Vieux Farka Toure sprang on to the international music scene in 2006 with his self-titled debut album, which received a fair amount of praise from critics. Granted the album did feature two of Mali's musical legends -- his father Ali Farka Toure and kora extraordinaire Toumani Diabate -- who had acted as a mentor to the young Vieux when his father expressed dismay about his son's following his footsteps into the music industry. While, in my opinion, Vieux's debut did suggest that he was up to the challenge, it was only after listening to his new album Fondo that I was convinced he really had the staying power. Fondo is a smoldering album that owes as much to the work of his dad as it does to the blistering desert rock of bands such as Tinariwen and Terakaft. However, Fondo is also the work of an artist who is as inspired by Western rock and blues and Jamaican reggae as he is by North Mali's rich tradition of guitar-led groups. Opening track Fafa is a reworking of a song made famous by his dad. However, Vieux's version is a rip-roaring guitar scorcher. Aï Haïra is reminiscent of the desert rock of Tinariwen; however, the rhythms on display are fast and aggressive -- very unlike those found in traditional Tuareg music. Sarama is without a doubt the album highlight; a funky-as-hell tune that has some magnificent work from the rhythm section, especially the drummer who sounds as if he is firing a gun with the force he uses to crack the snare drum. Slow Jam is a gorgeous blues number that conjures up the feeling of a lazy day in the hot sun of Mali's Sahel region, while Diaraby Magni is a magnificent reggae track with some great blues guitar. By the time Vieux delivers a haunting subdued reprise of Fafa to bring the album to a close, it is very clear that he is his own man and Fondo is the first masterpiece in what will hopefully be a lengthy career.

South America's football hopefuls may have disappointed at the World Cup, but on the musical heritage front the continent appears stronger than ever, thanks in part to some stunning reissues from the Vampisoul label. Whether it's the Venezuelan psychedelic rock of Spiteri, the jazz-rock fusion of Argentina's Rodolfo Alchourrón or the African-influenced funk and soul of Colombia's seminal Disco-Fuentes label, lost treasures abound for almost everyone's taste. Fans of late Sixties pysch-rock will rejoice at the recent reissue of Spiteri by the Venezuelan band of the same name. Recorded in London in 1973, this reissued album is the only recorded output of what many view as one of South America's most important rock groups. The story begins with two brothers, Charles and Jorge Spiteri, who decided to move from Caracas to London at the start of the Seventies to try their luck as musicians. The brothers, who loved British psych-rock band Traffic, coincidently hooked up with Steve Winwood's brother, Mervin, who introduced them to London's swinging music scene. By 1973 they had met fellow Venezuelans in London and their plan to record a Latin fusion-rock album was executed in fine style. As foreigners in the United Kingdom, their gigs were often illegal, clandestine affairs and the band eventually disbanded before performing together on their home soil. The 19 mesmerising tracks on this reissue suggest that Spiteri were a great loss to early Seventies psych-rock -- one listen to the eight-minute Soul Inside will confirm this. The first 11 tracks are from the original album and the eight bonus tracks on offer include unreleased tracks, demo recordings and a great recording of Winwood's I'm a Man. Santana, eat your heart out.

Another early Seventies reissue from Vampisoul is Rodolfo Alchourrón's Sanata y Clarification. In 1972 and 1974 Alchourrón and a host of Argentinian musicians recorded two volumes of jazz-rock odysseys titled Sanata y Clarification. Argentinian guitarist, composer and arranger Alchourrón had founded and directed many Argentinian groups in the Sixties, but it was the band featured on these recordings that really made an impression and represented his first recorded material. Made up of top-level musicians, the band proposed a musical interchange between jazz and rock, an unusual proposition in Argentina at that time. Opening with the explosive 12-minute Clarification, it is clear that these Argentinians were channelling something special. Alchourrón's fuzz-guitar work on the 10-minute Pajaros Sueltos is sublime and the accompanying work from Santiago Giacobbe on keyboards is worth a mention too. One can only hope that Vampisoul has more of Alchourrón's recorded output up its sleeve because all fans of jazz-fusion should sample these two beautiful records.

