Here at Brooklyn Based, we’re introducing a new feature in which Brooklyn musicians reflect on the songs in a playlist–some will be lists I come up with, some from the artists themselves. Park Slope-based singer and author Alina Simone joins us to kick it off. I first met Alina about five years ago when I wrote about her for Spinner, and I’ve kept an eye on her interesting career ever since. Born in Ukraine, Alina emigrated to the U.S. with her family at a very young age and grew up in Massachusetts. An indie folk rock musician with a hauntingly beautiful voice, Alina has recorded several albums, the most recent being Make Your Own Danger. Prior to that record, she released Everyone Is Crying Out to Me, Beware, a collection of songs by the late Russian punk rock singer Yanka Dyagileva, who died rather tragically in 1991 at the age of 24. While there is a very somber side to Alina’s music, it doesn’t mean she lacks a sense of humor—in fact, it’s the focal point of her hilarious memoir, You Must Go And Win. This June, Alina will be coming out with her debut novel, Note to Self, to be published by Faber and Faber. Read More »