Review: Breakbot 'By Your Side'

BREAKBOT
By Your Side
[Ed Banger/Warners]

The front cover of By Your Side depicts Breakbot aka French producer Thibaut Berland as a partially unwrapped bar of chocolate, and his debut album crammed full of French funk, pop and sugary soul certainly falls into the "guilty pleasure" category. Sounding at times like Daft Punk or Crazy P or Phoenix or even Prince - though, admittedly, a slimmed down, low-fat kinda version - the album is enjoyable enough, it's just that almost every song sounds "like" somebody else. The title track sounds like Chromeo. One Out Of Two sounds like Hall & Oates or Supertramp. Fantasy sounds like Justin Timberlake doing his best Michael Jackson impression. Frankly, anything that guest vocalist Ruckazoid touches sounds like that, but perhaps that's part of the album's sweet treat charms: familiarity. Or at least enough familiarity to keep ears piqued, as there are a handful of tracks (Break Of Dawn, Intersection, Programme) which stray a little further into "interesting" territory - though these are all instrumental tracks, funnily enough. Programme is probably the most left field, which possibly says something about which area of the road this album is targetting. There are a couple of singles which have been fairly thrashed round these parts (Baby I'm Yours in particular), but the long and short is that Breakbot's debut album is chocka with music that's here for a good time, not a long time. Mind you, who can resist dipping back into a guilty pleasure now and again...?

3 stars from 5

Check out some album snippets in the player below, or the full album here.

breakbot - by your side (album preview) by experimedia

Review: Kylie Auldist 'Still Life'

KYLIE AULDIST
Still Life
[Tru Thoughts]

This kind of soulful pop music is often deried as "cafe lite". As in, it initially sounds sweet and entertaining, but upon closer inpspection ends up sickly saccharine, or lamely boring. In truth, it's an exceptional artist who can pull off this sound consistently, as it is a fine line to tread. Luckily for us, the close collaboration of vocalist Kylie Auldist and producer Lance Ferguson is more than capable of such consistency. They've been quietly building an impressive body of work via no less than five Bamboos albums, and now Auldist's third solo record. Still Life continues in the vein of her early work, with heartfelt and emotive tales of life, love and loss, backed by full-bodied instrumentation and production. Ferguson has always had a way with a clever pop song, but some of these tracks, particularly the huge Daydream, sound like stadium anthems to rival Duffy and Adele. Balancing that are tracks like Letterhead Life, which references '50s doo-wop and soul ballads, and (a cover of The Black Keys' track) Howlin' For You, which channels John Lee Hooker via Prince Jammy. Auldist and Ferguson are music lovers with life experience, and they write consistently good pop music, with a broad stylistic reach. So it's one of life's cruel ironies that such consistency has probably hindered them from reaching further levels of fame; particularly in this age of one trick pony production line gimmickry masquerading as music. This stuff is proper pop music, and its creators should be celebrated in far greater fashion than they are/ Spread the good word, folks.

3 and 1/2 stars from 5

Check out the track Howlin' For You here, or in the player below...

Kylie Auldist - Howlin' For You by Fuse Group Australia

Review: Kora 'Light Years'

KORA
Light Years
[Kora]

Music is a quite magical thing. One of the few art forms which has the ability to transport the participants to otherworldly places and spaces, music has a transformative quality which has rightly been celebrated throughout the ages, from Count Ossie's Rasta drummers to the whirling dervishes of the Middle East. And in Whakatane, on the East Coast of the North Island of New Zealand. Laughton, Francis, Stuart and Brad Kora, and brother-from-another-mother Dan McGruer, are among those few musicians capable of really moving a listener, and their self-titled debut album from five years back did just that. Hence there's been some pressure on them to prove it wasn't a one-off. So it'd be fair to say that Light Years has been more than merely eagerly awaited. As with all truly good music, the songs take a few listens to properly digest, and with lashings of layered keys and squelchy bass lines, there is a lot to take in. They call it "Alien Funk", which seems appropriate, as many of these tracks have their heads in space, crackling the kind of electric energy Kora have become famous for. There's more hip hop and electronica and less metal than on their debut, but that seems a logical - and welcome - progression for a band still unafraid of breaking out the guitars. Beyond all of that though, this is pop music: a diverse and intoxicating cocktail of future funk and soul science, making for some seriously spaced-out - and really, really good - pop music magic.

 4 stars from 5

Check out the track Dream Life here, or in the player below.

