Today was a sad day. We’ve lost another icon. Prince was a true original. His music, fashion and way of life inspired millions of people around the globe. Somehow he was able to take a variety of different genres of music and turn them into something wholly distinctive and fun. Hits like “Let’s Go Crazy,” “1999,” “When Doves Cry,” “Little Red Corvette,” “Raspberry Beret” and “PUrple Rain” have changed the musical landscape over the years, and will continue to do so for decades to come. Here’s what’s even crazier – there’s a massive vault filled with unreleased Prince songs and music videos that he collected over the years. There’s no official word on how much unreleased material he left behind, but it’s probably safe to assume it’s at least enough for 3-4 posthumous albums. That’s just the kind of guy Prince was, continuing to make things on his own terms then choosing to keep it hidden until the right time. Sadly, Prince probably thought there’d be plenty of time to make more. He was only 57, and was thought to be in good health up until last week, when his plane was forced to make an emergency landing due to a medical emergency. His representatives claimed it was due to a bad case of the flu, but there may have been deeper problems we won’t find out about until an official report from the medical examiner.
To attend a Prince show was to attend a gigantic party, or so I was told. One of my greatest regrets is not buying tickets to see Prince perform the last couple of times he came through Chicago. When he played the United Center in September 2012, he was supporting a not-so-great album and the setlists for the tour seemed to largely avoid most of his best material. It didn’t excite me, plus I think I was unemployed at the time and didn’t have the money to spend on an expensive ticket. Just under a year later in June 2013, I received an email stating very plainly that Prince would be performing at the tiny City Winery Chicago that very night, and tickets were on sale. According to reports, someone from Prince’s camp called the venue that morning and said, “Prince would like to perform at your club tonight. Make it happen.” That’s all it took. Sadly, I didn’t check my inbox until 2 hours after the email announcement was sent, and the show was sold out. I then showed up to City Winery on the off chance an extra ticket became available. No dice. Came to find out later that the show didn’t even kick off until about 3AM, and Prince performed for about 2.5 hours. He literally partied until the sun came up. And why not? Somehow his energy, his passion and his desire to live on his own terms contributed to legendary stories and legendary performances. As an added treat, make sure to watch director Kevin Smith’s 30-minute story about the time he helped Prince make a documentary that still hasn’t been released. It’s a very funny tale that speaks to who Prince was and how he operated. So Prince and Bowie. Two of our greatest music legends lost so far in 2016. And we’re not even halfway through the year yet. Please make it stop, my heart hurts too much.
Okay, let’s get to the final edition of Pick Your Poison for the week. There are some great tracks in this set from 2/3 Goat, Boudoir Noir, Japancakes and Wired Minds. In the Soundcloud section after the jump, stream songs from Aloha, Andy Stott, Cerise, Lil Silva (ft. Cosima), Trevor Sensor, Twin River, VHS, Woods and more.
Alex Bent + The Emptiness – Blonde American Girl
Japancakes – We’re in the City
