MUSIC

Album Review: The Mavericks – In Time

The first time I heard The Mavericks I was sitting in my car listening to my favorite radio station WFUV, and couldn’t believe my ears. It was a hybrid of sounds, that was joyously complex, melting both the old and the

new, and the “North” and the “South”.

After a seven-year stretch of no music, The Mavericks have ironically come back with the album “In Time”. It truly was only time that changed since their last album, maintaining their original and unique sound that can only be descried as The Mavericks. Raul Malo’s vocals exudes sex and desire, track after track with his Elvis and Ray Orbison like sound. With the accompaniment of a Ska strumming guitar, Latin brass section and great harmonies, the Mavericks surely are not to be reckoned with.

As you may know, I cover country music here on Manhattan Digest. When you listen to this album you may say to yourself, just as I did, “That can’t just be country, can it?” The truth is, it’s not, The Mavericks are so versatile, they can’t be labeled under just one genre. Their span of style covers Country, Ska, Rock and Banda. Banda you ask me, Banda is a type of music that is brass based, mostly Mexican, and has had a large presence in Mexican Pop.

I spoke with others and asked their opinion on what genre they thought it fit under. After different answers it finally clicked, The Mavericks. That’s what they are, mavericks, “One that refuses to abide by the dictates of or resists adherence to a group.” The definition itself sounds a bit abrasive, but because of this characteristic they have created a real name for themselves.

With tracks like “Back In Your Arms Again,” and “Born To Be Blue,” the desire to to soulfully sing along is turned all the way up on the dial. The tracks not only want to make you sing but dance as well. During the demanding yet convincing track “Come Unto Me,” my passion to dance the Rumba throws chills from my neck to my feet. I had even brought the track to my dance class where others agreed that the song bled sexuality and masculinity. There is a soft side to The Mavericks as well, during “Forgive Me” Raul Malo masters his vocals, gliding whimsically through lyrics of repent and yearning while accompanied by the tip-toeing of the piano.

If I had the convincing power to make you all by one album that I have wrote about thus far, this would be it. It may have been a long time since The Mavericks have come together to put out an album, but it goes to show good music can not be rushed, and it will come “In Time.”

Album Review: David Bowie – The Next Day

by Rio Toro

David Bowie: The Next Day

Similar Artists: David Bowie, David Bowie, David Bowie, David Bowie

Genre: David Bowie, David Bowie, David Bowie, David Bowie

Label: Columbia

Deciding to write music reviews was the worst decision I ever made. There is nothing more torturous to me than constantly thinking “how can I put this into words” while listening to new music. I can already see what will happen if I decide to (properly) write a review of this album, so instead, I am going to talk about something that is much more important. So if you have listened to this album, (most of you should have by now) you have surely formulated your own opinions and I hereby deem them worthy. There is no reason for you to hear my opinion.

We need to wipe our minds clear of this elitist system of pseudo intellectualism. I have read a lot of reviews in my day and they are all garbage. They all say the same exact thing, which is, “I have a really good taste in music, and that is why this music is blah, blah, blah. If we were really all that smart we would know the fact that music isn’t meant to be put into words. Many critics feel they could bypass this aspect through skilled penmanship and a keen ear, but unfortunately, we were dead wrong.

Everyone hears music differently, so how can one sequence of notes be considered “better” than another. I have tried to rid my reviews of the hierarchical rating scale, but that has only slightly alleviated the problem. Who am I to tell you what music is good or bad? I don’t have your brain, so I surely wouldn’t know what makes it tick. Sure, on my short time on this earth I have listened to quite a lot of music, but lately I feel that that just makes me a pretentious snob rather than a higher authority on the topic. As a means towards putting a stop to this vile and rudimentary system of opinion-as-fact, I have decided to post a censored version of my album review which shall not influence your view on this album in any way.

————————————————————————————————–

…………… David Jones ……………………….. Comeback Album …………………. Mod …………………..…… Space Oddity ……….…… Ziggy Stardust ……………………. Iggy Pop ….….……………………. Sex …………………………. Fashion ………………………Spiders From Mars ……… Record Label …..……………………………………… Sound & Vision ………………………………………………… Thin White Duke ……………….……………………………………. Bisexual ……………………………………. Album Cover ………………………. Glam,Glam,Glam ……………………… Reinvention ……………………. Buddhism …………. Drugs, Drugs, Drugs ……… Berlin Trilogy …… Brian Eno …………………….…………………… Low ………………………. Heroes ….. Tony Visconti ………………………………….. Scary Monsters ……………………… Man Who Fell To Earth …………………… Starman …………… Heart Surgery …….……………. The Next Day ………………………. Scott Walker ………………………………………………….. End.

