It has only been four months since my last installment of ALBUM OF THE WEEK. Looks like I predicted my downfall with this exercise from the very first installment. But as I've said before, this is mostly a writing exercise for me, so frequency was never really factored into the equation. Part of the reason for the long hiatus is that I've been writing a new installment of my Gun Club epic for my good pal Lance over at the Adios Lounge. It's a real labor of love so it's taking up a major chunk of my time and energy as a writer. The response to the first piece has been stunning so I'm obviously very excited about the second piece, which is coming out very soon, so most of my focus is there right now. I've also been working with an amazing artist named Ivan Dbri on his new album Ones for my good friend Antonio's label Panama Red. It's a fantastic record and one that more than likely end up being featured here on AOTW at some later date and one that has required my full attention as a writer the past couple of weeks in more of a professional capacity. That still leaves a lot of time in-between then and now - and the majority of that time has been spent living with my wife's Lyme Disease treatment, which is surreal and making great fodder for my eventual book about it. I'll leave things nice and light, sparing you the realities of life with Lyme, it's TMI. Just ask any of my good friend's who have ventured the courage to ask me, "How are you REALLY doing?" There was also an amazing trip to the coast with my best friend Stephen, where he suggested I use more profanity when I blog to make the narratives a little more realistic. Because that's the kinda shit good friends do. How am I doing?
We also got a chance to talk about music, something Stephen, my wife Anna, and I LOVE to do but rarely have the time to devote to the pursuit. Attentions turned to our friends Chris and Reagan, who were gracious enough to come play to a tiny crowd up here in Chico as Android Cartel, and what they were up to musically. The few people that were there when they played had a blast and heard some fine tunes that night. And ever since then we've all followed their music fairly closely and I have to say I've found myself more and more drawn to their Dance Spirit project, initially a side project but gradually growing into the pair's main focus. I raved on and on about their new album, The Sun Also Rises for Audiofly's Supernature label, was just about the best record I'd heard in years. One of the reasons is because it is a mature full length rather than just another collection of tracks. The production is also unbelievable, why these guys aren't ghosting big pop radio hits is beyond me, but I also think these guys have a little more dignity than a hackneyed whore such as myself, so there's that. There are also lots of quality vocal tracks that are more like radio tunes than anything I've heard in years. I'm not surprised, though. I have an entire unreleased album from these guys that continues to blow my mind using all the same kinds of pop tricks. What makes The Sun Also Rises so distinct is the deep, nuanced musicality. As I said, real tunes, not just more tracks for the dance floor. That's not to say these tracks can't be played on the dance floor but many of have a distinct Balearic flavor and would do better at a place like Cafe del Mar than DC10, not that that is necessarily such a bad thing. There are also gems like "Beauty and Sadness" and "Where You Want To Be" that just make you just stop and say, "Day-um!". And who doesn't love an album like that?
There is a real sense of ambition emanating from the new Dance Spirit album and it's rare to find an electronic music album that is nearly perfect from top to bottom. The Sun Also Rises is one of those select few records.
Get The Sun Also Rises here: http://www.discogs.com/Dance-Spirit-The-Sun-Also-Rises/release/6703368
We also got a chance to talk about music, something Stephen, my wife Anna, and I LOVE to do but rarely have the time to devote to the pursuit. Attentions turned to our friends Chris and Reagan, who were gracious enough to come play to a tiny crowd up here in Chico as Android Cartel, and what they were up to musically. The few people that were there when they played had a blast and heard some fine tunes that night. And ever since then we've all followed their music fairly closely and I have to say I've found myself more and more drawn to their Dance Spirit project, initially a side project but gradually growing into the pair's main focus. I raved on and on about their new album, The Sun Also Rises for Audiofly's Supernature label, was just about the best record I'd heard in years. One of the reasons is because it is a mature full length rather than just another collection of tracks. The production is also unbelievable, why these guys aren't ghosting big pop radio hits is beyond me, but I also think these guys have a little more dignity than a hackneyed whore such as myself, so there's that. There are also lots of quality vocal tracks that are more like radio tunes than anything I've heard in years. I'm not surprised, though. I have an entire unreleased album from these guys that continues to blow my mind using all the same kinds of pop tricks. What makes The Sun Also Rises so distinct is the deep, nuanced musicality. As I said, real tunes, not just more tracks for the dance floor. That's not to say these tracks can't be played on the dance floor but many of have a distinct Balearic flavor and would do better at a place like Cafe del Mar than DC10, not that that is necessarily such a bad thing. There are also gems like "Beauty and Sadness" and "Where You Want To Be" that just make you just stop and say, "Day-um!". And who doesn't love an album like that?
There is a real sense of ambition emanating from the new Dance Spirit album and it's rare to find an electronic music album that is nearly perfect from top to bottom. The Sun Also Rises is one of those select few records.
Get The Sun Also Rises here: http://www.discogs.com/Dance-Spirit-The-Sun-Also-Rises/release/6703368
Undressed feat. Shawna
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