Artist: Ombre
Title: Believe You Me
Label: Asthmatic Kitty
Reviewed by: DJ Xfilósofo
(CM)
Date: 10/09/2012
Ombre is a band created by Helado Negro (The moniker
of the Florida-native, son of Ecuadorian immigrants, Brooklyn-based Roberto
Lange) and the Louisiana-born, Brooklyn raised Julianna Barwick. They have mixed the dark eerie pop of Helado
Negro with the ethereal wave aesthetic of Julianna Brawick to create the songs
that are in this collection, which is their first collaboration under this
moniker. The songs are a mix of loops
and ambient wave with some low-fi pop.
These “music-scapes” remind you of old beach photographs, and nostalgic
longing for those summers of discoveries and awakenings. My favorite songs are “Weight Those Words”
and “Cara Falsa”. The first one seems
like a post-modern indie pop bolero, equally awkward and beautiful; and the
second one reminds me of télépopmusik’s second album, “Angel Milk” and some of
those dark ballads there.
Try: 2!, 5, 6, 7!, 10
Artist: Flobots
Title: The Circle in the
Square
Label: Shanachie
Reviewed by: DJ Xfilósofo
(CM)
Date: 10/09/2012
This is Flobots third major release. They are a band from Denver, Colorado that
mixes hip-hop with hardcore infused rock (I wouldn’t say it’s quite hardcore,
but it’s close). Think of corny bands in
the 90’s and early 2000’s like Korn, Limp Bizkit and it is sad that I cannot
think of any good bands that fall in a similar category – but anyway, the point
is Flobots are actually pretty good.
They have crossed to the mainstream, their first-ever single
“Handlebars” was pretty popular but they are not too mainstream in my opinion
mainly because of their political lyrics.
Their songs addressed controversial topics, and usually attempt to rile
up the listeners. This set of songs
seems heavily influenced by the financial crisis and the events of Zucotti Park
and the Occupy Wall Street movement.
They are a live band, utilize many instruments, and bring influences
from soul, jazz, funk and reggae. If you
don’t love them at first, give them a second chance.
Try: 7,12, 15.
Artist: Bebe
Title: Un Pokito de Rocanrol
Label: EMI Music Spain
Reviewed by: DJ Xfilósofo
(CM)
Date: 10/09/2012
Un Pokito de Rocanrol is Bebe’s third release. She’s a Spanish pop artist that became very
popular after her single “Malo” that came out in 2004. Bebe mixes the sounds of southern Spain –
principally flamenco – with a pop sensibility to make easy-going, upbeat
music. She’s well known for her fast
verses, and witty but light lyrics. In this third album, we can see that she’s
evolved from her beginnings. She’s
utilizing a larger space of musical references, including punk, hip-hop,
rockabilly, French chanson and of course
rock and roll. The name of the album
means “a little bit of rock and roll” and I think that all of her influences
are packed through a rock/pop/adult alternative aesthetic. She’s not groundbreaking, but she makes good
Spanish pop. Her single K.I.E.R.E.M.E.
is definitely an M.I.A.-influenced hit, and would make a great addition to your
set.
RIYL: “Mala” Rodriguez, Jarabe de Palo, Julieta
Venegas, Macaco
Try: 6, 7!
Artist: Turtle Giant
Title: All Hidden Places EP
Label: Self-Released
Reviewed by: DJ Xfilósofo
(CM)
Date: 9/25/2012
Turtle Giant is a Brazilian indie band based out of
Macau (China). This is their first
album, and it is a commanding effort.
They are creating musical landscapes with a tremendously powerful rock
sensibility. Their music is touching,
powerful and absorbing. They make truly
lovely music and add up to the troop of indie bands from Brazil that are making
their way out of the traditional Brazilian sounds of Samba, Bossa Nova and
MPB. Macau may seem like an odd place
for a Brazilian rock band – but in fact, it is a former Portuguese colony. And you can recognize their Brazilian
influences in their arpeggio-full guitars (though distorted) and their
Portuguese ones, as their deep, dark melancholic ballads bring to mind nostalgic
Lisboan fado singers. This is a powerful
debut. RIYL: Explosions in the Sky, A
Banda Mais Bonita da Cidade, The Cigarettes, Try: 3, 4
Artist: Anna Estrada
Title: Volando
Label: Feral Flight
Productions
Reviewed by: DJ Xfilósofo
Date: 9/25/2012
Anna Estrada does not provide anything new for the
latin jazz community. Her music falls
right into this genre with everything you would expect. Yet, her voice has an oxymoronic sweet and
raspy quality that makes it very interesting.
She reminds me of the old Bolero singers, and the low-fi versions of
their songs that survive today: they are not perfect, they sound odd, but they
transmit the feelings of the songs they played quite well. Anna Estrada manages just that. Her version of “Mais Que Nada” is
lovely. I think that it is in those
songs that the band tries something more modern, and with a much more defined
pop sensibility, that it achieves true success.
The Spanish and Portuguese versions of the song “Paciencia” in this
album are an example of that, and these are what makes this album
salvable. Try: 4,5, 11.