Track Listing:

1.) The Next Day

2.) Dirty Boys

3.) The Stars (Are Out Tonight)

4.) Love is Lost

5.) Where Are We Now?

6.) Valentine’s Day

7.) If You Can See Me

8.) I’d Rather Be High

9.) Boss of Me

10.) Dancing out in Space

11.) How Does the Grass Grow

12.) (You Will) Set the World on Fire

13.) You Feel so Lonely you could Die

14.) Heat

Scottie Gage’s “Moonglow”- Simple Yet Extraordinary

by Ryan Shea

Scottie Gage is a remarkably gifted vocalist and artist who has released some pretty amazing music over the course of his career (my personal favorite being Waterslide, which you can see here). Now he is set to release some great new music, and is highlighting one track that goes by the name of “Moonglow”.

There are so many artists out there that try to evoke emotion both in the song and video that comes with that never seems to ever come to light. It can be forced and other times just be completely fake. For Scottie and this song, neither of those facts ring true. You can see it in his eyes when he is singing that he means every word he says, something that artists like Mary J. Blige and Robin Thicke have truly achieved over their careers. Scottie already has it.

“Moonglow” is truly a simple song in the sense that there is a beautiful piano and drum beat that accompany it but the main focus is the lyricism in the song and his beautiful voice. It is reminiscent of songs like “Bleeding Love” by Leona Lewis and “Foolish Games” by Jewel in that it really details the pain and agony of going through the end of a relationship and realizing ones faults in the aftermath. The vibe of the song also has a Chet Baker feel to it with its fluidity and rhythm. The video for this is shot beautifully in black and white and has a great concrete background that gets the emotion of the song that much more on point. Overall, it really is something that is worth watching and listening to and should be heard by many.

See the video here and support this talented artist as he embarks on his musical journey.

Official Site

iTunes

Album Review: Doldrums – Lesser Evil

by Rio Toro

Doldrums: Lesser Evil

Similar Artists: Gang Gang Dance, Black Dice, Animal Collective, Purity Ring

Genre: Post Pop, Post Rock, Post Noise

Label: Souterrain Transmissions

In Norton Jester’s beloved children’s novel, “The Phantom Tollbooth”, The Doldrums is a place where nothing ever happens. The inhabitants of this fictitious area follow a strict set of daily routines and live out dull repetitious lives. It is surprising that Airick Woodhead decided to borrow this name for his musical project, because his work is the polar opposite of mundane. In fact, there is often so much going on within any few measures that it can seem messy and overwrought. This is maximalistic ADHD music that could only be described using words like post-rock, post-pop or post-noise. Although it is not without its noticeable influences, on “Lesser Evil”, Airick has either created one of the poppiest noise albums or noisiest pop albums in recent memory.

Most of us were introduced to Doldrums through his remix of Portishead’s “Chasing the Tear” in 2010. It sounded almost nothing like the original, and it showed off Airick’s tight production work. The combination of vocal samples, noisy guitars and melodically layered electronic overtones proved Doldrums to be an artist to get excited about. Three long years have came and went and now the one man band is finally releasing his debut album, “Lesser Evil”. He hasn’t changed his style much in those three years, so it speaks towards his aptitude that this music still sounds so relevant and modern.

Although at face-value, much of this album comes off as dance music, I am often left to wonder if these songs are meant to leave me ecstatic or woeful. While some might say that the album’s lack of musical cohesiveness is a weakness, you would be hard-pressed to call it boring. However, this music is much more ambitious to simply be called “entertaining”. It’s abstractness has occasionally left me empty, but in the end it works towards the album’s otherworldly themes.

While comparisons to other left-of-center Canadian pop acts such as Grimes and Purity Ring are apt, the most glaring reference point to Doldrums is Brooklyn’s “Gang Gang Dance”. Both groups create psychotically induced dance music that is founded through the use of heavy percussion and bass. The heavily ornamented sound also brings to mind Animal Collective’s 2012 album, “Centipede Hz”. Likewise, Airick’s nerdy voice is a combination of Panda Bear’s tonality with Bjork’s overreaching style. Countless artists come into mind while listening to this music, but at its best, Doldrums reinvigorate otherwise worn out trends.

