Kid Koala - Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: 3.5/5 Bits

Artist: Kid Koala

Album: Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Genre: Electronic, Hip-Hop, Turntablism

This is a special review as it was a request. This album is an underrated gem that's a decade old which manages to maintain it's shine, so I had no problem giving it a review to bring it up to the public's eye. This album is an electronic album with hip-hop beats manipulated by a turntable, in-fact it's the first turntablist album I've heard so I had no idea what to expect. In general turntablism is tough for a casual listener due to the subtle nuances associated with the techniques. The average listener, for instance, will find it hard to discern the difference between a good turntablist and a bad one. Kid Koala though makes turntablism not only highly accessible, but it's clear he's very good at what he's doing.

The album feels like a lazy summer day, in a very good way. The mellow beats and melodies are perfect for simply kicking back and enjoying your air conditioner. What makes this album great is how fluid it is. Despite the vast amounts of miscellaneous dialog and samples, Kid Koala manages to blend them together for a fantastic mix that simply works. The samples really have nothing to do with one another, but Kid Koala's slick turntable work somehow provides the magic necessary to make them work. What makes this album even better is the choice of skits, often poking fun at his style of music in a tongue in cheek manner before displaying excellent turntablism skill.

There's nothing particular that stands out about this album, it's truly one of those albums that must be listened to from beginning until the end. This, in my opinion, is a greater feat than simply having 2-3 amazing tracks in the slew of mediocrity. This album is highly recommended for kicking back on those lazy days.

Read more about Kid Koala's album "Carpal Tunnel Syndrome" here.

3.5/5 Bits

Pretty Lights vs Radiohead vs Nirvana vs NIN: 5/5 Bits

Artist: Pretty Lights

Album: Misc Single from the 2011 Remixes Collection

Genre: Dubstep, Mash-Up

I know this is a single, but Pretty Lights is one of the few innovative electronic acts out there today and deserves some coverage. What makes Pretty Lights so innovative? His incredibly smooth mix of dubstep, hip-hop, funk, and soul elements. If you've never heard him all of his music can be found for free at the Pretty Lights website.

This song was posted by Pretty Lights some time yesterday and was immediately spread around the internet. It combines elements of Radiohead's "Everything in its Right Place," Nirvana's "All Apologies," and Nine Inch Nail's "Closer." Now many of you have probably heard Girl Talk's mash-ups, but this is nothing like that. This track seamlessly incorporates all of the tracks beautifully, weaving them in and out of each other without the listener noticing. The track overall has a very dopey feel to it, it is very mellow, the kind of music you close your eyes to and sway rather than dance. The bass comes in heavy and even has the typical dub-drop, but it's very subdued and designed to engross the listener even further into this track.

There's not much I can say about this that you can't hear, so go download Pretty Lights' music and go check out this remix.

5/5 Bits

Feed Me - To the Stars: 3/5 Bits

Artist: Feed Me

Album: To the Stars

Genre: Dubstep

In the land of popular music it seems dubstep has taken over as the preferred choice of party music for the college crowd. Names like Skrillex and Skream are as common as the Foo Fighters today and there are plenty of other big names throughout the ever growing scene. This brings the question, is there room for another dubstep act to make a name in the scene? Well drum and bass veteran Spor thinks so and is trying to prove so under the monicker Feed Me.

If you're looking for ground breaking dubstep, then keep moving. There is nothing groundbreaking in this 4 track EP, but that isn't to say that there's anything bad about it either. It's simply good dubstep. The biggest problem with this album though is that it will leave dubstep fans that want the huge drops and wobbles wanting more.

The first track "To the Stars" plods along with a decent beat and a wonky, but catchy synth line, but the dynamics simply aren't there. There's no drop, there's no swells, it's rather stagnant. That isn't to say it's a bad song, but it highlights everything wrong with this album, it simply moves along without really gripping the listener.

The second track "Strange Behaviour" features vocals from a singer named Tasha Baxter whose contributions help make this my favorite track. The track is very reminiscent of vocal trance when it first starts, but then the drop hits as Tasha's voice lifts in response. It's a fantastic moment of the song and probably the best moment on the album. This is the track that will surely attract the typical dubstep listener, but somehow separates itself from the generic dubstep you're so used to hearing. The bass is heavy through the song with the typical wobbles and swells and the vocals intertwine well. This is an incredibly strong track that doesn't rely on the typical gimmicks a lot of dubstep artists use during the swells.

The third track "Pink Lady" starts with a rather unnecessary sound clip, before coming off with a house-esque intro, before degrading into the typical heavy bass wobbles. This track is the typical dubstep track you'll hear at a party, high frequency noises abundant, and wobbles throughout. This isn't a bad track, but it's incredibly generic.

The last track "Chain Smoker" has a rather boring minute long intro that leads into a rather boring uninspired beat with no dynamics. It's a pretty consistent beat throughout the song that would surely make those at a club or party happy, but it's boring.

