Pick Six is a half-dozen cool things in music, from two points of view.
Jordan Alamat, 93X host:
1 Fruitpunchloverboy, "Silk." Check out this song and you'll understand why Fruitpunch loverboy is one of my favorite local artists: His hazy vocals, paired with a breezy chord progression and flowing 6/8 time signature, make this a song you can easily listen to eight times in a row.
2 Honeybutter, "Songbird." There's descending chromatic vocal melodies, a jazzy horn section (with muted trumpets). It's bossa nova-adjacent. Listen to this song every morning to get your dose of healthy optimism — and support another worthy local outfit.
3 Greta Van Fleet, "Heat Above." Classic rock seemingly dominates many Minnesotans' "Boat Vibes" playlist. It's time for a refresh, with this song that sounds like the baby of Led Zeppelin and Elton John.
Jon Bream, Star Tribune critic:
1 Prince, "The Truth." Issued as a first-time stand-alone for Saturday's Record Store Day, this 1996 album (it was part of 1998's "Crystal Ball" boxed set) features lots of Prince's guitar work (especially acoustic), some eccentric experimentation (including jazzy vocal harmonies), intermittent ambition ("Fascination"), several curiosities (including "3rd Eye" and "Circle of Amour" about 10th grade at Central High) and one gem (the syncopated soulful strut of "The Other Side of the Pillow").
2 CMT Awards choose diversity and inclusion. It wasn't just honoring groundbreaking Black female country singer Linda Martell with the Equal Play Award, but it was also exciting collabs including Breland, Mickey Guyton and Gladys Knight on "Friendship Train," and H.E.R. and Chris Stapleton on the deeply soulful guitar showcase "Hold On."
3 Rostam, "From the Back of a Cab." Performing on "The Late Late Show With James Corden," the Vampire Weekend alum/producer delivered this chill Bon Iver-like reflection on spending the night together, then sharing a cab to the airport for flights to different destinations. Is parting such sweet sorrow?
