Sampa the Great Soars Aabove Her Whole Industry on ‘As Above, So Below’
On Sampa the Great’s As Above, So Below, she makes music with incredible clarity of purpose and affirms a sense of interconnected self and heritage.
Adriane Pontecorvo
Adriane Pontecorvo is a native San Franciscan with a penchant for global beats. She is a music programmer for community radio station WFHB and studies ethnomusicology at Indiana University.
Avalanche Kaito’s Debut Turns Ancient Oral Traditions Into Post-Punk Explosions
Multiple musical histories come to bear on Avalanche Kaito, resulting in an Afrofuturist-tinged, cyberpunk-shaped fantasy well worth an immersive listen.
Producer Eyedress Is Everything Right With Bedroom Pop on ‘Full Time Lover’
Eyedress’ Full Time Lover takes up-to-date pop sensibilities and keeps them moving in new ways that are not just creatively fruitful but genuinely fun.
Mike Nesmith’s Country Rock Deep Cuts Take Center Stage on ‘Different Drum’
Different Drum continues to bolster the case for considering the Monkees’ Michael Nesmith as a major figure in country rock and American popular music.
‘The Rough Guide to the Music of Yunnan’ Explores Modern Borderland Folk
The Rough Guide to the Music of Yunnan is yet another admirable volume of the venerable Rough Guides series with its embrace of many forms of diversity and very catchy tunes.
Guitarist Vieux Farka Touré Embraces His Roots on ‘Les Racines’
On Les Racines, Malian guitarist Vieux Farka Touré looks in many directions at once, and while doing so, shares integral parts of his musical world with us.
Supergroup Congotronics International Dazzle on ‘Where’s the One?’
Congotronics International, a supergroup of Konono Nº1 and Kasai Allstars members and guests, make their recorded debut with Where’s the One? It’s phenomenal.
Pierre Kwenders Blends Rumba, Rock, and R&B on ‘José Louis and the Paradox of Love’
Pierre Kwenders’ José Louis and the Paradox of Love is inventive and heartfelt. Kwenders isn’t simply blazing a narrow trail but opening up a cosmos.
Oumou Sangaré Sings True Blues on the Brilliant ‘Timbuktu’
For as much as “Malian blues” is thrown around in talking about everything from Tinariwen to Touré, Oumou Sangaré’s Timbuktu truly delivers on such a phrase.
The Ano Nobo Quartet Introduce Us to Their Lively Folk Acoustics
The Ano Nobo Quartet engage heart and mind alike in their intricate debut, tapping into an acoustic folk vein bound to hit close to home for many listeners.
Ibibio Sound Machine Bring the Electrofunk with Hot Chip-Produced ‘Electricity’
Ibibio Sound Machine hit new heights as they draw on the power of musical currents flowing between Lagos and London on the Hot Chip-produced Electricity.
Jeremiah Chiu and Marta Sofia Honer Build a New Sense of place on ‘Recordings From the Åland Islands’
Recordings From the Åland Islands goes beyond soundscape ambience and utopian visions of isolation and delves into the living connections between people, place, and sound.
