds Of Change," a special that solemnly, respectfully paid homage to the songs that altered the course of social-justice history. But the event, which the hip-hop heavyweight Common hosted, didn't just focus on the great tracks of the 20th century; it filtered them through the musical luminaries of the 21st.
A mix of archival performances and COVID-safe new ones, the special succeeded in showing that our modern horrors aren't so new at all—and that throughout history, brave men and women have risen to address the changing tides of history in song. Thus, the young guard (LeAnn Rimes, Chris Stapleton and Andra Day) rubbed shoulders with the old (Gladys Knight, Patti LaBelle), showing these well-worn standards still emanate transformative power.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">WEST COAST, your turn!<br><br>Hosted by three-time GRAMMY winner <a href="https://twitter.com/common?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Common</a>, A <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GRAMMYSalute?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GRAMMYSalute</a> To The <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SoundsOfChange?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SoundsOfChange</a> will spotlight the iconic songs that inspired social change and left an everlasting imprint on history. <br><br>WATCH NOW on <a href="https://twitter.com/CBS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CBS</a>. ✨ <a href="https://t.co/JBedRxTvnJ">pic.twitter.com/JBedRxTvnJ</a></p>— Recording Academy / GRAMMYs (@RecordingAcad) <a href="https://twitter.com/RecordingAcad/status/1372397350317006851?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 18, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
It's no accident that Common was at the helm of "A GRAMMY Salute To The Sounds Of Change"; check out his socially conscious 1999 classic Like Water For Chocolate if you're curious about how he fits into this puzzle. (Not to mention his poignant performance of "Glory," the theme song to the 2014 film Selma, with John Legend at that year's GRAMMY Awards show.)
After the MC's dignified introduction, the night kicked off with a nocturnal version of John Lennon's "Imagine" by the pearl-covered singer Cynthia Erivo. She ended the rendition with a hair-raising vamp, surrounded by projected imagery of placards reading things like "Close The Camps" and "Unjustified War Is Criminal."
Country titan Chris Stapleton then performed Louis Armstrong's "What a Wonderful World," showing how the old chestnut easily transmutes into a variety of American idioms. (To this point: check out Jon Batiste's melancholic version from 2018's Hollywood Africans.)
In a tonal 180, LeAnn Rimes then performs Loretta Lynn's saucy (and at the time, unspeakably scandalous) 1975 ode to birth control, "The Pill." Her masked, punked-up backing band showed us how the tune essentially invented Bikini Kill. The womens' liberation theme continued with R&B great Patti LaBelle laying into Lesley Gore's "You Don't Own Me."
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">? A powerful song. A powerful voice. <br><br>Patti LaBelle (<a href="https://twitter.com/MsPattiPatti?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@mspattipatti</a>) performs <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LeslieGore?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LeslieGore</a>'s "You Don't Own Me" during "A <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GRAMMYSalute?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GRAMMYSalute</a> To The <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SoundsOfChange?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SoundsOfChange</a>". ✨<br><br>Watch now on <a href="https://twitter.com/CBS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CBS</a> or <a href="https://twitter.com/paramountplus?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@paramountplus</a>! <a href="https://t.co/M7HBLYmAbh">pic.twitter.com/M7HBLYmAbh</a></p>— Recording Academy / GRAMMYs (@RecordingAcad) <a href="https://twitter.com/RecordingAcad/status/1372360515322798082?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 18, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
