speed of dark

Coltrane Motion

I am not usually into dance/DJ/trip-hop music, but every once in a while something comes along that is just so catchy I get pulled into it in spite of myself. Chicago's Mike Bond and Matt Dennewitz have created a dancing Frankenstein of a sound from influences as disparate as Neutral Milk Hotel, Arab Strap, Grandaddy, and Missy Elliott. I like all these by themselves, but how well could they possibly mix? Surprise! It's very attractive and different!

Songs About Music is their first full-length CD, following two previous EPs. I'm posting my favorite, and you can get a couple more from their MySpace page. Now if I could just get hold of "This Is Not L.A." from their concert CD...

Coltrane Motion: How To Be
Coltrane Motion: Pi Is Exactly Three

MySpace | Website | Label: Datawaslost Records
Buy at Datawaslost store, Amazon, and eMusic
Shows:
Jun 9 2007 - Nomad Pub, Minneapolis, MN
Jul 10 2007 - Schuba's, Chicago, IL

Rondo Brothers

I discovered the Rondo Brothers by accident while researching Herman Jolly, who is a labelmate. Not actual brothers, Jim Greer (Diamond Jim) and Brandon Arnovick (the Bastard Prince), are San Francisco-based producers/musicians who have employed a variety of singers on their tracks. I am particularly attracted to the ones with Kelly Atkins, lead singer of another band from CitrusToCitrus, 20 Minute Loop (see below). "Crazed," is the song that made me sit up and take notice.

When they aren't tooling their electric golf cart around the neighborhood, the Rondos typically keep busy working on other artists' projects. Recent work includes a 2006 remix by Dan The Automator (Gorillaz, Deltron 3030) for The Killers as well as a recent collaboration with him on a Peeping Tom track and Galactic's Ruckus. The Rondos also worked on a New York Dolls remix for last year's release on Roadrunner Records.

It's fortunate that they've had time to get some of their own music out. The record release party for the band's upcoming album Seven Minutes To Midnight will be at the Independent in San Francisco on July 14.

the Rondo Brothers: Crazed (with Kelly Atkins)
the Rondo Brothers: Until We All Fall Down (fantasy remix)

MySpace | Website | Label: CitrusToCitrus
Buy at iTunes, and eMusic

20 Minute Loop

Although not a dance/trip-hop band like the other two, 20 Minute Loop, also from San Francisco, belongs in this post because of the Kelly Atkins connection. Atkins's voice is similar to Sherri DuPree's of Texas band Eisely, and she has been compared to Jenny Lewis as well.

But unlike the other two, 20 Minute Loop combines her strong female lead with male vocals. Songs are often presented in a call-and-response between Atkins and the other vocalist Greg Giles. This male-female mix is a sound that seems to be coming around a lot lately in the music I like.

Their most recent CD Yawn + House = Explosion was well-received when it was released in 2005. Here are two standouts for me.

20 Minute Loop: Our William Tell
20 Minute Loop: Properties of Dirt

MySpace | Webs ite | Label: CitrusToCitrus/Fortune Records
Buy at Amazon, iTunes, and eMusic
Shows:
June 27, 2007 - 8:00 PM - Café du Nord, San Francisco, CA