Hercules and Love Affair

While a preview of what's in store from Andrew Butler's Hercules and Love Affair has hit the internet, it's great to see that his house leanings have become a mainstay. Their debut is a serious keeper with sounds that conjure up the most amazing disco bass lines, the modernist angular synth stabs of Yaz, Erasure, Arthur Russell and 80's house beats from Chicago and even Detroit Techno. Bringing in a colorful cast of vocalist, including Antony Hegarty, makes the collective mix more intriguing. It's a great synthesis of history and 4/4 rhythms. There are dub instrumentals, a little homage to George Kranz's "Din Daa Daa" in the form of "True False/Fake Real" and "You Belong" pays tribute to Kevin Saunderson/Inner City's "Good Life". There are references to the old DEF Mix productions of 80's House Dons, David Morales and Frankie Knuckles. None of this has fallen on deaf ears as Knuckles and Saunderson have returned the favor by remixing singles "You Belong" and "Blind".  Just like the community it soundtracks (which is beyond race, gender and sexual preference), it's a true love letter to House music in all it's forms and the House Heads who have nurtured and continue to support it.

Little Dragon- Machine Dreams

      It's been four years since Sweden's Little Dragon appeared on the scene proving that vocalist Yukimi Nagano was more than a one-off vocalist for projects by Koop and Swell Sessions. When Little Dragon released its eponymous debut in 2007 it featured some serious rhythmic and vocal style changes. This time out Yukimi was more vocally in line with Erykah Badu than Astrud Gilberto and tracks were a melange of downtempo/ hip hop with electronic flourishes.
       On "Machine Dreams" those lo-fi sound effects are more prominent. This time lo-fi combines with electro-synth and new wave sounds. It seems like a completely different approach but if you listen to tracks from the debut like "Forever", "Test" and "A Place to Belong" the beginnings of this direction are there. Yukimi's vocals are less acrobatic and more in line with the electronic drones that accompany her.  While much of the delivery is at times monotone she knows when to add the right amount of vibrato. It's a successful balancing act that balances all the 80's influences and electronic sheen that could sound soul-less on their own. Some songs reference Malcom McLauren, Human League, and Yaz. Regardless of the influence, tracks like the meditative and percussively sexy "Thunder Love" and "Feather" are more than odes to the 80s. They are a re-assembling of and re-defining of them. It was no coincidence that Gorillaz front man Damon Albarn pulled them in for two tracks on 2010's Plastic Beach. The two tracks that feature LD are some of the most affecting and yet detached songs on that long player. It's also evident how much "Plastic Beach" bares the mark of "Machine Dreams". 

       From the beginning of "Machine Dreams" there's less of an attempt to appropriate American Hip-Hop and R&B and instead pursue a more individualistic sound that gleams with an Asiatic vibe. On the track "New" Asiatic orchestrations are interpreted through synth, reverb and rubbery synth lines. This aural wash ushers in Yukimi's delivery of lyrical stanzas. Elsewhere on "My Step" post disco beats and warbled melodies change tempo and become a completely different song. The marching time rhythm of "Fortune" belies it's melancholic lyrics about moving forward and the downfalls of restlessness and complacency. "No friends wanna stay around. So moving on to a different part of town." Here's hoping Little Dragon continues it's nomadic musical journey with abandon. 

Fleet Foxes

Seattle's Fleet Foxes offer the masses an album that is packed with plays on harmony and melody. With lyrics that are languid and ambiguous they allow the listener to be enveloped in a cocoon of sound and hymns. While polyphony and acapella lead listeners through the intro of "White Winter Hymnal", the crescendo lands you smack dab in the middle of chamber pop. Aside from the influences of Americana and Native American rhythms there's also sonic references to folk 60's bands like The Byrds,The Zombies and even the Beach Boys. While they sonically pull from those groups the subject matter is much more solemn, subdued and pagan with allusions to nature. There is a recurring theme of isolated moments in time, of quiet and majestic happenings that take place right under our noses and over our heads. The songs aren't necessarily stories but snapshots, vignettes or occurrences that conjure feelings or moods. "Ragged Wood" has a driving rhythm that breaks down midway as the acoustic and bass guitars segue into an ostinato that slows the tempo down. There are references to Renaissance music("Tiger Mountain Peasant Song" & "Your Protector") and even choral music("Heard Them Stirring") all beautifully crafted. The songs are so thoughtfully executed and so well rounded they move beyond mere imitations or snapshots of the rock/folk evolution. Song after song delivers quality and a quiet storm of imagery. It all comes to a climax on the epic "Blue Ridge Mountain" with an endearing lyrical post script delivery. It's like you're bearing witness in an isolated forest where Fall makes the trees drop their leaves and Winter blankets the woods with snow...and you've been allowed the privilege to see the wonder happen.

