{"title":"Dawn Richard Second Line","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"caribou-our-love","title":"Caribou - Our Love","description":"\u003cp\u003eYou reach a point in life where the question of how to stay at the top of your game looms, with the only real solution being: you change the game.\u003cstrong\u003e \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOur Love\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e, the new album from \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/caribou\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCaribou\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e, is the sound of Dan Snaith doing just that. \u003ci\u003eOur Love\u003c\/i\u003e is the fifth studio album from Caribou.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eOur Love\u003c\/i\u003e is formed around a mixture of digital pop production, hip hop-inspired beats, muted house basslines, and a love of shuffling garage that can be traced all the way back to the time of \u003ci\u003eStart Breaking My Heart\u003c\/i\u003e – all of which are, of course, filtered through Dan’s own unique perspective. The warm analog sounds of classic soul should not be overlooked either, for they weave themselves most intensely into the record’s DNA. In fact, \u003ci\u003eOur Love\u003c\/i\u003e is probably Caribou’s most soulful record to date, with tracks like “Back Home” whose heartfelt lyrics – dealing in tired relationships and a weary kind of love – and organic nature cut through the bubbling synths and blissful euphoria of their synthetic constructions. It’s not all downbeat of course; while some thoughts linger on mortality, loss, and letting go, there is always an element of celebration.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHaving followed up his Polaris Prize-winning 2007 record \u003ca href=\"\/products\/caribou-andorra\"\u003e\u003ci\u003eAndorra\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e with the universally adored \u003ca href=\"\/products\/caribou-swim\"\u003e\u003ci\u003eSwim\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003ci\u003e \u003c\/i\u003ein 2010 (selling nearly 175,000 copies worldwide and being named Album of the Year by \u003cstrong\u003eRough Trade\u003c\/strong\u003e, \u003cstrong\u003eMixmag\u003c\/strong\u003e, and \u003cstrong\u003eResident Advisor\u003c\/strong\u003e while also hitting \u003cstrong\u003eThe Guardian\u003c\/strong\u003e, \u003cstrong\u003ePitchfork, Spin,\u003c\/strong\u003e and \u003cstrong\u003eMojo\u003c\/strong\u003e’s Top 20), Dan has spent the intervening four years touring the world, bringing not only the sounds of Caribou to the stage but proving his immeasurable worth as a DJ with epic 7½-hour-long sets. In 2012, Caribou were personally invited to join \u003cstrong\u003eRadiohead\u003c\/strong\u003e on the road while Dan released his first album under the guise of his dancefloor-loving pseudonym \u003cstrong\u003eDaphni\u003c\/strong\u003e to widespread critical acclaim. Following the shape-shifting sounds of \u003ci\u003eJIAOLONG \u003c\/i\u003eand the brightly textured, fluid constructions of \u003ci\u003eSwim \u003c\/i\u003e– both inward-looking records in their own way – Dan withdrew to the basement once more to work on Caribou’s next opus. Only he didn’t: \u003ci\u003eOur Love\u003c\/i\u003e isn’t the sound of isolated creation but the sound of Dan at his most connected – with love for his listeners, his collaborators, and those closest to him.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"merge records","offers":[{"title":"LP","offer_id":52739188949303,"sku":"MRG488lp","price":24.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"CD","offer_id":52739188982071,"sku":"MRG488cd","price":14.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Download","offer_id":52739188916535,"sku":"MRG488digital","price":8.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0966\/3935\/3143\/files\/b67c56c9c08c99a7d36177156335f6e3014968d0_c87309ef49ceca9ab7fc4e5743694d6300d221c0_medium_jpg_cdbbaee1-e559-47ea-86cb-6039d9532b6d.jpg?v=1789600345"},{"product_id":"ibibio-sound-machine-uyai","title":"Ibibio Sound Machine - Uyai","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIncluded in:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2017\/12\/06\/arts\/music\/best-songs.html\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNY Times’ Best Songs of 2017\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e (“The Chant (Iquo Isang)”)\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.popmatters.com\/60-best-albums-of-2017-2516162820.html?page=2\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePopMatters' Best Albums of 2017\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e (#48)\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.popmatters.com\/best-world-music-of-2017-2512438588.html?page=2\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePopMatters' Best World Music of 2017\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e (#2)\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/daily.bandcamp.com\/2017\/12\/11\/the-best-bandcamp-albums-of-2017-100-81\/\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBandcamp's Best Albums of 2017\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e (#98)\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/collections\/ibibio-sound-machine\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIbibio Sound Machine\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e released \u003ci\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eUyai\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e on March 3, 2017. Fronted by London-born Nigerian singer Eno Williams, Ibibio Sound Machine is a clash of African and electronic elements inspired in equal measure by the golden era of West African funk, disco, modern post-punk, and electro. The intervening time since their self-titled debut album in 2014 had been spent forging a reputation as a high-energy live act appearing on stages such as \u003ci\u003eLater… with Jools Holland\u003c\/i\u003e, Glastonbury, Roskilde, and the BBC 6 Music Festival, as well as at iconic venues such as Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre in London as part of Lauren Laverne’s “Wonder Women” series. