Just Champion
OK,OK, I’ve been away.. it’s summer, no rain (please, rain a little bit, the house has dried out so much the damn front door sticks), just right for a few sunny sounds in the car or on the boom box (you do still say ‘boom box’, don’t you?).
So here are a few early runners and riders attracting my attention:
Mrs. Captain bought me a fine reggae album by the Otara-based combo Three Houses Down, called ‘Dreadtown’. Now some of yer actual professional music journalists will tell you this album is a bit powderpuff, a bit lightweight. But The Captain says just listen to those horns blast and the message will slowly sink in: there’s all kinds of reggae in Aotearoa and a decent portion of it is a little bit… pale. Know where I’m coming from? Thought so. But THD are kosher, and ‘Dreadtown’ is easy on the ear and done ‘live’ in the studio. I only wish they had a web site I could point you at.. if you do Bebo, you can check them out there.
Up next, as fine a slice of alt-Americana as I’ve heard in a long time. Former Test Icicles guitarist Devonte Hynes now goes out as Lightspeed Champion, after claiming he never liked the Icicles music anyway. Mebbe so.. the new venture fortunately isn’t giving me as much of an ear bashing as the old stuff. Run off to the MySpace page, and listen to ‘Falling Off The Lavender Bridge’ in its entirety. Then go and buy it. Fans of Bright Eyes and pedal steel guitar should be first in the queue. Quality song titles too. ‘Everyone I Know Is Listening To Crunk’.. ha!
And finally, Cyril.. last year’s tip for the top the Ruby Suns released their sophomore effort ‘Sea Lion’ this month, and wonderful it is too. Less Brian Wilson, more focus. After the interim and in places quite baffling EP ‘Lichen Ears’, I thought head Sun Ryan McPhun and his friends were about to go all weird on us, but no! Stuffed full of world music rhythm and sound, the attractively packaged (for you marketing and promotion fans out there) new waxing is a corker. Catch them on tour in the US soon. Listen at MySpace or the wonderful Lil Chief site. If you don’t find yourself singing along to ‘Oh, Mojave’ or dashing into the kitchen to find something to clank during ‘Tane Mahuta‘, I’ll be a monkey’s uncle. Or a Sea Lion’s sister. Or something.
Download ‘Tane Mahuta’ here, courtesy of the band and Sub Pop.
