Posts Tagged ‘party’
CD Review: Mochipet’s Microphonepet
By Camden Andrews
Mochipet: Local favorite electro/glitch artist? Break-tastic beat master? Hip-hop producer? Some geek behind a laptop? Big purple dinosaur? This time he’s a general, leading an army of vocalists including Dubphonics, Jahcoozi, Hustle Heads, and members of the Hieroglyphics and Living Legends crews on a victorious, genre-defying march in his new album Microphonepet. If you’re familiar with the San Francisco club/party scene, you’ve probably already heard all about this album and the buzz surrounding it. If not, I would recommend getting your hands on it immediately.
It’s always been difficult to pigeonhole Mochipet (David Wang) into one particular style or genre, but he really covered all his bases on this one. Songs range from supersonic glitchy whirlwinds, groovy house tracks, funky hip-hop numbers, fat bass-heavy club beats, seductive duets, and even lyric-centered raps about life on the streets, each heavily influenced by the guest MCs. What’s most surprising about the versatility of this album is that none of Wang’s explorations are artificial or emulative. While each track is certainly unique, his remarkable creativity and refusal to adhere to any sort of conventional rhythm scream out a sound that is undeniably his own.
CD Review: Boy in the Bubble's Songs from the City on the Sun
By Matt Jordan
Frank Zappa once derided the American consumer by quipping that Americans experience music as an accoutrement to their lifestyles. That may be true, but –- to sidestep the obvious question of how the denizens of other nations experience their music -– thinking of music in terms of its utility and function can be a useful exercise. Some records are perfect to study to. Others provide the perfect soundtrack for a long drive, or a vigorous and sweat drenched work out, or the faux-cosmopolitanism of a dinner party with your now-balding college drinking buddies as guests, etc.
Local Licks 2/13/08
Chow Nasty, Jimbo Trout and the Fishpeople, Mia and Jonah, and the Mumlers
Reviews originally published in the East Bay Express on 2/13/08.
Chow Nasty, Super (Electrical) Recordings (Omega Records). Since forming in 2003, funky San Francisco party band Chow Nasty has relied as much on novelty as on its ability to move asses. The trio’s debut full-length, produced by Peanut Butter Wolf, sounds something like !!! or LCD Soundsystem minus the hip factor, plus madness and a James Brown fascination.
Jimbo Trout and the Fishpeople, Hillbilly Bebop-Boogie (Fishwrap Records). Twang lovers couldn’t ask for much more. The Bay Area band’s first-rate bluegrass, blues, and honky-tonk covers come from a place where banjo, fiddle, and accordion were de rigueur — somewhere the modern world never crept. Only excellent recording quality betrays the fantasy.
Sleepyboy Moe
MySpace (listen to “Lucky Son,” “Dreamy Windows”
Official site
Hometown: Oakland
Next local show: 11/28, The Stork Club
Recent release: The Sleepyboy Moe Tapes, 2006
When it comes to homegrown East Bay music, Sleepyboy Moe is the real deal. Shaun Wargowsky, the man behind the name, moved to Oakland in 2005 and immediately became active in the local scene. The singer/bassist/guitarist began performing solo and with drummer Lindsay Cooper (of nicely named Oakland band Espionage a Trios) at small venues including Epic Arts in Berkeley. He recorded his debut CD, The Sleepyboy Moe Tapes, entirely in analog in Oakland and Berkeley. And his CD release party will take place Tuesday at The Stork Club in Oakland.