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe album title \u003ci\u003eUyai\u003c\/i\u003e means “beauty” in Ibibio language and refers to the strength and free spirit of women in general and, in particular, the courage of the women in Eno’s family, to whom she often refers in her writing. “It is a continuation of Ibibio Sound Machine’s story in which the worlds of West African highlife and electronic London collide via the storytelling lyrical thread of frontwoman Eno Williams’ vocals in the Ibibio language of Nigeria,” the band explains. “There is a darker, edgier quality to the sound that maybe reflects the difficult journey the band took from making the first album to completing the second one. The songs are based more around themes of empowerment, freedom, and the liberation of dance for women, and people in general.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe songs of \u003ci\u003eUyai\u003c\/i\u003e tackle the stories of life—both large and small. The album opens with “Give Me a Reason,” a song about the 276 Chibok girls who were abducted in northern Nigeria in 2014 and remain missing to this day. Eno challenges, “Why should girls be denied the right to education, and why should people in general not be free to be who they want to be in their life?” On the lighter side, “The Pot Is On Fire” is a food dance celebrating the “happy place” when the food will be ready soon. “It’s also metaphorical,” Eno writes. “Something is brewing which will soon bear fruit.” \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWeird and wonderful folk stories, recounted to Eno by her family as a child in her mother’s Ibibio tongue, form the creative fabric from which the band’s unique musical tapestry is woven. Evocative poetic imagery and empowering messages set against an edgy, Afro-Electro soundscape give the band a unique space within the current wave of modern Afrocentric sounds sweeping across the globe.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"merge records","offers":[{"title":"LP (Black)","offer_id":52739209953591,"sku":"MRG585LP","price":18.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"CD","offer_id":52739209888055,"sku":"MRG585CD","price":14.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Download","offer_id":52739209920823,"sku":"MRG585digital","price":7.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0966\/3935\/3143\/files\/acca3c015061e2f01a2744174409d1fffbf39025_e751914edcec82f05369267e23eba8a38e36173f_medium_jpg_4a35873d-3086-4a33-84e3-5c62d71103b3.jpg?v=1789600373"},{"product_id":"hollie-cook-vessel-of-love","title":"Hollie Cook - Vessel of Love","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/collections\/hollie-cook\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHollie Cook\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e combines her unique vocal talent with charming charisma to craft her own dynamic strand of lovers rock with enduring tropical vibes, weaving a path from her West London roots to an arena of diverse collaborations, critically acclaimed records, and iconic live appearances around the world. Cook’s ability to continually surprise, delight, and progress solidifies her position as one of the most exciting voices in reggae, and this is crystal clear on her third full-length and Merge debut, \u003ci\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eVessel of Love\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"merge records","offers":[{"title":"Peak Vinyl (Translucent Pink)","offer_id":52739212476727,"sku":"MRG588LP-C1","price":22.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"LP (Black)","offer_id":52739212378423,"sku":"MRG588LP","price":21.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"CD","offer_id":52996576805175,"sku":"MRG588CD","price":14.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Download","offer_id":52739212443959,"sku":"MRG588digital","price":7.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0966\/3935\/3143\/files\/bf506b381288bd91e5f8592a40bb5b033f1d805d_3842e3d8664112386cf9f7612904b12e85ff9e8d_medium_jpg.jpg?v=1789600390"},{"product_id":"ibibio-sound-machine-doko-mien","title":"Ibibio Sound Machine - Doko Mien","description":"\u003cp\u003e“Music is a universal language, but spoken language can help you think about what makes you emotional, what makes you feel certain feelings, what you want to see in the world,” says Eno Williams, frontwoman of \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/ibibio-sound-machine\"\u003eIbibio Sound Machine\u003c\/a\u003e. When Williams uses both English and Ibibio—the Nigerian language from which her band’s name is derived—on \u003ci\u003eDoko Mien\u003c\/i\u003e, the group somehow produces a world of both entrancing specificity and comforting universality, a language entirely of their own. By pulsing the mystic shapes of Williams’ lines through further inventive, glittering collages of genre on \u003ci\u003eDoko Mien\u003c\/i\u003e, Ibibio Sound Machine crack apart the horizon separating cultures, between nature and technology, between joy and pain, between tradition and future.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"merge records","offers":[{"title":"LP (Black)","offer_id":52739222241591,"sku":"MRG665LP","price":19.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"CD","offer_id":52739222208823,"sku":"MRG665CD","price":14.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Download","offer_id":52739222307127,"sku":"MRG665digital","price":7.