Airick is always pushing his hardware to the tipping point, which makes the music feels as if it could break apart at any moment. While he is obviously having fun toying with his machinery, the music is also beautifully composed within its sporadicness. Second track “Anomaly” opens with bursting Cocteau Twins vocals and shoegazing guitar strumming only to retreat into a sentimental electro ballad. Many of the songs contain snippets of drum & bass or hardcore techno, so even the mellower songs can’t really be called such. What makes the seemingly bizarre instrumentation impressive is how all the musical styles are used so tastefully. Don’t get me wrong, this album is packed full of disorder, but the inharmonalities speak towards Airick’s warped musical vision instead of being artistic missteps.

It might be a mystery as to exactly what we should feel while listening to this music, but what I do know is that Doldrums is solely meant for escapists. When I listen to this music I am in a fantasy world, or better yet, an alternate universe. Many people will see passed how dark this release is and tag it as a party album. There is no problem with dancing, but these songs require much more analysis than the dance floor will allow. Much like the book its name is contrived from, Doldrums is a beautiful, stimulating and unpredictable adventure that I can’t seem to put down.

Track Listing:

1.) Intro

2.) Anomaly*

3.) She Is The Wave*

4.) Sunrise

5.) Egypt

6.) Holographic Sand Castles*

7.) Singularity Acid face

8.) Lesser Evil*

9.) Golden Calf

10.) Lost In Everyone

11.) Painted Black

* – Album Highlight

Album Review: Autechre – Exai

by Rio Toro

Autechre: Exai

Similar Artists: Aphex Twin

Genre: IDM

Label: Warp

Can “unpredictable” still be used as a term to describe Autechre? After all, for 20 years they have churned out album after album of nightmarishly difficult IDM while maintaining a similar aesthetic. To be truly unpredictable, Autechre would have to make a pop album with traditional verse chorus verse song structure. Of course, that is not the case here, as Exai, the duo’s 11^th album, continues to break all of the rules and then some. This is music that adheres to no principles or formalities, and the lack of grounding can often seem like what you are listening to isn’t music at all. Although us fans have become somewhat used to Autechre’s blend of broken, seemingly haphazard metal machine music, it remains shocking and exhilarated for the fact that only a handful of other producers can make music this complex.

This will most likely be the most difficult album I will ever attempt to review. Sean Booth and Rob Brown have gotten progressively harsher and more disorienting as the years have gone by; this enormous quadruple LP is a continuation of their claim to fame and raises the stakes yet another bar. The album’s length is truly menacing when one is considering the music we are dealing with. While lengthy albums/EPs were always the name of the game for this group, this is by far their longest. What makes this length tolerable (and what many critics seem to not understand) is that you are not required to listen to all of it in one sitting. No one is asking you to digest these tracks on the first go around, and the reason is because it’s impossible. You are going to have to devote a lot of time with this behemoth to really sink your teeth in, and I certainly hope that you do, because what it contains is excellent.

Enjoyment from this album will be based on if you are willing to listen repeatedly for at least a few days (more if you are new to this group). On the first track, “Fleure” we are immediately dropped into the unrelenting storm of non-repeating patterns and unfollowable structure that represents the band at their most volatile. Although this is one of the shortest tracks on the album, it is representative of the 16 yet to come. A complaint here would be that the track sequencing doesn’t allow for many breaks. There are no ambient interludes in play to calm our nerves or help us readjust. Exai is raw, and often sounds as if it’s being played live. So a recommendation for your own safety: if your brain can’t handle anymore ricochet percussion and stabbing collisions of metal then you should probably take a break.

While my favorite way to describe this duo is “a fucked version of 90’s UK elektro”, Autechre have proved they can make music that is entirely mechanical and inhuman, yet somehow melancholic and evocative. Some might say that Autechre did a better job of harnessing this balance on their earlier work, (I would have to agree with this) but the best of these tracks still hover around the line of tranquility and disgust. Playing games with our senses is what many of the best electronic producers are capable of, and it is why Autechre’s music often sounds fresh after years of listening to it. Although this is a new album, I believe these tracks will prove to have similar longevity. It is not hard to see that these two are working at the top of their game.

