No Expectations 076: Ease Yourself and Glide
A 60-song summertime playlist for chill grilling and being outside with friends.
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Headline song: Parsley Sound, “Ease Yourself and Glide”
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Here’s a four-hour summer playlist
Last week, I ran the 2024 No Expectations Midyear Best of List. It’s always so rewarding to hear what readers dug from it. I’m so grateful that a few new folks signed up too. Thanks for checking it out.
It's a fairly gnarly undertaking whenever I do one of these 30 LP roundups. Honestly, after I published it, the last thing I wanted to do was check out new music. Instead, I spent the July 4th weekend hanging out. I was outside with friends, I watched the fireworks from a Chicago rooftop, and I even had control of the party’s Bluetooth speaker.
DJing a friendly get-together is a delicate tightrope. You don’t want to play songs that distract from the conversation but you do want some of your hardest-to-please friends to occasionally say, “What is this? It’s really good.” Now, if I’ve had more than a couple of beers, my self-imposed rules will sometimes go out the window. Last weekend my friends had to endure detours like, “Am I crazy for thinking this popular new song is awful?,” “Wait, you haven’t heard the “Eyes of the World” from 10/29/77 Dekalb?,” and “I actually think you’d like Goose” away from my party mix.
The playlist below has none of that. Instead, you’ll find some alltimers, older discoveries, and new favorites. Put it on next time you grill or host some folks on your porch. I don’t want to overload you with recommendations after the big midyear roundup, so take a breather and expect new music highlighted next week instead. Enjoy the nice weather.
The No Expectations 076 Playlist: Spotify // Apple Music
01. Parsley Sound, “Ease Yourself and Glide”
02. Cerro Verde, “I Lost a Game”
03. Dusk, “Pissing In a Wishing Well”
04. Joni Mitchell, “Raised on Robbery
05. Betty Wright, “Clean up Woman”
06. Leo Nocentelli, “Give Me Back My Loving”
07. Jerry Garcia, “Sugaree”
08. Pacific Range, “Santa Monica (Through the Canyon)”
09. Fe 59, “Estoy Brillando”
10. Margo Guryan, “Sun”
11. The Band, “Look Out Cleveland”
12. Good Looks, “Vaughn”
13. Major Murphy, “Time Out”
14. Sean Thompson's Weird Ears, “Alley Scrapper”
15. MJ Lenderman, “You Have Bought Yourself a Boat’
16. Harlan County, “Oh My Head”
17. The Meters, “Loving You Is on My Mind”
18. Letta Mbulu, “Hamba Nam We”
19. The Lijadu Sisters, “Come On Home”
20. Steely Dan, “My Old School”
21. Blue, “Red Light Song”
22. Buffy Sainte-Marie, “Helpless”
23. Evinha, “Que Bandeira”
24. Ghetto Brothers, “There Is Something In My Heart”
25. Phillip Wright, “Keep Her Happy”
26. Pure Prairie League, “Early Morning Riser”
27. Charlie Rich, “Rollin’ With the Flow”
28. Michael Nau, “Hoops”
29. Spoon, “Anything You Want”
30. Boz Scaggs, “Lowdown”
31. Eko, “Bowa'a Mba Ngebe”
32. Tru Tones, “Dancing”
33. The O'Jays, “Darlin' Darlin' Baby (Sweet, Tender, Love)”
34. Gloria Jay, “I’m Gonna Make It”
35. Odetta, “Hit Or Miss”
36. Milton Wright, “Leave Me Alone”
37. Phil Cordell, “Red Lady”
38. Andrew Jackman, “Planes, Boats, and Trains”
39. Gal Costa, Caetano Veloso, “Que Pena”
40. Dari Bay, “Walk On Down”
41. Labi Siffre, “It Must Be Love”
42. Waxahatchee, “Crowbar”
43. Erin Rae, “California Belongs To You”
44. Jim Sullivan, “U.F.O.”
45. Friday, Saturday And Sunday, “There Must Be a Better Way”
46. Jeff Cowell, “Lucky Strikes and Liquid Gold”
47. Kathy Heideman, “The Earth Won’t Hold Me”
48. Jessi Colter, “Why You Been Gone so Long”
49. The Marshall Tucker Band. “This Ol' Cowboy”
50. Bonny Doon, “Maybe Today”
51. Mapache, “Love Can’t Hold Me”
52. Big Thief, “Spud Infinity”
53. White Shoes & The Couples Company, “Rented Room”
54. The Deirdre Wilson Tabac, “I Can't Keep from Cryin' Sometimes”
55. Heron, “Madman”
56. Allen Toussaint, “My Baby Is the Real Thing”
57. Flo & Eddie, “I Been Born Again”
58. King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, “Sense”
59. Laraaji, “I Can Only Bliss Out (F'Days)”
60. Joyce Moreno, “Aldeia De Ogum”
What I watched:
Gig report: Steven Hyden in Conversation with Rob Mitchum at the Hideout 7/9 (There Was Nothing You Could Do: Bruce Springsteen’s “Born In The U.S.A.” Book Event).
