People are feeling the love today, so why not show and give love through music. I’m sure you’ll find inspiration in this week’s new releases.
New music out this week from Audrey Assad, Amos Lee, Brother Ali, The Explorers Club, Field Music, Heartless Bastards, Islands, Audra Mae & the Almighty Sound, Phenomenal Handclap Band, Gregory Porter, Punch Brothers, Shearwater, John Talabot, Tennis, Rosie Thomas, Kirk Whalum, and Windy & Carl.
Rhymesayers rapper Brother Ali releases the EP The Bite Marked Heart this week…as a FREE download. And while that is enough to pique anyone’s interest, the music contained within is so good and the lyrics so real that I hardly doubt that anyone would hesitant to plop down a few bucks to purchase it. The seven-track EP features Phonte (Little Brother, Foreign Exchange), Stokley Williams (Mint Condition), Singer/songwriter Nikki Jean and Aby Wolf. This one is not to be missed. If you’re unfamiliar with the work of Brother Ali, here’s a little taste via his latest video for the single “Shine On”.
Last year I had the pleasure of seeing NY-based group The Phenomenal Handclap Band open for Bryan Ferry and I was pleasantly surprised. Initially, I thought that the group was an odd choice to open for the elegant and smooth Ferry, but then I was amazed at how quickly the band grabbed my attention with its stage presence. This week, the band releases its latest album Form & Control on the Virtual Label, which proves to be just as engaging as I’d remembered. Here’s a little taste of the band in the video for “The Right One”. Well done.