美国国家公共电台 NPR It's Never Too Early To Celebrate The Music Of 2018

 

RAY SUAREZ, HOST:

Yesterday, we talked with NPR Music writer Stephen Thompson, and he gave us a retrospective - his 2017 top songs list. But it's New Year's Eve, a time to look forward to what the new year has in store for us - a prospective¹. And with that in mind, Stephen Thompson is back with some music from the future.

Stephen, happy new year.

STEPHEN THOMPSON, BYLINE²: Happy new year to you, too.

SUAREZ: I know there's a lot of stuff coming out in 2018 that you're already excited about. The floor is yours, sir. What or who should we be looking out for?

THOMPSON: I'm going start with an artist called Rhye, who makes this beautiful kind of bedroom pop music. The album is called "Blood." It comes out in February. And this song is called "Please."

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "PLEASE")

RHYE: (Singing) I think it came out wrong, a pillow of lies. Oh, baby please. Oh, my heart's on the pavement. Oh, baby please. Oh, my heart's on the pavement, where we're building, you and me.

THOMPSON: When I refer to this music as bedroom pop, it kind of has a double meaning. Like, this is a guy who I think really kind of huddles³ over this music in a very personal way, kind of like crafting it in his bedroom.

But it's also bedroom music. He's kind of singing to the other half of a couple. These are songs of seduction. But what I love about it is they feel like songs of seduction for lovers who've already seduced⁴ each other a thousand times. They're songs about keeping love and relationships fresh.

SUAREZ: Now along with that stage in a relationship, a lot of music is about breakups. Here's a breakup song from singer Lucy Dacus that we can look forward to in March.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "NIGHT SHIFT")

LUCY DACUS: (Singing) I feel no need to forgive, but I might as well. But let me kiss your lips, so I know how it felt.

SUAREZ: Stephen, why is this song on your list?

THOMPSON: It's a gorgeous song. It unfurls over the course of about 6.5 minutes. And it starts really slowly and quietly, and it builds and builds until it goes kind of nuts around the 4, 4.5-minute mark. And it's just this visceral epic⁵.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "NIGHT SHIFT")

DACUS: (Singing) You got a 9-to-5, so I'll take the night shift. And I'll never see you again if I can help it.

THOMPSON: It really conjures⁷ just a lot of big, grand, powerful emotions. And it's just gorgeous.

SUAREZ: Sometimes, Stephen, music makes the news. Other times, news makes the music. That's the case for this next artist, who appeared on Lin-Manuel Miranda's benefit single for Puerto Rico to raise awareness⁸ on the devastation⁹ of the island from Hurricane Maria. This is "Fire Drills" from Dessa.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "FIRE DRILLS")

DESSA: (Rapping) I've been Wendy, living with the Lost Boys. Youth spent as a deckhand on the convoy¹⁰. Moved every night to prove we were something. Got confused if it was from or to that we were running. I've seen Gibraltar. I've seen the Taj Mahal. Soweto, Hagia Sophia. Chefchaouen paints the walls blue. I've played to full rooms. I've played the fool, too - burning through the bottoms of a pair of new boots.

SUAREZ: Tell us about Dessa.

THOMPSON: She writes this incredibly powerful kind of half-rapped, half-sung music. This song just builds to just fists flying. I think she is awesome¹¹. And speaking of Lin-Manuel Miranda, if you've heard "The Hamilton Mixtape," she did a version of "Congratulations," which was an outtake from "Hamilton" that, to me, is the best song on "The Hamilton Mixtape." I just love Dessa. I'm into everything she does.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "FIRE DRILLS")

DESSA: (Singing) We're running fire drills. We're running fire drills. We're running fire drills. We're running fire drills. We're running fire drills.

SUAREZ: Next up on your list, Stephen, a group called Khruangbin with a number called "Maria Tambien."

(SOUNDBITE OF KHRUANGBIN'S "MARIA TAMBIEN")

SUAREZ: I could drive a long way across Texas listening to that. Tell us a little bit about the group and the song.

