Sam Lee
Cocteau Twins' Elizabeth Fraser guests on new Sam Lee song (listen)
In the 22 years since Cocteau Twins broke up, Elizabeth Fraser has kept a pretty low profile, making a few guest appearances here and there — like lending her voice to the Lord of the Rings scores — but not much else. This year, though, we’ve seen a lot of Liz…
globalFEST 2015 lineup and tickets
The annual NYC world music festival globalFEST returns in 2015 to Webster Hall on January 11. This year’s performers — many of whom are making their US or NYC debuts — include (descriptions via press release):Bixiga70 (US debut; Brazil): Brazil’s brassy Afrobeat orchestra
Emel Mathlouthi (Tunisia/France/US): Electro-inspired voice of Tunisia’s Arab Spring
Emil Zrihan (Morocco/Israel): Soaring Moroccan improvisations and Jewish songs
The Jones Family Singers (US): Hard-driving Gospel funk from Texas
Just a Band (Kenya): Nairobi’s Super-Nerdy Electronic Music & Art Collective
Kahulanui (US): Hawaii’s kings of swing
Kevin Johansen + The Nada (Argentina): De-genre-ate Sub-tropicalia from Argentina
The Nile Project (US debut; various): Trans-border collaboration across the Nile Basin
Puerto Candelaria (NYC debut; Colombia): Colombia’s rebellious cumbia experimentalists
Riyaaz Qawwali (various): Pakistani Sufi Music made in the USA
Sam Lee (NYC debut; UK): Unconventional Songs of the British Isles
Zap Mama (Belgium): Polyphonic a capella Afropop pioneersTickets are on sa…
Alt-J, Django Django, Jessie Ware, Michael Kiwanuka, Field Music, Richard Hawley and more vying for 2012 Mercury Prize
Django Django at Glasslands, March 2012 (more by Dominick Mastrangelo)
The shortlist for the 2012 Mercury Prize, an award voted on by a panel of music industry professionals and journalists honoring UK albums of the year, was just announced:
The Maccabees – Given to the Wild
Jessie Ware – Devotion
Alt-J – An Awesome Wave
Richard Hawley – Standing at the Sky’s Edge
Michael Kiwanuka – Home Again
Lianne La Havas – Is Your Love Big Enough
Ben Howard – Every Kingdom
Sam Lee – Ground of its Own
Field Music – Plumb
Django Django – S/T
Roller Trio – S/T
Plan B – Ill ManorsOdds seem pretty good for Alt-J (who play Bowery Ballroom tonight), who have not only made a great album with An Awesome Wave, but also the kind of album the Mercury Prize voters like…