Antibalas

Since Anitbalas' 1998 inception following Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti's death the previous year, the Brooklyn-based band has carried the banner for Kuti's message of challenging corruption through music. They're widely revered for bringing afrobeat to a new generation of listeners while adding their own punk and free jazz influences to the mix.

Their new album, Where the Gods Are in Peace, was released on Daptone Records on Sept. 15. It begins by revisiting the devastation of America's indigenous people during the Gold Rush era, then zooms ahead to a fictitious, utopian island in the sky that provides solace and replenishment for those fighting American political opportunism and greed.