
Skyjelly: a psychedelic, desert-blues trip to where the sun is hot and the color of paradise is green. Formed by longtime musical collaborators Skyjelly Jones and Scott Sheik Levesque, this duo channels their collective love of pop, world music and improvisation into a mesmerizing sonic experience.
You know them, you love them! And if you don’t know, now is the time to jump into Skyjelly discography, band that is truly like no other.
But don’t just take our word for it – there’s Raven Sings the Blues, Quietus and many more that praised Skyjelly. Take a look/listen to a string of their recent singles and you just might walk away converted. And now onto a 2024 list they made for us….
Mount Eerie – Night Palace
Found Mount Eerie by way of The Microphones by way of their algorithmic likeness to Neutral Milk Hotel on a streaming platform, and of my efforts to amass a Pacific Northwest collection.
And to find not only a single album, but an expansive body of work to explore, one that has been around but yet unheard, at least by me, until now, and so that the wealth of work is already there to discover, reinvigorates my reasons for listening to music. – Sonic Sleuth
Kendrick Lamar – GNX
GNX shows as well the faultiness of scores in art criticism. The venue that would rate Butterfly a perfect 10 probably won’t rate this well; this is rap in the way that Lil Jon was, that DMX was, that Cam’ron was, that G-Unit was. While some of those figures retroactively got a critical reevaluation, it was almost entirely in terms of acknowledging what a culture had been loudly saying for years anyway. – Treble
Tucker Zimmerman – Dance of Love (4AD)
Across Tucker Zimmerman’s over 50-year career, the Belgium-based/US-born octogenarian folk singer-songwriter has maintained a level of obscurity, earning a reputation as one of American folk music’s most underrated talents. Over the years, Zimmerman has received praise from contemporaries such as 4AD labelmate and collaborator, Big Thief’s Adrianne Lenker (who notes, “Tucker Zimmerman is one of the greatest songwriters of all time”) and Angel Olsen, as well as some of the greats, from Tony Visconti to David Bowie (who called Zimmerman “too qualified for folk”). 2024 finds Tucker Zimmerman finally resurfacing with Dance Of Love, his 11th studio album and 4AD debut, on which Big Thief (and collaborators Mat Davidson and Zach Burba) served as his backing band.
PawPaw Rod – Doobie Mouth (An EP from PawPaw Rod)
PawPaw Rod is one of those musical phenomenons who appeared as if from nowhere and amassed hundreds of millions of streams since his 1st single back in 2020 – when we found him actually.
Of course, this is all thanks to his unique blend of hazy soul, subtle hip-hop, a little bit of funk and r&b, something you don’t get to hear every day. Today, he shared his 3rd EP Doobie Mouth (An EP From PawPaw Rod) /yes, that’s in the actual title/, out via GODMODE (the label behind Jpegmafia & Channel Tres) – Stereofox
Willow – Empathogen (Three Six Zero / Gamma)
This music is honestly difficult to pigeonhole into a genre label. Willow is offering a sound that is a blend of pop, blues, jazz, prog rock, and something completely different. Obviously, there is the influence of R&B, but I would stretch that even further back to the Motown greats because I hear them all over the place (I love Motown) – The Prog Mind
Al-Qasar – Uncovered (WEWANTSOUNDS)
Wewantsounds is delighted to announce the release of Al-Qasar’s new album, “Uncovered”, is a side-project from the group featuring covers from the Western and Arabic repertoires, as well as new originals composed by the group. The album was recorded in Europe and Africa and features guest appearances by Alsarah, Mamani Keita, Cheick Tidiane Seck and Sami Galbi. The group, who has recently come out of a US tour will give more concerts in 2025 to support the album and spread further their Arab-futurist psych rock sound.
Bodikhuu – Bodimur (Anarkick Beat Records)
This Time we are Happy to Welcome ,BODIKHUU ; The Talented and Experienced Beatmaker from MONGOLIA to our Record label Family ! Showcasing his Dynamic Beats to our Growing Fanbase around the world .Enjoy !
M’dou Moctar – Funeral for Justice (Matador)
‘Funeral For Justice’ is the new album by Mdou Moctar. Recorded at the close of two years spent touring the globe following the release of 2021 breakout ‘Afrique Victime,’ it captures the Nigerien quartet in ferocious form. The music is louder, faster, and more wild. The guitar solos are feedback-scorched and the lyrics are passionately political. Nothing is held back or toned down.
Otyken – Psyche (single)
OTYKEN is a project of Andrey Medonos, producer and director of the Ethnographic Museum in Krasnoyarsk. Оtyken is a Siberian indigenous music group. The marvelous combination of traditional musical instruments and modern arrangement will definitely entertain you! Our mystical throat singing, special elemental vocals, enchanting sounds of vargan (jaw harp), khomys, morinhur, leather drums will take you to the wild thickets of the Siberian taiga.
The Smile – Cutouts (XL Recordings)
The trio – Thom Yorke, Jonny Greenwood and Tom Skinner – debuted several songs from Cutouts during The Smile’s UK tour in March. Cutouts features 10 new-tracks and is produced by Sam Petts-Davies. It’s the band’s third studio album following Wall of Eyes, released in January, and the trio’s 2022 debut album A Light For Attracting Attention. Cutouts was recorded in Oxford and at Abbey Road Studios during the same period of time as Wall Of Eyes. The album features string arrangements by the London Contemporary Orchestra and the album art was painted during the recording process by Stanley Donwood and Thom Yorke.
Tinariwen – Idrache (Wedge)
Idrache (Traces Of The Past) features a dozen hidden gems from the Sahara. Rough hewn, but intimate and beautiful recordings by Tinariwen, the world’s most famous Tuareg band. Some are demos that were later released in more produced versions on subsequent albums and four of them have never been released before.
This is music to transport you, music that makes you feel you are in the Sahara with these extraordinary musicians for whom it is their home and their inspiration. These are raw desert treasures, recorded live with no overdubs, that are only emerging into the sunlight with this album of rarities, Idrache, Traces of the Past.
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