Steven Bernstein’s latest creative gift, Tinctures in Time, is a powerful expression of friendship and music making. Inspired by life and loss, Tinctures is the first of a four-record project of community music and offers a sense of otherworldliness. Backed by the Millennial Territory Orchestra, Tinctures’ influences include Jazz, funk, African traditions and Minimalism—all rolled up into what Bernstein calls cannabis music.

Lee “Scratch” Perry is a genius. The legendary mind behind a boundless catalogue of incredible records released throughout reggae’s history, Scratch needs really no introduction once you’ve heard a record like Superape. His dub experiments from the 1970s sound like music from an era we still are far from reaching. Thing is, a guy that can make music simultaneously sound like it’s coming from underwater and outer space at the same time is probably a little odd. 

Roots & culture reggae artists, by default, have one of the strongest “political” campaigns of musically advocating legalization of the weed. With the accuracy and frequency of a rub a dub missile, the genre has repeatedly produced a highly potent strain of talented musicians, singers and songwriters gifted with the ability to mobilize the masses locally and internationally to join in the march against the oppression of ganga. Operation Free de Herb has been led by many reggae front men. Lincoln “Sugar” Minott is one of the genres long-standing generals.

Silver Synthetic is a self-described straight-up rock and roll band based in New Orleans. Their laissez-faire, effortless sound transcends categorization, blending elements of surf and glam rock, folk, some Laurel Canyon haze with country licks and a no-bullshit attitude. Originally recorded in 2019, the band finally released Silver Synthetic this April after delays caused by the pandemic. Fortunately for us, it arrives just in time to be the soundtrack to our summer of renewal.

Rose City Band’s third release, Earth Trip, is an ode to the fundamental need for human connection and undeniable interdependence with the natural world. In his signature country cosmic jam style, frontman Ripley Johnson took all the love, pain, fear and joy of the last year and poured it into a cathartic reckoning.