4. Dream Life - Kora by KoraOfficial

Review: The Hot 8 Brass Band 'The Life & Times Of'

THE HOT 8 BRASS BAND
The Life And Times Of
[Tru Thoughts]

Truly funky music speaks to the listener regardless of how polished it is, what genre it is, or when it was recorded. Truly funky music can be painstakingly put together electronica or loose-limbed organic live playing. Despite the good work of the Godfather, it has little to do with "the one", just ask Tony Allen or Sly Dunbar. Hell, even a brass band can be truly, mind-blowingly funky, just take a listen to The Hot 8 Brass Band. Direct from the Second Line streets of New Orleans and breaking out of the city with the most lively and energetic version of Marvin Gaye's classic Sexual Healing these ears have ever encountered, the band's debut album dropped in 2007 on Tru Thoughts. Coming through the horrific experiences of Hurricane Katrina and losing several members of their group (two to street violence) has been taxing for the Hot 8, but they've returned with a brand new album, proving they're no one-trick pony. The Life And Times Of is a trip. A beautifully vibrant and raggedly funky brass band take on soul, funk and hip hop, the record is far from being slickly produced - but the sheer exuberance they've captured among the warts and all is nothing short of infectious. With a clutch of original tunes alongside covers of Basement Jaxx's Bingo Bango and The Specials' Ghost Town, it's clear that while these guys are serious about playing brass instruments, they don't take themselves too seriously. Recommended.

3 and 1/2 stars from 5

Review: David Byrne & St. Vincent 'Love This Giant'

DAVID BYRNE & ST. VINCENT
Love This Giant
[Todo Mundo / 4AD]

I love it when this happens. When the real thing eclipses the hype. When it's not just-as-good-as-it-says-on-the-tin, but better. Because, when does that really ever happen? Here, with hipster godfather David Byrne (that's meant as a compliment, btw) and St. Vincent aka Annie Clark, via an intriguing collaboration released in the form of debut album Love This Giant. I've said it before etc. but often the end result of these kinds of star-crossed musical meetings is less than pleasing. That is not the case here. Love This Giant is a satisfyingly engaging and enlivening listen, almost throughout. While more often (surprisingly) funky, there are times I feel I'm listening to a musical, and it's obvious why: brass. Lots of brass, and saxophones, and tubas, and such. With guests Antibalas and Sharon Jones' backing band The Dap-Kings on board though, and with some exceptional drum programming, it's one of the coolest musicals ever. But it's a David Byrne and St. Vincent record, are we surprised the musical backdrop is so, well, unexpected? Not really. What is a surprise is how well these two work together vocally, trading inter-locking lines and straight duets with Byrne's characteristically plaintive and robust wail seldom dominating St. Vincent's more gentle, ethereal touch. The analogy of the beauty and the beast has been applied by some, and the folk tale reference is apt; Love This Giant suggests Byrne and Clark have stumbled upon some twisted kind of old folk music and breathed new life into it. Wonderful.

4 stars from 5
Check out the song Who, taken from the Love This Giant album, or link to their website here. 

 

Review: Various Artists 'Private Wax'

Various Artists
PRIVATE WAX
Super Rare Boogie & Disco 
[BBE]

This is the kind of compilation which gets nerdy record loving guys of my ilk very hot under the collar indeed. Lovingly put together by a completely obsessed record collector who works in the renowned Reckless Records in London's Berwick Street, Private Wax is an excursion through some of the most excitingly raw and real disco and boogie tracks ever pressed. Not just any old pressings, mind, these fifteen tunes are by genuinely independent artists who had these songs privately pressed to vinyl; an obsessiveness only matched by the fellow who put this collection together. The man we should thank for tracking down (or stumbling upon) this super rare boogie and disco goes by the name Zaf (his Zafsmusic.com website is well worth a look for anyone searching for really, really rare vinyl records), and his taste is immaculate. It's difficult to single out songs from a compilation of such quality as this, but being that I'm writing on a blog, I feel I must: Party Track by Mr Fox takes a ride on a squiggly synth riff which winds its' way through Marvin Gaye's Got To Give It Up via The Gap Band; Chuck Strong frees up a cracking version of the Willie Hutch-penned, Gwen McRae-sung boogie classic Doin' It; and smooth-ass Chicagoans Yohon raise the temperature with Fly With Me, throwing the kitchen sink of disco elements - including laser sounds - at an effortless groove and Jackson 5-alike vocal performance. Flawlessly funky from top to bottom, this set is a sure-fire floor-filler at the most discerning of disco and boogie parties. Next time you're having one of those eparties, make sure you do two things: a) play this, and b) invite me please.

4 stars from 5

For an extra special 45min mix by DJ Chris Read, check this link. I recommend you do.

