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It took this Oakland, California band a good six years to complete this soul/funk album, and we think it was worth the wait! Recording it on a vintage 8-track machine (as seen on the cover) adds to the appeal. We’ve enjoyed spinning “Bird of Paradise”, “Get in the Groove”, “Color Blind” and others for you these past couple months. #73 in our Top 100! (See the full list here: https://www.wncw.org/2021-12-31/wncws-top-100-albums-of-2021)

They’re one of our favorite progressive bluegrass/newgrass bands, and they follow up last year’s tribute to Bill Monroe with this one of all originals. “It’s been fun to explore a little bit of The Dusters’ darker side for this album,” dobroist Andy Hall says of this one, out Feb. 18th. “Sometimes the times call for some serious reflection, and these songs really hit home. Get ready to go deep with us!”

Dig in deeper to this 2nd collaboration between the former frontman for Led Zeppelin and one of the most popular bluegrass singers of the last 30 years. Yes it’s an unlikely pairing, but there’s something magical that happens when their voices unite together – a mysterious 3rd voice, as producer T-Bone Burnett has pointed out. They’ve selected quite an eclectic playlist of songwriters, too, from English folk legends, obscure blues figures, to Calexico. Thursday night in the 8:00 hour.

This is a departure for the New Orleans-based Alynda Segarra. Its eleven new “nature punk” tracks on the theme of survival are music for a world in flux—songs about thriving, not just surviving, while disaster is happening. In the two o'clock hour.

It’s his 27th album, continuing his tradition of one-syllable titles, and of incredible virtuosity on solo guitar, bass, drum sampling, and looping. This one is an album about an artist’s many shortcomings, but with a positive twist. Sampled throughout the two o'clock hour.

This group is fronted by musicians Will Turner and Georgie Fuller. The Brighton, UK-based band create the kind of unfettered rock-and-roll that warps time and space, sitting at the reverb-drenched collision of psychedelia and blues, acid rock and sunshine pop.

On this, their 14th(!) album, the band seems to be somewhat surprised that they’re still here. They look back on their origins with the title track, reflect on some of their missteps over the years, and consider the alternative to still being around: “I find it best to laugh at the absurdity of life above the ground/There’s no comfort in survival, but it’s still the best option that I’ve found.” The Truckers these days are Mike Cooley (vocals, guitars), Patterson Hood (vocals, guitars), Brad Morgan (drums, percussion), Jay Gonzalez (guitars, keyboards), and Matt Patton (bass). Additional musicians on the album Mike Mills of R.E.M. (a pretty big influence on them), Margo Price, her husband Jeremy Ivey (harmonica), and Randall Bramblett (tenor sax).

While connected by common African roots and colonial histories, the music of Cuba and Jamaica have traveled largely in separate directions. Producer Jake Savona (who performs as Mista Savona) has united these two cultures with these tastefully made recordings. Jamaican singers include Clinton Fearon (The Gladiators), Randy Valentine, Prince Alla, Stevie Culture, The Jewels and Micah Shemaiah. Featured Cuban guests include Cimafunk, Barbarito Torres, Changuito, Brenda Navarrete, Solis, Beatriz Marquez, Dayán Carrera Fernández and many more.

She’s been co-writing songs the past few years with the likes of Sondre Lerche, Jim James, Moby, Sarah and Sean Watkins (Nickel Creek), and Mikael Jorgensen (Wilco), but Jamie Drake has all the while been carefully honing her own craft and preparing to take center stage. This is her 2nd album under her name, and is a wonderful blend of ‘70s Laurel Canyon California and Rio de Janeiro bossa nova.

As our own Joe Kendrick wrote for NPR, “Having grown up between England, France and Italy before moving to the U.S. at 18, Vane seems unlikely to have become a torch-bearer for American roots music.” But she certainly has embraced the blues well, with her soulful voice, terrific slide guitar work, and authentic blues storytelling.