Vieux Farka Toure Is His Own Man On Fondo

On his aptly-titled sophomore release, Vieux Farka Touré, son of the late Malian guitar legend Ali Farka Touré, has emerged from his father's shadow to become a worthy successor and forward-looking artist in his own right. Fondo, which means ''the road'' in Sonhrai, Touré's native language, is indeed a reflection of the young guitarist's notable evolution. He's come a long way since 2006's self-titled debut, a noteworthy, if somewhat tenuous first step that leaned heavily on his father as well as master kora player Toumani Diabate. The senior Touré, who died during the making of the album, contributed some profound playing to a few tracks. Three years later Touré has come into his own as a globally renowned artist. More than reflecting Ali's work, which predated the blues of the Mississippi Delta to West Africa, Fondo establishes other connections between those western Saharan roots and everything from jam band music to Jamaican dub. The opener "Fafa" is a slow, melancholic groove that carries itself with a hypnotic sort of enigma over a circular chord progression and Touré's double-tracked vocals. The syncopated "Ai Haira" boasts galloping percussion, including a talking drum solo and jam band guitar noodling. "Souba Souba" acts as a sedative before the five-minute long "Sarama" soars with a funky bass-driven rhythm section, in-your-face rock guitar riffs, and eruptive, hyperkinetic drumming. There's an easy glow in the sureness of Touré's execution in the instrumental "Slow Jam" and "Paradise," where the marriage between the western guitar and Diabate's ancient kora is again consummated. It's a vision that recalls Ali Farka Touré's own -bridging the African diaspora from both sides of the Atlantic - and one Vieux continues to expanded on. 

Hess Is More Hits The U.S.

In dark times people turn to art to restore their faith in the simple pleasures of life. The Danish, New York-based multi-instrumentalist/singer-songwriter/composer Mikkel Hess, a.k.a Hess Is More, has shrewdly revived the art of the absurd in music with just enough dark edges around his quirkiness to maintain a sense of relevancy in relation to the world we live in. And now courtesy of Nublu Records Hess's greatest hits will be released stateside. Simply titled Hits, the compilation reveals Hess's brand of quixotic pop. Dreamlike, catchy and cinematic without becoming encapsulated in a floating bubble devoid of references, the album has an unmistakable surreal patina and there are moments of spaced-out grooves which I like to refer to as inter-galactic pop. Songs like "Yes Boss," "The Magic Invention From T.D.P.R.C," an acronym for The Divine Presence Research Center, and "Don't Tell" display the kind of funny lyrics and out of this world dreamscapes required for head trips and out of body escapes. "Rosenkratz & Gyldenstjerned" is a whistled, space frontier song, while the whistling in "Glove Is In the Air" takes on more carefree, airy nuances and subtle, gypsy-jazz stylings in a ditty that reflects a comfortable familiarity with the known world. "Ssshhhh" is an upbeat, instrumental dancefloor foray that comes complete with an 80's inspired keyboard melody. The mood turns bleak in "In the Fridge," a dark and bluesy existential cry that hails from a cold world annexed by screeching violins and doomsday foreboding. By the end of the album "Never" doesn't necessarily restore your faith in lighter days ahead, though I suppose the 60's inspired la la la chorus and lyrics about never having cheated on his girlfriend or sleeping with a prostitute are tantamount to a step in the right direction. 

Rudi Y Cursi Soundtrack Out In All Digital Outlets

Gael Garcia Bernal and Diego Luna, co-stars in 2001's Oscar-nominated Y tu mamá también, reunite on-screen for Carlos Cuarón's directorial debut, Rudo Y Cursi. Co-produced by Cuarón's older brother Alfonso ("Children of Men"), Guillermo del Toro ("Pan's Labyrinth") and Alejandro González Iñárritu ("Babel") under the trio's new production company, Cha Cha Cha, the movie premiered in L.A. and New York City on May 8th. Already it's one of the highest grossing films in Mexican movie history. Released by Nacional Records, the soundtrack was co-produced by Camilo Lara (Mexican Institute of Sound) and the younger Cuarón. It flaunts itself like sonic bait boasting a who's who list of cutting-edge indie artists from Latin America and the U.S. The 17 deliciously crafted tracks display a refreshing variety of sounds that effectively reel the listener in to enhance the movie-watching experience. Covers of regional Mexican classics and original songs by indie luminaries like Devendra Banhart, Argentinean electro-folkie Juana Molina, Monterray rapper Niña Dioz - Mexico's answer to Lady Sovereign - and Black Lips all conspire to make this soundtrack one of the best I've heard since Trainspotting and Pulp Fiction. There's a rich palette of songs from Mexican hip-hop and Latin alt rock to electronic music, cumbia and indie pop. Banhart's rendition of "Lindo Cihuatlán" is especially haunting, while Niña Dioz's "Prefiero El Asfalto (Por Puro Gusto)" makes it clear why she's causing so much buzz these days as Mexican hip-hop's feisty soon-to-be ambassador. Jóvenes y Sexys' "Amor Platónico" is one track worthy of the repeat function on your iPod. Its diaphanous arrangements and heartfelt, wide-eyed lyrics are in stark contrast with the movies themes of ruthlessness and corruption in the world of pay-to-play sports. Three different versions of Cheap Trick's "I Want You To Want Me," including one sung in Spanish by an out-of-tune, seemingly inebriated Garcia Bernal, reflect some of the flick's moments of comic relief. The soundtrack ends with Bostich and Fussible's "Árboles De La Barranca" a Mexican classic naturally turned on its head. 