That performance segued into even heavier territory with a version of the "Strange Fruit" by Andra Day—who recently won a Golden Globe for her performance in 2021's The U.S. vs. Billie Holiday. She crooned the anti-lynching classic in a crepuscular, green-screened forest. Showing that times tragically haven't changed in certain respects, "Strange Fruit" segued into Leon Bridges' "Sweeter," a response to George Floyd, featuring Terrace Martin on blazing saxophone.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">"What's Going On" performed by ?:<br><br>? <a href="https://twitter.com/MsGladysKnight?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MsGladysKnight</a> <br>? <a href="https://twitter.com/ihoughton?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ihoughton</a> <br>? <a href="https://twitter.com/SheilaEdrummer?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@sheilaEdrummer</a> <br>? <a href="https://twitter.com/DSmoke7?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@dsmoke7</a> <br><br>Tune in to "A <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GRAMMYSalute?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GRAMMYSalute</a> To The <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SoundsOfChange?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SoundsOfChange</a>" right now on <a href="https://twitter.com/CBS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CBS</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/paramountplus?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@paramountplus</a>! <a href="https://t.co/v4sQzasc5W">pic.twitter.com/v4sQzasc5W</a></p>— Recording Academy / GRAMMYs (@RecordingAcad) <a href="https://twitter.com/RecordingAcad/status/1372366401357381643?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 18, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
These issues represent mere facets of human disharmony. But Marvin Gaye's intellect and imagination were keen enough to not only grasp that vastness but channel it into a song for everyone. Enter seven-time GRAMMY winner Gladys Knight, who stepped on stage to perform the immortal "What's Going On" with Sheila E. on percussion, Israel Houghton on guitar, D Smoke on keys and musical director Adam Blackstone on bass.
"Hi, Marvin!" Knight crowed at the outset. "I miss you so much. I love your music—the way you write, the way you sing, the whole thing. You touch my spirit every time you sing a song."
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">GRAMMY nominee <a href="https://twitter.com/ericchurch?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ericchurch</a> covers <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EdwinStarr?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EdwinStarr</a>'s "War" right now during "A <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GRAMMYSalute?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GRAMMYSalute</a> To The <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SoundsOfChange?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SoundsOfChange</a>". ??<br><br>Watch now <a href="https://twitter.com/CBS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CBS</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/paramountplus?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@paramountplus</a>! <a href="https://t.co/T0ihoTtqkY">pic.twitter.com/T0ihoTtqkY</a></p>— Recording Academy / GRAMMYs (@RecordingAcad) <a href="https://twitter.com/RecordingAcad/status/1372368415659286530?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 18, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The specter of war was addressed with, well, "War," the Norman Whitfield tune we know from Edwin Starr's version. And after his piano-and-gospel version of his 2021 anti-Trump song "Weeping in the Promised Land"—crescendoing with a collective wail of "I can't breathe!"—John Fogerty rocked things up with Creedence Clearwater Revival's thrilling, outraged, oft-misunderstood classic "Fortunate Son."
Cutting to the essence of the other-ness that feeds racial division, CBS's Gayle King sat down with singer-actor Billy Porter to discuss the struggles of growing up gay and Black—and how music with a social conscience is returning to the forefront in 2021.
"I'm feeling once again the energy surrounding the power of protest music," Porter said. When asked about his choice to cover Patti LaBelle's "You Are My Friend" for the show, "I just wanted to choose something that was about chosen family," he added. "We talk often in this world about family values, but what happens when your family—your biological family—don't have the tools to understand how to love you?"