Artist: The XX
Title: Coexist
Label: XL / Young Turks
Reviewed by: DJ Xfilósofo
(CM)
Date: 10/30/2012
The XX is one of the most innovative bands of the
first decade of this new millennium, in my humble opinion. It is incredible that they manage to be so
with the use of a few effects, super reverb, and terrible stage personas. Or maybe, it is precisely that what makes
them interesting. It seems like they are
always holding back. This new album is a
continuation on a theme, a variation, a fine-tuning. Dark, ambient-like, reverb-filled songs with
deep and powerful minor chords, songs and lyrics that seemed as if one wanted
to express only half of what one feels – or maybe they are poorly expressing
what they feel and keep coming back to some of the same thoughts (These kids
are very young). Certainly the band has
benefited from Jamie´s side projects (as Jamie XX), and some of these songs
have catchy beats, and you could even dance to them. Over all, this is a lovely album that makes
me a devout follower.
Try: All – 1!, 2!, 3!, 5!, 6!, 11!
Artist: Super Robot Party
Title: Electrocity
Label: SRP Productions 2012 /
Self-Released
Reviewed by: DJ Xfilósofo
(CM)
Date: 10/30/2012
This album and this band sound a lot like I would
imagine Explosions In The Sky would if they used lyrics, and if the lyrics were
written based on the feelings of a teenager: they are very obvious and commonplace. Yet there are a few things that make this
album worth listening to. Among them I
would have to say the use of a grungy, alternative sound that is very uncommon
nowadays, unless the band has been playing since the 90s which apparently this
band hasn’t. Their distortion sounds
almost vintage, outdated. Track 5,
“Velour”, I’ve heard somewhere and I feel like I should know it, may be a
soundtrack to a movie, but I can’t pinpoint it, perhaps it is a cover (of a
band from the 90s?). Not a great album, but
has a few songs that will save it.
RIYL – Explosions in the Sky, 90s rock/alternative
Tracks – 1, 2, 3, 5.
Artist: Les Racquet
Title: Les Racquet
Label: Self-Released
Reviewed by: DJ Xfilósofo
(CM)
Date: 10/30/2012
Les Racquet is a Brooklyn-based indie rock trio, and
this is their first album, which was originally released last year. They have a very expressive sound that mixes
bits of ska, reggae, rock, and other wordly sounds with a pop-sensibility that
makes it a very easy-to-listen album.
They strive to create three-part harmonies in their songs, and the
result is quite enchanting. They are
great musicians, but their songs are not excessively intricate like the songs
of some of their counterparts from the borough.
It looks like they are in it to make people enjoy music with their
bodies and their souls and the results are decent. They have room to grow, but this is a good
debut.
Try: 1!, 2, 3, 9!
Artist: Bogan Via
Title: Wait Up EP
Label: CW Media (BMI)
Reviewed by: DJ Xfilósofo
(CM)
Date: 10/30/2012
There has been a healthy increase in bands composed of
a male and female duo making really good music: Wye Oak, Beach House, The XX,
the White Striples, just to name a few.
Bogan Via adds up to this growing group of bands with a sound that is
very close to Beach House and Wye Oak, probably somewhere in between these two,
but closer to the former. Madeleine
Miller’s voice is sweet, and refreshing, and Bret William Bender’s is a bit
more pungent, creating a great complement to Miller´s. This EP has a decent range of songs that will
give a taste of what the band is about.
Their sound is that of a more youthful Beach House, not so depressing
and dark. Their song Wait Up is a must
for your show!
RIYL: Beach House, Wye Oak, Au Revoir Simone
Try – All, 1!, 4!, 5!, 6!
Artist: Trapper Schoepp &
The Shades
Title: Run, Engine, Run
Label: Side One Dummy Records
Reviewed by: DJ Xfilósofo
(CM)
Date: 10/30/2012
Trapper Schoepp is the leader of this band, where his
brother and two more guys play. It is
clear that Schoepp, and his band, wants to
make an Americana/Country album with an appeal that goes beyond the usual
listeners to those genres. It’s a bit
closer to an alternative/rock album, but the influences of those two genres is
quite clear, and adds an interesting sound to the mix, and perhaps, makes them
stand out from the usual crowd of alternative albums being played in the top 40
stations. But Schoepp makes the attempt
to write beautiful, youthful, spirited songs that make this album a nice poetic
undertaking – not completely played out to perfection, but a nice attempt for a
nice debut.
Try: 1, 4, 8
Artist: Reptile Youth
Title: Reptile Youth
Label: Rough Trade
Distribution
Reviewed by: DJ Xfilósofo
(CM)
Date: 10/30/2012
Northern European bands, Norwegian, Danish, and
especially Swedish ones have always had an incredibly interesting output,
especially in recent years. Reptile
Youth is a good example to that, though perhaps not the best example. Definitely a worthy one. Their chords are light and happy, and their
songs have an upbeat air that reminds me of bands like Phoenix (French), Polock
(Spanish) and Those Dancing Days (Swedish).
They are somewhere in between these three: Phoenix is a bit more
technical, Polock more youthful, Those Dancing Days a bit more upbeat. Yet some of their songs have the power to
just make you get up and dance, and this band has been praised for their super
energetic live shows! It’s growing on
me!
Tracks – 1, 2!, 4!, 5!
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