Mates of State
Blue and Gold PrintRe-Arrange Us 2008 via Barsuk
WYCE's annual music showcase --The JAMMIES! --is happening February 19th at The Intersection.
This event features many awards,
given to the best regional bands that put out music this last year,
including awards determined by - You.
Visit WYCE dot ORG to cast your vote for the best music in our popular choice categories.
Voting ends on January 31st. To cast your vote and find information on Jammies 17 visit WYCE dot O-R-G
One of the greatest gifts recorded music gives us is a little piece of life from places we may never otherwise know. There was a time when Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia, was often referred to as the "pearl of the Indian Ocean." Before dictator Mohamed Siad Barre was ousted in 1991 and the country plunged into civil war, it was a beautiful, cosmopolitan city with the nightlife and bands to soundtrack it. Today, it's a scarred place under persistent threat from the country's still-powerful religious militias and al-Shabaab suicide bombers. In the 1980s, Mogadishu swung in spite of the country's oppressive leadership, and one of its best-known acts was the Dur-Dur Band. Awesome Tapes From Africa has reissued some of their other albums before this, but this release of Dur-Dur's Volume 5 is true to the label's name-- it's directly mastered from a cassette copy of the album, one of about 10 that the band recorded. As you might imagine, the preservation of master tapes has been low on the priorities list in Mogadishu for the last 20-odd years, so this is a case of making the best of what's available. For the most part, the sound is excellent. What hiss there is can easily be chalked up as part of the experience-- this music has never existed in a state of digital clarity.
feat Laetitia Sadier & Bilal
Support for WYCE comes from Eastern Floral, providing West Michigan with floral arrangements and gifts for over 60 years.
Now crafting Valentine's Creations at our locations in Grand Rapids, Holland, and Grand Haven.
More information is available at easternfloral.com or by telephone at 949-2200