The last but definitely not the least of Vampisoul's recent South American releases is a double-disc compilation titled The Afrosound of Colombia Vol 1, which features 43 tracks from the Sixties and Seventies golden period of the seminal Colombian label Disco Fuentes. It includes some cracking examples of the salsa, cumbia, boogaloo and tropical funk genres. According to the album's liner notes, which were written by Pablo Yglesias (also known as DJ Bongohead), "the Afrosound of Columbia sings of a double diaspora, first the trek in chains during the infamous middle passage from the Motherland of Africa to the so-called New World, then much later, the migration from the plantations to the cities. "The tracks on this compilation were chosen from the Discos Fuentes archives because they are fun, funky, unexpected, crazy, hot," says Yglesias. "The unifying factor for the collection is that the tracks all have something to do with African roots or influences in one way or another and they mark a period of sonic experimentation, self-expression, upheaval, rebellion and rebirth in the industry, nurtured by Discos Fuentes and its stable of musicians, producers and engineers." This double-disc compilation is jam-packed with funk monsters and will leave many parties heaving until the early hours of the morning.

[Sorry have misplaced the cover]

The Temaswati Project was one of the highlights of the recent Bushfire Festival in Swaziland. Featuring some of Swaziland's most talented female singers, they performed music in both traditional and contemporary styles. With 10 female singers all brought together with the help of Alliance Francaise to record an album, the results are destined to be varied. As the liner notes state, the aim was never to create a new female band, but to offer support to this group of talented young Swazi women. Opener Nguwe Losisandvwa Sam by 22-year-old Zaza is an early highlight. Her gorgeous voice is mesmerising over the gentle guitar plucking and has left this critic trying to track down her debut album, Injabulo, released on Universal South Africa in May this year. Lodanda offers up the other side of the coin with her track Malume, which is deeply rooted in Swazi culture and features the emafahlawane, or ankle shakers, used in local Swazi ceremonies. Other highlights include Nancy Ginindza's Fields of Separation and the soulful hip-hop star Jazz P's Rush Rush. It's not all great, but if you are looking for a taste of fresh new sounds from Swaziland, this is the perfect tonic.

There have been a number of standout albums in the second quarter of 2010 [1 April to 30 June].  The album I have listened to the most was definitely the new Black Keys album, which I have to say is their best yet, an absolute corker that is highly recommended. Next in the pecking order would have to be Wolf Parade’s new album Expo 86 and Flying Lotus’ Cosmogramma, two exceptional albums in 2010. However there have also been a few albums that I have only got into in the last three weeks, that I am completely in love with these would be Mi Ami’s Steal Your Face, Lorn’s Nothing Else and The Fall’s Your Future, Our Clutter. As things stand all three of these albums have serious potential to end up making my final top ten best albums of 2010, but we will have to wait and see about that. So here are my favourite records from the second quarter of 2010 and they are in order of release.

Mi Ami – Steal Your Face – 06/04

Only heard this for the first time about three weeks, but can’t get enough of it. This dubby, post-punk disco party is both aggressive and catchy, a major contender in 2010.

Sam Amidon – I See the Sign – 13/04

If you haven’t checked this guy out before, do so immediately. Another haunting album of gorgeous Americana with some damn fine arrangements and a voice that will creep right inside your heart.

Rufus Wainwright - All Days Are Nights: Songs For Lulu – 20/04

Nowhere near as good as his Want 1 and Want 2, but this new album from Rufus has its moments, even if it is difficult at times

Roky Erickson & Okkervil River – True Love Cast Out All Evil – 20/04

Must admit, I haven’t spent that much time with this great collaboration, but every time I do, I come away feeling richly rewarded, check it out.

The Fall – Your Future, Our Clutter – 04/05

What a cracker! Mark E Smith has had the same Fall line-up for the last two albums and one listen to this and you’ll see why.

Flying Lotus – Cosmogramma – 04/05

A cosmic electro-jazz exploration. Alice and John Coltrane’s nephew is the king of the electro castle right now.

The National – High Violet – 11/05

Darker and slightly more aggressive than Boxer, High Violet is still loaded with great tunes.

Phosphorescent – Here’s to Taking it Easy – 11/05

Some Phosphorescent fans will miss the Bonnie Prince Billy-esque sound of his earlier albums, but this new album is a country-rock gem!

Black Keys – Brothers – 18/05

Right up there with the best of the year so far. The Black Keys have created a blues/rock/soul masterpiece!
 

LCD Soundsytem - This is Happening - 18/05

New York's disco-punk relocates to Los Angeles and produces a funky party album, solid, but not as good as Sound of Silver

Tame Impala – Innerspeaker – 25/05

These Aussies sound like The Who channeling the Magical Mystery Tour with Alex Chilton along for the ride. Awesome psych-rock album!

Kurt Vile - Square Shells EP - 25/05

His 2009 album Childish Prodigy was fantastic and this stop gap EP is another revelation, way more mellow and subdued than Childish Prodigy, its a real charmer. 

