Well, that sure was a great nap!
Today, I have the perfect treat for anyone in need of some table-centered toe-tapping whilst working on their lappy or compy of choice. The band is Les Gosses de la Rue (The Street Kids, or so Google translate tells me), the album is self-titled, and their forte is upbeat gypsy-influenced swing/jazz. If you are familiar with Django Reinhardt (and you should be--if not, get an album, any album of his), then you can expect a very similar sound, but with a larger ensemble. As far as I can tell, there are at least two guitars, a flute, a violin, a double bass, and sometimes an accordion. The mix of instrument colors always sounds great, and the production is fantastically clear.
Song structures are about what you would expect from a jazz ensemble--lots of chord motif repetition as different players take their turns at solos. And the solos manage to be both musically engaging and technically impressive most of the time, which helps propel the length of some songs past six minutes. To be honest, though, you are not going to find a lot of diversity in this album. The instrumentation never strays far from the pre-established lineup, and the sounds of the songs are very similar compared to each other. It is very easy to hear the album as a continuous 45 minutes of minor variations on the same theme. It is not a bad thing; it is just a consequence of the style, a style which I can say confidently that this band has mastered.
Song highlights include the immediate punch of the first track, "Rythme futur." If you like it, then you can expect to enjoy the rest of the album. If you do not care for it, then you are not going to find much else here. I also particularly like "Valse a Margaux," which has shades of "Greensleeves" and a gorgeous B section that is the most melancholy, and unexpected, moment of the album. The following track, "Minor Swing," is a cover of the Django Reinhardt classic, and they have a lot of fun with it.
Best of all, the band has made the album available for free, so you can download it liberated of legal or moral stipulations. I really respect the kind of people willing to give away their art like such, and so should you.
Les Gosses de la Rue - Les Gosses de la Rue
2009 LP
Support Les Gosses de la Rue and download from Amazon
Download for free from Jamendo (click "Download" [duh])
Format: VBR V2 mp3s in a .zip
Tracklist:
01. Rythm futur
02. Le fils du facteur
03. Amsterdam
04. For Sephora
05. Noto swing
06. Valse a Margaux
07. Minor swing
08. Legend
09. Ungarom
10. Hora ca la Caval
1 comments:
Sufjan just dropped a new EP.
I fully expect you to get on that.
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