We Speak Music

Giant Killers Return with Catchy New Single “Around the Blocks” and a 2024 Makeover!

Published

2 years ago

August 12, 2024

Indie-pop duo Giant Killers are here to prove that some things just get better with age—like fine wine or that old Blur tour t-shirt you’ve kept since the ’90s. The band has just dropped their second single, “Around the Blocks”, from their album Songs From The Small Places, and it’s as catchy as a Lightning Seeds track (seriously, it’s been described as “the best song the Lightning Seeds never wrote!”).

This track isn’t just another song—it’s an anthem for anyone who’s ever had to fight a little harder for their slice of happiness. So, what’s the story behind this earworm? Picture this: Jamie Wortley and Michael Brown, the masterminds behind Giant Killers, spent their formative years in communities where the odds weren’t exactly stacked in their favor. But instead of wallowing, they turned those experiences into gold. “Around the Blocks” is their love letter to the neighborhoods that shaped them, the overlooked places where people work twice as hard for half the credit. It’s a shoutout to the underdogs, and if you’ve ever been one, this song is your new anthem.

Now, here’s the kicker—this track isn’t new. It was a crowd favorite back in the day when Giant Killers were touring with Blur and the Blow Monkeys. But now, they’ve given it a 2024 makeover that’s set to win over a whole new generation of fans. And just like the song says, sometimes life really does come full circle.

So, what’s next for these indie-pop veterans? With “Around the Blocks” leading the charge, it’s safe to say the comeback is in full swing. Whether you’re reliving your youth or discovering Giant Killers for the first time, this is one band that proves good things really do come to those who wait—about 30 years, give or take.

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We Speak Jazz

Zahili Zamora Wins Two Global Music Awards and Brings Her Afro-Cuban Jazz Quartet to Regattabar

Published

1 hour ago

November 2, 2026

We Speak Media

Zahili Zamora seated in a burgundy dress, her braided hair styled in a top bun

Zahili González Zamora. Photo by Robert Torres.

Afro Cuban jazz pianist Zahili Zamora brings her Afro Cuban Jazz Quartet to The Regattabar at The Charles Hotel in Harvard Square, Cambridge, on Friday, November 6 at 7 pm, with special guest Yosvany Terry on saxophone. The quartet features Gerson Lazo Quiroga on bass and Zack O’Farrill on drums. Tickets are $35 and $25 plus fees and are on sale now.

Zamora returns this week from a week in Seoul, Korea, where she was performing and auditioning students for Berklee. She has won two Global Music Awards for her recent album Overcoming, taking Silver Medals for Latin Jazz and Afro Cuban music and for album art and graphics. She is also nominated for the Boston Music Awards 2026 Latin Artist of the Year, with winners announced at Big Night Live on Wednesday, December 16, and WBUR has saluted her as one of its 2026 Makers, its annual series highlighting creatives of color making an impact in the local arts scene. Earlier this year she also won the InterContinental Music Award 2026 for Best of Latin America for her composition “Negra.”

The run of dates continues overseas and back in New York. The Zahili Zamora Afro Cuban Jazz Trio, with Gerson Lazo Quiroga on bass and Julien Miltenberger on drums, plays Upstairs at Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club in London on Sunday, November 15, with shows at 2 pm and 8 pm. Zamora then plays duo sets with clarinetist Juan Fer Ruiz at So & So’s in New York on Saturday, November 28, Five Spot Jazz in New York on Sunday, November 29, Fat Swami’s Jazz Bar & Lounge in Guttenberg, New Jersey on Thursday, December 3, and The Delancey on Thursday, December 10.

About special guest Yosvany Terry, The New York Times has written that the Cuban saxophonist, percussionist and composer “has helped redefine Latin jazz as a complex new idiom.” Bassist Gerson Lazo Quiroga, a Chilean born Berklee Presidential Scholar, has performed at Carnegie Hall, SFJAZZ and the Montreal, Monterey, San Jose and Panama Jazz Festivals. Drummer Zack O’Farrill, son of pianist Arturo O’Farrill and grandson of composer Chico O’Farrill, performs regularly across the United States and the globe.