As Porter sang the empathetic ballad on a flower-festooned stage, images of people of all colors, identities and persuasions embracing—often draped in rainbow flags—flashed on the screen. "I want to talk to you a little bit about where I've been in the world!" he crowed midsong.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Watch <a href="https://twitter.com/BradPaisley?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@bradpaisley</a> sing "Welcome To The Future" during "A <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GRAMMYSalute?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GRAMMYSalute</a> To The <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SoundsOfChange?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SoundsOfChange</a>," right now on <a href="https://twitter.com/CBS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CBS</a> / <a href="https://twitter.com/paramountplus?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@paramountplus</a>. ?</p>— Recording Academy / GRAMMYs (@RecordingAcad) <a href="https://twitter.com/RecordingAcad/status/1372379977799335937?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 18, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
"A GRAMMY Salute To The Sounds Of Change" also honored and elevated Latin voices. After a brief preamble from Common about the meaning and import of the neologism "Latinx," Gloria and Emilio Estefan discussed how Latin music is woven into the fabric of American social change. Their daughter Emily Estefan then performed "This Is What," a tribute to Sonia Sotomayor, the first Hispanic and Latina member of the Supreme Court.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">With her parents watching, <a href="https://twitter.com/GloriaEstefan?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GloriaEstefan</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/EmilioEstefanJr?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@EmilioEstefanJr</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/Emily_Estefan?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Emily_Estefan</a> performs "This Is What" ?<br><br>Watch "A <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GRAMMYSalute?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GRAMMYSalute</a> To The <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SoundsOfChange?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SoundsOfChange</a>" on <a href="https://twitter.com/CBS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CBS</a> / <a href="https://twitter.com/paramountplus?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@paramountplus</a>. ✨ <a href="https://t.co/kl7pWZzxzk">pic.twitter.com/kl7pWZzxzk</a></p>— Recording Academy / GRAMMYs (@RecordingAcad) <a href="https://twitter.com/RecordingAcad/status/1372377223320199168?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 18, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Sotomayor was nominated in 2009 by then-President Barack Obama, and Brad Paisley touches on the legacies of our first Black president and first lady. From the floor of the Woolworth on 5th restaurant in Nashville, the country star performed his ascendant "Welcome to the Future," which he wrote in response to Obama's election. Paisley then strolled to the counter, explaining that the restaurant was a historic spot where John Lewis and his friends took a stand for racial justice in 1960.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Right now <a href="https://twitter.com/YolandaAdams?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@YolandaAdams</a> delivers a performance of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MahaliaJackson?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MahaliaJackson</a>'s "We Shall Overcome". ?? <br><br>Keep watching "A <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GRAMMYSalute?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GRAMMYSalute</a> To The <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SoundsOfChange?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SoundsOfChange</a>" on <a href="https://twitter.com/CBS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CBS</a> / <a href="https://twitter.com/paramountplus?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@paramountplus</a>. ? <a href="https://t.co/QUsOc9orRI">pic.twitter.com/QUsOc9orRI</a></p>— Recording Academy / GRAMMYs (@RecordingAcad) <a href="https://twitter.com/RecordingAcad/status/1372381502613417984?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 18, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The special then homed in on "We Shall Overcome," a cornerstone of the civil rights movement. Yolanda Adams laid down a reverent monologue about the tune to the haunting strains of a gospel choir. But then, something unexpected happened. The lights flared up, and Adams upshifted several gears, launching into a raucous take on the soul-strengthening classic.
It was a joyful capper for a heartening night, conceived and broadcast for all the right reasons. But most importantly, almost every minute of "A GRAMMY Salute To The Sounds Of Change" was stuffed with music, which is usually the loam from where real change springs.
"A GRAMMY Salute To The Sounds Of Change" is available on-demand on Paramount+.
Clockwise from the top-left: CIRKUT, Victoria Monét, Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason jr., and Janelle Monáe
Graphic & Photos Courtesy of GRAMMY GO
news
Recording Academy & Coursera Partner To Launch GRAMMY GO Online Learning Initiative
Class is in session. As part of the Recording Academy's ongoing mission to empower music's next generation, GRAMMY Go offers digital content in specializations geared to help music industry professionals grow at every stage of their career.
GRAMMYs/Apr 17, 2024 - 05:01 pm
The Recording Academy has partnered with leading online learning platform Coursera on GRAMMY GO, a new online initiative to offer classes tailored for music creators and industry professionals.
This partnership empowers the next generation of the music community with practical, up-to-the moment digital content that provides wisdom for both emerging and established members of the industry. Continuing the Academy’s ongoing mission to serve all music people, courses cover a variety of specializations tailored to creative and professional growth.
GRAMMY GO on Coursera includes courses taught by Recording Academy members, featuring GRAMMY winners and nominees and offers real-life lessons learners can put to work right away.