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0966\/3935\/3143\/files\/2e306498b0e1093389367e950d4ea7197cacc88d_6fb607c7f96823e5daa703915b70a724ce4000a4_medium_jpg_4c5944d7-4589-4e96-a79d-b1259677023b.jpg?v=1789600441"},{"product_id":"little-scream-speed-queen","title":"Little Scream - Speed Queen","description":"\u003cp\u003eOn her third album, \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/little-scream\"\u003eLittle Scream\u003c\/a\u003e offers us a reflection on class and poverty in America. \u003ci\u003eSpeed Queen\u003c\/i\u003e began as bits of prose written while touring \u003ca href=\"\/products\/little-scream-cult-following\"\u003e\u003ci\u003eCult Following\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e across North America—observing the slow entropy of the US, ruminating on her own low-income upbringing in a flyover state, and, as she says, “taking it all in from the privileged position of being a new Canadian.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe title, which alludes to the opioid crisis, actually refers to a washing machine. Little Scream says, “When you’re struggling, nothing says you’ve made it more than getting your own washing machine. \u003ci\u003eSpeed Queen\u003c\/i\u003e is about the dream of making it, and feeling desperately close but missing it.”\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"merge records","offers":[{"title":"Peak Vinyl","offer_id":52739226403127,"sku":"MRG637lp-C1","price":22.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"CD","offer_id":52739226435895,"sku":"MRG637CD","price":14.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Download","offer_id":52739226370359,"sku":"MRG637digital","price":7.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0966\/3935\/3143\/files\/10ef27ba9a0411ef81e380a502ae0bf312e54709_3f0602eff65004c15a006dc1c69b72e076585227_medium_jpg.jpg?v=1785381538"},{"product_id":"caribou-suddenly","title":"Caribou - Suddenly","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSuddenly\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e is the most surprising and unpredictable \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/caribou\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCaribou\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003c\/a\u003ealbum to date. Though it retains the trademark Caribou warmth and technicolor, this album is littered with swerves and left turns. Songs drop out and morph into something else entirely just as they’re hitting their stride, samples chopped up beyond all recognition burst out of nowhere. \u003ci\u003eSuddenly\u003c\/i\u003e refers to the moments of dramatic and unexpected change that occur at points in any life and within any family—universal themes that catch you off guard and change your life in a heartbeat.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"merge records","offers":[{"title":"LP (Black)","offer_id":52739226960183,"sku":"MRG708lp","price":24.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"CD","offer_id":52739226992951,"sku":"MRG708cd","price":14.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Download","offer_id":52739227025719,"sku":"MRG708digital","price":7.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0966\/3935\/3143\/files\/2bb1baadb0c82097925cb8d77757a88b3645432e_82793b0ec228dfb3fd43c4581d71c16028611cf3_medium_jpg.jpg?v=1785381558"},{"product_id":"dawn-richard-second-line","title":"Dawn Richard - Second Line","description":"\u003cp\u003eMuch like the New Orleans–born artist who created it, \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/dawn-richard\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDawn Richard\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e's \u003ci\u003eSecond Line \u003c\/i\u003eis an unapologetic genre bender that pushes boundaries, expands possibilities, and shatters expectations. It’s more than just an album: \u003ci\u003eSecond Line\u003c\/i\u003e is a cohesive sensory experience that questions traditional ideas of sound, production, and visual aesthetics as they relate to music. Its interlocking parts tell an epic story about the quest for artistic expression, with Dawn describing her project as “a movement to bring pioneering Black women in electronic music to the forefront.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eShe elaborates further: “You never see women appreciated as producers and artists alike—especially Black women in the electronic space. The time is now for us to start recognizing their talent, not only in electronic music but in all genres. I wanna be the reason why a young Black girl from the South can be whoever she wants to be musically, visually, and artistically.” \u003ci\u003eSecond Line\u003c\/i\u003e cuts to the chase with its opening suite of dancefloor bangers, immediately displaying Dawn’s mastery of layered production and melodic hooks. On the hypnotic “Nosta­lgia,” her pleas of “Do you love me anymore?” are answered on the following track “Boomerang.” “Bussifame” builds slowly and assuredly to become a feverish boogie before melting into the complex rhythms of “Pressure.” \u003ci\u003eSecond Line\u003c\/i\u003e treats Louisiana Creole culture, New Orleans bounce, and Southern Swag as elemental, allowing Dawn to weave in and out of house, footwork, R\u0026amp;B, and more. As she says, “I \u003ci\u003eam\u003c\/i\u003e the genre.”\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"merge records","offers":[{"title":"LP","offer_id":52739242393911,"sku":"MRG756LP","price":24.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"CD","offer_id":52996579000631,"sku":"MRG756CD","price":14.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Download","offer_id":52739242426679,"sku":"MRG756digital","price":7.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0966\/3935\/3143\/files\/9f05cbc78348ef945dfca4dd353e97f03090797d_19946ed9a09cb0932500c71eeedae953f37b6054_medium_jpg.jpg?v=1789600499"}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0966\/3935\/3143\/collections\/2f4420e3270c46edbd419eca633cffafebb0bec8_d18f228085dfd66659a82ede68a9e4513d977d29_medium_jpg.jpg?v=1786572642","url":"https:\/\/mergerecords.com\/collections\/dawn-richard-second-line.oembed","provider":"Merge Records","version":"1.0","type":"link"}