Water running down the drain backwards isn't necessarily a satanic omen, you could just be in the land of Muscles--the wacky Southern hemisphere where strange animals abound and gospel meets techno. Melbourne artist Muscles delights in fusing neo-soul-inspired techno with an eccentric taste for dance music.
No one knew what would become of Panic after the tragic loss of guitarist Michael Houser in 2002, but the seminal Georgia jam act continues to offer excellent new material. "Free Somehow" showcases their classic mix of grizzled vocals, Southern rock grit, and jammy extrapolations.
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Jason Collett seems to do no wrong. Not only is he a member of one of the breakout indie bands of 2004, Broken Social Scene, he also holds his own in the acoustic singer-songwriter camp, producing a fine collection of intimate, desolate acoustic songs. Some musicians make it seem so ...
The Los Angeles hip-hop pioneers embody what every great hip-hop group should consist of: skilled lyricists, dope production, and a DJ with skills to match. Emcee Rakaa Iriscience and emcee/producer Evidence hold it down on the mic, while DJ Babu of the World Famous Beat Junkies not only provides ...
What WAW lack in originality--another lupine name, another Gang of Four sound--they make up for in execution. Post-punk's polyrhythmic slams and torqued guitars sound fresh again (and again) in the trio's abuzz production, blues-driven songwriting, and sheer belief in the cause.
The British singer-songwriter rocketed to stardom in the late '90s with a husky-voiced folk-pop that sounded both sensitive-guy sweet and intriguingly hardbitten. That mix has spawned many lesser imitators--think James Blunt--but this greatest hits set reminds that the inventor still does it best.
Everyone's favorite sightless Southerners continue their remarkable late-career run with "Down in New Orleans," a record that comes by NoLa love (a common theme these days) honestly and authentically. Helped by Allen Toussaint and local luminaries, the guys offer ideally seasoned gospel harmonies.
This San Francisco native distills many of his city's eclectic musical styles into one inimitable brew. Latin melodies mingle with shifty electro-beats, a busker's spirit meets a mixmaster's tools, and the improv spirit of jazz gets funneled through an R&B/folk voicebox.
On second disc "Our Ill Wills," the Swedish crew proves it's lost none of the raw indie spirit that made 2005's "Howl Howl Gaff Gaff" sparkle. The record plays like a frenzied coda to '60s jangle-pop and '70s smile-rock, with string-popping guitars, glissy strings, and wounded vocals.
Ben Mullins' new project might be a vision of bedroom pop's future. Built of choppy drum loops and shiny synth leads, it nonetheless feels soulful in spirit, showing how, with the right melodies and mixing, a "sterile" vocabulary can make music that's far from it.