Resonance

This episode brings Resonance to a close, at least for now, by talking about Nina Simone's "22nd Century." We consider the mysterious lyrics of the song and its Caribbean folk sound as it relates to Donna Haraway's concept of the cyborg. David then closes with a consideration of what to make of our uncertain future.

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This episode compares two songs, "Poor Unfortunate Souls" from The Little Mermaid and Nina Simone's version of "Pirate Jenny." David looks at what makes each sound "villainous" and compares the concept of the villain and the concept of a fugitive. These songs serve a springboard to discuss issues of reclaiming labels, marginalization of queer and Black people, and paths forward for conceptualizing the good and evil within all of us.

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This episode focuses on Janelle Monáe and the Afrofuturist musicians that she draws from. We look at the way that Monáe's music tells a story of a world that is both like and unlike our own, with queer themes of gender and sexuality, as well as issues of racism and state violence. We then listen to other Afrofuturist artists that came before her, like Parliament, Labelle, Prince, and Sun Ra to think about how we should conceive of the future.

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In this episode, we listen to songs by Sister Rosetta Tharpe, the gospel guitarist and singer who inspired the sound of rock and roll. We make sense of how such an influential figure could be forgotten, and take a close look at what made her sound so unique. Her life and career can teach us a lot about spirituality, community, and living an amplified life.

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In this episode, we listen to music from the Animal Crossing series. David talks about how video game music is composed to create a desired feeling for the player. Thinking about the popularity of the recent Animal Crossing: New Horizons game on Nintendo Switch, we then consider the ways that technology can help us be together with others even in a time of social distance.

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In this episode, we listen to the soundtrack to the video game Fallout 3. We look at video games as works of art themselves and music as a crucial tool that they use to convey an artistic message. We then look at the implications of the games and the apocalypse.

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In this episode, we listen to Elza Soares, a samba singer from Brazil whose recording career began in the 1960s and continues today. David discusses the racial politics of Brazil that influenced Soares' career and examines the African influences of samba. He then considers what samba has to teach us about the issues that are affecting the entire world.

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In the first episode of Resonance, we listen to "Strange Fruit" (1939) by Billie Holiday. David discusses its history, looks at the masterful way Billie Holiday sings the song, and considers what its metaphors have to teach us about racial violence today.

Learn more: https://resonance.davidmichaeldiaz.com/