Ravenna’s Sikh Roots
Raveena Aurora’s music video for her new single, “Tweety,” mixes ‘90s nostalgia, psychedelic visuals, and South Asian aesthetics with an intoxicating pop sound that lives up to her past album. Her music video weaves together seemingly disparate parts to show –– once again –– the love, fun, and beauty of embracing her diasporic identity. Raveena is a powerful presence as she speaks up for her … Continue reading Ravenna’s Sikh Roots
Livestreams, Memes, and Improvisation: How a Band Called Goose Became the Next Big Act for Jam Music During a Pandemic.
[Hummingbird Exclusive Interview] Due to the past year of lockdowns, quarantines, and an audible absence of live music, the spring of 2021 has become a great hope, a life-preserver that bands and fans have been doggy-paddling towards throughout the uncharted waters of pandemia. Connecticut-based jam band, Goose, recently announced their May run of drive-in shows that will be the group’s first performances of the new … Continue reading Livestreams, Memes, and Improvisation: How a Band Called Goose Became the Next Big Act for Jam Music During a Pandemic.
Tune in Tuesday: Joyce Wrice, Beez & Gonzo, and Adé Hakim Impress with Fresh Heat
Happy Tune in Tuesday! New releases from Joyce Wrice, Benny the Butcher and Harry Fraud, Adé Hakim, and Beez & Gonzo highlight this week – have you checked them out yet? Joyce Wrice ~ Overgrown Wrice plays with R&B and some hip-hop stylings on her debut studio album, a wonderful effort that has something for everyone Benny the Butcher & Harry Fraud ~ The Plugs … Continue reading Tune in Tuesday: Joyce Wrice, Beez & Gonzo, and Adé Hakim Impress with Fresh Heat
Feeder Tidbits w/ Dayon Greene, Billie Essco, and HIBERNATION
This is an excerpt from our bi-monthly newsletter. For more, make sure to check us out on Substack! Hear from Hummingbird’s Nest: Dayon Greene This past summer, we got on the phone with DMV rising star Dayon Greene to talk about his debut album, Me, and everything that it means for his development as a person and artist. “I just wanna let people know, you’re not … Continue reading Feeder Tidbits w/ Dayon Greene, Billie Essco, and HIBERNATION
Tune in to New Music: Genesis Owusu, CHIKA, and Adrian Younge
This is an excerpt from our bi-monthly newsletter. For more, make sure to check us out on Substack! Tune In: Best Drops of the Past Few Weeks Genesis Owusu — Smiling with No Teeth Owusu’s debut album is eclectic and surprising — a collection of songs that defy genre identification. Smiling with No Teeth encapsulates rap, R&B, punk, soul, and plenty more throughout the album’s 15 songs … Continue reading Tune in to New Music: Genesis Owusu, CHIKA, and Adrian Younge
Album Appreciation: Adé Hakim’s “HAPPIEST PEOPLE IN THE WORLD WIDE WEB”
This is an excerpt from our bi-monthly newsletter. For more, make sure to check us out on Substack! Released in 2019, this album is a soulful take on lo-fi hip-hop from one of the genre’s pioneers. A member of NYC collective sLums and producer with credits all over Earl Sweatshirt’s Some Rap Songs, Hakim is an uber-talented individual with the ability to flip soul and … Continue reading Album Appreciation: Adé Hakim’s “HAPPIEST PEOPLE IN THE WORLD WIDE WEB”
Tune In Tuesdays: Brent Faiyaz and Tyler Lift “Gravity,” Madlib Invites “Sound Ancestors,” and More
As the bird with the quickest heart rate, the Hummingbirds never skip a beat or some heat. Tune in weekly on Tuesdays for the Mag’s weekly roundup of what’s popping in music. Looking for other weeks? Click here. Here are Spotify and Apple Music playlists. Albums Madlib – Sound Ancestors Weezer – OK Human Arlo Parks – Collapsed in Sunbeams Songs Brent Faiyaz & DJ Dahi – “Gravity (feat. Tyler, the … Continue reading Tune In Tuesdays: Brent Faiyaz and Tyler Lift “Gravity,” Madlib Invites “Sound Ancestors,” and More
What Kind of Music Do We Need to Create Change?
In order to create change, a soundscape based in talent, experimentation, and compassion must undergird, motivate, and reflect social movements. Creating change is a long process with many steps along the way, but timeless and exciting music is absolutely helpful in changing ideology and then policy. The music and ideology of Erykah Badu, Ric Wilson, Slauson Malone, and Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah provide a high … Continue reading What Kind of Music Do We Need to Create Change?
“Kersaia” by Matana Roberts: An Abstract Black Protest Song
Matana Roberts is an avant garde jazz musician and composer, a conceptual artist that focuses on creating narratives and stories that represent her experience and those of lived experiences of Black folks in the anthropocene. Her song, “Kersaia,” is the third song on the first installment of her Coin Coin series: Coin Coin Chapter 1: Gens de Couleur Libres. It’s a winding, shifting song with … Continue reading “Kersaia” by Matana Roberts: An Abstract Black Protest Song
Nina Simone’s “Mississippi Goddam,” Paved a Way for Contemporary Black Protest Music
Producing a song about racism and society’s unwillingness to see it is a difficult task, but Nina Simone did so with her song “Mississippi Goddam,” taking it to the biggest music stages in America. The song is one of her biggest bouts of protest, a loud, passionate song reacting to senseless violence against Black folks. It specifically comes right after the politically motivated assassination of … Continue reading Nina Simone’s “Mississippi Goddam,” Paved a Way for Contemporary Black Protest Music
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