February 27, 2011

Charts February 27, 2011

CMJ New World Top Ten
1 AURELIO | Laru Beya | Sub Pop / Next Ambiance
2 SERGENT GARCIA | "Yo Soy Salsamuffin"/"Ojos Inocentes" | Cumbancha
3 SERGE GAINSBOURG | "Comme Un Boomerang" | Mercury
4 FRED HO AND THE GREEN MONSTER BIG BAND | Year Of The Tiger |Innova
5 G.R.A.S.S. | G.R.A.S.S. On Fire | Mighty Gowanus
6 VARIOUS ARTISTS | Free Africa | Le Son Du Maquis
7 VARIOUS ARTISTS | Angola Soundtrack: The Unique Sound Of Luanda 1968-1976 | Analog Africa
8 MR. HO'S ORCHESTROTICA | The Unforgettable Sounds Of Esquivel |self-released
9 VARIOUS ARTISTS | Tradi-Mods Vs. Rockers: Alternative Takes On Congotronics | Crammed Discs
10 RATTLEMOUTH | 5 | self-released

CMJ New World Adds
1 LOS CHICHARRONS | Roots Of Life | Tummy Touch
2 ELIZABETH WOODBURY KASIUS & HEARD | Karibu | Heard Music
3 SAMBA MAPANGALA & ORCHESTRA VIRUNGA | "Maisha Ni Matamu" / "Zanzibar" | Virunga Music
4 RATTLEMOUTH | 5 | self-released
5 SHOTNEZ | Shotnez | JDub

New & Recommended At WRIR
Angola Soundtrack | (various artists) | Analog Africa
Aurelio | Laru Beya | Sub Pop/Next Ambiance
Bedouin Soundclash | "Mountain Top" | Nat Geo Music
Cantuaria, Vinicius & Bill Frisell | Lagrimas Mexicanas | eOne Music
Dengue Fever | "Cement Slippers" | Concord
Diabate, Mamadou | Courage | World Village
Free Africa | (various artists) | Le Son Du Maquis
G.R.A.S.S. | G.R.A.S.S. On Fire | Mighty Gowanus
Gainsbourg, Serge | "Comme Un Boomerang" | Mercury
Ho, Fred And The Green Monster Big Band | Year Of The Tiger | Innova
Mr. Ho's Orchestrotica | The Unforgettable Sounds Of Esquivel | self-released
Nouvelle Vague | "Où Veux-Tu Que Je Regarde" | Barclay
Sergent Garcia | "Yo Soy Salsamuffin" / "Ojos Inocentes" | Cumbancha
Shaolin Afronauts, The | "Journey Through Time" / "Kibo" | Freestyle
Sound Of Siam, The | (various artists) | Soundway
Velan, Chris & Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars | "Inez" | Cumbancha

New Arrivals This Week
Chicharrons, Los | Roots Of Life | Tummy Touch (CD)
Kasius, Elizabeth Woodbury & Heard | Karibu | Heard Music (CD)
Mapangala, Samba & Orchestra Virunga | "Maisha Ni Matamu" / "Zanzibar" | Virunga Music (CD)
Nayar, Tarun | 22 Degrees Of Beatitude | self-released (digital)
Pena | Volume 2 | Secret Stash (digital)
Rattlemouth | 5 | self-released (CD)
Shotnez | Shotnez | JDub (digital)

February 23, 2011

Program February 25, 2011

This week's program starts with a track from the remarkable forthcoming new album by The Sway Machinery (pictured above), a band whose music integrates African sounds with Jewish cantorial traditions, a mean feat in itself.

You'll also hear new releases from multicultural favorites Sergent Garcia (his new disc arrives in April) and Los De Abajo, some fabulous female vocalists from West Africa, and we'll wrap up with a set of music from the early days of reggae and the glory days of rocksteady.

Click "Read More" for today's tracklist; click here for a podcast of today's program:

http://www.radio4all.net/index.php/program/49745

The complete archive of Global A Go-Go podcasts is here:

http://www.radio4all.net/index.php/series/Global+A+Go-Go


February 20, 2011

Charts February 20, 2011

CMJ New World Top Ten
1 DENGUE FEVER | "Cement Slippers" | Concord
2 SERGE GAINSBOURG | "Comme Un Boomerang" | Mercury
3 THE SHAOLIN AFRONAUTS | "Journey Through Time"/"Kibo" | Freestyle
4 VINICIUS CANTUARIA & BILL FRISELL | Lagrimas Mexicanas | eOne Music
5 VARIOUS ARTISTS | Angola Soundtrack | Analog Africa
6 MR. HO'S ORCHESTROTICA | The Unforgettable Sounds Of Esquivel | self-released
7 GILAD ATZMON & THE ORIENT HOUSE ENSEMBLE | The Tide Has Changed | World Village
8 WAYNE WALLACE LATIN JAZZ QUINTET | To Hear From There | Patois
9 MAMADOU DIABATE | Courage | World Village
10 G.R.A.S.S. | G.R.A.S.S. On Fire | Mighty Gowanus

CMJ New World Adds
1 VARIOUS ARTISTS | The Rough Guide To Bellydance (Second Edition) | World Music Network
2 CUSTODIO CASTELO | The Art Of Portuguese Fado Guitar | ARC
3 DUBMATIX | The Berlin Sessions | Irie Ites Music
4 NURIYA | Tanita | Musica Almaya
5 HOSSAN RAMZY & PHIL THORNTON | Egypt Unveiled | ARC

New & Recommended At WRIR
Angola Soundtrack | (various artists) | Analog Africa
Aurelio | Laru Beya | Sub Pop/Next Ambiance
Bedouin Soundclash | "Mountain Top" | Nat Geo Music
Cantuaria, Vinicius & Bill Frisell | Lagrimas Mexicanas | eOne Music
Dengue Fever | "Cement Slippers" | Concord
Diabate, Mamadou | Courage | World Village
Free Africa | (various artists) | Le Son Du Maquis
G.R.A.S.S. | G.R.A.S.S. On Fire | Mighty Gowanus
Gainsbourg, Serge | "Comme Un Boomerang" | Mercury
Ho, Fred And The Green Monster Big Band | Year Of The Tiger | Innova
Mr. Ho's Orchestrotica | The Unforgettable Sounds Of Esquivel | self-released
Nouvelle Vague | "Où Veux-Tu Que Je Regarde" | Barclay
Sergent Garcia | "Yo Soy Salsamuffin" / "Ojos Inocentes" | Cumbancha
Shaolin Afronauts, The | "Journey Through Time" / "Kibo" | Freestyle
Sound Of Siam, The | (various artists) | Soundway
Tradi-Mods Vs. Rockers: Alternative Takes On Congotronics | (various artists) | Crammed Discs
Velan, Chris & Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars | "Inez" | Cumbancha

February 18, 2011

Dengue Fever, Serge Gainsbourg, Sergent Garcia, Shaolin Afronauts

ARTIST | TRACK | LABEL:
Dengue Fever | "Cement Slippers" | Concord
Serge Gainsbourg | "Comme Un Boomerang" | Mercury
Sergent Garcia | "Yo Soy Salsamuffin" & "Ojos Inocentes" | Cumbancha
The Shaolin Afronauts | "Journey Through Time" & "Kibo" | Freestyle

REVIEW:  Here’s a nice assortment of new singles from forthcoming albums, all well worth your attention.  Leading off are Cambodian-American psych-rockers Dengue Fever.  The song continues where “Tiger Phone Card” from their last record left off – a relationship story told via tag-team male-female vocals.

Next up is a previously unreleased recording by Serge Gainsbourg; it’s one of his most famous and frequently-covered songs, originally written for (and banned from) the 1975 Eurovision contest, but no previous recordings of him singing it have been released.

French-Spanish multicultural rocker Sergent Garcia (pictured above with his band) has never gotten much attention in the USA, but Cumbancha Records intends to change that with these two strong and entertaining songs that combine salsa and cumbia with hip hop and dancehall.