Janelle Monáe- "The Archandroid"

  I have put this album aside trying to amass words that would do it justice. Now that the second phenomenal single "Cold War" has come out I've noticed many have not experienced the genius that is Janelle Monáe. In a nutshell, the album is an amalgam of musical styles. That Monáe threw so many influences in the mix and pulled off intricate cohesion is rather incredible. So if you give this album a listen see if any of the following come to mind: Classical music, Afrobeat, Southern Baptist music, Disco, Funk, Motown Do Wop, Hip Hop, Electronic Downtempo, Folk, Latin, Tango, Big Band, along with the influences of Tim Burton, Fela Kuti, Michael Jackson, Outkast, James Brown, Phil Spector, The Violent Femmes, AIR, Disney Animation Scores, Santana, David Bowie, The Tom Tom Club, Simon & Garfunkel, Claude Debussy, and Shirley Bassey. That all sounds pretty disparate and unlikely but it's in there. Avid music lovers will come up with their own list. All these references and styles are used to tell the continuing metaphorical saga of android Cindi Mayweather who is mass produced in the year 2719 for a market filled with severe social stratification. Our protagonist is being hunted for disassembly after going rogue and committing the crime of falling in love with a human named Anthony Greendown. The Archandroid: Suites II and III pick up where "Metropolis: The Chase Suite I" left off (Inspired by Fritz Lang's 1927 science fiction classic, Metropolis.). In fact, the track "Neon Gumbo" plays like a catch-up vignette of Suite One. It's a one and a half minute interlude of the ‘Metropolis’ lead off single "Many Moons" played backward. Each suite is buttressed by an overture that incorporates all the songs from its respective body. With a small range of guests that include art rockers Of Montreal, Big Boi and word-smith Saul Williams they never take away from her vision but embellish it. Considering that the art of the LP has taken a backseat as the music industry collapses, we are fortunate to not only get a brilliant concept album but also a great representation of the popular music spectrum. We've been presented with an audio-cinematic vision by Janelle Monáe. This still leaves one more suite to conclude the series. While our protagonist is captured by her antagonists in Suite II and about to escape in Suite III, I can't wait to hear what the emancipation of Cindi Mayweather will sound like in light of all the great sounds we've heard so far.
Cold War from Amaël Bédard Claes on Vimeo.

Chico Mann- "Analogue Drift: Muy...Esniqui"

Chico Mann may not be a familiar name that conjures anything to mind but drop the name Antibalas and that may give you a direction to go in. Like that polyrhythmic band that guitarist Marcos Garcia plays with, Afrobeat is very much the backbone of his side project. "Analogue Drift...Muy Esniqui" takes Afrobeat and mixes it with 80's Freestyle Electro along with spiritual, celebratory, bilingual mantras. While it's solid party music, the album's theme is all about the rising and waking up of the masses. With lyrics that wax a "one world" mentality, the 808 drums and squelchy synths just make it that much more jubilant. Intro track "Harmonia/Harmony" has guitar licks reminiscent of Sheila E's "Glamorous Life" and delivers on the good feeling moving deeper with chants. Meanwhile, a sample repeats "Reporting for duty." and yes this music is a call to arms for humanity to fight. To fight by implementing harmony in our own lives for the benefit of all. Nowhere else does the music get more explosive than on the breakbeat of "All That Is Rising". The Freestyle influences are bountiful with cowbells, claps and drum snares. There's also a great Afro-Freestyle interpretation of Talking Heads "Once In a Lifetime". The LP has been out for a good year in limited release as Chico Mann puts the finishing touches on his sophomore LP "Trickster for Kids" and finishes work for the next Antibalas release. Go to Bandcamp and download a copy. http://chicomann.bandcamp.com/album/analog-drift-muy-esniqui

