Kokoroko: Something’s Going On

New from London-based eight-piece Kokoroko, “Something’s Going On” (led by Sheila Maurice-Grey) blends Afrobeat, jazz, soul and ’70s psych-leaning funk to create a luminescent and sprawling song. Opening with twinkling synths, guitar and gentle percussion, it becomes a horn-heavy track, punctuated by the calm but powerful chant: “Something’s goin’ on, something’s happening now.” The dreamy, layered song was inspired by “the enforced stillness and unsettling …

Andy Shauf: Satan

Part of Toronto-based singer-songwriter Andy Shauf’s new double-track release (available as a limited edition, signed, seven-inch, translucent vinyl), the single “Satan” pairs exquisite indie-folk energy with lyrics pertaining to the recoding artist’s childhood in a church that referred to Halloween as ‘The Devil’s Day.’” Shauf says in a statement, “After a few years of this, my parents realized it was a bit silly to deny …

Syl Johnson: Different Strokes

An icon of blues, soul, funk and R&B, Syl Johnson has passed away at 85. Born in Mississippi and raised in Chicago, Johnson was a singer, songwriter, musician and producer whose lyrics often delved into complex social and political issues. His 1969 song “Is It Because I’m Black,” inspired by the murder of Reverend Martin Luther King Jr, was a piercing statement on race relations …