Bolstered with an impressive arsenal of instrumentation—piano, strings, banjo, harp, flute, French horn, harmonica and more—Challengers, the much-anticipated fourth album from The New Pornographers, is a positive step forward in the development of a band that has continued to evolve with each subsequent record.
The latest album from the now-quartet—soul/reggae vocalist Toussaint joins the trio of Eric Krasno (guitar), Alan Evans (drums) and Neal Evans (keys)—No Place Like Soul, the first recorded with a vocalist since, is a fitting launching pad for the new Stax. Over the course of 13 new tracks, Soulive delivers the goods with typical style and attitude, expanding on their vigorous instrumentals with deeper harmonies and tighter song structures.
For a musician of his talent and stature, it’s hard to believe that Bela Fleck had not played with his band the Flecktones at Carnegie Hall before their show on June 30th, a part of the New York City version of the JVC Jazz Festival. Long overdue, this performance delivered all the genre-bending mastery for which the Flecktones are known.
“It’s a rock album,” says guitarist and lead vocalist Sam Prekop of Everybody, the first new release from The Sea and Cake in more than four years. The band’s recent show at Webster Hall in New York was a testament to that statement, as the indie-pop heavyweights demonstrated an active presence with a room-filling sound that listeners may not collect from their studio recordings.
I've wondered about their staying power and ability to emerge from behind the long shadow of Fela Kuti and assert a fresher, more developed sound. At their album-release party (for Security) at the Warsaw in Brooklyn on March 10th, all doubts were laid to rest.
As always, Benevento ranged across the keys, exploring melodies, harmonies and healthy doses of dissonance with equal skill and abandon. In the middle, Mathis anchored the sound, keeping the pace as Benevento and Dillon jockeyed for position. A consummate bass player and musician, Mathis served as the glue for the shape-shifting drums and keys.
Antibalas, the horn and percussion driven Brooklyn collective, is best known for their energetic afro-beat grooves that channel the legendary Fela Kuti. But with careful attention to refining their sound—adding distinct Latin, jazz and funk elements—the group has emerged as a well-rounded and diverse sonic force. On Security, they demonstrate their growth, with the capable guidance of producer John McEntire (of Tortoise and The Sea and Cake fame), post-rock pioneer and a consummate shaper of dynamic soundscapes.
