Set My Heart On Fire Immediately is the fifth studio album from Perfume Genius that will be released May 15th on Matador Records. It sees artist and musician Mike Hadreas re-teaming with GRAMMY-nominated producer Blake Mills and features contributions from musicians Jim Keltner, Pino Palladino and Matt Chamberlin. It was recorded in Los Angeles, where Perfume Genius settled in 2017 with longtime partner and musical collaborator Alan Wyffels. 'I wanted to feel more open, more free and spiritually wild,' says Hadreas, 'and I'm in a place now where those feelings are very close-- but it can border on being unhinged. I wrote these songs as a way to be more patient, more considered -- to pull at all these chaotic threads hovering around me and weave them in to something warm, thoughtful and comforting.'

Cracker Island’ is the eight studio album from Gorillaz, an energetic, upbeat, genre-expansive collection of 10 tracks featuring yet another stellar line-up of artist collaborators: Thundercat, Tame Impala, Bad Bunny, Stevie Nicks, Adeleye Omotayo, Bootie Brown and Beck. Recorded in London and LA earlier this year, it is produced by Gorillaz, Remi Kabaka jr. and eight-time Grammy Award-winning producer / multi-instrumentalist / songwriter extraordinaire Greg Kurstin. Title track ‘Cracker Island’ kickstarted the new campaign this Summer hitting the charts across the globe with a top 10 video racking up 10M views in 10 days. The virtual band exploded onto TikTok gaining over 2.1 m followers in the space of a few months where they continue to innovate, taking virtual characters where no character has been before…

The second of the English Beat's three albums expanded to include two sides of non-LP tracks and B-sides. Wha'ppen reflects the band's signature melange of musical styles and influences, shifting from a heavy reggae/ska/punk sound to a more eclectic sound that included African, steel drum, and dub influences for a wholly original sound. Their socially conscious and politically-oriented lyrics remain as relevant today as in the context of the album's original release during the 1981 riots in England.

Ali Farka Touré trekked the world, bringing his beloved Malian music to the masses. Dubbed “the African John Lee Hooker,” one could hear strong connections between the two; both employed a bluesy style of play with gritty textures that elicit calm and fury in equal measure. While the influence of Black blues music prevailed, Touré created a West African blend of 'desert blues' that garnered Grammy awards and widespread reverence. 

Though he transcended in 2006, Ali’s musical legacy lives on through his son, Vieux aka “the Hendrix of the Sahara,” an accomplished guitarist and champion of Malian music in his own right. On Ali, his collaborative album with Khruangbin, Vieux pays homage to his father by recreating some of his most resonant work, putting new twists on it while maintaining the original’s integrity. The result is a rightful ode to a legend.

Ali isn’t just a greatest hits compilation. It’s a lullaby, a remembrance of Ali's life through known highlights and B-sides from his catalog. It is a testament to what happens when creativity is approached through open arms and open hearts. “To me, music is magic, it is spontaneous, it is the energy between people,” Vieux says. “I think Khruangbin understands this very well.”

The genesis of the album dates back to 2019, when Khruangbin, coming off their breakthrough album Con Todo el Mundo, was beginning to play to bigger crowds. The record was finished in 2021, as a global pandemic shuttered businesses and forced us to take stock of what Earth was becoming. Indirectly, Ali captures this as a moment of peace within a raging storm, a conversation between past and present without allegiance to suffering. Now, given Khruangbin’s reach as a unit with legions of fans (including the likes of Jay-Z and Paul McCartney), they’re poised to bring Malian music to broader groups of listeners. 

This live recording from the famed festival by Lake Geneva qualifies as one of the piano trio classics of the 1970s as well as a milestone in the Jamaican pianist's catalogue. The 1976 album captures the moment in Alexander's young career when he began to be compared to such giants as Oscar Peterson. Monty's play combines the proficiency of his Canadian colleague with the feel of the Caribbean and a touch of gospel. Bassist John Clayton and drummer Jeff Hamilton form a sympathetic, cohesive rhythm section, and their clear-cut, penetrating solos are outstanding. The show captivated the audience from the first piece, an Ahmad Jamal composition that Alexander played with inspired blues variations, on through the soulful contemplations in "Feelings". There is an exuberance to the swing on the Ellington piece "Satin Doll", whereas the classic blues "Drown in My Own Tears" is played with sublime, gospel-tinged gravity. An archaic Afro-atmosphere permeates "Work Song", as Clayton shows off his virtuoso talents. With its whimsical, infectious dramaturgy, "Battle Hymn of the Republic" stands out as a classic. After four and a half decades the infectious magic of that night in Montreux remains alive and palpable.
Pressed on mint green vinyl for Record Store Day 2024.

Tracklist
1. Night Mist Blues
2. Feelings
3. Statin Doll
4. Work Song
5. Drown In My Own Tears
6. Battle Hymn Of The Republic