Fiona Apple: Fetch the Bolt Cutters

Fiona Apple returns with Fetch the Bolt Cutters, her first album since 2012’s The Idler Wheel. 13 powerful, percussive tracks coalesce around Apple’s pliant, emotion-baring alto. The title track, “Fetch the Bolt Cutters,” carries much of the album’s lyrical urgency. Apple punctuates the work with a meticulous smattering of personal, DIY sounds—through to its satisfying canine conclusion. It’s a standout song, but so are the …

Brittany Howard: You and Your Folks, Me and My Folks (Funkadelic Cover)

Alabama Shakes frontwoman, Brittany Howard covers Funkadelic’s “You and Your Folks, Me and My Folks” from 1971’s pinnacle Maggot Brain for Spotify Singles. A faithful but refreshing take on the funk classic, Howard’s rendition starts off mellow but steamy before progressing to its ferocious, chaotic and spectacular climax. The lyrics “and if in our tears, we don’t learn to share with your brother/ you know …

Ambrosia Parsley: The Kindness of Strangers

In hopes of drawing attention to No Kid Hungry (an organization dedicated to ending childhood hunger in America), singer/songwriter Ambrosia Parsley released the video for her ode to generosity, “The Kindness of Strangers.” Produced by and featuring the backing vocals of Holly Miranda, the track radiates love and warmth. The stop-motion video, created by husband-and-wife duo Mark Lerner and Nancy Howell, amplifies the benevolent message.