ENTERTAINMENT MEDIA COMEDY MUSIC TV CELEBRITY KIDS MOVIEFONE Michael Giltz Freelance writer and raconteur Posted: February 18, 2011 05:38 PM BIO Become a Fan Get Email Alerts Bloggers' Index 16 14 2 0Inspiring Funny Hot Scary Outrageous Amazing Weird CrazyCDs Of The Week: Ladysmith Black Mambazo and David Wax Museum Read More: Americana , Bob Dylan , CD Of The Week , David Wax Museum , Ladysmith Black Mambazo , Mumford & Sons , Pop Music , The Avett Brothers , World Music , Entertainment News Album sales may be slower than ever, but there's more great music out there than ever before -- and you cancheck it out more easily than ever.</p><p> So every week, I'llshare a favorite new album.</p><p> Usually, it will be a newrelease or maybe it's just been out for a few weeks or months and just caught my ear.</p><p> By the end of the year, you'll have sampled some of the best albums of the year.Normally, I won't talk about the new Eminem CD; if youcare about that, you know about it already.</p><p> These aren'treviews so much as recommendations.</p><p> Think of it as afriend grabbing you and saying, "You've got to hearthis!" So if you have adventurous ears and like music from all sorts of genres, keep checking in.</p><p> This week, I'll start with two albums: one is by a world-class act and the other is a new talent that's very promising.</p><p> Enjoy.</p><p> MOST POPULAR ON HUFFPOST 1 of 2 9/11 Responders Warned They Will Be Screened For Terrorism Ties (EXCLUSIVE) Jerry Seinfeld, Donald Trump Rip Each Other In Heated Political War Of Words PlayStation Network Could Be Down For Days FOLLOW USBIG NEWS: Celebrities | Britney Spears | LeAnn Rimes | Lindsay Lohan | Royal Wedding | More...</p><p> PHOTOS: The Funniest People Not On TwitterMiranda Kerr & Orlando Bloom Step Out To 'The The Funniest Someecards For Easter 2011Weekly Roundup of eBay Vintage Clothing Finds News Web Like 276K April 24, 2011 | Log In | Sign Up Get Alerts SHARE THIS STORY Submit this story Get Entertainment Alerts Sign UpPHOTO GALLERIES Like 20K Like 4K FRONT PAGEPOLITICS BUSINESS ENTERTAINMENT MEDIA TECH COMEDY SPORTS STYLE WORLD FOOD LIVING IMPACT EDU LOCALLADYSMITH BLACK MAMBAZO -- SONGS FROM A ZULU FARM.</p><p> We've probably been taking this legendary South African act for granted.</p><p> Like most people, I was introduced to Ladysmith Black Mambazo by Paul Simon's landmark Graceland .</p><p> That led me to the classic compilation The Indestructible Beat Of Soweto Volume One and a wealth of great African talent, foremost among them this brilliant vocal group.</p><p> I thought I was a fan until I saw them in concert.</p><p> Onrecord, their voices are beautiful and charming; in concert, the precision, technical mastery andoverwhelming beauty of what they do hits you with full force.</p><p> In the wake of Graceland , Ladysmith Black Mambazo signed with Warner Bros. for a while, heard their songs in movies and TV shows and commercials and became a popular touring act.</p><p> Eventually, the spotlight faded a bit and they settled back onto smaller labels.</p><p> Like some people, I probably felt I had'enough" Ladysmith Black Mambazo albums at some point, as if you could have "enough" jazz or"enough" Rolling Stones.</p><p> So every once in a while I'd check in when an album seemed especially notable,but not always with the same passion.</p><p> Songs From A Zulu Farm made me a fan all over again.</p><p> It's a great introduction to new fans and a career capper for an act that has produced excellent music for decades.</p><p> The songs are traditionals they learned growing up in the rural farms of South Africa. "Imithi Gobakahle" calls in the kids from the rain,promising them they can go back outside as soon as it stops. "Ntulube" is a song to sing when you wantto swim in the river -- throw in a stone and if the ripples are clean, it's safe.</p><p> If not, there might be a snakeor other creature around and the song can chase them away. "Vuka" is a tune to wake up baby chicks inthe morning so they can eat the food you're bringing.</p><p> There's even a spin on "Old MacDonald." You cango to MySpace and listen to the music on Songs From A Zulu Farm right now .</p><p> And here's a recent video of them in concert also doing one of the tunes.</p><p> Not great audio but it's always good to glimpse them live.</p><p> Their performances are playful and warm -- Ladysmith has always had a flair for performance but rarely Popeater: Brad and Angelina's Strict Nanny Requirements Shelterpop: Unplugging Appliances: Do I REALLY Have to Do This? What To Do About Smelly Feet Noam Chomsky Is the World Too Big to Fail? The Contours of Global Order AOL Real Estate: Prince William and Kate to Live in Royal Mansion TV Squad: Maria Menounos Relives Her Paparazzi 'Wardrobe Malfunction' on 'Lopez' (VIDEO) DON'T MISS HUFFPOST BLOGGERS 1 of 5 Sam Waterston Saving Easter Island’s Marine Ecosystems David O.