Casual Listening
a review of cool new music
by Jeff Pinzino
* Wayne Gorbea’s Salsa Picante – Introducing Wayne Gorbea’s Salsa Picante (Latin)
Old-school Nuyorican salsa. Before the manicured music you hear nowadays from club DJs came into style, salsa was rough around the edges with big horns and lots of percussion. Wayne Gorbea never stopped playing this style. Crank this and dance around your room. Caliente!
Octopus Project – Hello Avalanche (rock)
Dance-driven electronic pop. The album boasts happy instrumental tracks with a live rhythm section and a lead synthesizer. Sonic soup that’s fun to swim in.
Thrice – The Alchemy Index Vols. I and II: Fire and Water (rock)
Thrice have crafted an album that perfectly balances yin and yang. Six tracks of punk metal fire-themed songs precede a half-dozen ambient water creations. Either side could stand on its own, but it’s the juxtaposition of the two by the same band that makes it remarkable.
Behold…The Arctopus – Skullgrid (rock)
This one’s for all the jazz metal fusion freaks out there – you know who you are. Daring guitar harmonics punctuated with a double-kick drummer help make this album a seamless epic voyage. Challenging, but ultimately a rewarding listen.
In the blog this week: Molotov.
* highly recommended
! highest recommendation
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