The Shaolin Afronauts (best band name of the year?) are a new Australian group who play Afrobeat in a highly funk-inflected manner, very much like the Budos Band – these two songs really cook.

REVIEWER:  Bill Lupoletti

February 17, 2011

Program February 18, 2011

It's hard to believe that something, anything that Serge Gainsbourg ever recorded hasn't yet been released.  But here we are in 2011, and the world has a hertofore unheard Gainsbourg track -- it's his demo of "Comme Un Boomerang," banned from the 1975 Eurovision contest.

So, brand-new (after a fashion) music from Serge Gainsbourg this week on Global A Go-Go.  Also this week: an unusual assortment of Brazilian songs, jazzy and funky Balkan brass, and some young lions of Afrobeat.

Click "Read More" for today's tracklist; click here for a podcast of today's program:

http://www.radio4all.net/index.php/program/49556

The complete catalog of Global A Go-Go podcasts is here:

http://www.radio4all.net/index.php/series/Global+A+Go-Go


February 13, 2011

Charts February 13, 2011

CMJ New World Top Ten
1 FRED HO AND THE GREEN MONSTER BIG BAND | Year Of The Tiger | Innova
2 AURELIO | Laru Beya | Sub Pop/Next Ambiance
3 DENGUE FEVER | "Cement Slippers" [single] | Concord
4 VINICIUS CANTUARIA AND BILL FRISELL | Lagrimas Mexicanas | eOne Music
5 VARIOUS ARTISTS | Angola Soundtrack: The Unique Sound Of Luanda 1968-1976 | Analog Africa
6 VARIOUS ARTISTS | The Sound Of Siam: Leftfield Luk Thung, Jazz And Molam In Thailand 1964-1975 | Soundway
7 VARIOUS ARTISTS | Tradi-Mods Vs. Rockers: Alternative Takes On Congotronics | Crammed
8 TABU LEY ROCHEREAU | The Voice Of Lightness, Vol. 2 | Sterns
9 AFROCUBISM | Afrocubism | World Circuit/Nonesuch
10 RATTLEMOUTH | 5 | self-released

CMJ New World Adds
1 DENGUE FEVER | "Cement Slippers" [single] | Concord
2 SERGE GAINSBOURG | "Comme Un Boomerang" [single] | Mercury
3 VARIOUS ARTISTS | Generation Bass Presents: Transnational Dubstep | Six Degrees
4 SERGENT GARCIA | "Yo Soy Salsamuffin" / "Ojos Inocentes" [single] | Cumbancha
5 VARIOUS ARTISTS | Para Armar: Tremor Remixes | ZZK

New & Recommended At WRIR
Angola Soundtrack | (various artists) | Analog Africa
Aurelio | Laru Beya | Sub Pop/Next Ambiance
Bedouin Soundclash | "Mountain Top" | Nat Geo Music
Cantuaria, Vinicius & Bill Frisell | Lagrimas Mexicanas | eOne Music
Diabate, Mamadou | Courage | World Village
Free Africa | (various artists) | Le Son Du Maquis
G.R.A.S.S. | G.R.A.S.S. On Fire | Mighty Gowanus
Ho, Fred And The Green Monster Big Band | Year Of The Tiger | Innova
Mr. Ho's Orchestrotica | The Unforgettable Sounds Of Esquivel | self-released
Nouvelle Vague | "Où Veux-Tu Que Je Regarde" | Barclay
Rochereau, Tabu Ley | The Voice Of Lightness, Volume 2 | Sterns
Sound Of Siam, The | (various artists) | Soundway
Tradi-Mods Vs. Rockers: Alternative Takes On Congotronics | (various artists) | Crammed Discs
Velan, Chris & Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars | "Inez" | Cumbancha

February 10, 2011

Program February 11, 2011

Dengue Fever (pictured above), everybody's favorite Cambodian-American psych-rock band, has a brand-new single and you can hear it on this week's edition of Global A Go-Go.  In fact, you can download yourself a copy right now for free, right here:

http://t.opsp.in/PJ4U

Also on this week's show, I'll play a half-hour of the music of one of the major figures in Central American Garifuna music, Aurelio Martinez of Honduras.  You'll hear a couple of tracks from his wonderful new album Laru Beya, plus material from earlier in his still-young career.

