Hillary Kaylor
RCRD LBL BLOGGER
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Everything is worse in the gray light of winter: your job sucks harder, your relationship jumps into the toilet, and to top it off, your chapped face is scaring small children. It’s called the sads, and you’ve got them. Fear not: a healthy dose of our Seasonal Affective Dance (S.A.D.) playlist and the world will be right again! Let your manically-excited friends Rusko, Unicorn Kid, Fool’s Gold, Eli Escobar, Canblaster and a masked Azealia Banks bring the bright with energetic, squiggly and smiley dance jams tailored-made to turn that frown upside down. Consider this list your well-deserved sonic light box. All you have to do is go turn up the hi-fi and let it shine.
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(Photo: D.L. Anderson)
Bowerbirds: Is there nothing that their sweet, earthy folk-pop can’t remedy? Case in point, second single “In The Yard” feels like being enveloped in Grandma’s quilt. There’s something so familial and comforting in this pretty campfire duet; the soft plonking of keys, low-country strum and chorus of gentle “ohs” are woven into a patchwork of pure, woodsy warmth. This and more lovely stuff resides on The Clearing, out through Dead Oceans come March.
(Photo: Garret Curtis)
Along with the announcement that LA gauze-rockers Superhumanoids are supporting Active Child and Balam Acab on tour (this is in addition to dates already booked with Cold War Kids and Class Actress), came freebie “Geri,” the first single from their upcoming LP Exhibitionists. So when we popped the track, we thought, jeez guys, take a rest with this crazy schedule. But as the calming new-wave-cum-dreampop emanated out, lush with impressively-ranged male and female duets and an alloy of live and synthesized instruments that pushes each note to chilly infinity, we flip-flopped. Superhumanoids: Tour even more, put out even more, visit even us more. As much as you possibly can.
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Today with Kris Menace, it’s three bounces for the price of one – and they are all major 'floor-lifters. First, the beat-tastic premiere of “Falling Star,” a towering piece of ‘90s-infused German house and spacey teaser to upcoming album Electric Horizon. Next, two more from the big name selector’s enormous back catalog: a bumping refit of Depeche Mode’s “Fragile Tension,” now reinforced by slickly-produced bass burps, and a twinkly stunting of Little Boots’ “Crescendo,” which buries her angelic voice beneath a sea of samples and pop synths.
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From where I sit, ain’t nothing “Washed Up” about The Glass, but then again, I’m in no position to comment on the nebulous formula in which bands use to name their songs. I am in a position to comment on how good the aforementioned songs sound, and judging by these twin dips, I decree them rad. Jetlag (starring Andy Rourke of The Smiths) takes us the disco-y, ‘90s Manchester rock route with some choice Pulp Fiction samples, while Black Russian does what they do best: rump-shaking dank funk with new wave-inspired synths and chopped vocals.
A bit of beautiful stutter on this fine day by the golden-piped Active Child on “Johnny Belinda,” yet another hymn of awe-inspiring bliss-pop from the choirboy formally known as Pat Grossi. It’s yearning, boyish, and now, markedly dancier by the intrusion of remixers/tropical psych rockers White Arrows. This track projects a future strain of R&B so good, we’re looking forward to our next heartbreak. Until then, we’ll moon over Active Child’s You Are All I See, and reminisce.
(Photo: Quentin de Briey)
This Yuksek track kind of sounds like a chicer, indier play on The Monkees. And we don't just throw that kind of compliment around: “Always On The Run” has a genuine, ensemble-cast-chasing-eachother-through-the-mall feel to it. It's all in the sugary piano opener, which paves the way for a rush of prefab guitars and vocoded backup singers who jump earnestly in for the finale. The result is well-calibrated, innocent fun, and a nice platform for the French DJ and electro-pop producer, who we’ve really only known ‘til know as one of our favorite remixers. But no more! Now, he is also the dude who made The Monkees cool. More surprises on On The Edge Of Time, out February 14.
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Damn! If this ain’t a hands-in-the-air, jumpsuit-jiggling, pelvic-swiveling disco burst of funky, funky joy, then we don’t know what is. Expect the world from Escort, the bajillion-piece party outfit from outer space (or NYC, depending on the source) – they always over-deliver. “Love In Indigo” is the album track we’re loving today, and just to sweeten the pot, we’re passing on the heavily-club-rotated Pound Sterling remix of “Why Oh Why” – a thumping ‘80s bang job that must be blared from a pink Cadillac to feel its full effect. Escort's been praised as having the best disco debut of the past decade, and you can get it now, over on iTunes.
