Music Friyay: Beverly Kenney, Roberta Flack, Dirty Beaches

By Joanna C. Valente

Here’s some music, new and old, you should listen to and check out:

Beverly Kenney - Born to Be Blue

Kenney’s 1959 album is haunting and timeless. Her sweet, girlish vocals contrast her melancholic loneliness. Definitely a rainy day listen. My favorite: “Born to Be Blue.”

Roberta Flack - First Take

Flack’s 1969 album is flawless. It’s also vulnerable in its simplicity and richness. My favorite: “Our Ages or Our Hearts.”

Dirty Beaches - Badlands

This low-fi sound is exactly what you need to listen to as the seasons change. Perfect warm weather music,. My favorite: “True Blue.”

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Joanna C. Valente is a human who lives in Brooklyn, New York. They are the author of Sirs & Madams, The Gods Are Dead, Marys of the Sea, Sexting Ghosts, Xenos, No(body) (forthcoming, Madhouse Press, 2019), and is the editor of A Shadow Map: Writing by Survivors of Sexual Assault. They received their MFA in writing at Sarah Lawrence College. Joanna is the founder of Yes Poetry and the senior managing editor for Luna Luna Magazine. Some of their writing has appeared in The Rumpus, Them, Brooklyn Magazine, BUST, and elsewhere. Joanna also leads workshops at Brooklyn Poets. joannavalente.com / Twitter: @joannasaid / IG: joannacvalente / FB: joannacvalente