Track of the Week

Michael Kiwanuka - I'll Get Along

     Alright, I know this song is a little over a year old and it isn't trendy and happening right now but I've listened to it like 20 times this week so there. To quote GG Allin: "You don't get what you expect [at Ovr the Counter Culture] you get what you deserve!"

     I can't remember how I even found this song. If I would have to guess it was probably a friend listening to it, maybe on Spotify or something, and I was in a particularly non-pretentious mode (Read: I wasn't thinking my usual "how could they possibly be listening to something I haven't heard of yet and it be good?") and checked it out, but I honestly don't know. I do know, however; that the first thing I thought when I heard it was "Wow, who is this old time soulful African dude? I Wonder when/if Kanye* will/has sample/d him?" Yes, that is what I think nowadays when I hear amazing old music in general, in particular when said music is fronted by soul tingling African singers. Yes it makes me sound like a simpleton and a Yeezy acolyte and even borderline racist, but maybe Kanye shouldn't be so amazing and musically omnipresent and I wouldn't have this predisposition!

   So imagine my surprise when I discovered that this isn't some old soul act from yester-generation but rather a very new addition to Ben Lovett's (of Mumford and Sons fame) Communion Records lineup. Dude has opened for Adele AND Mumford and Sons for like 2 years and I had never heard of him?! Am I losing my edge?! Or has something even more horrible happened: have I become pigeon-holed in the Pitchfork/Stereogum/Consequence of Sound menu of palatable music? This Michale Kiwanu-whatever is legitimately talented and he ain't gettin none of the trident love?

     I try to calm myself with the notion that this guy doesn't need any sort of press. That for any of these Big 3 media outlets to write about him would be a total waste of time as he is probably going to go far with the waves of Mr. Lovett and Brothers. Nonetheless, I am appalled that I could be so naive. There is great music out there that I am not being exposed to just because of demographic politics!

    In a way, I think the reason why I love this song so much is precisely because I wasn't exposed to it from a website or even on the radio or from a friend badgering me with "Listen to this song! It's the greatest song! You'll love it!" (is there any worse way to introduce new sounds to someone?). In a strange way this song had more mystique than anything new from Daft Punk. I kept up with every inch of Daft Punk's agonizing and thrilling release marketing so much so that, while I was intrigued constantly, the mystery was obvious; it was just a waiting game.
 
    I miss hearing a song and wondering "What was that?" and suddenly a few days later hearing it again. And then once more. Until suddenly I would discover I wasn't the only one with this song in my head. It seems that in today's stream heavy, Shazam zApping atmosphere this sort of music discovery is long gone. Michael Kiwanuka has created a requiem here with I'll Get Along. Even though the times and tides are changing he sings his tone and plays his groove, certain that things will be as they will be.
 
 

*Can you believe that "Kanye" gets a red spell-check line under it?! Does GOD get a motherfucking red spell-check line?! Get with it MSoft!