News & Updates — reissue

Here's a crazy version of "Hey Joe" from Niger that was brought to my attention via the new Agrim Agadez comp on the Sahel Sounds label. The record gathers raw recordings of guitar music from the Sahelian region of Niger, showcasing folks we'd likely never get to hear, playing entrancing and often gritty sounds. Led by guitarist Abdoulaye Bouzou (better known as Mona), Anza de L'Ader are a top act of Niger, formed in the 1970s. They are one of the heaviest psychedelic orchestras in West Africa. Many Muslims in the region were not accustomed to producing music in the '70s,...

Back when it was virtually banned by the government, Iván Fariñas took a stand to play the music he loved   In November 2014, Pablo ‘Bongohead’ Yglesias visited Cuba for the first time on a legal educational tour. The following month, in an unprecedented move, the United States eased some restrictions between the two countries after decades of frosty relations. Although the trip was for personal reasons, Yglesias – who has contributed music writing to the likes of Wax Poetics and co-manages the Peace & Rhythm record label – stumbled onto a story in the form of Ivan Fariñas, an...

Among the many beautiful things about sound & music is that it can supplement your life's routine in so many different ways. Whether you look at (or hear or make) music as artistic expression, ritual, relaxation, protest, celebration, dance release, mathematical composition, entertainment, fashion, comedy or even as background sound, there is no wrong way to appreciate music. It fills our lives with joy or aggression, songs about love and hate, constructions of rhythm and noise, harmony or disruption. Only a high-minded snob will pooh-pooh somebody's artistic creation. (Although they are certainly out there, usually in the form of talentless...

What records made your ears happy?