Lotta cats recently been asking for recommendations, and being the civil servant that I am, I put together a quick rundown of some recent highlights for your listening pleasure...
Julian Lynch - Terra. Rich, mellow, medium-fi blend of strummy indie rock, atmospherics, and jazz goodness, with an Elliott Smith-esque quiet intimacy. The only thing out there that sounds like it is his excellent Mare from last year's top 10.
Wild Beasts - Smother. I have said enough about these guys that I decided not to review the album, but suffice it to say, I love it intensely. Not quite the tour de force performance of Two Dancers, but they are just as enrapturing and sexy with the new, stripped-down, electronic-heavy sound.
Future Islands - In Evening Air. So, I realized recently that I have a propensity towards unusual voices. Case in point, my two albums of the year so far - Destroyer and Wild Beasts - are fronted by two guys that would legitimately creep most people out. After that probably comes James Blake, who sounds like a heartbroken robot, and Radiohead, who, well, you know. No doubt that's the first thing you'll notice about FI, and you'll probably know right away whether you're hooked or a hater. I think he sounds like a sensitive wizard-villain exiled from the land of his glam rock warrior-people. Beyond that, though, a decent survey of the last 5 years in indie rock. I am the Tin Man!!
Diego Garcia - Laura. Argentina-via-NYC guitarist/singer-songwriter (I mean that in the literal, not the pejorative, sense - but that's another post for another day) with a golden voice and a flair for the cinematic.
Thao & Mirah - s/t. Brings out the best of both of these indie singer-songwriters (there it is again). Nice eclectic range of styles.
Beastie Boys - Hot Sauce Committee, Pt. 2. No explanation needed. Probably overrated at the moment, but certainly in line with Hello Nasty. I'm down.
Bibio - Mind Bokeh. How to describe Bibio? Downtempo dance music or upbeat driving music? Hell if I know. He's a beat maker at base, but never, ever do you feel like you're listening to a tired instrumental track. He's got a killer 70s/00s electro/funk/hip-hop dynamic going on and makes me feel like I never want to live anywhere but the heart of the city. Check out Ambivalence Avenue, too (maybe even first).
V/A - Sofrito: Tropical Discotheque. 'World Music' is just about the slipperiest music term out there, often invoked simply to signify 'the other,' without any attention to - or usually respect for - the particular cultural lineage. (I totally majored in Anthropology). But I can't help but call throw the world music label at this mix for its huge range of regional styles all cobbled together into a seamless, super fun dance party.
Big K.R.I.T. - Return of 4Eva. A worthy heir to the Southernplayalisticcaddilacmusic throne of our favorite spaced out, storytelling ATLiens.
See the side bar for everything else, including some older material...
Archive for May 2011
Hungry fella? There ya go...
