Music Reviews: Milosh, K-OS, Psapp, Zoe Keating

I've been sitting on these for a while. I'm overdue for a review. :)

Milosh - "Meme": Take a little Booka Shade, a little Caribou, a little Bjork, a little Mahogany, mix.. kind of reminds one of standing out on the balcony of the fishing lodge at night in the far north, watching the northern lights dance. :) Very pleasant background music, good for studying or reading or chilling. Favorites: Couldn't Sleep, I'm Trying, My Life, Run Away, This Way. Two thumbs up - very nice. :)

Psapp - "Hi - EP": This band reminds me a bit of Apples in Stereo or Cibo Matto. Peppy female voices blending with instruments, singing about nothing in particular. :) It's just a little EP, but kind of fun. Nice to have in your mix as a upbeat change of pace. Favorite: Apple Block. Fun little song. Worth a download just by itself. :)

K-OS - "Atlantis - Hymns for Disco": Wow! I mean.. this is rap the way it really *can* be!

iTunes complains that this Canadian rapper's flow isn't very good. Bosh. His flow is just fine on songs like "Equalizer", for instance. They claim it's because he comes at rap with a vocalist's sensibility.. well, hey! That's what makes him so good! :) Vocalist sensibilities (as opposed to atonal gutter thug drivel..) makes a positive difference. His songs are.. dare I say it? Songs! There's a melody somewhere that's noticeable (though not always dominant by any stretch.)

So.. dry up, iTunes! Less of the status quo in rap, and more K-OS, I say. ;) Two thumbs up. Favorites: Highway 7, Born to Run, Equalizer (also a send-up of Elvis's Jailhouse Rock - fun), Flypaper (with a Cut-Chemist-style intro), The Rain, Battle of Noah, Sunday Morning.

Zoe Keating - "One Cello x 16": Not sure you can call this classical, per se. But it's mostly cello, with some looping and over-dubbing, so .. electronic might be better? But it is hardly beat-based.. it's background-y and atmospheric, unobtrusive, much of it in minor keys. Something like you might expect as the soundtrack to a documentary movie about whales, or Iceland, or.. whales off the coast of Iceland. ;)

Someone else in my house (not the regular music critic, mind you..) thinks it's depressing music, but I say.. hey, cheer up! If Mr. Morose here can handle it, surely you can.. :) I think it's really good study music, or music to have on behind you when reading, or while eating dinner, having light conversation, etc. No real favorites, no standout tracks, just.. good. :) Two thumbs up.

Next up.. some really old bands. You know, old. Like.. from the 80's. ;)