New Mix: Sharon Van Etten & Angel Olsen, Mdou Moctar, Angélique Kidjo, More

Enlarge this image

From top left, clockwise: Sharon Van Etten & Angel Olsen, Mdou Moctar, Sunny Jain, Angélique Kidjo, Aerial East, Saint Sister. Courtesy of the artists hide caption

toggle caption

Courtesy of the artists

From top left, clockwise: Sharon Van Etten & Angel Olsen, Mdou Moctar, Sunny Jain, Angélique Kidjo, Aerial East, Saint Sister.

Courtesy of the artists

On this week's All Songs Considered, I have a conversation with African superstar Angélique Kidjo about her new album Mother Nature." She pairs up with seminal African musicians, including Burna Boy, Salif Keita, Sampa the Great, Ghetto Boy and Mr. Eazi. And from West Africa, we hear the fiery psych-guitar of Mdou Moctar.

Two All Songs Considered favorites, Angel Olsen and Sharon Van Etten, team up for a triumphant new song produced with John Congleton titled "Like I Used To." I also play the artist Aerial East that Angel Olsen calls out for "her truly unique voice." In addition, the Dublin duo Saint Sister has a powerfully soft-spoken second album titled Where I Should End. Finally, Sunny Jain of Red Baraat has an insane new project that is not only an album but a cookbook, which pairs instruments along with ingredients. So we have mushrooms and guitars, peppers and pianos, beans and drums to benefit our ears and bellies, while the proceeds go to the Center for Constitutional Rights.

1. Sharon Van Etten & Angel Olsen: "Like I Used To" (Single)

2. Aerial East: "The Things We Build," from Try Harder

3. Saint Sister: "Manchester Air," from Where I Should End

4. Sunny Jain: "Where is Home," from Phoenix Rise

5. Angélique Kidjo: "Africa, One Of A Kind" (feat. Mr Eazi & Salif Keita), from Mother Nature

6. Mdou Moctar: "Afrique Victime," from Afrique Victime