Each month we ask a member of the community to tell us what music they’ve been digging.
Isabel Soffer: I spend most days and nights discovering music from around the world at the intersection of traditional and contemporary. This is how I’ve seen ancient traditions thrive and gain new audiences. A band I can never listen to enough is marimberos Son Rompe Pera, founded by the Gama family from the outskirts of Mexico City. This outrageously fun band is firmly rooted in Mexican marimba music and cumbia but have moved it brilliantly into the music they love like garage, punk, and ska. Sonic shapeshifter Ganavya [who will play The Local on May 31] is a revelation. She is a New York-born and South Indian-raised singer and transdisciplinarian who has been making serious waves in disparate music circles since the release of her killer album Daughter of a Temple with a who’s who of collaborators. She moves ethereally between spiritual jazz and Indian devotional music. It’s like nothing I’ve heard before and it’s magical.
Danny Melnick: It shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone who knows us from our work at The Local that we are lovers of diverse music and musicians. I am constantly trying to keep up with new album releases and two recent ones I can’t stop listening to are Church of New Orleans, by the pianist and composer Kyle Roussel, and Is by the arena rock/jam/psychedelia band My Morning Jacket. Roussel is, by all measures, the next “one” in a long line of brilliant Crescent City pianists. He’s a beautifully gifted musician and did a masterful job on his new album, which features numerous special guests including Irma Thomas, Ivan Neville, the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, and Jamison Ross. My Morning Jacket’s 10th album sounds like it’s been around for decades. All the songs are incredibly familiar yet fresh and new. The album was produced by Brendan O’Brien, who has worked with Phish, Bruce Springsteen, and Pearl Jam.
This article appears in May 2025.
