Tucson’s Whole Enchilada Benefit
When it happened, I’d finally decided to move forward through the crowd, loosely grouped in front of the outdoor stage at Tucson’s iconic Hotel Congress. Beloved local band Sidewinders, the penultimate act at this Whole Enchilada benefit show, was already playing their third number. But I still hadn’t committed myself to the experience.(...)
Albat Alawi Op. 99, by El Khat
Israeli band El Khat’s new album Albat Alawi Op. 99 is the sort of record that gets better over time. Although intriguing from the outset, it proves too complicated to absorb right away.(...)
Sounds of Survival: From Ukrainian Underground
Sounds of Survival: From Ukrainian Underground is so consistently good that its social function almost seems extraneous. We should have been listening to this music before we felt it was our democratic duty.(...)
Songs of Gastarbeiter Vol. 2
To begin a compilation of decades-old tracks with a remix is a bold move. But Songs of Gastarbeiter Vol. 2 deploys it brilliantly. (...)
Test Systemu, by Baraka Face Junta
Baraka Face Junta’s new album Test Systemu opens with eight bars of fabulous racket. (...)
Antidawn, by Burial
What happens when the heart of a community stops beating?(...)
Jolfa, by Alexie Ivanovich
People often speak of a need to express themselves in music. But few in the West contend with the difficulties that face Iranian hip-hop artist Alexie Ivanovich.(...)
Dignity of Labour, by The Ex