SunNeverSetsOnMusic’s World Tour turns Stateside this month with a deep dive into USA Southern Soul - the living, breathing tradition that blends gospel, blues, R&B, funk, and country into something raw, resonant, and defiantly human. This music is forged in churches, juke joints, kitchen-table studios and front porches - a soul language passed from generation to generation and still evolving in the hands of today’s most urgent voices. The Southern United States, stretching from the Mississippi Delta to the Appalachian foothills, from urban centers like Memphis, Atlanta, and New Orleans to rural backroads in Alabama, Louisiana, and North Carolina, remains the heartland of Black American musical innovation. It’s a region shaped by centuries of struggle, resilience, faith, and fierce creativity. This month's playlist traces the roots and routes of Southern Soul as it continues to speak truth and stir hearts. From genre-defying futurists and seasoned torchbearers to boundary-pushing newcomers, the selected albums traverse blues revivalism, swamp pop, southern rock, folk-funk, and modern gospel with grit and grace. Whether anchored in ancestral memory or charging toward reinvention, these records reaffirm the South as a cradle of American musical imagination - always grounded, always growing, always soul-deep. Expect stories sung in full voice, and grooves you can’t shake. click to choose: WEB PAGE / YOUTUBE / SPOTIFY

Like everything Dylan, I find that The Philosophy of Modern Song is all-at-once exhilarating, surprising, illuminating, crafty and flawed - and I'm loving every word of it! Dylan makes over 60 selections from the American songbook, ranging far and wide in his choices. Some you know every word. Some you never heard before. Some you may hate to bits. But if you're anything like me, you will thoroughly enjoy his take on each one, nevertheless. He polishes each entry in two passes. First, to re-create the narrative of the song in the acerbic, witty Dylan-prose longtime fans will be familiar with from previous efforts, particularly Theme Time Radio Hour and his autobiography, Chronicles Vol. 1. Second, to conjure a little essay - a couple hundred words - that places each song in it's cultural, musical and historical context. Covering a diverse selection of artists that range from Stephen Foster to The Clash and Marty Robbins to The Platters, he embellishes each description with little known facts and curiosities (some so fabulous that, given his long-practiced penchant for mischief, I even wondered if he made parts of this up!). Finally, this whole marvellous collection is illuminated by dozens of fabulous photographs and formatted within folksy graphical frames that give the package a bit of retro feel, an embellishment that the volume didn't really need, in my opinion. There's an audiobook version too, which may be just as good, if not better - narrated by an all-star lineup including Dylan, Jeff Bridges, Steve Buscemi, John Goodman, Oscar Isaac, Helen Mirren, Rita Moreno, Sissy Spacek, Alfre Woodard, Jeffrey Wright, and Renée Zellweger! The Philosophy of Modern Song by Bob Dylan Publisher Simon & Schuster Publication date November 1, 2022 Pages 352 ISBN 978-139851941 Here's the playlist!

Welcome to the new year - better than the old year! SunNeverSetsOnMusic - new and innovative music from around the world in 2023! Since SunNeverSetsOnMusic began, our primary focus has been our monthly review of (mostly) new and innovative albums. This was a way to index the music we'd been streaming, in a more interactive and attractive format than the streaming services' playlists offered - like the display wall at a record store. Our format has evolved over time. We began by posting the cover art in a simple grid, with Spotify links to each album. Later, we added album reviews (mostly by others and with links to the original source), the recording label, the release date and a one-to-five star rating. This year, we hope that the addition of our new blog will add a more personable and expansive element to the site and allow us to post more frequently. We will also revert to displaying the albums as just a grid, with just a link to external reviews, rather than including the review itself. Our YouTube channel is unchanged. We hope you find that these changes are for the better! So click on!! And (most of all) - enjoy the music! SNSOM This will bring a Smile! Even though there's any number of The Smile's live shows appearing on YouTube, that better represent their in-full-flight power & range, this little performance at NPR's Tiny Desk is charming - especially as it includes Thom's awkward, self-deprecating mid-show reference to the day's sartorial choice. SNSOM