On Tuesday, I saw Phish Essays’ Rob Mitchum interview Evil Speakers and UPROXX critic Steven Hyden at the Hideout. They were there to talk about Hyden’s new book There Was Nothing You Could Do: Bruce Springsteen’s “Born In The U.S.A.” I had a blast—both writers are Friends of the Substack and people whose work I’ve admired for well over a decade (Rob took me to my first Phish show in October and Steven is such a legendary critic and thinker). During the pandemic, the two hosted the 36 From The Vault podcast, which was an important part of my Grateful Dead journey. Being a big fan, it was lovely to see them reunite on stage. Over an excellent hour-long conversation, they talked about Sprinsteen’s cross-cultural appeal, the idea of One America, and how Jon Landau and Steven Van Zandt influenced Bruce’s sound throughout his career. As of this writing, I just started Hyden’s book but it’s already incredible. Buy the book here.
What I read:
CPD Rejects Watchdog’s Demand to Reopen ‘Deficient’ Probe Into 8 Officers With Ties to Oath Keepers (WTTW News, Heather Cherone)
The Chicago Police Department’s most recent investigation into several police officers with documented ties to far-right extremist groups like the Proud Boys or Oath Keepers was “materially deficient,” according to a report released Tuesday by the city’s watchdog.
But CPD leaders refused Inspector General Deborah Witzburg’s demand that the Bureau of Internal Affairs reopen the probe, which was the third investigation of Chicago Police Department members with ties to right-wing extremist groups since 2022 to end without any of the officers being disciplined.
CPD investigators did not interview anyone other than the eight officers accused of belonging to the Oath Keepers, according to the 30-page report first reported on by WTTW News.
Merce Lemon’s new album is a “full-bodied triumph” (Pittsburgh City Paper, Eli Enis)
Merce Lemon’s new album, Watch Me Drive Them Dogs Wild, is teeming with naturalistic imagery: birdseed and blossoms, backyards and butterflies, crashing waves and muddy puddles, enough crows to “make a city of this ghost town.” The music sounds like fresh air is flowing between her guitar strings. During the quiet parts, you almost expect to hear a squirrel chittering in the background. The song tempos are unhurried like the freedom of hiking without cell service, and the hint of guitar twang suggests that, despite Lemon’s urban roots, she spends enough time outdoors to earn herself a proper farmer’s tan.
If you tried to envision the home where this earthy lyricist and cozy singer resided, it would look exactly like the one Pittsburgh City Paper visits in Pittsburgh. Her front porch is overflowing with greenery, and around back is a nicely preened garden, leafy and lush. When I enter Lemon’s kitchen, she’s standing calmly at the counter spreading avocado on warm toast. At this point, the 27-year-old already had a full day’s work at her landscaping job and then came home to spend another couple hours in the garden. “It’s kind of contagious,” she says with a giggle.
The Weekly Chicago Show Calendar:
Thursday, July 11: Bully at the Empty Bottle. Sold out.
Friday, July 12: Half Gringa, A Flor de Piel at Kilbourn Park. Free.
Friday, July 12: The New Pornographers, Sinkane, Alan Sparhawk (Low), and more at Square Roots Fest. Free.
Friday, July 12: Bully, Tension Pets, Sam Binga, and more at West Fest. Free.
Friday, July 12: Julie Byrne, Angel Bat Dawid at Thalia Hall. Tickets.
Saturday, July 13: Boldly James, keiyaA at Empty Bottle. Tickets.
Saturday, July 13: X, Finom, Lydia Loveless, Mandy, and more at Square Roots Fest. Free.
Saturday, July 13: Deeper, Mark Farina, Oozing Wound, and more at West Fest. Free.
Saturday, July 13: Tommy Goodroad, Pit Stop, Toadvine at Judson and Moore. Tickets.
Saturday, July 13: Javier Reyes, Blue County Pistol, Carlile at Sleeping Village. Tickets.
Sunday, July 14: The Big Star Quintet, Reyna Tropical, The Nude Party, Dos Santos, and more at Square Roots Fest. Free.
Sunday, July 14: Cortex, Derrick Carter, Bitchin Bajas, and more at West Fest. Free.
Monday, July 15: Cortex, Brainstory at Thalia Hall. Sold out.
Wednesday, July 17: youbet, Truth Club, Moontype at Schubas. Tickets.
Wednesday, July 17: Hana Vu, Babebee at Subterranean. Tickets.
Wednesday, July 17: She Returns From War at Judson and Moore. Tickets.
This Ol' Cowboy is a criminally overlooked track nice add
EYAG is an all time fave 👍👍👍👍