Smart writing. Good music. Weekend links.

Sound and vision: David Byrne, Hotline TNT, Air/Charli XCX. Also: the importance of cowbells. RIP Brian Wilson. RIP Sly Stone.

Lotsa good music writing in recent days:

RIP BRIAN WILSON Ted Gioia is a major presence on Substack, and writes on many things here. But I’ve admired his music writing in particular for decades, even when I’ve disagreed with it. This short memorial piece is wonderful — it’s about Gioia’s relationship to the music of his childhood neighbor (!) Brian Wilson. It’s also about how we all relate to music within ourselves, and how it can heal us.

RIP SLY STONE Wesley Morris wrote a similarly moving essay in memory of another ‘60s California music giant, Sly Stone.

MORE COWBELL A hot jam by Carina del Valle Schorske extolling the power of the cowbell in Latin music.

HOUSE IS A FEELING Jesse Dorris on Detroit house music icon Aaron-Carl, latter-day godfather of a style that, having long since conquered dance spaces, has become foundational to pop music worldwide.

THEY QUIT Anna Gaca weighs in on the new Haim album. “I quit is announcing its intention to be as emotional, self-indulgent, conflicted, silly, stoned, and heartsick as any woman on Stevie Nicks’ green Earth has a right to be.”

SHOEGAZERS LOOK UP Seems fair to include my own review of a great album by new school Minnesota-to-Brooklyn shoegazers Hotline TNT, “steaming slabs of guitar noise, Dinosaur Jr. via Teenage Fanclub circa “Everything Flows” buoyed by oceanic waves of Cocteau Twins modulations. It’s enough to make you miss the first Bush administration.”

Digging this video for the new David Byrne song. Special kudos for the selfie-stick choreography that kicks in around 02:25.

This is an unexpected pairing that works pretty perfectly.

If you missed Doeechi’s speech earlier this month at the BET Awards, it is poignant, inspiring, and it stares this American moment in the face.

And finally, Margo Price with eternally good advice — a taste of what promises to be an excellent new album due in August, one that doubles down on country music verities in her usual style, ie: minus the good ol’ boy bullshit.

Stay safe, y’all.