So despite what some might claim, these tracks do have feeling attached to them. The emotion is certainly buried under broken, erratically placed keyboards and schizophrenic drum programming, but the best of these tracks represent coalescence between man and machine. Possibly more than anyone else, Booth and Rob Brown’s create music that suggests they are one with the machines they are working with.

Pretentious is a term thrown at these guys quite a bit, but Autechre are not in this business in an attempt to create the most bastardized and incomprehensible music of their time. Even at Exai’s most chaotic, everything from the jackhammer bass to the nefarious drones and pulsating collisions of high-end effects loops are purposeful. While previous albums, such as the heavily disputed “Confield”, have incorporated randomly programmed generators, the musicians are in complete control of the music experience this time around.

I will end this review by mentioning that I crashed my car while listening to this album. Surprisingly, when speaking of something this abrasive, the accident occurred because I fell asleep at the wheel. While this isn’t the kind of music that would be able to lull most to sleep, in the exhausted state of mind I was in, I couldn’t resist the transportative qualities the current track was suggesting. Eventually, fighting against my dream state was not an option. Thankfully, no one was hurt, but the experience made me think about the power that music has over us. If it can convince me that entering a dream state is more important than driving, than this stuff should come with a warning label.

Track Listing:

1.)	FLeure
2.)	irlite (get 0)
3.)	prac-f
4.)	jatevee C
5.)	T ess xi
6.)	vekoS
7.)	Flep
8.)	tuinorizn
9.)	bladelores
10.)	1 1 is
11.)	nodezsh
12.)	runrepik
13.)	spl9
14.)	cloudline
15.)	deco Loc
16.)	recks on
17.)	YJY UX

Album Review: Pissed Jeans – Honeys

by Peter Foy

Similar Artists: Fucked Up, Black Flag, The Melvins

Genre: Hardcore Punk/ Noise Rock

Label: Sub Pop

One of the things I really like about today’s hardcore punk scene is that it’s relatively easy to classify the best acts. For example: Titus Andronicus is the most ambitious, Cloud Nothings are the catchiest, and The Men are the most evolving. So, what title should I bestow on the Allentown, Pennsylvania quartet Pissed Jeans? Hmmmmm, the kookiest?

Well, when your band’s name is Pissed Jeans you aren’t exactly asking people to take yourself too seriously, and these guys are certainly more affably silly than any of their contemporaries, even Japandroids. Completely a punk band musically, as their sounds can be as droning as the Melvins, or as in-your-face as Black Flag, but their subject matter comes off as completely oddball. They mostly stay away from discussing left wing politics, or even too much about sex, drugs and violence. Instead the band is more interested with…mundane life. With songs about seeing movies (R-Rated Movie), envisioning imaginary worlds (Fantasy World), or middle-aged hair loss (Goodbye (Hair)), it might not even be accurate to call them kooky. Pissed Jeans are possibly the nerdiest, funniest and most relatable punk band to come out since The Descendents.

For the band’s third release through label sub-pop, Honeys, the band certainly isn’t going in a drastically different direction. The album tracks alternate between being kinetic and sludgy, and frontman Matt Korvette is still talking about the daily woes of working-class America, with subjects that range from health care to prolonged adolescence. They don’t have any tracks north of five minutes here though, and avoid epic mind fucks like The Jogger or Scrapbooking, but more importantly the band sounds tighter than ever. There’s a more evident layer of polish, but it’s still the same brand of hardcore we’ve heard from these guys before.

Honeys gets off to a rousing start with Bathroom Laughter, a really shredding track with an overt sense of fun, despite lyrics like “You’re in the kitchen crying”. The next track though, Chain Worker, is in direct contrast to Bathroom Laughter, momentum wise though, which makes use of droning guitar effects as Korvette recites a tale of an office worker who is about to lose it. The album continues in this pattern over the next 10 tracks (one an interlude), perhaps climaxing with the wonderful song called Cafeteria Food. Anyone who has been forced to eat shitty food at their workplace/education will get a real kick out of this one, as the lyrics are honest, funny and scathing all at once. It’s also possibly the most varied song the group has made to date, as the track seamlessly blends the band’s slow-and-fast sensibilites, which perfectly contemplate Korvette’s altered vocals. I honestly could see them putting out a whole album of tracks like Cafeteria Food in a year or two.

