Kevin Locke Earth Gift (Ixtlan Recording Consortium, 2008) Finding sanctuary from the daily grind became a whole lot easier with Kevin Locke’s latest CD Earth…
Spellbinding Lakota Spirit
Category: Album reviews
Excellence in Exile
Akim El Sikameya Introducing Akim el Sikameya (Introducing/World Music Network INTRO113CD, 2008) Akim El Sikameya might well have achieved stardom without leaving his native Algeria,…
Electronica Veneer and Cool Indian Lounge
Bombay Dub Orchestra 3 Cities (Six Degrees, 2008) Following up on their self-titled first release, Bombay Dub Orchestra has returned with their second release 3…
Raabe’s Plucky Optimism and Stinging Irony
Max Raabe and Palast Orchester Heute Nacht Oder Nie (Tonight Or Never) (SPV Recordings, 2008) In 1920s and early 30s, before Germany turned an ugly…
Spellbinding Mirrors
Hector Zazou In the House of Mirrors (Crammed Discs, 2008) French composer Hector Zazou died shortly after I received his latest CD, In the House…
The Ry Cooder Anthology:
Ry Cooder The Ry Cooder Anthology: The UFO Has Landed (Rhino Entertainment, 2008) ‘Getting the goods’ and ‘I’ll take one with everything’ takes on a…
Party with Maraca
Maraca Lo que quiero es Fiesta (Ahi Nama, 2008) Cuban music fans in the United States are not getting much [wiki:timba] music lately, except for…
Bionic Boogaloo
Bio Ritmo Bionico (Locutor Records , 2008) Afro-Latin band Bio Ritmo has been a favorite of East Coast college students for several years. Based in…
Bewitching Hiding Place
Julie Fowlis Cuilidh (Shoeshine Record/Cadiz Music, 2008) Julie Fowlis’s Cuilidh out on Shoeshine Records/Cadiz Music is replete with all the sparkle of this Gaelic singer’s…
Cherry Blossoms and Winter Cranes
The koto and shakuhachi are two Japanese musical instruments that produce mesmerizing and beautiful sounds. The koto is a plucked zither or harp that is…