BLK JKS – ZOL! – 08/06

The JKS returned with a new EP just before the World Cup, IIEYS was sublime and Bogobe was just beautiful, can’t wait for the second album.

Deer Tick – Black Dirt Sessions – 08/06

Deer Tick have been a perennial favourite for the last few years, ever since their debut album War Elephant, on their third they have mellowed substantially and are very moody, but I love it.

Teenage Fanclub - Shadows - 08/06

A nice addition to this legendary band's catalogue, if you are a Big Star fan, you are going to love this.

Konono No 1 - Assume Crash Position 08/06

What can you say it's Konono No 1, the DRC's hypnotic dance band
 

Lorn – Nothing Else – 15/06

Signed to Flying Lotus’ label Brainfeeder, Lorn has made a dark dubby electro album and I’ve been loving it.

Wolf Parade – Expo 86 – 29/06

Full of tunes and very 80’s in all its synth glory, it’s a superb album even if its not better than At Mount Zoomer

*****For those who were wondering I realised when I was doing this list that I didn't include the South African albums in the last one, so I decided to make a list of the best South African albums of the past 6 months and will be posting that up in a few days. 

The corporate sponsorship buck plays a huge role in the South African arts sector. Think the First National Bank Joburg Art Fair, the Standard Bank Joy of Jazz, the MTN South African Music Awards and the Design Indaba. It is clear that South Africa's corporates pour a lot of funding into the arts, but this corporate sponsorship can become a double-edged sword. Take Swaziland's premier music festival, Bushfire. The fourth edition of the Bushfire music festival took place at the end of May, having moved from its traditional August time slot to coincide with the beginning of the 2010 World Cup. With the number of tourists expected in South Africa and the number of foreign media in the country, it looked as though this was the fledgling Bushfire's year to shine. A pity then that the festival's line-up of artists was short on quality. This, in light of the fact that the 2009 edition featured riveting sets from African stars such as the Ivory Coast's Dobet Gnahore, Mali's Habib Koite and Aly Keita, and South African legends Busi Mhlongo, Sipho "Hotstix" Mabuse, Masike "Funky" Mohapi, Vusi Mahlasela and Johnny Clegg. Supported by an array of musicians from Mozambique, Uganda, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Swaziland it added up to one of the most mesmerising African music festival experiences I had witnessed.

In 2010 this was not the case. Commercial South African pop and rock acts such as Lira, Freshlyground, Ringo and the Parlotones were used to pull in the crowds, with nine out of 14 musical acts hailing from South Africa. Unfortunately, real African music fans were left disappointed by the paint-by-numbers Afro-pop that Lira and Freshlyground offered up and I was feeling rather nauseous as a result of the sentimental drivel that is the Parlotones hit machine. There was also a real lack of diversity with the only musicians who didn't hail from Swaziland or South Africa being Winyo from Kenya and Flame, an Afro-jazz collaboration between female musicians from South Africa, Zimbabwe and Mozambique. Late cancellations from Blk Sonshine and the Moreira Project didn't help matters and if it wasn't for storming sets from the BLK JKS and Kesivan Naidoo's Indian jazz outfit, Babu, I would have left severely disappointed -- and I wasn't the only one. Many grumblings were heard from punters at the festival's campgrounds about the lack of quality in the line-up.

I can assume only that the lightweight line-up had a lot to do with the fact that a few of the festival's major corporate sponsors failed to come to the party this year, putting a dampener on Bushfire's planned moment of glory. MTN, a prominent sponsor last year, is obviously too wrapped up in all its World Cup sponsorship spend to get involved with Bushfire. Rather than dropping the ball, they have picked up the ball and dropped the guitar. But next year the World Cup will have left African shores, not to return for many years, but Bushfire will still be creating a unique and vibrant platform for African music. It is clear that sponsors such as MTN and Standard Bank have done Bushfire a huge disservice by dropping this fledgling festival during its moment in the spotlight. What makes everything worse is that the cream of African music is about to land in Johannesburg, a mere nine days after Bushfire 2010 comes to an end. Malians Tinariwen, Vieux Farka Toure and Amadou & Mariam, as well as Benin's Angelique Kidjo and Somalian K'naan are all jetting in to perform two or three songs (at the most) at the Fifa Kick-off Concert for a television audience of hundreds of millions.  If only someone had had the foresight to ensure that these artists, at least, performed full shows while in South Africa. They could have flown in a bit earlier to headline Bushfire. One cannot expect Fifa to have thought of this; their only concern is the massive television audience, which they can use to leverage further exposure for their corporate sponsors. It is also doubtful that the contracts signed by the artists to play the Fifa concert did not include exclusivity clauses preventing them from playing further gigs surrounding the Fifa gig. So the real losers are the punters, the fans of African music.

