Austin-based singer-songwriter and producer David Messier has released the music video for his latest single, “Television is Better Than Love,” premiering exclusively at Paste. Serving as the lead single from Messier’s sophomore album Time Bomb, the track is full of cheesy, TV-influenced puns juxtaposed with the harsh realities of modern dating (in a world where “Netflix and chill” […]
xiuhtezcatl dropped the perfect soundtrack for indigenous peoples’ day The young activist/rapper discusses his debut album, ‘Break Free’ — and how he got Shailene Woodley to sing on it. Since he was six years old, Xiuhtezcatl Martinez has been an outspoken environmentalist. Born to an activist mother — she founded the conservation organization Earth Guardians in the 1990s — […]
Mayday! decided to make a move towards the islands for their latest album South of 5th, and it’s paid off. The veteran rap group, signed to Tech N9ne‘s Strange Music, gave their fifith album a heavy reggae influence. Fans responded, moving the record to the top of the Billboard Reggae Chart. Now, just as the crew is about […]
Hear Salsa King Rubén Blades Perform ‘Ban Ban Quere’ Live in Upcoming LP ‘Una Noche con Rubén Blades’ was recorded live with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra A nine-time Grammy-winner and all-star vocalist of the illustrious salsa label, Fania Records, Rubén Blades is a living legend. Following a 2017 collaboration with Lin-Manuel Miranda, as well as Salsa […]
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 […]