Rose Hotel - "10K"

This one came across my radar thanks to V.V. Lightbody, the artist responsible for my #7 album of 2018. I follow Lightbody on Instagram and they happened to post a screenshot of Rose Hotel's Spotify account.

I'm not sure I was prepared for what Rose Hotel would sound like when I bookmarked their IG account, but maybe if I had read the tags on the Atlanta artist's Bandcamp page before hitting play on "10K" I would have expected Mazzy Star's Hope Sandoval singing atop Swervedriver. "Dream bedroom rock" indeed.

The lead-off track is the only thing available off of I'll Only Come When It's A Yes right now, and the full-length is out May 31st.

Seba Kaapstad - "Africa"

Seba Kaapstad is the latest signing to the always reliable (and frequent RR subject) Mello Music Group, and is made up of vocalists Ndumiso Manana and Zoe Modiga as well as multi-instrumentalist Sebastian Schuster and percussionist Philip Scheibel. While rooted in South Africa - I mean, the track is called "Africa" -  you definitely get a sense of Schuster and Scheibel's Germanic influences with a crispness to the swing that recalls Jazzanova when the track cuts loose at 0:56.

There's only this cut and "Breathe" currently streaming, but based on the MMG pedigree and what's on offer here, Thina is a must-listen when it drops May 17th.

Reginald Omas Mamode IV - "In Search of Balance"

I think the first place I heard UK act Reginald Omas Mamode IV was on Volume 7 of the Label Love series. Looking back at playlists from my show, I played "JumpWorkShakeMove" at the tail-end of November from that comp **important side-note take a look at the murderer's row of talent on that 2015 comp: Moonchild, Jane Weaver, Quantic, Nicola Cruz, Dexter Story - so many names that have popped up on RR and my shows**

When I saw his name on the latest Bandcamp Weekly I was excited to hear the newness and when "In Search of Balance" came on, that excitement amplified.

It's the only track currently available from the forthcoming Where We Going? which Mamode IV notes was:
partly recorded on a journey to the Mascarene Islands in search of family roots. 'he album is reflective of the search for this lineage, which branches from ancient Mauritian Maroons - whose rich heritage, music and culture includes an unrecognised, undocumented resistance to colonialism - though Swahili and Malagasy to sugarcane plantation Creole slave descendants. 

You can hear the nod to this heritage in the choir of voices humming - mixed in such a way that some of them are mere echoes and whispers, the sound of ancestors joining in song. And the jangle of percussion certainly evokes chains, with the rhythmic pattern suggesting their being shaken off.

Where We Going? is out May 10th. Set your iCal accordingly.



"Our world, with a grace, and pride / search for that balance inside"

KOKOROKO - "Ti-de"

Not to be confused with KOKOKO!,- though both acts share a connection to Afrobeat -  KOKOROKO is a London UK septet that just dropped their self-titled album on March 8th and while it is likewise fire, it's more of a smouldering fire. "Ti-de" the track I've linked to is a languid affair that builds from a solo bass line and starts layering elements including Oscar Jerome's guitar line (that totally has me thinking Tuareg tunes) and a trio of horns.

Witch Prophet - "Elsabet"

It got its debut on the Strombo Show this weekend, but if you missed it there, don't miss out on the first single from Witch Prophet's forthcoming LP, D.N.A. Activation.

"Elsabet" is "about saying 'yes' to the magic of life," and features a SCORCHING sax line from Karen Ng that scurries about atop a simple piano chord pattern.

I was a big fan of The Golden Octave, Leilani's last record and can't wait for the follow-up.

Shadow J. Brown - "What's Wrong With Me"

Haven't posted about Shadow J. Brown in a while but James Lepinsky Contreras has remained as prolific and inventive as ever in the interim. My inbox gets frequent notifications via Bandcamp that he's posted a new single, collection or EP and the genre-shifting and sonic-muscle-flexing is a constant.

Yesterday, he posted "What's Wrong With Me" and while there's no question mark in the title, this bluesy shuffle is something I've asked myself on occasion.

Skye Wallace - "Because The Night"

Skye Wallace - with help from cellist Michelle Faehrmann - covers Patti Smith's "Because the Night" to mark International Women's Day 2019.

IMANI - "Just Another Love Song"

Not surprised to find this on Bandcamp's Album of the Day page. The lead-off track to Out Of The Blue, a holy grail record from early 80s San Fran, the song belies the title. Portugal's Mad About Records are responsible for the re-issue and making this available for significantly less than the original 500 copies are going for.

Faye Webster - "Kingston"

As if Webster's voice wasn't enough to win me over, this track has ringing slide guitar, warm organ tones and friggin' dual saxophone lines.

Damn this is a smooth track.

Atlanta Millionaires Club is out May 24.