Not sure if anyone's noticed, but we've been slacking a little bit lately. No Roundup on Sunday, for instance. It's crazy at Dig HQ so posting is more sporadic than we'd like. I'm going to share some quick hits as best I can until things calm back down to at least give you all something to enjoy in the mean time. Check out this pair of sweet tunes.
Sidi Toure is a guitar player from Mali and he'll be touring North America for only the second time this summer. His latest release is called Koima, and I really dig the track "Maimouna" from it. I don't understand the language he sings and I'm not too familiar with the musical language either, but there is something undeniably and universally appealing about the song, I believe. I like how it feels communal, between the way the instruments all blend together and create distinct rhythms and how the voices feel more choral than individual.
Ugly, Ugly Words is a bicoastal trio based out of LA and New York City. They released a new EP that I can't share the name of properly due to the characters in the Russian alphabet, but it's known in English as Tovarisch. The lead track is called "Groundhog." It mutates quite a bit over its three minute run time, starting almost like an acoustic folk ballad and feeling more like a technicolor, tribal dance party by its conclusion. The rest of the EP is a similarly varied and enjoyable listen.