by Andrew Sacher

Israeli Ethiopian singer Ester Rada released her debut EP, Life Happens, back in November of 2012 and you can stream it in its entirety below or download it at bandcamp (name your price). Ester embraces the US soul and funk of the early '70s similarly to the revivalist styles of Erykah Badu and Jill Scott, and also works in the middle-eastern melodies of her home country. It's pretty interesting stuff.

Ester will make her US debut this month in NYC with an acoustic show at The Slipper Room on March 11. Tickets for that show are on sale now.

EP stream below...

Continue reading "Ester Rada released an EP (download it), making US debut"

Frightened Rabbit @ T5, Nov. 2010 (more by Lionel Bergeron)

SXSW has just announced another round of bands for the 2013 edition of the annual music festival that will happen March 12 - 17. This brings the total current number of acts to around 1300. Someome of the highlights include Vampire Weekend, Frightened Rabbit, The Thermals, Black Lips, Camera Obscura, Merchandise, Bleached, Mr. Muthafuckin' eXquire, Eagles of Death Metal, Parenthetical Girls, Indians, Night Beds, IO Echo, KEN Mode, Prince Paul, Pure Bathing Culture, Sepalcure, UK motorik post-punks TOY, Finnish instrumentalists K-X-P, Toronto's Moon King, UK indie rockers Splashh (not Brooklyn Splash with one "h") and loads more. Head to BV Austin for the whole Round 3 list.