</p><p> Russell FDR Said it All in 1936 -- Who Will Follow in His Steps Today? More Celebrity News at People.com Like 1K Like 1K Like 1K Like 652 Like 2K Like 55 Like 52 Lindsay Lohan Is 'Angry' About Jail Sentence READ MORE Antoine Dodson Arrested READ MORE Stefano Langone RevealsHis Relationship Status READ MORE has there been such joy in their recorded work.</p><p> Animal sounds, giggling children, a celebration of home life - it all suffuses the album with a sweetness that the band always embraced but that the darkness oflife didn't always allow to shine through completely.</p><p> If you've never heard them, start here.</p><p> If you're a fanbut haven't bought an album in a while, don't hesitate.</p><p> Great stuff.</p><p> DAVID WAX MUSEUM -- EVERYTHING IS SAVED So for this very first column, I wanted to pair a classic act with a new one that will hopefully be aroundfor a long time to come.</p><p> Did you see the Grammys? The highlight performance for me was the greatcombination of Mumford & Sons followed by The Avett Brothers and then both bands backing Bob Dylan on "Maggie's Farm." Well, David Wax Museum -- inevitably referred to as an Americana band -- would have fit right in on that stage.</p><p> And in their case, the "Americana" label is particularly apt since they drawn on Mexican as well as US folk tradition for an exuberant, timeless sound that is distinctive but instantly familiar.</p><p> Like on theirsingle, "Born With A Broken Heart." It's a great opener and the album Everything Is Saved doesn't disappoint. "Yes, Maria, Yes" and "Chuchumbe" are similarly infectious, while "Si, Te Vas" and "Night Was A Car" have a woozy, fadedglamour.</p><p> You can go to their website to find out how David Wax from Missouri and Suz Slezak from Virginia fell in love with folk music (including styles south of the border) and joined forces to lead DavidWax Museum.</p><p> You can go to MySpace and check out all the music right now.</p><p> Sure, any hip band worth its salt is going to pull out the accordion every once in a while.</p><p> But how many also boast the quijada, the jarana and the requinto? Sometimes it sounds like a front porch sing-along, other times you're in a packed bar downing beers and every once in a while, they just sound heartbroken enough to be singing alone (the closer "Wait For Me") TOP VIDEO PICKS 1 of 10 Lindsay Lohan Back in the Slammer Beckhams In, Obamas Outat Royal Wedding Olsen's Wacky Fur Outfit MOST DISCUSSED RIGHT NOW 1 of 2 HOT ON FACEBOOK 1 of 3 HOT ON TWITTER 1 of 2 More Celebrity News at Popeater.com Royal Wedding Guest ListRevealed: Who's Going? 'Bed Intruder' Star Antoine Dodson Arrested Paul Reiser's New Show Yanked After Two Weeks Jerry Seinfeld, Donald Trump Rip Each Other In Heated Political War Of Words Viral Star Antoine Dodson ARRESTED Gwyneth Paltrow Is Right.</p><p> We're All Jealous. (Of Her and George W.</p><p> Bush.) Like 4K Tyler Perry To Spike Lee: 'Go Straight To Hell' Like 11K twsuccess Antoine Dodson Arrested For Marijuana Possession http://huff.to/edLaIo tonyuphoff Lindsay Lohan Quickly Released From Jail After...</p><p> Antoine Dodson Arrested For Marijuana Possession 'The Hangover 2' Trailers: New TV Spots... 'The Office' Season Finale: Jim Carrey Joining...and not even expecting anyone else to hear.</p><p> Want to get a better sense of my musical taste?THE BEST CDS OF 2010THE BEST CDS OF THE 2000s THE BEST CDS OF 2009 THE BEST CDS OF 2007 Thanks for reading.</p><p> Michael Giltz is the cohost of Showbiz Sandbox , a weekly pop culture podcast that reveals the industry take on entertainment news of the day and features top journalists and opinion makers as guests.</p><p> It's available free on iTunes.</p><p> Visit Michael Giltz at his website and his daily blog.</p><p> Download his podcast of celebrity interviews and his radio show, also called Popsurfing and alsoavailable for free on iTunes.</p><p> Link to him on Netflix and gain access to thousands of ratings and reviews .</p><p> NOTE: Michael Giltz is provided with free copies of CDs or digital downloads by numerous labels to consider for review and feature coverage.</p><p> He typically does not guarantee any coverage in exchange for these CDs and indeed receives far more albums than he ever comes close to covering in his various outlets.</p><p> Follow Michael Giltz on Twitter: www.twitter.com/michaelgiltz More in Entertainment...</p><p> Buy a link here Sponsored Links Mom Is 55, Looks 30...</p><p> Her clever $5 wrinkle therapy angers Botox Doctors.</p><p> Find Out How! 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