In addition, music new and old from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and a thoroughly surprising cover of "Thriller" by American bandleader Fred Ho --  sort of Michael Jackson meets Shaun Of The Dead and Reverend Billy's Church of Stop Shopping.

Click "Read More" for today's tracklist; click here for a podcast of today's program:

http://www.radio4all.net/index.php/program/49381

The complete catalog of Global A Go-Go podcasts is here:

http://www.radio4all.net/index.php/series/Global+A+Go-Go


February 6, 2011

Charts February 6, 2011

CMJ New World Top Ten
1    MAMADOU DIABATE | Courage | World Village
2    CHRIS VELAN & SIERRA LEONE'S REFUGEE ALL STARS | "Inez" [Single] | Cumbancha
3    VARIOUS ARTISTS | Free Africa | Le Son Du Maquis
4    AURELIO | Laru Beya | Sub Pop/Next Ambiance
5    VARIOUS ARTISTS | Angola Soundtrack: The Unique Sound Of Luanda 1968-1976 | Analog Africa
6    MR. HO'S ORCHESTROTICA | The Unforgettable Sounds Of Esquivel | self-released
7    VARIOUS ARTISTS | The Sound Of Siam: Leftfield Luk Thung, Jazz And Molam In Thailand 1964-1975 | Soundway
8    VARIOUS ARTISTS | Sofrito: Tropical Discotheque | Strut
9    LOS RIBERENOS | "Silbando" (GRC remix) [single] | Electric Cowbell
10    THE PSYCHEDELIC ALIENS | Psycho African Beat | Academy

CMJ New World Adds
1    SUSSAN DEYHIM | City Of Leaves | Venus Rising
2    KLEZMER FESTIVAL BAND | Be Happy | ARC
3    KODO | Akatsuki | Otodaiku
4    SHAOLIN AFRONAUTS | "Journey Through Time" [single] | Freestyle
5    VARIOUS ARTISTS | Woman's World: A Six Degrees Collection Of Global Women | Six Degrees

New & Recommended At WRIR
AfroCubism | AfroCubism | World Circuit/Nonesuch
Angola Soundtrack | (various artists) | Analog Africa
Aurelio | Laru Beya | Sub Pop/Next Ambiance
Bedouin Soundclash | "Mountain Top" | Nat Geo Music
Cantuaria, Vinicius & Bill Frisell | Lagrimas Mexicanas | eOne Music
Diabate, Mamadou | Courage | World Village
Free Africa | (various artists) | Le Son Du Maquis
G.R.A.S.S. | G.R.A.S.S. On Fire | Mighty Gowanus
Ho, Fred And The Green Monster Big Band | Year Of The Tiger | Innova
Mr. Ho's Orchestrotica | The Unforgettable Sounds Of Esquivel | self-released
Nouvelle Vague | "Où Veux-Tu Que Je Regarde" | Barclay
Rochereau, Tabu Ley | The Voice Of Lightness, Volume 2 | Sterns
Sound Of Siam, The | (various artists) | Soundway
Tradi-Mods Vs. Rockers: Alternative Takes On Congotronics | (various artists) | Crammed Discs
Velan, Chris & Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars | "Inez" | Cumbancha

