Milo Miles
Milo Miles is Fresh Air's world-music and American-roots music critic. He is a former music editor of The Boston Phoenix.
Miles is a contributing writer for Rolling Stone magazine, and he also writes about music for The Village Voice and The New York Times.
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Two new records showcase the quartet's recent collaborations with Laurie Anderson and a group from Mali. Critic Milo Miles says it's evident how much time and care went into Landfall and Ladilikan.
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A new collection mashes-up Jamaican dancehall, soca, hip-hop and polyrhythms from Ghana and Nigeria. Critic Milo Miles says Afrobeats Hot Hits is a "seductive invitation to dance."
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A new collection presents synthesizer dance music from the Cape Verde islands in the '70s and '80s. Critic Milo Miles says the music on Synthesize The Soul will sweeps you up with energy and rhythm.
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Shirey mixes dry vocals with multi-instrumentalist stylings on his new album. Critic Milo Miles says A Bottle of Whiskey and a Handful of Bees is an original and engaging work.
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The various music styles of Eastern Europe's Roma people, formerly known as gypsies, have become favorites with audiences around the world. Milo Miles says no group does a better job of blending tradition with innovation than the ensemble led by Boban Markovic and his son Marko. -
A new anthology from the Putumayo label celebrates the variations in African blues. Critic Milo Miles says the collection is delicate, airy and strong all the way through. -
For many years, the search for unknown or forgotten soul singers has dug deeply into music archives. But surprises still turn up. Music critic Milo Miles says this year's best discovery is a West African singer and bandleader named El Rego. -
Milo Miles reviews a compilation of overseas grooves that carry on psychedelic styles long after they were dropped in the U.S. -
The New York trio Battles and the Chicago-based experimental rock band Cheer-Accident come from very different directions. But critic Milo Miles says that both groups have recently put out their most appealing records, without losing their cerebral side. -
Elvis Presley is constantly being discovered by new generations, and by older fans in new stages of life. Critic Milo Miles talks about the surprise rewards he found while listening to the new reissue Elvis Is Back! — and during his first visit to Graceland in Memphis.
