Joyo Velarde, Joyo Velarde EP. This five-song teaser
of Velarde’s upcoming debut does just what it should: establish her as
an artist in her own right. The frequent Quannum Projects collaborator
(and wife of rapper Lyrics Born) can carry a song on her own, and does
with aplomb. Much credit is due to Born’s slick hip-hop-meets-R&B
production, but Velarde’s clear, melodic voice is supremely endearing.
(Quannum Projects)
Pollux, For the Ghost. Imagine Jeff Buckley fronting a
late-Nineties alternative rock band — from Soundgarden’s
catharsis to Radiohead’s contemplation — and you’re at least
halfway there. This is conveyed with patience and utmost sincerity,
from Carey Head’s Buckley-esque howl to the band’s direct yet emotional
performance. Pollux’s music would make a fine blanket for a cloudy day.
(self-released)
James and Evander, Awkward Turtle EP. With a name like
Awkward Turtle, it can be just one thing: cutesy, charming,
unabashedly twee indie-pop. Something like the Postal Service meets
Belle and Sebastian. But Oakland duo James and Evander subverts
expectations just enough to make its sleepy electro-pop feel a bit
dark. Not a word is spoken among the EP’s 22 minutes, contributing to
its ethereal moodiness. (500Records)
Mike P., Whipped Cream. First things first: the record
sleeve is adorned with close-up, cropped photos of booties (“Cupcake$”)
and breasts (“Cookie$”). Mike P.’s gritty, urban, but not quite gangsta
hip-hop can be surprisingly tuneful, with help from his pals Andre
Nickatina (“Btch Pt. 2”), Equipto and San Quinn (“Hella Records”), and
Krushadelic (“Valley of Kingz”). Fillmoe Frisco represent, as it were.
(Meshewaa Records)
