Leyla McCalla Tends to Deep Roots on ‘Sun Without the Heat’
In this most recent work, folk artist Leyla McCalla continues cultivating an expansive and complex sense of roots and relative self. It’s a joy to witness.
leyla mccalla
Featured: Top of Home Page/Features/Lists/Music/Music Features/PopMatters Picks/The Best Music of 2022
The 15 Best Americana Albums of 2022
The best Americana albums are a multicultural, polysexual, mixed-gender, cross-genre lineup of music that fits somewhere under the big backyard of Americana.
Featured: Top of Home Page/Features/Lists/Music/Music Features/Music Reviews/PopMatters Picks/The Best Music of 2022
The 50 Best Albums of 2022 So Far
The 50 best albums of 2022 offer sublime music as major artists return with new albums and brilliant new sounds bubble up from the underground and worldwide.
Leyla McCalla Explores Haitian Music on ‘Breaking The Thermometer’
With Breaking the Thermometer, Leyla McCalla explores identity, freedom, and joy through Haitian music and culture. It’s a reminder of the album as a statement.
The 20 Best Folk Albums of 2019
Folk in 2019 is an image of inclusivity and unity in the face of international political upheaval. It's most captivating in its moments of sheer, heart-bearing authenticity and ensnares with new musical bearings introduced by some of its foremost innovators and newcomers to the scene.
The 50 Best Albums of 2019 So Far
As we head into a brief summer publication break to enjoy the summer sun for a few days, it's the perfect time to take stock of the year in music so far. PopMatters returns to our normal publishing schedule on Monday, 8 July.
Leyla McCalla’s ‘The Capitalist Blues’ Is the Essential Album to Inspire Resistance
Leyla McCalla's The Capitalist Blues is an inspired album centralizing the importance of music as an outlet for castigating society's ills.
Twang to Trombones: Top 20 Picks for AmericanaFest 2017
When Wynonna and Lee Ann Womack drag queen impersonators are NOT the highlight of the night, you know you need to be at these shows. AmericanaFest has something for every music fan.
Leyla McCalla: A Day for the Hunter, A Day for the Prey
As enjoyable as her music is at a baseline level, McCalla embraces so much more in terms of her passion for the complex history of the Haitian people.