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• July 8, 2009
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07/08/09

Dinosaur Jr.—Farm

Major Lazer--Guns Don't Kill People...Lazers Do Diplo, an idiosyncratic and genre-hopping DJ, has teamed up with British producer Switch to create Major Lazer, a dancehall reggae project. The album employs the considerable talent of the current crop of Jamaican vocalists with the production duo's club-friendly, bass-heavy reggae beats. We're particularly into "Mary Jane," which brings New Orleans brass music to Kingston. The group obviously knows their Jamaican music history and anyone who would call some of their tricks gimmicky has not listened to new reggae in a long time.

Dinosaur Jr.--Farm The newest album from the reunited Dinosaur Jr. is not going to surprise anyone, except perhaps by how good it is. The band chooses to stick to its tried and true formula--strong melodies and stronger guitar licks. But the band sounds so tight and excited to be playing together that the record stands up to other records recorded during their late 80's peak. If anything, J. Mascis's always strained voice sounds even better with age.

Omar-S--Fabric 45 We have just recently found out about Detroit producer Omar-S and his younger protege Kyle Hall but it has been something of a revelation. Detroit has always been a place where forward thinking music could maintain its soul, from the cosmopolitan R&B of Motown to the off-kilter hip hop of Dilla. Omar continues this tradition with electronic music that manages to merge the funkiness of early disco, the robotic keyboards of Kraftwerk, and the soulfulness of the Motor City. Omar's mix for the classic Fabric series is entirely composed of his own tracks and provides a snapshot of a young artist at the peak of his powers.

The newest album from the reunited Dinosaur Jr. is not going to surprise anyone, except perhaps by how good it is. The band chooses to stick to its tried and true formula—strong melodies and stronger...

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