February 4, 2011

Mamadou Diabate | Courage

ARTIST:  Mamadou Diabate
TITLE:  Courage
LABEL:  World Village
REVIEW:  36 year old Mamadou Diabate comes from a lineage of Malian kora players – his father N’fa is an important musician and his cousin Toumani is probably the world’s best known kora player.  Mamadou now lives in Durham, North Carolina and this is fourth CD – his previous outing, Douga Mansa, won a Grammy award in the Best Traditional World Music Album category.  Here he returns to Bamako but shifts his focus to mostly original compositions for a quintet with balaphone (wooden tuned percussion), ngoni (the African proto-banjo), bass violin and calabash (percussion instrument made out of a gourd).  The music is squarely in the West African Mande tradition, but there are plenty of modern touches – relatively short songs and direct improvisations, propulsive and almost funky rhythms.  There have been a number of fine recordings in the vein of might be called Malian neo-traditional music and this is an excellent addition to that catalog, well worth the attention of any fan of African music.
REVIEWER:  Bill Lupoletti
RECOMMENDED TRACKS:    2    4    7    9

Fred Ho And The Green Monster Big Band | Year Of The Tiger


ARTIST:  Fred Ho And The Green Monster Big Band
TITLE:  Year Of The Tiger
LABEL:  Innova
REVIEW:  Fred Ho is a veteran bandleader, composer and baritone saxophonist whose music combines what seem like wildly disparate interests – free jazz, funky brass bands, Chinese traditional music, radical politics and popular culture.  Sounds like a recipe for disaster, but in Ho’s hands the results are typically compelling, accessible to a wide audience and come with a leavening of good humor that was once a staple of “serious” jazz.  That’s certainly the case here, especially when Ho and the Green Monsters take on the music of Michael Jackson (tracks 2, 3 and 4) and Jimi Hendrix (5 and 6).  Ho is really at his best on “Thriller” (track 4), where new lyrics turn Jackson’s hit into a sci-fi nightmare about commercialism and zombies, and “Purple Haze” (track 6), re-imagining Hendrix’s classic via The Matrix and Noam Chomsky.  It may not make sense on paper, but when you hear it you’ll be rocking out and laughing at the same time.  This stuff is way beyond category and absolutely worth hearing.
REVIEWER:  Bill Lupoletti
RECOMMENDED TRACKS:    4    5    6

Vinicius Cantuaria & Bill Frisell | Lagrimas Mexicanas


ARTIST:  Vinicius Cantuaria & Bill Frisell
TITLE:  Lagrimas Mexicanas
LABEL:  eOne Music
REVIEW:  Vinicius Cantuaria is a New York City-based Brazilian singer-songwriter-guitarist-percussionist whose unique music straddles the worlds of MPB (Brazilian popular music), jazz and the downtown New York scene.  Here he’s in a collaborative duo with Bill Frisell, one of the great jazz musicians of the current era and a man with an equally wide range of interests – the two previously worked together in Frisell’s excellent band The Intercontinentals.  Neither musician occupies new ground here – rather they meet at the midpoint of their interests on some tuneful material that emphasizes Cantuaria’s expressive singing and Frisell’s beautiful guitar melodies and loops.  Not a breakthrough recording on the order of Frisell’s Have A Little Faith or Nashville, but a high-quality outing that’s pleasing on the surface and reveals additional depth on further listening, like the best Brazilian pop music.
REVIEWER:  Bill Lupoletti
RECOMMENDED TRACKS:    2    4    5

February 3, 2011

Program February 4, 2011

WRIR's 6th annual anniversary party, The Party For The Rest Of Us, gets rolling right after Global A Go-Go wraps up at 7 PM on Friday night.  All the info you need is right here:

http://wrir.org/index.php?/blog/entry/2129

To get you warmed up for the party, I'll close the program with a full hour of Club Global A Go-Go -- some of the all-time audience favorites from the first six years of my program, mixed for your dancing and listening pleasure and guaranteed to get you motivated for a big night out, hopefully at the Renaissance Ballroom (107 West Broad Street in Richmond).

I'll turn up the heat slowly in the program's first hour with new releases from Chris Velan and Mamadou Diabate, and classics by Johnny Clegg and the Rail Band, among others.

Click "Read More" for today's tracklist.  Click here for a podcast of today's program:

http://www.radio4all.net/index.php/program/49176

The complete catalog of Global A Go-Go podcasts is here:

http://www.radio4all.net/index.php/series/Global+A+Go-Go