Friday, March 07, 2008

Music Minutes

Dengue Fever are interesting in an L.A. way. There's that interesting superimposition of very polished Khmer pop melodies and singing on top of very rehearsed L. A. New Wave. So it's a world-mashup hybrid like Manu Chao and M.I.A., but very L.A. and ironic and showbiz.

Janet Jackson, Discipline, man, where'd she get those beats? And that production? Homegirl really brought her game, and her whip. Candy porn dance music!

Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks, Real Emotional Trash, Did I completely miss the Kinks influence on Pavement? Apparently so, 'cause Malkmus gets deeply in touch with his inner Davies (both of them). Meanwhile, Ray Davies is rocking out pretty decent for an old guy (See: Working Man's Cafe). Good for survivors like him, Van Morrison, Nick Lowe, Neil Young--hell, Bob Dylan! Keith Richards! Steve Winwood! Sixty is the new twenty, baby!

Well, thanks to Robert Christgau for recommending No Age to me. That opening on Weirdo Rippers is epic! These guys are rocking my world.