String Cheese Incident

Originally a bunch of bluegrass-lovin' folk who stuck to playing at ski resorts and private events in their home state of Colorado, the String Cheese Incident have evolved since their formation in 1993 to something more than just a bunch of guys playing rootsy rock at your local pub; from reggae to trip-hop to jazz and psychedelia, there isn't anything these blokes are afraid to sink their claws into whether on a stage or in the studio.

Still, it wasn't until this 4th studio outing, 2003's Untying The Not, where their characterisic live show excellence and the eclectic eccentricity of studio experimentation came together into a full and satisfying whole. From the jangly alt-rock tinged opener "Wake Up" to the spacious, trip-hopping "Mountain Girl" to the Beatlesque "Who Am I?", you will most certainly be amazed at the journey this record offers.

Basically, a fantastic genre-jumping bluegrass album for adventurous listeners and the ideal introduction to SCI's body of work. Listen to "Mountain Girl" below if you need convincing!



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Warpaint

Warpaint is a female four piece LA band that is made up of a collection of the cities' typical arty type actresses and musicians. In fact, Shannon Sossamon (the 'A Knights Tale' babe) was the groups original drummer. That probably explains at least partly how they became fashionable among LA scenesters like Heath Ledger and, the one that prompted me to give them a listen, John Frusciante. In fact, he mixed their 2009 debut EP 'Exquisite Corpse' (which you can find below) and the result sounds not unlike an Ataxia session with Cat Power crooning over top. The songs are pretty but have muscle, droggy and yet grounded. The centerpiece of the release is a reinterpretation of the 1964 Robinson penned hit "My Guy", but when Warpaint sings "nothing you can say can take me away from my guy.." it sounds a lot more like they are enticing you to try than practicing true devotion. The result is a seductive, psychedelic jam to get lost in. Even if the whole outing isn't quite as memorable, there is a lot on the disc worth hearing. If nothing else, it sure makes me look forward to the LP dropping soon in 2010.

"Elephants", 2009


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