Fresh Flavours from the Huckle Playlist
Spring is the season of renewal, reinvigoration and optimism. Now is the time we prise off Winter’s icy hand, throw open the windows and greet a new world. In this post we present five songs to help you enjoy the most vibrant segment of the year.
Many a London gent has found himself standing in one of our shops wondering how he got there. Like a Siren’s call, the great music wafting from the KEF sound systems draws them in. Before they know it, they’re in the chair getting a trim.
The Huckle playlist is home to all sorts of soulful, interesting music. Each quarter, we’ll select five tracks that capture our mood, and share them on the blog. If that wasn’t enough, we’ll also offer some whimsical suggested listening occasions.
Welcome to Songs for Spring.
1. For a thoughtful bus ride
Have You Been Good to Yourself by Johnnie Frierson
This humble yet poignant track is a gentle admonishment for a troubled world. Rediscovered after the death of the one-time Memphis soul man who was changed forever by the Vietnam war.
Following on from our post about positive new year's resolutions, we chose this one because it reminds us to be good to ourselves. On first listen you might feel like you’re being lectured. On reflection, it’s more like your wise inner self prompting you to do the right thing.
Simple, unembellished, evocative.
2. After lunch pick me up
Sometimes by Gerry Cinnamon
Toe-tapping doesn’t come close. We defy anyone not to be swept along by this infectious ode to youthful misadventure.
Glasgow singer and songwriter Gerry Cinnamon released his debut album last year to great acclaim. He’d been igniting festival audiences for years before that. This track is by turns funny and touching, with an overriding sense of optimism.
Play this one loud after a big lunch. You’ll be grabbing the afternoon by the cojones before you know it. Perhaps your days of ‘drinking cider on the golf course’ aren’t over after all.
3. Walking in the park
Sweet Salvation by The Stepkids
Pop this in your ears and stroll off to admire the daffodils. A dreamy offering from the American psychedelic soul band.
You don’t need to be on acid to listen to this track. All you need to do is watch the awesome and bizarre video featuring alien worlds and a spaceship in distress.
The Stepkids’ early performances were characterised by kaleidoscopic projections that transformed their gigs into sensory adventures for the audience. Even without the light show, the music is trippy enough to take you on a journey.
4. Friday night funk
Brother Father Mother Sister by Tim Maia
Three minutes and 19 seconds of Friday. Warm yourself up for a big night out, or a chilled night in. The Brazilian incarnation of funk and soul.
To say Tim Maia’s was a life well lived would be a gratuitous understatement. He was a remarkable talent, a man of prodigious appetites, and inspiration for the Brazilian civil rights movement in the 70s.
Legend has it that Maia once bought 100 tabs of LSD and handed them out to the staff at his record label. Ballsy.
5. Lazy Sunday afternoon
Fadjamou (St Germain Remix) by Oumou Sangaré
That voice. A superb track from a Malian legend given added impetus by St Germain, aka Ludovic Navarre.
If you’re singing to a crowd of 6,000 by the time you’re five, you know you’ve got a special gift. Sangaré’s abilities kept the wolf from the door when her father abandoned the family. It has since fuelled a globetrotting, Grammy Award-winning career.
‘The Songbird of Wassoulou’ is a musician, businesswoman, and tireless campaigner for women’s rights. Watch the video of the original version of Fadjamou.
Happy listening.
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Huckle the Barber provides high-quality grooming services, including haircuts and wet shaves, for discerning London gents. Visit us in Shoreditch or Holborn. Book your Huckle appointment online.