Manic, quirky, odd, fun, funky, strutting, nerdy are all adjectives that stick very well to Deerhoof’s latest, Friend Opportunity. The problem is that I really wanted to like this album for all the positive things I have read and heard from friends about the band as it appeared to be an ideal blend of Indie Pop and Prog Rock. Now, I’ve sat on this review for a couple of months (you might say I’ve been sitting on the site for the same amount of time!) in the hopes that repeated listens would spark something in me beyond a general sense of ennui. Sadly, no, the album did not ignite any passion in me.

This is not to say, however, that Friend Opportunity is a terrible release rather it is technically superior with tight compositions and production values and while all that is great it is a sort of empty intellectual exercise in music. What I think it is lacking is a dose of raw intensity. Take the opening track for instance with its buzzsaw Jon Spencer riff which just tears in and out in a self-conscious manner that is precisely orchestrated and much to clean both of which detract from its intended well-muscled angularity. Granted, precision is the hallmark of Prog Rock but as other bands have demonstrated you can be precise while still being impassioned and loose; give a listen to King Crimson’s “The Great Deceiver” or, for a more contemporary example, “Peter Criss Jazz” by Don Cabellero. Where the band excels, however, is in weaving together some pretty intricate rhythms, nesting heady percussion sections into machine like chopping guitar riffs, “Cast Off Crown” is a great example. “Galaxist” a short sweet track that soars, demonstrating the potential for an album unfortunately weighted down by pretense.

So while the album has some real bright spots and is definitely worth a listen it ultimately failed to captivate me. Take a sample of the album and judge for yourself as my opinion is in the minority (almost).

Fanfare Ciocarlia are new to me and I’m left scratching my head wonder why in the hell I have not heard of this band before. They are billed as a Romanian Gypsy Brass Band but their music has wider roots that tap into many different cultures from Turkey, Macedonia, Bulgaria, and even hint at elements of Bollywood and pop standards from the US. To date they have released five albums all of which make use of blistering horn lines and tricky rhythms. Queens and Kings is no exception.

This is one of those albums that explodes in the opening notes, giving you little time to catch your breath or gather your wits as the band kicks up the dust and begins to spin you about. It is a beautiful album filled with an energy that is at once aggressive yet filled with joy and a pleasure of being alive. “Sandala” features some of the tightest brass playing I have ever heard with a tuba line that nimble dances about light as a feather. “Ibrahim” follows in suit matching staccato rhythms to a husky yet strangely enchanting vocals of Esma Redzepova but cool things down a little on “Ma Maren Ma” eventually turning that into a slow burning number with “Nakelavishe” where Redzepova makes a moving reprise.

To give you a little taste of their energy here’s a video from this year’s tour, shot in Berlin.

Since picking up this album the wife and I have been unable to put it down, giving it a spin nearly every day, just getting drunk on its intoxicating melodies and rhythms. You can find out more about the band on their page over at Asphalt Tango or over at Wikipedia which has a nice write up about the band and their music. Easily makes my Best of 2007 list. Very highly recommended.

After my long absence, one punctuated by miserable colds among the whole clan including my daughter, I find myself buried under new releases–some fifteen or so to date. So what better way to get started than diving into the latest release from one of my favorite groups.

I’ve been enamored with Up, Bustle & Out since the first time a clerk over at Other Music in NYC slipped their sublime Rebel Radio: Master Sessions, Vol. 1 across the counter for me to try. The blend of Breakbeat and Cuban music was and still is intoxicating and the respect that they approached the traditional forms was refreshing. Mexican Sessions Our Simple Sensational Sound sees them head to Monterrey, Mexico to whip up another cross-culture creation this time blending together Dancehall, Dub, Rap, and Cumbia into a languid but heated mix which is the perfect herald for warmer days.

The album lopes along in no particular rush, providing a backdrop that is slightly exotic and often trance inducing. “Mundo Insolito” is one such track with its Cumbia shuffle that makes your body just ache to slide about dancing like you’ve had five or six mojitos too many. Seamlessly that track staggers into “Cumbion Mountain” which will have you waving your arms in the air like an uncaring fool and will have you spinning around all the way to the sublime Flamenco breakdown, “Guitar Ahoy” at the album’s close.

You can get a little taste by sampling the album over at their website but really you should just go out and buy it. Mexican Sessions Our Simple Sensational Sound is just that good and makes it on to the skeletal beginnings of my Best of 2007 list. Very highly recommended.