SunNeverSetsOnMusic's World Tour visits Indonesia this month, where we were treated to a vast wealth of innovative sounds across many genres, including many artists whose work merges local and regional musical heritage with contemporary, international sounds. The Republic of Indonesia is spread across an archipelago that comprises over 17,000 islands - including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guinea. Indonesia is the world's largest archipelagic state and the 14th-largest country by area, at 1,904,569 square kilometres (735,358 square miles). With over 280 million people, Indonesia is the world's fourth-most-populous country and the most populous Muslim-majority country. Java, the world's most populous island, is home to more than half of the country's population. Expect the unexpected and sublime. Follow the links below and enjoy the music! click to choose:

SunNeverSetsOnMusic's World Tour heads north this month to Norway, where we’ve uncovered a striking array of bold, genre-defying albums from artists working across experimental jazz, electronic minimalism, indigenous Sámi traditions, progressive pop, and more. Many of these musicians are expanding Norway’s rich musical heritage into new, internationally resonant territory. Officially known as the Kingdom of Norway, the country stretches over the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, bordering Sweden, Finland, and Russia, and boasting a rugged coastline carved by majestic fjords and dotted with over 50,000 islands. Norway covers an area of 385,207 square kilometres (148,729 square miles), making it one of Europe's most sparsely populated countries. With a population of just over 5.5 million, it ranks high globally in quality of life, education, and environmental sustainability. From Oslo’s cutting-edge music scenes to the ancient joik of the Sámi people in the Arctic north, this month’s playlist celebrates a musical culture where tradition and innovation coexist in luminous harmony. Expect the elemental and extraordinary! click to choose: WEB PAGE / YOUTUBE / SPOTIFY

SunNeverSetsOnMusic's World Tour heads south this month to South Africa, where we’ve uncovered a dazzling spectrum of forward-thinking albums spanning spiritual jazz, gqom, amapiano, post-punk, protest rap and traditional-inflected sonic experimentation. These artists are not only redefining South Africa’s soundscape but are also asserting its voice across global stages with urgency, soul and brilliance. Officially the Republic of South Africa, the nation occupies the southern tip of the African continent, bordered by Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, and Eswatini, with the vast Atlantic and Indian Oceans on either side. With a population of over 60 million and eleven official languages, South Africa is one of the world’s most culturally diverse countries; home to profound struggles, deep-rooted resilience and extraordinary artistic vitality. From Johannesburg’s experimental collectives to Cape Town’s coastal grooves, and from the pan-African energy of Soweto to the global footprints of its diaspora, this month’s playlist maps a musical culture alive with contradiction, community, and innovation. Expect the vital and visionary. click to choose: WEB PAGE / YOUTUBE / SPOTIFY

