This week sees the welcome return of two Americana heavyweights in the form of Lucinda Williams and Jason Isbell, with the first fruits of their forthcoming albums due April 24 and May 15 respectively. Also back with solid new material are Ethio-jazz trailblazer Hailu Mergia, psych-funk collective The Heliocentrics, Japanese folk-rocker Masaki Batoh and four-fifths of Super Furry Animals as Das Koolies. You might have enjoyed James Elkington’s playing on Joan Shelley’s recent album; if so, you’ll surely enjoy his own stuff, too. And look out for intriguing new names Mapache, Mentrix and Village Of The Sun (AKA Basement Jaxx’s Simon Ratcliffe on a new jazz tip)…
JASON ISBELL AND THE 400 UNIT
“Be Afraid”
(Southeastern Records)
LUCINDA WILLIAMS
“Man Without A Soul”
(Highway 20)
MAPACHE
“Life On Fire”
(Yep Roc)
DAS KOOLIES
“100%”
(Strangetown)
CHRISTINE & THE QUEENS
“People, I’ve Been Sad”
(Because Music)
KING KRULE
“Alone, Omen 3”
(XL)
MASAKI BATOH
“In The Hour Of Serpent”
(Drag City)
JAMES ELKINGTON
“Nowhere Time”
(Paradise Of Bachelors)
HAILU MERGIA
“Abichu Nega Nega”
(Awesome Tapes From Africa)
VILLAGE OF THE SUN
“Village of the Sun feat. Binker and Moses”
(Gearbox)
THE HELIOCENTRICS
“Burning Wooden Ship”
(Madlib Invazion)
MENTRIX
“Walk”
(House Of Strength)
SIGN LIBRA
“Sea Of Nectar”
(RVNG Intl)
METAMAN
“Irina (feat. Lena Platonos)”
(Won Ton)
JON HOPKINS
“Scene Suspended”
(Domino)