Eclectic Vibes

Arkaea - Years In The Darkness

Terse, intense and vibrant industrialized death metal from Fear Factory alumni Raymond Herrera and Christian Old Wolbers. Although incorporating proven Fear Factory stylings which fans will certainly enjoy overall I find the release safe, repetitive and formulaic.

Jimi Tenor & Tony Allen - Inspiration Information

Pairing together Finnish experimental musician Jimi Tenor with Tony Allen, an amazing Afrobeat drumming legend, has ushered forth a curious cache of mind warbling avant jazz creations .  Lyrics are spun with experience and dark sarcasm while being treated with tribal beats, horns, flutes, and samples through a wildly unpredictable imagination.

Alo - Man Of The World

Sublimely mellow rock music tumbled with expertly crafted tale telling courtesy of 4 childhood friends. Since it was by Jack Johnson and recorded at his solar powered studio in Hawaii ALO scored the opening slot on Johnson’s summer tour including Alpine Valley 7/24 and River’s Edge 7/25 and I am thrilled more people will get to hear them.

King Sunny Ade - Baba Mo Tunde

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.

Azam Ali - From Night to the Edge of Day

Lullabies of love; lullabies of anguish; lullabies of rebellion, exile and awareness; such is the dichotomy of these Iranian, Turkish, Lebanese and Kurdish lullabies as presented by this amazing Iranian-born, Indian-raised vocalist. She connected with the spectrum of emotions behind lullabies when she gave birth to her son and realized the tumultuous world that he would be exposed to and live in.

Atrocity - After The Storm

One of my long time favorite experi-“metal” bands, this German group has explored many facets of musical and cultural heritage over the years. Their exploration continues by refining their folk fancies, expanding on their impressive song structure, and again including the amazing vocals of Yasmin (frontman Alexander Krull’s sister). Powerful, invigorating, and unique.

Elikeh - Adje! Adje

Groove heavy and politically active Afro-rock spawned from the unlikely country of Togo. Singer, guitarist, composer and founder of Elikeh, Massama Dogo, was born in Togo, but immigrated to Washington, D.C. in 2000. His D.C. based ensemble fuses indigenous Togolese elements with a contemporary flavor in a powerful and memorable manner including noteworthy guitar work and vivacious horns.

Strange Arrangements - Polygraph

Effortlessly stringing together progressive elements of jazz, funk, blues, reggae, and psychedellia are what this Chicago jam rock band does so well. Strong main and harmony vocals really shine as the tangy guitar work and zesty rhythms flow through song after song and have the potential to please listeners for years to come.

Putumayo Presents - Arabic Beat

Once again, Putumayo has put together a well-picked eclectic selection of lesser-known world class artists, this time with a focus on Arabic musicians of today. By incorporating certain Western influences, today’s Arabic music’s upbeat, danceable grooves have an undeniable universal appeal. Get to know Morrocco’s Jalal El Hamdaoui or Algerian performer Cheb Amar along with 8 others.

Hidria Spacefolk - Astronautica

Psychedelic space rock never sounded so good! Born out of a hippie commune in Finland and taking their cue from Ozric Tentacles, this non vocal Moog-a-delic experience will sweep you off on a stellar journey to dimensions unknown in the wink of a riff. See ya there!

Michael Franti and Spearhead - All People

Celebrating the beauty of diversity through peaceful, loving melodies and lyrics is a trademark of Franti and crew. Now, 8 studio albums in, Franti has still managed to cling to the peace-loving, socially active principals that propelled him to this point. Supremely danceable grooves and compelling anthemic pop delights will again and again have you on your feet and shaking your wild thang. See them on 9/25 at the Orpheum Theater in Madison, WI. 

Pretty Lights - A Color Map of the Sun

After three years of gestation, experimentation, and community-building, Derek Vincent Smith, AKA Pretty Lights, has unfurled one of the most anticipated releases of 2013. Over the last year he collaborated with fellow musicians of all ages and genres, creating a musical journal of their activities (and made a video of it) that emulated time periods spanning the last century, which were then pressed to vinyl and used in conjunction with a custom built analog synth to create his latest masterpiece, with the title inspired by Isaac Newton.

On first listen, the release might blend into a jungle of glitch-ridden jazzy atmospheres, but soon your mind will decipher and unravel the many layers of depth and beauty hidden in each track. Ear candy of the highest order! Like all of his music the entire thing available completely for FREE. But he has also printed hard copies on CD and Vinyl which along with an enormous amount of other fantastic and fashionable PL goodies are available at the PL web page.

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