This Week's Playlist #81 - The Desert edition
5 songs from musician coming from desert regions
Hello everyone!
This Week's Playlist - Season 2, episode 29.
I went to see Tinariwen in London last week. They played in Somerset House's courtyard for a mesmerizing set (as usual).
Tinariwen is not one of your average rock bands.
They are Tuareg musicians from the rebel Sahara region of northern Mali. They pioneered desert blues, combining traditional Tuareg and African music with Western rock music. They start slowly, take time to settle on stage, occupy the space, and take you along. And without realizing it, you're frantically dancing and clapping your hands. Not your average rock band!
It was a great night. So here is, in tribute to the desert blues rock stars, 5 songs from musicians coming from the desert.
Enjoy, and see you next week.
TL;DR: I'm running a musical newsletter with a new guest sharing 5 songs each week.
There is a YouTube link for each of the songs on the cover, and here are the playlists for each streaming platform:
Tidal (coming soon)
Deezer (coming soon)
1. Tinariwen Toumast Tincha
Enough said in the intro. Here is a song from Tinariwen. You can watch this excellent documentary about them if you are still interested.
2. Tanya Tagaq & Bjork - Ancestors
A (really unsettling) acapella performance (from the Medúlla album) of an Icelandic legend and a Canadian Inuk throat singer.
3. Jóhann Jóhannsson - Heptapod B
Still from Iceland, Jóhann Jóhannsson is one of the most creative soundtrack composers of the last 15 years (may his soul rest in peace).
Here is a piece from the Arrival soundtrack (a movie with visitors coming from a supposedly desert planet :-))
4. Sainkho Namtchylak - From Me To You
Sainkho Namtchylak is a singer originally from Tuva, an autonomous republic in the Russian Federation just north of Mongolia in Siberia (another desert region).
She is known for her Tuvan throat singing or "Khöömei". Khöömei is a type of vocal music characterized by the ability to simultaneously produce two or more pitches.
Here is one of the most representative tracks of her craft.
5. Desert Sessions - Crawl Home (feat PJ Harvey)
The Desert Sessions, Obviously :-)
The series of collaborative albums and concerts by a rotating cast of musicians is the perfect ending for this week's playlist.
The Desert Sessions are the brainchild of Queens of the Stone Age frontman Josh Homme who brought a wide range of musicians for extensive jamming, improvising and recording sessions in the Rancho De La Luna in Joshua Tree, CA.
These recordings are famous for their experimental and eclectic sound. They are described as a mix of stoner rock, desert rock, blues rock, and psychedelia.
Until the next time, Godspeed!
Thomas
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