Sleep Your Excellence, Sleep Your Excellence EP. This
San Francisco group’s debut brings bright ideas to a dark corner of the
indie-rock universe. Opener “Life Inside a Scream” features a bassline
straight from one of Joy Division’s less somber moments beneath a
distinctly hummable vocal melody. “My New Heaven” is the Cure meets
Slowdive. Call them Interpol minus the long face. (self-released)
Sila and the Afrofunk Experience, Black President. The
front cover depicts Obama holding up the continent of Africa, in case
we didn’t get “black president.” The music, however, is quite
diplomatic: an international blend that’s more Afrobeat than funk, with
horn flourishes rather than poppin’ basslines at the fore —
although Victor Sila’s occasional James Brown yelp would have it
otherwise.
David Landon Band, This Time. One might call this
summertime blues — the sort of upbeat, R&B- and soul-infected
stuff crafted for dancing under the midday sun at a neighborhood street
festival. Because it’s not really blue at all: Singer Landon may lament
about leaving a lover, but he’s obviously already over it. The
four-piece band is capable, cohesive, and, in the case of a few
eight-minute songs, a bit adventurous. (Whip Records)
Kush Arora, The Dread Bass Chronicles. East Bay native
Kush Arora delivers an innovative dance album melding futuristic
electronica with a variety of Indian and Jamaican dance styles. Six
talented emcees ice Kush’s cake, as in “Wine Mek Me See You,” where
Bongo Chilli balances dancehall vocals over a pure bhangra beat. (Kush
Arora Productions)