Terry Callier- "Hidden Conversations"

Fresh off the heels of his collaboration with Massive Attack, poet and storyteller Callier returns with an LP fully supported by the Massive. His last LP utilized the production talents of Incognito and 4Hero to wonderful effect. Massive Attack do just as good a job and while there is plenty of Jazz and Folk in the mix the electronic soundscapes take nothing away from Callier's delivery and songcraft. Opener "Wings" takes flight with rap-speak delivery reminiscent of the Last Poets. "Sunset Blvd" relays the failed dreams of it's Hollywood characters while the production conjures sinister hot sidewalks for them to trudge on. On "Hidden Conversations" he flips the script on the already cryptic "Ring Around the Rosie". "I Once Dreamed of Heaven" starts off ambient and concludes with Terry speaking in tongues with a touch of reverb making him sound like a dubbed out Nina Simone. The two actually share quite bit in terms of vocalization. The albums centerpiece "Fool Me Fool You" is a great slice of Folk-tronica. Now if your expecting an all out "Trip-Hop" album it won't happen. Massive Attack may have produced a few tracks but it's still a Terry Callier album and being around 40 years the man knows his craft. It's great to see him still making music with the respect of contemporary musicians that want to collaborate and help him spread his prophetic words of wisdom.

Amanda Blank- I Love You

Out of the Diplo and Switch production machine comes the newest of genre busting femme fatales. Amanda Blank represents Philly storming in with a barrage of 80's inspired hip hop and new wave beats. To call her a retread of Santigold or MIA would be an unfair write off. Busting out of indie kid's speakers in 2005 on Spank Rock's 'YoYoYoYoYoYo' cult fave "Bump", Amanda not only ripped Fergie and the Black Eyed Peas a new hole for selling out, she delivered a flow reminiscent of J.J. Fad's Supersonic, re-injecting a much needed dose of fun into contemporary hip hop. The production is a bit industrial but never gets in the way of her delivery. She starts out punk on "Make It, Take It" and then spits verbal bullets at dominating men and wallflower women that "can't handle it, to get off the floor..." over the bouncy, ass- shaking, glock-cocking "Something Bigger, Something Better". She mines all that is good about the 80's and for proof look no further than the two 80's cuts she reinterprets- Vanity 6 and L.L. Cool J. Her interpretation of L.L. Cool J's "I Need Love" is a nice gender flip that splices Santigold's vocal from her Alt-Rock Anthem- "I'm A Lady". (A demo version exists on Santogold's Top Rankin' Mix tape.). It's her mining of the Vanity 6 cult gem "Make up" that deserves major props. It's interesting to hear the song re-emerge as a cold and controlling droid monologue supported by industrial funk. It's the flip side to Vanity's decorative wall-fixture, sex kitten reading. The menacing robo-grind is counter to Prince's warm- fantasy- eye-candy, arm-trophy feel of the original. It serves as a reminder on how womens' roles in music have changed from the era these songs were conceived in. She could easily read you the riot act like Roxanne Shante or Lil' Kim one minute- "Lemme Get Some"/"Gimme What You Got", or be vulnerable on songs like "A Love Song"/"DJ"/"Shame on Me". She's in good company (with mavericks like M.I.A., Santi White, Spank Rock, Diplo and Switch) so if this LP doesn't quite match the expected success of her cohorts, I get the feeling we'll be hearing more from Amanda "Just take me home" Blank.

