The Grannies, Hot Flashes. There’s perhaps no better
way to begin a punk album by six dudes dressed in glam-rock grandma
garb than with a song called “My Little Finger Says You’re Wrong”
Still, the Grannies aren’t all novelty; their old-school punk-rock
tunes can be mighty catchy, and the ten-year-old band seems to get
tighter with every release. (Wondertaker)
Sean Christian, Soulfood Stir-Fry. The beat may be the
basis of all hip-hop, but it rarely takes the spotlight. Sean Christian
attempts to right that wrong with this collection of fully fledged
beats giving equal room to treble (high hat, claps, synth, even live
flute and sax) and a fat, booming bottom end. Oakland’s D. Nok, Zumbi
of Zion-I, and others lend their voices among a trio of instrumentals.
(self-released)
Arboles, Arboles EP. Opener “Roots” applies the
Pixies’ loud-soft-loud dynamic to an all-acoustic palette, shifting
three times from a quiet, nearly lo-fi verse to an amplified,
exuberantly strummed chorus. “Our House” isn’t Talking Heads, but a
cute, whimsical number the Moldy Peaches could’ve written. And this
Oakland duo’s emotion-drenched acoustic indie-rock only gets better
from there. (self-released)
Amber Asylum, Bitter River. Despite the nagging sense
that Amber Asylum’s neo-classical concoction of angelic vocals and
suggestively sinister strings could at any moment break into all-out
metal, Bitter River is a profoundly calming, almost meditative
experience. The metal hunch is not far off: producer and
multi-instrumentalist Kris Force worked for years with Oakland
experimental group Neurosis. (Profound Lore Records)
