The best way to understand anything is through contrast and comparison. It applies to life, and it applies to music. You could say that’s why I played T. Rex next to Ty Segall, and the dreamy pop of Deserta alongside Curve. But I really felt like I learned something when playing James Blake directly next to Prince; the soulfulness of the two instantly connected in a way that hadn’t made sense before.
It was also while preparing this show that I realized that Aretha Franklin (let’s just call her Aretha from here on out, shall we?) sang more than one song penned by the great Carole King. This time it’s “You’ve Got a Friend,” popularized by James Taylor (the link takes you to a video of Carole’s version).
In this show, there’s also a healthy dash of Christmas music — it is December, after all. But you probably haven’t heard it quite like this before. Take a listen to get your Alternate Take on dublab.
Image credit: Cover art for the album “Black Aura My Sun” by Deserta (Felte Records)