Christian McBride, People Music

2013 | Label: Mack Avenue Records / The Orchard

By Britt Robson eMusic Contributor

05.23.13 When you possess virtuoso technique and a genuine passion for tradition, being conservative doesn’t mean being careful or tepid. That’s the clarion message sent by bassist-leader Christian McBride and his quintet Inside Straight on their second record, People Music.

The populism in the title is reinforced by the crowd-pleasing panache with which the group resurrects the classic bop-ensemble synergy most commonly associated with the Blue Note label in the ’50s and ’60s. There are broad, languid melodies undergirded by percolating rhythms and clean, incisive interplay. There are staccato toe-tappers that… more »

Various Artists, Burger Records Sampler

2013 | Label: Burger Records / Redeye

By eMusic Editorial Staff eMusic Contributor

05.23.13 Sean Borhman and Lee Rickard founded Burger Records in 2007 as a way to release albums by their own band, Thee Makeout Party, but soon discovered they enjoyed releasing their friends’ records even more. Six years later, Burger stands as a testament to the power of pure, boundless enthusiasm about music. All of the bands on Burger bury pop hooks beneath layers of fuzz, and the label feels like a living document of below-the-radar indie rock. It is a multicolored cartoon universe worth getting lost in. more »

Various Artists, Smithsonian Folkways Classic Series Sampler

2013 | Label: Smithsonian Folkways

By eMusic Editorial Staff eMusic Contributor

05.23.13 The Smithsonian Folkways collection is a musical treasure, a chance to wander down the byways of music not only from America, but all parts of the globe. From Woody Guthrie to Leadbelly to Elizabeth Cotten, the label is like an aural encyclopedia of what Moses Asch once called “people’s music,” the rough-recorded sound of genres being born and history being made. The songs on this sampler provide an opportunity to walk through the label’s right past. more »

Various Artists, ATO Records Spring Sampler 2013

2013 | Label: ATO Records

By eMusic Editorial Staff eMusic Contributor

05.23.13 Alabama Shakes broke out as one of 2012′s most exhilarating acts; so if you love them as much as we do, check out more from their label, ATO Records. This spring’s sampler has tracks from country up-and-comer Caitlin Rose, My Morning Jacket frontman Jim James, the Fleetwood Mac-channeling Kopecky Family Band, and much more. more »