April 12, 2007

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The African beats of Brooklyn's Antibalas
The Sahara's rebel group Tinariwen
Dark harmonies from The Besnard Lakes
The controlled chaos of Frog Eyes
The whimsical pop of Let's Go Sailing
A day at the river with Leah Siegel
Spare, melancholy melodies from Low

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Nigerian musician Fela Kuti created the Afrobeat sound in the 1960s. Today it's kept alive with the Brooklyn-based, multiethnic band Antibalas.

Antibalas

CD: Security
Song: "Beaten Metal"
Label: Anti

Listen to "Beaten Metal"

The members of Tinariwen met in a rebel training camp in Libya. Some decided to trade their weapons for instruments and perform songs of political protest.

Tinariwen

CD: Aman Iman
Song: "Matadjem Yinkmixan"
Label: World Village

Listen to "Matadjemn Yinkmixan"

Formed by the husband wife duo of Jace Lasek and Olga Goreas in Canada, The Besnard Lakes is a six-piece band making stylish songs that start small and end big, with Beach Boys harmonies.

The Besnard Lakes

CD: The Besnard Lakes are the Dark Horse
Song: "Disaster"
Label: Jagjaguwar

Listen to "Disaster"

Frog Eyes is an indie rock quartet from Canada mixing urgent rhythms and melodies with more experimental, post-punk jams.

Frog Eyes

CD: Tears of the Valedictorian
Song: "Idle Songs"
Label: Absolutely Kosher

Listen to "Idle Songs"

Let's Go Sailing formed in Los Angeles in 2002 and just released their debut, The Chaos is in Order. Their music is whimsical with a bittersweet innocence and charm.

Let's Go Sailing

CD: The Chaos is in Order
Song: "Sideways"
Label: Yardley Pop

Listen to "Sideways"

Leah Siegel is a gifted singer with a voice that can morph from a sweet warble to a harder edged growl. Little Mule is a collection of intimate and elegantly crafted songs that play like an artfully imagined diary.

Leah Siegel

CD: Little Mule
Song: "A Day at the River (With You and Your Lover)"
Label: Walk Don't Run Records

Listen to "A Day at the River (With You and Your Lover)"


For purchase information and more on this CD, visit the artist's Web site.

The music of Low is dark and mysteriously haunting with a sonic depth that radiates well beyond its brooding, spare arrangements. On their latest CD, Drums and Guns, the trio offers a stark examination of war, grief and regret with songs like "Murderer," "Your Poison," and "Violent Past."

Low

CD: Drums and Guns
Song: "Breaker"
Label: Sub Pop

Listen to "Breaker"

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