It’s been exactly a month since the last Music Roundup and there’s been no lack of musical releases since then. We’re still (kinda) stuck indoors thanks to the ‘Rona but at least we can quarantine in style with some tunes. Below are some of my favorite tunes since the last music roundup.
And if you need a refresher, take a dip back into the previous music roundup here: https://afroxander.com/2020/04/06/spring-2020-music-roundup/
Chicano Batman – Invisible People
The LA quartet returns with another serving of psychedelic tropicalia on their new album, Invisible People. It’s a feel-good collection dripping in West Coast summer vibes. Excuse me while I go tan in my backyard next to the kiddie pool with this album in the background.
Groove Armada – “Get out on the dance floor”
Who remembers Groove Armada? I certainly do! The duo of Andy Cato and Tom Findlay are back after a decade-long hiatus (or whatever artists call lengthy breaks away from recording new albums these days) with a new single and soon-to-be new album as well.
Nakury & Barzo – “Para Mi Gente”
Barzo made an appearance in last month’s roundup with his collaboration with Un Rojo Reggae Band. This time, he drops a new video with fellow Costa Rican artist Nakury for a track that is equal parts hip-hop and salsa.
Olmeca – “The Message (El Mensaje)”
Olmeca has, in my opinion, a highly underrated rhyming style and flow that KOs me with each successive bar. That’s on full display on “The Message,” a song that shatters the far too repeated adage of “ni de aqui, ni de alla.”
Says Olmeca:
“The message is Latinx folks should claim they are from here and from there. As opposed to “not” from here “nor” there. We should see our growing up in two cultures as an asset and not a deficit. While many “keep it 100” we have the ability to “keep it 200”. This means, we don’t give half of who we are to fit into mainstream America. Rather, we walk with both enrich things around us. It is a privilege to be able to grow up with two, sometimes more, languages. It’s a privilege to understand two worlds and be bridges that can bring people together. This isn’t only true in Latinx culture, but many 1st generation people who’s homes carry the traditions of their native lands.”
sUb_modU – Pidgin Synths
sUb_modU is the artistic nom de guerre of tenor sax musician and electronic producer Romeo Sandri. His latest project includes two covers, or I’d say reimaginings, of Fela Kuti’s “Expensive Shit” and “Water Get No Enemy.”
Afroxander (aka Iván Fernández) 