Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/709470
MUSIC Missy Galore art & soul Y ou may not have heard of Jamaican dancehall artist Busy Signal, but, as the kids say, he's sort of a big deal. His 2012 album, Reggae Music Again, was lauded by the BBC, and he collaborated with iconic SoCal band No Doubt on their last release, Push and Shove. Though we're still awaiting his full-length follow-up, the 34-year-old just put out a topical new tune, "Injustice," featuring Tebby. Addressing violence and pov- erty, "Injustice" comes at a time when our cities are convulsing over police shootings and rising crime. Both catchy and potent, "Injustice" is a step above earlier Busy Signal cuts like "Smoke Some High Grade" and "Money Flow." Our only complaint is a lack of specifi cs. Hearing "Black Lives Matter" or "income inequality" would have elevated the tune, as well as some po- tential solutions to our nation's numerous problems. Regardless, we'll welcome any song that brings attention to the strife we all acutely feel these days. https://myspace.com/onebusysignal —NB Busy Signal "Injustice," featuring Tebby I t'd be easy to dismiss "Shamanatrix" Missy Galore before tru- ly giving the L.A. musician/artist/comedian/MC/fashionista a chance. Galore has a candy-colored, hippie/raver aesthetic and song titles like "We Are Love" and "Love.o.lution" that are winc- ingly earnest. But after a listen to her latest album—Shamanatrix (a portmanteau of shaman and dominatrix)— you might warm to her catchy, electronica-inspired positivity. "Fluff the Good- ness" is a suggestive little hip-hop-esque number where Galore reminds listeners to accentuate the positive; a message we all need during this divisive, endlessly negative campaign season. Galore slows it down on "Fractals of Grace," chanting a medita- tion while the beat builds. If Galore's endless optimism doesn't rub off, maybe take some hints from the album's closer, "Hemp Is the Way." Fittingly, Galore has performed at the Burning Man festival—a listen to Shamanatrix is like a 15-minute vacation to the Black Rock Desert, far from conventions, violence and politi- cal warfare. http://www.missygalore.com —Neal Broverman Shamanatrix MUSIC 32 wholelifetimes.com