Putumayo Grooves:
A New Groove
www.Putumayo.com
 World music pioneering label Putumayo gets hip with its Groove series this time paying homage to bedroom DJs and producers who have broken beyond the confines of obscurity often in part to innovation and the Internet. With artists from around the world you need to only plug in to travel the planet. My picks: Radio Citizen’s “The Hop,” K-os’ “Crabbuckit” Alice Russell’s “High Up On The Hook,” The Cat Empire’s “The Lost Song” and Bitter:Sweet’s “Dirty Laundry.”

Erich Kunzel
Cincinnati Pops Orchestra
Russian Nights
www.Telarc.com
 From delightful whimsy to orchestral full-stop drama and plenty of emotion turns and twists between – the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra under the direction of Erich Kunzel again delivers a passionate and full helping of classical treats from Russia’s best known composers. My picks: “Overture To Russian And Ludmilla,” “II. Variazoni,” “III. Alborada,” “IV. Scena Canto Gitano,” “Love Theme From Spartacus,” “Russian Dance (Trepak) From The Nutcracker, Op. 71,” “Polonaise From Boris Godunov” and “The Music Box, Op. 32.”

Andy Palacio &
The Garifuna Collective
Wátina
www.Cumbancha.com
 Instantly transporting to another time and place is the enchanting and fluid modern-ancient Andy Palacio & The Garifuna Collective preserving and performing the near extinct Garifuna rhythms and language. The Garifuna, in Central America were formed when two slave ships filled with West Africans sunk of the coast of the Caribbean island of St. Vincent in 1635. The culture had all but disappeared when Andy Palacio ran into an old Garifunan man and was inspired to revive the original musical heritage rather than turn to technological music methods. Like a Mariachi caller beckoning all to dance the soulful poetry is part celebration part remembrance and all deeply enriched. My picks: “Weyu Lárigi Weyu (Day by Day),” “Baba (Father),” “Gagánbadibá (Take Advice),” “Ayó Da (Goodbye My Dear)” and “Ámeuyengü (In Times to Come).”

Ben Bowen King
Sidewalk Saints
www.TalkingTaco.com
 Have a yearning for old-timey, porch sittin’, guitar pickin’ Southern comfort? Want to dig up some of the roots popularized by Jack of the White Stripes? Then look no further than Ben Bowen King’s homage to the Southern masters of sidewalk guitar ministry on Sidewalk Saints where he documents and shares the story of pre-World War II gospel music that was the sidewalk saints. Named for the gospel music played on the sidewalks and street corners of the Midwest and South, some only played gospel and others would play the gospel only when they needed to in front of church folks or police and then switch back to blues, Black gospel, ragtime jazz or even Appalachian ballads. The instrument of choice was the resonator or National Steel Guitar made of brass that had a natural speaker sound and would carry above the street noise. Performers would sometimes play for hours to raise gas money being extraordinarily creative to use the instrument as the lead and choir to save their voice and would switch songs mid-sentence to suit the next listeners walking by. The art form was all but wiped out by store owners and politicians cleaning up the streets of performers in the shopping districts but when the music disappeared so did the shoppers. My picks: “Will The Circle Be Unbroken,” “Satan-Surely Your Evil Empire Will Fall Someday,” “Shall We Gather At The River,” “Bathe In The Jordan,” “Blessed Be The Name” and “Amazing Grace.”

Malajube
Trompe-L’oeil
www.DareToCareRecords.com
 Sonic washes and walls of shimmering wahs wahs punctuated with lyrical percussion, dreamy French post-mod rockers and lilting leanings of Romanticism share a shifting bed with balls to walls noise rockers. Buckle up for a bumpy ride and bring a towel for Montreal’s indie rock quartet Malajube. My picks: “Pâte Filo,” “La Monogamie,” “La Russe,” “Fille À Plumes,” “Étienne D’août” and “St-Fortunat.” Gig alert! Malajube defines French indie-rock freedom March 2 @ San Francisco’s The Independent as part of the Noise Pop Festival.

Naked Rhythm
Frequency
www.MattWertz.com
 Dubby Mid-East polyrhythms dance along cinematic and fluid percussive symphonies for a glorious world music lounge tour from hip-hop to breakbeats, house and beyond. Production duo Alex Spurkel and Avi Sills combine forces to serve up remixes of traditional music and original tracks that draw from Middle-Eastern, Indian, Latin, and Brazilian influences. Think Circe du Soliel for the hip club set.
My picks: “Babylon,” “Sandstorm,” “Moon Over Ala Nar,” “Mirage,” “Deep Lotus” and “Gypsy Majik.”

Hella
There’s No 666
In Outer Space
www.Ipecac.com
 Want to get rid of a neighbor or roommate – maybe even a relative? Hella will do the trick with a cacophony of acid-metal neo-psychedelic full-frontal rock drama spoiling the troubled waters with an aesthetic for chaos and angsty unsettled driving fury. Then the experimental noise rock kicks in... My picks: “Friends Don’t Let Friends Win,” “The Things That People Do When They Think No One’s Looking,” “Hand That Rocks The Cradle,” “Anarchists Just Wanna Have Fun” and “There’s No 666 In Outer Space.” Gig alert! Hella kicks down the doors Feb 28 @ SF’s Bottom of The Hill.

Putumayo Presents
Women Of The World
www.Putumayo.com
 In part to celebrate International Women’s Day on March 8th and also to raise funds for the Global Fund For Women (www.GlobalFundForWomen.org) to promote and defend human rights of women and girls around the world Putumayo releases another women of the world compilation on the acoustic tip with some of the leading female artists from around the planet. Celebrating the traditions of women making history as they struggle for equality, justice, peace and development, Women Of The World offers a rich and fulfilling trip into the deep swells of passion that lurks within the acoustic soul that’s within the heartbeat of women around the world. My picks: Marta Topferova’s “Grano De Arena,” Emiliana Torrini’s “Sunnyroad,” Luca Mundaca’s “Nao Se Apavare,” Lura’s “Bida Mariadu,” Mona’s “Sekna” and The Wailin’ Jennys’ “One Voice.”