Sofrito specializes in “Heavy Afro Latin Sounds”, and are a collective who do so through creating mixes and regular DJ sets. Their love of the music goes one step higher with the start of a new series of records called Sofrito Super Singles, and they’re digging deep with major rarities that haven’t been heard about in decades. The first release will be The Soweto Disco EP, featuring songs from Teaspoon & the Waves and The Nzimande Allstars, and you can sample the tracks from the EP here.
They only say the record is coming “very soon”, but this series looks like a winner.
Brand new installment of King Megatrip‘s A Year In The Soul Society made it right before the deadline, but if you’ve heard the previous five mixes he has made this year, you know it’s worth the wait. Click here for more information on the mix, and of course a link to download the mix from.
Okay, maybe Nic Zwart calls himself Electric Sunset because people might not know how to pronounce Zwart properly, and Electric Sunset may sound more pleasant to the ear. Did those words make you want to know who or what an Electric Sunset is? Good, because that’s his photo.
His self-titled debut will be released on September 7th courtesy of the great people at K, and you can take a listen to his refreshing audio drink in the form of “Soda” (7.4mb). Before the album is released, he has two shows scheduled, including one at a Pacific Northwest farm:
07/07 – Berkeley, CA 2703 Fullerston St. (w/ Stag Hare, Gkfoes vjgoaf)
08/21 – Rochester, WA (Helsing Junction Farm)
Charnett Moffett has probably been playing bass longer than he has walked on this Earth, and his talents show. He is called “one of the most highly regarded bassists in jazz”, and after watching this 16-minute documentary on him and his music, you will understand why.
Moffett just released a new album called Treasure (Motema), and if he doesn’t pull you in with his style of playing, or energy that moves him to make music, I don’t know what will.
Hostage Calm are about to release their self-titled album, but it is their sophomore released. Confused? You don’t have to be, for Lens was the first album by this Connecticut band. Now, their first album is their own name, it is self-titled. Still confused? You don’t have to be. The only first you need to know about is that their self-titled album, their second, is their first for the Run For Cover label.
The album will be out on both vinyl (pre-order here) or compact disc (pre-order there) on or around July 20th, but you’re able to give the album a try out by streaming it in full over at PunkNews.org.
If you like it and want to hear more, they will be starting up on a tour across the U.S. beginning next week Tuesday. Here is where you’ll find them:
JUL 06 – Baltimore, MD @ Charm City Art Space w/ Make Do And Mend
JUL 07 – Richmond, VA @ Tight!House w/ Make Do And Mend
JUL 08 – High Point, NC @ Arts By Alexander w/ Make Do And Mend
JUL 09 – Johnson City, TN @ The Hideaway w/ Make Do And Mend
JUL 10 – Charlotte, NC @ Lunchbox Records w/ Make Do And Mend
JUL 11 – Charleston, SC @ The Summerville Legion w/ Make Do And Mend
JUL 12 – Griffin, GA @ 124 Oak Street w/ Make Do And Mend
JUL 13 – Birmingham, AL @ The Firehouse w/ Make Do And Mend
JUL 14 – Nashville, TN @ Rocketown w/ Make Do And Mend
JUL 15 – St. Louis, MO @ Fubar w/ Make Do And Mend, Heartsounds, This Is Hell
JUL 16 – Lawrence, KS @ Jackpot
JUL 17 – Denver, CO @ Blast O Mat w/ This Is Hell
JUL 18 – Albuquerque, NM @ TBA
JUL 19 – Mesa, AZ @ The Underground w/ Teenage Bottlerocket, Banner Pilot
JUL 21 – Los Angeles, CA @ TBA
JUL 22 – Canoga Park, CA @ Cobalt Cafe
JUL 23 – Santa Barbara, CA @ Sound and Fury Festival
JUL 24 – Santa Barbara, CA @ Sound and Fury Festival
JUL 25 – Santa Barbara, CA @ Sound and Fury Festival
JUL 26 – Fresno, CA @ The CYC w/ Make Do And Mend
JUL 28 – San Francisco, CA @ Sub-Mission
JUL 29 – Olympia, WA @ Black Lake Grange w/ Make Do And Mend
JUL 30 – Bremerton, WA @ AFU Hall w/ Make Do And Mend
JUL 31 – Tacoma, WA @ The Viaduct w/ Make Do And Mend, Shook Ones
AUG 03 – Minneapolis, MN @ The Beat
AUG 04 – Cedar Falls, IA @ 1108 House
AUG 05 – Indianapolis, IN @ Dojo
AUG 06 – Ann Arbor, MI @ Metal Frat
AUG 07 – Romeo, MI @ Static Age
AUG 08 – Cleveland, OH @ Now That’s Class
The Books are not my family’s music group, but rather are a completely different entity. These guys know where the fun is, and will talk about it on their forthcoming album, The Way Out, due out July 20th on Temporary Residence Ltd. This is a taste of what’s Way Out. You can pre-order the album right now through the following links.
