Reissues of Tinariwen’s Early Albums Recall the Saharan Group at Their Most Iconic
Unimpeachable in both technique and sincerity, Aman Iman and Imidiwan are potent assemblages of the qualities that make Tinariwen’s music evergreen.
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.
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The 10 Best Global Music Albums of 2022
The best global music albums demonstrate how much art comes specifically from connections between people and the importance of the places they bring with them.
‘Kel Tinariwen’ Adds Synthpop to Tinariwen’s Repertoire
Previously released on cassette in Mali, Kel Tinariwen offers a very different sense of style than the rugged sounds for which Tinariwen are so well known.
Olli Hirvonen Pivots to Post-rock on Gripping ‘Kielo’
Olli Hirvonen’s Kielo is potent, straddling the borders of ether and earth with commanding resolve: instrumental post-rock at its most gripping.
‘Medicine Singers’ Is a contemporary Take on Indigenous Traditions and Post-Punk
Medicine Singers is an utterly cutting-edge and contemporary treatment of traditions often relegated to the distant past but with powerful meaning today.
Batida Features Lusophone Luminaries on Boldly Transnational ‘Neon Colonialismo’
These sounds are some of Batida’s most dramatic to date as Neon Colonialismo is made for hot, dark nights of the best kind.
Kottarashky & the Rain Dogs Play with Balkan Beats and Eclectic Pop Sounds on ‘Doghouse’
Kottarashky and the Rain Dogs dig deep into the possibilities of contemporary Balkan folk-pop assemblages on Doghouse. There’s much here that’s truly exquisite.
Dungen’s ‘En Är För Mycket’ Opens Up New Paths for Modern Psych Rock
En Är För Mycket is even brighter and bolder than Dungen’s past works, transfiguring pastoral impressions into wild explorations of fuzzy, feedback-heavy brilliance.
Charlotte Dos Santos Unfurls Her Wings on the Exquisite ‘Morfo’
Morfo is an amplification of everything making Charlotte Dos Santos an entrancing artist: gossamer voice, luscious atmosphere, and a pervasive sense of wonder.
Uruguayan Rock Cult Classic ‘Musicasión 4 ½’ Gets a Deluxe 50th Anniversary Release
Uruguayan rock cult masterwork Musicasión 4 ½ is the kind of record that deserves to be recognized as a jewel of classic rock.
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.
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.
