To our new readers, we at Music You Need To Hear wish to honor Christmas on the Julian Calendar. We wish you a Merry Christmas, a hopeful 2021, and peace on Earth and in your hearts. Here is some music for the season courtesy of the Male Choir of the Continue Reading
Music
The Story of Skinhead with Don Letts (BBC Documentary)
For your viewing pleasure, Don Letts produced a great video on the history of the skinhead movement.
Erkin Sadykov & Abdugheni Abdurusul – Secret of the world. Archival recordings of Uyghur music from Kyrgyzstan
There is little information available on Uyghur musicians Erkin Sadykov (vocal, dutar) and Abdugheni Abdurusul (tambur), but the quality of these recordings show a warm, sensitive interpretation of music we’re watching disintegrate before our eyes. Thankfully, Kyrgyzstan allows their Uyghur minority to live and protect their traditions in peace.
Ángel Ontalva – Roads to Sunrise Cities
Ángel Ontalva is something like a paisano to me; a fellow of Spanish descent who spends an extraordinary time in Russia, and who has integrated himself into local scenes across the country. Guitarist Ontalva has released a single which is a mellow pastiche of progressive rock, world music and jazz. Continue Reading
Nihil Impvlse – Stasis
Though I am not sure exactly where Nihil Impvlse hail from in Italy, I can rest assured that Raffaele Pezzella of Eighth Tower Records and his own project Sonologyst will ensure the quality of such music. Nihil Impvlse are quite a pleasant surprise for noise or drone music. This sounds Continue Reading
The Claudia Quintet +1 with Kurt Elling & Theo Bleckmann – What Is The Beautiful?
Cuneiform Records offers a very generous program where a release from their back catalog is offered for $5 ($7 for a double album release), and they don’t skimp on the quality of these releases. Drummer John Hollenbeck’s The Claudia Quintet released this disc in 2011, and as a Rock-In-Opposition / Continue Reading
Julien Bigorgne – Monades
Julien Bigorgne is a flautist working out of Paris, France, who also happens to be an oud player. The music on this album is filmic, a soundtrack to a non-existent film. The music walks the line between soundtrack compositions of Yann Tiersen, jazz and world music (such a nebulous term, Continue Reading
Magnolian – Famous Men
It is my great honor to present the first featured release of the blog. This album comes to us from Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. It is not what you would expect from the country, as most marketing of music shows Mongol folkloric culture melded together with everything from heavy metal to rap, Continue Reading