Femi Kuti & The Positive Force- Day by Day

Femi Kuti makes a long awaited return with his fourth album Day By Day. Without the pressures of MCA/Geffen to mainstream him by forcing hip hop artist on him (like they did with mixed results on 'Fight To Win') Kuti focuses on what he does best. Funk, Soca and Afro-beat rhythms all converge on this, his tightest, most pivotal LP to date. Some of the songs hit their mark in under three minutes. The fantastic "One Two" jams and builds with playful nursery ryhme choruses to counter verses that decry the disparities of the Nigerian Government- biting. Elsewhere, the frenetic beat of "Democrazy" runs it's workout course through organ, percussion, vocals and horns that sound like they come from a stampede of angry elephants. Femi also pays tribute to forebearers (John Coltrane, Billie Holiday) in music including his father in the swinging "Do you Know". There's much that references the past whether it be Parliament Funkadelic bass synths or Santana-styled organs but is it clear that Femi has become his own band leader and doing right by the Kuti Legacy. It's great to hear music that shifts in arrangement and tempo at the drop of a dime. The Positive Force deserve just as much credit for being just as talented. You may not understand all that is said lyrically but there is no denying the power and energy of the music. There isn't a dud track on this.

J*DaVeY- "Boudoir Synema: The Great Mistapes"

If the spirit of Punk and Funk had a baby it would probably look and sound like J*DaVeY. After a good amount of time in "too odd to fit into radio formatting" limbo they were finally able to seal a deal with major label Warner Bros. This (considering Prince, Chaka Khan, Esthero and countless other quality artists that had projects shelved) may be a good or bad thing. I'm of the latter opinion believing they should have distributed through independent labels. Along with relentless touring, vocalist Jack Davey and multi-instrumentalist Brook D'Leau have also collaborated with some notable artist (4Hero, The Roots, Steven Spacek, Phonte and 88 Keys) gaining more attention for their two EPs "The Beauty In Distortion" and "The Land Of The Lost". Both demonstrated promise and an unrelenting refusal to be pigeon holed into any one genre. The EPs also showcased how much output they can accumulate(Each EP had no less than twelve tracks). Now before their debut LP drops they release "Boudoir Synema: The Great Mistapes". With only 5 songs this is a nicely whittled down and well rounded showcase of what they have to offer. Jack Davey's witty lyrics float over a bit of GoGo, Electronica, Punk, Funk, Soul and Ambient textures. While Jack Davey's voice doesn't have the widest range (at times she may even remind one of Stacey Q, Paula Abdul or dare I say Britney Spears) it's her word play and phrasing that unveil her spunk and spitfire-take no prisoners- personality. (Something that the aforementioned lack in spades.). This time out there are no guests. It's simply J*DaVeY doing what they do best. Look... it's free from their website for a limited time. Do yourself a favor and grab it.

J*DaVeY "Get Together" from Veronica "V-Chip" Hinds on Vimeo.

Jazzanova- "Of All The Things"

Five years had gone by since Jazzanova graced the music scene with their 2002 debut "In Between". The Sonar Kollectiv ring leaders had contributed to the Blue Note remix project in 2004 (remaking Eddie Gale), released a soundtrack "Belle et Fou" in 2007 and broke ties with Compost Records to solidify their own label- Sonar Kollectiv. While the collective had a hand in kick-starting the broken beat movement the musical landscape in 2007 had changed quite a bit. So for Jazzanova to jump on the retro bandwagon could be seen as something of a let down. It could...but in the hands of a production unit as impeccable it's more than just cashing in on retro sounds. It's a re-assembling and re-defining of them. Another obvious change, aside from the musical direction, is seeing a majority of male vocalist take center stage. There's a Motown sound that permeates with chamber strings, horns and filtered drums. The electronic FX are minimal. If anyone truly has any connections to Motown's past it would be through Detroit's present talent. Yes, Detroit and Berlin share a love Techno but this time around Jazzanova mine three treasured talents from Detroit's underground. Hailing from their respective scenes, Hip Hop's Dwele(Slum Village, Recloose), House music's bassist and vocalist Paul Randolf(Carl Craig, Isoul8) and the inimitable and legendary Motown writer- Leon Ware(co-writer for Marvin Gaye, The Jackson 5, Maxwell) make appearances. Even more impressive is that this sextet go global for talent. From Detroit to New York for crooner José James, over to the UK for Ben Westbeech and Bembe Segue(Bugz in the Attic, The Politik, 4Hero), to New Zealand for Fat Freddy's Drop vocalist Joe Dukie and finally Brasil for instrumentalists from Azymuth and vocalist Pedro Martins. One can deduce that having such a roster of international guests shows how much this album is a labor of love and while this album is less for the dance floor and more for your hi-fi, it's no less significant. Flowing from Motown to Folk to the Quiet Storm centerpiece (featuring Dwele backing Leon Ware), it doesn't try to be retro. It moves into Bossanova territory(not an electronic interpretation like 1997's Fedime's Flight but real Bossanova utilizing real musicians). From there they segue into a more relaxing mood laying down a plush carpet of Astral Jazz for Bembe Segue to lay her cosmic vocal down. Global music for global times. Highlights include the opener "Look What You're Doing To Me" (the only track to have overt FX. "Let Me Show Ya", "I Can See", "Lie", "Little Bird", "Rockin' You Eternally", "What do You Want", "Gafiera", "Morning Scapes" and "Dial A Cliche".

