A little bit of sound advice: Tony Montague

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      Tony Montague

      On its way up the U.K. Christmas charts, John Cage’s musically noteless 1952 composition 4’33” has provided some salutary radio breaks from the ceaseless chatter of beats, bleeps, and bleats. Silence is the only true fusion of every genre, and may be the sole common element in this bagful of world sounds.

      Michael McGoldrick
      Aurora
      Manchester-based McGoldrick is creating bold new hybrids of Irish music with elements of rock, reggae, funk, and jazz. A virtuosic performer on uilleann pipes, flute, and whistle, he’s backed by a dream team of the U.K.’s roots musicians, including Capercaillie keyboard and accordion player Donald Shaw.


      Listen to "The Jolly Angler" by Michael McGoldrick.

      Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni Ba
      I Speak Fula
      Kouyate has formed a mini-orchestra comprising traditional percussion and four sizes of ngoni—an African ancestor of the banjo—equipped with pickups. His second album is a glorious mix of slow-burning chants and incandescent dance songs from contemporary Mali.


      Listen to "I Speak Fula" by Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni Ba.

      Charlie Winston
      Hobo
      Trilby-hatted English singer and guitarist Winston writes incisive, quirky, and intelligent lyrics and sets them to a blend of folk, pop, rock, and reggae. His kaleidoscopic songs touch on big issues like social justice, religion, and human identity, but there’s also plenty of wry humour and dry wit.


      Listen to "Like a Hobo" by Charlie Winston.

      The Breakmen
      Heartwood
      The third recording from Vancouver’s Breakmen draws on the band’s roots in alt-country, bluegrass, old-time, vintage Neil Young, and Grateful Dead circa Workingman’s Dead to create a West Coast acoustic sound that has muscle and resonance. Oh, and the quartet’s vocal harmonies are tighter than a reindeer’s arse in an ice storm.


      Listen to "Heartwood" by the Breakmen.

      Dobet Gnahore
      Djekpa La You
      Gnahoré, from the Ivory Coast, is a powerful singer, superb songwriter, and fabulous dancer. With her French guitarist and husband, Colin Laroche, she’s created a unique blend of pan-African traditions with western influences.


      Listen to "Djekpa La You" by Dobet Gnahore.

      Lúnasa
      Lá Nua
      With these brilliant arrangements of old and new traditional tunes, Lúnasa shows once more why the quintet is still the toast of hard-core fans of Irish music—the aural equivalent of 18-year-old Jameson’s.


      Listen to a preview of Lá Nua by Lúnasa.

      Janusz Prusinowski Trio
      Serce
      Ace fiddler and fine singer Prusinowski plays the mesmeric music of Mazovia in central Poland—songs from the villages, as well as wiggly cross-rhythm mazurka dance tunes with shawm, droning strings, drum, and tambourine.


      Listen to a preview of Serce by Janusz Prusinowski Trio.

      De Temps Antan
      Les Habits de papier
      The sophomore release by the stylish folk supertrio from Quebec skillfully weaves elements of U.S. music—blues, old-time, Cajun, and bluegrass—into its sonic fabric, but the source and heart of the music lie in rural Lanaudière.


      Listen to "Pétipétan" by De Temps Antan.

      Jakob Dylan
      Women and Country
      The son of America’s greatest songwriter proves once again that, in his case, the apple hasn’t fallen far from the tree. Jakob shares Dad’s ability to craft lyrics and sing them compellingly, and while he may not be a poet in the same league, his voice is a whole lot sweeter.


      Listen to "Everybody's Hurting" by Jakob Dylan.

      Bellowhead
      Hedonism
      Eleven-piece outfit Bellowhead is much more than a big English folk band—its members draw inspiration from vaudeville, jazz, Victorian music hall, Weimar Republic cabaret, and various strands of world and classical music. The behemoth’s third studio release bursts with flair and moves with a brassy swagger.

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