MicLordz and Sauce Funky
Sunset Ammunition
If you dig a sound that harkens (yes, I said harkens) back to the Red Hot Chili Peppers of old, this is the band for you. On their second full length album, they expanded their band to five and really honed their style. MLSF walks a fine line between funk and hip hop, and frankly succeeds at both. MLSF walks a lot of fine lines. Without being overtly political in their overall message, they seem to throw in a few zingers when it is called for. For the most part, this is a light-hearted album that just try's to be a lot of fun...and it is.
Key tracks :
"Funk You Up" is an upbeat riffer that accomplishes exactly what the title would suggest, and provides amazing social commentary about the usefulness of taking chances.
"Roll With Me" leans toward the rap/ hip side of things, and will remind you of a gorgeous summer day cruising the neighborhood just for the heck of it.
Reaching for Roses
EP
The Michigan-based band Reaching for Roses recalls the pop-folk sounds of predecessors like Oasis, Radiohead and Augustana on its EP, which was all self-produced and recorded by band mates. Guitar-driven and angsty, but not annoyingly so, the band takes you on an emotional journey in just five short songs. "Quarantine" feels like having coffee with an old friend, while "Where Endings Begin," tells you all the drama. "Traverse Bay," an ode to our Great Lakes completes the album with a dreamy message, "Set sail for all the clouds up in the sky, Make bail before the world just passes by"
Real Life is Not Cool
Label: Smalltown Supersound
Released: Jan. 19
When you first hear this album, something about it feels unmistakeably early ‘90s and still completely modern. Funky electronic beats will remind you bands like La Bouche and Ace of Base, but hip hop has clearly left its mark on the Norwegian band, and there is an ethereal tone throughout that would remind some of MGMT. The overall effect is an album so foggy and mysterious that you will feel like you drank too much and got lost while wandering a city you know nothing about.
Key Tracks: "Baby Can't Stop Remix" and "Let's Practise."
The Colossus
Label: Electrical Connections
Released: Jan. 19
Hip hop artists love a good collaboration (see: Jay-Z and anyone), and this psych-hop album is no different. It features the work of no less than seven other artists, and when you listen to the whole thing front to back, that shows. There is an overall lack of unity. That said, not everything is greater than the sum of its parts, and there are some great songs on this album. "A Sun's Cycle" is the high-point of the album, with notable mentions going to "Tin Flower" and "A Spaceship for Now."
Libby Johnson
Perfect View
Label: Wrong Records
Release Date: Feb. 23
Libby Johnson's jazz piano background prepared her well for Perfect View. Her smooth style of play matches her smooth, alto voice well and though the tracks are by no means jaunty or up-tempo, the combination of instruments ensures they do not drag. An investigation into the artists recent history (moving a lot, death of a father) reflects the quietly exhausted, "good-bye," feel of the album, and many of the songs are truly touching. Perfect View is an excellent listen for a slow, rainy day when you know you'd rather not interact with the outside world. Key Tracks: "Blue Dress," "You've Got Your Own Magic."
