Songs I Love Right Now | June 2026

Ted Lucas melodies, Joe Boyd explorations, John Cale, more Indonesian soul, Bahamian gospel, South African Swing. 

This month, I went deep on song selections by Thee Marloes and studied some of Joe Boyd’s productions. I especially like Bye Bye Baby, with vocals by Janis Joplin, and the John Cale instrumental, King Harry, which is strange and wonderful. I'll Find a Way to Carry it All sounds like nothing else and I'm particularly fond of the vocal octave shift around 0:45. What is the unusual instrument playing counterpoint to the vocals?

Thumbnail: Japanese artist Yoshida Chizuko, Flower Field, 1975.