Holy Ghost!: Escape From Los Angeles

Some six years since NYC-based outfit Holy Ghost! (aka Nick Millhiser and Alex Frankel) released Dynamics, the duo has announced a new LP in Work. From it comes “Escape From LA,” a glittery synth-heavy bop that is wildly satisfying. Full of disco influences, the song—and all other tracks from the record—were made using just a Yamaha CS80 and Mini Moog, but the result is rich and …

Barrie: Saturated

From dream-pop outfit Barrie’s debut album Happy To Be Here (out early May on Winspear), the very sweet “Saturated” takes a fairly pared-back approach, but is, at times, incredibly rich. With a retro tinge, the song is about that overwhelming, all-encompassing feeling that can come along with a crush. Says lead singer and songwriter Barrie Lindsay, “It’s minimal and exposed, kind of vulnerable, but in …

Mdou Moctar: Tarhatazed

Mdou Moctar, a Tuareg guitarist raised in northern Niger, debuted his first studio band album, Ilana (The Creator) last week. From it comes “Tarhatazed,” a blazing, seven-minute-long track laden with Hendrix-rivaling solos—especially from the four-minute mark on. Moctar boasts an odd origin story: he was raised in a family that forbade music and built his first guitar out of spare wood and brake wires.