SunNeverSetsOnMusic's world tour of music continues to it's 5th destination, as we swing back to Morocco to check on some of the artists scheduled to appear at the Fez Festival of World Sacred Music, which is held within the ancient walls of that mind-blowing city, in late May each year. The festival attracts established and emerging world class artists every year, who play to awed audiences whose musical experience is invariably broadened thanks to by the enlightened organising committee's broad definition of the "sacred" in world music. Abderrafia Zouitene, President of the organisers, "Foundation Esprit De Fes", writes: "The peaceful coexistence of Islam, Judaism, and Christianity has forged a dynamic and diverse society in Andalusia, known as the “Golden Age,” envied by the world. This era exemplifies the heights of achievement possible when diverse faiths unite in tolerance and understanding. This ethos of peace and mutual respect continues vibrantly in the Kingdom of Morocco, with Fez standing as a stellar example." Link to SunNeverSetsOnMusic web page Link to Spotify Playlist Link to YouTube Playlist Artists who have appeared in previous years include: Joan Baez, Patti Smith, Bjork, Ben Harper, Paco de Lucia, Ravi Shankar, Sabah Fakhri, Kadhem Saher, Mounir Bachir, Asmaa Lamnawwar, Wadi Al Safi, Julia Boutros, Sheikh Yassin Al Tuhami, William Christie, Barbara Hendricks, Jessie Norman, Jordi Saval, Tereza Berganza, Montserrat Figueras, Jean-Claude Casadessus, Arch Shepp, Randy Weston, Youssou N’Dour and Salif Keita. This years performers, in order of performance, include: Alain Weber (Director, France), Artists from Uzbekistan, Iran, Syria, India, Spain, Egypt, Italy, Armenia, France, and Morocco - Opening Performance: "Creation - Zyriab Or The Fifth String” Manu Théron (Director, France), Women’s Choir Of The Occitan Countries, Artists from France, Spain, Italy, and Monaco - "Madelena" Sami Yusuf  (UK) - "Sami Yusuf In Concert" Vincent Moon (France) – "A Cinematographic Ritual" Naïssam Jalal (France / Syria) – "Healing Rituals" Creation Yatra: Vishwa Mohan Bhatt, Sufi voices of Desert Slide, The Divana Ensemble, Anwar Khan Manganiyar (Rajasthan, India), Justin Adams (UK), Cherifa Adil Jebbari, Hamadcha Brotherhoods (Morocco) - "SAFAR - From the Palaces of Rajasthan to the Gates of Andalusia" Loup Barrow (France), Flute J.A Jayant (India) - "Crystal Winds" Khadija El Afrit / Ensemble Musiqât (Tunisia) – "Istikhbâr" Flute J.A Jayant (India) – "The Art Of Carnatic Flute" Trio Three Lines Isabelle Courroy, Marine Sablonnière, Henri Tournier (France) - "Trio Three Lines" Constantinople Ensemble: Kiya Tabassian, Ablaye Cissoko, Patrick Graham (Montreal, Canada) - "Traversées: Between Africa and Persian Music. Griot Words and Sufi Poetry" Wang Li and Wu We (China) - "Les Harmoniques Du Ciel, The Harmonics of the Soul" Scuola Cantorum Basilensis Ensemble (Switzerland) - "Sacred Music Recital" Franzy, Davide, and Cibran (Galicia, Spain) featuring Amazigh singer Cherifa Kersit (Morocco) - "Galician Musical Roots" Young Musicians European Orchestra (Morocco) - "Stabat Mater" DuOuD (France) and Mahmoud Gomaa (Egypt) - "Goma Tribe" Treibhorn (Switzerland) - "Treibhorn" Asif Ali Khan, The Ensemble Santoo Khan Qawwal & Party (Pakistan) - "Asif li Khan, Master Of Qawwali" Vicente Amigo (Cordoba, Spain) – "The Master Of Cordoba – Flamenco Guitar" Accademia Del Piacere And The Artean Ensemble (Spain) - "Romances" Conductor Pascal Horecka, Gospel Philharmonic Experience, Contemporary Orchestral Ensemble (France), Kim Burrell (USA) - "Gospel Philharmonic Experience with Kim Burrell & the Contemporary Orchestral Ensemble" Tariqa Saqualiya (feat. vocalists Samaa and Madih), Tariqa Hamdouchiya (feat. Noureddine Bennouna), Tariqa Tijaniya (feat. Mouhcine Naourach), Tariqa Aissaouiya (feat. Saïd Guissi – Abdellah Yaakoubi, Adnane Nafie, Abdessamad Hadef) (Morocco) - "Sufi Nights"

SunNeverSetsOnMusic's World Tour returns to Australia this month, to capture the best albums released here in the second half of 2024. It's another impressive output to add to the many albums released in the first half of the year and captured in our World Tour #6 - Australia's Best New Albums (Jan - Jun '24) . Highlights include albums by Allysha Joy, Ela Thompson, Emily Wurramara, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, The Necks, Paul Kelly and Parvyn but there are many many more too. So check out our full list - there's fabulous music throughout. We hope you enjoy them all! Here are three ways to do so - Link to SunNeverSetsOnMusic Web Page Read extracts from reviews of each album and link to the original source Link to Spotify Playlist All albums are included in full. Play the entire album or set Spotify to "shuffle" Link to YouTube Playlist One track from each album, with a video or audio subject to availability.

