A revisit to 6 powerful performers from the end of 2017, sampling some of the musical styles we heard, including kirtan, pop, folk, rap/hip-hop, and country, and you'll encounter stories and songs from folk like Heidi Kalyani in Nova Scotia, Laura Joy in Chicago, Jen Hazen in Eau Claire instead of prison, Alex Mead in Buffalo, NY, Dawud Wharnsby in Kitchener, Ontario, and Elizabeth Erin Kemler, with a cowgirl heart in New York. Click on their names to listen to the full interviews.

Alex Mead is My Rap Name Is Alex, and he makes world-healing rap/hip-hop music in Buffalo, NY. A year-round bicyclist in a snowy land, a member of Bloodthirsty Vegans, and a reformed computer programmer, Alex combines tech savy with peace-justice-environmental passions to create absorbing music & videos. Subscribe to his YouTube channel here.