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FREE SONG DOWNLOAD of "Taking the Farm," from the War on Drugs' upcoming new album Wagonwheel Blues, out June 17th on Secretly Canadian. Led by Adam Granduciel, the Philly band delivers a fresh take on Americana songwriting, with walls of electric and acoustic guitars and a definite Bruce Springsteen/Tom Petty vibe, especially in the vocals. It's ethereal and down to earth, and inventive and recognizable all at the same time.
Chi-town's Chuck Inglish and Mikey Rocks, a/k/a the Cool Kids, have been buildin' up a steady buzz for a while now, with their refreshing update on the "License to Ill" 808 East Coast bounce sound of yore. These self-proclaimed "Beastie Boys" have created an astonishingly solid debut full-length that calls to mind the spare, bedroom boom of early Three 6 Mafia, the knuckleheaded lyrical prowess of Big Daddy Kane, and early Ice Cube. But this ain't gangsta and it ain't a throwback. Just a much needed touch-up on that rough-n-rugged, done with intelligence and originality. Clockin' in at just over 30 minutes, The Bake Sale is a lesson in efficiency and what they lack in big budget, blinged-out beats is implied. Check the opener "What Up Man" for instance. Inglish constructs his beat around a sample of him saying "Tick, tick" where the metronomic hi-hats would lay and "clap" on the two. On first listen, they seem to rhyme about the same things that their mainstream colleagues do, namely picking up women, jewelry, shopping and rollin' around. But then you realize they're talkin' about vintage Guess jeans, eating fruit loops, pickin' up chicks...rollin' on their bikes and fake gold chains and old school skypagers. It's little subtle changes like these that make them stand out from the rest. Their snares are just a touch dirtier, the pop culture references are just a touch cleverer, and it feels genuine. Which, in my opinion, is the very essence of what makes the early Beastie Boys albums so timeless. I think this might be one of my fave hip-hop releases of the year so far. -Duane Harriott
The new single by Be Your Own Pet collects three songs that were deemed "too violent" for the general public. Such is the life for punks on major labels. Too bad because "Becky," "Black Hole," and the 45-second buzzsaw blast "Blow Yr Mind" would've made their full-length, "Get Awkward," even better. In their typical post punk/'77 punk/new wave pop hybrid fashion (with added teen violence!), BYOP mix Ritalin with saccharine in fine, fine fashion.
Back from their UK tour with We Are Scientists, Brooklyn's Oxford Collapse bring us a new five song EP. Your guess is as good as ours as to why the band decided to name the release after actor Adam Hann-Byrd (Mr. "Little Man Tate" himself,) but their MO hasn't changed: solid, jangly indie rock. Included is a great cover of OMD's "Genetic Engineering" and a superfluous remix.
The new album from Electric President (a/k/a Ben Cooper and Alex Kane) builds upon the dreamy electronic pop of their self-titled debut from 2004. These guys are great arrangers; everything on Sleep Well seems perfectly at home, in the right place at the right time. Haunting yet innocent, sappy yet funky, guitars and strings float atop the steady heart-felt grooves as occasional electronics add a refreshing spice to the music. Cleverly crafted lyrics hover around the subjects of bedtime fears and the wandering of the mind on the border of consciousness (great for summer nights). - Chris Polcyn
An all but forgotten footnote from NYC's late '70s/early '80s music scene, the duo of Don Hunerberg and Andy George created a unique brand of electronic music, utilizing tape loops, analog synthesizers and a variety of acoustic instruments. Now Again for the First Time culls together IMA's highly collectible four-song flexi disc, originally distributed by 99 Records' Ed Bahlman, with nine more songs, that fans of everyone from YMO to Liquid Liquid will want to check out.
The Heavy capture an incredibly soulful and bluesy sound on Great Vengeance and Furious Fire, propelled by slick lyrics, energetic rhythms and retro sensibilities (immediately bringing to mind 70s funk and blaxploitation). Having released several singles on Ninja Tune, their first full-length demonstrates the British quintet's full stylistic range, from driving jams like "Dignity" and "That Kind of Man" -- that can best be classified as pure rock & roll -- to slower, almost bluesy songs like "Doing Fine" and the beautiful "Who Needs the Sunshine?" which closes the album very appropriately with an atmosphere that is, well, heavy. In contrast, album standout "Girl" offers a light-hearted reprieve with its almost out-of-character sexiness. A great record for those who crave maximum soul in their rock and roll. -Chris Polcyn
I loved Jorge Gebauhr's Trapez EP and find myself feeling the same way about his MBF release. The dimly lit drive of "Strange Fruits" (is that Nina Simone? Oh yeah!) feels like driving through a rural back-road, watching the headlights cut through the darkness to reveal the occasional owl staring back at you. Sick track. The B-side seals the deal; it's a warm stomper with a tight snare click that brings in a stuttering looped piano sound that just keeps driving as it slowly adds the subtlest bits and pieces. SOLID. -Scott Mou
It's no surprise that one of the best My Best Friend releases (with the best cover art too) is from label head Triple R. This double-EP embodies all the qualities that get us psyched on MBF: distilled disco throb, with that bit of jackin' Chicago but stripped down to keep it lean and interesting. It even has a disco shuffle track. On "Beauty Needs No Wings," a mean groove with a foreboding, vibrating bass line is linked with workout vocals (a la "Tour De France") broken intermittently with handclaps. -Scott Mou
Diverting a bit from the disco/house/techno formula of MBF, Bukaddor & Fishbeck come with a two-track EP of globular, clubby yet still stripped down house. "Mr. Floppy" is my favorite. I like beats that sound like Jerry Lewis is dribbling some "flubber" on the dancefloor, and the kick-pedal-on-the-oil-drum-bass sound oompah-ing away isn't bad either. "Live Is Life" has a precise bass rhythm that drives itself into your mind, elevates a bit, and then starts driving again. Two for two! -Scott Mou
The A-side of this Lax single has the piston-y, neck-pumping, pulse that feels like the Lipps Inc. "Funkytown" melody is gonna pop in any second. Instead, the vocal micro-sample of "Music Makes You" comes in with a cloudy/stratospheric chord-drone. The subtle synth stabs meld with the beat and just keep things floating...so nice! Definitely my fave side on this EP. "B-Boogie" is a bit more "Night Rider"-disco with its slightly dark arpeggiation, but it lifts up when the vocal bits come in with the synth-trumpets that are eventually joined with synth-cowbells. -Scot Mou
The Battle Twig EP from Cosmic Sandwich (a/k/a Steve Barnes) sports a bouncing, globby house track with an A-side that sounds like big-room My My. Endless bounce, too buoyant to be a "thump," that will make asses jiggle. It seems almost par for the course to have each jackin' cut matched with a more atmospheric/trance-y track. The same thing happens here, as "Scatter Realm" has more syncopated synths bubbling up from the Mr. Oizo-ish beat. -Scott Mou |
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