Music Friyay: Nina Simone, Shannon and the Clams, Perfume Genius

By Joanna C. Valente

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

Nina Simone - Broadway-Blues-Ballads

Everyone needs more Nina in their lives. Simone’s 1964 album is simply unforgettable.

Shannon & the Clams - Onion

The band’s 2018 album is spirited and nostalgically poppy - perfect to be a summer anthem, but complex enough to have a deeper dive.

Perfume Genius - Set My Heart on Fire Immediately

Tender, fragile, emotional, raw - and yet also strong and unwavering. Perfume Genius’ 2020 album might be one of the best of this year (so far).

---

Joanna C. Valente is a human who lives in Brooklyn, New York. They are the author of several collections, including Marys of the Sea, #Survivor, (forthcoming, The Operating System), Killer Bob: A Love Story (forthcoming, Vegetarian Alcoholic Press), and is the editor of A Shadow Map: Writing by Survivors of Sexual Assault. Joanna is the founder of Yes Poetry and the senior managing editor for Luna Luna Magazine. Some of their work has appeared or is forthcoming in The Rumpus, Them, Brooklyn Magazine, BUST,  F(r)iction, Ravishly, and elsewhere. joannavalente.com / Twitter: @joannasaid / IG: joannacvalente / FB: joannacvalente