by Joel Dwek | Mar 2, 2022 | Reviews
This album of good Arabic pop songs may provide an easy entry point into the wider world of this rich genre… When I first listened to Libyan musician Salah Ghaly’s 2013 album Aghany El Thawra El Libeya, I enjoyed it, and it seemed to me like Ghaly was a...
by Danny Wiser | Oct 30, 2021 | Reviews
The Faruma Boduberu Group have made an important album that one day may sadly serve as a legacy of this great tradition from this noble nation… When this project started, there were fears about finding albums from various countries. On some level, we never truly...
by Joel Dwek | Sep 28, 2021 | Reviews
By isolating exactly what makes the music of his homeland unique, Souleyman takes dabke into the 21st Century… Nobody sounds quite like Omar Souleyman. As the album cover of Wenu Wenu suggests, Souleyman is an imposing, distinctive figure, with a thick handlebar...
by Joel Dwek | Aug 21, 2021 | Reviews
Kick back, relax, and maybe even dance along to some disco funk from a time in Somalia’s history where briefly musical creativity was allowed to flourish… Occasionally the history of a band intertwines with the history of a country or the world, and other...
by Joel Dwek | Jun 24, 2021 | Reviews
Eclectic electro from innovative individuals, this is an album not to be ignored… John Wizards is the self-titled debut (and to date, only) album from this particular South Africa-based electronic music group. However, to simply call them an electronic music...
by Joel Dwek | Feb 6, 2021 | Reviews
Balancing poetic lyrics and musical invention, Bahraini pop artist Ala Ghawas shows off his songwriting skills… Bahraini musician Ala Ghawas got his start in making music while he was a Fulbright Scholar studying in Boston in 2007. He released several EPs which...
by Danny Wiser | Dec 6, 2020 | Advent Calendar
SOUTH KOREA: Snow Candy – Starship Planet… This collaboration between K-pop artists K.Will, Sistar, and Boyfriend comes from a country that is not a Christian nation. Therefore, this Christmas song is continuing in the tradition pioneered in the West where...
by Joel Dwek | Nov 18, 2020 | Reviews
An ambitious, if not entirely successful set of Latin-Balkan fusion tunes by Churupaca that alternately delights and frustrates… Most often here at NoiseNomad we review things we like, but occasionally I find myself having to review an album I don’t know if I...
by Danny Wiser | Nov 1, 2020 | Reviews, Top Picks
The sextet embrace the musician’s law – “If it feels good, do it!” in this odyssey of funk… If one is, for example, to suffer a bereavement, it is unlikely that they would have the same capacity to immediately enjoy a delicious, sweet...
by Danny Wiser | Oct 30, 2020 | Reviews
Dubbed ‘The Sultan of Shred’, Bombino earns this title in his epic second studio album as he simultaneously shows off modern Tuareg culture and his musical skills… Musicians are often capable of making powerful comments in the lyrics of their music that elevate...
by Danny Wiser | Oct 17, 2020 | Reviews
David Broza’s album is full of love, hope, and an important message for us all to learn… As the son of an Israeli, the eternal conflict between Israel and Palestine is one that has always been very close to my heart and plays on my mind often. When my...
by Joel Dwek | Oct 1, 2020 | Reviews
Indie rockers with a French twist; look out for the track that features one of the British rock icons of our time… Illusion et Imparfait by the French indie rock band the Dandies is a pretty great album, but before we get into the nitty gritty of the album, I...
by Joel Dwek | Sep 9, 2020 | Reviews
K-Pop has taken the world by storm, and IU’s album Modern Times is a good showcase for why that is… K-Pop is a world unto itself, but not necessarily one that is the most accessible to all. Sure, everyone knows about PSY and Gangnam Style, but K-Pop can be...
by Joel Dwek | Aug 6, 2020 | Reviews
Odd, quirky, and with a futuristic feel, Tawk Tomahawk presents experimentation and innovation… I can’t deny that this is an unusual album. I struggled to get an angle on it, despite the fact that I liked it very much. Hiatus Kaiyote are an unusual bunch of...
by Danny Wiser | Jul 26, 2020 | Reviews
Kabul Dreams’s raw, edgy, and unrefined debut album demonstrates that with defiance, talent can even emerge through the most challenging beginnings… When most people think of Afghanistan, they perhaps think of the images that have been disseminated across...
by Joel Dwek | Jul 7, 2020 | Reviews
La Pegatina showcase their musical talent on an album that is infectiously upbeat and fun… La Pegatina are a band based in Barcelona that combine ska with Catalan rumba, and it’s a surprisingly effective fusion of genres. Catalan rumba itself is a fusion genre,...
