The Soweto Gospel Choir recently scaled down to 11 (from their normal 30+) to fit into NPR’s Tiny Desk.  We’ve been fans of this ensemble since we first heard their debut album, Voices From Heaven, in 2005.  Since then they’ve gone onto big and bigger things.  Singing in multiple African languages (and occasionally English), SGC mixes African gospel music with everything from reggae to pop.  And through it all one hears celebration and purpose.  If you’re lacking in either category, hit play and let their joyous acapella sound burn off the day’s haze.

We’ve written about the upcoming Neil Young & Crazy Horse album before.  Now check another manifestation:  the first official video for Oh Susannah from their new album Americana, which comes out on June 5th.  Intriguing.  The track features the standard harrowing lyrics of the original, set against a disturbing dust-bowl-esque video background, but with the group’s altered, crunchy sound that seems to have been (judging by the closing remarks) recorded in one live take.  B-A-N-J-O indeed.

You can pre-order the album at http://neilyoung.com and get Oh Susannah at http://smarturl.it/m5zexo.  Seems like the real deal to us.

We wrote last week about Lisa Hanigan’s appearance at the Dutch Motel Mozaique Music Festival.   Now check out (courtesy of 3voor12) check out major up-and-comers Bowerbirds, Django Django (whose new album is garnering critic huzzahs), and Patrick Watson, and then the always-stunning Antlers and the perfectly-over-the-top Of Montreal.

Bowerbirds:

Django Django (if you’re short on time, check out Default at 4:31):

Patrick Watson:

The Antlers:

Of Montreal: