Nomo

It's no secret that bands creating a tribal and communal atmosphere are very en vogue right now — as is having enough members in one's band to play an impromptu game of pickup basketball while on the road, or having a sound that borrows heavily from old-school soul grooves as well as African and Caribbean rhythms. But the eight-piece Michigan Afrobeat collective Nomo transcends fickle trends, "world" music comparisons and cheap hipster spirituality by laying down a propulsive mix of tightly wound funk, lush horn lines and exploratory improvisations. The band's latest full-length, Ghost Rock, manages to channel the past without sounding overly retro by incorporating electronic loops, homemade percussion instruments and the spontaneity of Brian Eno's oblique strategies, rather than relying on obvious throwback production techniques from the '70s.