Nellie McKay: Obligatory Villagers

Nellie McKay. <i>Hungry Mouse</i>.

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Throwing daggers with a smile, young New York iconoclast Nellie McKay uses a cheery delivery and bright, Broadway-friendly tunes to mask subversive intentions on her exuberant third album. The jaunty piano shuffle “Mother of Pearl” mocks antifeminists who complain, “Can’t those chicks do anything but whine?” while “Politan,” a sultry romantic ballad costarring alto sax great Phil Woods and bebop jazz vocalist Bob Dorough, conjures visions of tropical desire. McKay has a knack for sublime silliness, too, as the swingin’ “Zombie” demonstrates. But “Testify” offers something truly special, a soaring, inspirational anthem about standing up for your beliefs that doesn’t feel like a bunch of lazy platitudes.

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BEFORE YOU CLICK AWAY!

“Lying.” “Disgusting.” “Scum.” “Slime.” “Corrupt.” “Enemy of the people.” Donald Trump has always made clear what he thinks of journalists. And it’s plain now that his administration intends to do everything it can to stop journalists from reporting things they don’t like—which is most things that are true.

No one gets to tell Mother Jones what to publish or not publish, because no one owns our fiercely independent newsroom. But that also means we need to directly raise the resources it takes to keep our journalism alive. There’s only one way for that to happen, and it’s readers like you stepping up. Please help with a donation today if you can—even a few bucks will make a real difference. A monthly gift would be incredible.

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