Starting today, enrollment is open for GRAMMY GO’s first Coursera specialization, "Building Your Audience for Music Professionals," taught by Joey Harris, international music/marketing executive and CEO of Joey Harris Inc. The course features Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee and five-time GRAMMY winner Jimmy Jam, 10-time GRAMMY nominee Janelle Monáe and three-time GRAMMY winner and the 2024 GRAMMYs Best New Artist Victoria Monét. This foundational specialization will help participants gain the skills, knowledge and confidence to build a strong brand presence and cultivate a devoted audience within the ever-changing music industry.
The partnership’s second course, launching later this summer, aims to strengthen the technological and audio skills of a music producer. "Music Production: Crafting An Award-Worthy Song" will be taught by Carolyn Malachi, Howard University professor and GRAMMY nominee, and will include appearances by GRAMMY winner CIRKUT, three-time GRAMMY winner Hit-Boy, artist and celebrity vocal coach Stevie Mackey, five-time GRAMMY nominee and Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason jr., and 15-time GRAMMY winner Judith Sherman. Pre-enrollment for "Music Production: Crafting An Award-Worthy Song" opens today.
"Whether it be through a GRAMMY Museum program, GRAMMY Camp or GRAMMY U, the GRAMMY organization is committed to helping music creators flourish, and the Recording Academy is proud to introduce our newest learning platform, GRAMMY GO, in partnership with Coursera," said Panos A. Panay, President of the Recording Academy. "A creator’s growth path is ongoing and these courses have been crafted to provide learners with the essential tools to grow in their professional and creative journeys."
"We are honored to welcome GRAMMY GO, our first entertainment partner, to the Coursera community," said Marni Baker Stein, Chief Content Officer at Coursera. "With these self-paced online specializations, aspiring music professionals all over the world have an incredible opportunity to learn directly from iconic artists and industry experts. Together with GRAMMY GO, we can empower tomorrow's pioneers of the music industry to explore their passion today."
GRAMMY GO also serves as the music community’s newest digital hub for career pathways and editorial content that provides industry insights for members of the industry; visit go.grammy.com for more. For information and enrollment, please visit the landing pages for "Building Your Audience for Music Professionals" and "Music Production: Crafting An Award-Worthy Song."
Photo: Library of Congress
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National Recording Registry Inducts Music From The Notorious B.I.G., Green Day, Blondie, The Chicks, & More
Recordings by the Cars, Bill Withers, Lily Tomlin, Doug E. Fresh and Slick Rick, and the all-Black 369th U.S. Infantry Band after World War I are also among the 25 selected for induction.
GRAMMYs/Apr 17, 2024 - 12:54 am
As a founding member of the National Recording Preservation Board, the Recording Academy was instrumental in lobbying and getting the board created by Congress. Now, the Library of Congress has added new treasures to the National Recording Registry, preserving masterpieces that have shaped American culture.
The 2024 class not only celebrates modern icons like Green Day’s punk classic Dookie and Biggie Smalls' seminal Ready to Die, but also honors vintage gems like Gene Autry’s "Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer" and Perry Como’s hits from 1957. These recordings join over 650 titles that constitute the registry — a curated collection housed within the Library’s vast archive of nearly 4 million sound recordings.
Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden announced these additions as essential pieces of our nation’s audio legacy, each selected for their cultural, historical, or aesthetic importance. This selection process is influenced by public nominations, which hit a record number this year, emphasizing the public's role in preserving audio history.
Read more: Inside Green Day's Intimate "Right Here, Right Now" Global Climate Concert In San Francisco
"The Library of Congress is proud to preserve the sounds of American history and our diverse culture through the National Recording Registry," Hayden said. "We have selected audio treasures worthy of preservation with our partners this year, including a wide range of music from the past 100 years, as well as comedy. We were thrilled to receive a record number of public nominations, and we welcome the public’s input on what we should preserve next."
