Jordan Lee (dot) Life

Juana Molina - caravanas (2025)

Yesterday we held a rare party in our tiny apartment where we cooked pots of vegan soup to nourish our friends for the new year. At some point I played Juana Molina’s album DOGA and it felt like a perfect fit for the warm buzz of the gathering. The hypnotic sing-songy pop experiments stay mostly even keeled but bursts of well-placed sound design made it rise back into awareness prompting many to ask “what is this?” and writing it down for a closer listen later. I recommend her whole discography!

Today’s song is Love Me Or Leave Me by Nina Simone (1965)

I love our local radio here in NYC and one tradition that has become a big part of our holidays is WKCR’s Bachfest which airs non-stop Bach and Bach-related music from Christmas Eve to the stroke of midnight on New Year’s Eve. Although it has run for 48 years, it only became a part of my life during a COVID lockdown when we were stuck inside and used the radio to feel more connected to a sense of place. The moment stayed with me deeply and now gives tradition, texture, and a bit of an endurance challenge to the year transition.

This year, amid the organ fugues and piano suites I was surprised to hear Nina Simone’s voice but then it made sense. Her training in classical piano before moving on to her multifaceted blues/jazz/soul style was in full force as she interpolated Bach’s piano style into a remarkable solo in the middle of an already great swing song.

Happy new time spiral!