I think this is the greatest compliment I could give to a spoken word album, to be honest: that it can be listened to and that it can also just be heard. It doesn't demand close difficult attention, but invites it. It is music that is as lovely to listen to as any folk music I tend to want to hear on a lazy Saturday afternoon. And it is also storytelling, as rewarding as any novel. 

Checkpoint 303 releases 13 new tracks in May, in collaboration with Palestinian singers Jawaher Shofani and Wardeh Sbeit and poet Jihad Sbeit.

Aja Monet’s new EP is a courageous collection coming from deep within the living art of storytelling.

Back in February, Anthony Joseph released Time, a collaboration with bassist and singer Meshell Ndegeocello, and for me, the spoken word album of the year so far, by far. Since then he’s been touring that collection of spoken word funk, jazz, roots, far and wide. And this month, three remixes take three tracks into new territories of sound.

“A funeral party for the age of materialism.” Tramp the dirt down.

Stop everything for a moment. Pause to listen. This is a very beautiful project, and a valuable project too.

Released today (May 1st) the new album from Greek-Australian poet Luka Lesson takes great leaps musically. Refreshingly mutable, fluidly shifting through styles, musical and poetic ideas, EXIT is an album with a heart of uncompromising truth.

Last week, Puerto Rican hip hop artist Ikol Santiago released this video for a track from his April ’13 album Iguacas.

Essential hip hop. Senegalese activist hip hop collective Y’en A Marre (Fed Up) have united with Amnesty on the single ’100 COUPABLES : Impunité! Nous avons besoin de Justice’.

Just found this, hot track! (thanks to Groovalizacion for the heads-up on this album tonight!) Trinidad-born, UK-based poet Anthony Joseph (featured in last December’s Caribbean-flavoured La Danza Poetica) collaborates with Andrea Benini (Italy/Berlin) and Mop Mop, funk/afro/jazz/Italo band.

So many layers in Cyrus Shahrad’s music. So much restrained emotion in Shura’s voice. And this video (by Tom Jobbins), so simple, also very very complicated (much the same could be said about these musical collaborations).

Seriously I haven’t been this excited by a voice since Amy.

Cher danseurs, you of refined and intelligent style, you who love to dance at the pace of the beat of your heart, you earnest folk who like to smile, with only a small delay I suggest to you this: