John Schaefer picks just ten new music releases from 2023. There's surreal electro-Cajun fiddling from Louis Michot; the Mercury Prize-winning Afrobeat-meets-jazz and hip hop from Ezra Collective; Cape Verdean Blues from vocalist Kavita Shah; and Tuareg guitar-based country music from Tinariwen. Plus, hear the collaborative music from Arooj Aftab, Vijay Iyer, and Shahzad Ismaily, called Love In Exile; Paul Simon's song cycle, Seven Psalms; and drone-doom-folk from Irish band Lankum. Those, and more.
Program #4831, John Schaefer's Highly-Opinionated Annual Top Ten of 2023 (First aired 01/04/2024)
10. ARTIST: Allison Miller
WORK: Hudson [5:03]
RECORDING: Rivers In Our Veins
SOURCE: Royal Potato Family
INFO: allisonmiller.bandcamp.com
9. ARTIST: Iceland Symphony Orchestra, Daníel Bjarnason
WORK: Jóhann Jóhannsson: A Prayer To The Dynamo: Part 4 [5:38]
RECORDING: Jóhann Jóhannsson: A Prayer to the Dynamo
SOURCE: Deutsche Grammophon
INFO: deutschegrammophon.com
8. ARTIST: Kavita Shah (feat. Fantcha, Bau)
WORK: Um abraço di morabeza [3:33]
RECORDING: Cape Verdean Blues
SOURCE: Folkalist Records
INFO: kavitashah.bandcamp.com/album/cape-verdean-blues
7. ARTIST: Louis Michot, (feat. Rising Stars Fife and Drum)
WORK: Rêve du Troubadour [3:38]
RECORDING: Rêve du Troubadour
SOURCE: Nouveau Electric
INFO: louismichot.bandcamp.com/album/r-ve-du-troubadour
6. ARTIST: Tinariwen
WORK: Tenere Den [3:33]
RECORDING: Amatssou
SOURCE: WEDGE
INFO: tinariwenmusic.bandcamp.com/album/amatssou
5. ARTIST: Paul Simon, Edie Brickell, Voces8
WORK: Seven Psalms: Trail of Volcanoes [2:27]
RECORDING: Seven Psalms
SOURCE: Owl Records/Legacy Recordings
INFO: https://paul-simon.lnk.to/seven-psalmsAW!page
4. ARTIST: Arooj Aftab, Vijay Iyer, Shahzad Ismaily
WORK: To Remain, To Return [4:43]
RECORDING: Love in Exile
SOURCE: Verve
INFO: https://loveinexile.lnk.to/toremaintoreturn
3. ARTIST: Ezra Collective (feat. Kojey Radical)
WORK: No Confusion [3:15]
RECORDING: Where I'm Meant To Be
SOURCE: Partisan Records
INFO: http://ezracollective.lnk.to/WIMTB
2. ARTIST: PJ Harvey
WORK: I Inside the Old I Dying [3:09]
RECORDING: I Inside the Old Year Dying
SOURCE: Partisan Records
INFO: https://pjharvey.lnk.to/iinsidetheoldyeardyingID
1. ARTIST: Lankum
WORK: Go Dig My Grave [8:40]
RECORDING: False Lankum
SOURCE: Rough Trade Records
INFO: https://lankum.ffm.to/falselankum