Eclectic Vibes

by Andrew Frey

Reviews From: International
Gamma Ray - To The Metal!

Gamma Ray - To The Metal!

Gamma Ray
To The Metal!
Label: Earmusic

Seeking to bridge the gap between past and present, these classic German speed metal minstrels deliver their 10th studio album in 21 years. Although the album manages to occasionally get me in the groove and will certainly please their fans, it simply doesn’t express anything that I haven’t heard numerous times before.

Gamma Ray WebsiteGamma Ray FacebookGamma Ray Wiki

Carmen Souza - Protegid

Carmen Souza - Protegid

Carmen Souza
Protegid
Label: Galileo Music

Curiously comfortable musical flirtations conjoining the surprising influences of West Africa’s Cape Verde with contemporary vigor and vision. The lyrics may be in Creole but her dextrous vocals dance with effortless accompaniment to the jazzy rhythms spiced with Arabic, Polish, Euro and African injections.

Carmen Souza Facebook

Luisa Maita - Lero-Lero

Luisa Maita - Lero-Lero

Luisa Maita
Lero-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 WebsiteLuisa Maita Facebook

Pierre De Gaillande - Bad Reputation

Pierre De Gaillande - Bad Reputation

Pierre De Gaillande
Bad 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 Website

Bottegasonora - Disco Naif

Bottegasonora - Disco Naif

Bottegasonora
Disco 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 WebsiteBottegasonora Facebook

Janaka Selekta - Pushing Air

Janaka Selekta - Pushing Air

Janaka Selekta
Pushing 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 WebsiteJanaka Selekta FacebookJanaka Selekta Wiki

Chico Trujillo - Chico de Oro

Chico Trujillo - Chico de Oro

Chico Trujillo
Chico 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 WebsiteChico Trujillo Wiki

Klavar - Dark and Dirty Bastard Beats

Klavar - Dark and Dirty Bastard Beats

Klavar
Dark 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 WebsiteKlavar Facebook

Mike Kukin - Obsessed with Black

Mike Kukin - Obsessed with Black

Mike Kukin
Obsessed 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 Family - Land of Fire

Mohammed Alidu and The Bizung Family
Land 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 WebsiteMohammed Alidu and The Bizung Family Facebook

Chico Mann - Analog Drift

Chico Mann - Analog Drift

Chico Mann
Analog 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 WebsiteChico Mann Facebook

King Sunny Ade - Baba Mo Tunde

King Sunny Ade - Baba Mo Tunde

King Sunny Ade
Baba 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 FacebookKing Sunny Ade Wiki

View More

Viewing Page 9 - of 12

‹ First  < 7 8 9 10 11 >  Last ›