The Uchpochmack "Lightbulbs"

Zemfira and her two nephews put out a three-song EP in 2013.  This song is the brightest spot on the record, showcasing Zemfira's emotive vocals and some very interesting music.  Check it out!    "There's a time to burn bridges.  A time to look for answers.   And a time to change the burnt out lightbulbs."

Marketa Irglova "Fortune Teller"

 Marketa Irglova's 2011 solo offering mostly left us missing Glen's harmonies.  Muna, however, is avant-garde indie folk with choral and world blends layered over some nice poetry.   "Fortune Teller" is an enchanting track that fuses Arab and Cathedral over a lovely simple poem. 

Matisyahu "Vow of Silence"

Jewish Reggae artist Matisyahu is most famous for the super-positive simple rappish anthems, "King Without a Crown" and "One Day," while his latest album Akeda is more pop-informed although it's got a bit of reggae and gangsta rap in there too.  The indie-sounding "Surrender" is a single that will stick in your head, but I found "Vow of Silence" to be the most interesting confluence of gangster rap  and old testament fathers.

Manchester Orchestra "Girl Harbour"

Atlanta-based Alt-rock Manchester Orchestra's last few studio albums have floundered since the perfection of Mean Everything to Nothing, and while their acoustic version of Cope might not be quite "Wolves at Night" and "Colly Strings" but it's got a lot of the same feel and angst of their first work.  "Girl Harbour" is one of the best offerings from this acoustic rock-scape.  Whereas Cope lost Andy Hull's signature vocals under a hum of reverb and poor mixing, Hope brings things together beautifully.

Juanes "A Dios Le Pido"

Juanes has some of the most masterfully catchy canciones de desamor anywhere in the world outside of Adele.  This is one of my favorite tunes which shows some of his range, a song about how he asks God to always be close to his love, that his mother won't die, that his people would stop shedding so much blood, etc.   :) 

Aradhna "Namaste Saté"

I'm not going to pretend to understand Aradhna completely...but from what I understand, the main guy is a missionary kid who went through an intensive traditional Indian music internship and sings traditional Indian music with a Jesus bent on it.  Since I don't speak Hindi, I'll take their word for it and just enjoy the relaxing east meets west sounds.  :)

Fleet Foxes "Helplessness Blues"

One of the best NW indie acoustic folk songs of all time. 

Татьяна Соловьёва i Александр Блохин "Рэчанька"

Belorusian bard Tatiana Solovyova is hard to track down, but this folk song is a gorgeous acoustic masterpiece and I hope she does another album soon. Free downloads of her 2011 release can be found here at her website. 

Sleeping at Last "From the Ground Up"

It's hard to know where to start as far as recommending something from Ryan O'Neill's prolific genius.  Scratching out a niché as a "mail-order home studio musician" whose music is frequently featured in films and TV shows, his epic concept pieces of the last few years have been filled with gems of beautiful music and poetry.  The bridge from this song is one of my favorites, but there are 20 other songs that could have gotten honorable mention.  Sleeping at Last's cinematic and orchestral swells, quiet tone, and gorgeous lyrics all over Ryan's soft and unique vocal sets this guy's music in a league of its own. 

Helly Luv "Revolution"

Ironically, ISIS put a price on Helly Luv's head (ostensibly), not for her support of the Peshmerga and Kurdish independence, but because she wore a miniskirt.  Helly Luv is a Kurdish nationalist pop star based in Los Angeles who has done crazy stuff like shooting at ISIS and raising money to feed Kurdish soldiers.  Even though her pop isn't something to write home about lyrically or musically, (One wishes MIA would write about something different) the fact is she's using Pop music in a way that is politically relevant and revolutionary in multiple senses of the word.  Disturbing?  Chilling?  Beautiful?  Awesome?  I'll let you decide, but I bet it gives you goosebumps somewhere in there.  (Risk it all is a better song, but Revolution is newer and more interesting, filmed just a few miles from the front lines.)  

Lindforest "Den Dag Du Faller Ner"

Blindside's Christian Lindskog has always had one of the most emotive and beautiful voices in the world.  The combination here of his native Swedish with gorgeous lyrics and a quiet acoustic sound is devastating.  Makes me cry almost every time.  :) 

Sufjan Stevens "Fourth of July"

If you missed Sufjan Steven's haunting comeback album Carrie and Lowell, you missed out.  The haunting personal and ethereal lyrics and music come back together in a powerful way.  "Fourth of July," with its little birds and simple images and synth grabs my heart like nothing else. 

Stavesacre "Gold and Silver"

California Alternative Rock outfit may be done making music, but they're my favorite band nobody's ever heard of, and "Gold and Silver" is one of the most powerful songs I've ever heart.  Stavesacre's unique vocals, real lyrics, and raw emotion set them apart from anoyone else. 

Jennifer Knapp "Neosho"

After coming out and coming back with a fairly mediocre, almost inhibited, Letting Go, Jennifer Knapp seems to have hit her stride again with her new album Set Me Free.   There's a little something for everyone who's been a fan, but so far this Blues track "Neosho" seems to be the best, a perfect little blend of Plains singer-songwriting and soul. 

Son Pascal and Anuar Nurpeisov "Englishman in Shymkent"

This went viral in Central Asia a couple years ago, it's a lighthearted expat love song to his new city and language...it's not every day you hear an Englishman singing in Kazakh.  Of course, the real reason this is on the blog is because, if you've listened to the song through, I know you're smiling.  :) 

Marcelina featuring Piotr Rogucki "Karmelove"

I hope Polish artist Marcelina does more music like this sad sensual acoustic love song.  It's simple, poetic, heartfelt, and lovely.