Eclectic Vibes
by Andrew Frey
Luisa Maita - Lero-Lero
Luisa MaitaLero-Lero
Label: Cumbancha
Singing in Portuguese, this sultry songstress who was born from a family of musicians in Sao Paulo and is a rising star in the Brazilian music scene, delivers a sleek samba swing injected with downtempo electronica and pop sensations.
• Luisa Maita Website • Luisa Maita FacebookPierre De Gaillande - Bad Reputation
Pierre De GaillandeBad Reputation
Label: Barbes
Georges Brassens was sort of a French Bob Dylan type dark pop bardic icon. Here his music and poetry is evoked, channeled and translated into English via De Gaillande’s tantalizing obsession with the silver tongued poet and musician. The simple rhythms were maintained as original as possible while being fitted for English. Thought provoking, memorable and disturbingly charming.
• Pierre De Gaillande WebsiteBottegasonora - Disco Naif
BottegasonoraDisco Naif
Label: Bottegasonora
Warbling ranty vocals are accompanied by quirky simplistic synthesized rhythms from this Italian musician. Lyrics are formed into pop format so the accented choruses are repeated often, but this is then countered by a curious and bewildering cabaret atmosphere. Fans of kitchy throwback electro music inspired by the late 70’s will find that this will hit the spot.
• Bottegasonora Website • Bottegasonora FacebookJanaka Selekta - Pushing Air
Janaka SelektaPushing Air
Label: Chaiwalla's Boombox
Prepare for an exotic and lush musical journey as diverse as the road taken by the musician himself. Born in Sri Lanka, raised in the United Kingdom and Kuwait, he now resides in the Bay Area. Over the past 10 years he has been formulating dreamy Indian and Middle Eastern electronica that melts from genre to genre, showing more depth and wonder with each song.
• Janaka Selekta Website • Janaka Selekta Facebook • Janaka Selekta WikiChico Trujillo - Chico de Oro
Chico TrujilloChico de Oro
Label: Barbes Records
I received this CD after I saw their kickin’ set at the Marquette Waterfront Festival earlier this summer and had to spread the word. This release does what it can to relay the exuberance, depth, and passion of their live performance. Their feisty splashy Cumbia explores the boundaries of this encompassing Pan-Latin genre in so many wonderful ways.
• Chico Trujillo Website • Chico Trujillo WikiKlavar - Dark and Dirty Bastard Beats
KlavarDark and Dirty Bastard Beats
Label: Klavar Recordings
This is a duo from England that has spent the last 10 years working towards their debut release. They have crafted a quirky techno journey reveling in the nooks and crannies. They are exploring a wide variety of input, output, samples, and styles all aimed at helping the party to thrive.
• Klavar Website • Klavar FacebookMike Kukin - Obsessed with Black
Mike KukinObsessed with Black
Label: Headway Music
This album includes terse and formidable electronic music from an artist based out of Moscow, Russia. Featuring a number of guest artists, including Gisu, Lady N and Eva Kade, he takes us on wild rides through the full spectrum techno realms of break beat and drum ‘n bass.
Mohammed Alidu and The Bizung Family - Land of Fire
Mohammed Alidu and The Bizung FamilyLand of Fire
Label: Black Eye Watching
Rich, Afro-pop rhythms are woven with proverbs and ancient history by this master drummer and his fellow Bizungs (hereditary talking drum masters of Northern Ghana). The sublime rhythms are bolstered on some songs with funky rock interjections and other contemporary craftwork.
• Mohammed Alidu and The Bizung Family Website • Mohammed Alidu and The Bizung Family FacebookChico Mann - Analog Drift
Chico MannAnalog Drift
Label: Wax Poetics Records
Except for the effervescent cover of Talking Heads ‘Once in a Lifetime,’ Analog Drift was composed and played entirely by Marcos Garcia who IS Chico Mann. As a member of Anatibala Afrobeat Orchestra he traveled the world and learned all about Afro-Cuban funk which he expertly employs here along with other well chosen influences.
• Chico Mann Website • Chico Mann FacebookKing Sunny Ade - Baba Mo Tunde
King Sunny AdeBaba Mo Tunde
Label: Mesa/Bluemoon Recordings
I’ve been a fan of this Nigerian native Afro-pop mega legend for quite some time so I was delighted to hear about his first studio album in over 10 years. The second of this twin disc release blasts off with the 31 min title track and if you make it through that on your feet, you might as well call in sick for the week cause you will be shaking and dancing all day and night to these incredible and inviting masterpieces.
• King Sunny Ade Facebook • King Sunny Ade WikiHuun Huur Tu - Ancestors Call
Huun Huur TuAncestors Call
Label: World Village
The 4 man Tuvan supergroup has rounded up another herd of musical exports filled with their amazing throat singing whistles, warbles, drones, hums, groans, and other quirks. Mesmerizing traditional shepherd songs are contemporized and cultivated but manage to retain their distinct cultural colors and vibrancy.
• Huun Huur Tu Website • Huun Huur Tu WikiTitans Eve - The Divine Equal
Titans EveThe Divine Equal
Label:
I love thrash metal as much as anyone, but this throwback thrash quartet brings back all the things I don’t love about the music. Starting with the poor cover art, it continues with the cheesy logo and predictable song names. This group has cookie cutter repeat written all over them. I’m sure they worked hard on this, but to no avail, as I have seen and heard this hundreds and hundreds of times before.
• Titans Eve Facebook • Titans Eve WikiView More
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