Inside ÌFÉ's Reinvention Of Afro-Cuban Rhythms
On IIII + IIII, Otura Mun and his bandmates weave hip-hop, jazz and dancehall influences into Afro-Cuban music. It's an electronic take on tradition that embraces the human touch.
Music Reviews
Songs We Love: Kinky, 'Charro Negro'
The Mexican genre-busters enlist mariachi singer Pepe Aguilar for a shadowy dance track that wants you to move while you meditate.
SOAR's 'Fatigue' Is Brisk Pop-Punk About Tiresome Feelings
The Bay Area band features members of Joyride, Watercolor Paintings, Void Boys and Dreamspoiler, and combines the best elements of each of them for maximum, collaborative joy.
New Mix: Music From 'The Big Sick,' Rhye, Protomartyr, More
We open this week's essential mix with the sweetly melodic sounds of Michael Andrews and his score for the film The Big Sick. Also: the sensual sounds of Rhye, Protomartyr's existential rock and more.
Zachary Cale's Meditative Solo Guitar Sounds Like Twilight Fading
Cale's "Guitar" opens Driftless Instrumental I, a compilation featuring one-take solo performances by guitarist Hayden Pedigo, pianist Andrew Abboushi, cellist Chris Votek and others.
Songs We Love: Reese McHenry With Spider Bags, 'Mexico City'
Reese McHenry's got a voice like a preacher turning a standard sermon into a cathartic epiphany. She's joined by fellow North Carolina garage-rockers Spider Bags for a collaborative album.
First Listen: Waxahatchee, 'Out In The Storm'
Katie Crutchfield has polished Waxahatchee's sound to maximize its glimmering-but-spiky forcefulness, but her words remain as bracing and unsparing as ever.
Songs We Love: Kamaiyah, 'Build You Up'
Our first glimpse at Kamaiyah's forthcoming mixtape, Don't Ever Get It Twisted, is a smorgasbord of color, joy and movement.
Rio Mira's 'Román Román' Tells A People's History Through The Marimba
Founded by artists from Ecuador and Colombia, the marimba-centered supergroup highlights the music and poetry of their countries' El Pacífico region, once a haven for escaped slaves.
Jens Lekman Infuses Love Songs With Transporting Metaphors On 'Life Will See You Now'
The Swedish singer-songwriter's new album owes more to pop, disco and hip-hop than it does to rock or folk. Critic Ken Tucker says Life Will See You Now is marked by a "transporting loveliness."