The latest selections named to the registry span from 1919 to 1998 and range from the recordings of the all-Black 369th U.S. Infantry Band led by James Reese Europe after World War I, to defining sounds of jazz and bluegrass, and iconic recordings from pop, dance, country, rock, rap, Latin and classical music.
"For the past 21 years the National Recording Preservation Board has provided musical expertise, historical perspective and deep knowledge of recorded sound to assist the Librarian in choosing landmark recordings to be inducted into the Library’s National Recording Registry," said Robbin Ahrold, Chair of the National Recording Preservation Board. "The board again this year is pleased to join the Librarian in highlighting influential works in our diverse sound heritage, as well as helping to spread the word on the National Recording Registry through their own social media and streaming media Campaigns."
Tune in to NPR's "1A" for "The Sounds of America" series, featuring interviews with Hayden and selected artists, to hear stories behind this year’s picks. Stay connected to the conversation about the registry via social media and listen to many of the recordings on your favorite streaming service.
For more details on the National Recording Registry and to explore more about the selections, visit The Library of Congress's official National Recording Registry page.
National Recording Registry, 2024 Selections (chronological order)
"Clarinet Marmalade" – Lt. James Reese Europe’s 369th U.S. Infantry Band (1919)
"Kauhavan Polkka" – Viola Turpeinen and John Rosendahl (1928)
Wisconsin Folksong Collection (1937-1946)
"Rose Room" – Benny Goodman Sextet with Charlie Christian (1939)
"Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer" – Gene Autry (1949)
"Tennessee Waltz" – Patti Page (1950)
"Rocket ‘88’" – Jackie Brenston and His Delta Cats (1951)
"Catch a Falling Star" / "Magic Moments" – Perry Como (1957)
"Chances Are" – Johnny Mathis (1957)
"The Sidewinder" – Lee Morgan (1964)
"Surrealistic Pillow" – Jefferson Airplane (1967)
"Ain’t No Sunshine" – Bill Withers (1971)
"This is a Recording" – Lily Tomlin (1971)
"J.D. Crowe & the New South" – J.D. Crowe & the New South (1975)
"Arrival" – ABBA (1976)
"El Cantante" – Héctor Lavoe (1978)
"The Cars" – The Cars (1978)
"Parallel Lines" – Blondie (1978)
"La-Di-Da-Di" – Doug E. Fresh and Slick Rick (MC Ricky D) (1985)
"Don’t Worry, Be Happy" – Bobby McFerrin (1988)
"Amor Eterno" – Juan Gabriel (1990)
"Pieces of Africa" – Kronos Quartet (1992)
Dookie – Green Day (1994)
Ready to Die – The Notorious B.I.G. (1994)
"Wide Open Spaces" – The Chicks (1998)
21 Albums Turning 50 In 2024: 'Diamond Dogs,' 'Jolene,' 'Natty Dread' & More
Khruangbin
Photo: David Black
feature
5 Songs To Get Into Khruangbin Ahead Of Their New Album 'A La Sala'
Khruangbin's latest record, 'A La Sala,' is a return to the psych-rock trio's jammy, spaced-out beginnings. Ahead of the album's April 5 release, dip your toe into their discography with these five great tracks.
GRAMMYs/Apr 2, 2024 - 01:34 pm
Houston-based psych rock trio Khruangbin — which means airplane in Thai — are beloved for their globally flavored, luxuriously spacious brand of psych rock. Much of Khruangbin's music is instrumental, laden with funky-yet-chill bass licks, reverb-drenched guitar, calm yet precise drumming and plenty of room to breathe; you could certainly take flight with a spin of any of their four albums.
Guitarist Mark Speer, bassist Laura Lee Ochoa and drummer Donald "DJ" Johnson Jr. found inspiration in cassettes of '60s and '70s era Thai funk bands who fused surf rock with their native folk songs. They'd listen to these tapes while driving out to the countryside barn where they recorded the first album, 2015's The Universe Smiles Upon You. Leisurely unhurriedness, space to roam and underappreciated global sounds with a Texas lilt — this is Khruangbin
As they've grown, Khruangbin has added more global influences to the mix, yet maintained a clearly identifiable sound — one that invites you in and reminds you to breathe deeper. Sophomore release Con Todo El Mundo brought in deeper funk and soul influences from the Mediterranean and Middle East, including the work of Iranian pop superstar Googoosh.
