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Dave HoffmanReviews
Federico Aubele: PanamericanaNamed for the Pan American highway, a network of roads that stretches from Cape Horn, Argentina, to Fairbanks, Alaska, Federico Aubele’s second album synthesizes influences from all over the Americas. [17 December 2007] 
Various Artists: Ultra Lounge Presents Best of Christmas CocktailsThis compilation presents a nice sampling of Christmas music, both kitschy and classic. Forty minutes of Christmas coolness -- definitely worth picking up! [30 November 2007] 
Mike Farris: Salvation In LightsAs guitarist of Double Trouble, Stevie Ray Vaughn’s backing band, Mike Farris’ rock and roll credentials are fairly unimpeachable [26 November 2007] 
Various Artists: Defected in the House Eivissa 2007Defected’s double disc Eivissa 2007 offers up more than two hours of blissed out house music suitable for dancing the night away with hundreds of other revelers. [13 November 2007] 
500 Miles to Memphis: Sunshine in a ShotglassUltimately a bit tough to categorize, the band sounds like nothing more than a country-western version of the Dropkick Murphys, and has produced a promising debut. [8 November 2007] 
DJ Diz: From Home With LoveA quality mix worth checking out if you like house music. [30 October 2007] 
Dimlite: This is EmbracingDimlite hails from Switzerland, a country known for many things. Unfortunately, none of them are dope electronic beats. [23 October 2007] 
Various Artists: Homecooking - Soulfood Served by Jazzanova and FriendsOperating on the theory that jazz and cooking aren’t so different, Alex Barck, one sixth of German downbeat collective Jazzanova, conceived Home Cooking. [15 October 2007] 
The Pietasters: All dayHeavily influenced by soul-inflected early reggae and classic rocksteady, The Pietasters played it comparatively straight. [12 October 2007] 
Slope: Slope Is DopeOver the last ten years Slope has been pioneering global electronica, fusing broken beat, hip hop, and house music with a little bit of soul. With Slope Is Dope, the band offers an odds’n’sods collection of remixes, exclusive tracks and collaborations not previously available in one place. [4 October 2007] 
The Cribs: Mens Needs, Womens Needs, WhateverMajor label debut from British indie trio sounds great but doesn’t break much new ground. [11 September 2007] 
Dephazz: Days of TwangDays of Twang revisits familiar terrain with Pit Baumgartner’s trademark mix of laidback electronica, jazz, and soul. [4 September 2007] 
Various Artists: Ballads of the BookAdventurous collaboration between Scottish writers and indie popsters yields interesting results. [28 August 2007] 
Various Artists: Furry SelectionSuper Furry Animals bassist Guto Pryce takes a spin through the apparently bottomless Trojan back catalogue and produces a surprisingly cohesive mix of ‘70s rocksteady and dub reggae. [15 August 2007] 
Bad Brains: Build a NationPunk godfathers produce another slice of intense thrash mixed with reggae. [9 August 2007] 
The Nightingales: Whats Not To Love?The Nightingales traffic in the sort of angular, discordant indie rock produced by The Fall, though without the intensity or anti-charisma of Mark E. Smith. [30 July 2007] 
Tayo: Fabriclive 32Fabric's venerable DJ mix series continues with Tayo's contemporary mix of dubstep, baile funk, breakbeat, and electro. [27 July 2007] 
Klaxons: Myths of the Near FutureEnergetic but uneven debut by London-based buzz band shows great promise. [5 July 2007] 
Spanking Charlene: Dismissed With A KissBand combines attitude with ovaries to produce a completely ordinary debut album. [18 June 2007] 
Roddy Hart: BookmarksThis remarkably self-assured debut album showcases Hart’s mature songwriting and well-crafted arrangements. [22 May 2007] 
The Affair: Yes, Yes to YouDoes the world really need another Karen O. clone fronting a Blondie-influenced punk band? [17 May 2007] 
Los Straitjackets: Rock en Español, Vol. 1Masked musicians record an entertaining set of classic rock & roll covers in Spanish, proving once again that music is a universal language. [15 May 2007] 
The Bluetones: The BluetonesVeteran Brit-poppers release an excellent album filled with classic guitar pop. [9 May 2007] 
Madlib: The Other Side: Los AngelesTime to get off the Sunset Strip and take a trip through Madlib’s record collection. [12 April 2007] 
The Moog: Sold for TomorrowThe Moog come roaring straight out of Budapest playing an infectious brand of catchy, garage rock. [10 April 2007] 
Miguel Migs: Those ThingsMiguel Migs has produced the first great electronica album of 2007, filled with consistently interesting music, yet firmly rooted on the dancefloor. [23 March 2007] 
Sarah White and the Pearls: White LightAnyway, this is a serviceable little alt-country disc, though I’d hardly describe it as "a back porch classic in the making" as the publicist does. [20 March 2007] 
The Jennifers: Colors from the FutureMining the same hooky, melodic pop vein as Velvet Crush and Evelyn Forever, the album is a fun listen, though to my ear it lacks energy. [15 March 2007] 
Damiera: M(US)ICDamiera plays hyperkinetic, angular indie rock, echoing At the Drive-In, or Coheed & Cambria without the weird prog-rock tendencies. [6 March 2007] 
Various Artists: Om Hip Hop, Volume 1San Francisco label christens its new imprint by releasing a funky, eclectic compilation of forward-thinking hip-hop. [28 February 2007] 
Various Artists: Freshly Composted Vol. 2Started in Munich, Germany 13 years ago by Michael Reinboth, Compost Records quickly developed into what superstar DJ Gilles Peterson described as "the most consistent and forward thinking record label of continental Europe". [21 February 2007] 
Luke Slater: Fabric 32Slater delivers an excellent mix of hard-edged, funky techno that’s a little bit unpredictable. [20 February 2007] 
Sarah Shannon: City Morning SongFormer Velocity Girl vocalist releases an exceptional solo album filled with classic pop songs. [15 February 2007] 
Tango Jointz: Palermo NuevoAn uninspired fusion of Argentinean tango and downtempo electronica. [12 February 2007] 
The Cat Empire: Two ShoesMelbourne-based six piece tries to crack the U.S. market with an exuberant fusion of Latin, reggae, jazz, hip hop, and soul. [5 February 2007] BlogsConsuming Consumables: Various Artists - Ultra Lounge Presents Best of Christmas Cocktails [$18.98] [13 December 2007] |
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