In a sense that may only make sense to aging Gen-Xers but is still important if you dig this musical flavor, the work on this album authentically reflects a commonly professed and often performed type of rock and roll music that really saw its most glory-filled times between the years 1982 and 1989. That thing was called college rock and it became alt.rock and then morphed into indie rock before blowing out all the stops and disappearing in tandem with the rise of the blond elfin guitar god from the woods North of Aberdeen. It reappeared briefly after his untimely death, but then was swallowed whole by hip-hop, by the way. But enough of that historiography stuff; this album rocks on its own merits and this trio has paid their dues, as tunes like “Equip and Amplify” and “Inside A Headache” prove emphatically and with jangly verve.
In Blue Sevit (Self-released)
This album works if you are planning to drive at night. Especially if you are planning to drive into the desert at night—not just at sunset, mind you, but in the middle of the night when ideas about the light that came before or might come after are just a matter of speculation. It’s glitchy, percussive and determined to focus the mind upon moments that are as distracting and discursive as they are transcendent. The work on this collection of deeply noisy and expansive soundscapes—with melodic overlays here and there for the sake of referencing reality—can be deeply affecting. The record contains the sort of magical sounds that conjure other worlds both close to and distant from the self. Although each track is singular, the effect of listening to the entire album from start to finish is particularly groovy. Favorite tracks: “Over,” “Ghosts,” “Aphelion” and “Black Moth.”
Various Artists Green Chile In The Air, Vol. 9 (Visceral View Entertainment)
This is the ninth iteration of a collection of heady hip-hop from Burque and around the world titled Green Chile In The Air. The series, curated by local producer Diles has always been a way to highlight the pure power produced by artists in this region—as well as a good way to get the pulse on current trends. The local work on this year’s anthology of sounds is so fine; Jungle One, working in conjunction with Sadat X and Ras Illy, sets the tone on opener “Better Stand,” using a slow and silky jam to frame insightful flows. Also Burque’s Simatic kills it on a closer that demonstrates a deep groove buried in a languidly cynical melodic framework titled “Conception of Perfection.” In between those Duke City bookends is enough funk with sauce to keep you jamming until summertime.