Miguel Atwood-Fergusen & Carlos Niño - Tribute to Ma Dukes

L.A.'s own Carlos Niño(Ammoncontact) and Miguel Atwood-Fergusen drop an incredible tribute for Detroit's own super Hip-Hop producer JayDee Yancey(J-Dilla). The EP "Tribute to Ma Dukes" is a mere four tracks but within those 20 minutes four of Dilla's collaborative tracks are turned into some of the most hopeful, swirling sentiments of contemplative music. Exaltation cannot even describe...There's a bit of Classical, Jazz and Hip Hop. This beat-less expression contains all the Cosmic force of Hip Hop you need. There's Tribe Called Quest's "Find A Way", Dwight Trible and The Life Force Trio's "Antiquity", "Fall In Love" by Slum Village and Common's "Nag Champa". Word has it that if you played the original tracks with these orchestrations they would match up. The EP cover is a shot of the burial at Glendale's Forest Lawn. Considering how the pair paid tribute to Alice Coltrane upon leaving this realm at L.A.'s Japanese-American Museum(which was amazing), this seems the logical next step. Astral traveling fo' sho'!!!! May you be at peace Jay Dee.

MF and The Detroit Sub Rev- Somewhere Between

With an influence of late seventies, early eighties hair rock bands, MF and the Detroit Sub Rev let their hair down and invite you to grab a case of beer and sit. The songs mainly wade through mid-tempo territory leaving room for a few to be re hauled. There are great kick offs to songs that are well underway and a couple of great songs that are pretty fleshed out. The intro song "Happy Day" is a nice folk starter that kindly scolds a sanctimonious friend. "Purgatory" rocks loud and crunchy like the band should. It's raw-garage country tinge flaunts a needed change of tempo and texture. It stands out next to the other tracks. It's got a great break down where the tempo changes up and vocalist Melanie stretches her vocal chops in a different range- and sounds great. "GBF" is another point of interest for its folk arrangement and a little Latin breakdown after every verse. If it had a xylophone accompanying the guitar it could easily sound like it's from south of the border. It's a pretty sexy track. Melanie's vocals stretch the syllables of darkly comedic lyrics on the jazzy side. "Cleanse My Soul" is a slow dirty rocker that has the potential to really funk quite a bit. The bv's are great and the filter on the voice adds a nice touch. The guitar is great!! The song is a real grinder.(slow it down a little more and really use those tom drums!!!) Other songs have a great amount of potential "Wasting My Everything" has great vocals but the music needs to be kicked up a notch with more prominent breaks and a quicker tempo. The vocals sound mad but the music lethargic. Crank it sister!!! Your pissed!!!! "Aspiration Frustrations" suffers from the same thing. It sounds a bit anemic but just needs to be pumped up a bit with a quicker tempo and the tom drums need to be brought up more. Even if they are isolated in a breakdown of the chorus. When I hear them in my headphones switching channels they're begging to be heard more. The closer, "Disillusioned" is a great concluding track. It's intimate with great vocals and well written lyrics that lull you. I hear it starting off acoustically and building to what they have laid down on the demo. Add some tambourine or bring up the hi-hats. There's some great material here that just needs to be played with. Hopefully some more studio time will allow for that. They cite Thin Lizzy as an influence. Check out "It's Only Money" for some great examples of arrangements and breakdowns.