Storytelling

Ghostface Killah – Iron Man

featuring Raekwon, Mary J. Blige, Method Man, RZA, Ol’ Dirty Bastard, Inspectah Deck, U-God, Cappadonna, Masta Killa, Street

Style: Hardcore Hip-Hop, Boom Bap, East Coast Hip-Hop

Vibes: Gritty, Introspective, Urban, Storytelling, Raw, Cinematic, Aggressive, Spiritual, Philosophical, Confident, Hedonistic, Sexual, Vulgar, Visceral, Communal, Angry, Passionate, Sentimental, Conceptual

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White Boy Scream – Bakunawa

Style: Electro-Acoustic Opera, Sound Collage, Neoclassical Darkwave

Vibes: Ritualistic, Mythic, Decolonial, Cathartic, Spiritual, Intense, Chaotic, Powerful, Suspenseful, Personal, Storytelling

Musical Qualities: Operatic Vocals, Noise, Chants, Extended Technique, Vocal Processing, Sampling, Suite

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Joseph Allred – Hoddmímis Holt

Style: Appalachian Folk Music, American Primitivism

Vibes: Rootsy, Spiritual, Warm, Passionate, Meditative, Religious, Storytelling, Sentimental, spiritual, storytelling

Musical Qualities: Acoustic, Traditional, Lyrical, Droney, Open Tunings, Solo, Sparse

Instrumentation: Vocals, Harmonium, Acoustic Guitars (6- & 12-String), Autoharp, Piano, Banjo

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Matana Roberts – Coin Coin Chapter Five: In the Garden

Style: Free Jazz, Creative Music, Liberation Music, Jazz Poetry, Spiritual Jazz

Vibe: Passionate, Rootsy, Poetic, Storytelling, Rebellious, Compassionate, Intertwined, Haunting, Spiritual, Driving, Communal, Triumphant, Sad, Powerful

Themes: Ancestry, History, Feminism, Trauma, Memory, Black Liberation, Identity, Death

Musical Qualities: Suite, Thematic, Graphic Score, Improvisation, Spoken Word, Complex, Group Vocals

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Joanna Newsom – Divers

“But stand brave, life-liver, bleeding out your days in the river of time.
Stand brave: time moves both ways, in the nullifying, defeating, negating, repeating joy of life.
The moment of your greatest joy sustains: not axe nor hammer, tumor, tremor, can take it away, and it remains.
And it pains me to say, I was wrong. Love is not a symptom of time. Time is just a symptom of love”

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Matana Roberts – Coin Coin Chapter Two: Mississippi Moonchile

Style: Jazz (Spiritual, Avant-Garde, Folk), Modern Creative, Spirituals

Moods: Spiritual, Storytelling, Passionate, Reflective, Intertwined, Rootsy, Warm, Uplifting, Poetic, Communal

Musical Qualities: Suite, Progressive, Acoustic, Collage, Complex, Dense, Conducted Improvisation, Thematic,

Instrumentation: Alto Saxophone, Group Vocals, Wordspeak, Operatic Vocals, Piano, Trumpet, Upright Bass, Drums

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Gilli Smyth – Mother

Style: Cosmic Folk, Psychedelic Rock, Jazz Poetry

Moods: Cosmic, Feminist, Conscious, Poetic, Eccentric, Witchy, Flowing, Eclectic, Mystical, Psychedelic, Storytelling, Messy

Musical Qualities: Spoken Word, Collage, Improvisation

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Mandingo Griot Society

Styles: Griot Music, Mande Music, Afro-Jazz

Moods: Uplifting, Earthy, Sunny, Communal, Dance, Joyful, Passionate, Peaceful, Playful, Ritualistic, Spiritual, Warm, Tribal, Utopian

Musical Qualities: Percussive, Polyrhythmic, Acoustic, Melodic, Technical

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Pererin – Haul ar yr eira

Style: Progressive Folk-Rock, Welsh Folk

Moods: Medieval, Mystical, Sentimental, Epic, Passionate, Earthy, Communal, Intricate

Instrumentation: Acoustic & Electric Guitars, Vocal Harmonies, Celtic Harp, Flute, Bodhran, Congas, Bongos, Keyboard, Electric Bass, Recorder, Drums, 12-String Guitar, Mandolin, Mellotron

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Moor Mother – Jazz Codes

Style: Jazz Rap, Great Black Music, Experimental Hip-Hop, Future Jazz

Moods: Conscious, Surreal, Futuristic, Mystical, Uplifting, Warm, History, Cryptic, Poetic, Storytelling, Spiritual, Ethereal, Eclectic, Sombre, Summer, Political

Musical Qualities: Lush, Lyrical, Suite, Beats

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Land of Kush – Against the Day

Land of Kush’ Against the Day is a passionate, adventurous & rebellious masterpiece of mystical electrified big-band compositions, inspired by the surreal novel of the same name by Thomas Pynchon. Bilocal oudist & composer Osama Shalabi (Montreal/Cairo) bravely leads this 20+ member orchestra through a progressive suite of long form arrangements that synthesize sounds of spiritual jazz, Arabic folk & experimental rock into a sound that’s overwhelmingly unique and gripping.