Honeys is a more than solid release, from a energetic punk band that shows no signs of slowing down. Pissed Jeans is a band that forgoes cries of revolution not because they aren’t as intellectual as other punk bands, but rather because they’re mature enough to realize that saying “fuck you” to the man isn’t gonna keep you from paying taxes. This is great music to listen to at a particularly hard day at the office, as it will remind you that plenty of people understand your everyday struggle…and make awesome music about it.

Track Listing

“Bathroom Laughter”*
“Chain Worker”*
“Romanticize Me”
“Vain in Costume”
“You’re Different (In Person)”
“Cafeteria Food”*
“Something About Mrs. Johnson”
“Male Gaze”
“Cathouse”
“Loubs”
“Health Plan”
“Teenage Adult”*

*-Album Highlight

DJ Tristan Jaxx- Taking San Fran and the world by storm

by Ryan Shea

DJ Tristan Jaxx is a man of many hats as you might say. The uber-talented and handsome DJ residing in San Fransisco has developed quite a name for himself in the SOMA area amongst others as well. Recently named one of the top ten DJ’s to watch, he is taking 2013 by storm by working at some of the biggest events of the year including Folsom and so much more. He recently took time to sit and talk with me about his professional experiences and where he sees himself going in the future. Take a look. [Read more…] about DJ Tristan Jaxx- Taking San Fran and the world by storm

Album Review: Atoms For Peace – AMOK

by Rio Toro

Similar Artists: Radiohead, Thom Yorke

Genre: Experimental Techno

Label: XL

Ever since Kid A, Thom Yorke has been obsessed with electronic takeover in music. This guy is a true EDM aficionado, and he has been leaning in the direction of going full on techno in different ways through his career. Through his many reincarnations, what has always kept us intrigued is the fact that Thom’s music sounds little-to-nothing like the artists he states as his inspiration. During the Kid A period, his main influences were Warp Records’ flagship acts Aphex Twin and Autechre, but in all seriousness, if his goal was to sound like either of those acts I would have to say he failed. Nowadays, he hangs out with state-of-the-art producers such as Flying Lotus and Four Tet, and although Thom seems to think he is making music of a similar vein, this new release won’t remind you of those artists in the slightest.

This is an artist whose work truly exists beyond influence. Analyzing why an artist is original can drive a critic mad, but I have always felt Thom’s uniqueness is spurred by a factor outside of his wild imagination and occasional mental instability. After years of being Radiohead’s biggest fan, I have become convinced that Thom has a skewed perception of reality that causes the waves and frequencies of music to reach him on an entirely different level. Everyone hears music in a slightly tweaked fashion; but quite simply, Thom must hear music in a much different way than everyone else. This may be the most apparent when he is describing his own music, in which he seems to think is straight up pop rather than anything alternative. I attribute this skewed perception to the cause of his self-image issues in the past, as well as the reason why it can take the band 4+ years to release new material. I’ve gotten a tad bit off topic, but regardless of whatever crises have affected Thom in the past, his love affair with abstract techno has finally come full circle, and he sounds as confident in his surroundings as he ever has been.

It is truly a wonder how the members of Radiohead haven’t cracked under pressure and disbanded countless times by now. Due to the band constantly topping and reinventing themselves for 20 years, each release is marked by exceptionally high expectations. People don’t just want a new Radiohead release to be good, they want it to be their best yet. This makes it easy to understand why Thom would need to occasionally distance himself from his longtime band mates. Being overly serious in the music making process can lead to disastrous effect, so it seems healthy that Thom takes a load off by involving himself in solo/side projects every now and then. Unfortunately for him though, people seem to set the same ridiculously high expectations in whatever environment Thom is in.

Although he has joined with some friends for the making of this album, “Amok” should be seen as “The Eraser pt. 2”. The band name is borrowed from that album, but it certainly isn’t the only thing. There are some borrowed chord sequences which might prompt a passerby to believe he was listening to an Eraser remix album instead of an entirely new set of songs. Similarly, before uniting to become “Atoms for Peace”, the other 4 musicians who took their part in this album, (Joey Waronker, Flea, Mauro Refosco and the indispensible Nigel Godrich) were called forth to create live renditions of tracks from “The Eraser”. Needless to say, this album was birthed into being through the conception of full band arrangements based on “Eraser” compositions. It’s a continuation upon that style for sure, but the expansion in terms of depth and integrity are absolutely appreciated.