In today's age of digital recording almost anyone can record a rock album. But very few have such an impact that they change the face of rock 'n roll. Taking a look back at the past two decades there are two bands that stand out in terms of bringing something visceral to the tired format of rock 'n roll and at the same time managing to sell it to the masses, rather than just a niche market. In the 1990s the band would be the kings of grunge, Nirvana, and in the 2000s it would have to be the punk-blues hybrid, The White Stripes. Both entered the music industry like a bolt out of nowhere, one minute struggling independent bands, the next on the cover of every music magazine the world over. Both made loud, angry guitar music and both managed to sell their rock 'n roll rebellion to the millions of fans that their peers could not reach. I am not arguing that they are the two best bands to record rock albums in the past 20 years, but rather that they are the bands that defined their respective decades.

Nirvana turned a whole new generation of kids, this critic included, on to groundbreaking acts like The Ramones, Sonic Youth, Velvet Underground, The Meat Puppets, The Vaselines, The Pixies and many more. Their success opened many doors for their peers, allowing them to sell millions of records too. Some, like The Smashing Pumpkins and Mudhoney, were deserving of this attention, while others were less so, like Stone Temple Pilots and Soundgarden. Pearl Jam went on to become one of the biggest bands in the world and Alice in Chains singer Layne Staley and Blind Melon's Shannon Hoon would follow Nirvana front man Kurt Cobain to their graves after lengthy battles with drug abuse. The question really is: without Nirvana as the figurehead of the grunge movement would we have cared? The fact of the matter is that Nirvana will always be remembered as one of the greatest bands of all time and if you need to be reminded why, then you are in luck. Universal has recently released Nirvana's seminal 1992 performance at the Reading Festival in the United Kingdom for the first time on DVD. Recorded less than a year after the release of their breakthrough album Nevermind, this was one of the most important shows Nirvana played in the UK. From the opening moments, when Cobain is wheeled on to the stage in a wheelchair dressed in a hospital gown, it is clear that this will be a show to remember. Cobain pulls himself to his feet using the microphone stand, sings a few bars and collapses on stage. A wail of distortion follows; some pounding drums from Dave Grohl and then the band bursts into a spirited rendition of Breed, while a mad fan or friend of the band dances frenetically between Cobain and bassist Kris Novoselic. A 25-track set follows, mostly made up of songs from Nevermind and Nirvana's debut album Bleach. Highlights include Negative Creep, Spank Thru, Tourette's and D-7. By the time the band closes the show with Territorial Pissings, you will be left with no doubt that Nirvana were one of the greatest live acts ever and fully deserve their spot among rock's legends. The DVD has no bonus features, but Live at Reading is so damn good that if you want more you will just push play once again.

Moving on to The White Stripes, then. The two-piece of Jack White and his ex-wife, Meg White, began to attract attention after the release of their third album, White Blood Cells, in 2001 and the success of the single, Fell in Love with a Girl, which sounded so dynamic and alive with possibility compared to what was on the radio at the time. Sure, the band had released two superb earlier albums in 1999 and 2000, but by the time White Blood Cells was released the world was ready for The White Stripes and they were swept up in the garage rock hysteria that championed The Strokes, The Hives, Kings of Leon and Black Rebel Motorcycle Club. However, The White Stripes were always the most superior of the bands, with their basic formula of mixing Detroit garage rock with the blues inspiration of Son House, Robert Johnson and Bob Dylan. By the time they had released 2003's Elephant, the band had gone mainstream with everybody nodding their heads to that catchy riff on Seven Nation Army. Their latest release is dubbed Under Great White Northern Lights. Disc One is a documentary shot by Emmett Malloy that captures the band's 2007 tour across Canada to launch their last album Icky Thump. It offers fans a glimpse into the world of The White Stripes on the road, from tender backstage banter between Jack and Meg to impromptu shows in pool halls, old age homes, bowling alleys and on a moored fishing boat. As legendary director Jim Jarmusch says in the liner notes, "Malloy has captured and crafted a magical, compelling and perfectly musical document". Disc Two, The White Stripes' first live album, features 16 tracks recorded during the Canadian tour. Featuring a selection of songs from across their entire catalogue, it is a stunning set that will remind fans of how great a live band The White Stripes really are. Highlights include The Union Forever, on which Jack White sounds unhinged, to put it mildly, and the band's take on Dolly Parton's Jolene, a firm live favourite. And now the race is on to see who will be the rock 'n roll band to define this new decade that we have entered. Long live angry men and women with guitars in hand.

