Remember – if you send it, it will get reviewed. That’s the City Slang promise. It doesn’t matter what genre the music is – as long as it has a Metro Detroit connection, it’ll get in. Preferably, we’d like to concentrate on new releases but, while we’re getting warmed up here, feel free to send back catalog material too. Send CDs, vinyl, cassettes, demos and 8-tracks to Brett Callwood, City Slang, Metro Times, 733, St. Antoine, Detroit, MI 46226. Email MP3s and streaming links to [email protected].
The Flutter & Wow’s self-titled EP (self-released) is a magnificently earthly slice of Americana-infused country music. The dual male / female vocals works perfectly here, partly because of the quality of the four songs but also because of the presence of Tasha Lord, a woman who could be about to take over Detroit. Coming to a City Slang near you soon.
The Fuzzrites’ Baby Cakes (Spinout) is equally awesome, though in a completely different way. Led by Dick Chiclet and with the record mastered by Jim Diamond, this is premium quality, filthy Detroit-style garage rock (even though the band is based in Grand Rapids). Noisy, scuzzy and fun, this is a tremendous album that will be getting played at my place for a good while.
Rather less impressive is Emilio Basa’s To the End (self-released). Not that the album is horrible, by any means. He obviously poured himself into the songs. The first couple are ok-ish too. By track three though, he sounds like he’s whining. Well performed and well produced, the songs just become tedious all too quickly. Basa also sent us a DVD of the video for his new “Poor Boy” single, which was shot on an iPhone. Interesting concept, and at least partly successful. Good work.
For an eclectic array of electronic delights, check out Twoven, a Detroit-based project that soaks up everything from dubstep to trance. It is that stubborn refusal to settle down that makes these twelve Twoven tracks such a fascinating experience though. From the spooky Halloween fun of “Punkin’ Chunkin’” to the string-led brilliance of “Infinitus”, there’s much to enjoy here.
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