Although Amok isn’t a complete reinvention of style from Thom’s previous solo outing, that doesn’t mean there aren’t differences between the two albums. In some ways, Amok is the least Radiohead sounding project Thom has worked on. Gone are what one might call “Radiohead moments”. An example of one of these moments would be the last two minutes of “All I Need” or “Karma Police” where the song branches off unexpectedly and we are greeted to an entirely new musical style. Even The Eraser had moments such as this; albeit on a smaller scale. There are no major chord/tempo changes mid song to claw at you for attention, so those of you who only listen to Radiohead for these sections will not find much enjoyment here (you will probably enjoy Coldplay a whole lot more anyway).

These tracks are indebted to experimental techno as they revolve around key chords that rotate and mesh for the entirety of the song. The highlights are always in the subtleties, so the album will certainly leave a few dry on the first listen or so. Originally, I was even hesitant to call these pieces “songs” due to a meandering flatness that was permeating them, but after some time, they rise off of their surface to form into full bodied compositions. Despite me labeling this as a solo album, each member’s role is audible. While some have complained that this album fails to make use of its musician’s true talents, the music never would have worked with Flea’s slap-tastic bass lines covering the atmospherics. We are seeing a different side to these musicians, and it is what prevents Atoms for Peace from falling into common “supergroup” clichés.

Amok was recorded in a mere 3 day session; Thom and Nigel spent the remaining countless hours analyzing the material and organizing it into compact pieces. Seen as one of the best living producers, this album’s production is certainly befitting to Nigel’s name. Listening to this on a pair of good headphones is an experience not to be missed. Hearing the splices of vocal samples layered between muted bass, gorgeous keyboards and the tinkering of meticulous drum programming is awe-inspiring and calls me back time and time again. Oh yeah, and in case I didn’t mention it, Thom’s voice is excellent here as well. The King of Limbs saw him going down a more challenging, yet assured path with his vocal delivery, and here he travels down a similar trajectory. So this is a good, often great album, but those looking for the same pleasures that a Radiohead album holds will be disappointed, but like I said earlier, maybe those weren’t true fans to begin with…

Track Listing:

1.) Before Your Very Eyes…

2.) Default*

3.) Ingenue*

4.) Dropped

5.) Unless

6.) Stuck Together Pieces

7.) Judge Jury & Executioner*

8.) Reverse Running*

9.) Amok

* – Album Highlight

Absoloot- “Rebels and a Cause”. Listen and be wowed.

by Ryan Shea

Credit to: King Gilling

I have had the great fortune of interviewing and getting to know Florida-based Absoloot in the past couple of months. Something that he does brilliantly is express his music and point of view in a positive manner and doesn’t use curse words in them at all. The only other rapper that comes to mind that does this is Will Smith, and comparing those two is apples and oranges to its fullest. Will was cheesy, Absoloot is the future. He is proof that you can get your point across without having to resort to “street jargon” and words that really come across as crass and wrong. To each his own, but what he does should be more prevalent.

Now Loot has released a new track for 2013 called “Under The Influence” with a truly amazing video to go along with it. Unlike previous records by Absoloot, this one has more of an edgier, raw sound to it. The cinematography in the video is truly a sight to be seen and in my opinion should be considered for a VMA and Grammy in the upcoming year (here is to hoping). Ultimately the way I view the song is stay away from influences that can lead you astray, something that has been a growing problem for years. Whatever the influence is you can find a way to be strong and motivate yourself to find better resources for your life, and that is what he is trying to do with this track.

When I talked with Loot a couple of weeks ago, he pretty much had the same description of the song. “The Rebel movement is more gritty and underground with an NWA type of feel with it. I usually come in with a more clean vibe to things but with this track I wanted to market it to a more diverse underground audience. This movement talks about causes and criticizes some of the negative things that are going on and turn them into a positive, something that I am all about”.

Someone that was a key part of this record was the darker side of it, AS I AM Records one and only Emaculant. “We needed someone like Emaculant on this to add fire to this amazing movement. He was an integral part of this procedure and I am glad that he was apart of it”.

