Drop me in the middle

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

LA Weekly calls this pairing "avant-sonic acrobats"... which is pretty darn accurate. Both Tom Farrell and Javier Orman are music majors well on their way to grand careers in classical performance, but Dúo del Sol was just much grander. hello Kaleidoscope exhibits tremendous dedication, excellent musicianship, and flawless execution. The album and Dúo del Sol's live shows reveal the crazy versatility of two simple instruments--

“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.

SUN STONE REVOLVERS

Our name used to be Revolvers. Now it’s Sun Stone Revolvers.

Good, because besides the increased searchability, the band’s new moniker is just more suitable. Spaceship X, released last month on Optical Sounds takes listeners on a round trip, away from gravity ("On the Run"), to the edge ("Horizon"), into the blue ("Ocean"), and as per their excellent customer service, home ("America").

The Toronto trio blends psychedelic, folk, and garage styles; think Local Natives cross-multiplied with Flaming Lips and Fleetwood Mac.

Download "On the Run" and "Liberation" and watch the video for "America" below!

DELTA WILL

Since landing on Earth and inhibiting Charles Tilden’s body, Delta Will’s a changed man. Turns out, he’s been around as long as floppy disks have been around. No wonder government officials were quick to cover up the Roswell incident. Is Will a space fugitive or Plutonian refugee? We’ll never know, but his sounds developed nicely into a twangy, folk and blues-infused rock.

Listen and download "It All Glows" from Delta Will’s bandcamp; the full EP drops October 22nd. If you’re in Toronto on the 24th, drop by The Piston for the release party!

DAVE RAVE

photo from CHRW Radio

Dave Rave’s also a veteran, and an artist who’s also escaped conformity. The former punk rocker released Memphis Midnight earlier on in the year, a jazz rock album with guitarist Mark McCarron. Kick your feet up and check out "Fortunate Boy (Where No One Knows)"—like what you hear? Try "On the Memphis Midnight Ride" and "For All Time".