I find myself in a phase of exploring lots of new music, which i haven’t been able to do much of for many years. I’ve been running into stuff that i enjoy so much that i want to share it with others. I hope some of you enjoy it too.
If other people have recent sparkly discoveries, please share them. I’m interested.
Here’s some beautiful, moving music from a West African woman: Fatoumata Diawara.
Fat Freddy’s Drop - A multi-award winning, 7-piece, dub/reggae/soul/jazz/R&B/techno “supergroup” (a group comprised of members from various other groups) from New Zealand. I love their creative takes on familiar grooves and the way they allow each song to evolve into so many different forms and textures. I’ve watched a lot of their live stuff, but here’s their second album from 2009, Dr. Boondigga & The Big BW.
Thanks for sharing, berean. Delicious stuff. Also nice to find out about PFC.
Newen Afrobeat - A really tasty Afrobeat band from Chile. I don’t know if they’re strictly a cover band, but they do a lot of Fela Kuti tunes. I love this live studio video of them with a couple of guest musicians. How can anyone sit still to this? I especially love the kit drummer, who amazes me and who also seems pretty young. I love his interplay with the horns. I wish i could play this kind of music.
this is the first one I saw. After Katrina Hurricane
One of the first for PLC
The amazing first album by Fat Freddy’s Drop. The cover says “lo-fi” but the music is phenomenal.
Enjoying this ribbit.
I can’t stop listening to this. Or dancing to it. Yet I can’t seem to get Megastar rating on it on Just Dance cries
Thanks, aphoenicis! Nice.
Thievery Corporation - I listened to them over 10 years ago but didn’t keep up with their subsequent releases. Now i’m finding more recent stuff of theirs that i like more than their older stuff. 
Might as well post this one too, since i’ve been playing them back-to-back, over and over again. Hehe.
thx ribbit. 
NEW from “Playing for Change”
PFC
Ocote Soul Sounds - On Thievery Corporation’s independent record label. Has some similarities to them, but the musical base is more African & Latin/South American than Dub & Middle Eastern/Indian. Has some really interesting combinations of styles that i instantly found intriguing and that are still growing on me. Perhaps not as smooth as other stuff i’ve posted, but i feel it’s worth the exploration. FYI - the music starts at 00:16 for some reason.
Afrobeat from Australia with a Sun Ra influence. These guys are smokin’.
I think this song is older but I just discovered his stuff no too long ago. Ben Caplan - Stranger
Wow. Nice. Thanks. A gem indeed. I love the atmosphere. Hehe. Man on phone: “Honey, you won’t believe what’s happening down here at my bar today.”
Love the words
Chorus sounds Yiddish.
Love it