05.03
Dan Snaith aka Caribou
Just like that, summer is right around the corner, and, as usual, SoCal weather is quicker to the draw than our Dilbert desktop calendars. I think it’s officially time to bust out the flip flops. We really are blessed to be living where we are. Don’t take it for granted!
Today, I want to shed some light on a musician who just released one of the finest albums so far in 2010. Dan Snaith has been around for awhile now, having produced albums formerly under the alias “Manitoba” and currently as “Caribou”. His electronic beats are difficult to categorize. A little jazzy hip hop here, some ethereal melodies there, the occasional uptempo 2 stepper, etc. He’s pretty all over the place, though his music has grown less subversive/glitchy and more accessibly over time. People tend to mention him in the same breath as Four Tet (who, coincidentally, released a similarly acclaimed/excellent album earlier this year), so if you were a fan of “There is Love In You”, his newest effort “Swim” is a must-listen. The album is Snaith at his most adventurous and melodic, a great mix of dance pop (“Odessa” and “Leave House” both fit that bill) and chuggy instrumentals (“Bowls” is particularly excellent). My favorites: “Odessa”, “Kaili”, and “Hannibal”.
If you’ve checked out our concert calendar on the sidebar (if you haven’t, please do…so much good live music this month!), you may have noticed that he’ll be playing at Club Nokia in a few weeks. Unlike Four Tet, the live Caribou experience comes fully equipped with a full band. No laptops here, folks. This is sure to be one of the better concerts of the year, so try and make it!
“Swim” can be purchased here
© 2010, Rob. All rights reserved.
