Khruangbin was recommended to me and I haven’t shut them off since. 

What is music to you? How does it shape your life, or does your life shape the music you listen to?

Every song is a soundtrack to an event. I am never ever without music. It is a daydream, moments not yet realized. Potential is its language, and untethered imagination it’s boundary. Everything about music is other-worldly. Since a little girl, with my small radio in hand, its how I fell asleep. Today, music is how I define my days and how I set my balance. 

I will listen to every kind of beat and then I’ll settle on what I love. Khruangbin, I love. It’s been a while since music got under my skin and ran through my blood so deeply. Pure groove, there’s just no way anyone can listen to anything created by them and not move with their creation.

They’re streaming through my headphones right now and though surrounded by people, I am grooving alone and I am in a heaven of their making.

They are Afghan, Middle Eastern and Thai funk influenced. As with all things, when we mix, beauty is born.

I dance a lot. Daily. It’s how I shake off my workday and roll into my evening. It’s a conversation I have with my own body, acknowledging that it’s time to move into the tempo of molasses after days spent in the light of a computer. Khruangbin have made magic in this girl’s life for the last 72 hours. Let me tell you.

Also, they’re based in Texas. Because of course they are. I have five days to myself around the Easter long weekend and I’m thinking it’s to Austin I need to go where everything is music driven. TBD.

I am obsessed with the guitar playing; it’s Mark Speer on a 2001 Fender Classic Series ‘70s Stratocaster, thank you Google. Pure Swahili; it means nothing to me but that I love how I feel. As much as I love music, I know sweet fk all about it. I do wish I could sing.

Speaking of which. I am breaking from work, and all things Ottawa at the moment. My body has been shutting down since Thursday evening, and today, Monday, I have lost my voice. I can barely speak in a whisper – this is pure unadulterated exhaustion forcing my hand to rest.

I am grateful.

Back to Khruangbin. They’re a whole lot of 70s groove, with a hint of porn. If this guitar man doesn’t use kohl, he needs to start. Because: Yum.

Check’em out immediately. Start with their Con Todo El Mundo album. Then pivot to El Bueno Y El Malo by Hermanos Gutierrez. Same vibe, different continents.

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