Eclectic Vibes

Dub Trio - Another Sound Is Dying

Swirling metal, reggae, dub, jazz and a sphincter load of talent together with unscrupulous sounds in an elevator shaft of musical potential that also swings the fulcrum of nefarious fanaticism to produce outlandish yet cohesive results in a Melvins kinda way.

HR (of Bad Brains) - Hey Wella

This legendary and highly influential Bad Brains vocalist and front man extends his lengthy career (starting in 1978!) with another solo offering, utilizing their time tested signature juxtaposition of hardcore punk and reggae, with hip hop inflections. A slick and well produced release, yet I am under-whelmed.

Repo! The Genetic Opera (Soundtrack) - Repo! The Genetic Opera

The plotline may revolve around repossessing body organs in a not too distant future, but with an amazing all-star lineup including Sarah Brightman, Ogre, Alexa Vega, Paul Sorvino and Clown from Slipknot in leading rolls, this musical squeals of greatness and immediate cult status.

Street Sweeper Social Club - Street Sweeper Social Club

Visionary guitarist Tom Morello has successfully joined forces with Boots Riley in an effort quite reminiscent of Rage Against The Machine, but not quite as whiney. Heavy grooves with even heavier breakdowns propel the anthems and agendas announced by the witty hip hoppin’ lyrics.

Jahdan Blakkamoore - Buzzrock Warrior

A raw, innovative and intense blending of dancehall, roots, R&B, cumbia, hip hop and dub from this Guyana born but Brooklyn raised musical warrior. Teamed with fellow Dutty Artz members Matt Shadetek and DJ /rupture this release strikes hardest when Blakkamoore’s intense and diverse lyrics are melded to mighty dub and dancehall DJ beats.

Blockhead - Bells and Whistles

Snatching snippets across time and genre, Blockhead provides a fine blend of vintage ambiance crossed with contemporary electronica. Surges of warped melodies find home amid the morphed mantras, jazzy infections and serene soundscapes.

Griz - Good Will Prevail

I hope you were expecting another bombastic trend setting release of saxophone driven electro funk from GRIZ, cause that’s what he’s spun up for you! Blasting bass and digital wizardry are cornerstones of his 13 track fourth LP, along with a smart smattering of great contributors. Be the love, share the love, and good WILL prevail!

DubFX - Thinking Clear

Melbourne born street performer, beat boxer and looping artist extraordinaire Dub FX (aka Ben Stanford) gives us a potent and powerful dose of his unique artistry with Thinking Clear, which shows off his soulful lyrical exploration of social, political and spiritual subjects while injecting the additional live instrumentation of a bass player, pianist, percussionist and a 3 piece horn section to his groovy vibes. Recorded in his own Treetop Studios and offered on his Convoy Unltd label, this release builds on his grassroots busking success that propelled him into selling over 200,000 records and receiving 100 million and counting YouTube views after performing in 40 different countries and at numerous festivals. Bravo!

Twenty One Pilots - Trench

Bands with 2 billion+ hit videos are hard to ignore. That being said, this groups bizarre yet amazingly attractive conflagration of alt rock, hip hop, metal, and singer songwriter swings are often as confounding as they are comforting. But it works! Trench definitely captures their signature sound and approach, but simply isn’t quite as high strung as prior releases. It is still lyrically provoking though and offers a bunch of great songs and potential mega hits.

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