Inside this issue:

Cosmic Guitars: A ten page survey of the state of de- and retuned fingerpicking guitar music, featuring Marisa Anderson by James Toth, Robbie Basho by Jennifer Lucy Allan, Davey Graham by Val Wilmer, C Joynes by Bruce Russell, Sarah Louise by Abi Bliss, Gwenifer Raymond by Claire Biddles, and Glenn Jones on the key matter of tuning

Invisible Jukebox: Caroline Kraabel × John Edwards: The UK improvisors have a moment together with The Wire’s mystery record selection

Lonnie Holley: The singular songs and vibrant assemblages of the 70 year old Alabama born singer, songwriter, musician and artist speak to the power and fragility of beauty. By Emily Pothast

Primer: DJ Tools: A user’s guide to the unsung essentials of the DJ box: the purpose made records that have kept the dancefloor moving since the days of disco. By Michaelangelo Matos

Unlimited Editions: High Focus Records

Unofficial Channels: Music Notation Is Beautiful

MC Yallah: The Uganda based Kenyan rapper brings rebellion to multiple genres. By Stephanie Phillips

Eric Frye: Deep explorations of perception and communication from the Minneapolis composer. By Derek Walmsley

Bob Vylan: The London duo hammer out a new future for protest punk. By Joseph Stannard

Mosquitoes: Percussive purging from the UK trio. By Jennifer Lucy Allan

Global Ear: Our regular column continues to report on music in the time of pandemic. This month: clubbing in Paris and supporting young people in Glasgow

The Inner Sleeve: DeForrest Brown Jr on Drexciya’s The Quest

Epiphanies: How school days, B movies and an encounter with the blues informed the artistry of Shirley Collins

Soundcheck: Idris Ackamoor & The Pyramids, Adred, Ambrose Akinmusire, Aksak Maboul, Armand Hammer, Backxwash, The Beneficiaries, Bhajan Bhoy, Big Ghost Ltd & Conway, Big Ghost Ltd & Widowmaker, Nat Birchall, C Blumberg, Brooklyn Rider, The Bug, Calibre, Cavern Of Anti Matter, Andrew Cheetham & Alan Wilkinson, Chra, Madeleine Cocolas, Coda & Coy, Shirley Collins, Coriky, Elysia Crampton, Croatian Amor, Whit Dickey Trio, Dreamcrusher, East Man, Elucid, The Exaltics & Heinrich Mueller, Beatriz Ferreyra, Ellen Fullman & Theresa Wong, Diamanda Galás, Asher Gamedze, Goldblum, Jonathan Goldsmith, Grey Wulf, Dominique Grimaud, David Grubbs & Taku Unami, Sylvia Hallett, Simon Van Honacker, Ivan The Tolerable & His Elastic Band with Mike Watt, Jay Glass Dubs, Edward ‘Kidd’ Jordan/Joel Futterman/William Parker/Hamid Drake, Molly Joyce, Lionel Loueke, Alvin Lucier, Lupo, Mako, Chris Mapp, Lieven Martens, Kevin Richard Martin, Nicole Mitchell & Lisa E Harris, Mong Tong, Myth, Thiago Nassif, Nkisi, Nordra, Nymfo, Jim O’Rourke, Zeena Parkins & Jeff Kolar, Hervé Perez, Red Brut, Brandon Seabrook with Cooper-Moore & Gerald Cleaver, Sara Serpa, Shackleton & Zimpel, Rider Shafique & The Bug, Patrick Shiroishi & Dylan Fujioka, ShrapKnel, Shy FX featuring MC Spyda & D Double E, Space Afrika, Speaker Music, Nad Spiro, Moses Sumney, Silvia Tarozzi, ZULI, Various Edition 3, Various Social Desolation

The Boomerang: Black Drink, Marion Brown, Death Convention Singers, Discharge, Arnold Dreyblatt, John T Gast, Catherine Christer Hennix, Kemistry & Storm, Michele Mercure, Maggi Payne, The Primitive Painter, Brian Wilson & Van Dyke Parks