Deastro @ Holocene

After loving his melodic synth-based album, Moondagger, I was looking forward to ecstatic dance floor, imagining something along the lines of Passion Pit's stop at the Wonder Ballroom. Sadly, the concert was sparsely attended and I think that reigned in the dancing to just a handful of fans. That didn't stop Randolph Chabot from delivering a spirited and kinetic performance, hopping and convulsing across the stage and occasionally covering himself in a children's sheets. The full band (guitar, bass, drums, and computer) emphasized the rockier side of their songs; although the synths and blips were featured on the album, now I heard the drums first. I hope songs like "Toxic Crusaders" and "Parallelogram"catch on because I'd love to see him in front of a packed dancefloor.

The Phantom Band - Checkmate Savage (2009)

More tasty, slightly accented musical creativity out of Scotland. The dance inducing electro-synth bass line that introduces "The Howling" is just the beginning of a playful, genre-jumping debut LP by The Phantom Band. Checkmate Savage pulls from influences all over the map, and makes for a uniquely entertaining smorgasbord of sound. "The Howling," "Throwing Bones," and "Folk Song Oblivion" are the high water marks of song writing and overall composition, but tracks like the meandering "The Whole Is On My Side," the sleepy "Islands," and the wordless "Crocodile" exemplify The Phantom Band's willingness to branch out and get creative. There are a few strange and less than amazing digressions on this one, but for the most part The Phantom Band delivers a very solid album.

School Of Seven Bells - Alpinisms (2008)

School of Seven Bells play dreamy, but not too sleepy electronica. It's fronted by two sisters - their similar voices overlapping and creating harmonies as the beats chug along. I don't usually follow this type of music, but the guitarist from the Secret Machines quit that band to join this one and that got me interested. Some songs incorporate exotic and sometimes slightly discordant world instrumentation in a way that reminds me of music on the Theivery Corporation's ESL label. Songs like "Face To Face On High Places" and "Wired For Light" are beautifully hypnotic, the lyrics chanted and sung over the clickity click of electronic beats. However, like a quite a bit electronic music, it can get a little repetitive after a while, especially on the 12 minute "Sempiternal/Amaranth". Overall, the album would be the perfect soundtrack for a chill urban lounge.

El Guincho - Alegranza (2008)

It's very rare that an album knocks me out track by track on the first listen. I have no idea what they are saying in Spanish, or if it even is Spanish, but I know where the party is and I want to be there. They take the Fela's Afro beat jams and make them exciting again, with lots of clapping, drum loops, chanting, and spirited rhythms from all over the rest of the world. If this doesn't make you shake your ass, you might be dead.