A Nod to the the Gipsy Kings
Almost 5 years running, and I’ve never even mentioned the Gipsy Kings on this blog? For shame, Pete. The Rumba Catalana sound of the Gipsy Kings have been bringing audiences and listeners joy for more than 20 years now (13…
Paul Simon + Roots + Antibalas Horns on Fallon
Jimmy Fallon may be going through some growing pains as a late night talk show host (some of the interviews I’ve seen have their cringe-worthy moments), but with the Roots as the house band, every musical moment has the potential…
Stand by Me (from Playing for Change)
Watch this.You’ll feel better.Thanks wife. From the award winning documentary, Playing for Change.
ACL Highlight: Gogol Bordello
What a fun &%#$ band! High energy bohemian gypsy maniacs. Gogol Bordello was high on my list of must-see acts at the ACL festival a couple weeks ago. Like a lot of people, I first came to know of them…
Northern Exposure: Tagaq
Bizarre, diverse, expansive, extraordinary, sensual and provocative, the sophomore release Auk/Blood from Canadian artist Tagaq brings to mind a flurry of metaphors that all lead to the summation of a single word; Unique. As an experience I can only liken…
First Listen: Haale
Haale (pronounced similar to Hallelujah) successfully manages to blend the traditional rhythm and passion of Persian and Sufi Trance music and fuse it with a beautiful take on the post modern rock most readily associated with the likes of Radiohead.…
Meet Tiken Jah Fakoly
It’s news stories like this that jump out at me and remind me about the power of music. Tiken Jah Fakoly is a very popular reggae artist in Africa. He’s also very outspoken and apt to speak his mind –…
Afrofunk falls into a Deep Sleep
Ickmusic’s crack Canadian correspondent, Cam, returns…. A few years ago, at my frigid first outdoor festival of the year, the tropical sounds of Mr. Something Something caught my ear. I thought they were great. Having seen Antibalas, Femi Kuti, and…
RIP Lucky Dube: 1964-2007
The world loses another great musician. In a senseless & random act of violence, South African reggae star Lucky Dube was shot and killed outside of Johannesburg yesterday in an attempted carjacking – in front of his children, mind you.…
New Manu Chao – La Radiolina
I first came across Manu Chao a few years ago thanks to still amazing Radio Paradise. The song was “Bongo Bong” and was like nothing I’d ever heard – a mix of latin, world beats, jazz, punk. Well, he’s back…