"To [simply] call us Thai funk is a great disservice to the people who made that music in the first place. We’re going to put whatever influence we like into the music. Otherwise, it’s boring," Speer told Bandcamp in 2018. "Funky drums, dub bass, melodic guitar, those are the only rules.”
Songs from Con Todo El Mundo were heard on popular TV shows including "Barry" and "The Blacklist," exposing Khruangbin to a whole new fanbase. Even Jay-Z and Barack Obama joined the fan club. "Texas Sun" with Leon Bridges, their biggest song to date, earned a coveted spot on the former President Barack Obama's 2020 Summer Playlist.
Khruangbin have been touring nearly nonstop since their debut album, and will perform at Coachella on both Sundays. Their live shows are a colorful sonic quilt, and so beloved that the band sold out three nights in a row at the Bowery Ballroom in New York City.
Their upcoming fourth album, A La Sala, due out April 5 on Dead Oceans, is a return to the band's beginnings: spacious, jammy tunes without any outside collaborators. Lead single "Love International" highlights Khruangbin's talent for expertly crafted, soothing instrumentals that invite listeners into a dreamlike space.
Much like the rare global tunes they found inspiration in, Khruangbin is just waiting to be discovered. And once you do, you're hooked and ready to swim in their calming waters. Ahead of A La Sala, take a listen to five essentials from Khruangbin's extensive catalog to get a taste of their unique, inviting sound.
"White Gloves" (2015)
"White Gloves" is one of the trio's first songs with lyrics. The Universe Smiles Upon You track atop which Lee sings of a deceptively simple-yet-sad story of a queen who wore white gloves and died in a fight.
Speer's dreamy, echoing guitar and Johnson's slow-and-steady drumbeat paired with Lee's delicately funky bass, oohs and ethereal vocals make this track feel heavenly and light. Close your eyes and listen to the song's mournful tones, and imagine that perhaps the band is singing in heaven as the queen wanders the clouds with her clean white gloves.
"Maria También" (2017)
The lead single on Con Todo El Mundo, "Maria También" goes full vintage surf rock with a rollicking bassline that vaguely recalls the Surfaris 1963 hit "Wipe Out." They add flourishes of handclaps, bells and sneaky yeahs. It's perhaps one of the band's most driving, urgent tunes — definitely the most so on this album, which was dedicated to Lee's Mexican-American grandfather.
One of the band's goals on the album was to channel the energy and sound of the outdoor music festivals they'd been playing. "The kick drum is more present in the mix, it drives people to dance,” Johnson told Bandcamp. On "Maria También," the banging kick and jubilant festival energy are fully present.
And in the music video for "Maria También," the trio nods to the Iranian pop influences on the song and album by featuring the many women artists who thrived in Iran prior to the revolution in 1979 but were pushed out by it.
"Time (You and I)" (2020)
This joyful lead single from 2020's Mordechai offers a taste of Khruangbin's more upbeat and vocal side. On it, Lee poetically muses: "That's life / If we had more time / We could live forever," a fitting anthem for the newly locked-down world it came out in.
Towards the end of the nearly six-minute track, they repeat "That's life" in a variety of languages, a very Khruangbin statement in itself. There's a little bit of jingly cowbell on "Maria También," and here we're gifted with more cowbell flourishes, touches of synth and a healthy dose of funk.
"Doris" with Leon Bridges (2022)
"Doris" is a tender, heartfelt tune dedicated to Leon Bridges' grandmother, from Khruangbin's second collaborative EP, Texas Moon. It's also a great example of the way the band uses space as a powerful tool within their music.
