Just in time for this bizarrely early shift into spring comes a fresh burst of afro-funk goodness in the form of a new album from The Sway Machinery and Kharia Arby. The Sway Machinery is a veritable ‘world music’ supergroup, featuring artists from afrobeat masters Antibalas, kletzmer-funk partiers Balkan Beat Box, eastern cabaret weirdos Barbez, and even the brass players from the Broadway musical Fela! However the true heavyweight is, of course, Kharia Arby, the legendary Tuareg chanteuse and star of the Mali desert who practically stole the show from the ever-infectious Group Doueh at the final show of their US tour in Boston last fall. On the new album The House of Friendly Ghosts Vol 1 these awesome forces come together to form a seamless melange of West African rhythms and western attitude. Tuareg fuzz-guitar thumpin’ grooves sustain extended conversation between Arby’s soulful invokations and the brass section’s ebulliant responses. Stream the new album below or buy it from Jdub Records The good vibes are flowing, ushering in a diffused spirit of optimism to thaw us from the weakening embrace of winter. Feel it.
“DSM” showcases the many individual styles of Brockton’s Van Buren Records
It has been a fruitful 18 months for the Brockton super-collective Van Buren Records. Their two 2021 records, Bad For Press and Black Wall…