Welcome to another New Music Mix, where we delve into the latest and most interesting new sounds across the musical spectrum. This week, we’ve curated a tracklist that ranges from the energetic power-pop of The All-American Rejects to the thoughtful introspection of Bruce Soord, and the brilliant, cross-genre collaborations that define our sound.
A couple of highlights this week:
A Canadian Jazz & Soul Powerhouse: ES:MO
Keep an ear out for “What You Want Can Never Be,” a mesmerizing performance by the collaborative project ES:MO. This powerful track features the combined talents of Elizabeth Shepherd (piano/vocals) and Michael Occhipinti (guitar/production), two significant and highly decorated figures in the Canadian jazz and world music scene.
Elizabeth Shepherd: A singer-pianist and producer who has been credited with “reinvigorating Canadian jazz.” She has received seven JUNO Award nominations and has a global following, known for her intricate songwriting and soulful delivery.
Michael Occhipinti: An acclaimed guitarist, composer, and producer. He is an eight-time JUNO Award nominee and a winner, celebrated for his broad musical vision that spans jazz, world, and contemporary classical music. He is a prominent voice in the award-winning ensemble The Sicilian Jazz Project.
The album The Weight of the World, from which this track comes, was born from a desire to address systemic injustice and the shared fatigue of the human experience. As Occhipinti explains, “There’s a collective exhaustion that sets in when you are constantly confronting forces that seem determined to hold you back. This album was a way for us to process that feeling and create something together in response.”
Scarlet Ribbons: Renée Fleming & Béla Fleck
“Scarlet Ribbons” is a track from the brand new collaborative album by Renée Fleming and Béla Fleck titled The Fiddle and the Drum, which was just released on May 29, 2026 through Renée Fleming Records/Thirty Tigers.
The track itself is a beautifully stripped-back acoustic version of the traditional 1950s popular song (originally popularized by Jo Stafford and Harry Belafonte). Instead of an opera setting or a standard classical arrangement, the track leans heavily into a quiet, intimate Appalachian folk aesthetic, driven entirely by the unique interplay between Fleming’s soprano vocals and Fleck’s masterful banjo phrasing.
Rather than a solo classical album, this project is a dedicated celebration of Appalachian folk music, mountain songs, haunting ballads, and historical folk hymns.
The Lineup: The album was produced by Béla Fleck and features a massive lineup of bluegrass and Americana royalty alongside Fleming, including Dolly Parton (on “In The Pines”), Vince Gill (on “The Scarlet Tide”), Jerry Douglas, Sam Bush, Sierra Hull, and Aoife O’Donovan.
The Concept: It was specifically envisioned and timed to honor the roots and emotional depth of America’s musical heritage, arriving just ahead of the upcoming United States Semiquincentennial (250th anniversary).
Originally broadcast 8 June 2026
Tracklist
- The All-American Rejects — Get This — Sandbox
- Francis of Delirium — Out Tonight — Run, Run Pure Beauty
- Bruce Soord — Kept Me Thinking — Ghosts In The Park
- Dua Saleh — Firestorm — Of Earth & Wires
- Wolfgang Muthspiel, Colin Vallon, Mario Rom — Vevey — Atlas
- 1000 Rabbits — Cinema Aisle — Are we friends yet?
- Jasmine Myra — Some Rain Must Fall — Where Light Settles
- ES:MO (Elizabeth Shepherd and Michael Occhipinti), Larnell Lewis — What You Want Can Never Be — Sunshine In My Bones
- Renée Fleming, Béla Fleck — Scarlet Ribbons — The Fiddle and the Drum
- Boards of Canada — Prophecy At 1420 MHz — Inferno
- Emmet Cohen — Well You Needn't — Universal Truth
- feeble little horse — Rewind — bitknot
- ear — Good Day Will Arrive — Rumspringa
- Mark Knopfler — Going Home: Theme of the Local — Local Hero
- — World News — Single
