Reviews
Roots of Ska: USA Jamaica 1942-62
In his book Bass Culture, the writer Lloyd Bradley vividly evokes the era before ska and rocksteady eras in 50s...
Reviewed by Charles De Ledesma in issue: Jan/Feb/2014
Gipsy Manifesto
Boban & Marko Markovic Orkestar
Balkan brass bands still wallop their bass drums with the same switches used by Ottoman marching bands, the kind Haydn...
Reviewed by Joe Walker in issue: Jan/Feb/2014
Taboussizé-Niger
Mamar Kassey is the working group name used by the musician Yacouba Moumouni (nicknamed Denké-Denké). The group is from Niger...
Reviewed by Martin Sinnock in issue: Jan/Feb/2014
Hâfez & Goethe: Divân
Abed Azrié is the sort of intellectual musician who could probably only flourish in France. Born in Syria’s most cultured...
Reviewed by Bill Badley in issue: Jan/Feb/2014
New Dawn
The opening track of this young Israeli duo’s debut recording is staggering. It’s clear from the outset that guitarist Itamar...
Reviewed by Bill Badley in issue: Jan/Feb/2014
Disconnected in New York City
Last December, Los Lobos played a three-night residency at NYC’s intimate City Winery. These normally plugged-in Los Angeleno rockers were...
Reviewed by Martin Longley in issue: Jan/Feb/2014
Cluck O1’ Hen
The odd yet amazing thing about this album is the presence of the piano in a standard strings-and-things bluegrass band....
Reviewed by Doug Deloach in issue: Jan/Feb/2014
Jump Ups & Jollities
‘Junkerdash is a term we applied to our peculiar take on traditional acoustic mountain music, which is filtered through a...
Reviewed by Doug Deloach in issue: Jan/Feb/2014
One More for the Road
The Wiyos continue to surf a wave of popular acclaim, thanks to a 2009 appearance on the BBC documentary Folk...
Reviewed by Doug Deloach in issue: Jan/Feb/2014
