KOJO "EASY" DAMPTON
No welfare system is perfect. No cultural mosaic is church-worthy. Oftentimes, utopia is an empty promise. Kojo "Easy" Damptey, a Canadian-by-way-of-Ghana, raises social awareness, by asking the following question through an impressive debut, Daylight Robbery:HOW DO WE CHANGE THIS CURRENT SYSTEM?It's a mindful and Damptey's music is no less daunting. His first single, "Chasing the Felon", is multi-faceted and stimulating, with sophisticated orchestration and backing vocals courtesy of Hamilton songstress Sara London.
Spoken-word segments break up the 10-track masterpiece--it's truly a must-hear.
COLORNOISE
Sonya Carmona and Alison Alvarado are solid components of Colornoise, a prime circa-2009 example of the rising Central American experimental rock scene. The near-stratospheric Polychronic, their second full-length, was released last week, and is soon to be followed by an extensive North American tour. Neo-Luddite "Weblocks", pop-noir-themed "No Name", doom-y "Button" are spot on. The duo's eerie, percussion-heavy sound falls along the veins of Nine Inch Nails or even Kylesa, with female vocals. Here's to the girls.DÚO DEL SOL
“The guitar in Dúo del Sol is the drum set, the bass, the cello and the mandolin. [Meanwhile,] the violin is so close to the human voice, but it can also sound like an electric guitar or even a trombone at any moment."
This week will be a treat for the classically-inclined (as it was for me), but even if you're not weathered in Bach and Brahms, I encourage you to give the above records a spin. Hush, pick a rainy day or a quaint cafe, and listen.