BLK JKS — After Robots

This might just be the year when African music finally gets the respect it deserves. Thanks to a handful of releases reflective of the massive African diaspora, the indie rock underground is finally taking note of this long ignored continent.

South Africa's BLK JKS (pronounced Black Jacks) are leading that charge. They're a rock band that blend North American influences — TV On The Radio's sonic dissonance, System Of A Down's odd song structures and falsetto — with elements we associate with African music, particularly afro-beat horns and drum rhythms.

The key to BLK JKS success, though, is they're tourists in neither genre. Nothing on their debut feels gimmicky compared to a band like Vampire Weekend. After Robots was produced by Secret Machines' Brandon Curtis and sounds like it could've been made anywhere in the world and the music would still sound fantastic, which it does.

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