ne ws & RE VIE WS Various Artists Black Sabbath: The Secret Musical History of Black-Jewish Relations
Various Artists The Roots of Chicha 2 Barbès Records
Idelsohn Society
“What do Billie Holiday, Cab Calloway, Johnny Mathis, and Nina Simone all have in common? Besides stellar voices, they were among many black American artists who sang Jewish songs. This rarely-told American story is chronicled on a new compilation called Black Sabbath: The Secret Musical History of Black-Jewish Relations, which uses music to connect these two seemingly disparate groups.” — NPR Weekend Edition
Y La Bamba Lupon Tender Loving Empire
“Back in 2007, Brooklyn label Barbès released The Roots of Chicha, a collection of psychedelic, surf-influenced electric cumbias from ’60s and ’70s Peru. The compilation was a surprise success, so much so that, on October 12, Barbès will be releasing a second volume. The Roots of Chicha 2 will feature 16 more selections from the genre, which was largely unknown outside of Peru until the past few years.” — XLR8R
William Parker I Plan To Stay a Believer: The Inside Songs of Curtis Mayfield AUM Fidelity
“That one would categorize Y La Bamba’s providential debut, Lupon, as religious mysticism—a collection of hazy, whispering ballads steeped in polarizing art-folk and sacred Mexican lore—would be fitting … at once curious and deeply haunting … The rustic warbles of Mendoza fuse faultlessly over the band’s instrumentation, itself a sort of wilderness folk avant-gardism. Wondrous and magical, Lupon enchants at every turn with moments of sudden and unexpected beauty.” — Filter
“The 11 tracks included on William Parker’s wonderful new album approach Mayfield’s music with a freewheeling, joyful abandon that evokes the original productions without trying ape them … At times we get gospel-tinged uplift, at times we get soulful swing, at times tight soul groove and at times full-blown freak-out, but what never falters is the clear-eyed joy and righteous purpose that has defined the music of both Mayfield and Parker throughout their careers.” — Other Music
Kathryn Calder Are You My Mother?
The Birthday Massacre Pins and Needles
File Under: Music
Metropolis Records
“Calder seems intent on celebrating life’s varied slopes and valleys … ‘If You Only Knew’ would make for a harvest-fest dance gem, and the piano-recital pomp of ‘Low’ is less a requiem than a cozy rallying cry for navel-gazers everywhere. Members of The New Pornographers, Ladyhawke, and Frog Eyes chip in, but Calder’s confident voice and commanding presence anchors it all.” — Paste
SoundScanned over 3,000 units in a single week! “The latest from the gothic alt rock superstars ... this album does contain some of the best songwriting the group has ever done and will most assuredly satisfy fans both old and new. With the legendary Dave ‘Rave’ Ogilvie returning as producer, Pins and Needles ... is well worth the listen and the purchase.” — ReGen
of Montreal False Priest
Jen Wood Finds You In Love
Joyful Noise
New Granada Records
“The latest release from of Montreal can be summed up in a word: bonkers. False Priest, the 10th album from wildly imaginative and exuberant frontman Kevin Barnes, is a gloriously unpredictable sonic joyride.” — Robin Hilton, NPR Music
“An atmospheric, ambitiously arranged and piano-driven wonder … More interested in breaking hearts than breaking ground, Wood’s lyrics of loss and disillusionment dissolve almost subliminally into her voice, an instrument of sweet, sad, simple power.” — Alternative Press, HHHH