Not to play pimp for music pushers or anything (i do not sell drugs to the community), but i'm recommending you sign up for the email lists at Insound and Amie Street. Every Friday, those fine folks deign to treat subscribers to a free mp3. Sure, sometimes you get throw-away tracks, but there are some seldom heard gems in there, too. As luck would have it, this week has provided a couple of winners.Now, you might not think an experimental Swedish rock duo is up your alley, but i think you'll be pleasantly surprised with the upcoming EP from Wildbirds & Peacedrums. Now, i was fortunate enough to see them open up for Lykke Li a while back and was pretty taken with their somewhat odd sound then, going so far as to pick up their Heartcore CD. On that one, the sound was a bit out there with the band clearly pushing the boundaries of indie pop/rock. Their sound relies almost exclusively on a range of percussion instruments and the haunting vocals of Mariam Wellentin. Based on this first track from the My Heart EP, though, they've clearly reined things in a bit. Which is great, as i'd like to see this band get a bit more love in 2010. The singer has a beautiful voice, and they've expanded their beat-and-bang-on stable to include some steel drums, making this track a slice of pop goodness with just a hint of reggae flavoring.
Next up is the latest from Gigi, "Strolling Past the Graveyard." Unless this band has something to do with a girl i went to high school with of the same name (it doesn't), i can't tell you much about these cats beyond what you can read for yourself on their MySpace page. What i can tell you, though, is that they craft a catchy tune that resonates with '60s vibes. Insound thinks they've got a Wall of Sound thing going, and i can't disagree. The harmonizing here is strong, and i'm going to re-iterate my "i hope these kids make a splash in '10" sentiments. If the rest of their stuff is as strong as this, i think they just might.
And finally, because i'll pretty much write about anything if asked politely, a couple of tracks from the Unknown Nigerian Wonder, Cyclo-flo. i'll leave it to you to make your own decisions on this cat. i will say this--on "Shuo," Cyclbo-flo spits rapid fire, and with his strong accent, sounds an awful lot like a cross between Busta Rhymes and Shabba Ranks. And on "Hip Hop Ancesion" (stet), he says fuck more times than Eddie Murphy in a leather jumpsuit, so he's got that going for him, too, which is nice.
3 comments:
Yah, I am really proud of Cyclo-flo. i like "shuo", the way he flips fast, 'n I lik e"hip hop ancension" 'cos of the swear words.
nice work.
keep it going.
greetings from nigeria. we are glad c-flo is putting us on the world music map.
Which is now one of my goals for 2010.
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