The Current Network is one of my favorite channels on the cable box (ha, when was the last time you ever heard anyone say “cable box”?), and Sergio Cilli is someone who knows what it takes to be funny. Well okay, he’s funny, he doesn’t know, he just does. In this video, he speaks on one Miley Cyrus, who normally I wouldn’t run on my site but I like to see foolish people fail for the world to see. This is taken from the show InfoMania.
If you’ve read any of my reviews over the years, you know that I love a little bit of everything, from the guilty pop pleasures to the extremes in anything and everything. Aluk Todolo is a pleasure without guilt, but definitely not pop. It is very much in the extreme department, crossing the borders of heavy metal and experimental, they might arguably be called dark or doom metal and all of that emotion comes from being instrumental explorers, as they do not deal with vocals or lyrics.
My copy of Finsternis (Public Guilt) consisted of two tracks listed as “Side A” and “Side B” so I did not know until *after* hearing and loving the album, didn’t know until just now that the album actually consists of five tracks. These German minimalists take a very atmospheric approach into creating mind numbing sounds that will not be for everyone, but once you’ve entered their realm and find a comfort zone, you will not want to leave.
Both sides of the album (I’m thinking in vinyl terms) begin with nothing but a spare beat, and that is the momentum that drives you into the core. Side A sounds as if guitarist Stantidas Riedacker and bassist, Matthieu Canaguier want to start the proceedings and aren’t quite sure how, although their instrument pacing is deliberate. I found Side B to be an incredible listen, for drummer Antoine Hadjioannou begins a rhythm that comes off like a tribal call, and soon you hear this sound that comes off like a tsunami or avalanche in slow motion. You realize it’s the guitar and bass caught up in some reverb, and the warble factor is disturbing. It builds while not quite going anywhere at the same time, and then all of a sudden the volume is at full blast and you are caught up in one of the most obnoxiously beautiful drones you have ever heard, think of the vuvuzela at the World Cup but think of it in demonic terms. It isn’t until about five minutes into the singular drone that the guitar and bass start to separate into distinctive tones, and it isn’t until the 13 minute mark of the song where there is any sense of melody. It is then that the colors start to paint a very different picture, different from the dark gray tones of the first 13 minutes, and it isn’t until the 16 minute mark that Hadjioannou stops his repetitive beat for a very brief break. At that point you’ll feel as if you’ve just lost your lifeline, you feel breathless and it’s only seconds until the music continues again. I don’t know if Side B consists of three, two, or one singular song, but for those who enjoy exploring the vivid unknowns of sound, Finsternis is a perfect listen.
(Finsterin was originally released in 2009, but is now on vinyl from Public Guilt (order link behind the vinyl icon below.)
If you have your “Jeans” on, you may feel free to take them off as you watch this live performance of Quadron although if you’re at work or school, that may not be a good idea unless your place of employment/education is okay with this. This was shot live at SOM in San Francisco by director Melinda James, and it looked like the crowd were really into them. Take a look and listen.
Business Casual (Big Beat/Atlantic) is the name of the forthcoming album by Chromeo due out on September 14th. Until then, the group have released the first single from the album today in the form of “Don’t Turn The Lights On”. You can buy it now by clicking that Amazon-ian link below.
This Is Book's Music 