Loot also mentioned what has been going on since we talked back in late 2012- “Everything has been amazing, I am still working with the charity Men 2 Boys, got a ton of performance dates coming up and even working on a comic book series and soundtrack work for the movie “From Heaven To Hell”.

What’s the bottom line for this song? Loot puts it simply- “For people to wake up. That;s the message. It’s just about the lyrics and music and focus on that, we want you to really understand what we are saying and keep it on the positive”.

He gives a big shoutout to Robert Blakely for making the video (hopefully nets you Best Director next year bud) and also wants his audience to know he is working with a site called Defenseoutletstore.com to help promote non lethal self defense weapons. He says- “We want to make sure we give people an alternative to resorting to deadly force.”. Another step in the right direction for Loot and his tireless efforts of being focused on making a better community.

Check out the video here and leave comments on what you think!

Album Review Jamie Lidell – (Self Titled)

by Rio Toro

Jamie Lidell: Jamie Lidell

Similar Artists: Cee-Lo, Otis Redding, Marvin Gaye

Genre: EDM, Neo-Soul, R&B

Label: Warp

For a white guy, Jamie Lidell has an immaculate and beautifully soulful voice, so it is interesting that despite its prevalence throughout his work, it has never been what has made his music great. Although he probably likes to see himself as a relevant artist in contemporary r&b, in reality he has received little crossover success beyond electronic circles. Although his voice has been a nice enough addition, it is the production that has always shined. As a radio friendly self titled album, this seems to be Jamie’s final push in an attempt to be seen as more than a very talented electronic producer.

I will get to the results of this rebirth soon, but first a quick overview. Jamie Lidell creates glimmering and intelligent EDM that captures the essence of the 70’s and early 80’s while employing updated technology. He is a stellar producer who has recently reached veteran status in the field. In the late 1990’s to early 2000’s he earned recognition as one half of experimental techno unit “Super-Collider” and subsequently began releasing solo material for Warp Records. His best albums under his birth name (most notably “Multiply” and “Compass”), have a sense of radical adventurousness associated with them and are gems within their niche.

Sadly, here Lidell trades in much of his unorthodox trademarks for near pastiche. Each song becomes somewhat of a “name-the-influence” game, and despite the greatness of these influences (Prince, D’Angelo, Marvin Gaye), the results are far inferior to their parents. It certainly isn’t a bad thing that this is a radio friendly “pop” album – you would think Jamie would be the kind of producer who could break into the top 40 without having to sell out – but the songs are hindered by vocals that are either too emotional or not emotional enough…I often can’t tell which.

Toro Y Moi’s “Anything In Return” was similarly geared towards larger scale success, but on that album, Chaz Bundwick added his own distinctiveness to pop-radio to create a fresh (if not entirely original) sound. This is much more effortless in comparison, and is disappointing concerning how talented we know the artist to be. Even worse though, is that this album isn’t even enjoyable to listen to. There is clearly an element of enthusiasm lacking here, so it is a wonder if Jamie even had fun making it.

A few months ago, when first single “What a Shame” was released, it garnered critical acclaim and Jamie received a popularity boost to boot. This track stands as a template for what much of the remainder of the album attempts – action packed, 3-4 minute pop jams with big choruses – and it is all equally well produced. While “What a Shame” stood as a somewhat exciting lead single, just like the rest of the album, it fails to hold its own after multiple plays. So much pop music has taken the route of production over style and grace, and this falls into a similarly dark pothole.

I could go on to write about more songs, and their individual characteristics within the album, but the thing is, these songs don’t really inspire much in the way of words. Over the last few years, with artists such as “How to Dress Well”, “Frank Ocean”, “Autre Ne Veut”, and even “The xx”, R&B has been awakening from an incubation period. For a moment, it seemed that Jamie would be one of the leading contributors in this exciting evolution. I’m sad to say that this rebirth doesn’t warrant him a spot alongside these artists; how could it if it doesn’t even cause us to turn our heads? 🙁

Track Listing:

1.) I’m Selfish*

2. ) Big Love

3.) What A Shame*

4.) Do Yourself a Faver

5.) You Naked

6.) Why_Ya_Why

7.) Blaming Something*

8.) You Know My Name

9.) So Cold

10.) Don’t You Love Me?

11.) Track 11*

MUSIC

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