Jenny and the Mexicats is a discovery from South by Southwest a few years ago that I haven’t been able to get out of my mind, and with good reason: The band’s high energy shows are unforgettable, as is its sound. Mixing flamenco, originally from southern Spain, with Jenny Ball’s jazz trumpet background and […]
Vision. Integrity. Fearlessness. These are characteristics that give an artist the edge to be great. The edge to succeed. The edge to stay relevant, particularly after arriving into the mainstream. Matisyahu has been a staple of the modern reggae community since his debut in 2004. His second studio album, Youth, released just two years later, debuted at #4 […]
The Monophonics’ set with French rapper Ben l’Oncle Soul at the 2015 Telluride Blues & Brews Festival was unforgettable. The California-based five-piece band laid down a funky, soul-infused backbeat to tight rhymes provided by the Parisian rapper. It was unlike anything I’d ever seen live and I was instantly hooked on Monophonics. Having seen three […]
Though many will try and tell you that R&B and soul are dead, we’re here to let you know that it’s actually alive, well and thriving. You need look no further than emerging artists and collectives breathing new life into the genres on the daily to know this. Take, for instance, Matador! Soul Sounds. The newly […]
Going to back to the days of Bob Marley and Peter Tosh, reggae music was brought to the world with authentic songs of freedom and a rock n’ roll heart. Rock band Grateful Dead is known for their unique band interplay and extended jams giving fans goosebumps. Influenced by their music, reggae-jam staples Roots of Creation have […]
Note: NPR’s First Listen audio comes down after the album is released. However, you can still listen with the Spotify or Apple Music playlist at the bottom of the page. Alfredo Rodríguez is a figurehead of the new generation of Cuban jazz musicians who observe and honor their roots while constantly seeking new avenues for […]
A comforting, much-needed reminder to take life one day at a time, “Today’s A New Day” is the latest video from Common Kings, featuring ¡MayDay!. Inspired by pop, reggae, R&B, and rock influences like Bob Marley, Van Morrison, Stevie Wonder, and Earth, Wind & Fire to name a few, Common Kings are shining a welcome […]
As a first-generation Israeli with Romanian roots, as well as a former New York City expat (with experience in the jazz and punk scene there), Tamir Muskat of Balkan Beat Box has a unique view of what it means to be worldly in 2017. Currently, he takes that view in from Tel Aviv, where he […]
In Their Words: “In ‘Franklin’s Key’ everything is speaking — not just the vocals. The saw, the bari sax, the percussion … it’s all ‘talking.’ I’m a cartoon junkie, from Merry Melodies to Chuck Jones to Loren Bouchard. When I close my eyes and listen to this track, I’m suddenly in a haunted house circa […]
It’s understandable why New Kingston’s Tahir, Courtney Jr., and Stephen scored a No. 1 reggae album with their latest set, Kingston City, on Easy Star Records. The Jamaican-American brothers may have grown up in Brooklyn, but their father schooled them on the reggae greats. [Read More]