Maybe New to You

Imagine taking a best of album of the greatest lovemaking songs of the 70s and 80s, then having someone with the voice of a baby angel cover them with a superbly laid back electronic act. You’ll be close to where the sounds of Koushik take you.

Their new album, Out My Window, is a fantastical exploration of the softer sides of your imagination. The gentle yet persistent grooves will paddle boat your mind through the tantamount imperfections of being, relying as much on the drifting currents of ambient electronic sounds as on the smooth prodding of smoother jazz tones. I won’t pretend you can dance to this, but if you’re one of those people who get going rather gradually throughout your Saturday morning, this would be suitably appropriate, especially if you’re getting going rather slowly with a special lady/gentleman friend (I meant either/or here, but if you prefer both at the same time, then yes to that too).

Man, I was wrong to dismiss this one. The new album, Dear Science, definitely resonates with me on several levels. And to think! The previous albums, so lackluster and outside my liking due to their metallic sheenlessness.

Maybe somebody put a few quarters (or dollars or whatever it takes in a recession) in the vibrating bed machine while they were on tour or something. Or perhaps it’s like the Beatles when they discovered pot and/or acid. Either way, the fruits of their work have paid off with a collection of tracks ranging from some beautiful, peaceful rants/musings to dancey, fun tracks with hooks and reels.

One man and his laptop is how some people may describe this one after seeing the live performance, but the music speaks to a classic folk tradition that goes well into Appalachia. Acoustic guitars and self-made vocal harmonies decorate a vast landscape that spans genres from country to electronic, thumping alongside all of our river-ride of an American journey. Pensive, deliberate, thoughtful, and complex, this short EP has the ability to please a range of listeners. Here is another softy for this issue (see what I mean about thinking too much when you spend too much time by yourself?)…at least there are innumerable danceables that came before this. And maybe you’ll like this better, as it is currently venturing into winter.

Emergent! After leading off with two singles, this group has its expectations to fulfill. Spacial, pressing music backs an emotionally charged, timid voice on their track All Roads Lead to You. Closing my eyes, I see years span before me, from the years when I could hear the beauty in Crazy Mary from Pearl Jam or to the slick mindscape that appeared when listening to Honey from Moby all the way to the discovery of all of the music that makes you smile in spite of yourself in its ability to hover in the nomadland of a slightly misunderstood nature.

So what, I might be a little late on reviewing this group. I was listening to them before you, so there, chummy. Rolling drums, electronic joyfulness, swells, crests, Danceability: this band comes complete with anything you’d like to have offered as we continue experimenting with the combined electronic and indie scenes. Great lyrics, great vocals, intelligent transitions, and, most importantly, great work on the synths. Oh, and for you people craving a little 80s, 90s twist, twist on away! Bravo Mssrs. Friendly Fires.

This takes innovation and thoughtfulness in a direction that the wild sounds of Animal Collective never could chill out enough to do. Sort of like if George Harrison’s ghost (Or was he reincarnated? We may never know…) was haunting the inside of your hollow-body electric guitar. Is that a ukulele? Whether on a beach in Hawaii somewhere, or just looking at a picture of a beach in Hawaii in your lonely old Midwestern

Clipclop clipclop clipclop. Remarkable, if not for the steady wood block sounds, then for the soaring synths that come out of your blindspot just when you’re trying to change lanes. Well-placed accent instruments, playful beat variations, and change-ups that would make Steely Dan give half a nod come together for a solid several tracks on their most recent effort.

Something draws me to the unsubtly depressive swells of this band, although I can’t quite bet my lithium on what it is. Could it be that I’m a sucker for the sad sweet sounds of a duet? Is it that I periodically have the Carpenters song Superstar in my head? Am I just an eternal sap who likes to hear sad love songs? Spatial guitar sounds, la la las, acoustic strumming, droning keyboards, and nostalgia combine to create a unique, compelling sound.

Black Ghosts
Beautiful, sublime, and masterful in its production, this album is brilliant on every track. The Black Ghosts combine energetic electronic grooves with touches of funk and jazz, with a sublime craftmanship that merits an extra large portion of toe-tapping. I’d love to call this album playful, but the serious effort given by the obviously talented musicians in this group can be seen from the first moment the music fills the air and enters your cerebrum.

The Hold Steady
Recently I referred to this band as a group finally fulfilling the potential of what midwest rock could do (from Minneapolis-Saint Paul originally, their roots grew in Brooklyn). They have also been referred to as “America’s Bar Band” – however the driving feature of this band is undoubtedly their ability to combine meaningful, sometimes heart-wrenching lyrics to a full, rock band back without ever coming across as just trying to do so. The lyrical influences, from Bruce Springsteen and Jim Carroll to Atmosphere and Jay-Z, show in this vibrant, far-spanning effort!

Chromeo
If the fun-loving, superfunk attitude that all but drips out of the air when this album is on makes is purely evident that the two members of this band never made it out of the disco mindset. But given all the modern advantages of The Electronic/Communications/Nintendo Age, what comes out of the speakers is the exact thing that would come out of Hal’s exercise room in Space Odyssey 2001! “When you wanna go Wow! When you wanna scream and shout tonight!”

Midnight Juggernauts
If there was ever an appropriate band to do a keyboard air guitar to, this would be them. The quirky vocal delivery of this group’s Talking Heads / Bee Gees hybrid is paired with simple synthesizers and a driving, dancey beat that will turn some heels over heads. Although elegantly done, this album’s music presents a solid landscape of sound, with little fragility to its structure or delivery. Very good. Danceable. Approved. Vunderbarr.

Chemical Brothers
Have you ever heard of this duo? They are neither new to me or to you, but their B-sides album is one that slipped between the cracks in late 2007, and much to my great happiness, overshadows their recent release, We Are the Night, in rainbow shades of glory. Punchy, precise, prudent, practical, and pleasant.

Shine
Tapping into the same soulful, live band sound with an easy electronic groove that has placed Zero 7 in a class of its own, Shine’s freshman album does well to please the gentle listener. With the long-awaited release of The Common Station, a few unmistakeable gems emerge (tracks Ashbury and Hawaii) with an album filled out with songs worthy of a dimly lit background and plush, bloated-looking furniture. By the end of the album, you’ll probably find yourself stretching your feet out for a nice relaxation moment.