Ships Come In

A promising, adventurous debut from Tucson, Arizona. Which means you wouldn't be wrong to expect a healthy dose of desert rock along the lines of illustrous grand uncles Giant Sand and especially Calexico here, but Xixa's scope proves even broader. Wild cumbia rhythms, surf guitars, warped electronic injections... You name it, these guys have got it. They even brought in a member of Tinariwen's Tuareg gang to contribute to price track World Goes Away. "Many hands try to heal the pain..."

Xixa - World Goes Away

Radio On

What's all this then? Hypnotic desert blues is what. From the first, the roughest, and maybe the best album by that wild bunch of Touareg rebels called Tinariwen. You're listening to Radio Tisdas, so don't touch that dial...

Tinariwen - Zin Es Gourmeden

Blood Boils

Musical hybrid anyone? Here's Tamatant Tilay, on which British freakfolkers Tunng team up with the Tuareg troupe of Tinariwen in the studios of Auntie Beeb. Works wonders. Next, compare with the desert original.

Tunng & Tinariwen - Tamatant Tilay
Tinariwen - Tamatant Tilay