THOMPSON: Well, as you said, they're from Texas. But their music is kind of pulled from sources all around the world, kind of the more obscure, the better. They're really into music from the Middle East, from Southeast Asia. Their name translates to engine fly in Thai.

And they just try to incorporate as much new and old music as possible into this very cinematic and propulsive¹² music. The album that comes out in January is called "Con⁶ Todo El Mundo."

SUAREZ: That's Stephen Thompson of NPR Music. For more of his suggestions and suggestions from the NPR Music team, visit the NPR Music page at npr.org.

Stephen, thanks a lot. See you next year.

THOMPSON: Thanks so much. Happy new year.

(SOUNDBITE OF KHRUANGBIN'S "MARIA TAMBIEN")

1 prospective   

adj.预期的，未来的，前瞻性的

参考例句：

• The story should act as a warning to other prospective buyers.这篇报道应该对其他潜在的购买者起到警示作用。
• They have all these great activities for prospective freshmen.这会举办各种各样的活动来招待未来的新人。

2 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

3 huddles   

（尤指杂乱地）挤在一起的人（或物品、建筑）( huddle的名词复数 )； （美式足球）队员靠拢（磋商战术）

参考例句：

• The little girl huddles herself up. 小女孩把身子缩成一团。
• The child huddles down in the bed, listening to the sound of the storm. 孩子听到雷雨声，就在床上缩成了一团。

4 seduced   

诱奸( seduce的过去式和过去分词 )； 勾引； 诱使堕落； 使入迷

参考例句：

• The promise of huge profits seduced him into parting with his money. 高额利润的许诺诱使他把钱出了手。
• His doctrines have seduced many into error. 他的学说把许多人诱入歧途。

5 epic   

n.史诗，叙事诗；adj.史诗般的，壮丽的

参考例句：

• I gave up my epic and wrote this little tale instead.我放弃了写叙事诗，而写了这个小故事。
• They held a banquet of epic proportions.他们举行了盛大的宴会。

6 con   

n.反对的观点，反对者，反对票，肺病；vt.精读，学习，默记；adv.反对地，从反面；adj.欺诈的

参考例句：

• We must be fair and consider the reason pro and con.我们必须公平考虑赞成和反对的理由。
• The motion is adopted non con.因无人投反对票，协议被通过。

7 conjures   

用魔术变出( conjure的第三人称单数 )； 祈求，恳求； 变戏法； （变魔术般地） 使…出现

参考例句：

• The word 'birthday' conjures up images of presents and parties. “生日”这个词使人想起礼物和聚会的情景。
• The name Sahara conjures up images of a desert of aridity. "撒哈拉"这个名字使人想起干旱的沙漠情景。

8 awareness   

n.意识，觉悟，懂事，明智

参考例句：

• There is a general awareness that smoking is harmful.人们普遍认识到吸烟有害健康。
• Environmental awareness has increased over the years.这些年来人们的环境意识增强了。

9 devastation   

n.毁坏；荒废；极度震惊或悲伤

参考例句：

• The bomb caused widespread devastation. 炸弹造成大面积破坏。
• There was devastation on every side. 到处都是破坏的创伤。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 convoy   

vt.护送，护卫，护航；n.护送；护送队

参考例句：

• The convoy was snowed up on the main road.护送队被大雪困在干路上了。
• Warships will accompany the convoy across the Atlantic.战舰将护送该船队过大西洋。

11 awesome   

adj.令人惊叹的，难得吓人的，很好的

参考例句：

• The church in Ireland has always exercised an awesome power.爱尔兰的教堂一直掌握着令人敬畏的权力。
• That new white convertible is totally awesome.那辆新的白色折篷汽车简直棒极了.

12 propulsive   

adj.推进的

参考例句：

• The fish uses its tail fins for propulsive force throgh the water.鱼靠尾鳍在水中前进。
• Interest in jet propulsive force was now growing at the Air Ministry.航空部对喷气推进的兴趣正在增加。