Nankai TRIO - Antarctica

Shoya Kitigawa (guitar), Senri Kawaguchi (drums), Masatoshi Mizuno (bass)

This video popped up in my YT algorithm recently, introducing me to Japan's Nankai TRIO.  Around the time Senri Kawaguchi hit the drum phaser during her solo (also composing the entire song), I realized I was discovering an incredibly talented drummer and band.  Senri has been taking drum lessons since age 6, and by age 8 her current teacher recommended she begin taking lessons from renowned drummer/instructor Kozo Suganuma (whose Wikipedia is entirely in Japanese...and his albums/bands are very hard to find or listen to outside of Japan, I'm realizing).  Under Suganuma's wing, she began playing with him and other musicians, which would be the first of her vast and expanding musical projects accompanying her later 'solo' records under her name -- the debut of which Kozo featured on (2013).  Like her instructor, she learned and has always played on Yamaha drums; she supported and featured for Yamaha Drum's 50th Anniversary in 2017, sharing the stage with other jazz mavens Dave Weckl, Steve Gadd, and Akira Jimbo. 

If you haven't figured it out already from the YT video, the band (and most all of Senri's projects) are centered around jazz/jazz-fusion/progressive rock.  She has two albums with the band 'THE JAZZ AVENGERS', five albums in 'Kiyo*Sen', four solo albums, three live releases, featured and recorded with Bootsy Collins' 'World Wide Funk' album in 2017, performed at the Super Mario 30th Anniversary concert in Tokyo, etc (lots of et cetera)....she is a busy lady.  

Because of said depth, I wasn't really sure what project of hers to post, but figured the album of my introduction ('Antarctica') was as good a place as any, also that it is the most recent (April 2025) recording in her discography and the first/only release of this trio.  Just super tight jazz fusion, that effortlessly glides in the heir (c wut I did there) of the greatest bands to do it, while also having its own unique edges and valleys.  Both Shoya Kitigawa and Masatoshi Mizuno elevate the musicianship as well, making for my favorite album I've heard so far in her discography (*I definitely haven't heard all of them).  I'd also really recommend checking out her two albums under 'THE JAZZ AVENGERS'.

None of her projects have a Bandcamp page, but I know most all are available on the iTunes/music store.  Going to take a guess they're also on Spotify.  I don't believe any of her releases are on vinyl but CD's are available through Amazon or wherever -- I don't think she has her own website.

Nankai TRIO

Solo

Kiyo*Sen

THE JAZZ AVENGERS

YEYEY - Last Blush

Stumbled across this album 'Last Blush' from YEYEY (Ben Shepard), knowing nothing of the artist (Utah to New York) but was pulled in from the album art.  I was pleasantly surprised to hear a solid album from start to finish -- a very soulful R&B/indie hybrid that has a lot of interesting/experimental instrumentation taking place in the background.  Most songs have a light/airy composition propelled by his falsetto vocals, while also having a very dense framework; the synths and percussion especially stand out, even at times when subtle in the overall mix.  I played all ten tracks then gave it a repeat listen, and it grew on me fast -- picking up a lot of things I missed initially.  As I understand it he is a one-man band (aside violin and flute by Meg Webb), which I think helps explain the fluid cohesion of all the different instruments/styles he blends.

'Last Blush' is his second full-length album, the first being 'The Vision' in 2015, which I'm excited to check out.

Bandcamp

Billy Nomates - Metalhorse

Billy Nomates (Victoria Ann "Tor" Maries) is a U.K. punk/indie/new wave/pop songwriter, whom I first became aware of with her feature on Sleaford Mods' "Mork n Mindy".  I became a quick-fan, and have enjoyed everything she has released so far.  Today marks the release of her 3rd full-length album, 'Metalhorse', which is in large part a concept album/theme about the "carnival", and more metaphorically the carnival of life itself.  

Her sound is often compared to a whirlpool of 80's influences, with my overall opinion that she is a glorious pairing of (mostly post) punk and pop.  And this is coming from someone who would rather listen to myself falling down stairs than most anything dubbed 'pop punk'; the difference here is that Nomates does an amazing job of never leaning too far in either direction, often leading you on a detour of synthy new wave (notably Hugh Cornwell contributes on "Dark Horse Friend") or moody ballad.

Definitely check out the rest of her discography if you like what you hear.  Her debut album is probably the most punk prevalent of the three, with an overall dynamic range exhibited across/within all her releases.  She also recently did the soundtrack to the theater play of Mary & The Hyenas.

Bandcamp

Stranded Horse - The Warmth You Deserve (with Boubacar Cissokho)

Yann Tambour / Boubacar Cissokho

I was perusing new music releases when I came across a new album from 'Stranded Horse', reminding me of Yann Tambour's folk project 'Thee, Stranded Horse' from 2007 ('Churning Strides') and by extension his earlier project 'Encre', quickly realizing it is the same artist just dropping the 'Thee'.

