Swamphouse - The Fade EP

Swamphouse - The Fade EP
2009, Swamphouse

Swamphouse brings their visionary mix of Hip-Hop, Soul and R&B to market with their EP, The Fade. February Winners in VH-1's Song Of The Year Contest for 2009 (Break Down), Swamphouse has been mixing it up in Los Angeles and its environs since a 2005 coming out at B.B. King's. Led by rapper Pause, Swamphouse has one of those sounds that's so infectious and original that people stop what they're doing to find out who that band is. For The Fade, Swamphouse drafted three former students of Cal State Northridge's Jazz Performance Program as a horn section, adding a new layer to their already soul-satisfying sound. You'll dance 'til you're dizzy.

The Fade EP opens with Break Down, a delicious mix of Hip-Hop and Funk that will get your booty shaking and your feet moving. Pause smokes on rhymes and Devin is killer on vocals in the chorus. She Wants To Move will get you moving with heavy-duty Funk and a horn section that will have you grabbing for your platform shoes. Good Girl is a highly danceable day dream about finding the right kind of girl. It's refreshing in a genre know for misogyny to hear a song so positive about women (and consequently about self). Twisted is the perfect dance tune with a romantic component that will feed a lot of hormones on the dance floor without sounding like a come-on. Swamphouse closes out with This Is My Life, a highly danceable bit of autobiography that might just be the best song on the disc.

Swamphouse knows how to make you dance. In an era of tripped-out electronic dance music, Swamphouse brings it all old school on instruments played by people and creates some of the most fun dance music of 2009. Swamphouse is worth spending some time with. Bring The Fade to your next party!

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Swamphouse at http://www.theswamphouse.com/. You can download The Fade EP or individual tracks through Pause.

Review: Blacklight Poster Children - Blacklight Poster Children EP

Blacklight Poster Children - Blacklight Poster Children EP
2009, Blacklight Poster Children

So you think you know the guys from Bangkok Five? Heh. Singer Nik Frost and drummer Ray Blanco turn all of your Rock N Roll conceptions on their inner ear with the release of Blacklight Poster Children's self-titled EP. No worries, rock fans, Bangkok Five is still kickin' and screamin' in SoCal; Blacklight Poster Children is just a little side project with forays into Funk, Hip-Hop, Soul and Rap. Blacklight Poster Children is filled out by the Nymphs' Jet Freedom and Struggles. This is perhaps the best urban album from a rocker since Don't Talk Dance (Barenaked Ladies/Big Sugar/Bourbon Tabernacle Choir side-project).

Blacklight Poster Children opens with the Blacklight Poster Children Theme Song. Sadly, the introduction is the least enjoyable song on the disc, sounding more like a sonic mess.. Backlight Poster Children mostly make up for it the rest of the way, starting with Cool Lil' Devil. This is a funky, 1980's style rap; very enjoyable and highly danceable. Pop Lock Body Rock, besides having a title that's flat out fun to say, is a catchy dance number you won't be able to resist. The verse is a bit stoic, but the refrain will stick to your brain. Love Relations is an example of good intentions gone wrong; the message is great, but the vocal here is less than stellar and the arrangement unimaginative. Leaders Of The New School, on the other hand, find Blacklight Poster Children channeling a bit of Rock James. This is a great pop song with Rock N Roll elements and is my personal favorite from the disc.

Blacklight Poster Children want you to dance, and you will. Blacklight Poster Children is a bit uneven, but is generally a very fine collection of party music displaying fine musicianship and a real sense of joy in the songs. Make sure you check out Blacklight Poster Children and invite them to your next party. They'll be real popular guests.

Rating: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Blacklight Poster Children at their Authentik Artists page or at www.myspace.com/blacklightposterchildren. You can purchase downloads of Blacklight Poster Children at Amazon MP3 or iTunes.