CéU Is Back With an EP Signaling the Release of a New Full-Length

Brazilian singer/songwriter CéU, who recently gave birth to her first child, has just released a four-track EP titled Cangote on Six Degrees Records. In anticipation of her second full-length since her 2007 self-titled breakthrough album, Cangote was recorded with CéU's musical soul mate, producer Beto Villares, who last year saw the U.S. release of his own beautifully crafted debut. Producer and engineer Gustavo Lenza (CéU’s touring engineer for the past 4 years) and soundtrack producer Gui Amabis, who collaborated with CéU on the Sonantes project, also added their magic touch to the new EP. The title-track is a daiphanous love song featuring the late legendary Brazilian drummer Gigante Brasil and Cuban keyboard player Pepe Cisneros who adds cool mystique with organ-infused soundscapes. “Bubuia," a song about floating on the surface of life, was written by CéU in collaboration with two of the most prominent Brazilian singers who are part of a new wave of the country's indie music scene. They are Anelis Assumpção, daughter of one of the most important composers and performers to come out of the São Paulo music scene ever – Itamar Assumpção – and Thalma de Freitas, vocalist of the band Orquestra Imperial. The EP also features the first studio versions of two songs that have been part of CéU’s live repertoire. CéU and her live band composed “Sonâmbulo” on the road. The studio version was done with her band and Villares on guitar. “Visgo de Jaca” is a classic samba made famous by singer Martinho da Vila back in the 70’s. This song also features CéU’s live band, who masterfully evoke the right kind of urban feel by updating the song. Soulful drums, percussion and pandeiro are laced with a retro keyboard groove and CéU's tradmark velvety vocals. Starting in July CéU will launch a brief U.S. tour, with performances in Seattle, New York, L.A. and San Francisco. For more info check go to www.sixdegreesrecords.com

The Dread Bass Chronicles Sparks a New Dancefloor Revolution

Kush Arora, a member of the San Francisco Surya Dub collective, has solidified his place as one of the most cutting-edge innovators in dub's latest evolution. The Dread Bass Chronicles unleashes urgent, aggressive beats and themes with which Arora is intimately versed in, such as the struggles of being an immigrant. A dancefloor warrior above all, he spikes his frenetic, cultural styled electronic riddims with a coterie of badass emcees to get his point across.  Guests on the album include Jamaican chanters Warrior Queen (the Bug) and Bongo Chilli, as well as Panama's MC Zulu, the Bay area's own Wiseproof, and longtime spars N4SA and Jukali. Arora's futuristic style melds subtle bhangra flourishes - remnants of his Punjab heritage - with punk, industrial sounds and in-your-face dancehall. "Dread Bass" may even be on its way to becoming the sound of a post-dancehall world, one in which Arora is the sonic explorer probing new realms of musical mutations.   

L.A. Jazz Collective Drops It For the People

Contemporary, forward-looking jazz plus grass-roots commitment to community through music equals a sonic co-op like no other. On its first outing, Sampler Vol. 1, the Los Angeles Jazz Collective channels the boundless spirit of the music in a patchwork compilation of some of the project's finest pickings. This is indie jazz at its best - unafraid to push the envelope and committed to the profusion of ideas that result when creatively inquisitive musicians join forces. One of my favorite tracks, "Loft Scene," injects subtle electronica within cool jazz contours. Who's ever doubted jazz's relevance needs a reality check and shot of Sampler Vol. 1.

Ex Habana Abierta Member Drops New Disc

Madrid-based, singer/songwriter Borris Larramendi, a former member of the collective Habana Abierta and The Habana Blues Band, released his second solo album Libre, which he self-produced and is available on iTunes. I'll write a proper review once I've listened to the entire disc, though I'm sure that Larramendi serves up as much swing and funk as he did when he jammed with HA - and besides, Horacio "El Negro" Hernandez plays the trap set and percussion on the album and any project he's involved in, from experimental jazz to timba-funk, is top-notch, El negro doesn't mess around. As for the remaining members of HA, they will be performing in Miami on June 6th at the American Airlines Arena as the opening act for Cuban-American salsa singer Willy Chirino.