Looking for some Monday motivation? We’ve got you covered. From freedom songs to experimental concepts, here are five new songs that you can listen to right now to start your week the right way.
Irreversible Entanglements, “No Más”
https://youtu.be/FLm3HEQgW50
Free jazz collective Irreversible Entanglements have announced their new album, Who Sent You?, will be released on March 20 via International Anthem/Don Giovanni. The announcement comes with the release of the LP's lead single, "No Más," composed by the group's trumpeter, Panamanian-born Aquiles Navarro. Over the piece's peak moment, poet/MC Ayewa professes: "No longer will we allow them to divide and conquer, divide and oppress, define our humanity." The video was shot in Johannesburg, South Africa, by filmmaker/photographer Imani Nikyah Dennison.
E. Scott Lindner, “21” [Song Premiere]
https://soundcloud.com/ropeadope99/21-1a/s-OsGn5?
New York City-based composer/producer/engineer E. Scott Lindner blends jazz, classical composition and psychedelia on his new track, “21.” This a song from his upcoming album, In Flowers Through Space - a one-of-a-kind experimental concept album based around the mathematical Fibonacci sequence. In fact, the numerical concept, which is often found in nature and associated with beauty and harmony, was reflected throughout the entire production process where possible. In Flowers Through Space is due out this Friday, February 28 via Ropeadope’s Infinity Gritty imprint.
Pantha du Prince, "Pius in Tacet"
https://youtu.be/WU_o1QpHTkY
Henrik Weber, a.k.a. Pantha du Prince finds his inspiration in nature and wonders what it sounds like when trees communicate on his new album, Conference of Trees. The lead single, "Pius in Tacet," finds him initiating that conversation using woodblocks and xylophones, crafting an aural soundscape that suggests a sense of understated wonder. The single arrives with accompanying visuals matching the album's enthrallment with the natural environment, depicting a group of masked figures dancing and worshiping in a vast wilderness. Conference of Trees is due out March 6 via Modern Recordings.
Kathleen Grace with Larry Goldings, "Where or When"
https://soundcloud.com/fanaticpro/kathleen-grace-with-larry-8/s-aQWv6
Singer/songwriter Kathleen Grace will release Tie Me To You, a duo album with Grammy-nominated jazz pianist Larry Goldings, on April 17 via Monsoon. The album finds them performing originals and covers, including this whimsical cover of the 1937 Rodgers and Hart classic, "Where or When," featuring Goldings on a pocket piano - an electronic instrument played in real-time. "Larry was remarkable to work with, deeply trusting and intuitive," says Grace via a press release, "which I think helped me feel the same. We laughed so much and became a team over the year it took to finish the record. My gratitude to him is boundless."
VA, "Hear My Battle Cry" [Video Premiere]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NP5FzdDssf4&feature=youtu.be
Battle Cry is the latest album of vocalist Virginia Schenck, who goes by the name of VA. The album was released on January 3 and it is motivated by the current need for civil and human rights action. The funky track, "Hear My Battle Cry" - the accompanying video of which is premiering here - reflects this theme. "It is my belief that in order for us to move forward as a healthy nation, we must first look inside and heal our own beliefs and perceptions," she says via a statement. VA is also taking the album on the road to various civil and human rights non-profit locations to raise funds for the venues with her "Hear My Battle Cry" Tour. You can find out more about that by visiting her online.
Featured image of Irreversible Entanglements by Bob Sweeney.
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