Hola music loving people of planet earth. Record Box is back for the first time and hopefully not the last with a smorgasboard of delectable records for your fantastic flipping earholes. It’s a strong feature again this week, I’ve been enjoying a lot of music and I’m struggling to decide upon my Album Of The Week for tomorrow, at this rate I’m going to be tossing a coin.
Click the record artwork to listen on Spotify
El Michels Affair – Enter The 37th Chamber
This soul collective from NYC led by Leon Michels has worked over a boat load of Wu Tang Clan songs and made them sound as good if not better than ever. Oozing class this is an instrumental album to stick on and relax to and whether your a Wu-Tang fan or not you have to appreciate the immense quality of musicianship going on.
Laurent Garnier – Tales Of A Kleptomaniac
The name Laurent Garnier walks hand in hand with cutting edge dance music, flirts with many different genres of music and shares a bed with quality production. Tales Of A Kleptomaniac has a finger and toe firmly squished in to every dance music pie. There’s booty shaking bass, soothing deep house, classic techno, hip-hop, dub and broken beat grooves.
British Sea Power – Man Of Aran
Man Of Aran is a soundtrack to the re-released 1934 documentary about Irish fishermen by the same name. That little bit of info worried me about this record, I didn’t think it would stand up without the imagery of the documentary but I need not have worried. British Sea Power are a stunningly original band, given that the last album they released ‘Do You Like Rock & Roll’ was a mainly indie album and now this…Astounding.
The Hold Steady – A Positive Rage
Rock and Roll can save your soul. As cliche as the saying may be, A Positive Rage both Soothes weary souls and creates weary soles. Straight up rock music with intelligent lyrics and a heritage feel, there are tracks that you can listen to, relax and apreciate and there are tracks that propell your body into action.
King Creosote – Flick The V’s
Possibly the best thing to ever come out of Fife?…Definitely. Kenny Anderson aka King Creosote pens songs covering a varying array of subjects. Musically, the amount of instruments on display is mind-blowing, from your everyday musical apparatus to accordion, mandolin, harmonium and hammered dulcimer. ‘Saw Circular Prowess’ is an epic brooding, caged-monster of a track.
Two Fingers – Two Fingers
Brainchild of producers Amon Tobin and Doubleclick, Two Fingers features Sway, Ms.Jade, Ce’Cile, Durrty Goods and Kevin Tuffy. Released on Big Dada this is something different for urban music fans. The whole thing breezes with freshness and intelligent production. The album is full of experimental sounds and hard-hitting beats. This was one of my contenders for album of the week and would of made it had the coin landed on tails.
Camera Obscura – My Maudlin Career
The Scots are all over this weeks record box like a sweaty kilt rash. Glaswegians Camera Obscura have put this excellent record out on stalwart indie label 4AD. The lyrics are bitter-sweet and spine-tingly beautiful in places. It’s an infectious album that unfolds with a melancholy feeling of love. Easily the bands finest work.
Elvis Costello – Secret, Profane and Sugarcane
Costello delivers a country fried record in Secret, Profane and Sugarcane, straight out of Nashville. Arguably pop/rocks most prolific lyricist, you get what you expect from Costello. Produced by ‘T-Bone Burnett’ who provides striped down country tracks, the perfect backdrop for Costello’s lyrical twine.
The Virgins – The Virgins
Refreshingly different. The virgins give the impression that they don’t give a shit about much. They receive a fair amount of stick for being perceived as a ‘fashionable band’ but it doesn’t fly with me. It’s excellent melody laden, jaunty indie pop music.
Dirty Projectors – Bitte Orca
Fantastically eccentric in every way. Bitte Orca shouldn’t be agreeable to ears but it’s just awe inspiring. Listen from start to finish as many times as you want and you will never find a track that doesn’t warrant a place on the album. The most intelligent and engaging piece of music I’ve heard this year.
