Allison Russell
MESSENGER OF LOVE
“I’m a summer dream, I’m a real light beam, I’m worthy
Of all the goodness and the love that the world’s gonna give to me
I’ma give it back ten times, people, are you ready?
If you think you’re alone, hold on, I’m coming”
– The Returner
A force of strength, social justice, and love, Allison Russell is a defining next-generation voice. On summer tour now, her second album “The Returner,” following up on her Grammy-nominated solo debut, drops this fall.
Kaleido Splatt by Timorous Beasties through De Sousa Hughes
Brandi Carlile
Voice of a Generation
Her soaring vocals, championing of her fellow artists, and passionate advocacy for LGBTQ+ and social causes have made Brandi Carlile a legend in her own time. Her seventh album, In These Silent Days, received 10 Grammy nominations, winning Best Rock Performance and Best Rock Song for “Broken Horses,” and Best Americana Album.
Passiflora in Kingfisher by Clarke & Clarke through Kravet
Joni Mitchell
RETURN OF THE QUEEN
“I’ve looked at clouds from both sides nowFrom up and down and still somehowIt’s cloud illusions I recallI really don’t know clouds at all”
– Both Sides Now
The Joni revival is gloriously underway: last summer, she appeared at the Newport Folk Festival, with a live album of the performance following this year. This summer’s Joni Jam–the brainchild of Brandi Carlile–was a transcendent concert at The Gorge Amphitheater in Washington featuring the queen herself, with Carlile, Allison Russell, Sarah McLachlan, Annie Lennox, and others playing in tribute.
Nuvelli by Cole & Son through Kravet
Janelle Monáe
The Shapeshifter
In support of her aquarian fourth album, “The Age of Pleasure,” the supremely multi-talented Janelle Monáe kicks off a 26-city tour this summer. “In what has become a dynamic shift from previous albums,” notes Essence, “The singer has blended together the genres of afrobeats, r&b, reggae and soul to create an anthem for sexuality, self-love and expression.”
Iles Enchanted collection by Pierre Frey through Kneedler Fauchère
Kate Bush
The Avant Goddess
Almost 40 years after its release, Kate Bush’s anthem Running Up that Hill (Deal With God) reached No. 1 on the Billboard Global 200 chart this year, thanks to its feature in “Stranger Things.”
Rose Garden by Luke Edward Hall for Rubelli through Natalie Mize
Debbie Harry
Age is Just a Number
“The tide is high, but I’m holding on
I’m gonna be your number one
I’m not the kinda girl
Who gives up just like that “
-The Tide Is High
The perennially cool punk princess took the stage this spring at Glastonbury at age 77. Her Stephen Sprouse camo look of the ’80s was one of her defining style moments.
Honami from the Kyoto collection through Cowtan & Tout
In Memoriam
Sinead O’Connor
1966-2023
