Sometimes it's necessary to get back to basics. In the case of Los Hacheros, that means returning to the deep groove of Afro-Caribbean music that provides the source material for modern salsa.
Performing at the NPR Music offices, Adia Victoria's voice is powerful and direct, with no artifice. Here, she performs "Heathen," plus two songs from her debut album, Beyond The Bloodhounds.
In performance together, the venerated saxophonist and the ubiquitous pianist perform three tunes that draw from their past while still looking to the future.
At this point, Dawn Richard — known these days as D∆WN — is simply beyond pop music. The Machinedrum-produced track celebrates cosmic desire with a video that moves the galaxy.
The eerie Savannah, Ga. pop band wants to express its rage with the current state of our culture as it relates to freedom and race. They've written "Tears of a Clown" to reflect their frustration.