Music Ravings

It’s funky, it’s infectious, it’s none other than Kamtin Mohager’s Chain Gang of 1974 (see vampire at right). The Denver, CO native breaks out all the stops for a perfect blend of punk/dance/pop explosion that is the solo debut “White Guts.” We’ve cranked up “STOP” on the sound system for more than half the year, a beat-driven psychediscopunkadelic opener that layers choruses and simply doesn’t relent. While you’re at it, you might as well put on “F’n Head,” a bass-heavy, tangled mass of electronica that damn well makes you punk out your f-ing head. The ten tracks here play fun and tough throughout, and theRead More →

True soul singers are tough to come by. So when we finally heard about Sharon Jones and her Dap-Kings, we were a bit skeptical. “Yeah,” we thought, “but can she really sing the part?” Thankfully, she can. Sophomore album “I Learned the Hard Way” is coursing through with soul, body, too, and is the kind of album we were dreaming of since Motown had its day. It’s tough to pick only a few highlight tracks, considering the whole album truly is fantastic, but try on “Mama Don’t Like My Man” and the title track. If you’re still not convinced after listening to those tracks, thenRead More →

If you’ve ever purveyed your local dance/ trance halls, you’ve probably noticed that there’s much too much bad dance music. You know, the kind of stuff that requires that extra drink just so you can try out that new dress on the dance floor. With “Disconnect from Desire,” the sophomore album from the trio composed of twin sisters Claudia and Alejandra Deheza, as well as former Secret Machines rocker Ben Curtis, you’ll gladly get out and groove in a potato sack. The reason why is simply: good dance music grabs you and puts you on your feet. Whether it be “I L U” or “ByeRead More →