Drumming is not something that often gets accolades let alone mentioned very often in the non-drummer press and I’ll be the first to admit that if the album isn’t one explicitly built around rhythm I pretty much ignore it which is why I Saw The Devil Last Night And Now The Sun Shines Bright leveled me when I first heard it. Bobby Theberge maintains such a level of power that you can feel him pounding the kit like it was your chest yet he manages such control that his work is lyrical, floating to the front of the mix without being overpowering. His stick work is hypnotic and compelling both in how it propels the group forward but also in how it is integral to the melody in each song.

Now, I know that I am not too dialed into the continually fragmenting sub-genres in the Rock world but I am not entirely sure how the Emo tag was applied to Moros Eros. Maybe it is the thin veneer of keyboards that drift in the background, but the band grinds out songs that fit more in the realm of mid to late 90’s post-punk. They have a strong focus on equity in their compositions with no song being dominated by one instrument’s ego at the expense of the others. The songs are balanced and organized while managing to swing in a sort of angular fashion that is reminiscent of Fugazi and Circus Lupus. The the opening track “Today is the Day” where the drums wrestle with the guitars providing a substantial and sharp sound where Zach Tipton’s vocals can stretch like they do on “When I Wake” where DJ Schulz churns out the melody on bass with care and precision are standouts in this regard.

Maybe the Emo label comes from the lyrical focus of the album laying bare the interconnectedness of the hopeless, the resigned, and the fearful though the wanderings of the Devil in the night. Here the Devil is less an antagonist and more a device to bind these disparate tales together and it is effective as they move from a story of lost love to one where the character is wracked by questions of morality. Moros Eros is tight lyrically as they are as a band, making for a fascinating listen, and one where I often feel compelled to shout out responses in the choruses.

This year has been filled with great releases but Moros Eros’ I Saw The Devil Last Night And Now The Sun Shines Bright, with its power and lyricism, manages to shoulder many of them to the side. It is sitting at the top of my list for one of the best releases of this year. You can stream two tracks off the album “Today is the Day” and “Satan Has A Heart of Gold” over at their Myspace page. Very highly recommended.

I’m Not Young But I Need The Money, that is a sentiment that I can relate to but beyond my little dramas Monsieur Leroc has dropped another compelling album and this time he has crafted a thick stew of Funk, Soul, Hip Hop, with a dash of House and a pinch of smart Euro sensibilities.

It is a dense experiment where Leroc slices samples of Jerry Lee Lewis into the slinky jive of “Great Balls” or the swinging sultry tones of “Freewheelin’ Frankie” whose pacing conjures those fumbling moments between new lovers. the reward lies in seeing just where he’ll hop to next, particularly when it comes to the pieces that feature rhyming. Setting the tone with the second track, “Alles Für die Cuts”, Leroc introduces the listener to German rhymes, which are at first startling to an ear used to English but they quickly become infection and the flow is spot on. At that halfway point he switches gears and drops a more traditional Hip Hop number with “Give Me Not Trouble” which features the mind numbing nimble vocal work of Radioinactive. Rounding out the album is an homage to 80’s era Prince with “Baby” and its crisp drum samples, near ecstatic vocals, and laid back synth line.

Whether the tones are sexy, “Pacemaker” or the lyrics channeling the bizarre, “NewIceCreamTruckSound” I’m Not Young But I Need The Money never ceases surprise, bewilder, or get your jimmy foot bouncing. Highly recommended and easily makes its way onto my Best of 2006 list.