Review: DJ Vadim 'Don't Be Scared'

DJ VADIM
Don't Be Scared
[BBE]

DJ Vadim is one of those artists who has always managed to skirt around the edges of the mainstream without any apparent interest in engaging with it. He's been playing his trade for almost twenty years, initially via his own label, Jazz Fudge, and then through renowned indies Ninja Tune and now BBE. His new record Don't Be Scared, is something like his seventh solo album, and it sits alongside a raft of other work, including joint efforts - the outstanding One Self and The Electric projects among them - and countless remixes, re-works, collaborations and such. One aspect of his career that is without question is his desire to keep pushing his sound forward, constantly looking to the next thing, the fresh approach, the excitingly new. Don't Be Scared is no different - but that's not to say it all works all of the time. There's an incredible array of influences and styles present here, with bass-heavy dubstep and treacle-thick hip hop beats the main basis; but the overall feeling is that this particular pudding has been considerably over-egged. All is not lost, as there are some great tracks on here - Lost My Love with the oustanding Jazz Bailey on vocals, and Set Them Free, featuring Sabira Jade, being the highlights - but even the "merely" good tracks (I'm Feeling You, Lemon Haze) outstay their welcome and the album quickly loses its charm. While I admire what Vadim is endeavouring to achieve, I'm just not convinced he has nailed this one. Don't Be Scared? Don't be disappointed.

2 & 1/2 stars from 5

Review: Miguel Migs 'Outside The Skyline'

MIGUEL MIGS
Outside The Skyline
[Salted / Om Records]

Miguel Migs is a little like a George Benson figure for the San Francisco deep house music scene. In much the same way that Benson was sometimes derided for his slickly-produced, super-smooth sound, Migs cops plenty from folks who consider themselves authorities on what constitutes proper deep house. Like Benson before him, Migs walks his own path regardless, confounding the critics as he transcends the limitations of the scene he emerged from. Outside The Skyline is Migs' third album, and it follows in the footsteps of his previous works by melding early soul, dub, jazz, reggae, funk and Italo disco with his trademark house sound. Of particular note on this outing is the impressive roll call of guests: Meshell Ndegeocello, Bebel Gilberto, Georg Levin and Aya appear alongside reggae veterans Half Pint, Capleton and Freddie McGregor, and disco legend Evelyn 'Champagne' King. Very good, without being great.

3 stars from 5

Check out sound clips from the album on Miguel Migs' Soundcloud page.

Review: Bohemian Thought 'Magnificent Dyslexic'

BOHEMIAN THOUGHT
Magnificent Dyslexic
[Dharma Records]

Anyone who describes themselves as a "poetic philosopher" makes me a little nervous. Mind you, anyone who uses "Bohemian Thought" as an artist name probably doesn't care a whole lot if he makes me nervous. Conquering nervousness is undoubtedly one of the first steps towards existing on a higher plane of being. Or something. Anyway, it turns out my nervousness is unfounded. Magnificent Dyslexic, the debut album from London-raised, Wellington-based singer and spoken word performer, Bohemian Thought, is a hugely enjoyable record. BT endeavours to channel Gil Scott-Heron and The Last Poets with deep, considered lyrical content - which is in itself a refreshing change for a local record. Seriously funky musical backing ranging from understated beatnik styles through bubbling afrobeat, future funk and soulful reggae comes courtesy of guests Mara TK and Myele Manzanza (Electric Wire Hustle), Lewis McCallum, Isaac Aesili and many others - including producer Brofessional. An accomplished debut.

3 and 1/2 stars from 5

Review: Arthur's Landing 'Arthur's Landing'

ARTHUR'S LANDING
Arthur's Landing
[Strut]

Arhur Russell was a key figure in the downtown New York music scene of the late '70s/early '80s, who tragically passed in 1992 aged just 40. His diverse tastes saw him mix reflective acoustic work ('World Of Echo'), disco (Loose Joints, Dinosaur L), experimental pop (The Sailboats) and modern classical ('Singing Tractors'); and collaborate with artists from Talking Heads to Philip Glass. Arthur's Landing is a broad collective of musicians who worked with Russell back in the day, and this album is the first in a series of "tribute" projects. While some argue his inner circle of disciples muzak out the kinks which made Russell's originals so charming, the counter-argument is more compelling: a gorgeously languid re-work of Is It All Over My Face (under its original title Love Dancing) sums up the lovingly reverential touch lavished upon all of these tracks. Painstakingly assembled, beautifully rendered and highly recommended.

4 stars from 5

Review: Pikachunes 'Pikachunes'

PIKACHUNES
Pikachunes
[Lil' Chief Records]

'Taking drugs in the afternoon / spending lazy Sundays drinking brews / party party every night / being with you makes me feel alright'. The self-titled debut album from one-mand-band Pikachunes aka Miles McDougall is anything but the usual twee-pop offering from the slept-on (but, very twee) Lil' Chief label. Quite the opposite in fact: this is almost impossible to listen to during daylight, revealing its true character only under cover of darkness (preferably from the midst of a dense and sweaty dance floor). Despite this, a strong pop sensibility nestles comfortably alongside a severely stripped back simplicity, eliciting feelings of desperate longing and an enticing darkness both implicit and unspoken. This hypnotic blend is at its most potent on lead single Nervous, which sounds like LCD Soundsystem fronted by Bernard Sumner or that guy from The National. Make no mistake, this is one-trick-pony material - but, oh! what a trick!

3 stars from 5