Before Paul Simon's Graceland became a pop phenomenon and went on to sell 14-million records, there was The Indestructible Beat of Soweto. Graceland may be largely responsible for introducing South African music genres like mbaqanga, maskanda and is'cathamiya to the international pop world, but it was the Earthworks compilation, The Indestructible Beat of Soweto, that inspired it. Released in 1985, it was this compilation that opened Simon's ears to the township sounds of South Africa. The Village Voice rated it in the top 10 albums of 1985 and its star music critic, Robert Christgau, called it the most important record of the 1980s. The compilation eventually spawned another six in the series, although none managed to reach the heights of the first.

Fast forward to 2010, the year that South Africa is hosting the largest sporting spectacle in the world and, conveniently, the music researchers are back in business, this time for the Strut label. After years of research and vinyl archeology in South Africa, compilers Duncan Brooker and Francis Golding have put together the Next Stop Soweto series, three compilations that take a look at South Africa's township music, from mbaqanga to jazz, soul to organ-driven funk and everything in-between. The first in the series is titled Next Stop… Soweto Volume 1 -- Township Sounds from the Golden Age of Mbaqanga and it picks up where The Indestructible Beat of Soweto left off. Released overseas in February this year, it hit shelves in South Africa only in May; while the May released Volume 2 and June released Volume 3 have yet to arrive on South African shores. Opening with Tsonga disco track, I Sivenoe, by the Melotone Sisters featuring the Amaqola Band, Volume 1 wears its heart on its sleeve. You get what you expect -- a solid 20-track dose of mbaqanga greatness with hints of jazz, gospel, rumba and funk woven into the mix, all recorded between the late Sixties and the Soweto uprising of 1976. The Mgababa Queens' Maphuthi is a highlight, with its jubilant guitar work and the gorgeous vocals of the Queens -- Vampire Weekend eat your heart out! The Tempo All Stars' shuffling mbaqanga track, Take Off, features some riveting horn work that is reminiscent of Hugh Masekela's work in the late Sixties and early Seventies, while the Mahotella Queen's Zwe Kumusha is another highlight. Other notable inclusions include Zed Nkabinde's Inkonjane Jive, the Lucky Strike Sisters' Mr JS Mpanza and Amaqawe Omculo's Jabulani Balaleli (Part 2). It's not quite better than The Indestructible Beat of Soweto but fans of that compilation will lap this one up, too, especially considering that mbaqanga superstar Simon "Mahlathini" Nkabinde is the only act to grace both albums.

The second in the series, Next Stop ... Soweto Volume 2 -- Soultown. R&B, Funk & Psych Sounds from the Townships 1969-1976, delves into some territory that the Indestructible Beat series never managed to explore and provides some real revelations. Focusing on the Soweto and Alexandra soul scenes that flourished between 1969 and 1976, this compilation includes the movers and shakers of the townships who took Otis Redding, Percy Sledge, Wilson Pickett, Jimmy Smith and Booker T and the MGs as their role models. Again opening with a Tsonga disco track, this time Khubani by JK Mayengani and the Shingwedzi Sisters, Volume 2 springs into gear pretty early on. Volume 2 can be divided largely into a few groupings. There are the organ-driven funk tracks, inspired by Booker T and Jimmy Smith, which include The Klooks' jazzy Nkuli's Shuffle, The Monks’ acid-fried Blockheads and The Heroes' Funky Message. Then there are the straight soul tracks, like Bra Sello & His Band's Soul Time Nzimande Go and the funk monsters like Phillip Malela's Tiba Kamo and the Anchors' fuzzed out Last Time. But it is the tracks that fall between the cracks of these genre definitions that offer up the most interesting moments, such as the gentle psych-soul of The Mgbaba Queens' Akulalwa Esoweto or the psych-funk of The Toreadors' Gwinyitshe and Bazali Bam's self-titled, rough and ready Zulu-rock number. One has to wonder why the greats of the genre like The Beaters, later to become Harari, and Mpharanyana were not included in this compilation, especially when their back catalogue has been so poorly reissued by Gallo Records. The final compilation, Next Stop ... Soweto Volume 3 — Giants, Ministers and Makers: Jazz in South Africa 1963-1984 is due for international release on June 21 and includes material recorded by the cream of South Africa's jazz musicians. Featuring tracks by Winston Mankunku, Chris McGregor and Malombo, it promises to be a fitting addition to this fine series from Strut Records. Let's hope that this is not the end of the anthologising of South Africa's rich musical heritage and that Strut has further plans, that make commercial sense outside of an African World Cup year.