Here, minimalist instrumentation and a slow, mellow beat allows Bridges' rich voice to shine. In conversation with GRAMMY.com in 2020, Johnson and Bridges compare "Doris" and "Father Father" — another touching and spacious Texas Moon track — to the chopped and screwed sounds of '90s Houston hip-hop.
"It is so slow. And it leaves so much space. The listener is waiting for the next thing to happen within the song," Johnson said of "Doris." "I think that's something that you can really take advantage of, being from Texas and from the South and understanding chopped and screwed culture and that it's okay for things to be slow. It's okay to wait for stuff. I think it goes with the whole Southern way of life, how people slow cook food down here. When my people barbecue, they start the day before. And I take all of that mindset into the music."
"Lobbo" with Vieux Farka Touré (2022)
On 2022 collaborative album Ali, the Texas trio worked with Malian singer, songwriter and guitarist Vieux Farka Touré for a moving tribute to his late father and legendary GRAMMY-winning West African guitarist, Ali Farka Touré, reimagining his music. Khruangbin's playing fits so perfectly with Vieux's haunting voice, languid guitar and the "desert blues" Ali Farka Touré created, it's almost surprising they didn't write these songs together. On the second track, "Lobbo," we get spacious, bluesy guitars and Lee echoing and amplifying Touré's voice for a beautiful, almost mournful tune.
Ali was Khruangbin's most recent studio album, which was followed with a string of live albums, so A La Sala marks a return to where they began, just the three of them jamming together. Yet with them, they bring the influences of their travels and newly discovered records of the world, adding new flavor, wisdom and flourishes to their sound.
The GRAMMY Hall Of Fame returns to celebrate its 50th anniversary with an inaugural gala and concert taking place Tuesday, May 21, at the NOVO Theater in Los Angeles
Image courtesy of the GRAMMY Museum
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The GRAMMY Hall Of Fame Returns To Celebrate 50th Anniversary: Inaugural Gala & Concert Taking Place May 21 In Los Angeles
Following a two-year hiatus, the GRAMMY Hall Of Fame returns to celebrate its 50th anniversary with an inaugural gala and concert on Tuesday, May 21, at the NOVO Theater in Los Angeles. Ten recordings will be newly inducted into the Hall this year.
GRAMMYs/Mar 5, 2024 - 02:00 pm
Following a two-year hiatus, the GRAMMY Museum and Recording Academy are reinstating the GRAMMY Hall Of Fame on its 50th anniversary. The momentous event will be celebrated with an inaugural gala and concert on Tuesday, May 21, at the NOVO Theater in Los Angeles; tickets and performers for the event will be announced at a later date. As part of the return, 10 recordings, including four albums and six singles, will be newly inducted into the GRAMMY Hall Of Fame later this year.
The GRAMMY Hall Of Fame was established by the Recording Academy's National Trustees in 1973 to honor recordings of lasting qualitative or historical significance that are at least 25 years old. Inductees are selected annually by a special member committee of eminent and knowledgeable professionals from all branches of the recording arts with final ratification by the Recording Academy's National Board of Trustees. There are currently 1,152 inducted recordings in the GRAMMY Hall Of Fame. View the full list GRAMMY Hall Of Fame past inductees.
This year, the GRAMMY Museum’s GRAMMY Hall Of Fame Gala will be the first of what will become an annual event, and includes a red carpet and VIP reception on the newly opened Ray Charles Terrace at the GRAMMY Museum, followed by a one-of-a-kind concert at the NOVO Theater in Downtown Los Angeles.
The inaugural gala and concert is produced by longtime executive producer of the GRAMMY Awards, Ken Ehrlich, along with Chantel Sausedo and Ron Basile and will feature musical direction by globally renowned producer and keyboardist Greg Phillinganes. For sponsorship opportunities, reach out to halloffame@grammymuseum.org.
Keep watching this space for more exciting news about the GRAMMY Hall Of Fame!