Aquarium Drunkard Presents: Tinariwen Twenty
Tinariwen’s music speaks for Kel Tamashek, the Tuaregs, and their desert home, the “tenere.” Formed in 1979, the group's latest LP (Emmaar) is a continuation of Tinariwen’s rhythmic, and at times incredibly psychedelic, Saharan desert blues. Unlike previous output, the new album was recorded in the U.S., specifically Joshua Tree, California -- the dusty cradle of “cosmic” American music -- due to violent political instability in the band’s home in Northern Mali.
A return to form following their previous (mostly) acoustic album, Tassili, Emmaar is a heady, droning, affair aided and abetted by guitarist Matt Sweeney and the Nashvillian multi-instrumentalist Fats Kaplan. This week's playlist highlights favorites from their digital output. See this band live. You'll thank me later.
ABOUT AQUARIUM DRUNKARD
Based in Los Angeles, Justin Gage is the founder of the long-running, eclectic music blog Aquarium Drunkard. In addition to the blog you can catch his weekly radio show, Fridays, on SIRIUS XMU satellite radio -- noon-2pm EST.
Gage is also the founder of Autumn Tone Records and works as a music consultant and supervisor.