Mixtape 286 • The Traveller
We can’t say which alternate timeline Art D’Ecco came from, but we are grateful and hope they don’t miss them too dearly.
We can’t say which alternate timeline Art D’Ecco came from, but we are grateful and hope they don’t miss them too dearly.
You can capture my attention immediately by kicking off your album with an overdriven organ riff and a disaffected voice. Blending danceable R+B aspects with a punk attitude, this DC band is retro and fast-forward and what we need in these times,

Deep Sea Diver crashes into the scene with ballasted boots on their latest release, and I have to give Trevor a tip of the hat for sharing their video on social media. Elsewhere! My attempts at self promotion are growing only slightly less awkward, but I hope the listeners are getting the message.
These Boston kids with a New York attitude don't have time for your little dance on the street, you better keep your eyes on where you're going. It's all an act, because under the gritty glitter and trash talk is a heart that beats warm and true.
With incisive lyrics intertwined with unexpected arrangements, the band is in fine form, serving as a bittersweet soundtrack for changing weather, complementing both the sunshine and the rain but especially the part where one changes into the other.

A soundboard that lets you generate background noise by mixing together a variety of looping sources, from the mundane and useful ("I'm calling you from the coffee shop") to the purely hypothetical ("marching band vs zombie apocalypse").
Sure, bring your slick neon-tinged indie rock in here. I don't care that you sprinkled keyboards and saxophones all over in addition to the stabbing guitars, distressed vocals, and plucky bass. It just needs a beat we can dance to.
The name is a deft linguistic double-take, but if you like your music on the catchy side, I can assure you that Brad Sucks does not actually suck.
Opening track "Una Cumbia En Kinshasa" easily sets the stage for this transcontinental sound melange, a collaboration between Peruvian-born, Berlin-based Hop and Congolese soukous guitar player Bakorta. It's full of joy and weird production touches