On Sly Stone, Espuma’s “People With No Energy,” Writing & More

A few weeks ago, Diane and I watched Questlove’s Sly Lives! documentary about Sly Stone, the pied piper of the late 1960s and ‘70s who led the Family Stone through such high-octane hits as “Dance to the Music,” “I Want to Take You Higher” and “Everyday People.” His and his band’s influence span the generations and genres, most notably in the works of Prince and the Artist Formerly Known as Terrence Trent D’Arby—and a slew of modern acts, too. I’d argue, for instance, that the London-based Espuma, a groove-heavy group whose sonic concoctions incorporate Afrobeat, cumbria, bossa nova and 1960s-styled psychedelia, is one.

I also hear in “People With No Energy,” Espuma’s tasty teaser for their forthcoming sophomore EP, Magic Valley, echoes of the soulful Stone Foundation, a taut R&B band from the Midlands. Which is all to say, a joyous beat pulsates through this ode to the vitamin deficients who walk among us.

Daily writing prompt

What activities do you lose yourself in?

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I’d imagine that the activities I lose myself in are obvious from this blog. First and foremost, there’s music—both recorded and live. (As I used to say, way too often, “It takes you there, wherever there is.”) To that end, we have a few concerts lined up for the weeks and months ahead: Peter Case with Sid Griffin, Patterson Hood, Cassandra Jenkins, Samara Joy, and Lea Michele. I also become engrossed in good movies and TV shows; in years past, I occasionally spotlighted select ones in these pages—and sometimes I think I still should.

Writing is another activity that takes me away. It doesn’t happen each and every time I put proverbial pen to paper, but often enough that I always want to do it again. Some days it feels like a chore, with my blathering on and on boring me as much as, I’m sure, it does the reader. Other days, however, find me riding the wild surf of words, rhythms and rhymes as if one with the waves. I write, rewrite and rewrite after that, smoothing out clunky syntax and confirming remembered facts the best I can, and never want to stop.