12" pop shots

May 25, 2005 at 12:00 am

John Arnold Feat. Paul Randolph
"Rise Up"
Ubiquity Recordings

 

Just in time for summer, third-party co-candidate John Arnold rides dance-floor shotgun with in-demand vocalist-bassist Paul Randolph. This teaser track from the upcoming HVW8 (pronounced “heavyweight”) comp, Music Is My Art, showcases an increasing interest in blending electronic elements with live instrumentation.

Part dance, Latin, R&B and just plain funky, its infectious rhythm is meant to get the can moving. It’s a departure from the deep, dark and dirty din that often screeches up from Motor City streets; Arnold and Randolph hit home with a musical manifesto that says feel-good music ain’t alien to this concrete jungle. Wearing the vinyl out after 50 spins, one can’t help but feel the newest underground chomping at the, shall we say, mainstream.

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