What a great month for new music releases. This month, we are featuring the eagerly awaited second album Roots of Chicha 2, the debut album for Small Black and the 3rd album for indie sensations Matt and Kim.

A few years ago, record label Barbés helped bring cumbias and chicha to the American hipster scene. Europe and Latin America were already embracing these psychedelic sounds from the Andes and Amazon and it wasn't long before New York got on board. Brooklyn was first - and then the celebrities like Elijah Wood started spreading the word. Before anyone knew it - chichas and cumbias had taken hold of a huge subset of pop culture. The long awaited follow up to the initial Roots of Chicha CD is just being released and this time, the music focuses more on the bands from the slums of Lima rather than bands from the Amazon basin. This music is over 40 years old but it is enjoying a huge resurgence in popularity. It shouldn't be long until we hear a Timbaland sample digging from these old crates!

Small Black just finished a breakneck schedule at the CMJ Festival and Spin Magazine named them one of the top 30 bands to watch out for. They are about to embark on their first major tour and the hype machine is gearing up to shine on these New Yorkers. Their catchy hooks and layered sounds are going to be all over the radio.

And last but not least, indie-sensations Matt and Kim are just releasing their 3rd album. Their last album went gold and this one is sure to follow. Are they at the tipping point of major commercial success? I think so – lets see how the year goes for them and please – see them live whenever you have a chance. They put on a fantastic live show!

Until next month!