Clearly I haven't kept up with his work since his debut, but it was nonetheless exciting to see that Tambour has released a steady output of releases for me to catch up on.  His second album (reworked songs of his debut) was a collaboration with renowned kora player Ballaké Sissoko, the last album of which before re-naming himself/the project to 'Stranded Horse'.

His most recent album 'The Warmth You Deserve' features another Sissoko (or Cissokho), Ballaké's younger cousin Boubacar, likewise a kora player.  The pair initially collaborated on the 2016 album 'Luxe'.

Have only had a chance to listen to this once, but the sound and style from his debut 18 years ago still seems largely intact, with the added accompaniment from Boubacar Cissokho's kora playing.  Tambour seems to be the sole provider of the vocals, alongside his other instrumentation output, namely as a kora duo.  The last three of his/their releases are available on vinyl.

Bandcamp

robot koch - Allow

'Allow, the new album by Robot Koch, is intended to be a soundtrack for inner journeys. It's not music as entertainment, which traps one's attention externally but something that allows you to go deeper internally.

Inner journeys can range from meditation to psychedelic-assisted therapy to deep listening experiences that take you out of your mind and into your body.

The title "Allow" speaks to the power of the mind to either resist or allow something to happen. Allowing implies non-resistance.

So the intention of this album is to invite the listener to move beyond intellectual concepts about the sound and allow the music to take them deeper for expanded states of awareness.

Robot Koch has been a big collaborator throughout his career and this album is no exception.

It features an international all-female group of vocalists and instrumentalists that contribute their unique touch to some of the album tracks:

Norwegian artist Eirlys contributes a beautiful performance on harp and vocals to the tracks Planets and Earth Resonance.

London-based artist Kate Fleur Young is the featured vocalist on Ancestors and New Life. Intertwined with Koch's electronics and carefully crafted frequencies her voice takes the listener on a deep medicinal journey.

Longtime collaborator Delhia de France, joins Robot Koch on the heartfelt Home Again, infusing the track with her deeply emotive and intimate voice.

American-born singer Peia graces three album tracks with her voice, crafting hauntingly beautiful vocal textures and melodies that weave seamlessly with the atmospheric compositions, evoking the delicate sound of a stringed instrument.

LA-based Composer and violinist Savannah Jo Lack lends her sensibility for deeply emotional melodies to the track Ionosphere, which is based on the Schumann Resonance, a set of spectrum peaks in the low-frequency portion of the Earth's electromagnetic field spectrum.

Last but not least, acclaimed Brazilian flautist Daniela Mars can be heard with a stunning performance using her Contra Bass Flute on the Album's closing track "Become the Unknown".

The watercolor artwork for the Album and the singles was created by Ecuadorean/Scottish Artist Eileen Hall, who also created the artwork for Jon Hopkins' Music for Psychedelic Therapy.' 

- via Bandcamp

Bandcamp

Brad Armstrong - Heart Like A Sigil

Brad Armstrong was born in Birmingham, Alabama, where he spent the majority of his formative music years with 13ghosts.  Now that 13ghosts has seemingly dissolved, he has re-located to New York, where he has continued his solo career as well as other collaborations like The Glass Hours.

I wanted to show some love for his most recent solo release, his third full-length 'Heart Like A Sigil', from 2022.  He paired up with Maria Taylor's (Azure Ray) LA-based indie label Flower Moon Records, as well as featuring her on 10/12 of the album's tracks with accompanying vocals.  This album basically became my "bummer but bright" go-to album when it released, with certain tracks like "Take Me Down to Carolina" seemingly having even more added weight to them today.  Other favorites include "The Witch (Part 1)", "Fading Out", and "Reels Out", which cast the most evocative shadows to the contrasted lighter moments on the album.  Overall every track feels very cinematic and filled with specific purpose.

Just a great songwriter, and he manages to tow a line of multiple genres with a solid country/rock foundation.  Maria Taylor also deserves a lot of credit too -- her harmonies and voice give this album a lot of added dynamics, punctuated by Armstrong's unique lyricism and delivery.

Bandcamp

Ty Walker and The Humanoids - Home On The Strange

The story goes that Ty Walker was abducted in Roscoe, Montana in 1972, only to mysteriously re-appear with said galactic ghouls ('The Humanoids') to help him create a form of cosmic country.  Their latest offering 'Home On The Strange' is a psychedelic-twanged continuation from their debut 'Where the Hell is Roscoe?'.  My introduction to the group was the live version of "Neon Buffalo" from their debut (below), and ever since have been taken by their unique blend of styles and story-telling that has probed into my brain.  Numerous live videos show that they incorporate this lore into their music and show, and honestly I just respect the dedication to the "bit" as well as how surprisingly well it all works tonally and sonically.

The new album standout tracks for me are "All Hat, No Cattle" and the closer "Cosmic Mystery", with the altogether takeaway that it's exciting to still see groups making experimental (both lyrically and musically) forms of country music.  And also in this case, how effectively and uniquely it can be done.  Also dig the album art (also on vinyl) by Mark Rogers.

Bandcamp