sprezzatura.

This post is syndicated from Indie Shuffle.

What’s so good?

Whether you’re a serious music aficionado or someone simply workin’ the biz, it’s easy to become overwhelmed by all the great new material out there. And with the amount of great stuff coming at us from seemingly every angle, it becomes difficult to tune in to everything that piques our interest — let alone find time to connect with that one great album.

That personal connection is at the root of what makes music great. Somehow, we need to get back to that crazy-good feeling of wanderlust. You know, the emotional part of the music experience that’s all about getting lost and descending deep within those arresting waves of sound.

TO PAGE 2 of "Other Lives – Tamer Animals" ----->

This post is syndicated from Indie Shuffle.

Sounds like: El-P, The Roots, 7L & Esoteric, Murs, Aesop Rock

What’s so good?

Atmosphere returns with their seventh official studio album, The Family Sign, perhaps their most personal album to date.

As one of the most powerful storytellers in hip-hop today, MC Slug tackles issues close to the heart using past experiences to weave rhymes that are anything but superficial. Slug’s unmistakable voice describes losing friends, gaining new ones, and celebrating the people you love. The album reflects on larger concepts like life and death, love and loss, friendship, and knowing when to let go. Songs like “Bad Bad Daddy” take a dark turn, while singles like “She’s Enough” are upbeat and celebratory.

For those new to Atmosphere, the indie Minneapolis hip-hop group is comprised of Rhymesayers founding member MC Slug and producer Ant. On this record, they team up with keyboardist Erick Anderson and guitarist Nate Collis to give the album an edgy rock hybrid sound that’s definitely worth a listen. The album came out two weeks ago and is definitely floating around out there, so be sure to check it out!

What’s so good?

When changing gears for an upcoming album, it’s not unusual for an electronic artist to succumb to a particular metamorphis tending to be slightly more in tune with popular contemporaries across all genres. What? Wait a minute, is that a nice way of saying “selling out?”

Thankfully, one of the best things about the new album from the Dirty Vegas fellas is that Electric Love does the complete and utter opposite. The record picks up right where things left off seven years ago with their last full-length, One. No easy task!

They’re not having an identity crisis. They’re not trying to go the way of electro, rave, rock, or heaven forbid, anything “wave.” Dirty Vegas has written a brilliant album that’s current, relevant to the dance music community, and catchy as hell.

The album goes in different directions but remains contant to their dance music roots. We hear big, club-ready dance tunes (“Little White Doves,” “Electric Love”) and more downtempo tracks tinged with hints of disco (“Emma”).

Due April 26th, Electric Love is a well-produced album that’s definitely worth a listen.

This post is syndicated from Indie Shuffle.

*Note – watch this space for an exclusive video interview coming soon!