Buraka Som Sistema, "Black Diamond" (Fabric)
Hyped on: Muzorama; Brooklyn Vegan; Noise Porn
MySpace
Who: As M.I.A. states in her guest spot on the group’s breakout single, “Sound of Kuduro,” Buraka Som Sistema are “One drop, two drop, three drop, four/Sound of kuduro knocking at your door!” BSS are three Portuguese DJ/producers—Li’l John, DJ Riot and Conductor—and one MC Kalaf, who combine to create a force to be reckoned with in the kuduro genre. But what is that, you ask?
What: Kuduro is a crazy ghetto-funk mashup of global dance party music from, well, all over the globe. It began in the African country of Angola, a former Portuguese colony, and quickly spread to the old mother country’s capital city of Lisbon. BSS’s take on kuduro (aka progressive kuduro) ramps it all up, increasing the tempo and throwing together even more aural references to everything from the Baltimore club scene to baile funk, breakbeat, dancehall, hip-hop, techno, house and grime. This fetching culture-mash can best be heard on the U.S. release of their debut LP, “Black Diamond,” out April 7. Better yet, the group will do a U.S. mini-tour in April and May around the date of their Coachella appearance.
Made for: Anyone who’s into the new global dance music—which, these days, is pretty much everyone. M.I.A. fans looking for the next big thing that’s a little more “real” and a little less featured-in-movie-trailers. Peeps planning out their Coachella must-see lists. Every iPod party playlist-maker for the next six months.
X-Factor: Hot Chip remix alert! The hipster-blessed Brits recently put out their treatment of BSS’s “Kalemba (Wegue Wegue).” Next stop: iPod commercial. – KND
It Hugs Back, "Inside Your Guitar" (4AD)
Hyped on: Strangeglue; Parasites & Sycophants; 17 Seconds
Official site
MySpace
Who: Childhood friends Matthew Simms (guitar/vocals), Jack Theedom (organ/backing vocals), Paul Michael (bass) and Dimitri Sudell (drums) formed It Hugs Back in London in 2006, quickly garnering a cult following with their handmade, limited-edition singles and wide-eyed, folksy take on classic dream-pop. They eventually signed to legendary British label 4AD, home to classic acts like Stereolab and Cocteau Twins as well as of-the-moment upstarts like Department of Eagles and St. Vincent.
What: As their somewhat dorky name implies, It Hugs Back take every element of their sound—gently strummed acoustic and electric guitars, shimmering organs, narcoleptic vocals, the occasional muffled blast of feedback—and wrap them in a fuzzy blanket of analog warmth and shoegaze’s layered sonics. At their more uptempo moments, as on “Don’t Know” and “Now + Again,” they’re capable of inducing a Stereolab-like head-rush; more often, however, IHB’s music floats along in a happily abstract haze, like downtempo Luna tunes remixed by Boards of Canada. Highlights include the gorgeously soft-focus “Soon” and “Remember,” a soulful, morphine-drip ballad.
Made for: Fans of classic 4AD albums like Red House Painters’ “Ocean Beach” and Mojave 3’s “Ask Me Tomorrow.” Late nights with a record player (remember those?) and a bottle of cheap wine. Anyone tired of waiting for the next Ambulance LTD record.
X-Factor: The band designs (and sometimes hand-stitches) the covers for all of its limited-edition, seven-inch vinyl singles; most feature older tracks not included on “Inside Your Guitar.” – AH
The Whitest Boy Alive, "Rules" (Bubbles)
Hyped on: ThaBombShelter; Stereogum; The 405
Official site
MySpace
Who: Erlend Øye is half of beloved folk-pop duo Kings of Convenience—beloved by us and most of Norway at least, mostly for the group’s 2001 remix album featuring electro ramp-ups by Ladytron, Four Tet and Röyksopp. “Versus” incorporated Øye’s silky, half-octave singing with inspired and up-tempo production. It bested KoC’s stripped-down acoustics by a mile, leading some to question if the band should reorganize. Enter the Whitest Boy Alive.
What: It’s a funny name, true. And ironic perhaps, given that the group’s rhythms recall whispers of funk and screams of disco. It’s all very catchy, especially the bouncy “Courage,” which expands with spacey keyboards and Øye’s vocal break-dancing at the end. Simple guitar chords leak above a smooth bass line in mostly instrumental “Timebomb”—almost besting the rhythm section in the epic Dismemberment Plan song of the same name. Heavily produced “Dead End” finishes the album strong, piecing together the best synth and ice-cold guitar moments played during the reported 300 takes the album required.
Made for: Itchy fans of “Versus” and Daft Punk. (Check out “1517” for a cool re-interpretation of “Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger.”)
X-Factor: The album was recorded in Punta Burros, Mexico, begging the question: How does a pasty Norwegian dude endure the tropical sun? It couldn’t be pretty. – MR
Trash Talk, "East of Eden" (TT Collective)
Hyped on: Brooklyn Vegan; Aversionline.com; scenepointblank
Official site
MySpace
Who: Despite only releasing its first record in 2007 (and releasing most of their subsequent work on the band’s own label), Sacramento’s Trash Talk have become the torchbearers of a new hardcore underground. After several ear-splitting (and head-splitting…there were brawls!) performances at Austin’s South by Southwest Music Festival, the group is currently on tour with the Bronx.
What: While F---ed Up is the arty, proggy take on power-violence, Trash Talk can’t be bothered with niceties. There will be pain at a TT show. Band frontman Lee Spielman is just as likely to backflip on your head as he is to smash his mic into his own—both of which he did, frequently, in Austin. But this isn’t just random aggression—for all the hatred spewed in the band’s minute-long songs, there’s a noisy, late ‘80s grunge tinge to the band’s slower work, reminiscent of Seattle legends Tad or Skin Yard. Which may explain why the shaggy-haired Spielman seems to prefer flannel…he’s bringing it back!
Made for: Kids who missed real hardcore and hate emo. Masochists with a Black Flag fetish. Indie music fans with severe ADD and a hatred of keytars, Arcade Fire and “beats.”
X-Factor: These guys respect their elders. The band collaborated with Circle Jerks frontman Keith Morris on their latest, the “East of Eden” seven-inch, and recorded their 2008 “full-length” (clocking in at 12 tracks and 14 minutes) with legendary noise king Steve Albini in two days. – KM
