Ibibio Sound Machine - Doko Mien

Listening to Doko Mien is like hearing Ibibio Sound Machine's great sophomore album Uyai all over again, albeit in a slightly diminished capacity.

Ibibio Sound Machine - Uyai

Ibibio Sound Machine's Uyai is the grand and adventurous Afro-Funk album I wanted their self-titled debut to be.

Fumaça Preta - "La Trampa" (Video)

A stunning video for a track off Fumaça Preta's latest LP Impuros Fanáticos, out now via Soundway.

Zion80 - "Metatron"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-kbna5-_MGA&feature=youtu.be Exploring Jewish music through the inspiration and lens of legendary Afrobeat godfather Fela Anikupalo Kuti would already be no easy task for anyone with the balls enough to attempt it. But 13-piece band Zion80, led by Jon Madof, isn't afraid to step into a musical world uninhabited by the majority and make the songs their own, which is exactly what they do on "Metatron". The nearly 10-minute track is a wild but supremely focused mix of bold, brave horn sections, heavy percussion and enough screaming, mind-melting electric guitar effects to make a grown man squeal like an unhinged schoolgirl. Zion80 gives a mix of the traditional, the psychedelic and the hypnotic on "Metatron": it's not quite all Afrobeat, not quite all klezmer, not quite all rock. But when the parts collaborate to make the sum, it truly adds up to something unexpected and powerful.

- Ron Grant

Melt Yourself Down - Self-Titled

Melt Yourself Down's self-titled debut is a high-energy mix of jazz, funk, and punk rock with some International spices.

WATCH THE REVIEW

Stream Melt Yourself Down's New Album!

Guys, I've been trying to tell you this new Melt Yourself Down Record is good stuff! Well, it's out next week on The Leaf Label, but you can currently stream the whole thing via the widget above. En-friggin'-joy!

RocketNumberNine - "Rotunda"

RocketNumberNine is pulling together an interesting blend of drone noise music with a bit of dance instrumental.

It's really all about the build and the collapse and repeating it in unexpected ways on "Rotunda". It's completely circular and often repeats itself just a rotunda should. What is special about the track is just how they combine regularly unappealing noises into danceable grooves, or spurts of grooves that are gone before you can even react to them.

This song and others are due for release on RocketNumberNine's next full-length album, MeYouWeYou. Look for it on May 21st via Smalltown Supersound.

Janka Nabay & the Bubu Gang- "Eh Mane Ah"

If you're into highlife music and afrobeat, listen up. You might miss out on a copy of this forthcoming EP from Janka Nabay & the Bubu Gang, An Letah. It's coming out via True Panther Sounds on March 20th, and Janka Nabay should have a full-length album dropping through David Byrne's record label, Luaka Bop, later this year.

Right from the start, "Eh Mane Ah" delivers this style of music just the way I like it: Fast, bright, and energetic. Janka and his backup singers have enough energy to go around for a stadium-sized crowd. The percussion drives harder than a percussion engine, and the bassline sets a nice foundation for swirls of reverbed guitar and organ.

A fantastic track from a band I hope makes waves this year!

/via/