It’s Friday. I have a long paper to write, and a Sunday evening deadline. I’m tired. I need a new heartbeat. And I’ve found it, thanks to one of my new favorite records of the year: Mbongwana Star’s In Kinshasa.

Here’s a new video for that song, as well as some more tracks that have recently cause me to play them twice or three times in a row, loudly, on my morning commute. Forgive me, Rush Hour Traffic, for the booming of my subwoofers.

Mbongwana Star, “Kala” from In Kinshasa:

Algiers, “In Parallax” from Algiers:

Laurel Halo, “Blue Notion” from Remembering Mountains: Unheard Songs by Karen Dalton:

Lord Huron, “Dead Man’s Hand” from Strange Trails:

Robert Glasper and Harry Belafonte, “Got Over (Live at Capitol Studio / 2014) from Covered:

 

 

Turn It Up