The album overall lacks direction, there's no uniform sound and I feel as if Feed Me is attempting to reach out to fans of various styles of dubstep, but he fell flat in this offering. It's worth a stream if you're laying around, cleaning your room, or want something new to add to your mix for parties, but it won't make you bat an eye.

You can stream the full album on Feed Me's Soundcloud and let me know what you think of it.

3/5 Bits

Matt & Kim - Sidewalks: 3/5 Bits

Artist: Matt & Kim

Album: Sidewalks

Genre: Pop, Indie, Electronic

Matt & Kim are one of those bands I'd heard random songs by through friends and had always been meaning to give them a proper listen, but hadn't. With their new album Sidewalks just being released yesterday I figured what better time? The first thing that you'll notice is rather high energy music in the form primarily of synths and drums with vocals similar to that of Peter Bjorn and John's. The album continues the upbeat energy throughout the album. This is a good thing. Matt & Kim obviously know what sound their listeners expect to hear and don't disappoint. This is also a bad thing, as there's little diversity and each song easily blends into the next if you're not paying attention.

This album sadly borders on mediocrity. Two listens in and I have not had one song grip me. There are plenty of decent songs, in-fact the entire album is decent. It's just not very memorable. If you're looking for an upbeat synth and drum heavy album then this will definitely please you, I'm just not sure for how long.

Tracks to check out: Cameras, Where You're Coming From, Good For Great

3/5 Bits

The Album Leaf - A Chorus of Storytellers: 4/5 Bits

Artist: The Album Leaf

Album: A Chorus of Storytellers

Genres: Post-Rock, Ambient, Electronic

I had forgotten I had this album sitting on my hard drive for quite a while and boy am I sorry that I waited so long to hear it. Before I go into the album I'd like to explain why this is an important release by The Album Leaf. The biggest thing about this album is that it was the first time the whole band had been a part of the recording process, rather than one person doing it all. Secondly you may notice hints of Sigur Rós, this is because Jonsí helped with this album, mostly in the mixing department. Now onto why you should listen to this album, if the Sigur Rós name drop wasn't enough.

The first track opens up with a lush atmospheric ambiance that sets a theme for the album. The sound production on this is absolutely wonderful. The attention to detail is brilliant. This enhances the serene sounds that The Album Leaf have crafted. Wonderful soundscapes combined with electronic drumming and the occasional vocal melody mixes wonderfully together to bring the listener quite the experience. The only times I was left slightly disappointed were on the vocal tracks, which are few. It's not that they are bad, it's that they do instrumental much better.

I didn't know what to think of this album when I was loading it up to listen. To be honest I had low expectations. The Album Leaf have always been a solid band, but have never blown me away. This hasn't exactly blown me away, but it's a great start. This is a well crafted album with each song flowing well into the next. If you're a fan of anything I've mentioned here, you need to here this.

Tracks to check out: Blank Pages, Summer Fog, Until the Last

4/5 Bits

Das Racist: 4/5 Bits

Artist: Das Racist

Album: Shut Up, Dude - Sit Down, Man

Genre: Hip-Hop, Indie

I became aware of the New York duo Das Racist yesterday when a friend linked me his song "Combination Pizza Hut and Taco Bell" which to be frank is just for laughs. I decided to check out his two newly released mix tapes though to see what he was all about. I was quickly turned on. The first thing I noticed was a brilliant variety of sampling done throughout from Herbie Hancock to The Doors. Their lyrics next grabbed my attention. Varying from tongue in cheek racial lines to them simply rhyming a series of words into others with no purpose other than to provide brilliant wordplay. The beats are simply fantastic; Given the list of producers including Diplo, you knew it would be. I highly recommend these as they are freely available through Das Racist's bandcamp site. I've decided to upload them myself since the tagging on the albums was terrible.

Tracks to check out: Fake Patois, You Oughta Know, All Tan Everything

Both receive 4/5 Bits.

Brian Eno - Small Craft on a Milk Sea: 3/5 Bits

Artist: Brian Eno

Album: Small Craft on a Milk Sea

Genres: Electronic, Ambient

This is actually a shocker to me. This album I mean. I expected to completely hate this based on the past stuff I've heard from him. To be honest his past stuff bored me to a level that I've never experienced before or after. I heard a lot of people hyping this up though, as expected, so I decided to give it a try. I wasn't blown away, but I wasn't turned off. The album had it's moments where I really dug it, and moments where I was almost bored. My biggest problem with this album was the lack of fluidity from song to song. It was pretty noticeable when the track had switched despite me not giving it my full attention. Overall though the album made for good background music. It suited it's purpose while I played Wordfeud on my Droid.

Tracks to check out: Bone Jump, Paleosonic, Late Anthropocene

3/5 Bits