Recently I was sitting at my desk, trying to organize my
activities for the day when I heard my phone beep. It is so easy to distract
me. I received a text link with a message from Baird, my husband’s son. ‘Morning jam keeps me calm and happy through
the day.” How could I resist? I clicked the link to see what Baird thought was
so important.
Baird is a talented musician who has produced a vinyl
album and CDs, and he has performed in upstate venues. In the early days, I
remember him performing in New York City as well as at The Chance in
Poughkeepsie, NY. (Find him @clymtn on Instagram. Check out #truckerriffs Tuesdays.)
To my surprise the music was a delight. I could work. Feel
good about what was going on around me, even though I am working alone in my
office. And Baird was right. The music has the effect of centering me.
So, though we don’t ordinally recommend music. I wanted to
introduce you to Khruangbin. In this time of pandemic craziness take a chance and
enjoy the change.
The three members of Khruangbin, who hail from Texas, are
the bassist Laura Lee, the guitarist Mark Speer and the electronic sound of
D.J. Bonobo. In June they released the band’s third album, “Mordechai.” (Khruangbin is Thai for airplane or literally
“engine fly”.).
A recent article, introducing the group and its
new album, suggested that there is a lot riding on “Mordechai”
than any of the band’s previous releases. Besides the sold-out shows and
critical acclaim, Khruangbin reached No. 1 on Billboard’s Emerging Artists
chart in February, after “Texas Sun,” the band’s collaborative EP with the
R&B singer Leon Bridges, debuted atop the Americana/Folk Albums list.
It merges “styles of funk, soul and psychedelia but all
through a Texas lens,” wrote Leon Bridges in an email. “Their minimal approach
to instrumentation and production is what resonated with me when I first heard
their music. It’s refreshing to see a band of their nature thrive in the music
industry.”
I found Khruangbin on Pandora. Baird plays it from his
Bandcamp account. Check them out. I am sure they are posted on every music
platform. Baird recommends we listen to ‘One to Remember” and “Dearest Alfred”
on their newest album.
Other articles by HVP News Reporters