Noise Floor Radio Volume 55

Number 55 in a weekly series of Noise Floor-curated playlists. 

I had a much longer intro written for this week’s mix which sucked, so I’ll sum up what I was trying to get at briefly: I’m thinking a lot lately about how music curation and listening habits factor into the larger conversations going on in the country right now about race and privilege. White listeners from blindingly white backgrounds, like myself, are predisposed toward centering our taste on white artists, and even though it’s a minuscule element in the incomprehensibly large task of dismantling white supremacy, it’s on us to combat that. Doubly so for the music journalists (whatever that term means anymore) among us. I know less about the history of funk than I do about Radiohead b-sides or guitar gear used by Sonic Youth, and that’s frankly pretty insane! If I’m a critic or a curator, even to a small audience, making a conscious effort to bring more historical and contemporary Black voices into my daily lineup and my playlists ought to be imperative. Regular readers (all five of you?) have probably noticed jazz steadily creeping into these weekly mixes, and I’ve hardly scratched the surface in that regard after a few months’ investment. Working to expand one’s horizons in that regard is step anyone from a background like mine with a library that skews white can take, and should.

As far as this week’s mix goes, I bookended with a cut from Cannonball Adderley’s experimental big-band phase and a more recent tune from this year’s excellent second LP by Shabaka and the Ancestors. Elsewhere you’ll find something from Numero’s recent reissue of Duster side project Valium Aggelein’s discography, newish music from Armand Hammer, R.A.P. Ferreira and Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever along with a Magnolia Electric Co. -> DJ Rashad transition that I actually think works pretty well.

Stay safe out there, and inside, and visit this (now updated and even more thorough) link that I also shared last week for resources and ways to help the ongoing organization efforts.