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Danny Brown – XXX

Style: Hardcore Hip-Hop, Psychedelic Hip-Hop

Vibe: Hedonistic, Personal, Sexual, Vulgar, Manic, Playful, Introspective, Depressive, Nihilistic, Aggressive, Anxious, Dark, Stoned, Storytelling, Urban, Surreal, Disturbing, Existential, Sarcastic

Musical Qualities: Sampling, Lyrical

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Fountainsun – Sweep the Temple

Style: Spiritual Folk, Outsider Folk

Vibe: Mystical, Pantheistic, Contemplative, Uplifting, Enchanting, Intimate, Heartfelt, Forest, Ritualistic, Meditative, Morning, Warm, Storytelling

Musical Qualities: Acoustic, Suite, Spoken Word, Melodic, Lyrical

Instrumentation: 12-String Banjo, Acoustic Guitar, Marimba, Vibraphone, Vocal Harmonies, Gong, Percussion, Shakuhachi,

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Outkast – ATLiens

Style: Southern Rap, Psychedelic Hip-Hop, Neo-Soul

Vibe: Futuristic, Spacey, Philosophical, Surreal, Urban, Cerebral, Confident, Conscious, Storytelling, Determined, Conceptual

Musical Qualities: Technical, Progressive, Lyrical, Sampling, Group Vocals, Rhythmic

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John Carter – Fields

Style: Avant-Garde Jazz, Country-Jazz, Jazz Theater

Vibe: Rural, Historical, Sombre, Resolute, Intertwined, Passionate, Storytelling, Determined, Resolute, Heartfelt, Complex, Theatric, Conceptual

Musical Qualities: Suite, Acoustic, Progressive, Collective Improvisation, Polyphonic, Dynamic, Technical

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Pentangle – Solomon’s Seal

Style: Brit-Folk, Chamber Folk, Jazz-Folk

Vibe: Flowing, Morning, Breezy, Warm, Medieval, Sentimental, Rootsy, Mellow, Pastoral, Uplifting

Musical Qualities: Vocal Harmonies, Acoustic, Traditional, Melodic, Improvisation

Instrumentation: Acoustic Guitars (Fingerstyle), Vocals, Upright Bass, Sitar, Dulcimer, Banjo, Recorder, Harmonica, Electric Guitar, Drums

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Slint – Spiderland

Style: Post-Rock, Math Rock, Post-Hardcore, Slowcore

Vibe: Angsty, Angular, Cold, Heavy, Impressionistic, Suspenseful

Lyrical Themes: Alienation, Existential, Poetic, Storytelling

Musical Attributes: Dynamic, Slow, Dissonant, Raw, Repetitive

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Human Behavior – Bethpage

The apocalyptic chamber-folk of Bethpage soundtracks multiple chapters of cryptic storytelling, mixing one’s darkest thoughts with religious imagery and allegory through banjo sing-alongs and haunting spoken word passages. The heavy climaxes are whirlwinds of bombastic drums, driving bass, fiddle, clarinet, and banjo that often recall the communal chamber-punk of Thee Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra. While many tracks feel seeped in shadow and darkness, a heavenly light occasionally floods in through some truly serene and beautiful passages.

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Exuma – Exuma

Exuma’s first album is a powerful and ritualistic masterpiece of spiritual folk from the Bahamas. Exuma, the Obeah Man, is a master storyteller and preacher, sharing visions, myths, and prayers. His expressive, soulful voice takes on many tones as he delivers his musical sermons, from smooth to raspy, soft to confident. A group of singers, percussionists, whistlers, and toads join him and his acoustic guitar, making me imagine them all circled around a large fire in communal worship and grateful that they let us listeners in on it.

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Joan Baez – Come From the Shadows

“What I’m asking you to do is take some risks. Stop paying war taxes, refuse the armed forces, organize against the air war, support the strikes and boycotts of farmers, workers and poor people, analyze the flag salute, give up the nation state, share your money, refuse to hate, be willing to work…in short, sisters and brothers, arm up with love and come from the shadows”

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Kendrick Lamar – To Pimp a Butterfly

Kendrick travels through the history of African-American music and into the future, taking inspiration from P-Funk, G-Funk, jazz, trap and everything in between. His lyrics display an acute awareness of someone battling with the weight of fame, institutional racism, and his own depression. This album is simultaneously personal and universal, and nothing short of revolutionary.

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