Pop Duo Kit Sebastian Thrill on Thoughtful ‘New Internationale’
Kit Sebastian’s New Internationale is a robust pop masterpiece, a boldly artful work that is refined but not restrained, tasteful but never bland.
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.
Swiss Duo Citron Citron Make Minimalist Art Pop on ‘Maréeternelle’
Citron Citron’s Maréeternelle is accessible avant-garde pop still edging toward highbrow. It highlights the ultramodern sounds coming from Geneva’s underground.
Brazil-Rooted Ayom Party with Purpose on ‘Sa.Li.Va.’
Ayom’s Sa.Li.Va. is meant to be heard and felt to move a listener literally and figuratively. Complex in its makings, its joy is straightforward.
Nala Sinephro Composes Cosmic Jazz on ‘Endlessness’
Nala Sinephro’s Endlessness is music that is good for the ear, the mind, the heart, and the very future of the philosophical orientations of jazz.
Lollise Makes a Splash With Brilliant Debut ‘I Hit the Water’
Lollise’s I Hit the Water is brilliant, swirling, and compelling with its blend of Afrobeat, soul, and electronics. It’s a debut deserving all your attention.
El Khat Refuse to Stay Silent on Captivating ‘Mute’
El Khat’s music is unlike anyone else’s. It is a sparkling array of DIY tools that work toward vital social messages and spreading Yemeni Jewish tradition.
Brazilian Hip-Hop Artist Laíz Makes Bold Moves on ‘Ela Partíu’
Throughout Ela Partíu, Laíz makes clear just how much more she is: strong, tender, and an outstanding new figure in globally-minded hip-hop.
Claude Fontaine Wafts in Tropical Dreamscapes on ‘La Mer’
From the first notes of her sophomore album La Mer, it’s clear that singer-songwriter Claude Fontaine is a chanteuse, and it’s not a role she takes lightly.
‘Belaya Polosa’ Expands Molchat Doma’s Industrial Palette
Belaya Polosa is full of Molchat Doma’s most complex and overtly human music, organically integrated into their melancholy post-punk atmosphere.
Moira Smiley Calls for Peace and Community on ‘The Rhizome Project’
It would be unfair to put Moira Smiley’s work in a single box, but it seems fitting to note how fully she embodies the core ideals of contemporary folk music.
Nicole Mitchell and Ballaké Sissoko Explore Their Connections
Bamako is the truest kind of jazz, all about movement and communication, and Nicole Mitchell and Ballaké Sissoko make for an expert team at the helm.
Ugandan Master Storyteller Ekuka Morris Sirikiti Is Spellbinding
Ekuka Morris Sirikiti’s work reminds us that he and his traditions are very much still here, not artifacts of old media but flesh and blood, spirit and sound.