“Understanding the order of time is important to anyone hoping to manifest a dream,” says Valerie June. “There is a time to push, and a time to gently tend the garden.”

Since the release of her 2013 breakout Pushin’ Against A Stone, June has been patiently at work in the garden of song, nurturing seedlings with love and care into the lush bloom that is her stunning new album, The Order Of Time. Some songs grew from seeds planted more than a decade ago, others blossomed overnight when she least expected them to, but every track bears the influence of time. See, time has been on June’s mind a lot lately. It’s the only constant in life, even though it’s constantly changing. It’s the healer of all wounds, the killer of all men. It’s at once infinite and finite, ever flowing with twists and turns and brutal, churning rapids that give way to serene stretches of placid tranquility. Fight against the current and it will knock you flat on your ass. Learn to read it, to speak its language, and it will carry you exactly where you’re meant to be.

The Strypes are 4-piece rhythm and blues band hailing from Cavan, Ireland, formed in 2011 by Ross Farrelly (lead vocals/harmonica), Josh McClorey (lead guitar/vocals), Pete O'Hanlon (bass guitar/harmonica) and Evan Walsh (drums).

The group has spent the past 18 months launching their explosive R&B assault on the clubs and festivals of Ireland, the UK and Europe, viciously hammering out a no-nonsense blues repertoire drawing from the songbooks of Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley, Howlin' Wolf, Little Walter, Slim Harpo and more with the passion and venom of British blues groups such as Dr. Feelgood, The Yardbirds, The Rolling Stones and The Animals. 

Having already been met with critical acclaim from greats such as Jeff Beck and Paul Weller and been tipped by NME as the No. 1 new band to watch, it seems things can only get better for The Strypes.

Chicago native Lando Chill is a hip-hop musician untethered to a single genre, encompassing elements of funk, folk, reggae, and spoken word. First listens conjure visions of Outkast and the Roots; introspective lyrics that reflect on self sabotage, battling the ego, and the existential quest to find one’s purpose, painted across ethereal canvases made from synths, syncopated drums, and soul grooves. Lando (real name Lance Washington), first started rapping under the Star Wars-inspired moniker Lando Chillrissian, and later shortened it to Lando Chill.  A warrior-poet by nature, Lando’s goal has always been to bring the issues of political freedom, mental health, and police brutality to the forefront of his work and to the national conversation. Aimed at giving a voice to marginalized communities throughout the U.S., he is perceived as a man with one ear to Mother Nature and one to the plight of humankind.

Aman Asrat is following