Afro Celt Sound System is a British musical group who fuse electronic music with traditional Gaelic and West African music. Afro Celt Sound System was formed in 1995 by producer-guitarist Simon Emmerson, and feature a wide range of guest artists. In 2003, they temporarily changed their name to Afrocelts before reverting to their original name.
Brandon Richard Flowers is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and philanthropist, best known as the lead singer and keyboardist of the Las Vegas-based rock band The Killers.
OK Jazz, later renamed TPOK Jazz, was a Congolese rumba band from the Democratic Republic of the Congo established in 1956 and fronted by Franco. The group disbanded in 1993, but reformed in 1996.
Picaresque is the third studio album from The Decemberists. It was released in 2005 on the Kill Rock Stars record label. The word "picaresque" refers to a form of satirical prose originating in Spain, depicting realistically and often humorously the adventures of a low-born, roguish hero living by their wits in a corrupt society.
Z is the fourth studio album by psychedelic rock band My Morning Jacket. This collection features a much spacier and more polished sound than previous releases, making heavy use of synthesizers throughout and incorporating reggae and dub influences. The heavy reverb that was a defining characteristic of the band's prior recordings is largely absent. The songs on the album are more focused and shorter compared to the band's previous albums.
Moritz von Oswald is a German record producer and percussionist from Hamburg. He is based in Berlin. He is a co-founder of the production duo and record label Basic Channel. He has collaborated with Juan Atkins, Carl Craig, and Nils Petter Molvær. The Stranger called him "one of the master architects of dub techno".
Ricardo Lemvo is a singer of Angolan descent who lives in Los Angeles, California. His music is a blend of African soukous, kizomba, samba and Cuban salsa.
Konono Nº1 is a musical group from Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo. They combine three electric likembé with voices, dancers, and percussion instruments that are made out of items salvaged from a junkyard. The group's amplification equipment is equally rudimentary, including a microphone carved out of wood fitted with a magnet from an automobile alternator and a gigantic horn-shaped amplifier. The group achieved international renown beginning in 2005, with its DIY aesthetic appealing to many fans of rock and electronic music. They played that same year at the Eurockéennes festival in France.
Congolese rumba is a popular genre of dance music that originated in the Congo basin during the 1940s, deriving from Cuban son. The style gained popularity throughout Africa during the 1960s and 1970s.
World Circuit is a British world-music record label, established in London in the mid-1980s, that specializes in Cuban and West African recording artists, among other international music stars. The label's founding principle was to be an artist-led company with all aspects of each release tailored to the artist. This continues to be the label's way of working. World Circuit celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2006 by releasing World Circuit Presents..., a 2-disc retrospective compilation album. In 2018, World Circuit was acquired by BMG Rights Management.
The Black Parade is the third studio album by American rock band My Chemical Romance. Released in Europe on October 20, 2006, through Reprise Records, it was produced by the band with Rob Cavallo, known for having produced multiple albums for the Goo Goo Dolls and Green Day. It is a rock opera centering on a dying character with cancer known as "The Patient". The album tells the story of his apparent death, experiences in the afterlife, and subsequent reflections on his life. It is the band's only studio album to feature drummer Bob Bryar before his departure in 2010.
Good Apollo, I'm Burning Star IV, Volume Two: No World for Tomorrow, is the fourth studio album by American progressive rock band Coheed and Cambria, released on October 23, 2007. The album is a direct sequel to their previous album, Good Apollo, I'm Burning Star IV, Volume One: From Fear Through the Eyes of Madness. The album comprises part four of band's Amory Wars narrative. It is the only album to feature Taylor Hawkins on drums, following the departure of Josh Eppard.
Dindo Yogo, real name Théodore Dindo Mabeli, was a Congolese singer and musician. He was also called La Voix Cassée.
Staff Benda Bilili are a group of street musicians in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. They used to live around the grounds of the zoo in the country's capital city, Kinshasa, and play music which is rooted in soukous, with elements of old-school rhythm and blues and reggae. The core of the band consists of four senior singers/guitarists, who are paraplegic and move around in spectacularly customized tricycles. They are backed by a younger rhythm section consisting of abandoned street children who were taken under the protection of the older members of the band. The soloist is an 18-year-old boy (2009) who plays guitar-like solos on an electrified one-stringed lute he designed and built himself out of a tin can. The group's name translates roughly from Lingala as "look beyond appearances".
Freelance Whales was an American indie rock band which formed in Queens, New York, United States, in 2008. The band consists of frontman Judah Dadone and bandmates Chuck Criss, Jacob Hyman and Kevin Read.
Sauti Sol is a Kenyan afro-pop band formed in Nairobi, Kenya, by vocalists Bien-Aimé Baraza, Willis Chimano and Savara Mudigi in 2005. Initially an a cappella group, guitarist Polycarp Otieno joined before they named themselves Sauti Sol.
Sudan Ameer Williams, better known by his stage name Iamsu!, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He is also a part of the production team The Invasion and lead member of the hip hop group The HBK Gang. Iamsu! has released numerous mixtapes in his career including Suzy 6 Speed, Million Dollar Afro with fellow California rapper Problem and the Kilt series. He is also known for featuring on LoveRance's "Up!", E-40's "Function", and Sage the Gemini's "Gas Pedal". His debut album Sincerely Yours was released on May 13, 2014.
Saves the Day is the eponymous eighth studio album released by rock band Saves the Day. It was released September 17, 2013 on Rory Records, an imprint of Equal Vision Records, created by Say Anything frontman Max Bemis. The album was well received from music critics, praising the energy, diversity, and change in tone, although opinion was more divided than previous releases from fans.
From Kinshasa is the debut studio album by Congolese band Mbongwana Star, released on May 19, 2015 on World Circuit.
Sounding Lines is the fourth studio album by Moritz von Oswald Trio. It was released via Honest Jon's on 9 June 2015. It is the group's first album after Vladislav Delay was replaced by Tony Allen.
