Alongside Anthony David, India.Arie sounds magnificent on the duet “Words,” here on David’s sophomore outing. But it’s David’s soulful guitar strumming, and his dusky, woodsy, R&B-inflected voice that prove to be the album’s most striking features. Aside from up production on tasteful beats and proving his place as modern troubadour with penetrating lyrics, David’s fervent slides on “Smoke One,” and the funky “Sho Nuff” will make The Red Clay Chronicles as memorable as works by Donny Hathaway and Bill Withers, while “Everything Is Everything” has that intimate, lean-on-him sort of soul.
Novalima Afro
Using slave songs and the cajon-a wooden box drum originally made from shipping crates-as a foundation for this eloquent, minimal-electronic project, four producers explore the antique folk sounds of Peru. Connecting Africa and South America sonically and socially, this outfit catalogs bits of local lore, adding synthesizers, congas, and excellent vocal sections. Swinging between the vivid (the jazzy, downtempo “Chinchivi”) and the club-ready (the trucking “Candela”), and extending the community work of singers like Susana Baca into futuristic forays, Afro is at once artifact and testament and, more poignantly, a simply beautiful record.
Richard Dorfmeister Vs. Madrid De Los Austrias Grand Slam
Compiling years of collaborations between beatsmith Richard Dorfmeister and MDLA’s Pogo and Heinz, Grand Slam features some tasty remixes and originals centered around a very summery theme: tennis. Forging bouncing bass and uplifting synths and vocals into solid house grooves, this production team churns out club-ready anthems. Their high-paced tweaking of Zero 7’s gorgeous “In the Waiting Line” is a certain floor-smasher, and their tempering of Groove Armada, Koop, and Willie Bobo’s sing-along “Spanish Grease” makes this a collection well worth seeking out. But the original sunny-day cut, “Boogie No More,” is reason enough.
Bole 2 Harlem Bole 2 Harlem Vol. 1
Giving a futuristic nod to classic Ethiopian jazz and funk, B2H producer David Schommer stepped into the studio with a clear vision. With the help of vocalists Maki Siraj and Tigist Shibabaw, and his own incredibly clean programming abilities, he created one of the most fascinating takes on modern Ethiopian music this side of Bill Laswell. Hip-hop and soul vocal hooks are scattered throughout, but the overall effect is a caravan of nomadic spirits banging on heavy percussion, penetrative bass loops, and catchy harmonies. When the horns come blaring in, the anthemic battle cry is complete.
Hidden Cameras Awoo
Hallelujah! Or should I say, holy fuck! If there’s anything to know about Toronto’s premier homosexual folk-pop chorale, it’s that either phrase can apply. Principal songwriter Joel Gibb and his troupe-up to 16 members outfitted with guitars, violins, glockenspiel, drum machines, church bells, and organ-make an orchestral racket that’s formulaic while completely subverting formula. Not every song on Awoo will make you whoop, but the tender conviction of “Follow These Eyes” and the reaffirming gospel of “Death of a Tune” will make you want to join the chorus.
Luomo Paper Tigers
Vladislav Delay might have chosen a better name for his highly anticipated third LP, but either way the result isn’t as ferociously beautiful as his previous body of work. Tough-customer fans spoiled by the aquatic shimmer of his micro-tech artistry will be disappointed with this record’s glacial momentum. Like Vocalcity and The Present Lover chopped, screwed, and suspended in space, nothing here sounds vital, though “Really Don’t Mind” might in the club. Vocalist Johanna Iivanainen is more disembodied than ever, and any lyrical resonance is buried within Delay’s programming. He remains a master sound architect, so here’s hoping Paper Tigers is a blueprint for what’s next.
The Rapture Pieces Of The People We Love
Ever since The Rapture exploded onto the scene with “House of Jealous Lovers,” people have been wondering whether they could up the ante, or at least maintain their momentum from the Echoes LP. The answer to the hype? Extend-and develop-their dance formula even further. The band seems to have learned from their time spent with former producers The DFA; cowbells, 4/4 beats, and disco basslines abound. But the ultra-trendy production (by Ewan Pearson, Paul Epworth, and Danger Mouse), though facile and ear-pleasing, seems to lack some of the coherence and depth of their previous outing. This is not to say that the album is without highlights-“Whoo!” and “Get Myself” should work the floor as hard as “House” ever did-but it lacks the angst of “Olio” or the angularity of “Mirrors.” Pieces won’t alienate anybody; it may even win over a few new fans. It’s precisely the right move-safe, fun, and unchallenging.
Various Artists Eccentric Soul: Mighty Mike Lenaburg
Think of soul and you think of certain cities: Detroit, Chicago, Memphis. For a stretch of the late ’60s and early ’70s, “Mighty” Mike Lenaburg, producer, promoter, and DJ, did his best to put Phoenix, AZ on the soul map with a run of one-off labels, bands, and records that documented the fringes of soul’s evolution from R&B to heavy funk. Eccentric Soul is Lenaburg’s legacy, starting with the doo wop-influenced R&B of the Soul Blenders and peaking with Ronnie Whitehead’s drop-dead James Brown impressions. Phoenix never flew as a soul town, but it didn’t melt in the sun either.
Code E Algorithm Method
Born in Tokyo, this unique groove practitioner not only lends his focus in the music studio but also in the production of multimedia videogame platforms. Using his discernable knack for technological advancement, Code E’s Algorithm Method features the work of a well-versed synth player performing a symphony of powerful, progressive tech-house bliss. Finding a finite balance between dub, disco, techno, and electro, this innovative technician cleanly mixes subtle melodies with distant harmonies. Not quite hard enough for a packed, peak-hour club, but perfect for that late night scenic drive to the afterhours.
Various Artists ESL Remixed: The 100th Release Of ESL Music
During DC’s steamy 1995 summer, Eric Hilton and Rob Garza (a.k.a. Thievery Corporation) took the bumpin’ Eighteenth Street Lounge and went label. An adoration of bossa nova, acid jazz, and breakbeat bred a roster that would include Nicola Conte, Ursula 1000, Thunderball, Federico Aubele, Sofa Surfers, Chris Joss, and Blue States. ESL’s 100th release grooves with powerhouse guest remixers spicing up the imprint’s heavy hitters. Nickodemus (who just joined ESL), Boca 45, Beatfanatic, Bombay Dub Orchestra, and Medeski Martin & Wood (among others) do the redux with heapin’ helpings of bass, breaks, and funkification, and a lovely glaze of deep house.