As our 2024 World Tour of music continues, we're in Australia to capture the best albums released there in the first half of 2024. It's an impressive output, with more than 40 artists featured. Classy albums came from a few "household-names" - Peter Garrett, Crowded House and Jessica Mauboy - each incrementally refreshing their familiar brands. But the standouts, the most challenging and interesting new releases, came from less famous acts - Hiatus Kaiyote, The Dirty Three, Emma Vollard, Audrey Powne, Max König, Mildlife, Maddison Carter and Yirinda. All these albums are likely to make it onto our end-of-year lists. But these are the cream of a very rich mix. So check out our full list - there's fabulous music throughout. Here's a few ways to do so: Link to SunNeverSetsOnMusic Web Page Read extracts from reviews of each album and link to the original source Link to Spotify Playlist All albums are included in full. Play the entire album or set Spotify to "shuffle" Link to YouTube Playlist One track from each album, with a video or audio subject to availability.

This month's stopover on Sun Never Sets On Music's 2024 World Tour is to sample the music of Israel & Palestine, . May songs of peace be soon heard again across the Holy Land. Direct Link To Albums & Reviews Direct Link to Spotify Playlist Direct Link to YouTube Playlist

This month Sun Never Sets On Music visits Morocco, as we tour the globe in search of the best music worldwide. Morocco has a special place in SunNeverSetsOnMusic's heart - after all, we spent a few good years living there and we were enchanted by the architecture, the music, the culture and the wonderful people of this timeless land. For this month's playlist, we have collected our favourite music from some of the many musical streams that are heard in Morocco. Selections range from Amazigh (Berber), Andalusian (Arabic Iberian) and Chaabi (Popular Music) to Gnawa (Desert Blues), Malhun (Poetry), Sufi (Devotional Trance) and more. ​ The scope of Moroccan music is breathtaking and we have most likely missed many "essential" artists, if not entire genres. Nonetheless, we hope you enjoy our selections and we look forward to the next stop on our world tour. Link to Web Page Direct Link To Spotify Playlist

It's February - the month of Carnival in Brazil! So Stage 2 of SunNeverSetsOnMusic's virtual world tour takes us to Brazil , as we continue our search of the best new music from around the world With its roots deep in indigenous heritage, overlaid by centuries of African and Portuguese influence, we find Samba (the pulse of Carnival!)and a vibrant new music scene that is thriving despite its relative linguistic and geographical isolation. Internationally, Brazilian music is probably best known in the work of of Antonio Carlos Jobim, Gilberto Gil, Joao (and Astrud) Gilberto and Sergio Mendes. At home, Brazilians would add the names of Roberto Carlos, Chico Buarque de Hollandia, Marisa Monte, Gal Costa, Jorge Ben Jor and Elis Regina. And the top ten best-selling artists domestically includes Carlos, Nelseon Goncalves, Angela Maria, Rita Lee, Tonico & Tinoco, XuXu, Benito di Paula, Nelson Ned, Raca Negra, Chitaozinho & Xororo. The genre groups that these artist represent is an indication of the breadth of popular taste that is unique to Brazil, that includes Samba, Sertanejo, Brega, Pagode, MPB Rock & Children's music. Helping us find our way wepay tribute to the wonderful https://musicainstantanea.com.br/ - the Pitchfork, Rolling Stone or NME of Brazil - which gave us great insight into the music. Esperamos que você goste de nossas seleções! Vejo você em breve! We hope you enjoy our selections! See You Soon! Link to Web Page Link Direct To Spotify Playlist